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Product Description

The members of the Women's Murder Club face an unspeakable menace in the most suspenseful hospital drama since Coma. Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer is shopping with the newest member of the Women's Murder Club, lawyer Yuki Castellano, and Yuki's mother, Keiko, when suddenly Keiko collapses. She's rushed to San Francisco Medical Center where her condition stabilizes. Yet days later, the hospital calls Yuki with devastating news. Keiko was given the wrong medication and it brought on a fatal heart attack. Even more astonishing, this is not the first time SFMC has made this mistake. Just as patients are about to be released with a clean bill of health, their conditions take a mysterious turn for the worse. As the hospital comes under scrutiny, Lindsay and the Women's Murder Club investigate for themselves. Is there a maniac at work, playing God with peoples lives? And has Lindsay somehow made him -- or her -- even worse? The newest addition to the top-selling new mystery series takes the Women's Murder Club into the most terrifying situation they have yet to encounter.

Customer Reviews:

• Insulting
  If a book is going to thank 4 researchers you would think that at least one of them could have bought a map of San Francisco. On page 9 Union Square is moved out to the Golden Gate Panhandle and it only gets worse from there. At least find out where the major landmarks are. And just for future reference of the great researchers San Francisco doesn't have Hellmanns it has Best Foods. James Patterson should be ashamed to have his name on this book and the publisher should be embarressed. I never did figure out what it had to do with a "women's murder club" or whatever. Save your money. ...more info
• Awesome, fast paced, great twist and turn to the very end
  This was an exciting, fast paced novel that practically had me reading the entire book in one sitting. As a nurse, I found that this book had more than enough detail to make it believable without too much to wiegh it down so much so as to keep me from wanting to finish it. This was a completely enjoyable book that kept me guessing until the very end. I highly recommend it to anyone who reads mystery/crime novels
  
  Timothy Lassiter, author of The Devil You Know, Three Degrees of Separation...more info
• One of Patterson's Best
  This book is exactly what I expect fromJames Patterson-- 400 pages of suspense reading. The story line is, fast, action packed and will keep you reading from the beginning until the end. I've red most of Patterson's novels and this one is one of his best. The most interesting novel I read recently is
  Hugger Mugger (Spenser Mysteries (Hardcover))
  
  
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• The Fifth Horseman
  Great read. My Interest peaked early and remained high throughout the book. Another great novel by James Patterson....more info
• The Series Only Got Worse
  First, let me warn you that my review of this book only covers the first 112 pages because page 113 is where I tossed this book to the floor. I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was looking forward to reading more about the characters however after four and one-thirds books I know just as much about the main characters as I did after only one book.
  
  It's also more of the same with fine foods and clothing but at least this book added some flare with "three hundred dollar haircuts" and nice perfumes. Blech! It was on page 9, the first page after the prologue where the author mentions a meal of "carpaccio over arugula with thin shavings of Parmesan and a glass of Merlot." Given the previous few books, that passage wasn't as bad but it still grates on your nerves having to read such haughty nonsense just about every other chapter . . . which is sometimes the equivalent of every third or fourth page.
  
  Another minor detail that bugged me was Lindsay Boxer's mysterious Explorer. These books are written in chronological order yet her Explorer is a year younger in 5TH HORSEMAN than it was in 4TH OF JULY.
  
  Also, it's been rare occasion when Boxer was NOT doing "field work" despite her being a lieutenant heading up the homicide department yet all of a sudden she's aching to be back on the streets and wants to step down? There have been few enough instances written where I thought she was handling cases as a lieutenant, a leader, rather than as any old inspector that you could count them on one hand.
  
  Also, these women of the "Club" have degenerated from professional and reserved women in respected professions to sounding like giddy prepubescent girls snickering at a slumber party. Well, except for Boxer, she's just flat out boring. As I read the first third of this book I found myself not caring if she got to step down as lieutenant or not; whether she caught the murderer(s) or not; whether Joe and she maintained their relationship or not; whether her dog Martha gobbled her up for dinner or not. From the standpoint of the previous books, there is little continuity in this book, with the exception of some adjectives describing her friends and associates that is. She described Claire as a pretty decent cellist and Claire did play a cello in the third book. She described Jacobi as "former partner." Yup, I remember that too. She was promoted to lieutenant in the past . . . that jives too. Other than that there is little else. ...more info
• 5th Horseman 5th Star
  Finally figured one out but not until the end. Fast paced and typical James patterson thriller. I liked it because he kept to the story and there was a little less Women's Murder Club clubiness. As usual Patterson is entertaining and keeps things moving. It is nice that he is developing some of the other characters and allowing them to grow. Definitely a good book....more info
• A Big Improvement on Step on a Crack
  I decided to give James patterson one more chance after the abysmal effort of Step on a Crack.The women's murder club series has been a series I really enjoy. I enjoyed this book. It was fast paced however still lacked substance. The characters could have been developed better - apart from the main character, Lindsay Boxer, the other main players were left on the sidelines. I found the book a bit disjointed in that it jumped around a bit. I really feel James Patterson needs to concentrate on quality rather than quantity. It would be a shame for his credibility as a writer to be compromised because he churns out 6 books a year. Also I feel cheated in that the paragraphs are so short and there is a lot of empty page space....more info
• Something Is Missing...
  Lindsay Boxer and the rest of the Women's Murder Club is back in the (you guessed it!) 5th installment in this series. Something is amiss at one of San Francisco's local hospitals. Patients are being murdered. The crimes hit too close to home when Lindsay is out shopping with her friend Yuki and Yuki's mom Keiko. Keiko suddenly collapses and is rushed to the hospital. Told that Keiko will be fine, Yuki and Lindsay relax, that is until a few days later, just before Keiko is to be released from the hospital, she is murdered. Lindsay and the gang pick up the case and run with it, determined to find out who is murdering innocent people at the local hospital.
  
  I am quite fond of this series, though I am lately having some issues with James Patterson. I have given up on the Alex Cross series and the independent novels because they have become lackluster garbage. The Women's Murder Club series seems to be holding together a little better, though with this installment, I am beginning to worry. The plot was fine and the characters were OK, but this novel lacked much. It was obvious from the moment we were introduced to Yuki that she was being worked into the Women's Murder Club and the death of her mom cemented her position. However, I don't think Yuki was well developed and I had a lot of trouble liking her, which made it hard to care about her mother. The plot was OK, but a little under-developed. The whole novel seemed to be missing some meat. Like with the Alex Cross series, this novel has a slapdash feel to it that makes me think Patterson is just cranking his novels out without any care for quality.
  
  I will definitely read the next installment and hope for the best. I would recommend this novel, though not with mush enthusiasm. ...more info
• Nothing in common with the series
  Definitely the best book of the series is "1st to Die." The plots in this book are readable but not good enough though. Lindsay's love story is as pathetic as in the other books but "1st to Die." The Women Murder's Club did nothing in this book so I really don't know why this was a book ot that series. If you read this book don't expect a big thriller and maybe you'll enjoy it.
  ...more info
• Another Great one!
  I've read 1 through 5 of this series, and I love them. This one was equally as good....more info
• Intriguing
  Have not read him before, but I like his style. The short little chapters give you lots of places to stop of you get interrupted. Well written and easy to follow the "clues" with the characters. Doesn't overload one's mind with so many characters that a "Who-dun-it" turns into "Who IS that?" I didn't want to put it down, but since life goes on around me, I truly did like that I could finish a "chapter" quickly....more info
• I love the "Women's Murder Club" series
  James Patterson writes a great book here. His Women's Series has held me from page one of each and every book through the ups and downs , non-predictable surprises, and suspense, only Patterson can write. 5th Horseman was great, great, great! S.L. Chessor, Author of Poodlums, Boogeymen and Booglers and My Tongue Fell Out.Poodlums, Boogeymen and Booglers: A Poetry CollectionMy Tongue Fell Out
  ...more info
• Just An Okay Entry
  I enjoy the Woman's Murder Club series, but as other reviewers have pointed out, the character development of the four members has really gone downhill. Other than Lindsay Boxer, I don't really feel like I know these women at all.
  
  That being said, the plot of THE 5TH HORSEMAN is incredibly fast paced, and there are plenty of twists and turns that keep things interesting. Patterson knows how to design an intense thriller, and the last hundred or so pages keep you guessing. I certainly wasn't bored with this novel, so I'll give it three stars for its entertainment value.
  
  A major weakness of THE 5TH HORSEMAN is its reliance on two separate serial killer storylines that are totally unrelated. I thought the "car girls" storyline was kind of weak and underdeveloped, and the resolution unsatisfactory for the most part. I would have preferred a subplot involving the personal life of one of the main characters instead.
  
  In short, this novel is good fun, but it's probably the weakest entry in this series. I'm also not pleased that Patterson's publisher is re-issuing this entire series in trade paperback, at a more expensive price for consumers. Not a great way to reward your loyal fans, Mr. Patterson.
  
  
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• Awesome book, but disappointing ending
  The women's murder club is back, and as usual, this was another awesome James Patterson thriller. There's lots of action & two mysteries to be solved & it kept me hooked throughout the whole book. I was, however, a little disappointed with the ending. I was like, that's it? I was expecting so much more. They finally catch the killers, but don't get confessions or why they did it. I am a huge CSI fan, and it would have been nice to understand why they did it to help the story.
  
  Again, Lt. Lindsay Boxer is handling two cases - a girl is found murdered in a car, but wearing someone else's clothes, while there are mysterious deaths happening at a local hospital. The patients are found with buttons on their eyes. Each of the patients shouldn't have died, they came in with pretty simple problems, and in each case, they were given an overdose of medication or the wrong medication. The story & detective work is awesome & really keeps your attention. I just wish there was more to why the murders were happening....more info
• The 5th Horseman
  The 5th Horseman, like the other books in James Patterson's Women's Murder Club series, is an exciting and very well written novel. It keeps your interest constantly and is a hard one, once again, to put down. I recommend this entire series if you like a fast paced exciting read....more info
• A fine thriller suitable for any audio listener.
  Carolyn McCormick's background as an actress lends drama and style to her audio narration of another Women's Murder Club mystery, this revolving around a young mother's sudden death in a hospital and a spurt of hospital deaths which brings the Club on the case. A dangerous court battle and a dangerous underlying set of influences brings murder and apocalypse to the forefront in a fine thriller suitable for any audio listener....more info
• Poor Research
  Unfortunatley the content related to the hospital murders was not researched. It was distracting. Linda
  ...more info
• Ladies of Mystery
  It's a good thing James Patterson is such a fast and prolific writer because as soon as he puts out one of the "Women's Mystery Club" books I've not only read it in a day but can't wait for the next. I'm 'dying' to see the new TV series based on these ladies of mystery...more info
• Another Bad Book with Patterson's name on it!
  This is another example of misleading book titling. A simple comparison of writing style, composition and grammar shows that Patterson either did not write this book, or has become an early case of senile dementia.
  
  Putting his name on the cover is misleading, and this book would get NO stars if that were an option!...more info
• average
  I love James Patterson's stuff! I prefer the books he writes alone. Most of the time I find when he writes with others that it is not up to par with the standard Patterson. This book is slow to start and slow moving along the way. The short chapters does not make it so hard to get through. I will still reccommend it to anyone who is a Patterson fan because you just can't help yourself...you know what I mean....more info
• Wild Ending
  The last one hundred pages were wild & action packed. A lot of unexpected twists right down to the very last page. Next time I am feeling ill I will just take an aspirin!...more info
• 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...more info
• and maybe a half stars but not up to 1st degree!
  I just loved the first book in this Women's Murder Club series, 1st degree. The last book "4th of July" was also quite interesting. But while the plot was exciting, suspenseful and action-packed, the characters were left hanging in the breeze. In 4th of July we got to know Lindsay's boyfriend Joe quite a bit. In this book I almost felt like he was breaking up with her or growing distant!! Way too shallow a relationship -- slam, bang, bye. That's ridiculous when these are mature adults.
  
  The prologue was thrilling as a patient, a young mother, is getting well and ready to go home when a shadowy figure she recognizes comes into the room and suddenly the young woman is dying! We then open with Lindsay going to lunch with Yuki and her mom Keiko. Keiko suddenly collapses and is taken to San Francisco Municipal Hospital where after hours and hours Yuki with Lindsay by her side is told her mom is going to be okay but will stay a couple days for tests and observation.
  
  The first murder Lindsay and Jacobi investigate is of a young woman left dressed in the latest fashion in a Cadillac. They quickly realize how she was killed - she was "burked" which means someone sat on her chest so her lungs couldn't expand and use a plastic bag as well to suffocate and strangle her. This takes two people so that gives Lindsay and Jacobi some vital info. The victim has no ID on her and her fingerprints are not on record so they call her "Caddy Girl."
  
  The reader is also taken to a trial where two strong attorneys, Maureen O'Mara and Larry Kramer, are representing opposing parties in a civil suit. O'Mara is representing the plaintiffs, about 10 families representing 10 patients who died under unusual circumstances at San Francisco Municipal Hospital. Kramer is representing the hospital. Millions of dollars are at stake and a lot of emotion as well. Cindy, the reporter member of the Murder Club, is covering the trial. Yuki also chances to stop by as she was in the building.
  
  So now we have 3 separate plot lines and all are exciting. However, we don't really get to know Yuki much or about Cindy or Claire. Mainly we follow Lindsay.
  
  The conclusion was satisfying but the final epilogue -- a big surprise and not foreseen or understood due to lack of character development.
  
  Worth reading if you get in bargain book or paperback!...more info
• This serie is getting worse each book...
  I enjoyed the first 3 books of the Women's Murder Club. Didn't like too much the 4th (of July), but the 5th is just BAD ! What's the plot ? There is no plot ! 2 serial-killer stories try to share the pages of this not-such-a-page-turner, the 1st mystery (Car Girls) get solved mid-way throught the book and I bet plenty of readers won't remember it by the end of this painfull read... By trying to develop 2 stories, Patterson gets our interest for none. The most sad thing of all is that I used to like to Women's Murder Club members, but now they all seem so unreal, remote from anything actually likeable. And it's been the case since one of them died and another one joined the club, in the most stupid, artificial way really. Not much to save this book, it's even badly written. Don't know if Patterson thinks about writting a 6th, but don't count on me next time !...more info
• Decent, but not great...
  The 5th Horsemen is the fifth book in James Patterson's Women's Murder Club series and is co-written by Maxine Paetro. Of all Patterson's books, this series is the most consistent.
  
  Lt. Lindsey Boxer is a homicide detective with the San Francisco Police Department. She is also part of a group of friends who call themselves the Women's Murder Club. Besides Boxer, the group consists of Claire Washburn (medical examiner), Cindy Thomas (reporter) and Yuki Castellano (lawyer).
  
  A large number of patients are dying under mysterious circumstances at San Francisco Municipal Hospital. All were checked in through the emergency room, and all were well on their way to recovery. Not only does it appear that a murderer is on the hospital's staff, but it also looks like the hospital is engaged in a cover-up. At the same time, a beautiful young girl is found murdered. Her killers dressed her in high-priced clothing after her death and displayed her prominently in a Cadillac. With budget cuts and staff shortages, Boxer has a lot on her plate without sufficient resources. But she also gets some much needed assistance from her Murder Club friends.
  
  With any Patterson book, you're getting a decent vacation book that is fast and suspenseful. Although weighing in at 410 pages, there are 139 chapters with lots of space in-between. There's a surprising twist at the end that is more believable than the last Patterson I read, Beach Road.
  
  So as with any Patterson, you're going to get something that is decent, but not great.
  ...more info
• Good Read
  I'm finding myself enjoying this series more than Alex Cross lately and this installment didn't disappointment.
  
  However, it wasn't perfect. I didn't understand the need for the "Car Girls" storyline, which had nothing to do with the main storyline. All it seemed to do was distract from that. I also didn't like how we weren't given any insight into the lead that led Lindsay to wrap things up in the epilogue. Where did that come from?
  
  The series isn't nearly as good since Jill was killed off. Yuki is just not a character I find interesting or care much about, so I can't warm up to her and I don't like how the ending seems to indicate she'll be turning into Jill II even more. I've never cared much for Cindy, so I find it harder to stay interested in the group when Lindsay and Claire are the only ones I like.
  
  I look forward to the next installment....more info
• Very entertaining to listen to
  This was the first "Woman's Murder Club", that I heard,(listened to)and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a great story and I love the way Carolyn McCormick is really able to pull you into the story with her character changes. It was produced & directed very well also with music playing at apporpriate time to add to the suspense and your enjoyment. If this is one of your first audio books it just may spoil you since it is one of the best you will hear. I enjoyed it so much I bought a second copy for a friend for her recent birthday. I must admit I do enjoy the many sides to James Patterson's writing, he is one of my favorites and this one will not disappoint you!...more info
• What Can I Say? I Love the Women's Murder Club!
  Lieutenant Lindsey Boxer and friends are back in a great thrill ride with The 5th Horseman and, while this novel contains two different serial killer plots that keep one guessing, one ends all too disappointingly fast while the other takes a strange turn with the murderer that makes you wonder why that character only came up very close to the end. It felt a bit like a rush job in each case to wrap both of the mysteries up, but I still gave it 4 stars for never being boring. A fun and gripping read, there are worse Patterson books out there, so I will go against the general reviewer grain and say I liked it. One gripe I have with JP is this, however: why kill off a cute and likeable character like Yuki's mother Keiko? ...more info
• excellent book
  This is a great book, as are all of the other ones in the series so far....more info
• 5th Horseman
  Excellent condition for a used book, and the delivery very speedy. I am very pleased with my purchase....more info
• kat woman reader
  I like the suspence and twists and surprises. I have read most of the james patterson books and he is a favorite author of mine....more info
• The 5th Horseman
  I bought the first five books in the Women's Murder Club series on sale after having heard good things about Patterson from other people, and knowing that it was now a television series (that I have not seen). What a colossal disappointment! It seemed to be pretty much just an outline. The characters have no depth and I couldn't really drum up much interest in any of them; the plots were simplistic and not fleshed out, and the writing was the laziest excuse for prose I've seen lately. I read every book, hoping for improvement but was let down each time. Churning this junk out one after another must be the ideal source of quick income! Suffice it to say, I won't be reading or recommending number 6! ...more info
• Great in Audio
  I really enjoy this series in audio version. Carolyn McCormick delivers a great narration. Beautiful women are found murdered and left in beautiful clothes, patients are found murdered in the hospital with coins on their eyes, including the mother of one of the Women's Murder Club - are the deaths related? Or is it just another horrible week in the life of Lindsey Boxer? The end got a little twisty and I had a hard time figuring it out, but it was still a good audio.
  ...more info
• Entertaining, but not their best
  With the latest Alex Cross mystery, Mary Mary, still riding high on the bestseller lists, James Patterson and company strike again. The Women's Murder Club, his other successful franchise, has returned in the new book The 5th Horseman.
  Detective Lindsay Boxer and friends again track serial murder on the dangerous streets of San Francisco. This time, there are two stories woven throughout the book: In one, a dastardly villain (or villains?) murders beautiful young women by suffocation and strangulation, dressing the bodies in designer clothing and artfully arranging a cadaverous tableau within expensive automobiles. In the other, a local hospital is sued over suspicious deaths of patients under its care. The patients die while being treated for seemingly innocuous illnesses. Outside the courtroom, we learn that the dozens of deaths are murders, the victims' eyes covered by caduceus buttons. Things really become desperate for the Murder Club when the hospital killings directly affect one of their own.
  Like all Patterson's works, the 400 pages of this novel are briskly plotted, and the book's formatting again belies the actual length of the manuscript. In a normal book, you would be looking at no more than 200 pages. Double spacing and two- or three-page chapters pad the book out and increase its perceived value. Patterson junkies don't seem to mind.
  In the best thrillers, disparate storylines somehow connect at the end, giving the reader a very satisfying "a-ha" moment; there is none to be found here. The Car Girl murders prove a major disappointment: After a startling setup and interesting plot development, this subplot falls flat and resolves itself within a very few pages, never to be mentioned again. Without spoiling anything, I can say that the Car Girl killers are the most egregious use of deus ex machina in recent memory. There is never one shred of motivation. The plotline is (literally) all style and no substance. Ciphers do not satisfying mysteries make, and their use cheapens an otherwise compelling plot.
  The Memorial Hospital case, however, delights. As the wrongful-death trial moves on and the killings continue, the reader, like Lindsay Boxer, is always one step behind. Shocking developments in the trial lead us in one direction; events at the hospital tug our deductions another way. When the book finally winds down at a breathless pace, the triple- (yes, triple!) twist ending is a mystery lover's delight. The epilogue, too, provides one last little jab.
  Overall, The 5th Horseman is another enjoyable afternoon from the usually reliable Patterson. A more careful attention to character development and motivation would have made this a great book instead of merely a very good one.
  ...more info
• This is the first novel by James Patterson that I have read
  after hearing his works praised by multiple friends. I found the novel to do what fiction should - provides an escape from your life and plants you into the life of another. Here, you're given a birds-eye view of San Fran detective, Lindsay Boxer, on her way to busting vicious killers. The book was an interesting, quick read - a good book to pick up for a road trip or an evening at home. I recommend it, and look forward to reading other novels by this author. Also, if you missed reading TIN0 GEORGIOU'S masterpiece--THE FATES, go and read it. ...more info
• The 5th Horseman
  I enjoyed this 5th book in the "club". I enjoyed it as if I were one of the characters in the book helping Lindsey solve the cases. As in the first 4 books I was again suprised at the twist and enjoyed not truly solving the case until the very end. If you enjoyed the other 4 books, I know you will enjoy this one too!...more info
• Page turning
  James Patterson at his best. 5th in a series and I can't wait for the 6th.Page turning with characters I can relate to....more info
• A page turner
  I'm not sure what it is about these books that grab me, but they do. I normally don't like books in the "suspense" genre but I pick one of these up and can't put it down until I'm finished. Fortunately, they are quick reads. It isn't great writing; the plots all have some holes in them. But the characters and the quick pace have captured me repeatedly. This time there are 2 unrelated sets of murders going on - both grabbed my interest and I almost become Lindsay while I am immersed in the book. Start with #1 if you haven't read that yet....more info
• Fast-Paced, With a Twist
  Fast-paced, fast-read, there are actually 2-1/2 mysteries with unexpected endings. A book to bring on the plane....more info
• Another great Patterson novel.
  I can't get enough of this series. One of the things I like are the short chapters - always time for one more!!...more info
• A Really Pacy Novel
  It may be a little known fact, but James Patterson has written more best selling titles in the past five years than Dan Brown, J.K. Rowling, Tom Clancy and John Grisham put together. He is one of a handful of authors whose sales have been growing over the past two years, even though best selling fiction sales in general have been declining.
  
  A young mother is recuperating in hospital when she is suddenly gasping for breath. The emergency call button fails to bring any help in time. The doctor's in the hospital, some of the finest in the US are completely mystified by the young woman's death, for no apparent medical reason. What happened?
  
  This is not the first time such an occurrence has happened at this particular hospital. Patients are well on the road to a clean bill of health and suddenly their condition worsen and they die. Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer probes deeper into the cases. Could they just be a coincidence or is some maniac playing with people's lives?...more info
• Used Book Order
  Book was ordered as used and was delivered to me in a timely matter and in excellent condition. I would definately order used again from this vendor. Thank You....more info