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3rd Degree
James Patterson and Andrew Gross Book Review

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Plot Summary of 3rd Degree
"
James Patterson, Andrew Gross
Little, Brown, 2004, 26.95, 341 pp.
ISBN: 0316603570

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
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

"Detective Lindsay Boxer never expected to witness an explosion in the neighborhood she was jogging in. She wasted no time putting her life on the line to rescue a small boy from the towering flames. Little did San Francisco know that this was just the beginning of homeland terrorism. One by one, prominent people were found murdered in the most excruciating ways. Lindsay, and her three friends, Claire, Jill, and Cindy call themselves the Women's Murder Club. In the past, these four women have solved difficult murders. Now, one of their own has become a target. Time is of the essence as they strive to solve the murders and save their own lives."
Tracey Ray, Resident Scholar

"   Detective Lindsay Boxer and her "Women's Murder Club" return in this tale of revenge and left-wing self righteousness gone terribly wrong. The story begins with Lindsay running into a burning house to rescue a young child and finds herself in the middle of a series of murders. She meets a handsome Joe Molinari from Homeland Security and they work together to try and solve the murders. They have contact with the killers through Cindy of the Women's Club via e-mail and Jill and Claire join the team as usual to offer opinions and insight.
There is a murder very close to home which eventually provides the much needed clues to solving the mystery behind the killers known only as "August Spies". The killers use both bombs and poison to kill the victims and they are by no means random killings. The story unfolds as we learn that a group of liberals is behind the killings. "

Michelle Brown, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of 3rd Degree
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 16.7%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 33.3%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 33.3%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 16.7%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
Spying/Terrorism Thriller Yes
Cloak & Dagger Plotlets: - preventing/finding assassin
Misc. Murder Plotlets - Killer purposely leaves clues
Kind of investigator - police procedural, American
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - feelings towards family/friends
Crime Thriller Yes
Who's the terrorist enemy here? - generic terrorists
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - police/lawman
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - a little
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
Motive of antagonist - revenge

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - California
City? Yes

Style
Part of a series? Yes
Person - mostly 1st
How many deaths? - 8 or more
Unusual forms of death - poisoning
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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James Patterson and Andrew Gross Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Michelle Brown  

SCHOLARS:
Tracey Ray  


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