1st to Die1st to Die
Score Modern
What it's about
Lindsay Boxer is a homicide inspector in San Francisco, and someone is murdering newly married couples on their wedding nights. Frustrated by her department, she forms a secret team with three friends, a medical examiner, a newspaper reporter and an assistant district attorney, to catch the killer. And she's privately facing a frightening diagnosis.
Why it's worth reading
It was a #1 New York Times bestseller and began the Women's Murder Club series. It's fast, short-chaptered and hard to put down.
You'll love it if you liked
The Boyfriend
Presumed Innocent
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern IrelandGood to know
It's violent, with graphic murders. It's the first of a very long series, written with Andrew Gross.
By the numbers
- Readers65 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #121 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #541 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1043 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping
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Fight ClubExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →Quick answers
Is 1st to Die worth reading?
Yes. It was a #1 New York Times bestseller and began the Women's Murder Club series. It ranks #1,043 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is 1st to Die about?
Lindsay Boxer is a homicide inspector in San Francisco, and someone is murdering newly married couples on their wedding nights. Frustrated by her department, she forms a secret team with three friends, a medical examiner, a newspaper reporter and an assistant district attorney, to catch the killer. And she's privately facing a frightening diagnosis.
How long does it take to read 1st to Die?
About 11 hours (432 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after 1st to Die?
If you liked it, try The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden, Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow or Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe.




















