Customer Reviews

Sympathy for the Devil: An Angela Bivens Thriller

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2 star:		(2)
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I read this as an escape from the awful events Tuesday. Maybe the methodical scariness of the novel helped deal with the chaotic scariness of the World Trade Center. I found this an adeptly done first novel. Better than the things that the so-called big authors put out in assembly line fashion.

I can't wait! I got this today as a prospect for my bookclub and couldn't put it down. The characters and settings are rich, vivid and adeptly drawn. They seem to be real people, though I am not an African American, nor do I live in Washington, D.C., this opens a new world to me with ease, and it exposes people you don't otherwise see underneath the usual political intrigue. The plot doesn't have any of the trite twists or formulas the "big people" in suspense novels toss at us all the of the time, and I like that. It has a very literary feel to it, but scary (this is better than "Hannibal") and exciting (so my boyfriend, who doesn't read anything except Civil War books actually stole it from me). I highly recommend this to all readers, except higher-ups in the FBI!

I don't usually get involved but I beg to differ with the previous reviewer, and side with the overwhelming majority. This novel was superb. Good for summer beach reads or a rainy Fall afternoon once the football games are over. I am not a young African-American nor am I from the District of Columbia, but I found the fact that it concentrated on characters and emotions refreshing and these things are universal to race or geography. Cleopatra Jones? That seems a bit inapt to me. One problem I will note, is that I am a retired law enforcement officer and avid mystery and suspense reader. I was not happy with some of the portrayals of police and the FBI in the novel, but I cannot, on the other hand, say the author was far off the mark when it came to the variety of cruel, racist or incompetent individuals and their agendas. As for feats, I must say that after 9/11/01 real life events, no feat of heroism or horror in fiction is too incredible. Bravo Mr. Chambers, and I hope you will continue your good work.

There are many very good African American authors and/or mystery series on the market, but I think Chambers just shot to the head of the class . . . And what a class it is!! His Angela Bivens, FBI agent eclipes Eleanor Taylor Bland's police officer Marti MacAlister; Christopher Darden's Nikki Hill; Grace Edwards' Mali Anderson; Norman Kelley's Nina Halligan; Penny Mickelbury's Carol Ann Gibson; Gary Phillips'Martha Chainey; Valerie Wilson Wesley's Tamara Hayle and Paula Woods' Charlotte Justice. The elite list is even longer when you include Nikki Baker's Virginia Kelley; Charlotte Carter's Nanette Hayes; Nora DeLoach's Mama series; Penny Mickelbury's Gianna Magilione; Barbara Neely's Blanche; and Judith Smith-Levin's Starletta Duvall. All excellent mystery writers. However, Christopher Chambers has written not just a mystery, but a true thriller and an excellent, yet complex, read.

Sympathy for the Devil is a white-knuckle, edge-of-your-seat, tightly written romp through the true Washington, DC, elite and underworld dens. Chambers flavors his knowledge of FBI procedure and hierarcy in the city with taste and appreciation for every other element (beyond the federal and city governments) that the Nation's Capitol has to offer. Chambers'insight is to Washington, DC, what Grace Edwards is to Harlem, New York. Beyond the rich texture, Chambers keeps us hanging by our collective finger nails through chapter by chapter trying to get a grip on the many twists and turns and then cold-cocks us with his finale. Don't pass this one up or you'll be way behind by the time the next installment is released in the bookstores!

Sympathy for the Devil (SFTD) is a thrilling and intriguing mystery debut novel from Christopher Chambers. Chambers introduces us to Angela Bivens, the sharp, intelligent FBI Special Agent of this exciting new thriller.

Two inner city teenage girls are killed on the mean streets of the nation's capitol. The police and politicians want to wrap up the case quickly without even investigating because they believe that it's just another case of black-on-black crime and a routine causality of a drug war among poor folks that no one will really miss. Agent Bivens has just won a class action discrimination suit against the FBI, to appease Agent Bivens, and to satisfy the requirement for field work, her superiors throw her a bone...help the DC police solve this case which really holds little interest for most Agents on the fast-track. Agent Bivens has a mission -after witnessing a tragic incident as a young girl- she swore that she would always be there to help the underdog. She tackles this case and gives it her all as she suspects there's more to the killings than just routine drug war mishaps. As Agent Bivens digs deeper, and the case begins to unravel, the evidence leads to her personal life. It seems that boyfriend, Trey Williams, a successful DC attorney has an identical twin brother called Pluto who might be a suspect. Pluto has a prior criminal record, is a heroin addict and dabbles in myth and the occult. Could he be the mastermind behind the serial killings?

SFTD is a page-turner that will have youon the edge of your seat as you speed read to solve this legal thriller. It's a compelling read that will hold your attention until the very last page...although I must admit that I couldn't read fast enough and was often tempted to skip to the end to find out the outcome. I look forward to more Special Agent Angela Bivens storylines and mystery lovers of Legal Thrillers will enjoy this impressive debut novel from Christopher Chambers.

Reviewed by Yasmin

On the surface, FBI special agent Angela appears to be a kind hearted, strong woman. Her friends call her "Angel", because of her kind spirit. And she is not afraid to fight the system. Angela just won a class action race and sex discrimination lawsuit against the FBI.

However, Angela cannot forget that she was unable to remedy one failure in her life. After graduating from law school, she was unable to pass the bar. This is one battle that she will never win.

Because of this failure, Angela tries twice as hard at the FBI. She gives 200% to her cases.

Angela lands two cases that no one wants. In Washington D.C., two young African American teenage girls are brutally murdered. Another case involves the murders of drug dealers.

The press has called the cases drug related and the Washington D.C. police want no part in the cases. The drug dealers and the girls' deaths are just part of the reality of living in the underworld drug culture.

Angela meets good looking attorney P. Thomas "Trey" Williams, III. Trey is outraged that everyone has ignored the girls' deaths. Trey believes that the girls are "good girls" and the killer must be found.

Angela is impressed by Trey's conviction and later they start to date. However, Trey is not perfect. Trey's parents are deceased and his identical twin brother Pluto is a heroin addict. To make matters worse, Pluto lives with Trey. Pluto has gone to drug rehab. To Trey's disappointment, Pluto still shoots up regularly.

Trey sees himself as Pluto's older brother, because his birth preceded Pluto's birth by six minutes. He tries to shelter Pluto. However, this is a near impossible task. Pluto also suffers from mental illness and he obsessed with the occult. In essence, Pluto embodies the image of the devil.

As Angela unravels the clues to the murders, she is taken down an unwieldy path that leads her to a place that she does not want to travel. The evidence seemingly points to Pluto. Yet, Trey steadfastly proclaims Pluto's innocence.

On the emotional level, Angela wants to believe Trey. However, her intellect tells her otherwise.

Is Pluto the killer? Or is it someone else? With a surprise ending, SYMPATHY WITH THE DEVIL will keep you on edge until the end.

I would highly recommend this book.

This book has a few really great things going for it. The author obviously knows what he's talking about when he writes his DC street scenes. I grew up in DC and he has the accent (yes, there is a DC accent) and the slang down pat. He has a great heroine but he loads her down with so many woes that she has to be a Cleopatra Jones style superwoman. Some of her decisions and feats strain credulity. The plot was way too predictable. I knew immediately what the ending was going to be by the middle of the book.
The author is obviously a very talented writer. The things that are wrong with the book are mainly typical first book flaws. Better luck with the second one.

This author's debut novel stars the diminutive Angela Bivens. Still reeling from the surprise success of the racial/sexual harrassment lawsuit that she brought against her employer, the FBI, Angela has been reassigned and is finally doing the work that she dreamed of doing when she joined the bureau...instead of pushing paper as she had done in the past. So what if she has been assigned a case that has significant importance in the African-American community....and completely no priority at all within the Bureau. People within the community are dying in particularly gruesome ways....and all signs point to territorial feuds between rival drug gangs. But are they really responsible? Then Angela meets and falls in love with one of the most handsome, eligible bachelors in the District of Columbia....; Trey seems to be the perfect man. Soon Angela discovers that her lover's mentally addled, drug-addicted twin brother Ganneymede is his cross to bear; worse yet, she begins to find connections between Mede and the horrible killing spree. Angela can certainly solve the crimes...but at the possible expense of her relationship. After all...what can be worse than discovering that her boyfriend's brother is a sociopathic killer? What can be worse? Well, Angela's about to find out......
Creepy and suspenseful, I enjoyed the novel. 4 stars only from me as it times I did seem to lose my momentum, confused by the intricacies of the Mayan lore and the DC political lingo. Good debut.


DYB

This novel was a series of twist and turns and it kept you wondering until the very end.....whodunit!! I look forward to reading more novels by Christopher Chambers.

SFTD held my attention from start to finish. The twist and turns were great. Sympathy For The Devil is the perfect title for this book. I truly began to feel sorry for the Williams Brothers. All the pain and turmoil and confusion they grew up with. They didn't know peace and joy, only carnage. I really developed a strong respect for Angela Bivens; Because even amidst the politics and turmoil surrounding this case. She held her position and put it on the line in the name of justice.

I am eagely anticipating the next Angela Bivens thriller