The Women’s Murder Club
I love reading. It transports me to a world that exists only in my dreams. It introduces me to interesting people of different backgrounds. Every time I take out a book and read, I discover something new about myself. And I marvel at these discoveries. Like the time I started reading James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series.
I discovered James Patterson when I stumbled upon a book called “When the Wind Blows”. It was a story that introduced me to Maximum and her friends. I was completely fascinated by the story of these avian-like children who were products of an experiment conducted secretly in a place they called “the school”. I loved the way the story was written and bought my second Patterson book in a weeks’ time. That was when I was introduced to the Women’s Murder Club.
The first book in the series is called “1st to Die”. Lindsay Boxer, a dedicated and tough cop; Claire Washburn, a medical examiner; Jill Bernhardt, the assistant district attorney; and Cindy Thomas, a newspaper reporter, form a club and meet regularly to try to solve crimes. They pool their resources together and combine their skills to come up with solutions for these crimes. It’s like four good friends getting together to tell stories and grab a few drinks. The only difference is that they don’t talk about men and other girly stuff; they actually talk about murderers, rapists, and terrorists!
Although I have been reading books with women as the main characters, I have never come across one that focused on four women of diverse personalities. The idea that they can work together and become good friends was what struck me the most. I mean, I can just imagine myself sitting beside one of these brave women, trying to get myself involved in whatever it was they were doing. I find that amazing because not all shows make me feel that way. Sometimes, a show is just so concerned with trying to please the audience that they become unrealistic. With WMC, everything seems to be real. Well, the women don’t go around rampaging while trying to solve a murder. They don’t carry big, heavy weapons; they don’t have super bionic powers and stuff. They’re just ordinary working people who want to help make their place safer for their family and friends.
Another strong factor that makes me a big fan of this book series is the suspense it brings. I love mysteries, suspense and all the lawyer stuff. I love asking myself questions while reading. I like to probe into a character’s, and my, feelings while finishing a story. The women in Patterson’s WMC make me do all these. At times, I wonder what I would do if I were in their place. Sometimes, I’d try to examine how I feel about a particular issue. Most of the time, I find myself trying to solve the crime with them!
I’m basically a character person and I like stories with good characters. Each character in the Women’s Murder Club is interesting for me. Lindsay Boxer’s tough cop mask is a façade of her loneliness. Jill Bernhardt’s lawyer-like ways defy her exciting and romantic side. Claire Washburn’s job as a medical examiner is a contrast to her family life. And the young reporter with an excellent memory, Cindy, is too caught up with her work that she seldom finds time for herself. Four different characters; four different personalities. Yet they manage to fight for a similar cause, and they fight together. That, for me, is absolutely fantastic!
Perhaps the best thing about Women’s Murder Club is that it makes me feel good about being a woman. It makes me feel good knowing that women can actually do something worthy, and that we can do it well. No, I’m not big on feminist issues, but I do care about women. And I guess that’s just what this book series is all about: finding the woman inside you and trying to do something good about it.
I’d like to believe that the Women’s Murder Club has slowly helped me come out of my “woman-shell”. I’ve discovered many wonderful things about myself, and about other women, after reading this book series. Of course, I continue to learn new things everyday, even when I don’t have the book beside me. But the fact remains that Lindsay, Claire, Jill and Cindy have all helped me get in touch with my greater self!
