Customer Reviews

Ladykiller

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ladykiller

By Lawrence Light and Meredith Anthony

ISBN: 1-933515-05-8

Suspense/Thriller 240 pages

Oceanview Publishing

Ladykiller is the debut suspense novel by Lawrence Light and Meredith Anthony, the husband and wife writing team, and what a unique writing team. They have penned a novel that is a must for crime enthusiast.

The setting is the streets of New York, and the year is 1991. Four women have been murdered from all different walks of life, including a cheerleader, stockbroker, a housewife and a prostitute. Homicide detective Dave Dillion of the NYPD is on the case and must solve these murders or risk losing his job. Dave encounters a beautiful social worker by the name of Megan Morrison, the two join forces in search for the serial killer, and romance ensues.

The press is calling the serial killer "Ladykiller". The killer has left no clues and no trail behind to follow. The murders always take place in some out of the way place where no witnesses can be found. There are never any signs of the victim being taken against her will and no signs of a struggle with their attacker, and the murders all appear to be personal in nature. Will Dave find the killer before its too late?

Lawrence Light is an award-winning journalist and is currently the Wall Street Editor for Forbes magazine. He graduated from Columbia School of Journalism and is the author of the Karen Glick novels. He currently resides in Manhattan with his wife and co-author Meredith Anthony.

Meredith Anthony has written for a variety of sources including film, television, print and the web. She graduated from St. John's College and also received a MA from The Johns Hopkins University.

Ladykiller is an intriguing, compelling and suspenseful crime novel packed with enticing twists and turns to keep you on the edge. The authors have created a powerful thriller that tantalizes with a sense of suspense and a steady flow of action. The characters are believable, finely developed and engaging. Ladykiller is superbly crafted with vivid detail that draws you into the story.

An astounding 5 stars!

Set in the gritty streets of New York City, Ladykiller reveals just how hard it is to catch a killer in a city of 8 million. I really loved following the characters through the cold, dark neighborhoods of midtown and wondering who was gonna get it next. Despite learning the identity of the killer early on in the book, the authors managed to keep me guessing until the last pages as to how the story would actually end! It was fun to try and piece things together in a different way than most mysteries present. If you're looking for a fresh thriller, this is one I highly recommend!

Thrown feet first into New York City's darkest side, the horror and brutality of life flood your imagination. A murderer without conscience, without regret, without a second thought, is on the loose.

Silently deceptive, cool and calm, the Ladykiller is both cunning and efficient. There are no obvious clues, no clear patterns and no easy answers for Detective Dave Dillon. A haunting mistake from the past makes this his last chance for redemption. The son of an Irish cop, Dillon is stubborn, intuitive, and dead set on solving the case. The Ladykiller is just as determined, systematically eliminating those who deserve to die. Each victim is eradicated in the same brutal way. Lured to a deserted location, no witnesses and by the cover of darkness, the killing takes place. Another murder and yet another, public and internal pressure on the Ladykiller taskforce intensifies. Time is running out and the answers are elusive.

Over and over Det. Dillon reviews each case looking at the photos and the facts. What do they have in common? What is their final expression trying to say? Where is the link? The experienced officers are determined to unravel the facts. When new tidbits of information shed light upon past discoveries, things come together. The link perhaps, but how? Persistence and resolve will find the answers, or does it? A confession or a bid for notoriety, half truths or just more lies, where will it all lead?

The Ladykiller is ruthless and shrewd, deceiving everyone, but for how long? Will there be another murder or will the taskforce arrive in time? Matters of the heart make it complicated. When reason is left behind, desires, passions and reality become a lethal mix. Only a level head and a clear mind can discover hidden secrets. Who is really in danger, who is hiding the truth and who will snap first?

Armchair Interviews says: The Ladykiller is addictive, intense and not for the faint of heart!

Contrary to the "Publisher's Weekly" review, I really liked the structure of the prose and found it easy to read, but without losing the important details. In addition, I found the plot far from improbable and actually more believable than most mystery books I've read (save for the strange little twist at the end, which of course I won't reveal). Overall, I found this book to be an exciting, quick read with interesting plot twists and memorable characters. I hope this author duo strikes again with more books of intrigue!

There are evil people in this world and one of them is at work in New York City. Women are being murdered - viciously shot through the right eye. The NYPD detective on the case, Dave Dillon, cannot find anything they have in common. They come from different walks of life, different incomes, different jobs - but he knows there is a link he just has to find it and fast because more and more innocent people are being killed.

This case is going to revive Dave's career as a detective or be the end of it. He has some dark problems haunting him from the past in relation to his career. Dave has to prove himself with this case because his Chief is just waiting for him to fail.

The trail leads to a Crisis Center where Dave meets Megan Morrison, a social worker. Megan is enlisted to assist Dave in interviewing the victim's friends and family. Dave and Megan start going through files at the Center and interviewing clients while Nita, Megan's supervisor, is being extremely unfriendly and downright hostile putting more roadblocks in the way of the investigation than is reasonable in Dave's opinion. Is it jealousy? Does she know something she's not telling? Is it because she believes that patient records should be kept private? Or maybe she is just territorial?

Light and Anthony have created a super-charged thriller that has many intricate twists and turns along the way. The identity of the serial killer was the first surprise of many that keep the pages turning to an ending that shocks the reader. The characters are complex and multifaceted giving real life to the story line.

Newspapers attach a media savvy nickname to murderers, in order to grab a reader's attention. Ladykiller is no exception. The husband wife writing team of Meredith Anthony and Lawrence Light has delivered a frightening glimpse at the dark, sinister side of the city that never sleeps.

The senseless murder of four innocent women has the public demanding justice. With public tension, rising Detective Dillon gets the case. In addition to the mounting pressure to catch the killer, Dillon gets a stern ultimatum from his superiors, "catch him or you're out." Therefore, it is with his career on the line Detective Dillon is determined to bring justice to the Ladykiller.

Tracking the killer leads Dillon to the Crisis center and Megan Morrison, a gorgeous young social worker and her mentor and co-worker, Nita. The instant attraction between Dave and Megan creates yet another layer, bringing the reader deeper into, not only the story, but also the lives of the characters themselves. The relationship is electric between Dave and Megan. What follows is a passionate affair that could derail their investigation, as well as, their careers.

Anthony and Lawrence have created a character in the Ladykiller, with no conscience, that is able to move among the community practically unseen. He enjoys the tabloid and newspaper reports about the murders. Pausing to purchase a copy, he could not help but grin as he read, how stupid everyone was, he thought. Just because they could not fathom a reason for the carnage, certainly did not mean there was not a purpose. There was a purpose. Maybe one day not everyone would understand it, maybe.

This could very well be Detective Dillon's last chance to right a wrong from his past, which haunts his mind and dwells deep within his soul. With time running out, answers few and far between, finding the Ladykiller is his only hope. Repeatedly studying the crime scenes, searching the grotesque photos hoping the victims would speak to him. What could link a cheerleader, a hooker, a housewife and a stockbroker? Lies, secrets, manipulations, swirl together to create an atmosphere of anxiety, anticipation and an insatiable desire to know the truth, for both Detective Dillon and the reader.

Ladykiller is superbly written, with an intense plot line, multi-dimensional characters and a setting that is detailed in such a way that it becomes an integral part of the story. This book moves forward with astonishing speed, taking the reader to places we wish only existed in movies and books. Anthony and Lawrence shine a light into the darkened alleyways and hidden underbelly of New York, bringing to the reader a gritty and unflinching view of the very things that haunt us in our nightmares.

From the safety of my own home, I felt uneasy and found myself checking the doors and turning on an extra light. To deliver a novel that is refreshing and interesting when dealing with such dark, complex issues reveals true talent. With a few questions left a bit iffy at the conclusion. It is my sincere hope that this is the beginning of novel two, as opposed to simply the end of the Ladykiller.

Life in Times Square isn't all bright lights and glamour, especially for four very unlucky ladies who have met their maker with a quick bullet to the brain. LADYKILLER takes you on the twisted trail of these killings, mostly through the watchful eye of Detective Dillion who has been assigned to the special task force handling the murders. With the odds stacked against him (in more ways than one), Dillion steadily pulls the pieces of the puzzle together, leading the reader through an intriguing web of characters and settings. However there is one clue he's missed by a mile - the shocking end is worth every second spent reading! I highly recommend this book!

The authors did a wonderful job of bringing the villain to life, and the plot twists were nicely twisty, so the book did hold my interest. What I kept waiting for was something that would cause me to care about the leading good guy. For me, he was never more than cardboard, a pastiche of cliched fictional detectives who always stay on the wrong side of their bosses and girlfriends. So when one of the plot twists involving him should have surprised me, instead I felt indifferent because I never felt I had related to him in any way. It may be easier to create a fine villain than to create a 3D hero, I don't know, but I like to see both when I'm reading crime fiction.

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (3/07)

I've long believed that books - just like medication - should come with warning labels. There are those who will definitely put you to sleep, those that have strange side effects and cause cravings of all kinds, those that do not make a difference and those that will keep you awake for hours. Lawrence Light and Meredith Anthony's "Ladykiller" definitely fits in the last category.

Four women, four corpses, no clues and no trail to follow. Detective Dave Dillon of the NYPD has to solve the crimes or else he will be looking for a job. During the investigation he meets a beautiful social worker, Megan Morrison. Romance is not far away. Nor is the trouble. Nita, Megan's mentor and co-worker, is not happy with the way things are developing. Jamie, Dave's co-worker and a brilliant detective herself, has the hots for Dave. Then the Ladykiller changes his modus operandi. Will Dave solve the crimes? Will his romance with Megan work out? What exactly has he done in the past that his job is hanging on such a thin thread?

The seemingly straightforward story of a `Ladykiller' who kills women from different walks of life has a number of surprising and chilling twists and turns. If you think you have it figured out, think again - and again and again... The novel moves fast, with a pace as frenetic as the scene of it, New York City. It is dark, it is disturbing and above all, very believable. The characters are three dimensional and convincing. The descriptions of some of the less fortunate dwellers of New York City are unsettling and will stay with you for a while.

I found "Ladykiller" to be an enjoyable read, if slightly disturbing. The meanness of New York streets and some of their residents leaves one wanting to take a shower - or a couple of them - of course with lights on and the alarm fully armed. The motivation of some of the characters for their deeds remains slightly unclear to me and I wish some of the questions raised towards the end of the book would be answered fully. As it is, this book in my opinion fairly screams out for a sequel and if one is indeed written, I'll gladly read it. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes a fast-faced, gritty and harsh crime novel with well developed characters and a gripping story line. This book delivers.

Received book free of charge.