I'm not sure if it is because I came in on book 2 of the series, but Laws of Wrath by Eriq La Salle was A LOT for me. It had way too many characters and viewpoint changes for me to keep track of, and half the time I had no idea what was going on. I think this would make an excellent movie, and since La Salle has done TV, maybe that is what he was going for. There is basically nonstop action which I enjoyed, and there was a religious aspect that I actually found super intriguing even if it also got confusing for me at times.

Listening to the audiobook also may have been part of the issue for me, but the author narrates, and he is FANTASTIC. I loved listening to him, and he clearly knew exactly what he wanted for his audio. The cover is what drew me into the book in the first place and brings up that fun saying that you can't judge a book by its cover. I was expecting a female MC somewhere in here when there really wasn't one. Too many POVs and a confusing plot made Laws of Wrath a bit of a dud for me, but if you enjoy violent storylines with lots of action and characters, you may like this more! And I would definitely read in order if I were you, judging by my own experience.

🌟🌟🌟🌟From the start, reading this book felt like swimming peacefully in the shallow end of a pool and then suddenly slipping into the deep end and struggling to keep afloat.
NYPD Detectives Phee and Quincey are finally about to start enjoying their downtime after wrapping up a serial killer case. Their brief reprieve is interrupted by the murder of Phee’s estranged brother and a series of events that causes them to begin questioning their choice of expert consultant and their family relationships.

This fast paced, gritty story was the first Eriq La Salle for me. I knew his name from watching him on ER when I was a kid, so I was instantly curious about his writing. For me, Mr. La Salle’s writing is just as intense as I remembered his acting.
Mr. La Salle wove in just enough of the first story in this series that I understood the main character’s connections, but not so much that I have the first book on my TBR list. A few scenes towards the end of the story set up the start of the next story.
Each character was written with a complexity that made them relatable in their fallacies and likable in their redeeming qualities.

The 2nd book in this series starts with the brutal killing of transgender prostitute, A.J., who is the brother of series protagonist Phee Freeman.
It continues a plot line started in book #1 and extrapolates it. There is more blood, gore, and satanic/ritualistic killings as the 2 NYPD detectives, Phee & his partner Quincy Cavanaugh, hunt down yet another serial killer.
The action is appropriate for a novel *noir* and the dark mood that permeates fits the plot line.
I especially applaud the author for his handling of A.J.'s funeral and honest portrayal of the Freeman family's feelings before & after her death.

I DNF'd this one at 28%. I wasn't connecting with anything in this book - the plot, writing, characters. It just wasn't working for me. It sounded so intense but i just couldn't get into it.

Laws Of Wrath is now the third book I have read by Eriq La Salle in a row - so it's clear to see that I like what he's writing! I am very firmly grounded in my crime thriller era, and this book absolutely filled that niche for me.

I simply adore the way that La Salle writes. I'm really not sure if I can even actually pinpoint what it is that I love so much about his writing, but if I had to guess I think it's the story line and the plot. But honestly, maybe it is the morally gray characters (and there is a plethora of them)! I'm a sucker for those characters that toe the line between bad and good; the ones that you can side with, although you know what they are doing is "wrong" according to society's standards.

My only complaint is that I noticed at times I had a problem following along with all the characters, but when I stepped back and looked at the book as a whole, this really wasn't a huge issue; I still had a firm grasp on the plot and what was happening.

This ending though - that is one hell of a cliff-hanger! I mean, come on! How am I supposed to wait for another book? When is it coming, and why is it not already in my hands!?

That's all. Please give me the next book in the Martyr Maker series ASAP La Salle!

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the complimentary copy to read and review.

Well this was intense and powerful. This was my first by this author and I had to be in the right mood for it and when I was it worked.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own

I read the first one in the series and found it to be OK but a little too descriptive for my taste. This one was just the same and I couldn't finish it. That being said, this is a fast paced thriller with a good story. It just wasn't for me.

Hello and welcome to another edition of ‘this is the second book in a series and I haven’t read the first book but read this anyway and thought that would be totally fine’ *shrug*

I am a mess and need to stop doing that but here we are (again).

So the beginning of this book was… confusing. But I’m not entirely sure if it was because I haven’t read the first book or just the way it was written?? It starts off with a bang and there’s a murder every chapter for the first few but I didn’t know who anyone was and couldn’t figure out if I was supposed to care about them or not?

So that was fun. I very much think it was a me problem though and it probably would’ve helped to read the first book but I proceeded anyway. (As I do, apparently.) Once this got going though and I figured out what was going on and who to root for (and the timeline since the flashback chapters weren’t labeled as such), this was EXCELLENT!!!

It’s definitely a well plotted thriller! And, honestly, the ending just made up for all the confusion at the beginning??? It had me absolutely shrieking and lowkey crying that the next book isn’t immediately available. What a way to end with an absolute BANG!

So I would definitely be interested in continuing with this series (and going back and reading this first book, haha). I had a bit of a rocky start with this (again, a me problem) but once this got going, it really got going!!! What an excellent read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Between the narrative style, grit, and graphic descriptions, this one ended up not being a good fit for me, and I didn't feel an affinity for the characters.

Thanks so much to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an advance copy. Review opinions are my own.

holy hell this book was AH-MAZING! I did not realize it was the second in a series when I requested the ARC and I will definitely be going back to read the first and will be continuing the series as well! The first chapter is how you start a book! It was shocking and engaging and just from that I knew I would love the book! The shocks and the twists just kept coming!

The 2nd book in this series starts with the brutal killing of transgender prostitute, A.J., who is the brother of series protagonist Phee Freeman.
It continues a plot line (and unsolved murder) started in book #1 and extrapolates it. There is more blood, gore, and satanic/ritualistic killings as the 2 NYPD detectives, Phee & his partner Quincy Cavanaugh, hunt down yet another serial killer.
The action is appropriate for a novel *noir* and the dark mood that permeates fits the plot line.
I especially applaud the author for his handling of A.J.'s funeral and honest portrayal of the Freeman family's feelings before & after her death.

La Salle certainly does not pull any punches when it comes to his books.
Where the strength lies is in the character development. You get enough of your casts backstories to really appreciate why they are the way they are in the present time frame. You don't really question why characters behave the way they do.
As far as the storytelling…
This second installment pulls from almost too many aspects. While pulse-pounding, the story becomes too busy to build a lot of suspense. Even though your using things like drug running, gangs, revenge plots and the like, you’re boxing yourself in to so many outcomes. I found myself figuring out where the story was going long before we got there.

This is a fast paced multi layered police procedural- I really enjoyed the honest and gritty writing style as well as the overall dark themes. It gave me “Gangs of New York” vibes which is one of my favorite movies. I loved the satanic/religious duology that was an undercurrent to the story.

I didn’t realize this is technically book two in a series. You don’t need to read the first one to understand, but I would have liked the character development and I think I will need to read it before book three to get caught up.

There are multiple POVs that were sometimes a little challenging to keep track of, and tonsssss of layers to the story. My favorite part of the plot line was the fact that the reader knows who the killer is fairly early on- which means most of the book I was trying to figure out how the author was going to trick me (and he sure did).

The detectives end up working with a prisoner to help solve the murder of one of the detective’s brother. I loved that. That was such a unique twist.

Big cliffhanger at the end- can’t wait to read the next book.

I stopped reading after 35 pages. I just did not connect with the characters or with the plot of this book. It was not for me.

In Eriq La Salle's "Laws of Wrath," NYPD detectives Phee Freeman and Quincy Cavanaugh investigate a series of ritualistic murders that become increasingly complex and twisted. The book hooks the reader from the very first page with a gruesome murder, and the depth and complexity of the characters adds an emotional depth to the story. The inclusion of a Satanic cult in the plot creates a sense of foreboding and unease, and the author's mastery of descriptive language immerses the reader in the story. However, the graphic language and brutal atrocities may be hard to stomach for some readers.

While the violence in "Laws of Wrath" was hard to stomach at times, the book is a must-read for fans of the crime thriller genre. La Salle's attention to detail and research into police investigations adds authenticity to the story, and his sharp and precise writing style keeps the reader engaged. The depth and complexity of the characters, as well as the inclusion of a Satanic cult, add layers of intrigue and suspense. Overall, "Laws of Wrath" is a gripping and well-crafted novel that explores the human psyche and the lengths people will go to protect those they love.

NYPD detectives Phee and Quincy team up with FBI SA Maclin to look for answers about the murder of Phee's estranged sibling AJ in this fast paced and violent thriller. There's a fair amount of gruesome detail here as the team looks into a satanic cult and shadows from the past,. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. LaSalle knows to end each chapter with a bit of a cliff hanger to keep you turning the pages.

I would like to start off this review by thanking Mandy from Sourcebooks and Poisoned Pen Press for sending me this ARC! Let's dive in!

NYPD detectives Phee and Quincy are the dream team. When Phee's estranged brother is murdered, they take on the investigation together. They are joined by FBI agent Maclin and what they find out about A.J.'s murder is that this is no isolated event. This is something darker and deeply entwined with other victims, cult leaders, and deeply ritualistic.

I'm not going to lie, I almost didn't finish this one. But, I am so glad I did. The whole time I was reading this one, I had this sense of dread overcoming me. It literally was giving me anxiety. This story is very atmospheric and scary. This book truly is the definition of having you sit on the edge of your seat. The detail put into this thriller was so well done. I don't want to give too much away but this feels slow to start but once you get into it, its so worth it. I liked that we were given so many different character point of views. I loved the character development within Phee. Most of the book, I did not like Phee. I thought he was kind of a jerk but learning more about him and he definitely made a come back in the end. Also....I'm gonna need another book because I have to know more about the side story with Quincy and his brother Liam!

The major reason I gave this book four stars was because of some of the tough language in this made it difficult for me to read. Also, the misrepresentation of the Satanism was bothersome. People who practice satanism aren't out to seek revenge and kill people. Their religion is actually based more on science and understanding of the universe. I wish it was made a little more clear that people who practice satanism aren't evil and the people in the book were just evil, and portrayed satanism in the wrong light.

Again, thank you Mandy Chalal at sourcebooks and poisoned pen press for sending me this ARC!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This one really grabbed me at first with the shock value and gorey descriptions. Unfortunately the grit was more than I could handle. This may be good for those who love a lot of action and grit. I could not get past it. DNF at 27%

His father has a very shady past but now is a prominent figure in New York City, he was a football player who became an NYPD detective, and his forgotten brother is gay and works the NYC streets. He fears becoming a violent man like his father and is afraid to open up to the ones he loves and let them see who he really is. Everything starts to change when his brother is found violently killed, Phee realizes he did not know his brother because of his preconceived ideas that made him put a lot of distance between them. The search for the killer brings the involvement of a Satanic cult leader and an incredible development of actions that might lead to the death of most of those involved. Great story, and plot, is fast-paced, and well written that accurately describes how NYC was in the '70s. A must-read for lovers of the genre!

The Laws of Wrath starts out at breakneck speed and doesn't let up until the end. Combining corruption, satanic occultism, extreme violence and revenge, it's up to Detectives Phee Freeman and Quincy Cavanaugh to figure out if the bodies piling up are random, an act of an occult, or if revenge is at hand.
When Phee Freeman's transgender brother dies at the hand of a sadistic murderer, Phee's own need for revenge is ignited. The tale of what and why is happening covers multi-generations and many characters that can be a bit confusing. This is book two of the Martyr Maker series but can be read as a stand alone.

**The action is heavy as is the violence and readers need to be forewarned it is not an easy read.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for access to an early e-copy. All opinions are my own.