Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Jenn's Review: 1st to Die

Summary:

The Women's Murder Club pits four San Francisco women professionals against a serial killer who's stalking and murdering newlyweds in bestselling author James Patterson's newest thriller. Lindsay Boxer is a homicide inspector who's just gotten some very bad news. She deals with it by immersing herself in her newest case and soliciting the personal as well as professional support of her closest friend, who happens to be the city's medical examiner. The two women, along with an ambitious and sympathetic reporter and an assistant DA, form an unlikely alliance, pooling their information and bypassing the chain of command in an engaging, suspenseful story whose gruesome setup is vintage Patterson.

"What is the worst thing anyone has ever done?" the killer muses to himself early in the narrative. "Am I capable of doing it? Do I have what it takes?" Answering his own question, he embarks on a murderous spree that takes him from the bridal suite in a Nob Hill hotel to a honeymoon destination in the Napa Valley and thence to a wedding reception at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Dispatching his victims on the happiest day of their lives, he purposefully leaves enough clues for his distaff trackers to discover his identity and put him behind bars. But just when the women think they've got the case all wrapped up, the killer turns the tables on them in a bloody denouement that even the most discerning reader won't see coming. Patterson, author of the popular Alex Cross mysteries, promises future adventures for the Women's Murder Club, which may give him an opportunity to develop his heroines' characters more completely and win new fans among those who prefer their detectives in high heels and lipstick. --Jane Adams, Amazon.com

Review: I don't tend to read a lot of male authors, I'm not sure why that is... perhaps I don't feel that they speak to me as do female authors...whatever the case, I decided to pick up the Women's Murder Club Series, because I can't get enough of the new show on TV. I think the characters are fantastic! --And so very close to what Patterson has written.

In picking up this book I was far from disappointed. As a matter of fact, I read it in a day. I couldn't help it; it just didn't want to be set down. The plot twists were brilliant (I hate when I can pick a murderer a mile away, and I certainly didn't see this coming). The characters accessible (Patterson writes female characters surprisingly well). The book had a perfect balance of drama, romance, friendship, and character development for me. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Overall 4.8/5.0

1 comment:

Julie said...

I'm glad the show inspired you to pick up the books. This series and his Alex Cross books are my favorite of his.