Red Scream

Rating:
Summary: Creepy and fantastic!
Review: I enjoyed this book so much I went out and bought every book I could find by this author. So far, I've read two books and just recently found out about another title. She's a winner. The awards were justified in my opinion!

Rating:
Summary: Lacklustre
Review: I have to say I am surprized by the glowing reviews that this book has previously received on Amazon - disapointed too as I bought the book on the strength of them. That will teach me!

The Red Scream is not a bad book it is simply nothing special. Yet another pseudo-femminist heroine of a certain age, with a boring relative (daughter) for padding.

Each chapter is introduced by a deliberately bad poem (by the "arch-villain") which is of no relevance to what immediately follows (that I can see) and has, therefore, no validity stylistically or otherwise. And the constant harping on about "the red scream" itself? I got it the first time. It didn't need hammering home!

The cover design is cheap and nasty and the cover blurb is ludicrous - "One of the creepiest killers since Hannibal Lecter"??? I think not!

It reads like a crime story by numbers. The kind of safe, formulaic fiction that publishers churn out when they want a safe bet .

Disappointing.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, fast reading, engaging book
Review: I loved Mary Willis Walker's writing style. I couldn't put the book down. Excellent mystery.

Rating:
Summary: I liked it a lot. Great Texas stuff.
Review: I ordered several Edgar Award winners about ten years ago and this was one of them. I began reading it and never thought about not finishing it. Damn good one. Mary Walker was shining here. I haven't read any of her others. I'm sure they're also excellent.

Rating:
Summary: OK but not a page turner
Review: I really liked parts of this book. The premise was good, and I thought the heroine and the killer on death row were good characters. I did not like some of the interpersonal exchanges between Molly and her ex, Molly and her daughter, Molly and the D.A., Molly and most of the suspects. The dialogue just did not ring true and I didn't "believe" in what was happening. Whatever suspense was built up seemed to keep fizzling out. I thought the ending was rushed and a bit of a disappointment. The killer ended up as almost a joke, and Molly didn't actually solve the crime. Don't know if I'd read any more in this series. Probably only if I was completely out of other options.

Rating:
Summary: Gripping plot, fast pace, believable characters.
Review: I thought this was a great book--suspenseful, plenty of twists and turns, and a very likeable and complex protagonist in Molly Cates. It cracks me up that other reviewers complained that the ending is far-fetched. This is what the mystery genre is--if the butler didn't do it we'd be disappointed! Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A well writen,very believable page turning thriller
Review: In my opinion, a great thriller is one that it composed of a realistic storyline and memorable charecters. This book fits this mold to a tee. Red Scream is a very well written novel with real charecters and a plot that keeps the reader hooked to it's pages. If you are a fan of the "psychological thriller" this book will not let you down. So spend the six dollars,find yourself a comfortable seat,and enjoy the ride of Red Scream.

Rating:
Summary: Akin to the Green Mile
Review: Louie Bronk, a serial killer confesses to (among other things) the murder of a Austin Socialite Tiny McFarlan. Crime journalist Molly Cates dives into the mystery and produces her first "true crime book" - already headed for the best seller list. Bronk is now scheduled for execution, and Molly is attempting to write the final chapter in the story for her magazine. But when the second Mrs. McFarlan is discovered murdered in copy-cat style, Molly begins unraveling the tale she has written and believed to be true. Mary Willis Walker is a master of characterization and suspense, and uses lots of Texas landmarks. The interaction between Molly, her daughter and ex-husband will leave you howling; the visit with the governor was so real I felt I was there. The crazy day at the junk yard is astonishing - to say the least. Beware this book is not afraid of making political and religious judgments which will be sure to make some folks uncomfortable, but it is a spectacularly well written story and I hugely enjoyed the unabridged audiotape.

Rating:
Summary: Akin to the Green Mile
Review: Louie Bronk, a serial killer confesses to (among other things) the murder of a Austin Socialite Tiny McFarlan. Crime journalist Molly Cates dives into the mystery and produces her first "true crime book" - already headed for the best seller list. Bronk is now scheduled for execution, and Molly is attempting to write the final chapter in the story for her magazine. But when the second Mrs. McFarlan is discovered murdered in copy-cat style, Molly begins unraveling the tale she has written and believed to be true. Mary Willis Walker is a master of characterization and suspense, and uses lots of Texas landmarks. The interaction between Molly, her daughter and ex-husband will leave you howling; the visit with the governor was so real I felt I was there. The crazy day at the junk yard is astonishing - to say the least. Beware this book is not afraid of making political and religious judgments which will be sure to make some folks uncomfortable, but it is a spectacularly well written story and I hugely enjoyed the unabridged audiotape.

Rating:
Summary: Get this book!! Fast paced, great suspense, intriguing plot.
Review: Mary Willis Walker is a captivating author. Her plots are refreshingly original and smart. This book will sweep you away and not let you go.