Cry Havoc [Paperback]

Baxter Clare (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2003

Lambda Literary Award Nominee

Lieutenant Franco faces a psychotic killer.

Case closures are up and homicide rates are down for LAPD's 93rd Homicide Squad. "Frank", Lieutenant L.A. Franco, is revitalizing her depleted detective crew while quietly mending private scars. And Frank is about to need all the back she can muster as she faces her own personal demons while trying not to jeopardize her developing relationship with Gail.

When a corner hustler turns up dead with a headless rooster in his lap, Frank realizes she's up against Mother Love-Jones, renowned psychic, drug dealer and santería priestess.

Soon Frank becomes inexorably pulled into Mother Love's ambush. Heedless of the warnings around her, Frank plunges into battle with Mother Love and her violent minions: A battle as dark and deadly as the ancient bloodied sands from which it sprang.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Bella Books (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931513317
• ISBN-13: 978-1931513319
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,332,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good story but too short, November 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Cry Havoc (Paperback)

I have become a fan of Baxter Clare and have read all three of her books and look forward to the next. Although I enjoyed this book very much it seemed to end too soon. In Ms Clare's other two books the plot took a little longer to unfold with much more investigation and back tracking after going in the wrong direction with several different suspects. This story figured out who was the suspect and then the rest of the story was how to nail them. Not a lot of mystery in that. I must say I was happy with the developement of Frank's and Gail's relationship and glad to see Frank's character moving on with her life in the right direction. I look forward to the 4th book and hope we won't have to wait too long.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gritty dialogue and high-strung suspense, January 17, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cry Havoc (Paperback)

Cry Havoc by Baxter Clare is a gritty Detective Franco mystery, and follows LAPD's 93rd Homicide Squad's Lieutenant L. A. Franco as he tracks down Mother Love-Jones -- a psychic, drug dealer, and Santeria priestess who is utterly ruthless in her motives and methods. Battling her minions while coming ever closer to her deadly ambush, Cry Havoc offers the reader gritty dialogue and high-strung suspense laced throughout this tautly written and highly recommended novel.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Enjoyable Story, December 30, 2003

By 

Pbear-Spirit (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cry Havoc (Paperback)

I really liked the mix of police procedures with the occult in this story. Granted, in this particular book, they suspected strongly who committed the murder right from the start, so then it was following up leads and leaning on the suspect to get the desired result. In her first book they figured out who was the killer and then had a hard time getting the evidence. I suspect alot of police work is like that; they have a strong possible perpetrator then they have to prove it.

I've come to enjoy Baxter Clare's books and was pleasantly surprised to find this one out so soon on the heels of Street Rules. I love how Clare uses street slang in her dialogue, it makes the characters really come to life. I agree with the other reviewer who said she wished it was longer. I did too, because I'm a fan of Baxter Clare.