25 Alive Quiz: How Well Do You Know the Women's Murder Club's Latest Case?
Test your recall of 25 Alive, the 25th installment in James Patterson's Women's Murder Club series. This 20-question quiz spans the entire book—from Warren Jacobi's fateful morning in Golden Gate Park to the final arrests. You'll face multiple-choice and short-answer questions covering plot sequences, character motivations, themes and symbols, and synthesis across the storyline.
Before you begin, you might want to revisit the full chapter-by-chapter breakdown or browse our questions and answers for quick refreshers.
Plot and Sequence (Questions 1–8)
1. Where is retired detective Warren Jacobi murdered?
A) Outside Julio's bar on Valencia Street B) Near the Lily Pond in Golden Gate Park C) In his apartment in Hayes Valley D) At a construction site near the Hall of Justice
2. What physical clue does CSI Dugan discover near Jacobi's body?
A) A cocktail napkin with a phone number B) A matchbook bearing the name Julio's C) A credit card receipt from the night before D) A burner phone dropped in the ferns
3. What message appears on Frances Robinson's laptop screen?
A) "You're next" B) "I said. You dead." C) "Justice for all" D) "Remember me"
4. The "I said. You dead" message appears at a third crime scene. Where does Cindy Thomas locate that case?
A) Portland, Oregon B) Boone, North Carolina C) Verne, Nevada D) Monterrey, Mexico
5. Short answer: What happens to Judge Martin Orlofsky and his wife Sandra?
6. Where is Dario Garza's retrial relocated after the smoke-bomb incident?
A) San Quentin State Prison B) A federal courthouse in Sacramento C) A converted building inside Folsom Prison D) A military base near the Mexican border
7. What crucial piece of evidence does Joann Kinney give to Cindy Thomas?
A) Angela's diary detailing years of abuse B) Brett Palmer's digital voice recorder C) Photographs of Brett at the crime scene D) A threatening letter Brett sent to Angela
8. Short answer: What does Brett Palmer say on the recording that directly incriminates him?
Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)
9. Short answer: Why does Warren Jacobi secretly visit Golden Gate Park on the morning he is killed?
10. Why does Lindsay Boxer keep Agent Walsh's suspicion about Brett Palmer from Cindy Thomas?
A) She doesn't trust Cindy's reporting instincts B) She promised Walsh absolute secrecy to protect his career and the investigation C) She believes the lead is a dead end with no value D) Lieutenant Brady ordered her not to share FBI intelligence
11. What motivates Tiago Garza to crash a helicopter into the Folsom Prison courtroom?
A) He wants to assassinate prosecutor Yuki Castellano B) He hopes to free his son Dario and disrupt the trial C) He is fulfilling a standard contract for the Diablo cartel D) He seeks personal revenge against Judge Robin Walden
12. What pattern does Cindy Thomas identify that may trigger Brett Palmer's killings?
A) All victims lived within 50 miles of Portland B) Each victim had recently come into sudden money or property C) All victims were women in their thirties D) Each victim worked in some branch of law enforcement
13. Short answer: Why does Lindsay seek an emergency therapy session with Dr. Sidney Greene after discovering Jacobi's body?
Themes and Symbols (Questions 14–17)
14. What does Claire Washburn's unexpected limbo victory at Susie's restaurant represent?
A) Her hidden desire to quit her job as medical examiner B) The club's need for a new leader after Jacobi's death C) Resilience and defiant joy in the face of overwhelming grief D) A lighthearted competition between the four friends
15. Short answer: What does Lindsay's mental image of a sunflower blooming in their lifeless case symbolize?
16. What theme does Warren Jacobi's funeral most strongly emphasize?
A) The persistent corruption within the SFPD B) The importance of professional accolades C) Humility, found family, and legacy over ceremonial grandeur D) The inevitability of violent death for police officers
17. The killer's repeated use of "I said. You dead." primarily suggests a desire for:
A) Financial gain through extortion and blackmail B) Anonymity and complete invisibility C) Recognition, infamy, and building a twisted legacy D) Confusing law enforcement with deliberate misdirection
Synthesis (Questions 18–20)
18. Short answer: How are the three initial murder cases—Warren Jacobi, Frances Robinson, and Sadie Witt—connected?
19. How do the two killers, Brett Palmer and Tiago Garza, fundamentally differ as antagonists?
A) Palmer kills for personal vendettas related to ex-wives; Garza kills for cartel business and family loyalty B) Palmer uses poison exclusively; Garza uses only firearms C) Palmer operates only in Oregon; Garza operates only in Mexico D) Palmer confesses immediately upon arrest; Garza never admits guilt
20. Short answer: In what specific way does the Women's Murder Club's collaboration directly produce a breakthrough in the serial-killer investigation?
Answer Key
Plot and Sequence
1. B — Near the Lily Pond in Golden Gate Park. Chapter 5 confirms Jacobi is found face down in blood at the Lily Pond, killed with a KA-BAR knife. The park setting is established in Chapter 1 when Jacobi hides near the pond to ambush a suspect.
2. B — A matchbook bearing the name Julio's. CSI Dugan discovers the matchbook in the ferns near Jacobi's body. Inside, block letters read "I SAID. YOU DEAD." The matchbook ties the crime to Julio's bar on Valencia Street.
3. B — "I said. You dead." In Chapter 13, Lindsay wakes Robinson's laptop and finds a blank page with the identical phrase in boldface type, linking her murder to Jacobi's.
4. C — Verne, Nevada. Cindy travels to Nevada and interviews Detective Steven Wilson, who reveals that college student Sadie Witt was murdered with the same calling-card note in her pocket.
5. They are shot and decapitated in their home; their heads are left in the bathtub. Chapter 49 describes Lindsay and Brady finding the Orlofskys' bodies in the master bedroom of their Victorian house on 22nd Street. The decapitation echoes Dario Garza's signature but may be a deliberate feint.
6. C — A converted building inside Folsom Prison. Yuki researches locations and deduces that a new construction wing at Folsom State Prison houses a courtroom, sleeping quarters, and facilities for a fully sequestered trial.
7. B — Brett Palmer's digital voice recorder. Joann Kinney gives Cindy the recorder that Brett accidentally left behind. Cindy plays it and hears Brett say the incriminating phrase during a conversation with his stepbrother Nate Miller.
8. He says "I said, 'You dead'" while describing his ex-wife Angela's harassment after their divorce, directly matching the killer's signature phrase left at multiple crime scenes.
Character Motivation
9. Jacobi was tracking a killer from an unsolved cold case—a teenage girl whose body was dumped into the Lily Pond years earlier. He used bird-watching as a cover to photograph a hooded suspect he believed responsible. Chapter 29 reveals Miranda gives Lindsay Jacobi's external drives containing photos of the hooded man he spent years pursuing.
10. B — She promised Walsh absolute secrecy to protect his career and the investigation. In Chapter 54, Agent Walsh confides his suspicion about a fellow FBI agent and explicitly asks Lindsay for silence, fearing he might destroy an innocent man's career. Lindsay honors this promise even when Cindy presses her.
11. B — He hopes to free his son Dario and disrupt the trial. Tiago Garza is Dario's father. The helicopter assault is a desperate attempt to prevent his son's conviction. After the crash, Tiago sobs and frantically asks where his son is being taken.
12. B — Each victim had recently come into sudden money or property. In Chapter 40, Lindsay and Cindy theorize that Jacobi's million-dollar settlement, Robinson's circumstances, and Sadie Witt inheriting a house may all have attracted the killer, with publicity acting as a trigger.
13. She fears having an emotional breakdown from accumulated stress: her elderly dog Martha's serious illness, the trauma of discovering her dear friend and former partner brutally murdered, and the weight of leading the investigation while suppressing grief. Chapter 25 shows Lindsay telling Dr. Greene about her day and her fear of falling apart. She admits she has cried extensively and expects more tears.
Themes and Symbols
14. C — Resilience and defiant joy in the face of overwhelming grief. The limbo scene at Susie's follows the Women's Murder Club's deeply emotional dinner where they share memories of Jacobi. Claire's surprise victory transforms a bar game into a shared act of defiance against their collective sadness.
15. It represents hope that the stalled investigation will eventually be solved. In Chapter 24, Lindsay consciously pictures a sunflower blooming in their lifeless case: "I thought of it as hope." The image reflects her determination despite having no leads.
16. C — Humility, found family, and legacy over ceremonial grandeur. Chapter 36 reveals Jacobi left written wishes explicitly rejecting a full police military-style funeral with parade, gun salute, and motorcade. He asks only for a simple service at the church he loved.
17. C — Recognition, infamy, and building a twisted legacy. Lindsay and Cindy theorize that the killer is motivated by media attention, not financial gain. The calling card is the killer's way of claiming credit without signing a name, building notoriety across multiple jurisdictions.
Synthesis
18. They are linked by the identical "I said. You dead" message left at each murder scene, and by a potential pattern of victims receiving recent financial windfalls. The cross-jurisdictional connection transforms three isolated cases into a serial-killer investigation. Cindy's discovery in Nevada forces the task force to widen its scope. The windfall theory, developed in Chapter 40, provides a working motive linking victims who otherwise had no connection.
19. A — Palmer kills for personal vendettas related to ex-wives; Garza kills for cartel business and family loyalty. Brett Palmer's victims are his two ex-wives and a woman he met at the Ritz-Carlton—killings tied to divorce settlements and personal grievances. Tiago Garza is a professional cartel assassin whose courtroom attack is motivated by fatherly devotion to Dario, not personal animus toward the victims.
20. Cindy's investigative journalism uncovers the Nevada case and the crucial voice recording from Joann Kinney; Lindsay uses her police authority to collect DNA evidence (the fork from Brett Palmer's breakfast); and Claire Washburn's forensic lab confirms the DNA matches evidence on victim Caroline Ford. Their combined skills, trust, and willingness to share information across professional boundaries crack the case. This collaboration is demonstrated across multiple chapters (60, 81, 94, 109) and exemplifies the core premise of the Women's Murder Club series.
Want to dive deeper? Read our complete chapter guide, check out the frequently asked questions, or explore the ending explained for a full breakdown of how Brett Palmer and Tiago Garza are ultimately brought to justice.