Detective Sam Harper is left guilt-ridden after his partner is shot and killed during what should have been a routine pick-up for questioning. The discovery of an infant¿s body during the demolition of an abandoned building leads Harper to unearth murky secrets involving those he respects most. His former partner, his revered boss, and even his police-hero father are all under suspicion of drug-dealing, corruption, rape, and murder. For the first time in his life, Sam Harper must stand alone in a fog of lies where dangerous truths loom forth and the boundaries between pursuer and prey blur. He is left to decide how far to go to hunt down the answers ¿ and what action to take when he traps them. Marta Stephens expertly turns up the heat to unveil a tale of suspense with as many twists as a thumbscrew.
Silenced Cry (SAM HARPER MUDER SERIES)
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Silenced Cry has won an Honorable Mention in the General Fiction Category at The 2008 New York Book Festival
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More Twists than a Bag of Pretzels,
By
This review is from: Silenced Cry (Sam Harper Crime Mystery) (Paperback)
[In the interests of full disclosure, I should reveal that I have read and critiqued an early draft of this book when it was in manuscript form, and am mentioned in the book's acknowledgements. Nevertheless, in this review I am determined to be as objective as I can be under those circumstances.]
Do you like jigsaw puzzles? Are you such a fanatic that you sometimes turn all the pieces over and solve the puzzle 'upside down' with no sample picture to guide you? If so, you'll love this book. Especially if you are into Noir-type stories teeming with seedy underworld characters, good movie-script dialogue, and settings so realistic you can smell them-- and wish you hadn't. Sam Harper is a Narcotics Detective. Under very strange circumstances, his partner, Gillies, is gunned down right in front of his eyes. Sam's boss, Captain Holloway, transfers Sam to the Homicide Unit, seemingly to keep Sam from going on a vendetta against the drug pusher who shot Gillies. But not all is as it seems. In fact, almost nothing is as it seems. And thereby hangs this convoluted tale. Sam's first Homicide case involves the very old corpse of a tiny baby which comes to light, buried in a wall, when a building is being demolished. [Hence the book's title and the haunting cover photo.] He spends hours of overtime, and more energy than he can afford, trying to solve this 'cold' case. Along the way, he argues with his dad, breaks up with his girlfriend, fights another (but incompetent) cop, and, much against his will, breaks in a new partner to replace the one who died. There are thus a multitude of sub-plots, but they never get in the way of Sam's twin obsessions-- to solve the baby's murder and to get even with the guy who killed Sam's partner. It will come as no surprise to the astute reader, and is therefore not a Spoiler, that the two apparently unrelated cases are in fact as related as two cases could ever get. Sam Harper is lovingly drawn, with great detail, by this artist of an author. Every character, even the most minor, gets plenty of matching attention. Everyone comes to life, even if you sometimes find yourself wishing that the most heinous ones would meet their doom sooner rather than later. (But that would spoil the story!) Another great strength of this volume is the author's 'ear' for clever yet realistic dialogue. My favorite exchange is this one, between a really nasty bad guy and the protaganist: "I know my rights." "You should. Somebody's been reading them to you since you were twelve." On last strong point to mention: Some 'cheater' type readers like to look at the last page first, to find out who the villain is before starting the book. That won't work in this case. We find out who the 'bad guy' is approximately fifty pages before the end. And yet Stephens manages to keep the surprises coming unabated right on up into the last chapter. And there's nothing on the last page that can give anything away-- unless you've read the rest of the book! The author has promised that this book is the first of a series. I can hardly wait for the next installment.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Exciting plot worth your time,
By Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Silenced Cry (Sam Harper Crime Mystery) (Paperback)
If you are looking for a novel ripe with twists and turns and intricate interweaving of plots, Silenced Cry by Marta Stephens is a novel for you. This is a classic detective story that is detailed, intricate, and full of surprises.
Silenced Cry starts out with a bang. Detective Sam Harper is a hot shot narcotics detective whose life is permanently altered the night his partner is killed by someone who is supposed to bring them a break in a major case. To control a potential public relations nightmare, the force transfers Harper to a homicide unit where he quickly gets involved in a decade-old child homicide. Though initially frustrated by his assignment to a cold case, Harper quickly realizes that this case is much more than anyone originally thought. The investigation brings up his past--and the past of his friends, family, and nemeses quickly combine to turn this case into so much more than a cold case involving a nameless infant. This quick and easy read will keep your attention throughout ever page. With a wide range of characters and sub-plots, the novel is exciting and interesting. My one complaint would be an almost overabundance of essential characters. With so many people to potentially care about, no one is developed enough that you can associate with them on a deep level. This leads to a bit of confusion as well as a desire for more information. Marta Stephens is able to weave several intricate stories into one cohesive novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Armchair Interviews says: The novel is a fast-paced, exciting read.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hate Fells the Innocent!,
By
This review is from: Silenced Cry (Sam Harper Crime Mystery) (Paperback)
Gillies and Sam Harper, two narcotics cops of the Chandler (Massachusetts) Police Department have been partners for years but their relationship is about to endure the unimaginable. On Gillies' advice, they pursue a dope peddler; Gillies is shot and another criminal dies. But Harper is tortured with a million questions about that night and Gillies' death, exacerbated by his superior removing him from the case and transferring him to another department. Who's behind the transfer and who wants this event hushed up forever?
Harper begins working with Mann, a cop assigned to be Harper's partner, a cop from a shady precinct riddled with corruption. Add to that the finding of an infant's remains encased in a building in the process of being demolished. On further inquiry, as the suspects slowly emerge, it seems the two events in Harper's life are inextricably linked in a way the reader will never predict or imagine no matter how intelligent he or she is. Harper doubts Gillies' integrity and other seemingly innocent citizens are responsible, though they assert their innocence. Crime always comes back to the perpetrator as both the rich and poor discover in finding themselves backed into the corner of investigation and truth-telling. Marta Stephens is a master crime novelist!!! She knows how to spin a complex, credible, action-packed and gripping story with plot, subplot and more subplot. Every page crackles with intrigue, questions, and clues! This lady could easily write for any TV crime drama and hopefully will continue to keep writing great and greater novels like this superb crime novel! Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on June 3, 2007
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