The 17th Suspect

The 17th installment in James Patterson's Women's Murder Club series follows three intertwined storylines set in San Francisco: a serial killer targeting homeless people, a controversial rape prosecution that unravels from within, and a veteran homicide detective confronting a serious health crisis.

Before dawn in the Financial District, the novel's serial killer, a man identified only as Michael, patrols Sydney G. Walton Square with a 9mm handgun, searching for a specific woman among the park's homeless population. When he fails to find her, he shoots a homeless man twice in the chest, discards his coat in a trash can, and slips away. He tells himself he will find his target eventually, signaling a deliberate, ongoing campaign.

Meanwhile, assistant district attorney Yuki Castellano prepares a sexual assault case against Briana Hill, head of TV production at the Ad Shop, a San Francisco advertising agency. Hill's subordinate, commercial producer Marc Christopher, claims Hill pointed her .38 revolver at him, forced him to tie himself to his bed, and raped him while he protested. Marc secretly recorded the encounter on a hidden camera. DA Leonard "Red Dog" Parisi is skeptical, but Yuki persuades him to take the case to a grand jury. Briana and her defense attorney, James Giftos, present a competing account in a pretrial interview: Marc designed the encounter as a consensual game and later tried to extort $250,000 by threatening to post the video. Each side's story is the other's word against theirs.

Sergeant Lindsay Boxer of SFPD Homicide is approached outside the Hall of Justice by Millie Cushing, a middle-aged woman who appears homeless and who becomes Lindsay's key civilian informant. Over breakfast, Millie tells Lindsay that a man she knew, Jimmy Dolan, was shot dead near Walton Square and that at least three other homeless people have been killed similarly over the past year with no arrests. Lindsay contacts Sergeant Garth Stevens at Central Station, whose team holds jurisdiction, but Stevens dismisses her. Lindsay's partner, Rich Conklin, confirms the case in the database as ongoing.

Yuki interviews a reluctant Ad Shop copywriter named Paul Yates, who reveals that on a date with Briana, she pulled a gun on him and ordered him to undress before he escaped. His account suggests a pattern. Yuki presents her case to the grand jury and secures an indictment on a charge of rape. She announces the result to the Women's Murder Club, an informal group comprising Lindsay, Yuki, chief medical examiner Claire Washburn, and crime reporter Cindy Thomas, who meet regularly to share expertise and friendship.

Lindsay's personal life frays alongside her preoccupation with the homeless killings. She feels persistently fatigued, while her husband, Joe Molinari, wants another child. Yuki confides in Claire that her marriage to Brady, the Homicide squad's lieutenant, has grown distant. When Millie reports another murder at Pier 45, Lindsay and Conklin find a chaotic scene with no investigators. The victim is Laura Russell, a former schoolteacher. Conklin discovers a gray coat matching a witness's description of the shooter. Stevens and his partner appear two hours later and dismiss Lindsay's involvement.

The trial generates a national media frenzy. Judge Kevin Rathburn admits the sex video into evidence and denies a venue change. The killer strikes again on Geary Street, shooting a homeless woman he mistakes for his target. Lindsay photographs the crowd of onlookers, and Michael, watching from among them, is alarmed when her flash captures his face. He memorizes her name.

At trial, Yuki delivers a detailed opening statement. Yates testifies but is damaged on cross-examination: Giftos demonstrates Yates cannot identify the gun Briana allegedly used. Ballistics confirms the same weapon killed Laura Russell and Jimmy Dolan, establishing a serial killer. Lindsay shows Millie the crowd photographs; Millie hesitates over an image of a man in a black knit cap but denies recognizing anyone. Lindsay's complaint to Internal Affairs yields nothing.

Marc makes an unwanted advance on Yuki after a dinner meeting, and she wonders for the first time whether he staged the rape as an extortion scheme. Michael then finds and murders his real target on Mission Street, shooting her repeatedly in a far more violent killing. He shifts his focus to Lindsay, whom he associates with his absent mother. Brady assigns Lindsay as lead since the killing falls within Southern Station's jurisdiction. At the scene, Lindsay discovers the victim is Millie Cushing and is devastated.

Marc is shot in the thigh near his apartment. Yuki suspects Briana, who is arrested for possessing a loaded gun, but evidence clears her. Stevens files a complaint against Lindsay with the Internal Affairs Division for interfering with his cases, but the hearing panel takes no action against either party. A home pregnancy test proves negative, but Claire urges Lindsay to see a doctor about her persistent symptoms.

When court resumes, Marc testifies on crutches but adds details absent from his deposition, alarming Yuki. The judge clears the courtroom before showing the video to jurors; several visibly recoil. Giftos exposes contradictions in Marc's testimony and introduces voice-mail messages that sound like blackmail threats. Yuki rests her case. Giftos argues Marc designed the encounter and attempted extortion. Briana delivers emotionally compelling testimony, and Yuki privately tells Parisi she now believes Briana's story.

Lindsay and Conklin trace Millie's true identity: Renee Millicent Cushing Dunn, a social worker who posed as homeless to build trust within the community and eventually transitioned to full-time street life despite owning a house. They interview Millie's son, Michael Dunn, who is cooperative but emotionally flat. Lindsay notices his distinctive wedding band, matches his face to the angry man in her Geary Street photographs, and discovers he owns a registered 9mm Kimber handgun, the same caliber used in all the murders.

Meanwhile, Yuki discovers Yates was arrested as a college student for attempting to extort a professor and realizes Marc adapted the scheme to frame Briana. Before Yuki can act, Yates is found dead by suicide. His note apologizes to Briana, confirms he lied on the stand, and reveals he shot Marc at Marc's request. Yuki confronts Marc, who confesses the entire accusation was fabricated. When she asks why, he erupts: "Can't you see what a ball-buster she is?" (298). The DA drops all charges. Yuki visits Briana to deliver the news; Briana does not blame Yuki, and the two women embrace.

Lindsay and Conklin confront Michael Dunn outside his workplace. Dunn draws his gun and fires wildly, grazing a sergeant's scalp before officers subdue him. He confesses to killing his mother and all the other victims, appearing to experience a psychological break.

Lindsay faints in the Hall of Justice and finally sees her doctor, who diagnoses pernicious anemia, a condition in which the blood cannot absorb vitamin B12. The doctor prescribes weekly injections and orders a two-month medical leave. Brady informs Lindsay that Chief of Police Jacobi's departure is imminent. Brady also reveals to Yuki why he has been distant for months: Jacobi is being forced into retirement over a corruption scandal and wants to recommend Brady as his replacement. Brady has been carrying both jobs under a confidentiality order, unable to share the burden even with Yuki. The revelation dissolves their marital tension.

The novel closes with Lindsay meeting Jacobi for breakfast, where both confront their departures from the work that defined them. They agree to meet regularly for walks and outings during their respective leaves. "And fighters win" (325), Jacobi tells her. Lindsay resolves to rest, heal, and discover who she is outside of Homicide.