Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I was rather hesitant to start this book, after the disappointment of The Jester. Four women (a homicide detective, a medical examiner, a reporter, and an assistant district attorney) form the Women's Murder club to pool resources to try to stop a serial killer who targets brides and grooms. The murder portion of story is good, typical Patterson, with one too many twists at the end for my taste. However, he should be soundly beaten for some of the "characterizations" he does of the female characters. I don't normally get annoyed by gender stereotypes, but if those women don't quit slobbering all over each other, I don't know if I'll be able to stomach the second book of the series.
Rating: 
Summary: A good novel
Review: First To Die came into my possession in 2001 when it was first published. For some reason or another, it managed to find its way onto the library shelf and I just this week picked it up and wondered why I hadn't read it. So I took the time over the past two days and was glad I did. I did enjoy this book. I liked the characters and the plot that kept me turning the page and wondering how the story was going to play out. I tend to think maybe Patterson's narrating of a female in the first person was a struggle for him, or at least I thought so in certain areas. He tried to put a tad of romance in this novel and I thought his efforts were a little lame. In the first place, if you're reading a mystery and the author manages to wobble off onto romance, then as a reader you tend to expect a happier ending. I didn't like seeing Chris Raleigh killed off in this book, but hey, it's Patterson's story. I really got into the the Women's Murder Club thing though, and I'm looking forward to reading more books by Patterson in the near future. The man is a talented story-teller and I'd recommend this book to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: 5 stars this was a great book!
Review: I just finished reading this book and I loved it! This was my first Patterson book and I cant wait to read 2nd chance. Lindsey Boxer and her Murder club friends are great. Id have to admit that Cindy is my favorite (shes the reporter in the group). The book moves very fast and is very hard to put down. It keeps you guessing till the very end. Very suspenceful and very well written, if you would like to start a new series I highly recommend this one.
Rating:
Summary: Four Smart Women on the Trail of a Killer
Review: A couple's wedding is suppose to be the beginning of their life together, not the end of it. But for three unlucky couples, it was the end. Someone is killing newlyweds and Homicide Inspector Lindsay Boxer with the San Francisco Police Department wants to know who. She vows at the scene of one of the crimes to find the killer.However she has just been diagnosed with a serious blood disease that can be fatal and she has to have blood transfusions twice a week as well as fight off the effects of the disease. So, though she is used to working alone, she realizes she's going to need help and she finds it in Chief Medical Examiner Claire Washburn, her best friend. And she also enlists the aid of two others, The assistant D.A. Cindy Thomas and an unlikely ally for a cop, Cindy Thomas, an ambitious young crime reporter who works for the San Francisco Chronicle. The four women meet regularly to pool what info they've got about the three crimes and to look for other leads, and thus the Woman's Murder Club is born. James Patterson has written a long book with short, punchy chapters, that keep you going and just when you think you're getting started, POW, you're finished. Also, just when you think you know what's going on, Patterson takes you in a different direction. This is a superb story, one I enjoyed very much and I think you will too.
Rating:
Summary: Mildly entertaining, but no surprises
Review: The bad guy is in custody and you have nearly one fourth of the book left. Who'd've thunk that there were more twists and turns to come? I hadn't been reading much lately and decided to delve into shallow waters. I did so with First to Die. James Patterson must've spent a couple of days watching Lifetime movies to learn how to write about women. The sisterhood angle was dated and pretty silly. Maybe in the eighties that would've flown. But now it's just silly, stating-the-obvious crap that women don't talk about much because it's understood. And all the hugging and "we love yous" between near-strangers made my eyes roll again and again. The sex scenes were totally unnecessary and silly. Too much detail. [...] Give me a break!! Read like something that I might've been entertained by when I was in my teens. Early teens. And just as I wonder in just about every movie directed by a man, I wondered, "what's the attraction here?" in this book in which lust instantly becomes love. What tripe! Because I managed to get through the book, I will give Patterson one more shot. But after that...
Rating:
Summary: Abridged auto may not be as good
Review: I listened to this book on tape and really was not feeling it. I was able to finish it but felt that something was missing, it was not pulling me in. Then I saw that I have the abridged version! Try it, it wasn't bad but it also was not the best.
Rating:
Summary: interesting and alienating
Review: The story wasn't bad. It unfolded nicely and kept my interest. The whole girls murder club thing left me feeling a little alienated, though, as a man. I don't mind reading about the lives of women, and their after-work rituals, like putting on a Sara McLaughlin CD to unwind or cuddling the dog, but I did feel, as one reviewer wrote, that Patterson was trying a little too hard to show he could write from a woman's perspective. There was a bit of overkill on the details of this woman's personal habits and the friendship and hugs of the girls in the club. It didn't annoy me as much as make me feel alienated and perhaps make me roll my eyes once or twice. Beyond that, though, it was an interesting read on a long plane ride.
Rating:
Summary: A great series
Review: After being disappointed with the last Alex Cross novel, "Big Bad Wolf," I was very pleasantly surprised by this novel. The characters are fresh. The book is fast paced. There is a real human element in the writing. I highly recommend this novel. I hope the rest of this series is of the same quality.
Rating:
Summary: The Beginning Of A Great New Series!!
Review: I love suspense books that keep you guessing with the many twists and turns until you reach the very end. Mr. Patterson's novel "1st to Die" gives you just that kind of read. This is a very fast paced read as well so be prepared to have a hard time putting it down so you can attend to the mundane details of life like cooking and cleaning. Lindsay Boxer is a hard working detective on the San Francisco police force. She is about to embark on one of the most challenging criminal cases of her career. If that's not enough she is blindsided by a health issue that will plan a large role in how she handles the upcoming investigation, and if all of this is not enough she is given a new partner Chris Raliegh and he makes her feel things she would rather not have to deal with at the current time. Funny where support and strenghth come from. Someone is murdering newly married couples in the San Francisco Bay area. There have been two murders with very few clues left behind. Lindsey is fighting the battle of trying to stay one step ahead of this cruel killer while still staying afloat in life. Then she receives a call from across the U.S. it looks like her killer has killed again but not in California. Is it a copycat or has the killer taken his act out on the road? What is the connection if there is one? And will she find the one clue that will lead to a killer before he kills again? With the help of friends that she meets along the way as well as an already established friendship with the local M.E. these saavy women develop the woman's murder club. With the police, M.E.'s office, press, and trial issues represented these four women work on the side to bring down a killer. Again this is a very fasted pace read, with so many twists and turns you will question exactly who the bad guy is up until the very last page. I highly recommend this read if you like suspense and edge of your seat reading.
Rating:
Summary: The Woman's Murder Club is on the Job
Review: A couple is brutally murdered on their wedding night and Lindsay Boxer of the San Francisco Police Homicide Department is called to the scene just after she learns she has a potentially life threatening blood disease. The serial killer, dubbed the Bride and Groom killer, continues his killing spree and Lindsay calls on the help of her best friend Claire Washburn, the city's Chief Medical Examiner. She also enlists the help of nosey Chronicle reporter Cindy Thomas and the case starts coming together, with all the clues pointing to one person. Without enough evidence to make an arrest, Lindsay takes her case to another friend, hotshot assistant district attorney Jill Berhardt, and recruits her into what has become the women's murder club. Using each other's expertise, the women gather the snowballing evidence until they get enough to arrest their suspect, only to realize that they may have arrested the wrong person. The plot takes on many twists and turns as it races to a surprise outcome that completely fooled me. Highly recommended.
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