The 5th Horseman
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | USA |
| Products | Books |
The 5th Horseman represents the fifth book in the Women's Murder Club collection authored by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, released in February 2006 through Little, Brown. This novel achieved notable commercial success, consistently ranking on Publishers Weekly bestseller charts during 2006.
Plot
The story centers on two connected investigations. The first case involves a serial murderer known as the "Car Girls," who targets young women, positioning their bodies inside high-end automobiles while dressing them in costly Nordstrom's apparel. Lindsay Boxer and her colleagues uncover that one perpetrator is a Nordstrom's staff member who steals clothing to outfit the victims. The offenders, Kenneth Guthrie and Louise Bennet (also called Cherrie), are captured; however, Louise escapes by leaping from a window.
The second storyline focuses on mysterious fatalities occurring at San Francisco Municipal Hospital, where patients die despite having diagnoses that are not life-threatening. Notably, buttons are found placed over their eyes after death. Among the victims is Keiko Castellano, mother of Yuki, who enlists assistance to investigate her mother's suspicious passing.
A malpractice case against the hospital involves twenty families whose relatives died due to medication mistakes or possible homicide. ER physician Dennis Garza and prosecutor Maureen O'Mara, involved romantically, manipulate witness statements to obtain an $18 million settlement intended for their personal division. Their plot collapses when Garza murders an enraged father of a deceased patient but is ultimately stopped by Lindsay.
The individual known as the "Night Walker," responsible for the hospital murders including Keiko's, is identified as nurse Marie Saint-Germaine. She is arrested following an attempt to kill an undercover officer posing as a patient.
Release details
- 2006, USA, Little Brown, 27 February 2006, hardback (First edition)