The 24th Letter [Hardcover]

Tom Lowe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 16, 2010

When Father John Callahan hears the confession of a frightened prison inmate, he learns that a man facing lethal injection is innocent. The lead investigator on the case, his friend Sean O’Brien, is still haunted by the case. The 24th letter in the Greek alphabet—Omega—may provide the key to uncovering the killer’s identity.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lowe's heated follow-up to 2009's A False Dawn catapults former Miami homicide detective Sean O'Brien into a desperate race to save the life of a man he helped send to death row. The near-death confession of prison inmate Sam Spelling comes just 84 hours before Charlie Williams is scheduled to die for the murder of his girlfriend, Alexandria Cole. Spelling names the killer and the location of the murder weapon in a written confession that never reaches O'Brien. Meanwhile, Cole's killer tries to cover his tracks with fresh murders. O'Brien enlists the help of an FBI friend, a couple of former police colleagues, and a renowned defense attorney, but basically is on his own against a wily opponent. As the clock ticks, O'Brien must break a few heads and many laws as well as try to decipher a mysterious if contrived clue, an omega (the 24th letter of the Greek alphabet), to the killer's identity. (Mar.)
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About the Author

TOM LOWE lives in Windermere, Florida.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (March 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312379188
• ISBN-13: 978-0312379186
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #527,512 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tom Lowe's latest mystery/thriller novel is THE BUTTERFLY FOREST. It marks the third book in the Sean O'Brien series. The story centers around two college students who enter a national forest to release endangered butterflies and discover something horrifying. The discovery leads O'Brien to a 70-year-old mystery connected to the FBI's most infamous shootout -- the 1930's Ma Barker Gang.

Tom's first novel,A FALSE DAWN, was published by St. Martins Press in 2009. In 2010, St Martins Press published THE 24TH LETTER. THE BUTTERFLY FOREST is now available in ebook from Amazon's Kindle, or paperback editions from Amazon or bookstores.

Tom is an award-winning documentary writer/director whose films air nationwide on PBS. As he writes his books, Tom draws from his travels around the world and his background as a print and broadcast journalist. Tom is a sailor and SCUBA diver. He lives in Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Second Novel, June 4, 2010

By 

Larry Keeton - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The 24th Letter (Hardcover)

Sean O'Brien, in two outings, is fast becoming the new go-to hero for action mysteries. Fans of the 'Twilight' series (see review by Molly Bean) will not like this book. But if you like to read about good guys licking butt on the evil doer this is your kind of entertainment. Mr. Lowe, let's get on with the next one.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars wonderful page turner!, March 22, 2010

By 

D. ENGLISH - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 24th Letter (Hardcover)

this is a great book! i found myself just totally getting involved with the book and the characters...I could not WAIT to get to the end.. TERRIFIC storytelling, and a page turner that you will remember for a while! i am so excited about this author, i didn't know this was book number 2, so i must read the one before, and soon...Another new terrific author to add to my list of favorites..i will be watching TOM LOWE.DAVID LOOK for my interview with TOM LOWE on [...]..please do listen

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars action-packed thriller, March 20, 2010

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The 24th Letter (Hardcover)

At the U.S. District Court in Orlando, the assassin fires one shot at the chest of convict Sam Spelling who is set to testify against a cocaine trafficker. Father John Callahan visits the dying Sam to receive his last confession and give last rites. Sam tells him that death row inmate Charlie Williams never killed his girlfriend; he names enigmatically someone else and states where the weapon can be found that killed Alexandria Cole. In less than four days, the State of Florida will execute Charlie.

Father John's friend former cop Sean O'Brien led the Miami police investigation into the South beach homicide. The case never felt quite right though the evidence obviously hung Williams. Now Father John tells him of Spelling's puzzling death bed confession. The clock is ticking away as an apparent innocent man is about to receive the lethal injection while the real killer of the model is murdering other people to insure no link to the Cole homicide is found. O'Brien with some assistance must figure out what or who is the only clue to identify the culprit, The 24th Letter.

The second O'Brien mystery (see A False Dawn) is an action-packed thriller in which the countdown to the execution hangs over the heads of those who now believe the death row inmate is innocent; especially excruciatingly difficult on the former Miami homicide detective who led the official inquiry. However, the inclusion of implausible incidents to heighten the suspense ironically detracts from an otherwise fascinating tale. O'Brien fears he will be too late to prevent the execution by Sunshine State officials who ignore his plea for a stay so he can complete his second (this time civilian) investigation into the Cole murder.

Harriet Klausner