"An exciting thriller"

San Francisco Homicide lieutenant Lindsay Boxer is jogging with assistant DA Jill Barnhardt when the cop sees bruises on the shoulder of her companion. Before she asks about the injury, an explosion occurs in a nearby townhouse. Lindsay rushes inside rescuing a child, but three are dead at the scene.

Apparently the terrorist group August Spies successfully targeted a CEO and his family and killed them. Lindsay's investigation of the crime coincides with the inquiries of Joe Molinari of the Office of Homeland Security. Joe and Lindsay are attracted to one another while Jill's spouse has turned abusive towards her. Then there are her other two pals that make up the club, medical examiner Claire Washburn and Chronicle reporter Cindy Thomas who help with the case not realizing the danger as they get to close to the killers.

The latest "Women's Murder Club" thriller is an action- packed tale that never lets up until the final moment. The story line is apropos as the "third world war" against terrorism has come home to San Francisco. Though the spousal abuse subplot seems off based on Jill's strength of character (from the previous books), somehow the authors pull it off with realism and bring it back into the main plot. The budding romance between Joe and Jill (at least it's not Jack) further humanizes the heroine. Fans of exhilarating thrillers with real people including villains who believe in their cause will enjoy the latest work of these powerful females.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted March 28, 2004

Summary

Detective Lindsay Boxer and Assistant District Attorney Jill Bernhardt are enjoying a quiet afternoon in San Francisco when a townhouse across the street explodes in flames. A sinister note signed "August Spies" is found at the scene of the disaster, and the body of an infant who was asleep in the house at the time of the explosion cannot be found. Soon a wave of violent incidents, all with links to political terrorism and involving "August Spies," sweeps through the city. An upcoming economic summit of the world's most powerful nations will surely be a target. And it's up to the Women's Murder Club to get to the bottom of the violence before it's too late. Delivering the breakneck pace and never-saw-it-coming plot twists that have made James Patterson the most addictive writer at work today, 3rd DEGREE is another searing and unforgettable thriller from the nation's #1 bestselling suspense writer.