I think it’s kind of ironic that I’ve read three James Patterson novels. I don’t consider myself a fan of the mystery genre, yet here I am filling up the mystery section of this web site. I guess it pays to have friends who read something different than you do. Now if I can just get them to start writing reviews, I can get more content on this website.

            1^st to Die follows homicide detective Lindsay Boxer as she investigates a series of gruesome bride-groom murders. The killer, labeled as “Philip Campbell” chooses to murder happy couples on or around their wedding, while throwing in cryptic clues for the police investigators to follow. This book is the first in a series by James Patterson that revolves around the ‘women’s murder club’. Basically this club is a group of women, from each perspective of the murder (forensics, investigation, press and law) and they set out to solve the murder separately from the police department. This all happens while our main character is battling a terminal illness and a growing crush on her new partner.

            Ultimately, if you’re a fan of James Patterson novels, then you’ll probably like this book. It has the same mystery and second guesses that I’ve come to know with his writing and the detective whose life is always crap, that mysteries are known for. There are times where the book seems to be not-so-subtly pumping the idea of a male dominated society and how these women need to rise up against it. If I didn’t know better, I’d say James Patterson was a woman in a previous life, because he writes the perspective in a believable manner. However, I can’t help but wonder if he’s just bashing men for the sake of bashing them. We don’t really get to see what he is talking about. There are no dominating male characters that constantly beat these women down, so their bitterness seems unwarranted. The epilogue also feels like an unnecessary jab. I won’t spoil it, but to me it felt like the book was wrapped up nicely in the last chapter, so it seemed like the last chapter was tacked on just to say, one last time, that guys are really all creeps.

            There are some good pieces of the story that counter this. For example, when the women’s murder club meets, it becomes questionable whether or not they’re focusing on the wrong facts because of their bitterness towards men, which can compromise the investigation. And the final twist on the murder also begs the question, who is the real monster?  

            This is definitely a well thought out novel, and the pacing is quick, with short chapters that make it easy to just pick up and read. I’m not really more of a mystery fan from having read the book, but I’ve certainly read worse, and I do enjoy speculating about who the real murderer is. With James Patterson novels, you often have to come up with wild theories to even come close, and I have to give him credit for that.