“The 5^th Horseman”  

     by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

                           A Women’s Murder Club Mystery

2011 Book Review #39

Review from “Curled up with a Good Book” website.

The Women’s Murder Club becomes involved in their latest case when their newest member’s mother dies unexpectedly at the city hospital. Yuki’s mother is only one of the latest patients to die suddenly when no life-threatening illness exists. Patients are admitted with a broken arm or a mild, treatable illness and leave via the morgue. The suit against the hospital is the focus of courtroom drama as an ambitious attorney tries to prove that the hospital is guilty of negligence, if not outright murder. Yuki becomes absorbed in the theater of the courtroom to the exclusion of all else as she struggles to accept her mother’s death.

At the same time, Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer is also trying to solve the cases of The Car Girls - girls found dressed in high fashion, killed and deposited in fancy sports cars. While missing both her boyfriend and her previous on-the-streets position within the police department, Lindsay must help find the killer before he finds another victim. She gets concise and immediate results from fellow Murder Club member and medical examiner Clair Washburn.

The unexpected ending is the treasure of the book. The creation of the characters as a newspaper reporter, a detective, and a medical examiner give the story insiders’ views of all aspects of the courtroom and police plots. This prolific author has continued his habit of writing two or three books a year with this latest addition to his roster of bestsellers. Anyone who has read the previous four books in the Women’s Murder Club series will enjoy this one; new readers will find it works fine as an introduction to the series.

My Thoughts:  Of James Patterson’s books, the Women’s Murder Club series is my second favorite behind the Alex Cross mysteries.  This book is excellent!