Silent Judgment

by Zaire Crown

When Detroit’s most-feared street executioner, a deaf thug known as Silence, is assigned the unsavory task of protecting a controversial Black conservative, brutal opposing factions, his own personal feelings of revulsion, and a flourishing opioid addiction threaten to bring him to his knees once and for all.

Tapping into the rising tide of right-wing radicalism within the African American community with a ripped-from-the-headlines plot, Zaire Crown’s gritty, intense new urban thriller is perfect for fans of JaQuavis Coleman and Alex Segura alike.

TV news personality Amelia Chess has made her career by being an unapologetic Black conservative who is relentless in her attacks on the liberal left, pro-choice supporters, the LGBTQ community, and scathing in her criticism of her own race. But when two Black cops shoot an unarmed white teen, Amelia’s scorched earth editorial gets her canceled—and she starts receiving death threats.

Silence has no intention of playing bodyguard to a sellout—until the order comes down from the mysterious kingpin he owes a favor. Soon, Silence is spending time with Amelia and her gifted teenage son, Antwon—and starting to understand what lies beneath Amelia’s villainous persona. And once the threats turn real, Silence discovers that Amelia is being targeted by the same militia he escaped as a teen—and their interest in her is just part of a larger, far more dangerous conspiracy.

When an enemy female assassin goes too far, Silence finds himself at the center of a complicated love triangle, battling brutal opposing factions—and fighting the personal demons that could destroy him for good…

304 pages, Paperback

Published January 23, 2024

About the author

Zaire Crown began writing in his early twenties, inspired by his love of horror and suspense novels. A native of Michigan, Crown drew on his urban surroundings to write his first novel, infusing it with the suspense that he loves as well as the crime unfolding in his neighborhood.

(source: Amazon)

Reviews

[Cathy Geha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silent Judgment by Zaire Crown

Action-packed urban thriller that took me out of my comfort zone and landed me once again in a world that I have never visited and probably would not be comfortable. It made me think and wonder and contemplate life in new ways not frequented on a daily basis

What I liked:
* Silence: deaf, deadly, raised in a militant off the grid community, has a difficult backstory, self-aware, bright, complex, intriguing
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* Stepping into a completely different world populated with characters unlike any I have ever met except in pages of books
* That even though dark, gritty, and violent…I could see why actions were taken and why the story progressed as it did
* Thinking about the characters and why they chose to live as they did
* The strength and intelligence of some of the female characters in the story
* Being thankful that I could not see myself as a character in this book…though I was fascinated by them
* Wondering about the conspiracy theories, cults, and secret societies in the world and hoping that the ones in this book don’t exist in real life
* Wondering what Silence will get up to next
* That there will be another book in the series

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Not always understanding all the words that were used by the characters and the frequent use of the “N” word as I have been told it should not be used…ever…
* Having to wait to see what will happen next

Did I like this book? For the most part
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

[Tommy Arvell Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

His writing is impeccable. Ratings aren't even needed. His writing speaks for itself.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is kind of weird. It shines a light on how anyone can be a criminal no matter their limitations.