Rating: Summary: Good beginning/Poor ending Review: The beginning of the book was outstanding...I could hardly put it down. However the romance with Chris came across as so sappy (this is an example of a man trying to write from a woman's perspective and missing badly) and the whole trust thing with the four women protagonists was hard to believe. Also, the final third of the novel was very contrived. I'd pass on recommending it to anyone.
Rating: Summary: GOOD, SOLID MYSTERY Review: In 1st TO DIE, author James Patterson unites four unlikely women - a homicide inspector, a coroner, a newspaper reporter and a prosecutor - into a unique friendship and the formation of the "Women's Murder Club." Because of their respective jobs, they each investigate on their own, then combine information to solve cases that the police alone cannot. This case involves a sadistic killer who murders newlyweds, leaves clues and takes souvenirs. The murder scenes are described in graphic detail. The case is solved fairly easily, but just when the reader is thinking that it was too easy, and not enough suspense, Patterson opens a whole other venue of mystery and suspense. There are also health issues with the main character and a beautiful love story going on in the backgroud. The only unbelievable part of this book was how fast the women developed friendships and how trusting they were of each other's loyalty to their group. In reality, women tend to be more proprietary and suspicious of each other, particularly when their fields are competitive. I hope that 1st TO DIE is the first in a series with the Women's Murder Club. That will allow the author to develop the heroines more, as he did with the Alex Cross series.
Rating: Summary: You will laugh and cry and LOVE these women!! Review: This has got to be one of the best books written by Patterson, and one of my new favorites. I hope we see these characters again. You will laugh and cry! What a great read!!!
Rating: Summary: A Surprise Review: I was cautious of this book at first. I am a huge fan of the Alex Cross series. But this book really surprised me. There as action and suspense from cover to cover. Even the last chapter though an unseen twist. The only thing I didn't like about this book was the "Murder Club" concept. It reminded me of the Hardy Boys or something. Soon they will have a secret handshake and magic decoder ring!!! The idea of four women discussing the murders was great, but the concept of the "club" was a bit childish. Overall, this was a great book filled with suspense, plot twists, and action. I would recommend this book to anyone.
Rating: Summary: The Master does it again Review: I definately consider James Patterson to be the Master of Suspense. I have not read anything of his that has disappointed me. 1st To Die was a fabulous read. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a book they want to hook them from the first page.
Rating: Summary: Breathless in Southern California Review: I could not put this book down!!! I found myself holding my breath at the end of every chapter. If you love mysteries and thrillers this is the book to read.
Rating: Summary: A Fan No Matter What Review: I don't know what it is. I guess I am just spoiled by the Alex Cross series because every single time James Patterson steps away from it, I am left in a state of disarray. However, unlike the other times he has ventured off, this time he came up with an incredible concept. Someone is killing people but not just any people. Someone is killing couples that have been married for less than 48 hours. In one case, less than a single hour. The killer keeps mumbling, "What is the worse thing a person could do?" Well, if ripping the dreams and hopes away from people who have just embarked on a new life together isn't the worst, I shudder to think what is. Linsey, a homicide detective in San Francisco agrees, and she is hell bent on solving the cases. So much in fact that she forms the Women's Murder Club consisting of herself, a district attorney, a medical examiner, and a reporter. Together they begin to unravel the madness and nothing and no one are what they seem. If you are James Patterson fan, this is right up your alley.
Rating: Summary: Unbeleivable Action Review: I'm going to keep this short and sweet. If you love action and suspense novels you will be floored by this book. One of the best books I have ever read.
Rating: Summary: PATTERSON'S FORMULA IS TIRED Review: Any fan of the more recent Alex Cross novels in the series will recognize this as a cluttered attempt to use the same tired recurring themes from Patterson's Cross novels with a new cast of characters. Should have skipped the attempt at literature and just gone straight for the movie script. Let's see how bad Hollywood miscasts THIS leading character (i.e., Morgan Freeman could be Alex Cross' grandfather.)
Rating: Summary: Not Alex Cross But Definitely Worth A Sequel Review: Wedded bliss is brutally interrupted when a killer targets newlywed couples. The murderer's first victims prepare for a lifetime together. Little do they know, that lifetime will be cut short before they even have one night together as husband and wife. All of the blood, all of the dying amounts to one question the killer constantly asks: "What is the worst thing anyone has ever done?" On the other side of town, things aren't going so well for San Francisco police inspector Lindsay Boxer either. She's diagnosed with a life-threatening disease and she's getting a new partner. To top it all off, her sole mission is to capture some lunatic who thrives on newlyweds. The gruesome murders continue and Lindsay quickly realizes this is no ordinary killer. This murderer is clever and seems to have a well-thought out plan. Revealing clues are left at the scene of the crime while the murderer humiliates and defiles the victims. Through her investigation, Lindsay stumbles across a persistent reporter, enlists the help of a hotshot assistant district attorney and relies heavily on her best friend and chief medical examiner. These four women join forces to form the Women's Murder Club, each bringing her own inside experience to the table so they can cut the red tape and catch the killer. In their club's investigation, they find clues that point straight to Nicholas Jenks, a successful author who made his fortune writing about murders. But they have to tiptoe around their suspicions until they have hard evidence to produce a search warrant. Just when they think they can't touch him, they discover his first and unsuccessful novel, Always a Bridesmaid, hidden in the halls of the San Francisco Writers Guild. The book details the killings and Lindsay knows she has to act fast before another happy couple falls prey to Jenks. James Patterson is the bestselling author of "Along Came a Spider," "Kiss the Girls," "Jack & Jill," "Cat & Mouse" and many more novels. In November 2001, he'll take on the role of producer when "1st to Die" hits NBC as a two-part miniseries.
|