This series caught my attention and I really like it, so I only have words of praise for it.

The third book is rather sad, but it has a happy ending.

It's interesting how the author managed to create such a captivating story with a mix of emotions.

The characters are well-developed and you can really feel their pain and joy throughout the book.

The plot is engaging and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Overall, I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good read.

It's one of those books that you can't put down once you start reading.

Whether you're a fan of romance, mystery, or just a good story in general, this series has something for everyone.

I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

Women's Murder Club vs. August Spies!

The Women's Murder Club, which was introduced to a large number of new fans in 1ST TO DIE and continued to have a wonderful effect in 2ND CHANCE, is an intelligent and plausible modern idea that has come at the right time. Lindsay Boxer, a police lieutenant in charge of San Francisco's homicide division, Cindy Thomas, the lead crime reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, Jill Bernhardt, an assistant DA, and Claire Washburn, the Chief Medical Examiner, are four sharp and rising professionals in the field of law enforcement. They have broken the so-called male glass ceiling and discovered the synergy of brainstorming to solve their mutual problems.

In 3RD DEGREE, the high-speed action begins from the very first page as our ladies are faced with the brutal terrorist attacks of an out-of-time 60s fringe group of misguided Berkeley radicals. They target what they would label as stereotypical mega-rich corporate robber barons and their families, better known to the rest of the world as millionaires. With the inflated rhetoric of the far left, they take credit for one of their attacks with a note signing themselves as "August Spies". The thriller part of the novel is a well-crafted and nicely paced police procedural that takes us through vignettes involving forensics, profiling, post-mortems, cooperation between the LA municipal police force and the FBI, the tedious details of policing at street level, and even the moral dilemma posed by the tragic requirement to withhold details of an investigation when this action may put the public in harm's way. The solution is both satisfying and credible, and even the bad guys are well-developed characters who come alive on the page with their twisted motivation and hatred of the world around them.

As he did so well in 2ND CHANCE, Patterson continues to elevate his story above the realm of the ordinary thriller by realistically allowing the personal lives of the four ladies to interfere with their professional lives (or is it the other way around?). Lindsay falls deeply in love with a professional colleague whose base of operations is across the country, and Jill struggles with the emotional roller coaster of a husband's abuse that has recently escalated to the physical after she lost her baby by miscarriage in 2ND CHANCE. However, I was more than a little disappointed to find that the church pastor Cindy fell in love with in 2ND CHANCE and Lindsay's ex-cop father, both of whom seemed to hold so much promise for future sub-plots and character development, were simply ignored in 3RD DEGREE. Overall, it was well done! I'll be out looking for #4 in the series soon!

Paul Weiss

This is an excellent story indeed.

It progresses at a quick pace, constantly filled with thrills that keep the reader on the edge of their seat. What's more, it's not afraid to take some risks, which makes it all the more exciting.

I find myself getting very comfortable with this series. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is engaging.

I can't wait to read more and see what adventures lie ahead for the characters.

Overall, this is a great addition to the series, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

Final rating: 3.75