This is my very first encounter with a James Patterson novel, and I'm certain it won't be the last.

3rd Degree presents a fast-paced narrative filled with captivating characters. Most significantly, it offers a thrilling and suspenseful story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The short chapters are a brilliant touch, as they maintain your interest to such an extent that you simply don't want to put the book down. In fact, I found myself completely engrossed and read the entire book in just one day. I simply couldn't tear myself away from it.

One fine morning, as Lt. Lindsay Boxer of the San Francisco Police Department was out jogging with her dog, she witnessed a house explode. Without hesitation, Lindsay Boxer rushed into the burning house to check if anyone was in peril. She managed to find a child, but discovered that a baby was missing. At the scene, a backpack was found, containing a note. The note revealed that a terrorist group called August Spies was responsible for this act and threatened to continue their rampage. Lindsay immediately called upon her three friends - Cindy, a news writer; Jill, a District Attorney; and Claire, a medical examiner - to assist her in solving the crime. They also received help from Joe Molinari, the Deputy Director of Homeland Security.

Lt. Lindsay Boxer began receiving e-mails, stating that the killers would strike every three days until the government took responsibility for mistreating people worldwide. It turned into a race against time to catch the murderer. Not only was time running out, but one of the Murder Club members was harboring a huge secret. Who could it be, and what fate awaited her? I'm not going to spill the beans, but trust me, you won't believe it! And of course, there has to be a romantic element. Indeed, Lindsay Boxer and Joe Molinari find themselves involved. For once, I would have liked to read a thriller without the main characters being romantically entangled. However, by no means did this aspect detract from the story.

In my humble opinion, 3rd Degree was an extremely good book. Go Patterson!

Just as in the previous two installments, the indisputable protagonist and the most developed character is Lindsay Boxer, a lieutenant in the San Francisco Police Department. And as co-protagonists, we have her friends, with whom she forms the Women's Murder Club.

The chapters are once again short, which makes the reading very fast. Patterson's writing style is simple and agile.

I will continue reading the Club, I like it a lot, a lot.

Moreover, the storylines in this series are always engaging and full of twists and turns. The relationship between Lindsay and her friends is also well-developed, adding an extra layer of depth to the narrative.

The author does a great job of creating a sense of urgency and excitement in each chapter, making it difficult to put the book down.

Overall, I highly recommend the Women's Murder Club series to anyone who enjoys mystery and thriller novels. It's a great read that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

The case they are facing now seems to be terrorism, but could it be something else?

The girls will have to put all their efforts into locating this new killer (or group), who has taken on the task of killing well-known figures, suggesting that they are against imperialism and the way capitalist countries enslave nations with fewer resources, including their own population when they lack the necessary resources.

But the case becomes personal when one of the girls gets involved. So not only does Lindsay want to stop the killer, but she also wants revenge, and that includes using all the means at her disposal, even the Assistant Director of National Security who is in San Francisco. Will they be able to stop the killer before he causes more harm?

First, I didn't like the way the author focused on the "political-terrorist" crime, suggesting that the protests of those people are not valid and rather something annoying that one has to live with. Second, I didn't like that they had to kill that woman when they were already making her go through a "difficult" moment in her relationship. Third, because they didn't explain the reason why Cindy and Aaron are no longer together, that was a relationship that I saw a lot of potential in.

In short, this book seemed very simple to me. I don't think many of the political themes were handled well, or perhaps it was that at the time of its publication, that was the general point of view. But the fact is that this was what I liked least about the book.

It is still a good read, entertaining, and good for passing the time. And although it is already becoming easier for me to identify the culprits, it is always entertaining to see how they will manage to obtain the evidence to catch them. So I will continue reading the series, looking forward to seeing what new things the author brings us in the next book.

Book 3 in the Women’s Murder Club series was published in 2004.

It received a rating of 3.5 stars.

I often find myself wondering about the extent of the co-author's, in this case Andrew Gross, involvement in the creative process. Is there a genuine collaboration between the writers, or is this merely a marketing strategy?

However, I digress. When it comes to James Patterson books, this one wasn't too bad.

As the series title suggests, the sleuths are a group of women from different professions and walks of life.

The main lead is Lindsay Boxer, a high-ranking police officer. When faced with difficulties, she召集 her girlfriends for a collective brainstorming session, which usually leads to a satisfactory conclusion.

In this story, there is a terrorist group that is outraged by the actions of the G9 nations. They demand an end to the world financial domination by these wealthy nations and a fairer distribution of global wealth. And they are serious. To give weight to their demands, they threaten to kill a delegate every three days until the world comes to its senses.

After two deaths, the police and the world's politicians are on edge.

It's time for the Woman’s Murder Club to take action. This time, there is an added incentive for the ladies, as one of their own has been murdered by this crazy terrorist group.

As I mentioned earlier, this book wasn't too shabby. Like many of James Patterson's books, it had some cheesy moments, but overall, it managed to keep me entertained until the end.

This isn't a bad series, but I was a bit "is that it?" about this one.

Lindsay undertakes the investigation of a series of brutal murders that have terrorist connections. Meanwhile, the others are there to cheer her on. She also has to confront one of her friends' husbands who has been abusing her. Additionally, she gets together with another colleague.

There is a development that is supposed to be shocking. However, it comes too early in both the book and the series to truly feel like a real twist. And, as always, our heroine manages to save the day.

But really, is that much of a spoiler? It seems rather predictable at this point. The story has its moments, but it doesn't quite reach the level of excitement and unpredictability that I was hoping for. Still, it's not a terrible read, and I'll probably continue with the series to see if it gets better.

RIP Jill Bernhardt. :-(.

She was an amazing person and her passing is truly a great loss.

The book she wrote was really good. It had a captivating story that kept me engaged from start to finish.

I really hope that Lindsay and Joe Molinari get together. Their relationship has been developing throughout the series and it would be great to see them end up together.

The case in the book was very weird and somewhat scary. It had many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I can't wait to read 4th of July. I'm sure it's going to be another great installment in the series.

I'm looking forward to seeing what new adventures and mysteries Lindsay and Joe will encounter.

Overall, I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a good mystery.

The book is rather formulaic. However, the case is extremely interesting.

The relationship among the four protagonists is something that I really like a great deal.

It's as if the formulaic nature of the book serves as a backdrop, allowing the captivating case and the engaging relationships to truly shine through.

The four protagonists bring different personalities and perspectives to the table, which makes their interactions all the more fascinating.

Despite the predictability that comes with a formulaic structure, the author has managed to create a story that keeps the reader hooked from start to finish.

The interesting case provides the necessary excitement and mystery, while the relationships add depth and emotional resonance to the narrative.

Overall, it's a book that may have its flaws in terms of being formulaic, but it more than makes up for it with its interesting case and engaging character dynamics.

This is by far the best one in the series! It was so engaging that it even had me in tears at one point.

However, it's still a bit of a challenge for me to fully understand a man writing from the perspective of 5 women. At times, it seems as if the characters' thoughts and behaviors are based on stereotypes. But despite this, the overall story is really quite good.

The plot is well-developed and keeps you hooked from start to finish. The author has done a great job of creating a vivid and immersive world.

Overall, it's a decent read that I would recommend to others who enjoy this genre. While it may not be perfect, it has enough strengths to make it worth your time.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the author comes up with next in this series.

Yesterday, I finished this third book in the Women's Murder Club series within just a few hours. I started reading it during my lunch break and completed it that very afternoon. The story takes a rather unfortunate turn as the group suffers a significant loss. This is yet another loss for Lindsay Boxer, who has endured countless hardships throughout the first three books as those closest to her have been hurt. Lindsay's father, Marty Boxer, a disgraced police officer, has been absent from her life for 12 years until he makes a comeback. Lindsay initially believes he has returned to make amends, but she soon realizes he is more closely involved in the case she is working on than she initially thought. Marty not only saves her life twice but also seeks forgiveness. Meanwhile, Lindsay is assigned a new partner from Washington, Joe, who works in homeland security. After the death of Chris, Lindsay never imagined she could love again. However, my heart softened when she finally let someone in, and Joe seems truly amazing.

In the first book of this series, there was an event that truly shocked me. It was something completely unexpected and it left me on the edge of my seat. And now, in this book, I am once again left in disbelief. The story has taken a turn that I could never have predicted.

The author has done an amazing job of keeping me engaged and constantly guessing. I find myself completely immersed in the world that has been created. The characters are so well-developed that I feel like I know them personally.

As I continue to read, I can't wait to see what will happen next. Will the story continue to surprise me? Or will there be a twist that I never saw coming? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure - I am hooked on this series and I can't wait to see how it all ends.

It is a series of which I read the first one years ago; and I picked it up again at the end of last year.

Although they are not books with great plots, they are endearing; especially because of the protagonists. Do not expect unexpected twists, impactful endings.... but the development of the plot and the relationships between the protagonists make them very pleasant and entertaining.

I really enjoyed going back to this series. It was like visiting old friends. The characters are so well-developed that you can't help but root for them. The storylines are simple yet engaging, and you find yourself getting lost in the world that the author has created.

Overall, I would highly recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a light and enjoyable read. It's the perfect thing to pick up when you want to unwind and escape from reality for a while.

I am still loving these books as quick and rather mindless page turners.

The idea of terrorizing the 1% was far more interesting than that of the last book. I was completely wrong about who the mastermind was, which always earns a book more points. I also remained much more interested in this plot. However, I got a bit confused when it was revealed how everyone was related, which caused it to lose a star rating.

Also, doesn't Boxer know better than to act like an attack dog against an abuser?

Favorite line: "What the hell did he do,” I muttered to the med tech leaning over him, “get into a lifesucking contest with an alien?”

P.S. I like Molinari and hope he stays alive!