Martyr Maker Series, Book 3
Mystery & Thriller / Literature & Fiction / Religion &
Spirituality
Date Published: 10/24/23
Publisher: Sourcebooks
“Eriq La Salle has emerged as a terrific writer with unique
gifts.” ―Don Winslow, #1 international bestselling author
A war is brewing in New York City, and no one can stop it.
With grit, relentless action, and twists you’ll never see coming, Laws of
Annihilation is the third installment in the highly-acclaimed Martyr Maker
series by Eriq La Salle.
It’s another blistering summer in New York City, and a sweltering heat wave
stifles the area. Hostility between the Hasidic and Black communities has
been steadily increasing since a tragic incident left a Black teenager dead.
When two rabbis are killed in a gruesome attack on their synagogue, it has
all the signs of retaliation.
The entire city is on edge.
Through it all, Agent Janet Maclin’s dreams of becoming the FBI’s first
female director come crashing down when she receives some devastating news.
In spite of it all, she’s determined to help NYPD detectives Quincy
Cavanaugh and Phee Freeman find the rabbis’ killer as more hate crimes put
the city on the brink of all-out war. As the body count climbs with the
temperature and the tensions, time is running out for Maclin in more ways
than one.
Apart from his critically-acclaimed thriller titles, La Salle is a
masterful mystery/crime storyteller. He may be best known for his acting
roles in productions such as ER, Coming to America, and Logan, but his
background in crime fiction was finely honed as he directed and executive
produced countless episodes of popular shows such as Law & Order, Law
and Order SVU, Law & Order: Organized Crime, CSI: NY, and Chicago PD
with Dick Wolf.
Praise for Eriq La Salle’s Martyr Maker Series
“Laws of Wrath is all thriller; no filler―a white knuckled
treat.”
―James Patterson, New York Timesbestselling author
“Laws of Depravity is a gritty crime thriller, spiritual quest, and
love story all woven into one compelling tale.”
―Publishers
Weekly
“Fast paced…Characters are richly textured [and] none is
without faults.”
―Kirkus Reviews, for Laws of Wrath
In Hell.
It was the only way to describe the hottest summer on record. Even under the daily clamor of city life, if one listened intently it was still possible to hear the faint echo of the Devil’s joyful laughter. He was the only one who could have taken any pleasure in the torturous heat, the ungodly stench, and, of course, the gorge of hatred.
It felt like the cruelest summer ever. New York was taking gut punches from a punishing heat wave that showed no signs of easing. The Big Apple was in dire need of relief. It was thirsting for summer rains, cool merciful drops that fell from somewhere at least in the proximity of Heaven. Of all of the East Coast cities that were being strangled by the heat, New York was choking the most.
FBI Special Agent Janet Maclin drove down to the Big Apple from Washington, DC, where it was also hot, yet much more tolerable. She suffered through the slow roast of being in Manhattan because her trip was mandatory. Of her numerous visits to the city, it was the first time she had come to New York and hated it. What she hated most was her reason for having to come.
From the time she was a child, Agent Maclin had had grand dreams of becoming the first female director of the FBI. She’d entered the Bureau knowing that as a woman she would as good old-fashioned bureaucracy that left her dream all but wilting on the vine. It didn’t matter that seventeen years into her career she had acquired quite the reputation, as not just a rising star but a bona fide standout. She had certainly accomplished more than all of her peers and most of her superiors. Bringing down two major serial killers within a month of each other was just one of the many achievements on the impressive résumé she had built on the journey toward her lifelong dream. Ultimately, none of it really mattered because, even though she had entered the Bureau as a young attorney, she had blossomed into a talented field agent and not a bureaucrat or politician, which, throughout the history of the FBI, had been the traditional path to directorship.
It was public knowledge that the long-standing, current director of the Bureau was being vetted as the heavily favored vice-presidential replacement after the current VP had suffered irreversible brain damage from a severe stroke just five months into
the current administration’s incumbency. Now that the director was more than likely leaving, all types of rumors were spreading. There was speculation, thin and unsubstantiated, that he was aggressively looking for a woman to succeed him. Although she knew, both logistically and realistically, she didn’t stand a chance, the spark, however faint, still reignited the flames of her most desired dream. Under normal circumstances, she wasn’t the type to allow herself to get caught up in things she considered highly improbable. But for once, she embraced the distraction of hope—because, unfortunately, the current circumstances of her life were unfolding as anything but normal.
She’d started the day with a stomach full of butterflies. By the time the receptionist ushered her into the penthouse office on Park Avenue, they had mutated into angry dragons that were currently wreaking havoc on her intestinal fortitude. She wore her favorite navy-blue pantsuit with a crisp white collarless top beneath. She wasn’t much on jewelry. She wore no earrings, bracelets, or rings— just a simple, rose-gold Lady Bulova and a silver hamsa necklace barely peeking over the second button of her blouse.
About the Author
Actor, director, producer, and masterful storyteller Eriq La Salle is best known to worldwide television audiences for his award-winning portrayal of Dr. Peter Benton on the medical drama ER. Educated at Juilliard and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, his credits range from Broadway to film roles, starring alongside Eddie Murphy in Coming to America, Robin Williams in One Hour Photo, and Hugh Jackman in Logan. La Salle has maintained a prolific acting career while also taking the helm as director for HBO, Showtime, Netflix, Amazon Prime, ABC NBC, Fox and CBS productions.
His craft as a crime writer was honed over his many seasons as a key member of the Dick Wolf Entertainment team, which include four years as executive producer and director on Chicago PD, in addition to directing episodes of Law & Order, Law and Order SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime. He is also executive producer, director, and one of the lead actors of Dick Wolf’s “On Call,” out in 2024 on Amazon Prime Video. As a writer, La Salle is the author of several critically-acclaimed thrillers published by Sourcebooks—Laws of Depravity (2022), Laws of Wrath (2023), and Laws of Annihilation (2023). His episode of The Twilight Zone recently made WGA’s list of 101 Best Written TV Series. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
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Thos looks like an action packed series. Thanks for hosting this giveaway.