1st To Die Launches A New Series For Patterson

James Patterson has never been one of my favorite authors. Having read some of his earlier works years ago, I put the author aside for other authors whom, at the time, I felt were better writers. But over the last few years, my daughter has become enamored with the Alex Cross series. Then I started noting a series of books with his name on them whose titles were numbers (1st To Die, 2nd Chance, etc), and my curiosity was aroused. So, as is often the custom, I picked up one of the books in an airport and began reading on the plane. I was hooked, and you will be as well.

1st To Die is the beginning of a new series featuring the San Francisco crime team affectionately called by fans the ladies murder club series. Lindsay is a homicide inspector in the police department called upon to investigate the brutal murder of a high society newlywed couple in their hotel room. Just as the murder investigation is ramping up, the killer strikes again. This time his victims are another newly married couple. And then there is another clear across the nation in Cleveland. Using the cunning skills and help from Jill, an assistant district attorney, Claire, the hefty medical examiner whose friendship Lindsay values dearly, and Cindy, a heady reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, the ladies begin piecing together the puzzle. They are joined by Chris Raleigh, a handsome young man from the mayor’s office, who replaces Lindsay’s partner Jacobi for this special investigation.

From the outset, the killer is named. We get to go behind the scenes of Phillip Campbell’s plotting knowing that there is more to the story than is being told. The fact that the reader knows things that the inspectors are trying to uncover adds to the suspense. But Patterson only tells the reader enough to create a desire for more. Why is Campbell killing newlyweds? How is Campbell finding his victims? With each chapter, the thrill rivets up as does the action and the haste with which the team of investigators endeavor to get to the bottom of the case. The board in the homicide department of the Hall of Justice is beginning to fill with cases.

And, as is true of any good novel, there are back stories that grab the readers’ attention as well. Sparks are starting to fly between the divorced Lindsay and the sexy Raleigh. But Lindsay hesitates in the relationship as she learns from her doctor that she has what potentially could be a deadly disease, Negli’s aplastic. The disease causes sudden nausea and vomiting and extreme fatigue. Having the disease in the middle of a horrendous case is adding to Lindsay’s stress level. The interest in the relationship is almost as riveting for the reader as is the case itself.

But the case takes center stage. And in building this case, Patterson has done a masterful job. It is, for the reader, an engaging exercise of putting a puzzle together. This piece doesn’t fit, but looks like it should. That piece fits perfectly but reveals little. And the reader turns pages at a very fast pace. The 462-page novel is as fast paced a read as any this reviewer has examined. Conceptually, Patterson has hit upon a novel idea. The idea of women detectives is nothing new, but a ladies murder club is unique and a thrilling addition to the genre. Their secretive meetings in restaurants around margaritas and quesadillas allow the reader an intimacy with the characters often missing from writing. We see them cry over personal matters, laugh over not so funny jokes, rib about romance, and talk women talk. But we also see them put their minds together to solve murders. And this “off the record” group is good. Patterson allows some good descriptors in his characterization that allow us to envision these players and dig into their personalities. Mixing tragedy with intense questioning with just a bit of levity makes this like sitting down with the girls next door.

For this reader, what brought fascination was the ability of Patterson to crawl inside the mind of these females and notice things like clothing and food that generally would be foreign to the notice or vocabulary of many macho males. This attention to feminine detail lends validity to the characterization. The plot of this first novel is exceptional but somewhat confusing at first. It is hard for the reader to dive right in to the antagonist because of the confusion over his identity presented by the writer. At first you think he is part of a travel agency of a similar name. But the reader has to remember that we have more details about what is going on than do the detectives who are investigating. That this is a risky ploy for a writer to use is well known. It can sometimes alienate readers who become angered that they know too much and aren’t allowed to guess “who done it.” But Patterson uses this ploy to perfection giving us misinformation and just the right amount to leave us guessing.

The blend of characters is a bit unusual in detective adventures. The mix is fascinating in 1st To Die. A homicide detective, a medical examiner, an assistant DA, and a news paper reporter. Hum. Add to the mix a crusty detective in Jacobi, a handsome Chris, a badgering chief, and a detail of San Francisco that shows good research and you have the combination for the perfect novel. While this novel may not be perfect, it is an excellent read that breaks from the cookie cut mode of the Alex Cross series.

If you haven’t gotten into the Ladies Murder Club, jump in. The water is just right for this summer time pleasure. And these books read so fast you can have all six read by end of summer.