By James Patterson
Little, Brown and Company
Hardcover, Paperback, Large Print, Audio Cassette (Abridged), Audio Cassette (Unabridged), Audio CD (Unabridged), Audio CD (Abridged) Editions

Wedded bliss is brutally interrupted when a killer targets newlywed couples. The murderer's first victims prepare for a lifetime together. Little do they know, that lifetime will be cut short before they even have one night together as husband and wife.

All of the blood, all of the dying amounts to one question the killer constantly asks: "What is the worst thing anyone has ever done?"

On the other side of town, things aren't going so well for San Francisco police inspector Lindsay Boxer either. She's diagnosed with a life-threatening disease and she's getting a new partner. To top it all off, her sole mission is to capture some lunatic who thrives on newlyweds.

The gruesome murders continue and Lindsay quickly realizes this is no ordinary killer. This murderer is clever and seems to have a well-thought out plan. Revealing clues are left at the scene of the crime while the murderer humiliates and defiles the victims.

Through her investigation, Lindsay stumbles across a persistent reporter, enlists the help of a hotshot assistant district attorney and relies heavily on her best friend and chief medical examiner. These four women join forces to form the Women's Murder Club, each bringing her own inside experience to the table so they can cut the red tape and catch the killer.

In their club's investigation, they find clues that point straight to Nicholas Jenks, a successful author who made his fortune writing about murders. But they have to tiptoe around their suspicions until they have hard evidence to produce a search warrant.

Just when they think they can't touch him, they discover his first and unsuccessful novel, Always a Bridesmaid, hidden in the halls of the San Francisco Writers Guild. The book details the killings and Lindsay knows she has to act fast before another happy couple falls prey to Jenks.

Bookworm's Briefing
James Patterson is the bestselling author of Along Came a Spider, Kiss the Girls, Jack & Jill, Cat & Mouse and many more novels. In November 2001, he'll take on the role of producer when 1st to Die hits NBC as a two-part miniseries.