C. E. Lawrence

Silent Slaughter by C.E. Lawrence is an outstanding murder mystery/thriller pitting NYPD profiler Lee Campbell against a psychopath calling himself The Professor. In a game of cat vs. cat Campbell races against time as The Professor kills victim after victim while leaving very cryptic clues, including letters directed to Campbell. Gruesome at times, this book keeps the tension high and the action swift. Great characters in the supporting cast keep the book from becoming just a 1 on 1 duel show more between Campbell and The Professor with help arriving from an unexpected direction. My only complaint is that now I have to read the rest of the books in the series, because I am hooked. show less

Lawrence throws us headlong into a lot of complex relationships and one really deranged serial killer. Lee Campbell is NYPD's only full-time profiler and he has been asked to help on a case being dubbed the "Van Cortlandt Vampire." The serial killer drugs his victims and then drains them completely of blood. Campbell knows that the killings will only escalate. After interviewing the brother of one of the victims, Francois, Campbell instantly feels a bond and wants to help him. Campbell too show more has been through tragedy with the fall out of the disappearance of his sister which to this day has not been solved. Knowing that Francois will want to do whatever he can, Campbell decides to keep a close eye on him.

One thing that they know they have to do is immerse themselves in the steampunk world that this killer seems to gravitate towards. With the help of Campbell's girlfriend, Kathy, he starts to create a profile of the killer and what the significance is of the draining of blood.

Psychologically this page turner will leave you breathless. The added vulnerability of Campbell and his inner struggles day in and day out will have you fully vested in him and all the supporting characters. Each one has their own flaw but what makes them even more interesting is that the flaw they have do not hinder them for very long. Another aspect that adds to the story is that Lawrence sets her story one year after 9/11. These wounds are still fresh and every character in some way was impacted by the event. The switching view points gives the reader a look into each character and when Lawrence writes from the killer's perspective you literally see inside a mad man.

Great read for anyone that loves a good thriller.

(Book was provided by publisher for an honest review) show less

Meh. The convenience fairy hit one too many times. Some of the scenes felt awkward and forced. Not to mention I'm not a huge fan of the perpetually, emotionally totured hero. Oh, and there was absolutely NO reason for this novel to be set just after 9/11. That feels slimey to me. There was no connection between the story and the attacks, the devastation, or the after effects.

Enjoyable entry in the enormous flood of Holmes "tributes" now hitting the market (16 and counting in this series alone!). Sticks very much to the conventional Holmes model with obvious inspiration from the Hound of the Baskervilles, which is referenced often in the story. This story of a tormented Torquay family and their haunted mansion is, at times, genuinely spooky, even to the point of Holmes himself apparently conceding the possible existence of ha'nts, although we all know there will show more be a flesh & blood perpetrator behind it all (although we never actually meet him face to face!). A nice little romp in the truest Sherlockian tradition, lightweight but fun. Worth reading. show less