The Red Scream [Paperback]

Mary Willis Walker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1995

Texas-based crime reporter Molly Cates has just  published her first book, describing the  blood-curdling exploits of serial killer Louie Bronk. Now on  death row, Louie's sentence is about to be carried  out. Molly will be there as a witness, and she  wants to write about it--the final coda to Louie's  story. But suddenly, she's being strongly  discouraged by her boss at the Lone Star  Monthly and by Charlie McFarland, the millionaire  real estate developer whose first wife, Tiny, was  Bronk's most famous victim--and the only one whose  murder is a capital offense. Then Molly starts to  receive dark hints that Louie may not have killed  Tiny after all. There is another murder following  Louis's M.O.--one he could not have committed.  The veracity of Molly's book is threatened--and then  her very life. Caught between a rock and a hard  place, Molly realizes that by attempting to save  Louis she is putting her own life on the line, and  discrediting her own work. Mary Willis Walker brings  a lusty new voice to the mystery scene. Already  recognized for her first novel, she has now created  a character just cheeky and gusty enough to take  her place among the top ranks of female  protagonists such as Kinsey Millhone and Kay Scarpetta.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In this 1995 winner of the Edgar Award for best mystery novel, crime reporter Molly Cates has chronicled the exploits of Louie Bronk, a brutal serial killer scheduled for execution, for her first book. With his execution just a few days away, Molly decides to write the closing chapter on her disturbing relationship with the man known as the Texas Scalper. Strangely, both her boss and the husband of the woman whose murder got Bronk the death penalty pressure her to back off the story. When she receives a chilling anonymous letter and another body is found, she begins to suspect that Bronk is not the killer at all. Her quest for the truth, she discovers, not only discredits her work, but places her own life on the line.

From Publishers Weekly

Walker's second well-wrought mystery, following her Agatha-winning Zero at the Bone , will add to her following. Molly Cates, a crime writer in Austin, Tex., is planning to cover the execution of doggerel-writing serial murderer Louie Bronk, whose five-year killing spree is the subject of Molly's recently published book. But Charlie McFarland, whose wealthy wife, Tiny, was Louie's last victim and who has since remarried, wants the past left buried, suggesting fresh publicity will threaten the stability of his grown daughter, who was 11 at the time of her mother's murder. Next, an anonymous note to Molly warns, in verse, "Now that Louie's doomed to die / I may give his craft a try." Arriving at the McFarland house for a meeting, Molly stumbles on the corpse of Charlie's second wife, Georgia. The police--including Molly's attractive and still interested ex-husband, Grady Traynor--are eying Charlie and his grown children with suspicion when Louie issues an explosive statement that raises questions about Tiny's death and compels Molly to take a hard look at the investigative work she has done. The finale, in which Molly is almost killed, is somewhat gratuitous, but that aside, Molly and her disturbing subject command the reader's rapt attention.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 395 pages
• Publisher: Crimeline; 1st edition (June 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553571729
• ISBN-13: 978-0553571721
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #984,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better Late Than Never, March 16, 2002

By 

D. Kaplan "sleuth029" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Red Scream (Paperback)

"The Red Scream" was written almost ten years ago and I was late coming to the party. I can say that am I ever glad I put on my best black dress, Grandma M's pearls and those slinky black shoes and made my appearance. By the time the party was over, I was raising my glass in a toast to Ms. Walker for writing "The Red Scream."

"The Red Scream" is about Louie Brock, a serial killer, who has been on death row for over ten years. Although he murdered many women, he was sentenced to death for killing Tiny, the wife of a rich and prominent builder in Austin, Texas. While Louis is in jail counting the precious few days before he is scheduled to be executed, there is a copycat murder. Louis confessed to the murder ten years ago but now is claiming he is innocent. Molly Cates, a crime reporter, has been involved with Louis' story since Tiny's murder and has written numerous articles and a book about Tiny's murder. She now questions whether Louis actually did murder Tiny or whether he was railroaded into confessing. Although she feels he is a despicable character and probably deserves to die for all the other women he murdered, she sets out to prove that he is innocent of that particular murder because she has a very strong sense of justice.

Did Louis murder Tiny ten years ago? We can't take his claim of innocence at face value because Louis is a notorious liar. If he is telling the truth this time, with a horde of suspects and possible murder scenarios, we are left guessing until the last few pages of the book.
For those who like a little romance along with their sleuthing, this book will deliver. During the course of the investigation, three times divorced Molly comes in contact with her first husband, Grady, who is a police officer. Are they still in love with each other after more than 20 years and, if so, can they get together. Another mystery that is not revealed until the end of the book.

The "voice" of this book is a strong condemnation of the death penalty. The fact that Louis has killed many people but that Molly is fighting to save him from being executed because he may be innocent of the particular crime that sent him to death row is an innovative and stunning way to approach this controversial subject.

Ms. Walker had made it to my list of favorite authors and I am looking forward to reading everything she has written.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Creepy Thriller, January 7, 2000

By 

Karen Bierman Hirsh (Greenwich, CT) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Red Scream (Paperback)

Mary Willis Walker really knows how to write 'em. I have read all three of her books and they are all well written and engrossing. Molly Cates is someone that I could relate to - she is extremely driven and haunted by what she has seen in her past.

Bronk was chilling as the possible serial killer. This was one book that I kept saying to myself - okay just one more page until I was up to the wee hours of the morning and I just had to finish it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I JUST LOVE MOLLY CATES!!!, October 25, 2003

By 

Kristin (St. Petersburg, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Red Scream (Paperback)

I don't know what it is about this Molly Cates Woman. I just love her in this book (the first starring Molly Cates) and UNDER THE BEETLE'S CELLAR (the second starring Molly Cates).

Like I said in my review of Under the Beetle's Cellar, she's so normal. Because of that, she's so easy to relate to. She's a crime reporter for a monthly magazine.

In this book Molly has written a book (and several newspaper articles) about this psycho that kills people and then shaves their heads.

Molly Cates is anti-death penalty; but she admits that even Louie Bronk deserves to die. He's committed many many murders and shavings over the years. Then it comes to her attention that Louie Bronk may be just days away from being executed for the capital crime he may or may not have committed [the murder of an woman married to an upper class man] (although, let's not forget he's committed others--all worthy of the death penalty).

Well, her book comes out. She starts getting letters in her mail that lead her to believe that there may be a copy cat on the loose. When the 2nd wife of the upper class man gets murdered...people start thinking copycat or are we about to execute the wrong person?!

Needless to say, the book is creepy, scary, messed up, entertaining. It keeps you guessing all the way to the end!

Mary Willis Walker has a way of writing that's so wonderful I just can't describe it.

Just READ THIS Book and then read Under The Beetle's Cellar. You'll be so happy you did.

The bad part of the books starring Molly Cates? They End!! BooHoo!