James Patterson: Women's Murder Club: Games of Passion is a new mystery adventure game for the DS.  Primarily you will play as Detective Lindsay Boxer, investigating a string of brutal murders, though at other times in the game you will also be required to play as reporter Cindy Thomas and Dr Claire Washburn.  As stated, you're investigating a series of murders, which initially seem unrelated - as time goes on it becomes apparent that there's something linking all these deaths.

The game is broken into several chapters, each split into multiple parts.  When you initially examine a crime scene, you will be required to complete a brief hidden object puzzle to 'remove clutter' from the scene and enable you to begin your investigation.  You then have to complete a further series of puzzles in order to conclude the investigation.  These puzzles are a little harder as you will simply be given a clue suggesting what items to look for (e.g find seven items that may have belonged to the victim).  Alternatively, you may have to find one specific item in order to make a deduction.  For example, you may be asked 'how do you know someone approached the body?' and have to look around for an item that might support the theory (such as footprints).

Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion includes some additional extras, including Photo Mysteries, the opportunity to take photos of friends and family and incorporate them into light-hearted mysteries.  This feature is only available on the DSi system but makes for a nice little bonus to personalise the game experience for those with the newer system.  Additionally, Mah-Jong is also available to play at any point throughout the game via accessing the pause menu or PDA.

Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion is played in book format, so you hold the DS on its side as if reading a book.  It’s a format that fits very nicely with the game, given that playing this title is akin to playing through a crime story.  Given the limitations of the DS in terms of size I was surprised at the clarity of the graphics.  The game’s design enables you to move around a location by dragging the stylus, so you only have to look at a small section at any one time and what you can see is very clear.  The hidden object puzzles themselves were quite easy to solve: the difficulty in this game comes from the deductions you’ll have to make.

Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion is a relatively short game, offering just a few hours of gameplay, which was a little disappointing.  Certainly those used to puzzle or adventure games will probably find it easy to finish.  At an RRP of £29.99, it is a little on the high side of pricing for what’s on offer.  Nonetheless, I did enjoy it a great deal and would play it again despite knowing the outcomes, so I still think it’s worth a look. 

This is a good title from THQ which offers an interesting storyline and variety of puzzles and has tried to offer something that goes beyond hidden object puzzling and offers a more involving experience.  It is an undeniable shame about the length but this is a game that will appeal to several members of the family and could be passed on or played again.  It was certainly great fun to play and would make a lovely gift for puzzle lovers this Christmas. 

**Review by Donna Haw**