FIRST TO DIE BY JAMES PATTERSON (BOOK OUTLINE)

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[dictated each chapter summary. did not proofread summaries. proceed with caution.  I love myself!]

​James, Patterson: first to die
 
Prologue
First person present.
Lindsey is suicidal.
Exposition provided.
Intrigue: why is she suicidal? Prompted with lines like “I am reminded of Chris and that starts me crying.”
Last line introduces David and Melanie’s murder: “that was the beginning.”
 
Chapter 1
3 person limited from the perspective of a husband it’s about to die.
Cliffhanger: someone is at the door.
 
Chapter 2
3 person perspective, Limited: fill up the killer.
Couple as killed
Cliffhanger: implication that the bride was raped.
 
Chapter 3
1 person, Lindsey.
Learns she has a fatal illness.
 
Chapter 4
First person, Lindsey.
She gets the details on the diagnosis.
Cliffhanger: Lindsey is called away to the hotel murder
 
Note: professional, and personal stakes set up immediately.
 
Chapter 5
First person, Lindsey.
Arrives at scene and takes charge. We see her status here.
Meet Lindsey’s partner and the dead bodies
Oomph: shocking image of the bride in her wedding dress.
 
Chapter 6
Lindsey investigates and delegates. She’s shaking up by the scene.
SREL: Lindsey cries and there’s a jokey button
 
Chapter 7
Killer third person point of view.
Inner monologue of the killer and he is sick.
 
Chapter 8
We meet Cindy in third person limited
Reporter.
Cliffhanger: she sneaks into the hotel to report on the murder
 
Chapter 9
Cindy is kicked out of the hotel.
She talks to Lindsay in the laboratory.
 
Chapter 10.
Lindsey and her partner at the police station, discussing case.
Cliffhanger: we meet Lindsey is threatening boss
 
Note: pro summarizes, what the partner learned in his investigation, and then we jump to dialogue for personal revelations.
 
Chapter 11
Lindsey at home. Exposition dump. Dealing with her diagnosis.
Oomph: she starts crying again.
 
Chapter 12.
Lindsey at the lieutenants office. Saddled with new partner, Chris Raleigh.
Oomph: “you ever get to see a dead body while you were at Northern?”
 
Chapter 13.
Morgue. Meet Lindsey’s friend, Claire. Expedition dump
Oomph: “you better hold onto that man tight.“
 
Chapter 14.
Lindsey meets the corner. Describes atrocities.
Twang: killer could have been a guest
 
Chapter 15.
Cindy, third person. At the newspaper offices. Editor says the steaks. Other crime writers want this story.
SREL: if you want this, you better find a police source on the inside, quick.
 
Chapter 16.
Lindsey, first person.
Lindsey and Chris walk back to the office and argue over suspects. Wonder why the killer would have left the jacket.
SREL: only serial killers, have a signature moves like that
 
Chapter 17 killer perspective, third person limited.
We learned that this guy is, in fact, a serial killer.
Twang: this guy has a list of bride and grooms to kill
 
Note: dramatic irony, here with the killer raises the stakes.
 
Chapter 18.
first person, Lindsey.
Lizzy has a call with Cindy, the reporter. Cindy says there is a connection between the victims father and Russia.
Cliffhanger: the to make a step toward friendship.
 
Note: Lindsey and Cindy, both have a boss who underestimate them and wants a ““ real professional on it,
 
Chapter 19
First person, Lindsey. At the Hyatt where the victims were found.
Lindsay replays the imagined crime in her head and wonders what she is missing.
Twang: Lindsey realizes the wedding rings are missing from the victims.
 
Chapter 20
Lindsey learns more about her disease. She connects her fight to overcome the disease directly with her fight to become Lieutenant. Consider the teeth reaction. Ask the doctor if she can work.
“The case, my career, all the goals of my life. The stakes have changed.“
oomph: Lindsay tells the doctor to start treatment right now. This is a big character revealing moment.
 
Chapter 21
Chief pressures Lindsey, because the Russia theories have the FBI circling. Lindsey talks to the father of the groom and he dispels the rest are rumors. Lizzy calls Claire, and there is a reaction, dilemma, decision recap.
SREL: Chris Raleigh has gotten a hold of the guest list from the wedding.
 
 
Note: Lindsey‘s illness plays almost no role in the scenes that aren’t about her illness yet her police work always is mentioned in the medical scenes.
 
Chapter 22 Lindsey goes through the guest list with Chris at a coffee shop,
Lindsey decides to ask about his personal life. “If we were going to be thrown together, we might as well get it out and the truth was I was curious.“
Exposition: both have bad break ups. This teases the romance between them.
Cliffhanger: Lindsey thinks of him romantically
 
Chapter 23
Philip the killer third person limited.
It’s a sit in between the bride and her mom at the department store.
 
Twang: fill up the killer is watching them.
 
Chapter 24 Lindsey has a conversation with her downgraded partner, Jacob. They discuss the case.
Stakes racing ending line: Jacob asserts this will happen again
 
Chapter 25
Chris invites Lindsey for a beer and she stays back instead. Loneliness over crumbs her.
Stakes raising ending line: Lindsey cries. This is the second time her emotions have been the button on the scene
 
Chapter 26
Becky, the bride third person limited.
Becky and her new husband are approached by a limo driver who wants to give them a ride.
Cliffhanger: Becky convinces her husband that they should except the ride.
 
Suspense: scene asks a dangerous question and the cliffhanger answers it.
 
Chapter 27
Killers perspective, third person limited.
The killer takes them up a hill. He realizes he has what himself which is a callback to a urine clue at the first scene.
Cliffhanger: murders are committed
 
Chapter 28 new line Lindsey first person.
Lindsey feels peaceful on the run. Chris calls.
Cliffhanger: dead couple in Napa.
 
Chapter 29
Lindsey discusses the new victims with a local cop.
Cliffhanger: cop reveals that he knows it’s a Murder. The restaurant called the hotel to confirm the couples reservation the prior night, but the restaurant never calls to confirm reservations. This explains how the killer knew where they were
 
Chapter 30.
At the Napa spa. Lindsey realizes a couple may have been tricked into a limo.
Cliffhanger: Cindy Thomas, the reporter shows up
 
Chapter 31 Cindy wants in on this. She’s pissed a lot of it together. Lindsay placates her and promises her a scoop and says she will ride back to San Francisco with the reporter.
 
Chapter 32
Lindsay and Cindy bond. They have a lot in common, including the dads.
Twang: Lindsey invites Cindy to dinner with Lindsey‘s closest friend
 
Chapter 33
Lindsey, Claire and Cindy bond. They discuss their horrible male bosses.
Heartfelt button: Lindsey reveals she feels connected for the first time in a long time.
 
Chapter 34
Lindsey pitches the women’s murder club to her friends
Claire and Cindy agree
 
Chapter 35
Riley is mad that Lindsey gave Cindy access to the story. Once he convinces him to let it go.
Twang: Lindsey gets a call informing her that the bodies have been found.
Chapter 36
Lindsey sees the bodies. Local police answer her questions. She thinks something doesn’t add up.
Question button: what were we missing?
 
Chapter 37
Still in Napa. Lindsey reviewed the scene with Chris and Claire. Decide that they really want to catch this sicko, not just for work, but for their own personal sense of justice.
 
Note: shifting perspective on how bad they want justice can be applied point.
 
Chapter 38
Fill up the killer third person limited.
He’s in an airport.
I need to couple on my way to Las Vegas to be married
 
Chapter 39
Lindsey and Claire discuss Lindsey‘s relationship with Chris.
Cliffhanger: Lindsey asks Claire… “Have you ever heard of this type of anemia?“
 
Note: Lindsey tries and fails to tell Claire a few times about her disease, and then only tells her here. It’s great how long she put it off. Creates more suspense and makes this meaning of this moment more impactful
 
Chapter 40
Lindsey tells Claire and Claire is very supportive and an ultimate fantasy moment.
 
Chapter 41
Reaction, dilemma, decision. Lindsey describes the media frenzy after Napa. She describes her need to solve this crime.
Stakes racing ending line: Lindsey says that this killer is going after our sense of hub
 
Chapter 42
Claire‘s perspective, third person.
Claire process is Lindsey‘s illness and her husband is very kind.
This race is the stakes for Lindsey‘s illness because Claire is a doctor and she is scared.
 
Chapter 43.
Clara shows Lindsay the discovery she found in the first couples body.
The killer’s beard hair was found inside the victims vagina, and that as a stakes raising ending line
 
Note: other characters are advancing the plot through their own personal missions, and that advances Lindsey story as well.
 
Chapter 44.
Lindsey describes various dead ends.
Stakes racing ending line: she’s frustrated because she hasn’t found a clue
 
Chapter 45
Women’s murder club meets and they try to figure out where this guy would go to find his victims.
They decide who to go to a wedding dress shop
 
Chapter 46
Lindsay goes to the wedding dress shop. She questions the employees and learns that both brides bought their wedding dresses at that shop. The woman says she saw a bearded man lurking recently.
Cliffhanger: the employee folder listing all future brides has gone missing.
 
Chapter 47.
Chris tells Lindsey that the bosses have involve the FBI. Lindsey gets overwhelmed and wants to reveal her disease to Chris. Instead, he hugged her and asked her to coffee. This further the love story that also raises the states with the FBI.
 
Chapter 48.
Philip the killer, third person perspective.
Phillip checked into a hotel for a wedding and he has a creepy inner monologue.
Cliffhanger: he’s in Cleveland
 
 
 
Chapter 49
Lindsey dreams about red beers. So much is a better door and it’s Chris.
 
Chapter 50.
Chris has wine. Lindsey lets herself dance with him. This is a big romance plot point
 
Chapter 51
Philip kills a bride and groom in Cleveland.
Phillip takes time to imagine what the cops will find. This is a good and creepy technique.
 
Chapter 52.
Lindsey‘s point of view.
She questions guests from the first wedding and gets a description of the guy.
Cliffhanger: phone rings. Dead bodies were found in Cleveland.
 
Note: whenever something big happens off screen, there’s a plot point where we watch Lindsey learn about it.
 
Chapter 53.
The cop in Ohio describes the murders.
Cliff hanger: Lindsey says she’ll be there tomorrow.
 
Note: the Ohio police confirmed that the same signature as the San Francisco killer was used.
 
Note: illness is a great secret and barrier in the romantic subplot. It’s just a story in Lindsay‘s own head, though. That’s why it’s perfect for a book. She thinks the owners will be a problem and it’s just inner tumult.
 
 
Chapter 54
Lindsey arrives in Ohio. Inner monologue of confusion. Stakes racing ending line red beard could be anywhere
 
Chapter 55
Lindsey questions hotel staff and local carbs.
Steaks raising ending line: Lindsey suggest that they search for red Beard
 
Chapter 56
Lindsey questions of victims family.
Ending line: “I was certain whoever did this had to of known her.“
 
Chapter 57
Lindsey questions the victims best friend. The best friend reveals the bride had been cheating until the very end.
 
Chapter 58
Lindsey unpacked everything with Chris. She has an inner monologue about their relationship.
Stakes raising ending line: why don’t you call me Chris?“ chapter
 
Chapter 59
Lindsey and Chris kiss. She is conflict. It won’t go further or tell him why.
 
Chapter 60.
Cop show Lindsay security camera footage of killer.
Steaks raising ending line: “I was also sure we were looking at Kathy’s secret lover.”
 
Note: nothing really happens here other than confirming that the guy was there. The line at the end doesn’t really raise the stakes, but it provides a good sense of energy.
 
Chapter 61
Lindsey tries to get to the sister of the victim and make her name the killer. Fails.
Stakes raising ending line: she hung up the phone.
 
Tip: following a hunch. Hunters don’t need to be justified only followed. This leads to plot an active hero.
 
Chapter 62
Murdered bride‘s friend reveals that the bride left San Francisco because of relationship with a dangerous man. Says the sister might know the name of the man.
Stakes racing ending line: four shadows that new victims might be coming soon.
 
Note: if you get Stonewald at one point in the story, the person who Stonewald, you can be forthcoming later to provide the plot and information you wanted
 
Chapter 63
Catch up seen on where were at
Cliffhanger Lindsey arranges a meeting of the Lady club
 
Chapter 64
Meeting of the murder club. Lindsey agrees to let Cindy investigate the death of the Ohio bride and her San Francisco life. The girls discuss Lindsey and Chris.
Concluding line: Lindsey says she wants Chris and also to catch the Keller equally.
 
Chapter 65
Lindsey’s treatment is not working.
 
Ch 66
 
React to Illness
Connect the case to get will to live
 
67
Ohio bride mom tells L the name of red beard
He’s famous
Nick jenks
 
68
LT gives ok to talk to DA
DA not avail
Jacobi research on the champagne comes back
Three cases bought by Nick Jenks
 
69
L finds nicks book
His red beard face on back cover
 
Book 3
 
70
Meet ADA Jill
Skeptical
SREL: L thinks of adding her to club
 
71
Cindy finds old evidence of jenks and dead bride Ohio together
 
72 and 73 – missing.
 
74. Chris revealed his research. Jenks owned the type of gun in question.
Stakes racing ending line: I think it’s time we go see Jenks
 
75
Lindsey and Chris question Janks. James denies knowing Kathy.
Cliffhanger: they presented with a photo of him with the victim.
76,
 
76
Nicolas lives. Then he admits that he knew her. Then him and the interview.
Cliffhanger: wife emerges and asks if her husband is a killer
 
77
Nicolas third person limited.
Nicolas beat his wife.
He has sex with her like a dog.
Whole season raises the stakes. Confirms the killer. Shows his depravity and delusion in a new light.
 
*Looking back, this is a little manipulative Because we jump into Nicolas‘s perspective just to make him seem more guilty, and we technically don’t have his perspective anywhere else in the movie because of the twist later but oh well.
 
78
Lindsey questions nicks ex-wife..
Steaks freezing ending line: “woman to woman now, I said I need to ask you a crucial question.“
 
79
Lindsey has more conversation with Nicolas‘s ex and gave insight into her. But his goal is to find out if Nicolas is capable of murder.
Twang: X reveals that Nicolas wrote a Book Whered Verizon, grooms for killed
 
Note: new information, and insight, that even our picture of a killer leads to plot a momentum. This is how character development can be plot. Learning the new levels of depravity further the story somehow.
 
80
Cleveland place is Nicolas at the hotel. Cleveland’s involvement raises the stakes and makes Lindsey want to shirk procedure and pick Nicolas up for herself.
Lindsey decides to run this by the girls
 
82 Lindsay asked the girls about picking Nicolas up. They are unsure. Cindy request 24 hours to chase down her only first
 
83
Cindy’s third person limited perspective.
She goes to the writers Guild in San Francisco to find out if Nicolas is missing manuscript is in there. It is, but they won’t give it to her.
 
84.
district attorney Jill grants Lindsey access to the writers Guild library. They get a hold of the manuscript, which is very close to what has been happening. The last line is a creepy first line from the book
 
85 the girls read the book. The books describes the murders.
Steaks raising ending line: how does a Book end? With an arrest.
 
86 Lindsay arrests Nicolas. We are 75% into the story. This is the end of act three.
 
87
Lindsey and Chris hook up. They decide to go home together.
 
88
Lindsey had sex with Chris. Romantic climax after the climactic murder arrest. More in time for any sex she’s had before.
 
89
Chris and Lindsey talk about becoming a couple
 
90
Nicolas has his house inspected. They find all the evidence that was expected: champagne, tuxedo, pants, red hairs from beard
 
91.
At the lab, clarifying that the hair from the beard are perfect match for the hairs from the vagina.
 
92
Question jenks confront with evidence
Disease fears up
SREL l coughs up blood
 
93
Trial
oomph bail denied
 
94.
The murder club celebrates the collar. Lindsey still wants to find the weapon. She admits her illness to the club. They get her back.
 
95
Big twist. Jenks bodysuit removed to reveal a woman who is Framingham.
 
Book 4
 
96
Chris and Lindsey have sex at the ball game. This is the payoff of an earlier scene where she says she never had sex in an interesting place.
 
97
Jason says he’s being framed
 
98
Nicolas his wife says that he’s innocent.
 
99
Learns she is getting sicker
Chris invites her to cabin
She says yes
 
*love life improves while healthy declines, great way to create stakes and drama in this rest period while they think the crime is solved
 
*Amazing how it kicks in right away
 
100
Chris and Lindsey have sex on a boat near his cabin.
 
There is the feeling that this is all tinged with bitter sweetness because of her illness.
 
101
She tells Chris about the disease
He holds her
 
 
102 - begin ‘second guessing’ and convincing others sequence
 
Lindsey thinks back to a conversation she had with her partner
 
Why did the killer leave the champagne? Why have you left the jacket?
 
Later she remembers that the killer swung on her with his left hand and that the medical examiner was convinced the killer was right handed
 
103
Lindsey tells the murder club it might not have been Nicolas. They are very skeptical and annoyed. Their careers are on the line.
 
The entertain her theories.
 
They go back to the beginning. What was the one piece of evidence they needed to start putting Jenks away? It was a manuscript. The manuscript provided by his ex-wife.
 
Note: somebody makes the point that why would Jenks have left so many clues around if he’s such a prolific murder writer. It’s interesting that no one makes this point sooner. They are going with momentum instead of getting caught up in details and asking too many anxious questions. That’s a really helpful tool because now we can use those questions to actually change the plot instead of just going in circles about it earlier.
 
 
 
104
L questions Nicholas‘s agent about his ex-wife, Joanna
 
Starts to get her head around the idea that the killer could’ve been a female
 
We also get a look back through her memory at when we met Joanna. She was a martial arts, instructor and very tough.
 
105
Lindsey tells Christopher theory
 
Lindsey passes out on the sidewalk
 
106
Lindsey strength returns.
 
SREL: she says that she thinks the killer is still out there. This is the first time she had said this really resoundingly I think.
 
107
Lindsey ask James about who might’ve wanted to frame him. They discuss his ex-wife, Joanna. We find out that Joanna used to work at Sachs, which is where a couple of the victims were cased.
 
Now the book is following the pattern we saw earlier. We all know that the killer is Johanna and we’re watching Lindsey piece it together.
 
108
Lindsey and Cindy team up to convince district attorney Jill to authorize a search on Joanna’s house. Joe refuses. Finally she gives him. If you can connect Johanna to the names of the victims from her socks job that I authorize a search of her house.
 
109
A doctor’s office. Lindsey has told she is healing. She steps outside in life seems sweeter.
 
110
Lindsey has sex with Chris. Lindsey gets a call and find out Nicholas Jensen has escaped.
 
111
Deus ex Maquina earthquake sets, jenks free. He’s convinced to prove his innocence and he’s sure that the cops won’t figure it out before him. Great way to introduce an exciting twist and add pressure to the cops.
 
112
The search for Nicholas begins. Lindsay asks her partner to watch the home of Nicholas‘s ex, and his former agent. If Nicolas really thinks he was set up, that’s where he’s going to go.
 
SREL: six hours into the search there was still no sign of Nicholas.
 
113
The girls react to Nicholas is escape. Lindsay urges them to look through all the evidence one more time because she’s convinced Nicholas didn’t do it.
 
114
A description of the killer getting dressed up as Nicolas. Third person limited.
 
115
Claire calls Lindsey down to the lab. She remembered the urine from the scene. Realized it didn’t belong to the victim but belong to the killer. Tested it for gender. It was from a woman. This clue of the urine was planted hundreds of pages ago. I had forgotten about it. This is awesome.
 
It works because the girls wrote it off for a very possible reason so they didn’t need to look into it further, but still, the author told us that had belong to the killer all along.
 
116
Claire confirmed that she agrees that Nicolas was innocent. Lindsey tells Claire about Lindsey’s improved health. The girls dance, and then get back to business.
 
117
Lindsey talks to her former partner and tell him to remain stationed outside of Joanna’s house. Then she invites Chris to meet the girls of the murder club.
 
118
Christy briefed on Lindsey’s theory cliffhanger: Jenks was sighted in Pacific Heights
 
119
As teams mobilize to go find Nicolas, Lindsey’s partner abandons his post on the real killer, Joanna. Lindsey gets a phone call from the narrator of Nicholas’s book, Phillip Campbell.
 
120
The call was from Nicholas. He knows who the killer was and he’s going to get them. It seems like this is a race.
 
121
Lindsey goes to Joanna‘s to explore with Chris. She thinks Joanna is the killer. Then she finds Johanna dead. Meanwhile, Chris follows a woman dressed as Nick. If it’s not Joanna, who is it?
 
122
Lindsey on the phone with Chris. The killer is running away. Lindsey realizes the killer is going to the palace of fine arts, we are Nichols married.
 
123
Lindsey goes to the scene. Chris has been shot. Nicolas is having a face off with his wife, chessy.
 
124
Lindsey shoots chessy. Jenks lives. Lindsay punches him anyway.
 
125
Chris dies. even though he’s dead, Lindsey shares that the doctor told her she’s going to be OK. It’s very sad.
 
126
Chris funeral. Meet his ex wife and kids. Sad and tender chapter.
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