1St to Die

This creeped- out murder mystery, in which someone is doing away with newlywed couples before they have a chance to enjoy their honeymoons — features a fairly clever plot with enough last-minute revelations to keep you guessing (or, at least, going), and it's a welcome departure from Patterson's overworked Alex Cross series. But when 1st to Die delves into the personal life of his protagonist, San Francisco police department inspector Lindsay Boxer, we move into a different kind of overkill. His portrait of Boxer is way too touchy-feely. The serial killings are more than a little gruesome, but they're hardly as stomach-churning as Boxer's maudlin wranglings with fatal illness, true love, and giggly girlie-girls bonding in bars.