#bookreview Sue Coletta’s SILENT MAYHEM #suspense #novel #TuesdayBookBlog

Ciao, amici! Another Tuesday, another book review. I’m excited to share my thoughts on the latest installment of Sue Coletta’s Mayhem Series: Silent Mayhem.

Blurb:

Some things in life defy comprehension, but that doesn’t make them any less real. Or deadly.

When a familiar crow drops a cryptic scroll at Shawnee Daniels’ feet, she’s compelled to open it, even though everything in her power warns her not to. Mr. Mayhem—the most prolific serial killer the North Shore has ever known—claims her life is in danger. He “claims” he wants to help her, but just last year he threatened to murder everyone she loves.

While Mayhem taunts her with oddly-placed feathers, like The Creator left at his crime scenes, an interstate killing spree rocks Massachusetts and New Hampshire. A madman is decapitating men and women, dumping their headless corpses on two area beaches. But what Shawnee soon uncovers shatters all she’s ever known, her memories shredded, the whispers of the past in shambles on the ground.

Can she find the strength to move forward, or will the truth destroy her?

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My Review:

★★★★★ Another “Killer” Novel

Sue Coletta has done it again. If you’re a fan of the Mayhem series, you, like me, have been waiting for this book. And you won’t be disappointed.

This is the next installment of the ongoing saga between complicated heroine Shawnee Daniels and Mr. Mayhem, the serial killer who is either trying to help her… or setting a trap for her.

Shawnee is one of my favorite characters. She’s a computer whiz who works for the police, and she’s dating a hot and heroic detective, but she’s also a cat burglar. Doesn’t get more conflicted than that. Except it does. Coletta has given her a mysterious backstory—mysterious to us AND Shawnee. And we finally get to learn more about it. This is a character with more layers than a wedding cake, and all of them are equally delicious.

As much as I love Shawnee, I love Mr. Mayhem more. He’s as disturbed as Hannibal Lecter but we get a lot more of his private life. That makes him, to me, even more fascinating. And if that wasn’t enough, Coletta has managed to link his wife to Shawnee’s history in such a compelling way. I won’t spoil it for you, but you’ve got to see how this all comes together.

The plot, as usual, sets a blistering pace. The last quarter dives pretty heavily into history, which I found moving and thought-provoking. The current mystery is wrapped up, but there’s a fascinating setup for the next book at the end. It has me on the edge of my seat, desperate for more.

If serial killer fiction is your thing, you can’t find better than Sue Coletta. I highly recommend this book—this series—and am eagerly awaiting the next one.