5th Horseman (Women's Murder Club, #5)

Title: 5th Horseman (Women's Murder Club, #5)

Author: James Patterson

Published in: 2006

Date read: 9th August 2013

Score: 4/5

Genre: Crime, Thriller, Detective

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"The 5th Horseman" by James Patterson (co-authored with Maxine Paetro) brings Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer and the Women's Murder Club into a chilling new case that blurs the lines between justice and revenge, with victims seemingly chosen from the medical profession.

The story begins with a series of mysterious deaths occurring in San Francisco hospitals. Initially, these are dismissed as tragic, but perhaps not unusual, medical complications. However, as the body count rises, and the circumstances surrounding the deaths become increasingly suspicious, Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer is called to investigate. She quickly realises that these are not accidents, but carefully orchestrated murders, with a meticulous killer or killers at work.

The victims are all high-profile doctors and nurses, leading Lindsay to believe that someone is systematically targeting the medical community. The methods of killing are varied and ingenious, making it difficult for forensics to pinpoint the exact cause of death, adding to the perplexing nature of the case.

As the body count climbs and the city becomes gripped by fear, Lindsay turns to her trusted friends in the Women's Murder Club:
• Medical examiner Claire Washburn is at the forefront of the forensic investigation, painstakingly trying to uncover the hidden poisons or methods used by the killer, often literally racing against time to find answers before another victim dies.
• Reporter Cindy Thomas uses her journalistic skills to delve into the backgrounds of the victims, seeking any connections or past grievances that might link them, and finds herself uncovering disturbing secrets within the medical establishment.
• Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano navigates the legal complexities and the growing public pressure for arrests, while also dealing with a particularly challenging and high-profile court case of her own.

The club works together to piece together the fragmented clues, as they try to understand the motive behind these calculated killings. They eventually discover a horrifying connection that links the victims to a past injustice, leading them down a path that challenges their understanding of right and wrong, and forces them to confront a killer who believes they are dispensing their own form of justice. The book interweaves the intense murder investigation with the ongoing personal challenges and evolving relationships among the Women's Murder Club members.

Comments:
I remember fragments of this this one and I know that I thoroughly enjoyed it but I just can't recall enough to do it justice.

Books that we've read by James Patterson (32):
Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross, #1) (1993), Kiss the Girls (Alex Cross, #2) (1995), Jack & Jill (Alex Cross, #3) (1996), Cat & Mouse (Alex Cross, #4) (1997), Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross, #5) (1999), Roses Are Red (Alex Cross, #6) (2000), 1st to Die (Women's Murder Club, #1) (2001), Violets Are Blue (Alex Cross, #7) (2001), 2nd Chance (Women's Murder Club, #2) (2002), Four Blind Mice (Alex Cross, #8) (2002), The Big Bad Wolf (Alex Cross, #9) (2003), The Jester (2003), 3rd Degree (Women's Murder Club, #3) (2004), London Bridges (Alex Cross, #10) (2004), 4th of July (Women's Murder Club, #4) (2005), Mary, Mary (Alex Cross, #11) (2005), 5th Horseman (Women's Murder Club, #5) (2006), Cross (Alex Cross, #12) (2006), The 6th Target (Women's Murder Club, #6) (2007), Double Cross (Alex Cross, #13) (2007), 7th Heaven (Women's Murder Club, #7) (2008), Cross Country (Alex Cross, #14) (2008), 8th Confession (Women's Murder Club, #8) (2009), Alex Cross's Trial (Alex Cross, #15) (2009), I, Alex Cross (Alex Cross, #16) (2009), The 9th Judgment (Women's Murder Club, #9) (2010), Cross Fire (Alex Cross, #17) (2010), 10th Anniversary (Women's Murder Club, #10) (2011), Kill Alex Cross (Alex Cross, #18) (2011), 11th Hour (Women's Murder Club, #11) (2012), Merry Christmas, Alex Cross (Alex Cross, #19) (2012), Alex Cross, Run (Alex Cross, #20) (2013)