Customer Reviews

Murder on the Down Low

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I was in high school I wanted to be a lawyer. The joke was I did not want to go to school for what seemed like forever. I developed a liking for mysteries. I would look for the clues if I was watching a whodunit, or if I was reading a work of fiction. It has been a really long time since I have read a mystery. Along with watching Murder She Wrote and Matlock, in the past the only mysteries I read were written by Caucasian authors. I am happy I used Murder on the Down Low to break my fast. Pamela Samuels Young had me glued from the first page to the very last. And no I did not figure it out.

Vernetta, Special, J.C., and Nichelle are friends who would do just about anything to make sure they are all happy and safe. When prominent African American men began showing up dead, the Los Angeles Police Department did not want to believe the connection between the deaths. However, when Special crossed the line in the name of vengeance, all eyes rolled in her direction. Special, along with her three best friends, wanted justice to be served when a family member died due to the deceit of one individual.

Mysteries are hard to talk about, especially good ones. Murder on the Down Low is one of those books that once you start talking you are tempted to tell it all. But I have a little restraint. I will say there is drama and suspense in every chapter. Even though, the book was almost 400 pages, it moved along fast. I believe it is due to the short chapters and necessary information without the fluff. In the first half of the book, I could not fathom why there were so many secondary characters, but in the end it all made absolute sense. I recommend mystery readers pick up this book quick, fast, and in a hurry. That is how rapid the pages will turn in an attempt to find out whodunit.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

The first chapter of Murder On The Down Low by Pamela Samuels Young was so
compelling, I had to turn the book over to read the cover again. The operative word that I had passed over was "down low". I settled in for a long night.
However, the subsequentchapters were hard to digest simply because a main character did not emerge right away.
There was too much emphasis on the funeral, the burial and the repast of a friend whohad contracted AIDS from, of course, a brother on the down low.
I also found myself juggling the personality of the 4 friends and it got quite confusing attimes. I was hoping only one character would materialize to convey this tale of bi-sexualbrothers without the extra faces and idiosyncrasies.
Even with the obsession of Special, who is adamant about avenging her friend's death,
Murder On The Down Low was a good story - unlike many African American books today that are hell bent on gangsta living. The twists and turns were well plotted, but I believe the characters were a bit over-developed. Pamela Samuels Young will definitely be a literary force.

Pamela Samuels Young brings some old friends back and creates some new ones. As we travel through the streets of Los Angeles very successful men are being killed. Why are these men being killed?

Vernetta's best friend Special is out of control. She is out on a mission and nobody can stop her. Can Special's circle of friends help her? While all the evidence points to Special is she really capable of killing? Everything says, yes she is.

This is one book that will have you guessing until the very end. Pamela Samuels Young has done it again.

LADIES OF COLOR TURNING PAGES - book club

A cold-blooded killer appears to be targeting affluent African American males in the streets of L.A. So far the LAPD have several unsolved cases. J.C. Sparks, a detective, believes that the unsolved murders are somehow connected. While working an angle, she comes up with a reason why the men are being targeted. However, the lieutenant isn't ready to believe that it's plausible. Refusing to run the risk of embarrassing the department, a serial killer is granted the right to continue to run rampant serving his/her own form of justice.

Special Moore has vowed to extract revenge on Eugene Nelson. She's willing to do any and every thing to make him pay. Even if it's with his life! When Special's lawsuit and J.C.'s case begin to sound alike everyone becomes desperate to figure out the extenuating factors. With Special knee-deep in drama, there is no way Vernetta is going to allow her to sink. What will this do to her chances at O'Reilly and Finney?

MURDER ON THE DOWN LOW by Pamela Samuels Young is an intense eye-opener. I enjoyed the new characters, the well executed plot as well as the awareness about HIV/AIDS in the African American community. This is the third novel that I've read by this author, and as always, I'm looking forward to another legal thriller with her.

Amazing book, I have read all 3 of Pamela's books. Every so often I thought that I knew who the murderer was, but Pamela pulled a surprise at the end. This is a book that all women should read. This is also a book that all men should read and then think about the woman that they love.

This the second book I've read by Pamela Samuels Young. She has a voice that connects me with the internal conflicts of her characters. In addition to enjoying the magnificent weaving of the story, I also learned more about problems caused by men on the down low. A book worth buying and sharing with young women.

Bettye Gobern

I'm not a real fan of murder mysteries, but this one caught and held my attention. It has a fast paced, intriguing plot that revolves around an important social issue, and manages to actually keep you guessing until the end. But also, it has a collection of characters you recognize from your own life - a group of accomplished women friends with humor, intelligence determination and sassiness, and the strong if sometimes complicated men they live, love, and work with. A great read, regardless of your background, but especially fun if you are a woman or color or hail from Los Angeles.

I read this book in the first three days after having brain surgery. I could not put this book down, nor take any pain pills for fear they would make me sleepy and I could not read. I loved all the twists and turns of the book. It was an eye-opening experience into the life of the "down-low" situation that is plaguing America. This "down-low" situation is wreaking havoc on the African-American woman. The education I acquired while reading this book was very valuable and made this the book even more enjoyable. I have read all of Pamela's books and her books hold you in suspense down to the last sentence. Murder on the Down Low, as with the all the others, kept me feeling as though I really knew these people personally. I look forward to her next books with all the anticipation I experienced in reading the others.

This book is my first read by this author and I was not disappointed. I love this book. Pamela brings it in this novel. Murder on down low was a fast pace murder mystery and a side story that tied directly to the murders going on in the book . This book had everything you could possible want in a thriller: murder, backstabbing, lying, deceiving, infidelity, revenge, strong black lead characters, strong sister bonds, healthy black relationship, bigotry, down low men, STD's, twist and turns. What more could you ask for? The characters in this book will make you feel them, I felt like I was taking this journey with them. I understood their motives, their moods, their feelings as if I was living them myself.

I was following right along with this book and every time I thought I had the murderer figured out Pamela would throw a money wrench in the story and I had to rethink my thought process. On several occasions, I just knew who the murderer was and on several occasions, I was wrong. I have to say when the murderer was revealed I was stumped that person never entered my mind. Kudos to Pamela for bringing out the scent dogs to distract me and throwing me off track. I also commend her on doing her research that is very evident in this book, also with the links in the back of book where people can go for help. I look forward to more of this talented authors work in the near future. I also plan to pick up some of her previous work.

SiStar Tea
ARC Book Club Inc.
5 star rating

L.A. attorney Vernetta Henderson is back in the middle of another high profile case. Highly successful African-American men are being killed on the streets of Los Angeles and the police are literally grasping at straws. All of these men seemed to be well educated, prominent family men. But everything is not all it appears to be. Meanwhile, Vernetta and her best friend Special team up to get legal revenge against a young lawyer whose deception caused the death of his fiancée. But a wrongful death lawsuit is not enough for Special. Special becomes obsessed with this case and carries out her own brand of justice. She may get more than she bargained for when this court case is linked to the multiple murders. Will Vernetta be able to save Special from doing serious time or will it be too late?

Murder On The Down Low is a riveting novel by Pamela Samuels Young. Young expertly brought another legal thriller with a lot of twists and turns. Readers will feel the frustration of Vernetta as she tries to deal with this case and her future at the law firm she works for. As you get deeper into this story, you will keep wondering just who is behind these killings. You won't be able to flip the pages fast enough as this mystery unfolds. Readers will be shocked when the person behind these murders is revealed. Murder On The Down Low is a thrilling page-turner that leaves you guessing until the very end.
Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for Urban Reviews