“Women’s Murder Club” Review” Sign Me Up For Membership

Because I write this blog, I feel it is my duty to watch as many of the new shows as I can. That’s why I end up watching shows I normally wouldn’t otherwise.

And sometimes that’s a good thing, because one of those shows can end up surprising me…

The latest of those is “Women’s Murder Club.” Based on the books by James Patterson (who is an executive producer), the show stars Angie Harmon as Lindsay Boxer, a tough, driven detective whose zeal for her job ended her marriage. To help her solve her cases are her friends Clair (Paula Newsome), a medical examiner, and Jill (Laura Harris), an assistant district attorney. She also has her partner, Jacobi (Tyrees Allen). To complicate matters, her ex-husband, Tom (Rob Estes), is named her new boss and he tells her he’s getting married.

Harmon has said the show is “CSI” meets “Sex and the City” and that description is a good one, as a single case weaves throughout the show while we follow the personal lives of the “club.” Lindsay is dealing with her lingering feelings for her ex, while Jill is trying to commit to her boyfriend while fighting her attraction to an ambitious public defender (the always yummy Kyle Secor). And Claire is a family woman whose retired cop husband is in a wheelchair.

The “club” is later joined by Cindy (Aubrey Dollar), a newspaper reporter, who may prove useful to Lindsay in catching the Kiss Me Not Killer, Lindsay’s biggest unsolved case.

The writing is good, but the real appeal here is Angie Harmon, who was born to play this part (although I’d love to see what she could do on “24”). Her combination of tough and vulnerable really makes the whole show work. The supporting cast is solid as well—especially Newsome—although Harris comes off a little creepy in the pilot (Get that girl some blush, stat!).

“Club” should be exactly the kind of show I hate, but instead I’m filling out a membership card…

“Women’s Murder Club” airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on ABC…