Honeymoons and Murders...1st To Die

Hello. My name is Kim and I am a huge James Patterson fan. This is something that I have never bothered to hide and am always on the lookout for his books whenever I am browsing through the bookstore. So it’s no wonder that I picked up this book during the Christmas holiday last season...when I was supposed to be shopping for other people...and when I already had a huge stack of books to read at home. But that doesn’t matter, because when I spot a James Patterson book that I do not have, the whole world stops while I run to the nearest cashier.

I just can’t explain my addiction, but I will get on with the story...


Never fear, Detective Lindsay Boxer, an Inspector with the San Francisco Police Department is on the case. Her own case that is, she is standing in her own home, holding a gun to her own temple...thinking about her life and the “honeymoon couples” murders that she is investigating.

But then we flash back...and the book goes on from there. The first couple, David and Melanie Brandt are experiencing the happiest day of their life, until David opens their honeymoon suite door to accept some champagne from room service. It’s too bad that room service is not really at the door, but Phillip Campbell instead. The gift to David, the man who has everything, is a knife plunged into his chest. And a slit neck for his bride, when she decides to come looking for her new husband.

Another flashback occurs, and we learn why Lindsay is so overwhelmed. Besides having to deal with the gruesome murders, she has recently been diagnosed with a rare condition called Negli’s Aplastic Anemia, a treatable but serious medical condition that can potentially become life threatening. Lindsay is not at all receptive to the Dr. Roy’s advice to take it easy for a while because she immediately runs off when she receives the page about the Brandt’s murders.

Cindy Thomas, a reporter with the Chronicle, uses some sneaky tactics to get herself into the police barricaded area of the Brandt’s hotel. She manages to discover most of the sad murder story from a wandering bellhop in the hotel. But she gets herself caught by an angry cop while scooping out the Brandt’s floor.

It just so happens that her bad luck turns into good when she gets to take a ride down in the elevator with none other than Lindsay Boxer herself. She manages to get some details and is chosen to take the case in the media. But she is told that she had better find herself someone on the inside. Hmm, do I smell a friendship in the making between Lindsay and Cindy?

The next morning, Lindsay gets a call to go see her boss and she is unexpectedly assigned a new partner, Captain Chris Raleigh. It seems Chris is to handle the public side of the case and is one of the mayor’s men. This immediately makes Lindsay resentful of him and his authority over her and her case. Checking out the bodies in the morgue, with fellow friend Claire Washburn (the counties ME), Lindsay is not surprised to discover that the bride had been defiled post mortem. What does surprise her is that it wasn’t from penile penetration.

Meanwhile, newlyweds Michael and Rebecca decide to have dinner before heading off to their honeymoon and are picked up outside by a limo to escort them there. Unfortunately, little do they know that the limo driver, Phillip Campbell, has purposely made himself available to them. They never make it to their honeymoon. In fact, they never even make it to the restaurant for dinner.

Dinner with Claire later finds Lindsay bringing Cindy along. Cindy fits in well, and the trio decide to get together once a week to “unofficially” talk about the case. When the third couple is killed, the group makes a connection, and they go the DA’s office for help. Actually, Lindsay goes to see her friend and Assistant District Attorney, Jill Bernhardt. But Jill needs more concrete evidence before she can go in for the kill. She is invited into the girls’ little discussion group, to help them try to unravel the mystery before another couple is added to the count.

Will they discover who Phillip Campbell is before it is too late? What is his connection to the murdered couples? And is he the real killer?



~*~ MY THOUGHTS ~*~
With 1st To Die, we get James Patterson’s usual style. He pulls no punches and gets straight into the murders, killing off two characters within the first ten pages of the story. I have come to expect nothing less from him. Also typical is the pages of the book that are spoken from the killer’s point of view. We read everything he is thinking as he commits his violent murders and is being chased by the police.

I have to admit that even though this is a story and all the characters are made up, I had to admire Lindsay’s tenacity on the case. Even though she is slowly dying, she still pursues her leads with gusto that anyone would have to admire. But maybe she has to, to keep her mind off of her slowly dwindling health. Of course you also know some kind of relationship just has to come up between Lindsay and Chris. What kind of story would it be, if a little romance weren’t added in for some kind of effect?

The other three supporting female characters are also very well written and enjoyed by this reader. I love strong female roles! Claire is perhaps Lindsay’s closest friend and she is older and wiser in a way that Lindsay will be when she ages and finds the experience that she needs to make her more worldly and mature. Claire is successful, warm-hearted and raising a family all at the same time. Another ambitious, but bright light to the group is Cindy. Cindy is a not a shining star at the local newspaper, but has plans to make a name of herself and will not be deterred. And last but definitely not least is the hard working, but passionate Assistant D.A., Jill. She is tough, but fragile enough to portray herself as a human being dealing with a tough caseload and unfulfilling family life. I found “The Women’s Murder Club” to be a group of friends that forge their bonds with each other by caring and being fiercely supportive of each other.

But we cannot forget the Chris Raleigh character. A new buy headed into unknown territory when he is assigned to Lindsay’s unit from the Mayor’s office. He deals with Lindsay’s obvious dislike of the situation and finds a way to gradually worm himself into her heart. It’s a tragic love, that’s for sure.

Patterson not only draws you in to the horrid murders, but also adds in Lindsay’s illness to make her seen a little more human in what is obviously less than human acts of violence. You see the strength and drive that she has to discover who the killer is and to prevent any more victims, all the while ignoring her own illness because she just cannot cope with it. She uses her job as a shield to protect her from the horror of her own problems. The love affair between Chris and Lindsay is also something that draws you away from the fact that violent murder is being committed without remorse.

If you are a Patterson fan and are looking for his typical work, check out 1st To Die. Though I did find it somewhat different that it does not contain his popular Alex Cross character. Those of you who are tiring of this character might want to check out 1st To Die for a complex, but simple plot filled with twists and turns along with two subplots. As usual, the short chapters annoy me, but the plot is fast-paced and over with in no time at all. But I found 1st To Die a nice change of characters from the usual Alex Cross books.


~ Happy Reading!

Kim



OTHER BOOKS – By Patterson
See How They Run
Pop Goes The Weasel
Roses Are Red
Violets Are Blue



ISBN: 0-316-66600-9
Format Read: Hardcover
Price: $9.99 (sale)
Pages: 353