Customer Reviews

The Rules of Silence

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've always had the feeling that David Lindsey was the "thinking man's" mystery/thriller writer. The reader was impressed at the writing skill and depth of the writer - the book HAD to be read slowly to appreciate the nuances he brought to the story, however gruesome the topic. Now he goes and writes something completely out of style: a book that grabs you from the first chapter and doesn't let you go until the final page. Great writing, as usual, but much more fast-paced than in the past. Terrific book.

Cayetano "Tano" Luquin extorts money from millionaires by threatening to kill anyone they cherish if payment fails to be remitted. The professional blackmailer insures nearly impossible tracing even following the money trail by having his victims make losing investments in which he reaps the awards from paper companies "laundering" the cash. His current chosen lamb is software developer guru Titus Cain.

Titus and his wife Rita turn to counterterrorist expert Garcia Burden to help expedite the Cains from this devious plot. If Tano learns that his victims deviated from his script, one by one those close to Titus will be marked for death plus a demand for an increase from the $64 million dollar first offer will occur. A former CIA agent, Garcia starts gathering information on his opponent knowing that if he breaks THE RULES OF SILENCE of this game someone will die.

Though somewhat similar in theme to Jon Katzenbach's THE ANALYST, THE RULES OF SILENCE is an exciting action thriller that never slows down until the final confrontation occurs. The story line moves at a rapid pace so readers need to wear their seat belts at all times. The villain and his opponent each have agendas that make them the lead duo in a deadly game of cat and mouse, and more easily understood than the victims. Not quite as character rounded as David Lindsey's usual novel (see A COLD MIND and MERCY), readers will still appreciate this exhilarating thriller.

Harriet Klausner

The plan is always the same...seek out a wealthy victim, kidnap them, and explain the rules. The plan has always worked smoothly, until now...This time the victim fights back!

Titus Cain is a self-made millionaire with the perfect life...a loving wife, a beautiful home, and a very successful software company, but his perfect world is about to be shattered when he is the target of a devious plan.

Tano Luquin is a master thief; a monster who conjures up sick schemes to rob wealthy individuals of their fortunes. Tano has chosen Titus Cain as his new victim.

Tano kidnaps Titus to explain the rules of the latest game, and the rules are simple:
Over the next four days Titus must make a series of "bad investments" totaling 64 million dollars. These payments must be made to Tano, and if any of the payments are missed someone close to Titus will die. Titus gets to go on living his life as usual, but nobody is to know of the kidnapping, and the money being paid must go undiscovered by his financial advisors. If Titus should break any rule, or talk to someone there will be a murder of those closest to him. There will be no warnings, and Tano will not repeat the rules, but if you break one of them you will pay.

Titus decides to fight back, and in the process realizes he is up against a man more ruthless than he imagined, and if he is to come out of this alive he must fight as dirty as Tano.

`The Rules Of Silence' is a smart, well written thriller that actually thrills. A page-turner of the highest order this novel grabs hold from page one and doesn't let go. The action comes fast and furious as the kidnapping plot unfolds, and as the various sub-plots develop the reader will find they can't put the book down.

David Lindsey is a wonderful thriller writer. I have been a fan for many years, and his novels get better, and better. Mr. Lindsey can always be counted upon for an original thriller, one that is smart as well as suspenseful. `The Rules Of Silence' should jump onto bestseller lists everywhere, and place David Lindsey alongside other superstar authors in the genre for he is very deserving of it.

Read this novel, you will not be disappointed!

Nick Gonnella

Titus Cain has what some would call the "perfect life." He has a loving relationship with his wife Rita, several good friends, and has built his own multi-million dollar company. He is unaware that life as he knows it is about to change forever.

Cayetano "Tano" Luquin, a professional kidnapper, has chosen Titus as his next victim. Tano's methods are as deadly as they are unconventional and obscure. Unlike most kidnappings, Titus is not sequestered. He will go on with his life, business as usual; however, he will be forced to make several "risky" business investments to the tune of 64 million dollars. These millions will be transferred to Tano as his "ransom". If Titus resists or contacts the authorities, those close to him will die.

Titus contacts CIA agent Garcia Burden, who has a considerable amount of information about the inner workings of Tano's organization. What ensues is a suspenseful, psychological thriller that leaves you breathless.

This is my first time reading a work of David Lindsey, and I became an instant fan. THE RULES OF SILENCE is a gripping page-turner that left me wanting more. This is a must read for those looking for an intelligent, fast-paced, action-packed novel.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

In general I don't read a lot of detective or mystery fiction. An exception has been David Lindsey. I own most of his books, even some of the more obscure works, published early in his career. I have been drawn to Lindsey's books by his writing style and the moral ambiguity of his plots. Sometimes decent people do ugly things in Lindsey's stories. As in life, in Lindsey's plots there have been no simple answers.

The Rules of Silence is the last David Lindsey book I'm planning to buy. The only reason that I was able to finish this howler is that I could not believe that the plot was really as simplistic as it turned out to be. I kept thinking that Lindsay would twist the plot around in the end and show the reader that everything that they thought was true was not. Instead The Rules of Silence was a waste of time and money. This is the sort of book that I would expect from Clive Cussler, not the author of Mercy.

In contrast to some of Lindsay's previous work, the characters in The Rules of Silence are cliches, without any depth. The story is so predictable and trite that until I reached the last page I could not believe that Lindsay would actually write something like this. If Lindsay had a long history of writing empty "boy fiction", then I would not expect anything else. Sadly Lindsay has been capable of better work. Given the poor quality of this book and the fact that there are so many good books, I'll think twice before spending time on another David Lindsay work.

I won't bore you with a synopsis of the book, let me just say that as someone who has read all of Lindsey's books this is one if his best. It's fast paced and is taunt. I have read very few writers who can describe places like Lindsey, you can almost smell the dank Mexico City air. If you love thrillers and enjoy great writing then you will love Lindsey and this book. Other books from David Lindsey I recommend: A Cold Mind, In the Lake of the Moon, Body of Truth, and Requiem for a Glass Heart.

Similar type plot books out like this or I would have given it 5 stars. But Lindsey keeps you hooked from page 1 to the end. The bad guys are awful and will raise the hair on the back of your neck.
A good page turner to keep you occupied and looking over your shoulder for a night or two. Give this one a try.

Titus Cain is the owner of a multi-million dollar software company located in the beautiful hills of Austin, Texas. He has a fine home and a good relationship with his wife and their two daughters.

Instantly, his world of harmony and assuredness transforms into one of discord and uncertainty when a visitor from out-of-town shows up unexpectedly. The stranger threatens to kill Titus' family and friends unless he gives up 64 million dollars of his hard-earned fortune.

Titus, not willing to give in easily, goes against the orders of the extortionist and solicits assistance from an ex-CIA agent, Garcia Burden. From Garcia, Titus learns that the stranger is Cayetano Luquin, a notorious drug principal with a deadly past and possible ties to terrorism.

Garcia sets up his high-tech investigative operation and starts working on a plan of action. When people start dying, Titus feels there is more he needs to know and threatens to go to the FBI if Garcia doesn't give him more information. Garcia concedes but it comes with a price that Titus will have to pay for the rest of his life.

Once enlightened to the magnitude of the situation, he decides to allow Garcia to continue with the case. Garcia organizes what seems to be the perfect plan to capture Cayetano and his entire crew, when things go awry. Then it is up to Titus to save his own life, the lives of those closest to him, and maybe the world.

David Lindsey tells the story in such vivid imagery that you actually feel that you're in the Texas hill country. The story includes the language and violence expected in a story about extortion and murder. Overall, it is a book that is hard to put down, and when you do, you'll feel like you just watched an action movie.

Within the confines of its genre, this book is fantastic. It scared the daylights out of me so patiently, so quietly, that I didn't even realize I was gripping it so tightly until I became worried about library fines. We meet a character, get to know enough of him to find him okay and basically likable, and then we watch him react to his life falling apart. His heroic response wins us over. The rest of the book is not as much fast-paced as it is unrelenting, and while this isn't literature, it is an efficient use of language and scene that is admirable in any genre. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to get completely lost in a book, and find it the best of its genre so far. I hope Mr Lindsey hits the bestseller list alongside guys like Michael Connelly and Lee Childs, as both write similar mysteries that are not quite as intense or psychological as this one.

It's a good thing that Mr. Lindsey is writing books, instead of coming up with ideas such as portrayed in this adventure/mystery novel...I'd hate to have him on the wrong side of the law. The book sounded interesting, and it was. The realization that so much of our nation's police forces, espionage, search and rescue groups, and politicians have their minds elsewhere, makes the premise of this book, someone coming in and threatening someone in the U.S. who has a corporation under him, very plausible. Because of 9/11 and the various wars or problems in other nations our own nation is involved in, makes the possibility of someone using this as an opportunity frighteningly possible. I sure hope someone is paying attention to this possibility out there.

This story is very much more along the lines of a Tom Clancy book, but it is better written then the latest Tom Clancy books which are often relegated to other writers in 'his' group. This was a new author for me and I was very impressed with his writing, and his plotting. I had a bit of a difficult time keeping up with all the various people who were called in to do a single job, and then left.

I also knew right away, that the woman assistant was going to be targeted by the mastermind of this entire operation. In a situation such as thought up by this evil man, lives are not worth anything...and he will target those closest to the man he is manipulating.

The ending is not unexpected, but the idea of having to keep absolute silence about the reality behind two deaths because of possible national and international consequences is mind-boggling. To not even be able to talk out such horror with a psychologist/psychiatrist for fear of what might happen, and then live with the knowledge that someone killed two people you loved just to get to you...I think most people with a conscience would find it very difficult to do that...be totally silent.

A terrifying read...

Karen Sadler