The Red Scream

Reading all the Edgar Best Novels has introduced me to a number of authors whose works I had either avoided or been unaware of -- which was part of the reason I decided to do it. Mary Willis Walker, who sadly for me has only written a few books so far, is one of those. Maybe it was the three names, which I associate with old-school types like Doris Miles Disney and Mary Roberts Rinehart, but I'd never considered picking up one of Willis Walker's books before.

Protagonist Molly Cates is a crime reporter for a magazine not unlike Texas Monthly. (Some readers apparently think she's based on the late Molly Ivins.) She has an adult daughter who's a lawyer, some ex-husbands (one of whom figures in the book), and has just published her first show more book, a true crime story of a notorious serial killer. Under Texas law (at the time anyway), Louie Bronk is about to be executed for the last of his murders only because it occurred during the commission of another felony (theft). Just a few days before the execution, various events combine to make Molly suspicious that Louie's confession to the murder of wealthy Tiny McFarland was a false one -- and he now recants that confession. Molly races against time to prove or disprove Louie's statements, while her first ex-husband, Austin cop Grady Traynor, investigates the murders of Tiny McFarland's successor and of one of the key witnesses in the original trial. Although I had a pretty good idea of one element of the ending, there were others that surprised me. The writing is excellent (perhaps the reason for Willis Walker's slim output) with realistic characters who are capable of change, believable dialogue, and a real feel for the setting -- mostly Austin, Texas, but with visits to Fort Worth and Huntsville as well. Very highly recommended. show less

At the outset, I was disappointed to find this a serial killer mystery. Frankly, since my wife is a fan of Criminal Minds, I’ve had enough serial killers to last a lifetime. But as I got into the story, there were several things that changed my mind. First, this isn’t about catching a serial killer, it’s about proving him innocent of the murder he’s condemned to death for. Second, the characters are very well drawn and the overall writing excellent. And third, I had no idea until the end who did commit the murder. I really liked Mary Willis Walker’s style and regret not discovering her until now – I’ll read her other books.

Texas-based crime reporter Molly Cates has just published her first book, describing the blood-curdling exploits of serial killer Louie Bronk. Now on death row, Louie's sentence is about to be carried out and Molly will be present as a witness. She wants to write about it - the final coda to Louie's story.

But suddenly, she's being strongly discouraged by her boss at The Lone Star Monthly and by a multi-millionaire real estate developer to not continue with her writing. Charlie MacFarland - the multi-millionaire real estate developer - lost his first wife, Tiny, to Louie's horrendous murder spree. She was Louie's most famous victim and the only one whose murder is a capital offense.

Then Molly starts to receive dark hints that Louie may show more not have killed Tiny at all. There is another murder following Louie's M. O. - one that he couldn't have committed. The veracity of Molly's book is questioned and then her very life is threatened. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Molly realizes that by attempting to save Louie she is putting her own life on the line, and discrediting her own work.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting this book to be as good as it actually was. I found the characters to be extremely likable; the book was well-written and ultimately the mystery was engaging enough to keep me guessing until the very end. I give this book an A+! and I plan to find some other books by Mary Willis Walker to read in the future. show less

Very good writing. About nastiness. Tight action. Great characters. Nasty, though. May bail on the rest. I don't need serial killers in my dreams.

This was a very well written murder mystery. I was definitely baffled as to who the killer was up till the end. A good, entertaining read.