Laws of Depravity

by Eriq La Salle

Overview

"The surprises keep coming in La Salle's twisting debut thriller, in which good and evil aren't always black and white."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

From actor, director, producer, and author Eriq La Salle, comes the first in a heart-pounding crime thriller series. Every ten years, for the past 30 years, a dozen clergymen are killed, brutally murdered in twisted scenes emulating the deaths of Jesus and his disciples. Now, "The Martyr Maker" has set his mark on New York City.

30 years. 36 priests butchered. His bloodiest masterpiece is yet to come.

The Laws of Depravity follows two NYPD detectives and an FBI agent as they race to catch a serial killer before he completes his last cycle of kills and disappears forever.

Clerical transgressions at the heart of Spotlight meets the visceral horror of Thomas Harris's Red Dragon, for a gritty, dark story about of how some of the most trusted members of society fail. The Laws of Depravity raises eye-opening questions about faith when the lines between good and evil have blurred beyond recognition.

Praise for Laws of Depravity:

"Laws of Depravity may be the most engrossing book you read this year, bar none."—Lee Ashford, Reader's Favorites

"...an utterly compelling and riveting thriller with echoes of the dark master, Thomas Harris. Here, La Salle also adds a surprising twist by weaving in a spiritual component that raises the narrative to lofty and thought-provoking levels. It's a wonderful accomplishment."—Leonard Chang, author of Over the Shoulder and Crossings

"Actor and director Eriq La Salle's intense debut is a modern day parable cleverly masquerading as a crime novel. A muscular, gritty and spiritual thriller."—John Shors, bestselling author of Beneath a Marble Sky, Beside a Burning Sea, Dragon House, The Wishing Trees, and Cross Currents

"Laws of Depravity will take you on a heart-pounding ride of vengeance, murder and atonement, never letting you rest until you've reached the final page."—Neal Baer, co-author of Kill Switch and former Executive Producer of "Law and Order S.V.U."

"A gritty crime thriller, spiritual quest, and love story all woven into one compelling tale."—Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728261003
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	11/01/2022
Series:	Martyr Maker , #1
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	101,945
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

ERIQ LA SALLE is an actor, director, producer, and author best known to worldwide television audiences for his portrayal of the commanding Dr. Peter Benton in the award-winning, critically acclaimed medical drama, E.R. He was raised in Hartford, Connecticut, and educated at Juilliard and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Editorial Reviews

The surprises keep coming in La Salle's twisting debut thriller, in which good and evil aren't always black and white. Quincy Cavanaugh and Tavares "Phee" Freeman team up with FBI agent Janet Maclin in the pursuit of a serial killer who's murdered 12 clergymen every 10 years for the past three decades. With the killings set to occur over a limited number of days, the investigators have to move quickly to catch the Martyr Maker before he takes more lives and goes back into hiding. In the process, they discover that he isn't randomly pursuing men of the cloth--he's targeting the ones who use their positions to keep lurid secrets safe, and he believes he's on a mission from God. In addition to the absorbing, fast-paced plot that will keep readers guessing until the end, each wonderfully sculpted character has a distinct, lifelike personality. Some characters aren't who they appear to be, and few escape the story unchanged. Crucial subplots revolving around the main characters' family members and significant others, who struggle with their own demons--like Quincy's brother, who's a priest, and a mother whose son committed suicide on her father's watch--add nuance, making the characters real, vulnerable and flawed. Without skimping on character development in exchange for action, the plot offers catalysts for change while raising spiritual questions and blurring the line between good and evil, which propels the story upward from being merely a solid, entertaining thriller to being a gripping must-read that could have readers pondering right and wrong long after they've finished. A delightfully twisting roller-coaster ride through light, dark and the shades between.

Kirkus Reviews