The Conspiracy of Silence

by Augustine Sam

From the Editors' Choice Award-winning poet & the 2015 Book Award "hypnotic" political thriller... with an epic courtroom showdown.The conscience of a town steeped in sexism, vanity, and hypocrisy is pricked by the brutal murder of a mysterious woman in a park in Los Angeles. The shock is transformed into a steamy, seductive scandal when the body turns out to be that of Susan Whitaker, the flamboyant wife of the governor of California. Soon, a dazzlingly intricate shuffle of volatile links leads the police to the delicate theory of secret lover/blackmailer, and to the indictment of Benjamin Carlton, Hollywood's most influential black celebrity. Then curious things begin to happen when Carlton's ambitious girlfriend, Rita Spencer, suddenly unearths the shocking secret that Susan Whitaker did not, in fact, exist. Little does anyone realize that this colossal fraud is a mere curtain raiser to a chilling world of ugly skeletons dating back to the assassination of a U.S. senator in a Washington hotel sauna, skeletons connected to riveting sex scandals in high places, skeletons the FBI and political kingmakers will kill for...

330 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2015

About the author

Augustine Sam is a journalist by profession, a novelist by choice, and a poet by chance. A bilingual writer and an award-winning poet, he writes, not only hard news but literary works as well.

Before becoming a multi-genre author, he fell in love with poetry the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once. He was the winner of the Editors’ Choice Award in the North America Open Poetry Contest. His poems have been published in international anthologies, including "Measures of the Heart" & "Sounds of Silence."

His poetry collection: "Flashes of Emotion" was the 2015 finalist in the International Book Award Contest.

To learn more about the author visit his website or join him on Facebook & Twitter

Reviews

[Pamela Canepa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Conspiracy of Silence is a political crime thriller, with protagonists and villains who are not what they seem; a whole cast of characters who are not what they seem surprised and delighted me. This is the overall impression that sticks with me, and it is why I would recommend this book to those who enjoy the genre.
The action and unfolding of these (metaphorically) masked characters mostly occurs about halfway through the book, so getting to the 50% mark involved a convoluted plot and set-up. I, at times, found myself turning back a few pages to make sure who the focus was on, because, while it is told in third- person POV, we are given a glimpse into the thoughts of many different characters through the book: that of Carlton (the accused), Rita (the lawyer), an FBI agent, mob goons, and more. That in itself is not horrible, it just requires a reader to be on their toes, much like the books of James Patterson.
There are many plot twists that occur right up to the end of the novel, and I found that they were well done. It does seem like the book could benefit from some more editing, and while the author seems to have a splendid vocabulary, some of these impressive words were repeated just too often. Still, this was eclipsed by the action and intrigue offered here. I was entertained and glued to the book for the whole last half.

[Alexandra Engellmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Augustine Sam has written a creative political thriller full of twists and surprises. What starts as a murder mystery with the Governor’s wife’s body found in the park, soon turns into something so much bigger, involving the ‘big people’s’ sex scandals and secret lovers. The main character Rita has to untangle the complicated case in order to save the man she loves.
The characters’ integrity and entertaining personalities made this book so much better than your ordinary crime thriller. I could see the work that the author had put into this story, and how well-developed its every aspect was. Another thing that I’d like to mention is the action. The author’s writing style truly unfolded there, painting vivid and dynamic images.
Despite the fact that I’m not a huge thriller fan, and not into politics, I enjoyed this book and read it in two days because of how gripping it was. I would recommend it to any thriller fan, but especially, to those interested in a strong female character.
*I received a free copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review

[Teresa Kander · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a remarkable story with many twists and turns. In the beginning, it is a bit confusing as it bounces between characters and scenes. As the story continues, however, all of the pieces start to fit together, and the plot makes perfect sense.

The characters are very well-developed, and the integrity of the main character is obvious while her personality is entertaining and fun. The action of the story is told in vivid and dynamic word pictures.

If you're looking for a good mystery/thriller, with an incredibly strong female character, this is definitely the book for you!

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Whitaker (Alfred’s wife/mother, attorney) worked for Marty Hepburn & Associates.
She is married to Governor Alfred Whitaker Sr. (CA.), & they have a son Alfred Jr. Whitaker.
Manuel Ernesto Rodriguez Bel Air, CA. mansion, & Bruce Travis (former FBI Academy instructor) were discussing her knowledge about the ALTAMA blood covenant diary.

Grillo (android assassin), & Flick (android assassin) were sent to look into her legal affiars.
Detective Brent Greenberger (LAPD homicide, husband/father), & Detective Paul Wilder (LAPD homicide), had went to the crime scene of the Glennon Park murder.
Joseph Lancaster (LAPD fingerprint expert) had also been there.
Who was the deceased female.
Jimmy Miles (park guard, gay) had came to the station with more information.
Benjamin “Benji” Carlton (AA, TV star, Rita’s BF, Beverly Hills, CA. penthouse) & Rita Spencer (George’s stepdaughter, Marty Hepburn law firm, defense lawyer) were discussing the predicament Benji was in.
Nick Plummer (CBS news anchor 60 Minutes) was making a media hay-day over this trial.
As was Alec Walsh (journalist, L. A. Times magazine).

Grillo & Flick were lurking around in the shadows.
What happened to Senator Douglas?
What does Senator Fred Miller (Liz’s husband) know?
FBI Special Agent Theo Silverman had called Rita’s cell & told her Leland Gates had been ran over & was seriously hurt & in George Washington University Medical Center (Washington, D.C.) in a coma.
Just so happens Bruce Travis (Camp Peary, CIA spy) was on the plane sitting beside Rita.
FBI Special Agent Tracy Hawn & FBI Special Agent Theo Silverman were outside Bruce’s room (# 31). Martha (AM nurse) was checking his vitals. Betty (afternoon-duty nurse) took over.
Day 1 LA County Courthouse. People vs. Benjamin Carlton. Benji is accused of murder.
Casey Jordan (DA, prosecution) & Rita Spencer (defense) introduction to the Judge Nelson Dole.
65 Jury selections.
Later during the trial BOOM! Rita’s house was in shambles.
PO Randy had managed to save her. She was quickly taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Dr. Clive Denton (orthopedic surgeon) had arrived at the George Washington University Medical Center to see Leland Gates.
Much later Rita was taken from the LA Sports Club (Sepùlveda Blvd.) by Matt, Peggy (clone) Erik, & David then promptly taken to the Hotel Mondrian where she met with FBI director Gary Nash (J. Edgar Hoover Bldg., Washington, D.C.). He gave her a ultimatum!
Rita is now meeting with Governor Whitaker.

Is there a possibility the jurors wefre being tampered with, intimidatd or threatened?
Casey; Ladies & gentlemen of the jury… The prosecution rests, your Honor.
Rita; Ladies & gentlemen, unlike my colleague…The defense would like to connect via satellite live to Sacramento, CA…

What was the Benji’s final verdict?

& yes it is a conflict of interest!

Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. Wow, a very well written mysterious murder scandle book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great who-dun-it murder mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued? A very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Author; AuthorSuite Books; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 5 out of 5]

With exquisite and impeccable writing skills, Augustine Sam offers readers a scandalous tale just as extravagant as the O.J. Simpson case. The Conspiracy of Silence tells the story of defense lawyer Rita as she slowly uncovers the hidden skeletons in the closet. Holding a key piece of evidence that needs to be deciphered by those who know of its existence, Rita doesn't realize the trouble that she's about to stir up. Caught in the middle of a storm involving highly ranked individuals and media superstars, the story sends reader on a roller coaster ride filled with twists and turns. Rita inclines on her sly and cunning skill set to help demystify a career changing case and seek freedom of the accused, also her lover.

Augustine Sam honed an incredible talent with words. There isn't a crime thriller tale out there that indubitably has the reader embrace the scenes told in the story so vividly. In fact, the story doesn't lack descriptions and pulls it's advantages from it. Every sentence is bound to add new vocabulary to your arsenal too. The details to every action facilitates readers ability to imagine scenes and play the whole adventure in their heads without any problem. This does come with some downside. Graced with a magnificent writing talent and sense of poetic touch, some events could've benefited of some raw and straight-forward description. Only Augustine Sam can discretely insert "sauntered lackadaisically" into his work without hesitating on the readers knowledge of such a disturbingly long and scary expression.

Originality is somewhat rare to achieve in crime thrillers cause of the enormous amount of pieces done in the genre. However, The Conspiracy of Silence manages to capture some really entertaining scenes with the help of greatly constructed characters. Far from being one-dimensional, the characters in this story are all pertinent and compelling. From Rita to FBI agents, you can easily conceive every characters personality and indulge their thoughts and actions. What's truly appreciated is the fact that we can distinguish what drives every character. There's nothing better to see in a story than the motives of characters. This definitely helps make characters realistic and not so far-fetched. As if great characters weren't enough, the story delivers plenty of thrilling moments and keeps on intriguing readers. As you read, you're always prompted to guess if any of the characters are the potential killer everyone is looking for. Even better, the novel has the reader doing the same job as the protagonist; scavenging the truth through evidence and seeking the innocence without doubt of the defendant.

A creative, beautifully-written and thrilling story. That is what Augustine Sam has written. The story plays a lot on silence and the author doesn't miss the opportunity to mention that very word here and there for readers to unconsciously linger on. It's as if every time there's a scene involving silence, readers could feel it for themselves through one word instead of a long description. Although the vocabulary could sometimes feel heavy and some events felt a little dragged around, this story is definitely worth your time and could serve as a great opportunity for anyone to explore a mystery thriller story while improving their own vocabulary tenfold.

Yours truly,

Lashaan,

Lashaan & Trang | Bloggers and Book Reviewers
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com

[Tracy Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This relentless story, intricately crafted by Augustine Sam, will satisfy the most demanding thrill-seeker. The Conspiracy of Silence is tantamount to a roller coaster ride with backspins, loop-de-loops, and enough double-dealing to make your head explode, smiling in glee even as you gasp for breath.
Augustine Sam has created a fast-paced mystery/legal thriller that douses the reader with droplets of water until the details, characters, and seedy liaisons submerge the reader so that s/he swims alongside Rita Spencer, the beleaguered attorney defending Hollywood movie star, Benjamin Carlton, who just happens to be her boyfriend. He may also be guilty as sin.
If Benjamin Carlton, the accused, is going to have any kind of a future, an acquittal won't be enough--she must prove he's innocent.
Rita is thrown into deep, tumultuous waters and survives by coming to surface for quick, darting breaths of air. She plays the mob against the FBI, eludes assassins, and tricks traitors. This firecracker-female is a force of nature who can drive her powerful enemies to their knees. She's smart, she's brave. She's sexy as hell.
Sam's tale of the mob's tenacious grip on American politics is bared in some of the best courtroom scenes ever written. By the time the book is finished, you know our author still has an ace or two still up his sleeve. The only question is how will Rita play her next hand?
Exciting. Gripping. Go read it. Now.

[Adelise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A political crime thriller that seems true to life.
An elusive killer takes his last victim and opens up a can of worms that is set to have you guessing to the very end.
The killer's last victim turns out to be the effervescent wife of the governor of California and with her death comes along a set of unforeseen problems that stretches from Megastars to the mob.
The Conspiracy of silence is a very well thought out piece of work. The plot is solid and the writing is intelligent.
It seemed to jump around from character to character a little, but soon I was able to settle into it and just enjoy this read.
With enough intrigue, action and dirty dealings to keep any crime fan happy, I recommend reading this book.

[Michael Mardel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The conspiracy of silence by Sam is a well-thought out, beautifully-written book. The very beginning is almost poetic with memorable scenes. It's a murder mystery and a trial and into this is woven a feisty female, a defence counsellor by the name of Rita. She is the main protagonist and we are very slowly shown the cards she holds to her chest. There is a diary in the mix and gangsters with a twist at the last sentence. It's a love affair with Carlton whose trial it is. Can Rita pull a rabbit out of the hat and save him?

[Bradley Knox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Augustine Sam has crafted a phenomenal piece of work in The Conspiracy of Silence. He doesn't hold back on detailing every angle of a criminal case. His title sums up the focus of this novel. He shows readers the intense depths that one will go to silence those who threaten to peep the truth or just hint of it. This book proves that there is a dark underworld more powerful than any law set in place for man to follow. Sam is a remarkable writer. Five stars.

[Emma Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Conspiracy of Silence is a really gripping thriller of a novel. At the beginning it took a little while to figure how who the main characters were and what was going on. It was definitely a mystery type story where you don’t see what is going to happen coming. I had a lot of surprising twists and it was a very fast read because I didn’t want to put it down while reading it. Crime thrillers are not typically my cup of tea, but this one was really entertaining and I would highly recommend it to anyone, not just fans of the genre. It had a good and steady pace throughout and while it did have a lot going on I think it wrapped up well! Great job to the author!!!

[Katharine Coggeshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story with cerebral engagement, I thought this book was fun to read. I like how the author pulled me into his world with descriptions and an appetizing array of vocabulary. It's not easy to design a plot that can't be predicted and characters with unexpected aspects, but this author has done just that.

[Rakhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Conspiracy of Silence is an engaging and exciting cliffhanger. With swiveling twists in every alternate chapters, the book make the readers engage the tip of the seats in excitement and anxiety .

The character of Rita Spencer is crafted with astute perfection. A woman with high self respect, smartness, brilliance, style, compassion, impetuous and sincerity; she grabs the spotlight from numerous characters hovering around the story-line.

Another well crafted character is that of Susan Whitaker whose presence is felt all over the story without being there.

Rita's boyfriend Carlton is framed of the murder but was he completely innocent? Well that has to be seen!! His character is portrayed as the Superstar but his inability to save his own neck makes him more of a sissy who hid behind Rita for proving his innocence. At several points, we forgets him completely.

The Characters of Leeland, Bruce, Tacy, Theo, Rodriguez, Talbot, Grove, Flick, Grill, Hepburn etc are created with the perfection of a sculptor. The author has done maximum justice in creating his characters. Glennon Park, where Susan was murdered, was also present all over the story giving the feel of a character.

The plot is really interesting. It keeps the reader engaged and the author has succeeded in inducing the curiosity in the reader. It's indeed a page turner.
Another important quality of the book is the language. Every line exudes perfect language,grammar and vocabulary. The cover page is also perfect and gels with the scenario.


Only negative depictions is that of a disguise by just using a contact lens and hair color. In this era where practically everyone uses contact lenses and hair colors, is it possible to impersonate with them?? Well, I will leave it to the readers. The love between Rita and Carlton failed to create sparks except for the fact that Rita selflessly embraced danger to help him.

All in all The Conspiracy of Silence is a perfect thriller which maintains suspense till the end and the icing on the cake would be the revelation of The Shadow of death.
AND YES, IT HAS A MOVIE MATERIAL TOO

[Payal Sinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The conspiracy of silence is a great thriller with interesting twists and turns. Actually, initially I found the story a bit boring as it fluctuated between different scenes and characters and i was unable to know who was the real protagonist of the story. There is also a bit of confusion for people who have not read the excerpt since many characters seem to be thrown at once. But, as the story advances, clarity starts coming in and with it the brilliance of the tale is visible.
For me the story really started getting interesting when Carlton unfolds his past in front of his lawyer/girlfriend Rita. From their the story take off like an airplane touching new avenues in the clouds. Rita is a surprise element and her character has been well shaped . She is the embodiment of a modern woman- beautiful, stylish, independent, career oriented, intelligent, intuitive, loving and thoughtful. So, it comes as a surprise how she chose Carlton who although rich, handsome and famous lacks the intelligence that Rita naturally possesses. He lacks humor and is manipulative and it seems weird that Rita got affected by him.
However, the story is not about Rita and Carlton but about a terrible scandal and its associated danger. The conspiracy is silence in a high developed, complicated, nail biting suspense thriller with a gripping story line which I enjoyed reading and would recommend to every suspense lover.

[Danielle Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Conspiracy of Silence by Augustine Sam is absolutely a must have for every reader's list. Inside this head spinning tale, readers are taken deep into a political web of lies, danger, and murder. Readers will see what happens when a lawyer goes to the extreme to save her high profile boyfriend's life from a crime he didn't committ. But as with all nests...buried for keeps, the wasps will come outof hiding to protect what they don't want found.

Augustine Sam is a talented writer. The plot is fast-paced and one of the most intriguing cases that readers will come across in fiction. This is one thrill ride readers won't be forgetting any time soon. Suspense hangs deep on every page...the chacarters are perfect for this novel. Well-developed and will keep readers guessing...

For readers who love action, danger, and crime...this is the perfect read for you. The scenes that Augustine Sam has created for readers' enjoyment are vivid and detailed. The Conspirarcy of Silence will play like a live motion picture for readers with every turned page. I enjoyed reading this well-written story and look forward to reading more by this writer in the future. Overall, I highly recommend this scandalous read to all.

[Diana Febry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommend to fans of political thrillers.
The murder of the Governor of California's attractive wife throws up all sorts of problems for politcians, the FBI and the mob. A local celebrity is charged with the murder. His Defence Attorney, Rita becomes a target when she discovers a diary and the true identity of the murdered woman.
Despite a complicated plot I was able to follow the developments. The story is made more complex by the web of lies to cover past secrets, the FBI and the Mob bugging each other and the existence of a mole within the FBI. All quite "cloak and dagger" stuff. I won't ruin the plot but although when the identity of the murderer is revealed it was a shock it also made perfect sense.
A lot of information is given through dialogue and I did find I had to concentrate fully to keep up with the story. I found it an interesting read but the suspense didn't build as well as it could have done. My one main niggle was the use of characters talking to themselves on several occasions to explain situations, especially as they were all placing bugs in rooms!
Overall a well constructed political thriller with all the subterfuge, lying and corruption you'd expect from this genre.

[J.B. Trepagnier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I normally enjoy stories like this and there were things I did and didn't like about this novel.

I liked some of the general story line and the twists, but I also grew up reading a series involving FBI agents, police officers, and investigators. Maybe that kind of set my expectations going into reading this. Both the FBI and mobsters in this novel appear to bumble through it and can't keep track of one woman. Someone dies almost right in front of other agents by getting killed by someone in costume and make up. The mob appears to not be able to carry out a simple assassination, though there is a twist that is left open that they could have at the end.

Another thing I found odd, and I'm not sure if it's a personal writing choice, was that a LOT of people in this novel talk to themselves. I'm not sure if the intent was to show them talking inside their heads, but it's written in dialog quotes as if the person cried out loud when they are alone in the room. I found that a little strange with the amount of people who either knew, or didn't know that their rooms were being bugged.

All that aside, it was a good story and I enjoyed the twists towards the end

[Charles Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a sexy young lawyer’s boyfriend, a high profile celebrity, is charged with murdering the flamboyant wife of California’s governor, she will go to any lengths to prove his innocence. Rita Spencer finds herself, though, pitted against some very powerful people in The Conspiracy of Silence by Augustine Sam, and when she discovers that the dead woman was a fake, she finds herself in the crosshairs of people who will do anything to protect certain deadly secrets.
A gutsy, gritty novel that exposes Hollywood’s less than glamorous underside, and reveals what really goes on in DC’s corridors of power. With the exception of a few odd indentations in the e-Book version, which I received a free copy of in exchange for my unbiased review, there’s really little not to like about this novel. It starts on a pretty high note, and screams its way to a most satisfying climax.

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this from the author for an honest review.

The novel begins with The Shadow of Death; a hitman stalking his latest victim and a police officer pays a visit to a mobster to find out if he had anything to do with it.

The story then changes and we meet Rita; a 3rd year attorney who is investigating the murder of the Governor of California's wife, as she believes her boyfriend is being framed for it.

I found this quite difficult to get into and rather slow. I personally couldn't work out where the plot was going and I didn't think there were enough hints to keep me interested. There were times when I felt a bit more description or insight was needed.

Overall a well thought out and very well written story, just not for me.

[T.L. Coulter · Rating 4 out of 5]

What lengths would you go through to save the man you love? That's what Augustine Sam shows us in The Conspiracy of Silence. I like to read a good mystery novel every now and then, and this one did not disappoint. The story follows a defense lawyer named Rita, who must work against time to save her boyfriend Carlton, who is on trial for murder. This story is full of plot twists and corruption, so if you like mystery and suspense, then the Conspiracy of Silence is the book for you...

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great and reminded me of the Law and Order TV shows I love so much. I was excited to read this book because I have read books by this author before I like this author. I think this book is great. You should check it out if you like Law and Order too! * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

[Brent Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled with this one a little to start with, as the author had somewhat unconventional writing style, that being said once I got past that I found myself enjoying the story.

There is a large cast of characters and the plot is detailed and engaging.

Worth a read.

[Robin Peacock · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you open a book and the introduction describes a killer, a victim, a suspect and a lawyer, you would expect them all to feature in the book. Not so in this rather contrived novel. The murderer stalks the city of Angels killing at will and with enough skill that he or she is never seen much less caught. Then...pfft! He's gone, from the scene and the book. We have a dead woman who is not at all what she seems to be but we never really find out who she is or was but then we discover that it does not really matter; she is simply a dead woman, which is enough. We have a young apprentice lawyer who is old beyond her years who outsmarts everyone in the book, even herself. And of course, we have a suspect who is as contrived as the overall plot.
The story is a pot-boiler whodunnit with a slow build-up to the trial, a red herring of a diary that appears to have no relevance to the story but is worth killing and dying for and a bunch of amateur FBI agents and even more amateur assassins. We also have a mysterious cartel but no real explanation of what they are up to save they are guilty of inspiring silence!
Without going into the detail of the plot, or lack thereof, I was grossly put off by the unendingly tedious use of unnecessary and awfully pointless adverbs. Here are a small sample of just a very few of them;... and blue suede shoes turned slowly as reporters,... he recorded a video of Rita’s first encounter with the Californian press gently??? when she started down the staircase slowly,... sight of Rita walking gracefully away from the courthouse,... Flick slapped him lightly on the shoulder, .... She glanced searchingly,... Frowning, she walked slowly,... walking at a leisurely pace, ... Walking haughtily,... Bruce reached quietly, ...Leland inhaled deeply and,... he watched Rita calmly,... receptionist who smiled, shyly.... Pausing dramatically, he gazed toward,... As her head whirled confusedly,... She clasped her leather handbag gently,... Standing quietly beside her, ... The D.A. rose gracefully,... he stood gallantly in front of the jury,... He puckered his face when Rita rose benignly to her feet....Bruce rose slowly,... making his way stealthily toward the,... watching him disinterestedly.... as it swirled grossly toward the roof of the car, etc, etc, etc!
The breathless, 'Golly, Gosh, Fellow' manner of speech is befitting a thirteen-year-old who has yet to learn how to talk in an adult manner and eschews the use of profanity. Have you ever heard anyone say, Gosh or Golly? No, neither have I. People talk out loud in a room where they have just found a bug? How dumb is that? “My ward has been bugged; the men of ALTAMA have been listening to our conversation. Gosh! I’m as good as dead.” and sure enough, a few pages later, he's dead! Several people talk out loud, cry, moan or exclaim when they are alone. It just does not happen.
Technically, the author has a safety catch on a revolver, he has no idea of Miranda Rights and he allows two witnesses to take the stand together in a courthouse. We have 50 kilometres in LA and a corpse who adorns herself. We have an explosion powerful enough to destroy a house and rain rubble down on Rita who stands up and walks away with just a scratch? Either the blast killed her or the falling rubble which buried her killed her but she did not walk away with just a scratch.
As far as the writing errors go, we have; Till is where we keep money in shops, 'til is what should have been written. Susan was apparelled? I'm pregnant for you? The old woman poised her walking-stick? She wears metal-rimmed glasses over her eyes? Where else? We now know for a fact that at the time,….could have been replaced with the word, when.
I am afraid I found the style childish, with descriptive passages and fashion items, make-up and shoe details that grated in what is meant to be a thriller. For the first sixty or so pages I often thought it was a tongue in cheek comedy thriller but no, it went on to try and be serious but for me, failed to live up to expectations.
The lead charachters had no depth, indeed, when they expired, I felt nothing but pity that they were so stupid as to have put themselves and others in harms' way. The dialogue was false, unnatural and simply not believable. Who says things like; "and anyway your scandal empire will collapse like a pack of cards. Now if you humble yourself and marry me we shall hush up the ugly part.". and “Ron’s film never got the financial backing he had hoped for,” he muttered, “and the son of a bitch dumped me for a younger lover.” Tears flowed freely down his cheeks as this thought rocked him. “For years, I stubbornly believed I could get into the movies. Had I not landed the Glennon park job, I might have done something pretty silly,” he reminisced. “That job was my salvation,” he breathed. “It made Christmas visits to Mom possible, I’m sure as hell she lived for nothing else.”
Sadly, such passages and the lack of interest in the fate of the shallow and often simple leads made this book very difficult to finish.

[Trey Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

An alright and interesting story, that drowned away in a purple sea of overdone descriptions and metaphors. For me, reading this book was a chore, it was so hard to grasp at the actual plot that I had to reread a lot of pages to understand what was going on.

The plot is very gripping though, when you understand it - a man is on trial for a murder he didn't commit, of a woman who doesn't actually exist, and his lawyer/girlfriend at the same time uncovers a weird conspiracy when she finds a book in her basement. I really liked the story, and the ending was really good. I just wish it wasn't so densely packed with unnecessary filler.

One issue I had with the plot though - was that the FBI wants the book that Rita (lawyer/girlfriend/protagonist) finds, but she doesn't want to give it to them. How come they didn't just search her house, go get it, or arrest her for obstruction? She just keeps saying no and they keep saying please.

[Rhian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy in return for an honest review. This shows potential but it needs work.

Note the Goodreads rating for two stars: "It was okay". Full review available here: https://rhianwriting.wordpress.com/20...

[Stace · Rating 3 out of 5]

We all like a fight against corruption, and battles between those in power and the underdog. This story had both and the background of the victim promised much of interest. However, for me the narrative was not convincing.

In the first chapter we are given a physical description of the lead character that to me suggested the book was going to be romance or soft porn, which I am pleased to say it was not. We were later given long descriptions of peripheral characters’ appearance and clothing, even those who featured for only one or two pages and it’s arguable that this contributed to the plot or flow of the story.

Since I finished the book I learned that Augustine Sam is an experienced professional writer, and he tried to set the mood by painting us pictures of the characters and scenes, some of which I engaged with but overall the descriptive passages were not as strong as I’d hoped.

There were rather a lot of characters so some way into the book I returned to the beginning and skimmed through noting the various names and connections which certainly helped. I’m assuming the legal points were accurate but one or two of the arguments and processes I did not find convincing.

The book culminates in an all-action scene followed by a classic courtroom drama where justice appears to be done. The whole story is then wrapped up for us, with some twists, but by then I am sorry to say that I was no longer gripped.

I have commented before on this site how much I respect the work and determination of all writers and that includes Augustine Sam. If you like thrillers with a legal twist you may well enjoy ‘Conspiracy of Silence’ but for me the writing style was not something with which I could completely relate. For this reason my recommendation must be limited to three stars.

Reviewed by Clive at www.whisperingstories.com

[Marco Peel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silence of the wolves

A women who does not exist is murdered in an LA park. All evidence points to TV celebrity Benjamin Carlton as her lover, blackmailer and killer. Now it is up to his girlfriend Rita, defense lawyer, to unravel the truth and prove his innocence. If she manages to stay alive...

Lies, deceit, betrayal, crime, confusion and corruption - this well written and fast paced novel has it all and more. It manages to feel both far-fetched and perfectly plausible at the same time. What the two protagonists saw in each other beats me though, and the unravelling at the end seemed somewhat rushed and contrived. Can’t say much more though without saying too much...

[Robert Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a well-written book, every word has earned its place. The author of Conspiracy of Silence decided to go the other way and overload his novel with excessive descriptions such as a multitude of crossing and uncrossing of legs, clunky metaphors like “the tale that poured out of his mouth like vomit,” and a story line that wanders off line from sentence to sentence. Most characters sit cross-legged and seem to saunter from place to place and when they appear and reappear we learn what they are wearing each time; I don’t know why.

The author is a poet and it shows. He appears more interested in word play than telling a story. That being said, it’s a decent story. It’s convoluted, more like layers of complexity than twists, and suspense doesn’t build as it could. And although the plot driven by the main character’s refusal to give up a secret diary she found was not credible, as were other story elements, Conspiracy of Silence is a pleasant, relaxed crime story you might enjoy. I especially liked the ending.

[Alex McGilvery · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Conspiracy of Silence is a book of political intrigue centered around the death of the wife the Governor of California. It turns out that she didn’t exist, at least as the person she claimed to be. A black TV celebrity is charged with her murder and his attorney discovers something which lights a fuse to a powderkeg of political scandals.

The plot is byzantine in it complexity and sometimes I lost track of what level of time I was in. There are many long dialogues in which one character explains to another some essential part of the story. I would have preferred to watch more of the characters acting rather than talking.

The book is written mostly in what I’m guessing is third person omniscient, but the narrative voice isn’t quite strong enough to carry it off. I can imagine the story being told in the young lawyer’s voice.

[Augustine Sam]

The Conspiracy of Silence - a depiction of the life-and-death struggle of a young female lawyer who goes to great lengths to outwit a diabolical trio with a very dark secret, in order to save her lover from a murder rap.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot line of this book was a good, unfortunately, not one I could enjoy. There were too many story lines and nothing "fit" to make this a good read.

Maybe this book should have been a trilogy-more time and pages to flesh out the entire story.



(I received a copy of this book for a review.)