Ladykiller

Lawrence Light and Meredith Anthony
Oceanview Publishing (2007)
ISBN 1933515058
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (3/07)

I’ve long believed that books – just like medication – should come with warning labels. There are those who will definitely put you to sleep, those that have strange side effects and cause cravings of all kinds, those that do not make a difference and those that will keep you awake for hours. Lawrence Light and Meredith Anthony’s “Ladykiller” definitely fits in the last category.

Four women, four corpses, no clues and no trail to follow. Detective Dave Dillon of the NYPD has to solve the crimes or else he will be looking for a job. During the investigation he meets a beautiful social worker, Megan Morrison. Romance is not far away. Nor is the trouble. Nita, Megan’s mentor and co-worker, is not happy with the way things are developing. Jamie, Dave’s co-worker and a brilliant detective herself, has the hots for Dave. Then the Ladykiller changes his modus operandi. Will Dave solve the crimes? Will his romance with Megan work out? What exactly has he done in the past that his job is hanging on such a thin thread?

The seemingly straightforward story of a ‘Ladykiller’ who kills women from different walks of life has a number of surprising and chilling twists and turns. If you think you have it figured out, think again – and again and again… The novel moves fast, with a pace as frenetic as the scene of it, New York City. It is dark, it is disturbing and above all, very believable. The characters are three dimensional and convincing. The descriptions of some of the less fortunate dwellers of New York City are unsettling and will stay with you for a while.

I found “Ladykiller” to be an enjoyable read, if slightly disturbing. The meanness of New York streets and some of their residents leaves one wanting to take a shower – or a couple of them – of course with lights on and the alarm fully armed. The motivation of some of the characters for their deeds remains slightly unclear to me and I wish some of the questions raised towards the end of the book would be answered fully. As it is, this book in my opinion fairly screams out for a sequel and if one is indeed written, I’ll gladly read it. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes a fast-faced, gritty and harsh crime novel with well developed characters and a gripping story line. This book delivers.

Make comment on weblog