Silent Witness

Rating:
Summary: An excellent thriller intelligently plotted .
Review: My sincere hope is that this will be the first of a series of Dr. Sam books. It was intelligent, well paced and was exciting to the very end. I haven't enjoyed a new author so much as when I 'discovered' Patricia Cornwell. This book is absolutely excellent. I recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys good writing as well as murder mysteries.

Rating:
Summary: The British counterpart to Scarpetta
Review: Northwick, England is stunned when the corpses of Mark James and Frances Purves, containing upside down crosses carved onto the bodies, are found. The police fear that this is only the beginning. East Anglia forensic pathologist Samantha Ryan is added to the investigative team in order to assist the police into what appears to have been ritual killings.

The preliminary evidence points towards nightclub owner, Bird, a dabbler in witchcraft. Bird's fingerprints are found inside the car of one of the victims. Worse yet is the fact that the cord from the doorbell to his club is the murder weapon. The police feel that the case is closed and that they have captured the killer. Samantha is the remaining holdout, who thinks that this was too easy for a clever killer like the one they are trying to apprehend.

SILENT WITNESS is a well-written British police procedural that will please fans of Patricia Cornwell since Samantha seems to be the English Scarpetta. The story line is fun and refreshing even though it is derived from the A & E Mystery Movie series. Nigel McCrery has scribed an engrossing tale that will be devoured by those sub-genre readers who enjoy a novel starring a fabulous forensic pathologist.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Brillant!
Review: When Dr. Sam Ryan is introduced, the strong female pathologist, one is stuck by her coldness. But as the story unwinds so does the inadvertent chill surrounding Dr. Ryan. Her character is the driving force for this mystery, becoming the heroine because she thrives on getting things done the right way.

This novel is well written and hauntingly addicting. The ending clenches the true meaning of the word: surprise.