I give it 3.5 stars, almost 4. I enjoyed it and there were cool twists. I think I will read more in this series before deciding if I will read the whole series.
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I had to come back to this review to give more detail (just in case the author reads it).

This writer has a GREAT plot, and I love how it twists and then twists again. I love the strong women and how he's started developing their characters. These plots are just as intricately woven as Stephen King's and it is such a relief to find an author that does this without the novel having to be horror. Additionally, the characters maintain their defintion and I can still identify with them, even after all the twists instead of everything devolving into some vague alien interaction.

As I read more of this author, I look forward to seeing his characters develop more and to see improvements in the timing and more elaborate sub-plots. The twists came very late in the book and were wrapped up in a very few pages. I loved the twists, they were so exciting, and I would have enjoyed savoring them for longer.

This writer has a ton of promise. I haven't read anything before that could touch Stephen King's talent for plot complexity, and I really prefer the subject matter. ( )

This had the shortest chapters EVER. I don't think any made it over 5 pages. I'm not sure if that was a genius idea to keep people reading, or the most annoying thing ever. You decide.

The mystery itself was intriguing, and had a few twists in there. I went back and forth a few times on who I thought did it.

The main characters are pretty one dimensional, only Lindsay Boxer had a little bit of depth to her. The fact that the four women weren't even friends at the beginning of the book and quickly became "best friends" and murder buddies, seems a little preposterous. It would have been more believable had they been even remotely friends before creating the Women's Murder Club. I enjoyed the book as a whole, but I don't feel connected to any of the characters, I don't care about what happens to them. I am going to continue with the series because I love a mystery, but I don't have extremely high hopes about being interested in the characters lives.

All in all, a good mystery with a positive view on women being able to do or be whatever they want. If you enjoy Marie Force, Lisa Jackson, Karin Slaughter, Debra Webb, or Anna Carlisle then you will probably enjoy this series. ( )

2.5 ( )

Clueless until the end. A great page turner! ( )

3/21/23
Book title and author
1st to Die by James Patterson

Why I picked this book up: I read James Patterson when I wanted easy to read entertaining novels. I wanted easy reading so I picked this up.

Thoughts:
“1st to Die (Women's Murder Club) Four crime-solving friends face off against a killer in San Francisco in the Women's Murder Club novel that started James Patterson's thrilling series. Each one holds a piece of the puzzle: Lindsay Boxer is a homicide inspector in the San Francisco Police Department, Claire Washburn is a medical examiner, Jill Bernhardt is an assistant D.A., and Cindy Thomas just started working the crime desk of the San Francisco Chronicle. But the usual procedures aren't bringing them any closer to stopping the killings. So these women form a Women's Murder Club to collaborate outside the box and pursue the case by sidestepping their bosses and giving each other a hand. The four women develop intense bonds as they pursue a killer whose crimes have stunned an entire city. Working together, they track down the most terrifying and unexpected killer they have ever encountered--before a shocking conclusion in which everything they knew turns out to be devastatingly wrong. Full of the breathtaking drama and unforgettable emotions for which James Patterson is famous, 1st to Die is the start of the #1 New York Times bestselling series of crime thrillers.

Why I finished this read:
This book was a page turner, short chapters and had characters I liked.

Stars rating: 5 of 5 stars. I like the characters and I will read more. It was fun and fast. ( )