For those running Chrome, it's likely the browser will block the game, probably due to the Themida wrapper, which was introduced several years ago because of unscrupulous community members hacking then uploading the registered game to peer to peer sites. Themida code can be used to wrap malware, so some security software and in this case the Chrome browser blocks the installation as a precaution.

The workaround for this is to click the Chrome menu and select "Downloads", then click "Keep Dangerous File" or alternatively, the dialog box that pops up has both ''Cancel'' and ''Keep'' buttons. Just click ''KEEP''. (Thanks to Cad and Ferdie for their advice).

I assure you the game is totally safe. The giveaway team has been giving away games virtually every weekend for approaching 12 years; and, between Dec 2006 and April 2008 virtually every day). Over that time they have NEVER given away a game infected with malware.

……………………………. Moderator Comment………………………

There is a limited number of Steam keys (only 5) for an award winning Hidden Object game available tomorrow morning July 2nd. If you are an aficionado of the genre, and don’t have the game, it will be well worth entering. I purchased the said game when it was released last year and despite finding most HOG’s boring and lack-luster, found that game innovative, extremely well done and a breath of fresh air both graphically and game play wise. Don’t forget to visit the game site tomorrow for a chance to win one of those keys.

To get a feel for today's game before you download it, please check out the following game play videos of James Patterson Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. You can also see more videos, a link to a selection of over 50 in-game images and a couple of written walkthroughs (in the hints section) in the ‘Other Reviews and Videos’ section below.

James Patterson Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet

In Brief

If you like/love TV series such as NCIS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Sopranos, The Wire, Dexter, Breaking Bad, Poirot, Sherlock, Elementary and Diagnosis Murder, reading James Patterson novels and enjoy playing HOG’s you’ll probably enjoy playing this crime solving hidden object game with puzzles based on the bestselling novelist James Patterson; (he has the highest number of NY times best sellers of all time). Despite its age (a decade old), I found it refreshingly enjoyable to play after attempting to play innumerable stale HOG’s over the past several years. I give this a decent 8 out of 10

Installation:

James Patterson Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet downloads to an 82 MB zip file that unzips to three files, (a setup.gcd security wrapper, the set-up file and a read me). Those with multiple hard drives can save games on any drive they wish. The newly installed game is 89.2 MB in size. The game installs to the following path by default, but can be changed by the user if you prefer:

C:\Program Files (x86)\MyPlayCity.com\James Patterson Women's Murder Club - Death in Scarlet

Four shortcuts are installed to the desktop. three of which can be safely deleted (Play Online Games, MyPlayCity Games and shortcuts to a free online game which vary each week). Also, if you don't like icons installed to the quick launch task bar, make sure you uncheck the box when the additional tasks window appears (after the Select Start Menu Folder window)

Introduction:

Find a ruthless serial killer in this Hidden Object adventure. You play 3 different characters and uncover lots of secrets. Conduct your own true-to-life investigation! Examine the bodies of the murdered women and find the strange marks on them. Then make tests via mini games in a laboratory to find out the victims' cause of death. You need to search for key items such as weapons, fingerprints and other evidence. Talk to witnesses, experts and create a list of suspects.

A morning jog presents a chilling find, and a new wave of fear descends upon San Francisco. Enter the world of James Patterson, America`s #1 storyteller, and study murder scenes as Lindsay Boxer, Claire Washburn, and hotshot crime reporter Cindy Thomas. Find hidden objects inside nine investigations, brain-bending puzzles, strikingly-beautiful artwork, and an all-new spine-tingling storyline. Discover the truth and stop a psychotic killer in Women`s Murder Club: Death in Scarlet.

Edited reference’s accessed HERE and HERE 1st July 2018

The Game:

Looking for murder and intrigue, wrapped up in a meaty story with lots of twists? Women’s Murder Club: Death in Scarlet, a combination hidden object puzzler and detective adventure, should do the trick.

Women’s Murder Club is based off the popular Women’s Murder Club James Patterson novels and the spin-off television series of the same name. The character’s personalities and appearances resemble their fictional counterparts rather than the television actors (which is probably a good thing considering the show’s Nielsen ratings). If you’ve read all the books or seen all the episodes, don’t fret – the mystery is completely original, so there’s no chance of spoiling your fun.

Now, about the murder…the body of a strikingly beautiful young girl is discovered at Marin Vista Point. Forensic analysis indicates she’s been poisoned with an overdose of aphrodisiac. No one’s reported her missing, and there’s no clues to her identity, other than a mysterious lotus tattoo and eerie Chinese branding across her chest. Who could do this, and why?

As you investigate the murder, uncovering new victims and suspects, you’ll have the chance to play from three-character perspectives – Lindsey Boxer, a homicide detective with the San Francisco police, Claire Washburn, a talented forensic examiner, and Cindy Thomas, a news reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle who’s got a knack for digging up dirt. Assistant district attorney Jill Bernhardt does a few cameo scenes, but ultimately works behind the scenes.

In true hidden object style, you’ll find yourself searching through suitably cluttered rooms and crowded crime scenes. During each investigation, you’ll have a list of items to find in each scene, plus a list of tasks to accomplish before advancing, such as getting a victim’s fingerprints or doing an identity search. Game play is untimed, and there’s no penalty for clicking useless objects, so feel free to explore the surroundings. You’ll also get 5 clues during each investigation, just in case you get stuck.

During your investigation, you’ll also gather inventory contents. Your inventory holds these special items, which you’ll need to use to solve the in-game puzzles. Puzzles are different from normal game play, and have you doing a variety of tasks which reveal further information about the case. For example, Claire often has the job of putting her chemicals in order using logical clues, and then testing each chemical in a Petri dish to note reaction and determine the nature of each substance.

Cindy has the tedious task of arranging microfiche in proper order (by color and category), and then deciding which film will reveal an article pertinent to the case. There are also word games reminiscent of wheel of fortune, a bunch of jigsaw-type assembly puzzles, and one suspect chase through a hedge maze to name a few more. If any of the puzzles have you stuck, or you’d rather just play the hidden object component, you can press “solve” to skip them.

If you want to review your clues, or need advice on what to do next, you can check your evidence cards and investigation docket. These will include everything you’ve uncovered, along with hints at what you still need to solve the case.

Women’s Murder Club goes beyond what you’d expect from a hidden object mystery. The use of inventory adds depth to the puzzles, and there’s a great deal of realism to the detective work. You’ll find yourself examining the faces and bodies of victims, using black light to search for bloodstains, and finding ways to "accidentally" open letters without a warrant. Perhaps the best part is that the story is detailed and engaging, with plenty of twists to keep you guessing, but still offering subtle foreshadowing so that you can speculate as you play.

The production values are very high, with suitable background music fitting each atmosphere, and some exceptional artwork (particularly the character art). It’s worth noting that this is one of the few hidden object games where virtually all the items look like what they should. Granted, some are exceedingly small, but still fair. Plus, most of the items in the scenes make sense and are logical additions to the rooms. You’ll still have an array of butterflies and the occasional boomerang, but it doesn’t spoil the mood. Although replay value is limited once you’ve solved the case, you can expect at least 5-6 hours of solid gameplay, and many of the objects are different each time you play.

While there’s heaps of things to praise, there’s always things to look forward to in potential sequels. For one, it would be nice to see a bit more variety in some of the mini-games. Some got repetitive after they were used a few times in the game, like the microfiche and chemical sorting that needed doing in practically every investigation. It would also be great to see more objects in the rooms, since generally they contained less than a dozen, often fewer.

With excellent production values, solid gameplay, and a strong storyline, Women’s Mystery Club is an addictive and intriguing hidden object mystery that should please fans and newcomers alike. It manages to be suitably creepy and detailed without relying on gore, and offers enough realism to give the player a real “detective” feeling.

SPOILERS…Hints…….SPOILERS:

Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet spans across 18 locations and 9 unique investigations. Here are a few hints from the game in case you get stuck. If you really get stuck, there's a link to a full game walkthrough below.

INVESTIGATION #1: Shelf of bottles: You must arrange the bottles in order using the hints on them. Unfortunately the hints change each scene/game so there's no cheat for this puzzle.

INVESTIGATION #2: Coffee Shop Tokens: There are 5 tokens in the coffee shop - briefcase, basket, on counter, on railing, on video game

INVESTIGATION #3: Microfiche Blocks: ROWS = Blue, Pink, Black, Orange, Green scarlet cover

INVESTIGATION #4: PHOTO WALL: I got stuck with the photo wall in the back of the bar. One of the photos should be lit up. Drag the photo of the unknown victim from your inventory over the photo on the back wall.

GLASS STATUES: Hat - Left Arm Down, Right Arm Up - No Hat - Right Arm Up, Left Arm Down - Hat - Both Arms Down - No Hat - Both Arms Down - Hat - Both Arms Down - No Hat - Left Arm Down, Right Arm Up - Hat - Left Arm Up, Right Arm Down.

A "shuttlecock" is the projectile used in the sport of badminton

If you are still completely stuck, you can find a walkthrough HERE.

Edited reference accessed HERE and HERE. Originally posted by Lisa Haasbroek on May 15th, 2008 and tips by Lauren English posted on Aug 30th 2008 Edited and reposted by Whiterabbit-uk Aug 1st 2018.

Other Reviews, Images and Videos of James Patterson Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet:

You can see community reviews of James Patterson Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet HERE (see bottom of page), and HERE. You can find over 50 images of the game HERE, and some videos of game play HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

Conclusion:

The game has detailed and realistic detective work. Lots of original minigames and a very engaging story with excellent graphics. There is some repetition with the mini games, but there’s nothing else (IMO) of note that was negative. The game is well worth downloading, especially if you like HOG’s.

If you miss today's game giveaway you can always get the game via MyPlayCity 24/7 HERE; or If you prefer to purchase the game you can get it directly from Big Fish Games HERE

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank MyPlayCity for giving away James Patterson Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet with the MPC toolbars etc. removed and also to the game giveaway team, as always, for securing other ways to get free games.

Suggestions:

After you've had an opportunity to play James Patterson Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet please take a few moments to give some positive or negative feedback about the game; for example, what you liked or disliked, or how improvements could be made to make it more enjoyable and perhaps change your mind about this game? If you don't like Hidden Object games at all, please explain why? If you don't have time to post a comment today, please do so at your convenience. These comments will always be accessible for as long as this site is open and provide a valuable resource for game developers, thank you. To access the comments once the giveaway is over, open the game giveaway to its home page then scroll to the bottom of the page where it says Archives and select the date the giveaway was live (giveaway days are in bold type). This will open up the appropriate page for you to post your comment or review.

Useful Information not related to today's game giveaway:

You can find details of game deals and indie game bundles in the sticky section of the game discussion forums HERE. The rest of the information that used to be posted with my reviews can now be found in the forums HERE. Also, check out Delenns thread for details of recently offered free games and other deals HERE

Having problems installing today's game?

If you have a problem installing or activating or getting James Patterson Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet to work please visit the problems section, which you can find in the FAQ's thread HERE. Also read through the community’s comments because sometimes fixes have already been posted. The main issue we have is with the giveaway wrapper, which uses a Themida based code to protect the games executable. Unfortunately, Themida is also used to hide malware; so, as a precaution, some security software may block the installation and sometimes even delete the executable file. Blocking or deletion is usually determined partly by the way your computer is set up. Usually you'll get a message saying ''the file is corrupted'', but the files are okay. There are a couple of things you can do to overcome this issue. The first is to reboot in safe mode with networking, install the game then reboot, or secondly you can (at your own risk) temporarily turn off your security, install the game, then turn your security back on. A note of reassurance to those that choose the latter and quicker method. The game giveaway team have been giving away games for over a decade (Dec 2006 & prior to that, via the main site 2 or 3 times weekly from Oct 2006 to Dec 2006) and have 'NEVER' given away a game infected with malware; they always test every giveaway with several of the top anti-malware suites to ensure all games are free from malware.

If for any reason you want to contact the giveaway team, for example, if you have a problem getting the latest game or other issues that the FAQ's thread or these comments don't cover or solve or if you have a game to offer the community you can do so HERE

Review to follow soon-ish