1st to Die/Unabridged Cd

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Summary: 1st to Die
Review: 1st To Die James Patterson Little, Brown and Company 0-316-66600-9 2001 Police procedural

Someone is killing newlyweds, often on their wedding night and in the most gruesome of ways. Inspector Lindsay Boxer is first on the scene in the original case that was taking place in San Francisco. Soon she finds herself paired with three other very strong women. Cindy, a journalist who bluffs her way onto the first crime scene. Claire, a young black woman who is also the leading medical examiner and Jill an ambitious assistant district attorney. As new evidence and clues amass the four women met and hash out the clues in an attempt to catch a cunning serial murderer. Along the way Lindsay is faced with some very scary news. She must also deal with her growing attraction to her newly appointed partner, Raleigh. As with all of James Patterson's books the chapters are short and lead quickly from one dilemma to another. The killer is never revealed until the writer sees fit. This was another wonderful book that made its way onto my top 10 favorites of 2001.

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Summary: kept me interested....
Review: This book was a little slow @ first, it took some time to get interesting. Once it got going it was ok. I could see this one on film. The ending was pretty dead though. I was looking for something with a little more excitement...

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Summary: Captivating
Review: 1st to Die was the first novel by James Patteson I have read. This novel was so amazing and kept me in tune the whole time. I couldn't set the book down, it completely captivated me. I loved the idea of four successful women coming together, the bride and groom murders were intruiging, something we all can relate to.

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Summary: Overall -- Only 2 1/2 Stars
Review: In typical Patterson fashion, First To Die is a fast-paced read with lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed the basic plot Patterson has created; I only wish he'd remember how to "write" a story that has credible characters with some depth to them. A particular concern is Patterson's inability to write in the first person about a woman protagonist. Her feelings come across as too cliched. His description of Lindsay's, the main character, romance with her new love interest is too sappy. His other characters are mostly one-dimensional and I often had trouble getting into their heads (and after awhile I gave up trying to). Lastly, his dialogue is at best mediocre and, at times, is childish and unrealistic. While I don't often let these criticisms interfere with my ability to enjoy a book, this wasn't the case for me with First To Die. I found these criticisms to be distracting and annoying enough to prevent me from rating this book with any more than 2 1/2 stars. I doubt I'll be buying any more books in this series, and if I do it won't be in hardcover.

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Summary: 1st to die
Review: I have enjoyed the Alex Cross series for what they are - fast-paced easy reads that don't require a lot of deep concentration and give you instant gratification without a lot of effort. I was excited about a series involving women, but I was a little disappointed by this book. The writing seems a lot more labored than in previous books, and I agree with previous reviewers that Patterson needs some practice writing women. I'll keep reading this series, but I was glad to see that Patterson has more Alex Cross books in the works.

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Summary: Marriages Off To A Very Bad Start
Review: San Francisco police homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer's day is off to a very bad start. First, she is informed by her doctor that she has an advanced case of a life threatening blood disorder. Then she is called in on the brutal murder of society newlyweds in their honeymoon suite. This will be a high profile case, so her regular partner is reassigned and she is told to work with an ex-cop who now handles public relations for City Hall. As that day, and the following days, progress Lindsay comes to terms with her illness and begins to fight back. She also comes to terms with her new partner. What she cannot come to terms with is the perpetrator of the honeymoon murderer. There was no robbery; the only things missing are the couple's wedding rings. Lindsay fears that this signals a serial killer is just starting out. And she is right. In 1st To Die Patterson takes us along as Lindsay discovers the connections in the series of bizarre killings of newlyweds and begins to home in on the killer. Along the way, she builds an unlikely support group of female friends-a medical examiner, a reporter, and an assistant district attorney. The Women's Murder Club, as they call themselves, works on solving the crimes from a variety of at best semi-official viewpoints-and they do a good job, of course. In the end, they find the perpetrator and build an airtight case, except... There is a very peculiar ending, one coming out not quite the way even an experienced reader of thrillers might expect. In retrospect, it is obvious that it could hardly have been different. That is what make James Patterson a good novelist, and 1st To Die a good read.

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Summary: Dear James:
Review: I do for the most part like your books. I have read every one and like the best the Cross books. Your last book was ok but I would like to point out on page 257, I have never heard of a renfield 30-30. The only companys who made a 30-30 are Winchester and Marlin. What is a Remington 40.5, there is no gun of that caliber, it's not even a caliber. Also there is no such gun as a {Glock Special 1990 issue.} There is a Glock 17, 19 and so on. Farther on in the book you right that the Lindsay takes the safety off of her revolver, Revolvers don't have safetys.

All in all you books are good buy you need to do a little more research on firearms, 10 minutes on the internet and you could have everything you ever wanted to know about the subject. There are a lot of people who would read your books if you could get the firearm aspect right.

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Summary: WOW says the author of $oft Money
Review: I am a fan of James Pattersons work, I have enjoyed his Alex Cross series. This new series promises to be as exciting. I like the cast of characters, and I enjoy reading a good thriller / mystery where the protagonist'(s) are female. Lindsay Boxer is a capable and worthy comparison to Alex Cross. Mr. Patterson has done a wonderful job blending mystery, and suspense and once again has brought us a demonic villian and a brilliant investigator. I highly recommend this book.

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Summary: 1st to Die
Review: Definitely not as good as his others. The plot is quite suspenseful. However, the ending was not as well written as his other books.

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Summary: 1st To Die
Review: Finally Demille has found a new character! Not that I didn't like Alex Cross but I was beginning to wish that Soneji would come back from the dead and get his revenge! Lindsay Boxer is a great new character with lots of room for development. The story grips you from the beginning, in typical Patterson style, and leads you down the road of suspicion and then you find that you're wrong on the who-done-it scale. Parts of the storyline are very predictable but you finish the book in record time feeling satisfied. I've read all the previous series' and this promises to be the best so far. A must read for a long plane ride or a weekend at the beach!