3rd Degree / James Patterson & Andrew Gross - 2**

[Book Concierge]

3rd Degree – James Patterson and Andrew Gross
Digital audiobook narrated by Carolyn McCormick
2**

Adapted from the book jacket: Detective Lindsay Boxer is jogging along a San Francisco street when an explosion rips through the neighborhood. A town house owned by an internet millionaire is 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.

My reactions:
This is book three in the Women’s Murder Club series with Patterson’s name getting top billing on the cover, but I suspect mostly written by Andrew Gross. The formula must not have been working well because there’s a significant change among the club members.

I’ll say this for the team of writers – they keep things moving quickly. There’s a killing every few chapters, and the women have a personal reason to make sure the perpetrator(s) is/are stopped. Vietnam era politics enter into the equation to further confound and confuse.

Carolyn McCormick does a reasonably good job voicing the audio. However, the producers felt compelled to add cheesy “suspense” music and sound effects. I guess they didn’t have faith in the writers’ ability to build suspense with words alone.


LINK to my review

[annapi]

James Patterson is one of the most overrated writers. I find nothing compelling in his work. I was "encouraged" to read around 3-4 by a friend (books were pushed into my hands and I did not want to offend) and from that experience as well as previous attempts to read his stuff I am not inclined to pick him up on my own.

[Jason]

I feel the same. I have read one boom and I don't even remember which one it was. Good twist was the only thing I liked about it.

[Nicole R]

I shamefully stuck with this series through book 6. I wish I had that reading time back. I was mildly entertained by the first book in this series and loved the premise, but the rest are truly not good.

[LibraryCin]

I still enjoy this series. I seem to have stopped with the Alex Cross series, but I think I just missed adding the next one in line to the tbr when I finished the last one.

Although, I started off enjoying this series more than Alex Cross, my favourite of all that I've read was Kiss the Girls, so... one from the AC series!

[Booknblues]

LibraryCin wrote: "I still enjoy this series. I seem to have stopped with the Alex Cross series, but I think I just missed adding the next one in line to the tbr when I finished the last one.

Although, I started of..."

Kiss the Girls put me off Patterson forever.

[Amy]

I feel like Alex across was another teen/twenties backdrop. The series was “hot” at the time. I never got involved with his newer stuff. I feel decades away from Patterson.

[Book Concierge]

Well Patterson doesn't write most of "his" books these days. He has a stable of "co-authors" who do most of the writing, but Patterson gets top billing and that sells books.

I really liked his early Alex Cross books ... when he was actually writing them himself.

But he's a "thriller" writer ...and, as is the case with most series/thriller writers, I find the books somewhat formulaic after about five of them, so I move on to different authors.

I picked this one up because it fulfilled a challenge and was a quick read/listen.

[Jgrace]

I've read two Patterson books, both of them for PBT games. Not really interested in reading any more of them. I can't understand why they are so popular.

[annapi]

Jgrace wrote: "I've read two Patterson books, both of them for PBT games. Not really interested in reading any more of them. I can't understand why they are so popular."

Neither can I! But I have met at least one person who is an enthusiastic fan, so I suppose they exist. I think it's like hamburger lovers who have never tasted filet mignon - they just don't know what they're missing.

[Jason]

annapi wrote: "Jgrace wrote: "I've read two Patterson books, both of them for PBT games. Not really interested in reading any more of them. I can't understand why they are so popular."

Neither can I! But I have ..."

Or, there are people out there that like filet mignon, but still really enjoy a good hamburger.

I don't like Patterson, but I like Grisham and Harlan Coben. They are really the equivalent. Maybe Crichton too, but he is a better writer and story teller.

Those Patterson fans, I read a Patterson book and can't remember the name but want to add to my Goodreads read list. Its about a woman that dressed up like a man to commit her murders. The "killer" had a read beard and was fatter. That's all I can remember.