First to die is this mystery’s credibility

Along came a turkey.

James Patterson, the one-man bestseller mill whose thrillers inspired the glossy theatrical features “Kiss the Girls� and “Along Came a Spider,� gets the telefilm treatment Sunday night with “First to Die,� a three-hour ordeal at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Tracy Pollan heads the stiff cast as Seattle homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer, who lands the case when a billionaire’s son and his new bride are murdered on their honeymoon.

Instead of her regular, reliable partner, however, she is paired with Capt. Chris Raleigh (Gil Bellows), the apparent cad who dashed out on her after their fling the night before. As Boxer and Raleigh launch their investigation, the sparks they now share are anything but romantic.

As more newlyweds are slain and it becomes clear that a serial killer is on the prowl, Boxer shuns Raleigh and forms a Women’s Murder Club with three other professionals investigating the killings: the city’s chief medical examiner (Pam Grier), an eager young newspaper reporter (Carly Pope) and an assistant district attorney (Megan Gallagher). Imagine “The View� meets a murder-mystery party.

As the women pool their information and ideas, a prime suspect emerges: misogynistic Nicholas Jenks (Robert Patrick), the author of several violent bestsellers. Angie Everhart and Sean Young play Jenks’ protective second wife and mysterious ex-wife, respectively.

Naturally, nothing is as it seems -- either in Boxer’s private life or in the biggest case of her career. As the tough cop secretly fights a life-threatening blood disease, she falls for her surprisingly tender new partner.

“First to Die,� which was directed by Russell Mulcahy from a script adapted by Michael O’Hara, musters a little mood from Patrick Williams’ eerie score, but rarely any credibility.

If you can make it to the end, your reward is a double twist -- at first obvious, then preposterous.