3rd Degree is a crime novel

Crime fiction

Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...

 written by James Patterson

James Patterson

James B. Patterson is an American author of thriller novels, largely known for his series about American psychologist Alex Cross...

 and Andrew Gross

Andrew Gross

Andrew Gross is an American author of thriller novels including four New York Times bestsellers. Best known for his collaborations with suspense writer James Patterson. Gross’s books feature close family bonds relationships characterized by loss or betrayal and large degree of emotional resonance...

. It is the third novel in the Women's Murder Club

Women's Murder Club

Women's Murder Club is an American police procedural and legal drama, which ran on ABC from October 12, 2007, to May 13, 2008. The series is set in San Francisco, California and is based on the 'Women's Murder Club' series of novels written by James Patterson...

 Series, And the sequel to 2nd Chance

2nd Chance (novel)

2nd Chance is the second novel in the Women's Murder Club series written by James Patterson with Andrew Gross. It is the sequel to 1st to Die.- Plot summary :...

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Plot

In this installment after a house with a family home blows up and Lindsay rushes in to save whoever may have survived the blast, a group of killers known as August Spies vow to kill every three days. They target various political figures time and time again. Lindsay Boxer, with the San Francisco PD, Claire Washburn, the Medical Examiner, Cindy Thomas, a Chronicle Reporter who recently broke-up with her pastor boyfriend from the previous novel, and Jill Bernhardt an Assistant District Attorney who is revealed to have been a victim of spousal abuse for a while, dive into the case. The case takes a deadly turn when Jill is murdered.

Oddly enough this actually leads the remaining three ladies to find a tie-in to a case that Jill's father prosecuted and to a cover up years old that has launched this terrorist action.

Lindsay resolves the case in typical fashion by bringing in the college professor that caused it all. She had previously decided to make a go of a relationship with her FBI laison Joe Molinari when he is introduced in the middle of the book. He is Deputy Director of Homeland Securtiy. He ends up getting a call from the vice president while on a date with Lindsay. Lindsay and Joe have a date while traveling on the case, which ends up being mocked by her former partner (Warren J) while at work. Their second date is at Lt. Boxer's apartment although they ignore dinner because he comes early and they sleep together. Later she feels very guilty because Jill had just thrown out her abusive bullying husband, and ignored a chance to call her or visit with her because of the date.