1st to Die - reading

** spoiler alert **
I talk about the ending. Since it's a whodunnit, you might want to not read this if you haven't read the book.
** spoiler alert **

Finished "1st To Die" by James Patterson. For once I decided to read the FIRST book in a series instead of coming in at the middle somewhere.


My exposure to James Patterson stems from getting my (then) wife the book Pop Goes the Weasel and watching her devour it, saying it was brutal and good, but that Patterson had trouble writing female characters. That stuck with me and colored how I saw the story in this book, but didn't severely detract from it. I thought this one was good.

I have to wonder if when writing it, James Patterson asked himself two questions at the end of each chapter: 1) what would be the predictable next thing to happen, and 2) how can I turn that on its side somewhere down the road? The term "kept you guessing until the end" applies here. Things that I thought were predictable ended up with a twist.

** spoilers begin here **

** spoilers begin here **

** spoilers begin here **

 
The only thing I didn't like is the very ending. Why would a guy who went to such great lengths to plan everything out just show up randomly at the cop's door and simply assault her with a knife? He's smarter than that.

Patterson wasn't afraid to veer away from the happy ending, something I can appreciate.