BLAST FROM THE PAST BOOK REVIEW: 5th Horseman by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Title: 5th Horseman

Author: James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

When I read it: September, 2012

Genre: Thrillers, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Crime

Link: Goodreads

I am currently reading the 17th installment of the Women’s Murder club. Since there were so many books ahead of the 17th one, I want to post a review of each one separately, instead of creating a monster post. Most of this post will be about the plot, so that when I get to the 17th installment, readers will be caught up, in case they did not read all the books.

You can read my review of the 1st book, 1st to Die, here.

You can read my review of the 2nd book, 2nd Chance, here.

You can read my review of the 3rd book, 3rd Degree here.

You can read my review of the 4th book, 4th of July here.

The Writing: As with most of the James Patterson books, the writing is nothing special. Patterson’s books are classic beach reads. Quick and entertaining for a day at the beach.

The Audiobook Recording: Nothing to report.

Expectations/Recommendations: Since I have read many of Patterson’s books before, I knew what to expect, and I was not disappointed. If you are looking for a quick read, and aren’t expecting anything intellectual, this is the right book for you.

See below for the plot of the book, but be careful because there are several spoilers.

Summary of the Plot from Wikipedia:

Having been recently promoted to Lieutenant, Lindsay is often confused and unhappy with her role as supervisor. She prefers to be on the streets. Lindsay often works the streets with her former partner Warren Jacobi and his partner, Rich Conklin. Lindsay is a tireless worker who takes her work to heart and will keep on going to the point of collapse.

The story begins with a mysterious character named the Night Walker who kills a Hospital patient, Jessie Falk. Two plots are intertwined; the first is about a serial killer murdering young girls and posing them into luxury cars; Lindsay Boxer and her team call them *Car Girls*. The second deals with the murders that take place at San Francisco Municipal Hospital. Patient whose diagnoses are not putting their lives in danger die continuously; and 2 buttons are placed on their eyes, once dead. One of those victims is Keiko Castellano, Yuki’s mother. Yuki enlists the aid of her friends to find out the real reason her mother has died.

Lindsay is called to the scene of the murders involving young women who have been murdered and then posed in expensive cars seemingly chosen at random. Each woman has been dressed in very expensive clothing from Nordstrom’s. The case is puzzling until it is learned that the clothes are the link – one of the killers is an employee at Nordstrom’s and has stolen the clothes to dress his dead models. Lindsay captures the killers, who are a Kenneth Guthrie and Louise Bennet (a prostitute called Cherrie), and watches helplessly as Louise jumps out of a window.

Tied into the strange murders at Municipal Hospital is a court case against Municipal which involves a malpractice suit filed on behalf of twenty plaintiffs whose family members died at the hospital due to medication errors or perhaps outright murders. The ER doctor, Dennis Garza, working in conjunction with the prosecutor, flubs his testimony so that the hospital loses. The doctor and the prosecutor – Maureen O’Mara, who are lovers, will split the $18 million reward she will receive for the victory. However, the getaway plan is foiled when an outraged father of a dead patient confronts Garza. Garza kills the man and then attempts to get away, only to be stopped by Lindsay. The Night Walker – the murderer of Keiko and other patients – is uncovered to be a crazy nurse, Marie Saint-Germaine and is caught after her last attempt to murder another patient, who was an undercover agent posing as a patient.