The 5th Horseman (Women's Murder Club Series #5)

Jennifer Wardrip - Personal Read

Since so many others have outlined the general plot of this story (huge lawsuit against a hospital; suspicious deaths that may or may not have been committed by a doctor) I'll simply leave a brief comment. Although the story isn't all that complicated, it was still a quick, enjoyable read--and the ending was one I didn't see coming.

Please be aware, though, that THE 5TH HORSEMAN is NOT an Alex Cross novel, which seemed to be one reviewer's complaint. This is the story of Lindsay Boxer, SFPD Lieutenant and her fellow Women's Murder Club friends. I found the story to be heartfelt and emotional, full of action-adventure, and, as I said, a very quick, satisfying read.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

James Patterson DID IT AGAIN

I always enjoy reading James Patterson, but his Women's Murder Club and Alex Cross books always get better.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Night Walker is killing in the hospital

This book seemed a bit slow starting for a James Patterson book. I thought I might have read too many of his books and was expecting too much. But no, I was not disappointed. As I continued through the book, it became very interesting and exciting, right down to the last chapter and the Epilogue. The 5th Horseman is one of the Women¿s Murder Club series that Patterson has established. Patients in San Francisco Municipal Hospital are dying when they should not be. Patients of all ages are found dead in their beds with a small coin on each eye. When a new member of The Women¿s Murder Club, Yuki Castellano, has to have her mother taken to the Emergency Room in this hospital, she and her friends have much concern. Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer of the San Francisco Police Department takes a personal interest in these deaths now that her new friend¿s mother is involved. Two other members of the club, Claire, the San Francisco Chief Medical Examiner, and Cindy, a reporter, also become more involved. There are just too many deaths for their minds to assimilate. Emergency Room Dr. Dennis Garza seems to always be at the wrong place, at the wrong time as far as the police were concerned. He immediately becomes one of the main suspects, despite having alibis most of the time. Attorney, Maureen O¿Mara, has filed a suit against the hospital for the many victims that have lost family over the past few years. The courtroom action becomes a large part of the book. Victim after victim testifies describing the loss of their loved one, a loss not expected at all. Larry Kramer, the attorney for the hospital, also parades his witnesses for the hospital each telling the hospital couldn¿t be responsible for these deaths as they have a foolproof medication system through their computers. The action gets hot and heavy, in the courtroom and outside as the police pursue their leads. No one is working harder than the Women¿s Murder Club as they trail some of the suspects quietly, and some times NOT so quietly! Dr. Garza remains on the top of their list especially since some personnel in the hospital furnished some information to them. All the time, Lindsay Boxer tries to keep her long-distance romance active with her boy friend, Joe, who is an agent with the FBI in Washington, DC. This is very difficult with both of them too busy most of the time and ¿phone dates¿ are not the best kind of socializing. Meanwhile the Night Walker continues the killing and placing the coins on the eyes. Who is this vicious and uncaring killer who has no respect for anyone¿s age or health condition? Even a person with just a simple broken bone is not safe if the Night Walker wants them DEAD!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Too much going on

There were too many stories, none of which were resolved. I wondered why the 'Car Girls' crime wasn't explained. I wondered what made Lindsey suspect the 'button killer'. What was the point of the pharmacist? Strange and unresolved. I will keep reading Patterson, but probably skip the Lindsey novels.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Very enjoyable and entirely forgettable!

Patterson and Paetro gave it away on the dust jacket blurb, "The Women's Murder Club faces an unspeakable horror in an irresistible hospital and courtroom thriller ...". The problem is, they weren't talking about one novel being two things at once. They were talking about two separate novellas that had nothing to do with one another being tossed into a blender and combined into a single novel.

The bad news first! The first story is a typical and seriously overused hospital plot - a series of inexplicable hospital deaths that ultimately and not particularly surprisingly come down to the runaway serial murderer roaming the halls of a creepy hospital. The other is an uninspired police procedural about the apprehension of a kinky serial killer who liked to kill young girls and dress them up a little after they were already dead.

The good news is that, unlike "You've Been Warned" which was a complete waste of even the energy needed to turn the pages, the writing in "The 5th Horseman" manages to be snappy, entertaining and actually quite compelling. The novel is diverting and enjoyable despite its obvious shortcomings. At the same time as I was aware of the weaknesses in the plot's originality, I was definitely hooked and unwilling to put the book down and let it go. I can't help but admit that's a good thing!

Despite the fact that Patterson's reputation as a novelist is hanging by the thinnest of threads, I recommend "The 5th Horseman" as a thoroughly enjoyable, if entirely forgettable piece of literary brain candy. Take it on the plane or to the beach by all means.

Paul Weiss

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

What is going on in this book?! There are two main cases being shown in this novel, I think one would have been enough. When we are finally getting somewhere with the car killers it's just over! What did the letter say? How did things turn out? We'll never know! Everything in this book was all over the place. And where are the members of the Women's Murder CLub. I like Yuki being the new member, but I don't like how half of the book is about her. What about Cindy and Claire? I think that Mr. Patterson needs to stop with this co-author stuff and write by himself again. 1st to Die was by far the best book in the series, and it was written by James Patterson alone. All in all this book was very dissapointing!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Another great read

Another mystery/murder book I had trouble putting down. The women's murder club is not my favorite series from James but I still highly recommend it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Poor.......so poor!

What a disappointment! I loved this series for the first few books but these last two have been so disappointing! Some of the dialog isn't even appropriate for women to be having, let alone the professional ladies of this group! I can't even believe this was published....what a shame! There are some really great authors out there, please partner with someone who can make it work if you aren't going to write it yourself!! Disappointing.....

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I'm done Mr. Patterson

I've tried to stick with James Patterson for far too long now. I used to relish his novels, and waited anxiously when they would be released. He has taken a great idea, the Women's Murder Club, and driven it into the ground. 5th Horseman is the work of an author more concerned about the quantity, and not the quality of his books. The ending makes hardly any sense, and there really seems to be no reason to his twists anymore other than to keep the reader going. Another thing that I found to be disappointing is his new knack for dropping brand names into his novels. Forgive me, but I have never heard of anyone calling their cellphone a Nextel. Nor do I see Crest when someone flashes a great smile. It makes me wonder if there is another, cheap, reason to these odd brand name plugs. The only good thing about this book and series is that now I have the opportunity to pick up something new that will, hopefully, not disappoint as much as this poor excuse of a bestseller.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

STELLAR NARRATION OF THIS THRILLER

When it comes to talking about actress Carolyn McCormick one hardly knows where to begin. She's made her mark in films and appeared on TV as Dr. Olivit on Law and Order for some 12 years. Her Broadway credits include The Dinner Party and Private Lives. Many will remember her outstanding reading of James Patterson's 4th of July, and she delivers one more stellar narration of The 5th Horseman. With this story there's a new member of The Women's Murder Club - Yuki Castellano, an attorney. She and her mother, Keiko, are out enjoying a walk when Keiko is suddenly taken ill. She's rushed to the San Francisco Medical Center. Yuki is told that her mother will be fine. Not so. She dies. When Yuki and Lindsay Boxer begin looking into this death that has mystified the doctors, they find other frightening cases - patients who have been declared healthy, ready to go home never leave. They suddenly die. Could all of these fatalities be bizarre coincidences or is there some unknown evil at work? Perhaps not evil maybe just gross neglect as the Medical Center has been named in a lawsuit. Combined with the unexplained deaths in what is supposed to be a place of healing is a serial killer who leaves his victims in cars. The courtroom scenes in The 5th Horseman are explosive and real. Once you turn it on, you can't stop listening - enjoy! - Gail Cooke

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

terrific suspense chiller

Keiko, the mother of the newest member of the Women¿s Murder Club, Attorney Yuki Castellano collapses and is rushed to San Francisco Municipal Hospital. Apparently, Keiko has had a Transient Ischemic Attack, but seems to be recovering. After accompanying Yuki to the hospital, Police detective Lindsay Boxer goes home only to learn later that Keiko suddenly and unexpectedly died. --- A stunned Lindsay soon learns that the municipal hospital has been a place where too many recent deaths have occurred due to incorrect medication given to patients. Keiko apparently is the latest lethal mistake. Lindsay thinks a warped ¿angel¿ of not mercy is killing people just prior to their leaving the hospital. Though her plate is filled with an investigation into the ¿Car Girls¿ serial murders, she vows with the help of her Women¿s Murder Club members to take down the hospital killer. --- THE 5TH HORSEMAN is a terrific suspense chiller that starts off at hyperspeed with Keiko¿s collapse and subsequent death and picks up speed as beleaguered cop Lindsay struggles to stop two apparent serial killers. The story line is action packed as is the trademark of the series (and any work including collaborations that James Paterson writes) while the female members of the Women¿s Murder Club retain their individual personalities that make them seem genuine even while being super crime stoppers. ---Harriet Klausner

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Fifth HORSEMAN

This book is fantastic!!!!!!on a scale of 1-5,it would be a 900!just the first 50 pages of the sample got me ttylHOOKED!! YOU SHOULD DEFINITLEY LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

in love with the series

Couldn't put the book down. I am in love with the series.

Disturbing

Not the best book in the series

what a let down

book was ok for awhile and then came the ending and it was like huh? are u kidding me? it ended abruptly. like how did they find the hospital killer and how did they figure out who did it? didnt give you any insight of how they figred out who it was. come on Patterson. you've done better than this. hope 6 is better. the first 3 were good. but I was dissapointed with this one. 2 thumbs down.

Heartbreaking

Reflective!

A very entertaining read.

I wasn't happy with Mr.Patterson's Step on a Crack novel, nor his 6th Target, so for this novel I invested my money the old fashion way and put my name on the hold list at the library. I'm glad I did.

If you haven't already known that this novel is one of Patterson's Women's Murder Club series, and the story introduces the latest member, Yuki Castellano. Yuki's mother has a mild stroke and while she is recovering in hospital, she suddenly dies at a hospital. Well it turns out that there is a record of pharmaceutical errors at this hospital and a doctor has been on trial for malpractice in numerous cases, but he keeps on dispensing medicine. Yuki is upset and begins to have this gut feeling that her mother didn't die of natural causes, but that her mother was actually murdered. Now, she demands justice and the doctor is her prime suspect. Lindsay Boxer, the police lieutenant in the Woman's Club group, is convinced that this doctor had committed the crime that caused a series of deaths, including Yuki's mother. However to gather the evidence becomes a real problem in the story and the reader must stay with the story to find out how the main characters of the Women's Club solve this crime.. That's a pretty brief description.

I found the book intriguing, but I also found a number of parts, and subchapters rather boring that moved along at an even pace. I also thought that there were a number of the secondary plots that didn't make sense for their inclusion in the book. However there are twist and turns toward the end of the book that kept me reading, but I wouldn't consider that small highlight (Which I expect from a mystery storyteller) of the book of any value to recommend it to someone to purchase or to waste their valuable time.

Great Story - But Just Fiction

I had to keep reminding myself that this book was a work of fiction, because there were several made up scenarios. First, nurse's don't give medications based on a patient's "bed number". They give it by identifying the patient with their id band. Also, CNA's (nursing assistants) don't have access to, nor do they give patients drugs. Finally, in the epilogue, which was great by the way, the CNA commented that nobody does any background checks on nurses anyways, so it is so easy to just go from hospital to hospital (in this case, basically for the purpose of killing folks), which is also not true. All that being said, I still enjoyed this book. I do feel like the car girls murders were left hanging. No explanation as to why the killer committed the crimes, no explanation of what was in the letter that he was willing to confess for. Was hoping there would be more info in the epilogue, but there was not. It is unusual for readers to be kept hanging. Usually, the loose ends are all tied up nice and neat. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one!

Good and Fast Read!

I enjoyed this book. Fast reading (usual for Mr. Patterson) with good twists and turns. The storyline with the car girls wrapped up a little to quick, like there should have been more to it. But the remainder of the book was great. I loved the epilogue! --K--

Another good one

I've read most of the Woman's Murder Club Series by James Patterson. Although 1st To Die was my favorite, this novel was excellent. As usual, there is excellent depth of character (Lindsey and Claire, for example) which can actually make you care for the characters. The plot is original, somewhat off beat, thrilling and carefully thought out with a few twists here and there. I also love his writing style. His writing style and short chapters make his novels an easy read. Patterson has never disappointed me with his Alex Cross Series either. I highly recommend Jack and Jill. The Quickie and Swimsuit were also excellent novels.