| Title | : | 2nd Chance (Womens Murder Club, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0446696633 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780446696630 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 400 |
| Publication | : | First published March 4, 2002 |
A brutal madman sprays bullets into a crowd of children leaving a San Francisco church. Miraculously-or was it intentionally?-only one person dies. Then an elderly black woman is hung. Police homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer senses a connection and together with medical examiner Claire, assistant D. A. Jill, and Chronicle reporter Cindy, finds a link that sends a chill through the entire nation. This killer's motives are unspeakable.
In this "inventive" installment of the Women's Murder Club, James Patterson proves once again why he is the #1 master of the murder mystery (Sunday Times).
2nd Chance (Womens Murder Club, #2) Reviews
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Chapter 1
I drove up to the library in my black Miata. Walking in, I thought, "Hell, I deserve a book, I've had a rough couple of days." I searched the shelves looking for books on my list...nothing. I sighed. Oh but what did I see? A James Patterson, I couldn't wait to tell the girls. I grabbed it and went to check out. The clerk told me I owed a fine; I exhaled. I must have gotten distracted from returning books before - when I was on the job of my lifetime that catapulted me into the spotlight. Now look at me, I was back at the library, putting it all out on the table, ready to shake things up. I paid the fine and left with 2nd Chance.
Chapter 196
I met the girls at the bar to discuss the book. Jill looked at me, took a deep breath and said, "Now listen lady, we've got to figure this out together. We've been in tougher reads than this." But had we?
I wanted to tell her that Patterson's introduction of how great his book was and that it would be unput-downable gave me cause to worry from the beginning. That it seemed like the book version of "Charlie's Angels." But I didn't dare say anything yet; these were MY girls I couldn't disappoint them. I sighed and took a sip of my beer. -
holy crap, these are HORRIBLE books. I can't stop reading them. It's like picking a scab. Someone help me!!
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Another excellent book from
James Patterson. I am really enjoying working my way through his many books! This one is the second in his Women's Murder Club series and it was fun, easy reading. I read most of this on a train trip and its short chapters, good story, and lots of action and intrigue made it ideal reading for this purpose. This is a fun series. I really enjoy the main characters even when I have to suspend belief over their actions and just enjoy the ride. -
Ladies, start your engines!
The Women's Murder Club, introduced to legions of new fans in 1st To Die, is an intelligent, plausible, modern idea whose time has come. It's also appealingly warm and cute without being the least bit trite, silly or cloying. Lindsay Boxer, a police lieutenant in charge of San Francisco's homicide division, Cindy Thomas, lead crime reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, Jill Bernhardt, assistant DA and Claire Washburn, Chief Medical Examiner, are four sharp, rising professionals in the field of law enforcement who have broken the proverbial male glass ceiling and have discovered the synergy of brainstorming their way to a solution of their mutual problems.
In 2nd Chance, our ladies are confronted with the brutal attacks of a serial mass murderer called "Chimera" who seems to be targeting black police officers and their families. While the thriller part of the novel is certainly not pedestrian nor is it the compelling, unique creative stuff which will draw gasps of shock and awe from any reader. What Patterson HAS done very well indeed is to put the apprehension of a dangerous psychopath into the format of an exceptionally well-crafted realistic police procedural that includes both the formal internal workings of the San Francisco Police Department together with the external informal deliberations of the four chums aka The Women's Murder Club. There's more than enough of the stuff we've all come to expect - shoot-em-ups, twists and turns, red herrings - to keep the pages turning at a goodly clip! And the final climactic takedown of a sniper holed up in the bell tower overlooking Stanford University campus in Palo Alto is a real heart stopper!
What lifts this particular tale from the realm of ordinary thriller to the level of a much more thought-provoking novel is the realistic way in which the personal lives of the four ladies intrude on their professional lives (or is that vice-versa?). Jill Bernhardt deals with pregnancy and the loss of her baby by miscarriage. While she struggles with maintaining the personal detachment necessary to write a newspaper article, Cindy finds herself falling rather heavily for the pastor of the church that was the site of the first murder. And Lindsay struggles with the emotional trauma of meeting her ex-cop father who ran out on their family over 20 years earlier.
Patterson has also presented us with some very interesting philosophical discussion on the extent to which policemen have to tread that tightrope line between the law and the criminal. The concept of the "blue wall of silence" forms a chilling part of the killer's ultimate motivation and certainly stopped me reading in my tracks. The unanswered question that the Chief of the SFPD asks in the final few paragraphs revolves around this same question and provides an exceptional ending to a fine addition to Patterson's continually growing body of work.
2nd Chance is an exciting, well-paced thriller that includes good plot, great characters, realism and just the right amount of hope that the third installment in the series will tell us more about the personal stories of these new heroines on the literary scene.
Paul Weiss -
"2nd Chance" by James Patterson is the second in the Women's Murder Club series. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the first one (1st to Die) I had high expectations for this.
In the usual James Patterson style the story starts off with full on action and emotion and continues through the whole book at a fast pace, tension and twists abound with a final turn in the story I really hadn't thought of. Nice short chapters keep you reading 'just one more' until you realise you've nearly finished the book.
I know Patterson's books have slightly lost their way of late but these earlier works are just class and I highly recommend them, I can't wait to start the 3rd in the series - I'm quite taken with the female characters and look forward to reading more. -
It looks like James Patterson has fobbed this series off on a "co-author." Disappointing.
The plot has almost exactly the same structure as "1st to Die," in the style of "We definitely have the killer! The case is airtight! Except... we don't have the killer and the case is full of holes."
Lt. Lindsay Boxer also suffers not one but TWO acute attacks of Lois Lane Syndrome and charges into dangerous situations with the sort of recklessness only a fictional character who obviously must survive to continue the series can afford.
I'll give it another book or two, but will abandon the series if they continue in this vein. -
This is the second book in the Women's Murder Club series. The characters are super short and the book is a easy read. I really enjoyed reading this book. In this book they are trying to figure out a murder who is killing black police officers. The ending of this book has a twist I really did not see coming. Great book if you want a quick easy read.
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Number 2 in The Women’s Murder Club series.
First up, if you have enjoyed James Patterson’s books in the past then you’ll enjoy this. This has James Patterson’s stamped all over it, fast paced, short chapters with death a vital part of the plot. I see from the cover that it was written in conjunction with Andrew Gross but apart from a miniscule ‘with Andrew Gross’ on the cover there is no other mention of him. So, I wonder what input Andrew Gross had on the writing of this book?
After twenty odd years of being estranged from his daughter, ‘Lindsay Boxer’ the now Lt of the SFPD murder squad, Marty Boxer is back trying to make amends for the wrongs he did in the past. Just as Lindsay and Marty are being reunited the killings start. They are all African American’s and all have connections with police. Is it just a coincidence that the killing start as Marty makes his reappearance?
To make matters worse, Lindsay’s boss is one of the victims and she now has a new boss who seems to be hell bent on making Lindsay’s life as difficult as possible.
With no clues, apart from an obscure mythical symbol that is present at each of the killings, Lindsay decides to get the girls back together to brain storm for solutions.
There are some twists and turns but for the most part its pretty standard fair. But that said, and to repeat myself, if have enjoyed reading James Patterson in the past then you will enjoy this.
For me this is a 3.5 star read rounded up to 4 stars -
The Women’s Murder Club is back. This time they’re after a racially motivated serial killer. Lindsay once again is proving to be at the top of her game as lead detective on the case. That is, of course, with the help and support of her close friends, Jill, Claire and Cindy.
Quick, suspenseful read that I didn’t want to put down. I’m so glad I finally started this series that has been on my list for so long. Looking forward to book 3! -
This is a mystery thriller, and this is the second book in the Women's Murder Club series. The characters are super short and the book is a easy read. I really enjoyed reading this book. In this book they are trying to figure out a murder who is killing black police officers. The ending of this book has a twist I really did not see coming. Great book if you want a quick easy read. (*)
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"5" for entertaining plot, "1" for stereotyping the women...
The "Women's Murder Club" is back from Patterson's (solo) "1st to Die" -- three professional women friends of our leading lady, San Francisco Homicide Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. Except for no sex, this book is a cross between "Sex and the City" and John Sandford's "... Prey" series about detectives against serial killers. But unlike the TV show, neither Patterson nor co-author Andrew Gross seem to have a clue about how women think, act, or interact with each other. While some might view Lindsay's rash actions in chasing the killer "to the death" as heroic, she violated every standard police procedure several times: proceeding without backup, failing to call in her location, not waiting for the SWAT team, etc. That action seems unrealistic, as does Lindsay just dodging serious injury on each of those instances. The other three of "my girls" do exhibit really girlish behavior and dialogue, hardly what you would expect of any post-adolescent let alone these supposedly high-achieving experts in their respective posts of District Attorney, Reporter, and Medical Examiner.
On the other hand, the identification and capture of the "Chimera", who seems to be targeting police or their relatives with a variety of deadly sharp shooting (although conveniently not as "sharp" when it comes to our protagonists!) kept me guessing til quite near the end. Even if one suspects a rat early, it's still a well-crafted story, Patterson's strength. Lindsay's father, gone since childhood, shows up for some interesting sub-plot material along the way...
If you like short chapters, this book's for you, as a span of two to three pages is the most we can muster. Are our authors maybe angling for a screenplay and book all wrapped up in one? - probably you know Patterson has had a fair degree of luck selling his titles to the big screen people...
Maybe what Patterson needs for "3rd Time's a Charm" or whatever he decides to call it is a FEMALE co-author. We like the foursome in these stories, but we need a lot more credible womanhood than this on display to do themselves justice. -
First, to be clear, I need to say that this review is being written for the *Audio Book format*.
This is a high paced very enjoyable book with lots of drama, suspense, and plot twists. Plus my favorite four women characters that make up this the Women's Murder Club series.
There were a couple of things regarding prison procedure, evidence and a forensic improbability that caught my attention, but they are few and far between and they are pretty insignificant. It didn't make the book any less enjoyable. Just thought I'd mention it for those of us who eat, sleep, and read this genre and are very sensitive to things like that. (You know who you are ; )
On to what I didn't like.
The biggest problem for me is with the narrator's,
Melissa Leo and
Jeremy Piven. Both were pretty bland and it was hard to tell when the women narrator changed between the women characters and also when the male narrator changed between the male characters. It took a lot away from the excellent writing. That's the reason I dropped one star. Having said that, this is the only audio book in the series with these narrators. From here on, books 3-10 are narrated by someone else who does a much better job and I know that it makes a tremendous difference in continuing on with the remaining audio books. The remaining books, 11-16, are narrated by yet another person and I think she's the best! They will be included in my reviews for this series going forward.
I know this because this is my second trip through these audio books. I listend to them about ten years ago and loved them so much that I listened to them back to back, one right after another! I've decided to start over since it's been so long and the sixteenth in the series,
16th Seduction, has just been published.
As a side note, which had nothing to do with my star rating, is that the coauthors change for books 2 & 3 in the series. Books 1, & 4-16 in the series are coauthored by
James Patterson and
Carolyn McCormick.
This one (#2) as well as book 3 are coauthored by
James Patterson and
Andrew Gross. Both coauthors did an outstanding job so it wasn't the writing of the book itself that I didn't like. The problem for me lies in with the narrators.
So my recommendation for this particular book is to read the written format. Then, after this one, the narrating is much improved for the Audio format from here on out. -
4.5 Stars
The 2nd book in the Women’s Murder Club and it’s a good one! This book I personally really enjoyed it was still full of suspense, action and emotion and it made for a really quick and easy read!
I am enjoying reading these series in between more complex/longer books just to have a break and get a book read in a day or two. There was some character development throughout this book for the ladies which I loved!
"You can't bring the dead back. You can't even make sense of why things happen. All you can do is the best you can to let the living believe their souls are at peace."
"courage abounds where guilt and rage run free."
I really like Boxer and I think she is a great character and a real powerhouse which I LOVE. The best thing about these books is that they are quick and hard to put down – this doesn’t quite hit 5 stars for me just because it’s not a book I would stick in my mind for long or on I would re-read in a hurry!
The ending of this book was quite good to and the reveal of the killer was a little shocker too – I am on number 9 of this series now and there is a rough patch around 5-8 but if you can get through those number 9 is good and hopefully they are on the way back up!
On to the next! -
i'm binge-reading through this series MULTIPLE TIMES for a work thing right now, so i'm not gonna review them properly, but yeesh—two WMC members shot, one shot at
amiright, ladies?
BTW, WTF is that thing crawling on her counter? -
Why would an organisation devoted to purity of race choose the symbol of a hybrid creature. And why didn't that guy have a tattoo? Seemed to be a random decision facilitated only for a plot twist and not actually a logical result of the character. All the other Chimera members at that one meeting are also completely dismissed as suspects on nothing more than a gut feeling (granted they had no idea who those people were, but they should have been a far larger consideration than the single sentence dismissing them).
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I thought this one was really good. The killer was very unexpected.
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Another good read in the women's murder club series! It seems fun to read these in order, they are quick and engaging reads so far.
This one wasn't quite as good as the first - I think JP wrote #1 by himself and this was co-authored. Maybe that explains it.
The team is chasing a motivated serial killer - but is he racist or does he hate cops, or both? I enjoyed the chase but had some questions about the killer at the end, like how did he get so good at those shots? Maybe he had been military and I missed that fact?
There were some good fighting scenes and Boxer's dad had an interesting storyline.
I also think JP is going to have to keep introducing new characters if he's gonna kill one off in every book!
Anyway, definitely enjoy these for quick filler reads in between more serious ones. -
I just love all the twist and turns. It kept you guessing right to the end. I can't wait to get to the third one.
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The second installment if the series has some horrific intro crimes that really get the reader's attention... an attention that is soon lost as we are consumed with the personal and professional lives of the Club as the set out to find a madman! The series itself, despite being choc full of cliches and tropes, the core concept of a number of women from different professions and backgrounds working together to solve murders is still all kinds of cool!
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I usually read James Patterson books as a guilty pleasure and quick read, interspersed between "good" reads. I tend to prefer the Alex Cross books, but I recently received the 3rd book in the Women's Murder Club series, and decided I should probably read the first two.
I'm kind of disappointed that I did, because I'm beginning to find these books tiresome and recycled, and even sort of irritating.
I really don't consider myself a book snob, and I can usually find some enjoyment in any book I finish. And, I did find a LITTLE enjoyment, but I'm starting to feel like these are becoming a waste of my time.
James Patterson, you have so many books out there. And I really honestly don't believe you write them all. And even if you do, I'm starting to feel like you have a template where you fill in the characters' names and details as if it were Mad Libs. I'm also really intrigued and kind of want to do a psychological study on you. I believe that common themes in an author's books tend to say a lot about who that author is deep down. And that fact worries me.
I'm sorry to say, but at least for now, I think I will be on a James Patterson hiatus. -
Review to come.
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This series and others by Patterson are my go-to when I want to read, but am tired and struggling to focus. But they are the perfect key to getting out of a reading slump.
The Women's Murder Club is at it again when there are a handful of murders targeting the families of police officers. Lindsay and the rest of the murder club must spring into action to avoid becoming the latest victim. This one seems nearly unsolvable -- will the Club get it in time before one of their own is hurt?
This is a fast-paced read. We are starting to get to know the primary characters a bit more. Yes, there is a start of a budding romance in this one as well. -
More namedropping ensues (the pastor reads Dave Egger's A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and the protagonist is still listening to Sarah McLachlan). This is like Sex and the City, only the four women discuss murders instead of men over drinks. Oh wait, they do talk about men, too!
The story arc is almost identical to how the first book went down: there goes murder one, two, three and counting, then we finally had a suspect and wow we're chasing him down, we're finally getting leads after days of incompetence, the important clues are discovered by the super friends and not the police, how surprising, but the killer proves to be too illusive, then personal tragedies start to happen, and the woman has to keep her shit together and be strong, because you might forget, this is a typical novel about a woman protagonist written by a man, and there are stereotypes, so Lindsay Boxer must be the typical tough-but-weepy-in-the-inside-but-wait-no-she-really-is-tough character, her last name should've clued you in the first time around, didn't you notice?
I went off on a tangent there, so let's resume: the leads were legit, the sources were legit, typical female who wants to prove something rushes into different situations blindly, putting herself in danger, but miraculously survives, because if she dies then this whole series dies, no? She busts the killer, but no, it's not him, it was never him, because as we get to the end the author wants to give you another "surprise" twist that was unwarranted and unjustified, but you have to take it, and so we come to the last page where I am evidently disappointed and wondering why the hell did I read this when I had so much fun the last time. Not. -
This book is probably more of a 2.5/5 stars, but I’m rounding up because my maiden name is Patterson. If somehow, I’m distantly related to James, I want to stay in his good graces. 😉
So James, my dear and (most likely not) relative of mine, if you are reading this (which is a big fat nope), then stop reading here. Also you’ve missed out on 24 of my birthdays. 😉😅
Ok. I’m going to try to make this review short.
Honestly, I’m kind of disappointed. This book overwhelmed me with an intense feeling of “meh.” I just hoped for more from the plot. Racism isn’t very original and it’s very prevalent, ESPECIALLY here in the States.
Compared to the first book, I found the conclusion to be somewhat confusing and a little far fetched.
I am going to continue with the series. 🤞🏻Here’s to (hopefully) being the only dud in the series. -
I just cannot get enough of this series.
It is so good and so easy to read that i feel like i fly through these books.
Cannot wait to start book 3.
Highly recommend this series to anyone who likes detective thrillers. -
The race conversation is front and center in this second installment of the Women's Murder Club. I am really late to the party, but found this to be very relevant to our times. There is a killer out there with the capabilities of an expert marksman and an affinity for the beliefs of the KKK. A bit dated at times, I was still invested and Patterson tells a story that is at its heart timeless. The audio version includes a note read by Patterson himself detailing a time when he was out on the street in a foreign country and saw a women reading his book while stopped for a stoplight. It is hard to travel without seeing someone reading a book by this prolific writing organization. I am invested through book 3 of this series at least.
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We have a serial sniper who seems out to get African Americans who are linked to San Francisco police officers. Lindsay who is now a lieutenant, doesn't seem to be doing a good job of actually tracking her people, and making sure things are moving forward on her other cases. She soon becomes focused on this case and brings in the Women's Murder Club to help her out.
Honestly I didn't like 2nd Chance because we find out what happened years ago when a police officer murdered a young black boy, and we have Boxer and her friends just ignoring it. I thought it was garbage and felt really upset that we had no repercussions for that part of the book that is just dropped on us.
I also really loathed the Jill gets pregnant, but because she is dedicated to her job, loses her baby story-line. It's gross and sexist as hell.
There's not much for Cindy to do in this one besides decide she is in love with a local reverend.
Lindsay was boring and her reconciliation with her father came out of nowhere, so you know it has something to do with the case she's on. Nothing was a surprise and was boring.
The writing is still choppy and at this point, the two books seem to be doing the same thing. We catch a bad guy, but hey it's not the real bad guy and we get an ending with Lindsay ready to be killed, but she someone shoots the bad guy. -
Second book of the Women’s murder club centers around a cop killer, who is not only killing police officers of color but killing people of color by a pattern that looks like a personal vendetta.
Lindsay Boxer has to figure out the pattern with her close friends of her Murder Club squad.
When things get close and personal and two of her friends get attacked, Lindsay will have to step up her investigation before she becomes another victim of the killer as well.
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Yet another great chapter in the WMC series.
This one was better fleshed out than the first one, but just as suspenseful and engrossing as the first.
I like that the series is pretty realistic - people get hurt, people get killed - even the ones we suspect they couldn’t possibly get hurt or perish because they are too essential. -
Once again James Patterson & Andrew Gross combine to engage the reader with another page turning thriller. Lt. Lindsey Boxer and her Women's Murder Club cohorts, Clare, Cindy and Jill are drawn together to solve a case involving a sharp shooter who's terrorizing the city. The twists & complications in this case are typical Patterson intrigue but with a fascinatingly surprise conclusion. Anyone who has enjoyed this series will find this as worthy as the previous installments.
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SPOILER: In the first book she continuously confesses her love for her group of friends. In this book she continuously confesses her love for her group of friends. In the first book she exerts all her energy on the suspect just to find out in the end he is not the killer, in this book she exerts all her energy on the suspect just to find out in the end he is not the killer. In both books the actual killers are related to the original suspect and were doing the killings for them/in their honor! Wonder what the 3rd book in the series is about...(sarcasm).
