3rd Degree by James Patterson
Overview: Detective Lindsay Boxer is jogging along a beautiful San Francisco street when a fiery explosion rips through the neighborhood. A town house owned by an Internet millionaire is immediately engulfed in flames, and when Lindsay plunges inside to search for survivors, she finds three people dead. An infant who lived in the house cannot be found – and a mysterious message at the scene leaves Lindsay and the San Francisco Police Department completely baffled.
Then a prominent businessman is found murdered under bizarre circumstances, with another mysterious message left behind by the killer. Lindsay asks her friends Claire Washburn of the medical examiner’s office, Assistant D.A. Jill Bernhardt, and Chronicle reporter Cindy Thomas to help her figure out who is committing these murders – and why they are intent on killing someone every three days.
Even more terrifying, the killer has targeted one of the four friends who call themselves the Women’s Murder Club.
While the investigation rages furiously, Lindsay works very closely with a federal officer assigned to the case. At the same time, she learns that one member of the Women’s Murder Club is hiding a secret so dangerous and unbelievable that it could destroy them all.
Pages: 339 Pages
Writer: James Patterson
Recommendations:
This book kicks off with a bang as Lindsay Boxer witnesses a house exploding while out for a jog. Of course, being the hero we all know and love, she dashes towards the chaos to see if she can help. But when a suspicious bag is found outside the explosion site, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary accident. Lindsay is thrown into a whirlwind case that even the feds can’t ignore.
With the clock ticking and a killer on the loose, Lindsay and her Women’s Murder Club have their work cut out for them. The promise of more deaths every three days adds an extra layer of urgency to the investigation. And when the Assistant Director of Homeland Security joins the team, things really start to heat up.
Overall, this book had me hooked from the start with its classic whodunit vibes. However, the ending left me scratching my head. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that the final chapters felt a bit… off. It’s almost like the writers couldn’t decide how to tie up loose ends, so they just threw in a few confusing twists and called it a day.
I found myself going back and re-reading sections to make sure I hadn’t missed something, but alas, it just didn’t add up. It’s a shame because it really detracted from an otherwise thrilling read. Here’s hoping the next installment brings a bit more clarity to the table!