Make Them Cry [Paperback]

Kevin O'Brien (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2002

Everyone Has Secrets...The beautiful young judge. The hardworking waitress. The handsome college student. Some Are Meant To Be Kept...The victims are all different...but they all have one gruesome detail in common...But Others Can Kill...A clever serial killer is stalking the streets of Seattle. Searching for his next victim. Creating a monument of madness that will be built victim by victim...piece by piece...bone by bone...This title includes an excerpt of Kevin O'Brien's newest thriller "Vicious".

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Pinnacle; First Edition edition (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786014512
• ISBN-13: 978-0786014514
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,313,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This Terrific Read Comes with an Alert!, May 21, 2002

By 

George Hatch (Staten Island, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Make Them Cry (Paperback)

...and the "alert" is: When you buy this novel (and I recommend that you do) DO NOT READ the page just inside the front cover. This page is usually reserved for reviews, but since "Make Them Cry" is a paperback original, the publishers have opted to print an excerpt from the novel. Unfortunately, that excerpt is most of page 273 which reveals much too much information and will definitely spoil a lot of suspense regarding what happens to whom and how.

That said, this is the first novel by O'Brien that I've read. I bought it on the strength of the Amazon reviews for his previous books and I was not at all disappointed. O'Brien has a fast-spaced style, an ear for crisp dialogue, a knack for deft plotting, mostly solid characterizations and, in this case, a clever storyline that may turn some heads.

On the fringes of a currently hot news topic, "Make Them Cry" centers around the shady goings-on among the young men at Our Lady of Sorrows seminary, not the least of which is a string of ritual murders. When a good friend of Father Murphy, the group's spiritual advisor, turns up dead under unusual circumstances, he sets out, with the victim's older sister, Maggie, to uncover the truth. The fact that the suspects are all priests or priests-in-training makes for some intriguing suspense. And while Father Murphy's un-priestly attraction to Maggie and the overall homoerotic atmosphere of the seminary are plot elements, O'Brien never stoops to sensationalizing his material. If you're looking for cheap, sleazy thrills, you won't find them here.

What you will find is a genuine, plot-driven page-turner that doesn't get bogged down with lengthy travelogue descriptions or side-trips with irrelevant characters that go nowhere. While I found the ending a little too pat and would have appreciated a more detailed explanation of the killer's obsessions, "Make Them Cry" is still several cuts above the average beach-book read.

With the kind of smart, no-nonsense writing O'Brien delivers, it's easy to see why he is quickly developing a following. And how can you not like a writer who calls the local hair salon the "Curl-Up and Dye"?

I'm putting his previous book, "The Next To Die" on my "next to read" list.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars O'Brien's Best to Date, January 18, 2004

By 

Hippolytos (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Make Them Cry (Paperback)

SUMMARY: The rumored haunted hall of St. Bart's at Our Lady of Sorrows Seminary in upstate Washington is the host of a peculiar, loosely-related murder-suicides. New priest Jack Murphy teams up with the sister of one of the victims before the killer can strike again.

WHY YOU'LL LIKE IT: O'Brien's taut terror has never been better; this is by far the best book in what can be called a "series." As usual, characters are numerous, but there is more characterization in this work. You come to know these people and care what happens to them. Genuine twists abound and keep you guessing almost until the end.

WHY YOU WON'T: Anyone who has a problem with the Thorn Birds or the Catholic church in general might not appreciate this book. Burgeoning teenage sexuality (and yes, this includes homosexuality) might turn some people off.

BOTTOM LINE: O'Brien's best work, good characters, intruiging plot. Highly recommend.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it or Die!, June 2, 2002

By 

Amanda (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Make Them Cry (Paperback)

I am holding Mr. O'Brien personally responsible for a few nights of no sleep! I could not put this novel down. Wonderfully written, O'Brien has crafted a solid story with memorable characters, witty dialogue, sordid secrets, and so many twists and turns that it keeps you guessing all the way through.

Yes, I am a fan of Mr. O'Brien's. I have read all of his books and have never been disappointed. He has a clear vision of his plot and knows is characters intimately. It is clear that this is a man who writes because it is a passion and wants others to be entertained.

If you enjoy a good mystery, thriller, or topical true crime, "Make them Cry" is the book to read!!!