I really don't understand all the negative reviews that this book has received.

However, I suppose that people have different expectations and are seeking different elements in a story.

Personally, I absolutely adored this mystery. The heroine, Lindsay, was truly a badass character. She was strong, intelligent, and determined, which made her extremely likable.

Moreover, her friends were also great. In particular, her medical examiner friend added an interesting dimension to the story.

The process of solving the mystery was thoroughly enjoyable. It kept me on the edge of my seat, guessing and theorizing until the very end.

I am really looking forward to reading the numerous books in this series. I have a feeling that each one will be just as exciting and engaging as this one.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery with a kickass heroine and a great cast of supporting characters.

This is the first installment in a series that is truly excellent.

In the beginning, we are introduced to how the Women's Murder Club comes into existence. The narrative then gradually unfolds, leading us through a series of events. What makes it even more captivating is the good twist that occurs near the end.

I thought I had everything figured out, but to my surprise, NO. The story has more depth and complexity than meets the eye.

To truly understand and appreciate the full essence of this story, you must read it for yourself. Discover the secrets, the mysteries, and the unexpected turns that await you within the pages of this remarkable book.

It's a journey that will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you eager for more in the series.

This is a very suspenseful mystery that features interesting and compelling characters.

One might have thought that after creating the iconic Alex Cross, James Patterson couldn't possibly strike gold again. However, this new series makes a highly impressive debut.

The story keeps readers on the edge of their seats with its numerous twists and turns. The characters are well-developed, each with their own unique personalities and motives.

It's clear that Patterson has once again proven himself to be a master of the mystery genre. Fans of his previous work will not be disappointed, and new readers will quickly become hooked on this exciting new series.

Overall, this is a must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery.

Wow! This book was truly remarkable!

I was on the verge of giving it a 4-star rating. There are indeed some subplot development issues. The main character, Lindsay, has developed splendidly as a character. However, there are numerous events that occur outside of the main plot. These events don't directly relate to the main storyline, but they don't exactly detract from it either. Patterson seems to be attempting to add more emotional and real-life appeal to the novel. Overall, I adored it!

The book is filled with a great deal of suspense and is a very quick read! Lindsay is striving to catch a "bride and groom" psychopathic killer while simultaneously dealing with the issues of life. She and three other girlfriends form a club - The Women's Murder Club. They do this so they can solve the murders together, off the record, and in a "girls-only" atmosphere to relieve the male-dominated professions that each woman is involved in. Lindsay is a senior inspector for the San Francisco PD, Claire is the Assistant Medical Examiner, Cindy is a rookie reporter, and Jill is the Assistant District Attorney. These women come together and form genuine friendships as they assist each other in their cases, careers, and lives.

Three-quarters of the way through, I thought I had figured it out. Well, nearly every chapter after that turned the book into a corkscrew - with twist after twist after twist. It didn't take away from the book because you kept guessing! I was so close... Then, the ending is - killer.

Read it and continue on into the next books in the series!

Audio.

This is a really light and easy read. The audio versions are especially helpful when the chapters are short and concise, which is definitely the case here.

The book is the first in the Woman's Murder Club series.

Inspector Lindsay Boxer of the San Francisco Police Department suddenly finds herself in the midst of two terrifying situations. Firstly, she has just learned that she has a potentially fatal blood disease. Secondly, she is now in charge of a double homicide case involving the murder of newlyweds on their wedding night. Saddled with Chris Raleigh, a new partner reassigned from the mayor's office, Lindsay discovers that she has far too much on her plate and turns to her best friend, Claire, the head ME on the case.

With the assistance of fledgling newspaper reporter Cindy and ADA Jill, Lindsay and Claire share private interdepartmental information in an attempt to track down and stop the killer before he strikes again.

I didn't have high expectations for this book, but I was pleasantly surprised and have already loaded the second in the series, 2nd Chance, to listen to.

Oh, that was truly excellent!

I really enjoy James Patterson's style. His short chapters make it so easy to keep turning the pages, and the fast-paced storyline keeps you on the edge of your seat. The characters are also very relatable, which makes it even more engaging.

This book even had a nice little romance, although it did end sadly. I loved the way the author kept me guessing about who the killer was. At first, I thought I knew, then I wasn't so sure, and then right at the last minute, when I thought it was all over and done with, yet another killer emerged. It was truly fantastic.

I can't wait to read the rest of this series. I'm sure it will be just as exciting and engaging as this one.

I often find myself in a dilemma when it comes to reviewing James Patterson books.

On one hand, I'm aware that there must be something about his novels that works, as they are so popular.

I constantly search for those elements, but the aspects that I dislike seem to stand out more prominently.

After much thought, I've come to the conclusion that while the plots of his books are fast-paced and full of twists, which can be engaging, the characters and writing leave much to be desired.

It's quite astonishing to see 126 chapters and an epilogue in a relatively short book.

Patterson's style of quickly moving from scene setup to conflict and then to a cliff-hanger in just a few pages can be both effective and a bit forced at times.

Some of the plot twists feel contrived, while others make you eager to see what happens next.

However, the overall experience can be somewhat effortless, as my attention often wandered through many scenes without really affecting my understanding of the story.

In fact, the story could almost be told by just reading the first and last sentences of each chapter, highlighting the problem with the in-between parts.

When I say the plot works, I mean that in the realm of heightened fiction, you can suspend your disbelief and go along with it, similar to how you would with a plot in a fantasy novel that relies on finding a magic sword.

While there may be some realism in the details of "1st To Die," the contrived nature of the characters quickly overshadows it.

The characters don't just lack depth; their decisions, emotional breakdowns, and sudden love interests seem to occur without any real character development to support them.

The word "earned" keeps coming to mind, as none of the emotional drama or big decisions feel like they have been earned.

This brings us to the writing, which is not just about the complexity or cleverness of the sentences but rather the means by which the story is conveyed.

In "1st To Die," it's not the simplicity of the prose that bothers me but the over-simplification of how the characters think and interact with each other.

It's like watching a soap opera, but without the luxury of time to properly develop the characters.

Anyway, I probably shouldn't complain too much about an author who is one of the most successful in the world.

His readers clearly know what they like, and Patterson does a good job of delivering it.

For those of us who don't enjoy his writing, it can be difficult to figure out what exactly we're supposed to like about his books.

But having read two of his novellas and two of his full-length novels, perhaps it's time for me to stop criticizing and move on to something else.

I firmly believe that this will be the very last James Patterson novel that I ever read.

It was yet another one of his titles that was filled with cardboard-like characters, stilted and unnatural dialogue, and a plot that was riddled with highly unlikely yet conveniently contrived coincidences. All of these elements combined to make it a very thin and unsubstantial read.

In this particular book, the so-called "friendship" among the women seemed canned and forced. It felt as if the characters were developed based solely on a quota system, designed to achieve the perfect mix that could solve murders. It was almost as if I could actually hear him thinking to himself, "Hmmm...let's see...I need a homicide detective (check), a medical examiner (check), and oh, maybe a reporter (check again). What else? Yes, of course! A district attorney too! (final check). Let's also make sure I represent the independent tough woman working in a man's world, the ethnic woman, the up-and-comer with moxie, and the uber-professional careerist. Done and done."

Perhaps the use of ghostwriters, who pen stories about characters they didn't envision and who perform actions that someone else has imagined and outlined, is what gives rise to this sense of flatness. Whatever the reason may be, the end result simply doesn't appeal to me.

While I do admire James Patterson's apparent marketing genius and entrepreneurial spirit in devising book outlines and farming out the actual storytelling and writing to other authors, he has now essentially become just a brand that churns out books at an astonishingly fast pace. But at least he is honest about it. And he is right in that his writing/outlines do have an appeal to a certain type of reader who desires a fast-paced read that doesn't demand a great deal of mental effort. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but for me, I will be moving on to explore other literary offerings.

Love this series!

It is truly amazing!

The storylines are captivating, filled with excitement and adventure at every turn. The characters are well-developed and relatable, making it easy to become emotionally invested in their lives. The world-building is also outstanding, creating a vivid and immersive environment that draws you in from the very beginning.

Each book in the series builds upon the previous ones, adding new layers and depth to the overall narrative. The pacing is perfect, never feeling too slow or too rushed. I can't wait to see what happens next in this wonderful series.

I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a great story. You won't be disappointed!

The gruesome murder of a newlywed couple just hours after their wedding ceremony sends shockwaves through the city of San Francisco. What makes it even more terrifying is that it appears the murderer is on a spree! Enter Detective Lindsay Boxer, a tenacious go-getter who throws herself into this high-profile case as a distraction from her personal struggles.

Her best friend and confidante is Claire, the smart and sophisticated county medical examiner. Then there's Cindy, a determined young reporter whose ingenuity and good luck land her the biggest case of her fledgling career. And let's not forget Jill, the assistant DA whose character seems a bit of an afterthought but is still important as she makes up the fourth member of the Women's Murder Club. Together, the women decide to cut through the bureaucracy and pool their resources to solve the crimes before the murderer can strike again!

The book is filled with cliches. The four female characters each have as much depth as an inflatable kiddie pool. The romantic lead, Chris Raleigh, couldn't be more dull. A police big-shot specializing in public relations, he's brought in to replace Lindsay's gruff and tough partner (Jacobi) due to the sensitive and public nature of the case. Instead of taking over, Raleigh has a relaxed and helpful demeanor, which throws Lindsay off (even though she's known for being observant and having a keen ability to read people). She's irritated at first but, of course, finds herself falling for him. Add to that her unwillingness to deal with a personal crisis, and Patterson has painted a predictable picture of a tough-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside struggling female cop.

The plot is okay but not very inventive. I usually don't like when mysteries switch between the detective's and the killer's perspectives, but in this case, it added some much-needed suspense. In fairness, 1st to Die is the first book, so Patterson has time to develop his characters in what will likely be a long series (already eight books and counting). However, I don't plan to stick around to see how successful he is.

“You can't tell which way the train went by looking at the tracks.”

― James Patterson, 1st to Die

This was the very first Patterson book that I had the opportunity to read.

As you might have surmised from my one-star rating, my feelings towards it were far from positive. In fact, I disliked it very much.

I truly did not have any affection for it. It was overly violent, rather unpleasant (for the lack of a more appropriate term), and overall, just a run-of-the-mill thriller for me. Although I managed to read the entire thing, I greatly disliked the experience.

What is rather odd is that after reading the book, I watched the movie adaptation, and surprisingly, the movie was actually better than the book. However, it's not that I really liked the movie all that much either, but it was an improvement.

I have since gone on to read many of Patterson's books, and unfortunately, I have hardly liked any of them. So perhaps his writing style simply doesn't resonate with me.

This particular book, however, was one of the worst for me. It seems that I am in the minority when it comes to my opinion of this book, but I would never recommend it. It left a rather bad taste in my mouth and failed to capture my interest or imagination.

The worst book I have ever read? Well, perhaps it is.

I was attempting to make the most of my Kindle Unlimited membership and decided to give Patterson a try.

Oh boy, was it horrible in numerous aspects.

Specifically, the dialogue was like that from cardboard cutouts rather than real characters.

It lacked any depth or authenticity.

Moreover, there was an abundance of vulgarity.

It was truly a disappointment.

Kindle Unlimited seemed like a great idea at first, but this particular book experience has left a sour taste in my mouth.

I'm not sure if I'll be as eager to explore other titles by Patterson or if I'll be more cautious in my future selections.

Hopefully, there are better reads out there within the Kindle Unlimited library waiting to be discovered.