3rd Degree

A Damn good read!

Believable characters and plot are the hallmarks of this amazing book. From the very first page, I was completely engrossed in the story and couldn't put it down. The author has done an outstanding job of creating a world that feels so real, with characters that I truly cared about. Each character has their own unique personality and backstory, which makes them feel like real people rather than just fictional creations. The plot is also extremely well-written, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat. There's not a single thing that I dislike about this book. It's a must-read for anyone who loves a good story. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great book to lose themselves in.

If you have ever delved into the works of James Patterson before, you will have a crystal-clear understanding of what lies in store for you.

This particular piece is crafted according to the standard formula that seems to be Patterson's trademark. It features a ridiculous plot that defies all logic and common sense. The characters are so implausible that they seem to have stepped out of a far-fetched fantasy world. The dialogue is nothing short of totally shitty, lacking any depth or authenticity. There is an overabundance of violence, which becomes tiresome and gratuitous after a while. The criminal killers are portrayed as psychopathic monsters, adding to the overall sense of absurdity. Additionally, there are sexist tropes that are outdated and offensive. In general, the writing is just awful, lacking any finesse or literary merit.

It is truly a book that is better suited for those who have turned off their brains and are simply looking for mindless entertainment.

Another excellent read penned by Patterson, presented in a simple and accessible form.

The Women's Murder Club features a diverse cast of characters, each one full of spunk and determination. However, the shocking revelation is that one of them will meet their untimely demise.

The tension that builds from the very beginning persists throughout the story. In fact, it doesn't end until... Well, to be honest, it never truly ends. Even on the last page, it leaves the reader irresistibly compelled to pick up the next book in the series.

Detective Lindsay Boxer's human side is vividly展现 in this book. Despite her tough exterior, when her close friend dies, she experiences grief just like anyone else. However, she simply doesn't have the luxury of time to wallow in it. Lindsay must race against the clock to catch a killer before the unthinkable occurs in the beautiful city of San Francisco.

Nevertheless, there is one negative aspect to this book, and that is the language. It is used sparingly a few times within the story, which some readers may find slightly off-putting.

Digital audiobook narrated by Carolyn McCormick

From the book jacket: Detective Lindsay Boxer is jogging along a beautiful San Francisco street when a fiery explosion rips through the neighborhood. A town house owned by an internet millionaire is immediately engulfed in flames. Lindsay bravely plunges inside to search for survivors, only to find three people dead. An infant who lived in the house cannot be found, and a mysterious message at the scene leaves Lindsay and the San Francisco Police Department completely baffled.

My reactions: This is the third book in the Women’s Murder Club series. Although Patterson’s name is prominently featured on the cover, I suspect it was mostly written by Andrew Gross. The formula seems to have undergone a significant change as there are notable differences among the club members.

I have to give credit to the writing team for keeping the story moving at a brisk pace. There is a killing every few chapters, and the women have a personal stake in ensuring that the perpetrator(s) is/are brought to justice. The introduction of Vietnam era politics adds an extra layer of complexity and confusion to the plot.

Carolyn McCormick does a fairly good job with the audio narration. However, the addition of cheesy “suspense” music and sound effects by the producers is a bit of a letdown. It seems they didn’t trust the writers’ ability to build suspense solely through words.

The third book in the Women's Murder Club series by Andrew Gross is a captivating read.

I have always been a fan of Andrew Gross's works, and I highly recommend them to readers who have a penchant for this particular type of novel.

His writing style, which adheres to the tried and tested formula established by James Patterson, ensures an engaging and enjoyable experience.

The storylines are filled with mystery, suspense, and complex characters that keep the reader on the edge of their seat from start to finish.

Whether you are a long-time fan of the Women's Murder Club series or new to Andrew Gross's books, this third installment is definitely worth checking out.

It offers a thrilling adventure that will satisfy your craving for a good mystery novel.

So, pick up a copy today and get ready to be drawn into the world of the Women's Murder Club.

Not as good as the first two, definitely worth the read

Detective Lindsay Boxer is engaged in her regular jogging routine in the vibrant city of San Francisco. Suddenly, there is a deafening explosion in a nearby house. Without a moment's hesitation and despite lacking any proper equipment, Lindsay bravely rushes into the house. To her relief, she manages to rescue a young boy. Initially, the incident is suspected to be a gas leak. However, something just doesn't seem right. A mysterious message is discovered, and Lindsay, along with the rest of the Murder Club, is now on the case.

This particular book places a greater emphasis on Lindsay compared to the other members of the group. Naturally, there is a new love interest introduced. Unfortunately, it appears to be a mere replica of the one in the first book. While there is an intriguing mystery at the heart of the story, it doesn't quite possess the same level of interest as the mysteries in the first two installments. Nevertheless, if you are a fan of the series, this book is still definitely worth the read. It offers a continuation of the engaging characters and the overall world that has been established, even if it doesn't reach the same heights as its predecessors.

4.5/5.

Ooooohh, this one really got to me! Let me tell you, when it comes to crimes involving large groups, I often find myself a bit confused trying to keep track of all the names, relationships, and plot points. I'm just a simple girl, you know? But then, there was this little twist involving my favorite character that completely blew me away! It actually upset me, but in a good way, lol.

These books are basically police procedurals in book form, so it's no surprise that the non-crime plot points sometimes leave something to be desired. But that's just the nature of the genre. The end of this one confused me a little bit too, but that's probably because of my short memory.

Anyways, I read this book in two sittings, which I think is a good sign, right? It shows that I was really engaged and couldn't put it down. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes police procedurals or mystery novels.

In the third book of the Women's Murder Club series, San Francisco is hit by terrorist attacks that aim to punish the powerful economic factors, bank representatives, international trade organizations, etc. who get rich by corrupting the world, while in underdeveloped or developing countries, people don't even have the basics to survive. Who is hiding behind these murderous attacks and how will Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer and her friends deal with it?

So far, this was the best book in the series, not so much for the revelation of the true driving force behind the violent outbursts and murders and the reasons hidden behind these actions, but for the wonderful messages that the authors conveyed subliminally while reading the book. The reasons for the terrorist attacks were well-structured, taking the lives of thousands of innocent victims, and their goal was revenge for the exploitation of people.

With their text, Patterson and Gross clearly show that the enemy is among us and does not come from foreign countries. In other words, this is a clear "warning" to the United States that the country is not (so much) at risk from fundamentalists, but the danger may lurk in the distorted, crazy mind of a native, homegrown American citizen. And all this in 2004 when the book was published, three years after the attack on the Twin Towers and the consequences that followed this tragedy for the whole world. So in the third book of the series, the unsuspecting reader is faced with the consequences that one experiences when reading about famines, hunger conditions in the Third World, the spread of AIDS without hope of cure (because someone prefers to waste this money on personal pleasures) and then simply turns the page. Someone decided to take revenge for all these inhumane inequalities, the social and economic differences of the planet and took the law into his own hands. Thanks to this book, I learned a lot of things about the pioneers and the symbolism of some people in the course of this "anarchist" movement against the plutocracy. Oscar Spies, Marion Dalgarno, the Haymarket massacre in 1886 and many others.

Pay attention to the paragraph on page 106: "-You know... that the all-powerful multinational companies now have wealth greater than the unclean national product of ninety percent of the countries on the planet. They have replaced governments as the system of social responsibility of our world. So why... are we in a hurry to express our outrage against the abomination of apartheid in the field of our racial sensitivity, but we sleep the sleep of the just when this apartheid is economic? Because we don't see it through the eyes of the oppressed, we see it through the culture of the powerful. Of the companies. From television."

But perhaps all this is deliberately designed so that someone can take personal revenge? And if so, how does he manage and strategize so many potential victims? What happens in his mind and who is he? Moreover, how will Lindsay Boxer and her people locate and neutralize him? How far can someone who doesn't believe in anything and wants to eliminate the inequalities of the world, eliminating the world itself, go? I will not forget the scene of the final revelation, which clearly showed me the degree to which hatred can change a person and reach such a point of blind submission that he goes against his nature, the will of God, love itself. The shocking moment reminded me of the corresponding ones of the Hitlerites who committed suicide after the end of World War II.

Five months after the case of the second book in the series, Lindsay is faced with a Lernaean Hydra, whose heads multiply uncontrollably and the steps she takes do not lead her to a specific path. How will she be able to solve the case and to what extent will the other members of the Women's Murder Club contribute? In "3rd Strike", journalist Cindy has separated from the man she knew in the previous book (the authors did not inform us why), District Attorney Jill begins to become a victim of spousal abuse since she lost her baby in the previous story, and Lindsay falls in love with the head of the Department of Homeland Security based in Washington, Joe Molinari, who is sent to San Francisco for the case.

In this hair-raising and agonizing thriller, I got to the point of crying on the last page, because the familiar, almost scripted writing was exactly what was needed to convey to me the agony of loneliness that Lindsay felt when the case came to an end and she had to see what she would do with a man she loved and who loved her but remained on the other side of America. A man who shows that they are a match and moreover is not just another loser who burdened her without being worth it. "I don't have a life... I have a very good dog. And my friends. And my job. And I do very well in my job. But I don't have a life" (p. 330). So will this relationship that was tested until the case was solved between two people who had to fight the difficult conditions under which they met, their demanding professions and mainly how high Molinari's job position is within the government continue?

Finally, within all this deadlock, there is also the case of Jill and the various stages that her psychology goes through until she realizes the reality. She is married to a man who gradually diminishes her dignity, makes her feel worthless and powerless, and although he hits her, she still remains there, not knowing why. Yes, she is the same dynamic, independent and law-abiding woman who has imprisoned corresponding men! The situation becomes even more complicated when Jill gets into the crosshairs of the man who has panicked the city and the case takes an unexpected turn that left me with my mouth open for at least five minutes.

The third book of the Women's Murder Club has raised the bar very high. It has a smart central idea, which it analyzes with escalating agony and the known twists of the authors, it has a human touch and delves a little deeper into the psychology of the heroes and the people around them. There are no absolute opposites, black and white, good and evil. We have heroes who regret, ideological criterion reversals, realistic consequences of events and actions, and moreover, many open faces in the narration, which close satisfactorily one by one until the shocking end.

What surprised me, however, was the abundance of typographical errors in the 2004 edition at least, because so far none of the editions of the books have had a single error. Of course, I will ignore it and will not allow it to break my love relationship with these beloved paperback books. Also, the question was not answered: why did the terrorists attack every third day, as the back cover "preaches". Therefore, don't start the book if you are not in a position to dedicate yourself to it.