“1st to Die” by James Patterson

James Patterson’s “1st to Die” is the first in his Women’s murder club series. Lindsay, a detective in pursuit of a serial killer brings together three other women - forensic expert, an amateur journalist and an assistant district attorney to solve the crime. Though they are from different fields and are aspiring to excel in their respective careers, they have one thing in common - a woman in a male dominated profession. As the ongoing procedural investigation is heading nowhere with their condescending, credit-stealing male bosses around, they decide to meet every now and then to crack open the case and identify the killer.

A series of double murders shock the city as honeymooners get killed soon after their wedding. The killer leaves behind explicit clues to keep the police on the run and is always one step ahead planning and plotting the most sickening nature of crimes. The killer proves elusive as the women search for the missing link between the killings that take place. The protagonist Lindsay, fighting her own battle with health issues is bent upon finding the killer and the motive behind the murders. 

James Patterson

The novel wastes no time and the solid premise catapults the novel into an intriguing suspense. The women’s murder club tracks down the most terrifying and unexpected killer half way through the novel only to stumble upon a shocking revelation that proves their judgement entirely wrong. Can they bounce back from this major setback? Until this point, the novel is brilliantly written with enough suspense to keep it going and enough twists that give a genuine thrill. The novel becomes a tad too predictable after the mid-point though it doesn’t get boring. It surprisingly keeps us engrossed until the very end.

The women getting together and bonding with each other is somewhat rushed. Due to this, the other primary female characters sans Lindsay’s are shallow. The logic takes a hit at a few places especially with the health condition of Lindsay after the midpoint. Despite these shortcomings, the novel still keeps us enthralled until the very end with convincing twists only to throw us off guard with an unnecessary epilogue. The twist in the epilogue is a big letdown in an otherwise brilliantly written novel. Highly recommended!

“1st Case” by James Patterson & Chris Tebbetts

Angela, a techie pursuing her Masters at MIT gets kicked out for illegally hacking into the computer of her fellow student. Just when Angela thinks her career had gone downhill, she gets the opportunity to work with FBI as an intern. She is thrown right away into a case which involves multiple homicide in a household. With the brutality of the crime scene and the sympathy she feels for the young girl who is a victim, she struggles to cope up with the psychological challenge that the job poses. Nevertheless, she is determined not to give up.

When she is handed over an evidence - the mobile phone of the victim, she realises where her expertise is needed. She stumbles upon an application that might lead her to the killer, but the application does not trace back to its origin. The mystery thickens when she learns the case at hand is not an isolated one. She is on a hunt to uncover the identity of the hacker and serial killer who is always one step ahead.

The premise is interesting but it is let down by weak writing. The happenings in the novel are incoherent at times and the predictability makes this novel less engaging after the first half. It makes us wonder if this novel was intended to be a murder mystery or a cyber crime thriller. The novel falls flat as it tries to be both. The lack of consistent high points makes this an average read.