2nd Chance 
asked by bigben on November 26, 2006 7:00 AM
2nd Chance reconvenes the Women's Murder Club, four friends (a detective, a reporter, an assistant district attorney, and a medical examiner) who used their networking skills, feminine intuition, and professional wiles to solve a baffling series of murders in 1st to Die. This time, the murders of two African Americans, a little girl and an old woman, bear all the signs of a serial killer for Lindsay Boxer, newly promoted to lieutenant of San Francisco's homicide squad. But there's an odd detail she finds even more disturbing: both victims were related to city cops. A symbol glimpsed at both murder scenes leads to a racist hate group, but the taunting killer strikes again and again, leaving deliberate clues and eluding the police ever more cleverly. In the meantime, each of the women has a personal stake at risk--and the killer knows who they are.
2nd Chance speeds along at a Formula One pace through many tight curves, but unlike recent entries in the Alex Cross series, it doesn't sacrifice good characters to a twisted plot. Lindsay's the star, but there's a fine esprit de corps among the four women, who are even better developed here than in the first book. What makes them both convincing and interesting as a criminal-justice juggernaut is their willingness to stick their necks out, even if they suffer for it. If you haven't picked up a James Patterson novel in a while, this is a great time to start anew. --Barrie Trinkle
Reviews
0%
0%
James Patterson is one of my favorite writers and I greatly enjoyed this book. I highly recommend reading it.
reviewed by redsink on November 27, 2006 2:31 PM
0%
0%
2nd CHANCE is a decent James Patterson novel. I've read quite of a number of Patterson's books, and I think this novel ranks somewhere in the middle of his work. I don't believe this book is as good as 1st to DIE or 4th OF JULY, but I think it's above-average. It contains the same fast-paced suspense that almost all of Patterson's work is famous for. I read this novel in one sitting.
This novel is not perfect. Unlike some of Patterson's other novels, this book takes a while to get started. Also, I think Patterson overdoes it with the female bonding that takes place in this novel. It seems phony and unrealistic, given how little time these four women have known each other. I also thought the pregnancy subplot involving the assistant DA character was cursory and badly done.
I also found Lt. Lindsay Boxer to be somewhat annoying in this book. This is a character that constantly runs into dangerous situations without backup or even a bullet-proof vest. She frequently jumps to the wrong conclusions in this book (as she did in the last novel in this series). She is also rather bossy and rude to some other characters. I know that Boxer isn't supposed to be perfect, but that doesn't mean she has to be unlikable.
Overall this is an okay read, but it's one of the weaker entries in the Women's Murder Club series.
This novel is not perfect. Unlike some of Patterson's other novels, this book takes a while to get started. Also, I think Patterson overdoes it with the female bonding that takes place in this novel. It seems phony and unrealistic, given how little time these four women have known each other. I also thought the pregnancy subplot involving the assistant DA character was cursory and badly done.
I also found Lt. Lindsay Boxer to be somewhat annoying in this book. This is a character that constantly runs into dangerous situations without backup or even a bullet-proof vest. She frequently jumps to the wrong conclusions in this book (as she did in the last novel in this series). She is also rather bossy and rude to some other characters. I know that Boxer isn't supposed to be perfect, but that doesn't mean she has to be unlikable.
Overall this is an okay read, but it's one of the weaker entries in the Women's Murder Club series.
reviewed by kmf on November 29, 2006 2:40 PM
0%
0%
I really like the Women's Murder Club, if you're a woman and like crime stories than this series is for you!!!
reviewed by runabout on November 29, 2006 6:09 PM