2nd Chance

by James Patterson with Andrew Cross
2002
ISBN 1 876590 80 7

Following on from 1st to Die, this is another tale of the Women's Murder Club. More drama for Lindsay, Cindy, Jill and Claire, and new threats to life and well-being. The killer gets personal and Lindsay's father turns up from the distant past - what is the connection? Again, a good beach/airplane/sick bed story.

1st to Die

By James Patterson
2001
ISBN 0446610038

A great read for holiday or sickbed - I read it when suffering a nasty cold that kept be off work for a few days. Four strong women form a club to track a vicious killer of newlyweds. Also Negli's aplastic anemia and a new and promising relationship for Lindsay, the homicide inspector and heroine.

Beach Road

James Patterson with Peter de Jonge (2006, ISBN 9780755323135)

Different from my normal choice of reading and not part of my progression through writers starting with H, I picked this up to bring to Rotorua with me. Small enough to fit in my laptop bag and not too heavy either physically or mentally it has been good for those in between moments presented by the hectic programme of keynotes, breakouts, eating and socialising. The story of a black teenager wrongfully accused of several cold-blooded murders and his defense, it is not as straight forward as it first seems. I did not find it ‘unputdownable’ as The Times is quoted as saying on the back cover, and I did find it hard to get inside the head of the actual murderer. I guess it is written to be read in a hurry and not analysed to death, but I prefer more meat to my reading.