Crime Books

Richard Clifford, a deaf seventeen-year-old, comes home from a motorcycle ride to find his mother, Francine, and dog brutally murdered on the kitchen floor. Not having a phone to contact the police, he decides to wait until his neighbors, the Zankers, get home from vacation. Mr. Zanker would know what to do.

Private Eye Tom Casey, also known as Hawkman, spies Richard watching him and his wife, Jennifer, while they train a falcon to hunt and return to them. Hawkman is puzzled as to why the young man doesn't come out to at least say hello, and his suspicious nature kicks in. Later he discovers the boy's mother has been murdered and decides to help him find the killer.

Hawkman finds himself in a twisted mangled mystery to untangle with very few clues. Richard has some clues, but he's not in the mood to share, because he's bent on revenge and wants a whack at the killer before the police get there first. Only problem is, the police have Richard on their suspect list.

Frank Alberts, a new deputy in town, has a snotty attitude toward Richard, because Francine brushed off his romantic advances. Could Frank have been so mad he resorted to murder?

Richard's Uncle Joe Clifford fled town and doesn't want anyone to find him. Why? And what did Joe have to do with Frank Alberts?

Jerome, "hermit of the hills" Arnold disappeared for several days around the time of Francine's murder. Did he leave town the day before or the day after her death? And what is Jerome hiding in that shack he calls home?

I must admit while reading THE SILENT SCREAM late at night all alone at home I got spooked and had to get up to make sure all my windows and doors were locked! This is a fantastic mystery!

Richard Clifford, a deaf boy living on a farm with his mother, arrives home after a motorcycle ride.THE SILENT SCREAM is a fast read, blazing through the pages with the speed of a falcon in a dive. The main character, Tom Casey, and his wife are in a sense, the modern version of Nick and Nora Charles, only with their own unique bent. Tom's disfigurement for example only adds to his likeableness. Plus he's caring and compassionate, and almost non-violent, which are very rare elements in the modern PI story. The only downside though, is the ending, which slowed after the climax, though thirty pages remained! Despite this minor shortcoming, the novel is an amazing read, going back to the age where the PI often referred to his mental skills, got along well with the police, and often assisted them in the investigations. A delightful read for any mystery lover, though especially for those who miss the golden age of the thinking PI.

Seventeen-year-old Richard Clifford returns to his isolated ranch home from a motorcycle ride to find his mother and dog both slaughtered in their kitchen. Not having a telephone, he rides his motorcycle to the Zanker house ten miles away. The Zankers are gone and the only other neighbor, old Jerome isn't home either. Richard is deaf, his father died of cancer a year ago, he doesn't know where his only uncle is, he knows of no other neighbors but the Zankers and Jerome.

The smell in the house becomes nauseating. Richard buries his dog under his mother's favorite tree. After washing his mother's violated body and dressing her in a clean dress he wraps her in a quilt and a plastic table cloth and seals her body in a granary to protect it from rodents and insects. Richard cleans up the rest of the mess in the house and anxiously awaits the return of his neighbors. As soon as the crime is reported to the authorities he can begin to search for the murderer himself.

Private Detective, Tom Casey, better known as Hawkman assists the sheriff's office in their investigation. He alone is convinced of Richard's innocence. The boy does show an unusual ability with a knife, proven when he's attacked by a mountain lion and kills it, skins it and tans the hide. He becomes a focal point of abuse by an gang of outlaw bikers and since he can't hear, he can't anticipate the approach of predators whether two or four legged. Richard does perform his mundane chores as usual, milks the cow, does the chores, tends his mother's garden-appears to be going about life as usual, intent on staying on his own land. But he's a minor and unless his uncle can be found Richard will become a ward of the court.

Once again Betty Sullivan La Pierre has involved me in the lives of her characters to such an extent that after beginning, I didn't have the option of closing the book until the surprise at the end. Having a hearing disorder myself, I can attest to the authenticity of her character's struggles. This author consistently writes good clean, captivating mysteries peopled with substantial characters in sensorially credible scenes and settings that live in the reader's memory after the solution. I give THE SILENT SCREAM five stars.

Reviewed by ©Evelyn Gale 2/2002

After a motorcycle ride in the hills, one afternoon, Richard opened the front door, of his home, to find his beautiful mother, and his pet dog, Ruffy, laying in pools of blood on the floor. Both had, had their throats slit.

Richard didn't know what to do. There was no phone in the house. The Zanker's ranch was at least ten miles down the hill from the Clifford's little farm, and the only other person living anywhere near, was an old hermit named Jerome who lived up the hill from them. Both were not home. What could he do other than to try and preserve all the evidence he could, and protect the bodies from predators until help could be found.

And so begins the story of a remarkable seventeen year old, and the people who came forward to help him.

After what to Richard seemed like months, but in actuality was only four days, Herb and Elsie Zanker returned home from a visit with one of their daughters. Herb thought he should take up some supplies to the Cliffords as they were probably running low on things since he and Elsie had been gone longer than they expected. Upon arriving at the Cliffords farm, Herb found out what had happened.

Herb called the police. While the police were examining the scene for evidence, and recovering the bodies of the dog, and Richard's mother, Tom Casey, Private Investigator, otherwise known as Hawkman by his family and friends, was training the new falcon that his wife, Jennifer, had given him for his birthday in the woods nearby. He soon sees all the commotion up at the farm and decides to go investigate.

Standing in the shadows, and listening to the police talk to Richard, and to Richard's explanation of what happened, Hawkman decides that this young man needs someone to help him. Otherwise he doesn't feel that Richard has much of a chance against the legal system at all.

Ms. La Pierre has written a story that you absolutely will not be able to put down. She gets your total attention on the first page, and continues to hold it until you have finished the last page.

Her characters grab all of your emotions, from compassion to complete, and total hatred. I went through whole spectrum. I also went through a box of tissues before I finished the first chapter; it was so compelling.

I can't recommend THE SILENT SCREAM enough. To miss this wonderful book is something no one should do. You will not forget it even after you have finally put it down. It will stay in your memory for a long time to come.

I can't wait to read more of Betty Sullivan LaPierre's books. She is a very talented author, and I am so glad that she has decided to share her talent with the world. Her talent is one that should never be hidden, and she sure displayed it at it's best in THE SILENT SCREAM.

and loving dog Ruffy have been brutally murdered in his home and he
finds
their bodies in his kitchen. After tenderly washing his mothers
beautiful
face and trying not to disturb any evidence from her neck down he wraps
her body carefully and places her in the feed bin in the barn till he
can
summon the authorities. Then he lovingly buries his dog under his
mothers
favorite tree in the yard.

Although in a terrible state of emotional pain, something in the back of

his mind keeps Richard from destroying any evidence as he cleans the
kitchen and scours the property for evidence. Now he's fully responsible

for running his farm by himself. Plans of finding his mothers killer
and
exacting revenge for her begin to take root in his broken heart.

Hawkman and his wife Jennifer find themselves drawn to Richard. During
the
investigation to find his mother's killer, Hawkman uses his Gryfalcon to

earn Richard's trust and help him. Soon Hawkman realizes that he's doing

more than just help Richard find a killer. He's giving him a lifeline to

the outside world and friendship.

THE SILENT SCREAM will grab you from the very first page. Betty Sullivan

Pierre has a wonderful talent with words and description that will hold
you spellbound from the beginning to the very end.

Her cast of characters will keep you on your toes. You'll wish you had
half of them as close friends and the other half behind bars until you
could figure out if they're innocent or guilty. THE SILENT SCREAM is a
fantastic story and I recommend it to anyone who loves a great mystery!

A while ago we were discussion (on a Jane Austen list) the art of the epistolary form of the novel - and perhaps this is the original idea behind Caudwell's form of mysteries - they are very reliant on letter writing. While the first mystery featured letters by Julia from Venice (Thus was Adonis murdered), and the second Serena from Corfu (The Shortest Way to Hades), this has Young barrister, Michael Cantrip, writing from..... well.... all over France - and using the handy mechanism of the Telex machine to send his messages back to the members of the nursery at 62 New Square (and the occassional less than flattering note to their Clerk, Henry).

A very funny, bouynat mystery with the usual Caudwell twist at the end - I guess the unexpected seems to occur every few pages really - The only thing I would mention is that I didn't feel like all the clues were quite at my grasp as they might have been - however, I didn't mind, it was such a rollicking good fun ride. Sometimes I wonder if I read these as mysteries or comedies - they are lovely as both. .

If you enjoyed Thus Was Adonis Murdered, don't hesitate to heed the Sirens' seductive cry.

I'll pass it along to my friends... but only if they guarantee they'll bring it back!