1st to Die (Women's Murder Club Series #1)

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
James Patterson, bestselling author of the Alex Cross novels Along Came a Spider, Kiss the Girls, and Pop Goes the Weasel, offers the first of a new series dubbed The Women’s Murder Club, featuring a four-woman team that occasionally works outside the system. None of the gritty darkness or frenzied action is lost in 1st to Die, although the female protagonists offer an even deeper emotional context to this suspense thriller.

Inspector Lindsay Boxer of the San Francisco Police Department suddenly finds herself in the middle of two horrifying situations: The first is that she’s just learned she has an often-fatal blood disease. The second is a double homicide case she’s now heading up that involves the murder of newlyweds on their wedding night. Burdened with Chris Raleigh, a new partner reassigned from the mayor’s office, Lindsay finds that she has too much to deal with and turns to her best friend, Claire, the head ME on the case. Claire offers helpful advice and human, friendly contact amid a job filled with violence, cruelty, and fear.

Soon a fledgling newspaper reporter, Cindy, makes contact with Lindsay looking for a career-making story. Although Lindsay can’t officially comment on the case, the two women form a rapport, and Cindy joins Lindsay and Claire for their weekly meeting. When a second pair of newlyweds is murdered, and later a third, the investigation leads to a prominent crime writer, Nicholas Jenks, who has a history of spousal abuse and a predilection for kinky, dangerous sex games. With the help of an understanding assistant D.A., Jill Bernhardt, Lindsay tries to make a case against Jenks, who even had an affair with one of the slain women. Eventually Jill joins the “Murder Club,” and the four ladies share private interdepartmental information in an effort to track and stop the killer before he strikes again.

The major subplot -- Lindsay's facing up to her illness even while she learns to fall in love again -- carefully compensates for the novel’s coarse scenes of brutality. Lindsay Boxer isn’t merely an obsessed cop trailing a maniac; she’s also a terrified woman confronting the onslaught of disease. The story lines balance out to show us the true mettle of someone who puts the safety of others before her own.

Again, Patterson’s skill for producing furiously paced fiction are evident as the novel breezes by rapidly. The short chapters keep the narrative leaping with increasingly taut plot elements, but there’s an emotional commitment that makes our protagonist even more amiable and involving. 1st to Die is a novel that works as an intense series of character portraits that will leave the reader touched and delighted.

--Tom Piccirilli

Tom Piccirilli is the author of eight novels, including Hexes and Shards, and his Felicity Grove mystery series, consisting of The Dead Past and Sorrow's Crown. He has sold more than 100 stories to the anthologies Future Crimes, Bad News, The Conspiracy Files, and Best of the American West II. An omnibus collection of 40 stories titled Deep into That Darkness Peering is also available. Tom divides his time between New York City and Estes Park, Colorado.

Randy Michael Signor

James Patterson has started a new series, featuring four women who form the Women's Murder Club. Think of it as a book club for amateur dectectives, except that these women aren't exactly amateurs. The main character, San Francisco homicide detective Lindsay Boxer, forms the group out of frustration with the male-dominated investigation of a series of murders of newlyweds. While the city's officials spin their wheels, the Women's Murder Club works to solve the case. Patterson lumps together a bunch of twists at the end.1st to Die is a good, fast-paced read.
— Book Magazine

Chicago Tribune

...delivers a sharp punch...

Providence Sunday Journal

...a great book...a gripper, right from the opening pages...a great thriller and a terrific read...

Book

...the part that just plain enjoys a good, fast-paced read said, 'Forget it, who cares, this is fun.'

Sunday Oregonian

...polished, briskly written entertainment that's more complicated than it at first seems...

Publishers Weekly

...clever kickoff to a new series...Patterson...isn't afraid to reach as a writer...

Roanoke Times

...[Patterson] ably displays the storytelling talent that is the source of his popularity...

Austin American Statesman

...Patterson has shown skill at developing characters and crafting ingenious tales. I'm betting this series will only get better..

From The Critics

James Patterson cheats. None of his fans care—they're too busy turning the pages of his books, but all the same, he cheats. He withholds information, and his first-person narrators (there is often more than one voice per book) purposefully mislead the reader, who, with all that adrenaline pumping through his veins, has no time to worry about how masterfully he's being manipulated. All writers trick their readers—some are just better at it than others. Having possibly done away with long-standing character Alex Cross in his last book, Patterson has started a new series, featuring four women who form the Women's Murder Club. Think of it as a book club for amateur detectives, except that these women aren't exactly amateurs. The main character, San Francisco homicide detective Lindsay Boxer, forms the group out of frustration with the male-dominated investigation of a series of murders of newlyweds. While the city's officials spin their wheels, the Women's Murder Club works to solve the case. Patterson lumps together a bunch of twists at the end, and while the critic in me rebelled, the part that just plain enjoys a good, fast-paced read said, "Forget it, who cares, this is fun."
—Randy Michael Signor

Library Journal

Lindsay Boxer is an inspector on the San Francisco Homicide Squad. Her healthy, optimistic outlook is given a jolt when she is diagnosed with aplastic anemia, which is potentially fatal. While dealing with her first treatments, she takes on a new case. Someone has killed a bride and groom during the first hours of their honeymoon. The killer strikes again in Napa Valley and a third time in Cleveland. Lindsay gathers her girlfriends, all of whom work in related areas of the justice system, to circumvent the bureaucracy of police business and solve the crimes. There are a number of loose ends that never get tied up, and a number of actions that don't seem to fit the characters' persona. The unabridged version of the story moves along well but seems contrived and somewhat sloppy, though well read by Suzanne Toren. Lack of detail in the abridgment, which is well read in alternate chapters by Melissa Leo and Dylan Baker, does not significantly hamper the telling of the tale; the loose ends and inconsistent characters are less apparent and bothersome. Recommended for large, well-funded collections. Joanna Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Coll. of Continuing Education Lib., Providence Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Providence Sunday Journal

"Patterson again proves himself a master of the craft ... Such a great book: every time you think you've got it all figured out, you realize the killer is still a step ahead."

Entertainment Weekly

"A clever plot with enough last-minute revelations to keep you guessing."

Sunday Oregonian

"Polished, briskly written entertainment ... delivers the spine-tingly goods."

BookPage

"One of the most creative and sadistic killers since Hannibal Lecter ... There are surprises in store right up to the last page."