Rating: 
Summary: Riviting
Review: Four women, friends all involved some how with the Justice system are drawn together by a series of murders. When the killings reach out and touch the four friends they unite to try and find the clues and links to solve the crime. Patterson writes from a womans point of view with finesse. Once again he has presented us with a tale full of twists and blind mazes that will keep you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing clear to the end as to who is the killer. Well written and fast paced.Beverly J Scott author of Righteous Revenge
Rating: 
Summary: not well done
Review: Another of the Murder Club books. Four women, a police lieutenant, the Medical Examiner, a news reporter and the DA reunite to help Lt. Lindsay solve her latest case. A serial murder is killing victims related to San Francisco cops. The case gets really sticky when it appears the one of the Murder Club members may be a target as well. Lindsay has a reunion with her long departed dad and finds herself drawn again into his sphere of influence. Not a very good read although there is a nice twist at the end. With 4 protagonists the focus gets a little fuzzy and the story limps.
Rating:
Summary: Not up to snuff
Review: Another of the Murder Club series. Four women, A police lieutenant, the Medical Examiner, a news reporter and the DA reunite to help Lt. Lindsay solve her latest case. A serial murder is killing victims related to San Francisco cops. The case gets really sticky when it appears the one of the Murder Club members may be a target as well. Lindsay has a reunion with her long departed dad and finds herself drawn again into his sphere of influence. Not a very good read although there is a nice twist at the end. With 4 protagonists the focus gets a little defused and the story limps a bit.
Rating: 
Summary: Sad progression for Patterson ET AL
Review: I did not know this was one of those "assistant written" books when I got it. The plot is completely uncredible (since INcredible has come to mean something else.) Patterson has some kind of 'Thou doth protesteth too much' statement at the beginning about how great this book is. I am on the last tape and barely can struggle through it. Only my depression era Mother's voice about wasting money has me finishing it. The characters are also not believable. About as silly as the TV show they spawned. Finally,Jeremy Piven does fine in his part as the bad guy but the woman reading most of the book would be gnawing the scenery if there was any. WAY overplayed. Patterson is going the way that Patricia (Isle of Dogs) Cornwell went all by herself and probably Clancy went with all the 'not really me' books he wrote. Though in fairness to Tom he made that clear on the covers and I avoided them. Restaurants can sometimes be successfully franchised but this writer stuff mostly stinks. Good luck.
Rating:
Summary: Not better the second time around
Review: James Patterson is one of my favorite authors. This book, however, was dull and predictable. The wonderful character development that occured in the first book of the "women's murder club" series, came to a dead end in 2nd Chance. The attempt of a romantic flare (common in Patterson novels) fell flat, and there was no dramatic BIG ending. I hope the 3rd one picks up!
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as 1st To Die, but holds it's own
Review: James Patterson, that prolific author of great tales of murder and suspense, has succeeded in holding this reader's attention in "2nd Chance" - the second in a new series about a group of four professional women known as The Woman's Murder Club.
In this installment, newly-appointed Lt. Lindsey Boxer attempts to get to the bottom of a series of racially-motivated murders that threaten to tear her city apart. The murders may be committed by a character known as the Chimera, who's retaliating against members of a police force (or their families) that helped put him in prison 20 years earlier. As Lindsey struggles to catch the Chimera before he takes more lives, she once again is faced with personal difficulties. Her long-lost father suddenly returns to the scene and attempts to reconnect with his daughter. Lindsey is forced to deal with the bitterness she has harbored toward her father for all these years as she considers welcoming him back into her life. But before she can do that she must decide what secrets her father, Marty Boxer, could possibly hold in connection with the Chimera. The other members of the Women's Murder Club (Jill, the D.A., Claire, the Medical Examiner, and Cindy, the newspaper reporter) are each given stressful situations to deal with in this novel - ranging from pregnancy to a new love affair. It was almost as if Patterson had to give them each an opportunity for a "curtain-call". There's actually little that's new in the way that the Club members work together from this novel to the last. I think Patterson could put more thought into how he could incorporate the areas of expertise of the Club members more into the plot. Speaking of the plot, as I said earlier, it's certainly strong enough to keep your attention, but I didn't find myself flying through the pages as I do in the Alex Cross series (or even "1st To Die"). There are always some major unbelievable elements in a Paterson plot, but you can't argue with the sheer excitement that he generates in his novels. And, as is the usual Patterson pattern, the ending has one more big twist waiting for the reader before the last page. I don't think there's any question that fans of James Patterson will find this a satisfying novel. While not as strong as the books in the Alex Cross series, "The Women's Murder Club" will most certainly meet again in near future to bring us a third installment of this series.
Rating:
Summary: Far below Patterson standards
Review: While I have found Mr. Patterson's books to be extremely well written in the past, the 2nd Chance and Beach House have been poor by comparison. The plot here was so outrageous as to be not within the ranges of belief. Details were poorly connected. Substance was thin - sometimes transparent - sometimes just not connected. Whether his use of co-authors is the reason, as was also true with Beach House, (a different co-author),which also fell short, causes speculation about who is doing the writing. Very disappointing. Have probably bought my last Patterson book.
Rating:
Summary: Women's Murder Club
Review: The audio versions of both 1st To Die and 2nd Chance are wonderful. The multifaceted plots were easy to follow yet very involving. The readers are clear and believable. ...
Rating: 
Summary: Show me the Depth.....
Review: Patterson is starting to kill me on his novels. They seem trite and lack imagination; however, on the other hand if Patterson uses his imagination the novel is totally unbelievable. This is not the Patterson of old and I may give up on him as a "favorable-author" status. Back to Demille... The plot is simple, although the characters are developed enough for his short book. A twisted ending will keep you reading the last 50 pages without a stop. This is the first that I have read with the 4 Women's Murder Club, which I find intriguing. If you are a first time Patteron reader - I suggest you read the earlier novels, before he ostensibly was pressured by editors to PUSH out as many pages and novels as possible. I think the age demographics of his book's have fallen precipitiously to the 15-24 year old's. Unfortunately, I am older and am easily swayed against high school writing. "Step it up J.P. - make us proud and return to your earlier writing brilliance." If you are inclined to read this novel, I would suggest borrowing from the library and not pay for this rudimentary drivel. On a positive note: This novel will capture your attention immediately and offers an easy read - not complex, but an easy read.
Rating:
Summary: Should be in the top 10 "Worst Books Ever" list
Review: It is quite a statement to say that this is the worst book I've ever read, but...It was the worst book I've ever read! The script was pedestrian, bordering on conceptual plagerism as it was a cross between the Bruce Willis movie "Striking Distance" and Anthony Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs." First, the prison visits by the lead detective were almost comedic in their lack of realism. The failed attempt to re-create the Hannibal Lector mind-games was embarrasingly transparent and left me wondering if Patterson's editor asked for his notes instead of readng the full manuscript that he handed in. Any editor that would allow this angle in the book without subjecting it to some basic scrutiny by those that actually visit prisons and interview inmates, should be demoted. But the more glaring hilarity and proof that Patterson (or his editor) decided against a professional legal/law enforcement consultant was the rambling dialogue concerning whether the Detective could get inside the suspect's apartment. HAS PATTERSON EVER HEARD OF A SEARCH WARRANT? Based on the most conservative interpretation of the 4th Amendment requirements, she could have obtained access to the apartment via a search warrant 75 pages BEFORE she illegally broke in. In many places you are left scratching your head, saying to yourself, "I'm no editor, but did I really just read that??!! Similar episodes of defying common sense appear frequently. Usually, editors pick up on this stuff but in this book, I think Patterson just Fedex'd his manuscript straight to the printer. If it underwent ANY revision at ANY stage, I would shudder to think of reading it in its original form!
Do not waste your time reading this book.
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