1st to Die by James Patterson

Note to librarians: this needs to be merged into an edition of the version with 100+ readers

Four women-four friends-share a determination to stop a killer who has been stalking newlyweds in San Francisco. Each one holds a piece of the puzzle: Lindsay Boxer is a homicide inspector in the San Francisco Police Department, Claire Washburn is a medical examiner, Jill Bernhardt is an assistant D.A., and Cindy Thomas just started working the crime desk of the San Francisco Chronicle.But the usual procedures aren't bringing them any closer to stopping the killings. So these women form a Women's Murder Club to collaborate outside the box and pursue the case by sidestepping their bosses and giving one another a hand.The four women develop intense bonds as they pursue a killer whose crimes have stunned an entire city. Working together, they track down the most terrifying and unexpected killer they have ever encountered-before a shocking conclusion in which everything they knew turns out to be devastatingly wrong.

This series has been in my TBR for over ten years. I've had the first three books on my bookshelf for a while. But for, whatever reason, I never found the time to start reading it. I am happy I finally grabbed the first book. I loved it!

I just love the Women's Murder Club. How awesome is this group of smart women supporting each other... and kicking ass. Lindsay Boxer is a homicide inspector in the San Francisco Police Department, Claire Washburn is a medical examiner, Jill Bernhardt is an assistant D.A., and Cindy Thomas is a crime reporter in the San Francisco Chronicle. The four of them solving crimes one margarita at a time...

Lindsay is an inspector for the San Francisco Police Department. She gets hit with world shattering news about her health the same day she meets Chris Raleigh, who has been assigned to work with her on a potentially messy case. He works for the mayor and his job is to keep things neat and contained as much as possible while also helping with the case. They are trying to catch a killer who murders newly weds. Cindy, a reporter for the Chronicle who is trying to get a scoop on the case somehow manages to get up to floor of the hotel where the first murders were committed. She gets a peek at the groom on the floor by the door before she is found and hauled out. Later, Cindy sees Lindsay go into the ladies room in an emotional mess and follows her. She didn´t just push for details though, she was kind. She is smart and a good reporter but also seems to be human and possibly a good friend. Later when they meet again where another newly married couple have been reported missing Lindsay decides to make a deal with Cindy to keep things under control. They end up becoming friends. Lindsay, who is dealing with this new shock about her health decides she has to solve this case and decides to ask some female friends for help. She and three other women who have also clawed their way to the top in their respected fields decide to put their heads together and work on the case independently. They meet regularly to discuss the details of the case while Lindsay and her partner track down more leads officially. It was the start of the Women´s Murder Club.