Reviews for
The Silent Scream
by Betty Sullivan La Pierre

5- STARS

The Silent Scream is number three in Betty Sullivan La Pierre's Hawkman Series. Although this one can be considered a stand-alone mystery, the main character Hawkman makes this a series worthy of backtracking. He has the typical private investigator traits -- skepticism and curiosity, but he's also loyal, intelligent, and compassionate.

Richard lives with his mother far away from the hubbub of the city. He's home schooled and socializing is pretty much nonexistence. After a ride on his cycle, Richard comes home to discover his mother and dog murdered on the kitchen floor. The scene is emotionally gripping, especially since seventeen-year-old Richard is deaf with no one to turn to. His parents' past loving guidance gives him wisdom to get through the crisis, and his pain gives him the courage to investigate his mother's murder on his own. When Hawkman becomes aware of the circumstances he takes up the deaf teen's cause, doing everything possible to keep the state and the police from taking him into custody.

La Pierre writes her deaf characters as lip readers with the ability to speak instead of using sign language. The influence of this choice comes from the BS degree in Speech Therapy she received from the Oklahoma College for Women -- now known as University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. In the OCW college town was the well-known oral deaf school, Jane Brooks School for the Deaf.

The Silent Scream is a clean, gripping mystery with a haunting lead character. The storyline moves smooth and quick. It's a read you won't forget it anytime soon. The three titles in the Hawkman series are The Enemy Stalks, Double Trouble, and The Silent Scream.

~ Brenda S. Weeaks for MyShelf.com

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Seventeen-year-old Richard Clifford already had two strikes against him, his father had died recently, leaving him, and his mother, alone. And he was deaf. But the worst was yet to come.

After a motorcycle ride in the hills, one afternoon, Richard opened the front door, of his home, to find his beautiful mother, and his pet dog, Ruffy, laying in pools of blood on the floor. Both had, had their throats slit.

Richard didn’t know what to do. There was no phone in the house. The Zanker’s ranch was at least ten miles down the hill from the Clifford’s little farm, and the only other person living anywhere near, was an old hermit named Jerome who lived up the hill from them. Both were not home. What could he do other than to try and preserve all the evidence he could, and protect the bodies from predators until help could be found.

And so begins the story of a remarkable seventeen year old, and the people who came forward to help him.

After what to Richard seemed like months, but in actuality was only four days, Herb and Elsie Zanker returned home from a visit with one of their daughters. Herb thought he should take up some supplies to the Cliffords as they were probably running low on things since he and Elsie had been gone longer than they expected. Upon arriving at the Cliffords farm, Herb found out what had happened.

Herb called the police. While the police were examining the scene for evidence, and recovering the bodies of the dog, and Richard’s mother, Tom Casey, Private Investigator, otherwise known as Hawkman by his family and friends, was training the new falcon that his wife, Jennifer, had given him for his birthday in the woods nearby. He soon sees all the commotion up at the farm and decides to go investigate.

Standing in the shadows, and listening to the police talk to Richard, and to Richard’s explanation of what happened, Hawkman decides that this young man needs someone to help him. Otherwise he doesn’t feel that Richard has much of a chance against the legal system at all.

Ms. La Pierre has written a story that you absolutely will not be able to put down. She gets your total attention on the first page, and continues to hold it until you have finished the last page.

Her characters grab all of your emotions, from compassion to complete, and total hatred. I went through whole spectrum. I also went through a box of tissues before I finished the first chapter; it was so compelling.

I can’t recommend THE SILENT SCREAM enough. To miss this wonderful book is something no one should do. You will not forget it even after you have finally put it down. It will stay in your memory for a long time to come.

I can’t wait to read more of Betty Sullivan LaPierre’s books. She is a very talented author, and I am so glad that she has decided to share her talent with the world. Her talent is one that should never be hidden, and she sure displayed it at it’s best in THE SILENT SCREAM.

~Sue Hartigan, Member of RIO
All About Murder Reviews

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A young, deaf teenager returns to his secluded home to find his mother and dog murdered. Now Hawkman and Jennifer must find the killer before the young teenager becomes his next victim!

Richard had no more stepped into the kitchen than he staggered backwards against the door jam. He sucked in his breath as he stared in horror at his mother’s body sprawled on the floor in a pool of blood. And Ruffy’s furry body lay beside her, blood still flowing from the slit in his throat.

In The Silent Scream, by Betty Sullivan LaPierre, Richard Clifford is a self-reliant young man. Suddenly orphaned at seventeen, he is determined to find the killer and avenge the death of his mother and his dog, while maintaining the rustic household by himself. Betty Sullivan LaPierre paints a portrait of a bright and resourceful teenager who has had little contact with the outside world, but quickly learns to take care of himself.

A few days after the murder Richard meets Hawkman, a private investigator who immediately takes an interest in Richard and his case. As Hawkman befriends Richard and starts to investigate, he discovers that Richard is doing some investigating on his own. Richard has found several clues and hidden them, wanting to be the first to uncover the killer so that the chance for revenge is not taken from him. What Richard cannot understand is that the police considered him a suspect. Hawkman’s challenge is to gain Richard’s trust and solve the case before Richard is arrested or gets himself killed going after the murderer alone.

As suspects enter the picture, including a hermit neighbor and a dirty cop who continually harasses Richard, Hawkman contacts Richard’s uncle Joe who is hiding out for reasons that may be connected to the murders. “I owe a good sum of money to a person who used to live in that area. When I started receiving threatening phone calls and Bob’s family got menacing mail, I decided to get the hell out of there.”

The danger to Richard increases as they race to solve the mystery. When they finally figure it out it may be too late to save his life.

In The Silent Scream, author Betty Sullivan LaPierre introduces us to a boy who quickly becomes a man, whose deafness affects his methods, but not his skillfulness in suddenly being on his own. The routines and chores of a lifestyle most of the world has put in the past are constantly intertwined with the suspense and action of trying to find the murderer. Friendships develop and hard lessons are learned as the mystery unfolds.

~ Sandra Yvonne Duke

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