James Patterson: Women's Murder Club - Death in Scarlet

The Good
1) The detective story is great. Even if it is shown mostly in comics art-style, it gives a very strong smell of female detective investigation.
2) The problems of Western feminists to understand the Oriental (Chinese, this time) women's style of life are shown perfectly.
3) Chinese mafia "Triad" is not seen, but their presence is felt.
4) Very colorful static graphics.
5) Chinese in San Francisco theme is attractive.
6) The basics of the investigator's work are educative for those who is not familiar with it.

The Bad
1) No voice-overs.
2) Too much hints to solve the find-this-item puzzle, that make this game too easy to walk through.
3) Repetitive questions for find-the-common-word puzzle.
4) Too easy game that may be finished in no more than 2-3 hours without any hint used and all text read.
5) Why the girls did not find the murder's branding tool?
6) No sex scenes to clearly understand the real job of the Lotus club's graduating students and to entertain the male game players.
7) No animations such as lip-synth, come-to-place, between-the-scenes except the comics art-style.
8) Very straight-forward investigation that makes it rather interactive book than a game.


The Bottom Line
The straight-forward female investigation of the mysterious murders of Chinese persons is played rather as interactive book with puzzle elements than as adventure game. But the plot created by Jane Jensen (Gabriel Knight's fame) captures the player since the very beginning until the end. The game is very easy to play and hints make it even more easier to win in 2-3 hours that may classify this game as a mental relaxation for the break at hard work or during the long travel.