Thursday, August 18, 2011

Murder on the Down Low by Pamela Samuels-Young


A high-profile lawsuit erupts into chaos, revealing its place in a larger spree of violence in this scandalous tale of lust, lies, and vengeance. A brazen gunman is targeting prominent African American men on the streets of Los Angeles, and police are completely baffled. At the same time, savvy big-firm attorney Vernetta Henderson and her outrageous sidekick, Special, lead the charge for revenge against a man whose deceit caused his fianceé's death. For Special, hauling the man into court and suing him for wrongful death just isn’t good enough. While she exacts her own brand of justice, a shocking revelation connects the contentious lawsuit and the puzzling murders.


This is the first book I read by this author, and I must say, it was a very fun one.

It takes off immediately, the plot moving swiftly and with force. The story-line is well thought out, with many side stories that are just as interesting as the main plot. I did not find my attention wavering, not once. The mystery itself is complicated enough to keep the reader guessing, just when we think we might have a clue as to who the murderer is, we realize it can’t possibly be. That’s the most important thing when we’re dealing with this genre, making sure the storyline stays fresh and unpredictable.

The characters are the strongest part of the book. They are believable and lovable, even the extremist, Special, who seems on the verge of hysteria for the majority of the novel. We root for all of them. They are the kind of people we could know in our lives, or maybe even the kind of people we are. Well done.

This is a book that is a fabulous addition to the genre. I will definitely look out for more of her books. If you like a good thriller, then this one is for you.



1 comment:

Gilion at Rose City Reader said...

Thanks for this great review. It looks like a book I'd really like. Although I fear (from the clue in the title), that someone wrote the book I wanted to write -- lady lawyer, snappy sidekick, and some dirty little secrets.