“As he did most nights, he waited for the ghosts to come. They came without fail, announcing their arrival first by song and tribal chants. “

We meet the main character of the book, Solomon, in a beautiful setting of a botanical garden near the northern tip of Malibu. Here Solomon has found a place of peace and solace as he has worked on restoring the gardens over a period of two years. He spends his days working in the garden, his nights reading all the great writers, and his mornings drinking tea and discussing the books with his employer Tanaka. The peace is shattered, and a hint of his troubled past is revealed as he is forced into violent action to save a small boy Gaby from an attack by the Mexican drug cartel known as the Zetas. This is the start of a chase story, where Solomon and Gaby flee from the Zetas, and try to find shelter. Throughout the chase, the reader learns about Solomons violent past, from his start as a small child in a village in Uganda, as a child soldier, and arriving in America as a teenager and moving through the ranks of various criminal constellations.
The book takes the reader on a journey of discovery, of Salomon and his past, of the people he has met, of his adversary and their reasons for pursuing the child. We travel back in time to see how Salomon grew into the person he is, as well as meeting the people he has interacted with and their reasons for helping him out on the present journey.

At first glance, the book seems to be a straightforward thriller. However, already from the first sentences “As he did most nights, he waited for the ghosts to come. They came without fail, announcing their arrival first by song and tribal chants. “the reader realizes that this will be a very different thriller indeed. It is a book about a journey through time and growth, how a person’s ghosts can shape and guide them towards an end of peace and reconciliation.

I enjoyed the book immensely, as it did keep me guessing on what the story would entail. Getting to know Solomon, was both a scary and an illuminating experience. The language of the book was a pleasure to read, and the author builds a wonderful story by switching between present day and past history for both the main character and the other characters of the story. It builds a complete universe of characters, each with their own flavor and view of the world.

I would recommend this book to anyone, be it an avid thriller addict or someone who prefers literature to give some insight into human nature and personal development. It is a captivating read, and a great journey.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Eriq La Salle has always delivered, whether in his on-screen work (Dr. Peter Benton for life!) or his various entries in the thriller book space. I will continue to be a fan of his and read whatever he puts out.

I want to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a RIDE! I enjoyed this entire book from the beginning to the end. Laws Of Solomon is dark, gritty, action packed and it had me emotional. I loved how we got to know Solomon other than him being a former hit-man/fixer. We got to know his childhood and why it made him the man that he is today. He was trying to leave his past behind but he is once again brought into violence to protect Gaby, I love the dynamic between Solomon and Gaby. Doc Callan is a real one! Cesar Quintero being a perfect villian. He is sooo ruthless. The story kept me engaged and wanting to keep reading. This definitely is a page turner. I loved the other three books in the Martyr Maker series but this one might top my favorite one which is Laws Of Wrath.

Wow! I loved this! I couldn’t put it down and read during every free second I could spare. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

When I saw who this was written by, I had to get on it as a huge fan ER.
I ENJOYED GETTING TO KNOW SOLOMON
I enjoyed the side characters as well. This was not just a regular thriller. It was a story of gross and dealing with your ghost and your past. I love when they do past and present timelines. I would most definitely recommend this.