OMG, OMG, OMG!

The ending of this book truly blew my mind. I was completely caught off guard, not seeing it coming from a mile away. I had postponed reading this series for such a long time because the idea of a women's murder club seemed absurd. However, it turned out to be incredibly good. Boxer and the women are intelligent, sassy, and possess all the qualities I could ever desire in a group of characters.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is from Claire, the coroner: "I'm in shape. Round is a shape." Each of the women has her own unique attributes, but I especially love their senses of humor and excellent detective skills. I have to admit that Claire is probably my favorite. Her insights as a doctor who couldn't heal really hit home for me as a medical professional.

The killer in this book is another Patterson masterpiece. I swear the man must have some sort of twisted mind. The murderer's words, "What is the worst thing that anyone has ever done? Had he done it? Not yet....not quite yet," send shivers down my spine. Sex crimes always make me uncomfortable, and these particular ones were especially disturbing to the detectives. And oh my, the twist at the end made everything even worse.

The plot itself is fascinating. A killer is targeting newly married brides and grooms and leaving them in extremely humiliating situations. What is the connection? What could be motivating this person? We are introduced to Boxer, then the reporter, then the coroner, and finally the assistant DA. As they compare their insider notes to try to solve the case and catch this sick individual, the women's murder club is born.

One thing I always do is analyze any medical details in books to see if they are accurate. Patterson, however, does his research well. I can't find any flaws in his description of Neglis and the exhausting treatment that comes with some chronic conditions. I wish other authors would take the time to do their medical research so that they don't sound ridiculous.

I'm not very good at writing summaries, but I wholeheartedly recommend giving these books a try. Starting this series made me think about detectives in general and the arcs they follow. After 20 years and 20 books, where will these characters be? Boxer started out as a hot mess on the verge of suicide, and I initially groaned. But as I watched her form bonds and grow, I became more invested in her story. So her arc going forward will be about putting her life back together and moving forward, and that's okay. While I do prefer detectives who have their lives in order, there's something interesting about a train wreck detective as well.

I give 1st to Die a full five stars and another round of applause to Patterson for creating yet another completely messed up psychopath. :O

I’ve been having a really hard time concentrating enough to read anything that requires thought and effort. So, mindless mysteries or thrillers seemed like the perfect solution. But this one? No way!

By page 45, I had already decided that I really disliked the way James Patterson writes women. The head of the homicide division and the chief medical examiner of San Francisco are disgusted, sickened, and have to turn away from a body. What kind of atrocity could these two strong, experienced, professional women not handle? It was just a body with a single stab wound! Seriously? And yet, the male detective is just fine. He even steps in to offer the lead homicide investigator an arm to lean on. You’ve got to be kidding me!

I also found the interactions between the female friends to be completely unrealistic. I actually laughed out loud a few times because they were so ridiculous and cliché.

Overall, I thought the writing was stilted and not very engaging at all. I can’t say I enjoyed it much. And I don’t usually notice these things, but the author used the word “chilling” so many times that it really annoyed me. Good writers don’t need to tell their readers how to feel. I should be able to find the descriptions “chilling” on my own without being told over and over again.

And here’s my most petty complaint: The Women’s Murder Club. Four intelligent, urbane professionals and that’s the name of their group? Couldn’t the author have come up with a more original and mature name? It sounds so hackneyed and immature. It might as well be called The Four Females Who Find Killers Club or The Four Awesome Chicks Hunting Bad Guys Club. Would a group of male homicide investigators, coroners, prosecutors, and reporters have to create a “club” and give it such a cheesy name? I don’t think so. I really think it goes back to Patterson’s inability to write women realistically.

I usually enjoy gruesome, bloody thrillers, but based on how poorly written I find the characters in this book, I really doubt I can bring myself to skim through the rest of the series.

ETA: I just found out that James Patterson earned $50 million from June 2007 to June 2008. That’s not a typo. I’m both horrified and inspired to write something that my biggest fans will excitedly describe as a “quick and easy read.”

It goes to show that we as readers evolve, which means that we as individuals evolve too.

We grow older, and our taste in books changes, and that's actually a good thing. I gave this book 5 stars when I first read it 15 years ago. Now, well, I still like it, but I'm not as impressionable as I used to be. I do find flaws with it.

For instance, the insanity of the murders and what lies behind it is rather flimsy. You might say that a psychopath often has no good reason to inflict pain or kill. He simply enjoys it, but to influence others? I'm not so sure.

I like Lindsey Boxer, the SFPD detective, and I enjoy her friendship with Claire, the forensic pathologist, Cindy, the journalist, and finally Jill, the ADA. They all have a story to tell, and it was interesting to read about how the Women's Murder Club was formed.

The Bride & Groom murders are at the center of this plot. Now, with all the years gone by and rereading, I admit it's not the greatest plot, but it's well paced. The author does a good job of building up the story. It kept me captivated.

Foremost, I want to know how these ladies grow in their careers, so yes, I look forward to reading the rest of the books.