If you had asked Detective Sam Harper who he could trust to always tell him the truth and always be men he'd want by his side when times were tough, it'd be his father, his partner and his boss. But after his partner is shot on duty, the first new case Harper's assigned leads inexorably to a horrible scenario: could these three men have been lying to Harper for years? Are they now suspects in the case of a baby whose body is found where it was entombed years earlier?
The debut novel by Gather's own Marta Stephens is entitled "Silenced Cry." It is a well-plotted, complicated mystery peopled with characters who are solidly etched and equally complicated. Before long, we'll have the second Sam Harper mystery as Marta has recently sent everything to her publisher. I'm looking forward to it because this novel has made me a fan of this interesting character. I've never written a book review before but since I just finished reading this and loved it, I thought I'd give this a try.
Sam Harper is a cop who has no problem with a bit of brute force. He's also a cop who remains troubled by the images of the dead baby, especially when he learns from the coroner just how savage her death was. Above all, he's a cop for the right reasons: because he believes in the oath of office he took to protect and serve.
His personal life is not so neat. He has a great relationship with his father, a retired cop who has always been his hero yet both men are estranged from Sam's brother who blames them for not finding the drunk driver who killed their mother. His love life's not so great either – his fiancé can barely hide her contempt for Sam's grief over the loss of his partner. Plus, she's cheating on him and he knows it.
Where he shines is his work. He's honest, fearless and committed. Sam's ability to put a case together makes him one of the best detectives on the force, which becomes quite a concern to those he begins to track down through the twists and turns of his investigation to find not only the baby's killer but the truth about his partner, his father and his boss. In the end, he is left to question if there's anyone he knows who he can really trust.
Marta's ability to breathe life into the characters we meet makes this a novel that brings you into the plot once it gets racing because you begin to care about the people as much as solving the mystery. And what a mystery it is – it has so many nuances that even when you think you have figured it out, she's able to surprise you with elements you'd almost forgotten she'd raised earlier.
If you're looking for a solid crime mystery that will keep you guessing along the way and also want to read about some realistic, intriguing people whom you'll look forward to meeting up with again in the next novel this author has coming out later this year, I can heartily recommend "Silenced Cry" by Marta Stephens.
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 21
The next book, THE BLACK PEARL, takes Sam Harper and gang on a wild chase after two killers who are after the same object but driven by different motives. In the end, the only thing they have in common is the trail of dead bodies they leave behind and Sam Harper breathing down their neck.
I'm very excited about this next book and hope you'll enjoy it as much as I loved writing it.
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977180870&nav=Namespace
Are they now suspects in the case of a baby whose body is found where it was entombed years earlier? (There should be an easier way to write this. Let's try, shall we?)
Are they suspected of entombing a baby? (How's that?)
"Suspected of entombing a baby" is generic and bland, and says nothing about the story. Ann's review is a strong example of good review writing.
Geoff's: "Are they suspected of entombing a baby?"
As the author, I have to say that Ann's sentence does state it correctly. She implies that the men are not suspected of entombing the baby but rather, they are suspected of being involved in the case. That could mean they were involved in acts other than entombing the baby.
Best,
Douglas Quinn
www.douglasquinn.com
I just wanted to say I am finally going through my currently over 6,000 pieces of gather new mail that is in my inbox on here. So with that in mind I have finally come to a piece of mail that was addressed to me in regards this article submission you have created to share with the gather community. Thank you for taking the time and sharing your piece with us here at gather. :o)