*No One Will Hear Your Screams* by Thomas O’Callaghan is a gritty, pulse-pounding crime thriller that combines a chilling mystery with a deeply unsettling atmosphere. The novel follows Detective Michael Mercer as he investigates a series of brutal, seemingly unrelated murders in New York City, only to discover that a dangerous and calculating killer is targeting vulnerable women. The story delves into the depths of human depravity, offering a front-row seat to the darker side of the criminal underworld.

O’Callaghan’s writing is direct and visceral, with vivid descriptions that heighten the tension and make the violence all the more disturbing. The plot is tightly constructed, with multiple twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end. Mercer is a compelling protagonist—grizzled, flawed, and determined—and his complex personality adds an emotional layer to the story, especially as he confronts his own demons throughout the investigation.

While the pacing is generally fast, the graphic nature of the murders and some repetitive elements of the investigation might feel overwhelming to some readers. However, for those who enjoy a dark, fast-moving thriller, this book delivers in spades.

*No One Will Hear Your Screams* is a brutal, suspenseful ride, perfect for fans of gritty crime fiction and psychological thrillers. It’s an intense, captivating read with a satisfying conclusion.

Very fast paced and straight to the point which is perfect for horror. Would compared it to a B horror movie, it ALMOST delivered.

I love discovering new detective mysteries so I am always up for trying a new one. There were parts of this one I enjoyed, but overall I am not eager to continue the series. I liked how the killer had their own chapters/perspective from the beginning. I liked the crime and the layers to it. I felt like the characters should have had more depth. I didn’t feel strongly any particular way, they were just there. I personally found the one character to be too religious for me. This book also felt a little disjointed to me while reading, it could have flowed better. It was overall just an okay book.

Holy crap, this book is grotesque and grisly, but it's also a phenomenal read; I was hooked (no pun intended) from page one and there are several twists that I was not expecting.
Thomas O'Callaghan gets right into the meat of the characters and story straight away, there are no pulled punches in this one.

Learning about Tilden's MO, what he did, getting into his mind and his background was horrifyingly disturbing and real. A lot of the book focuses on this character, which yes, I understand why, however I would have liked to read more on the crimes and other characters too.

I enjoyed Lieutenant John Driscoll's character and learning about him, some of it was really tough and sad. I only wish I had checked this book beforehand and seen that it was a 3rd in the series.

Trigger/content warnings:
Prostitution, abduction, rape, stalking, incest

If you can stomach the content in this book, then I highly recommend this one.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This book took me a while to get into because at the start it is extremely disturbing, detailing one of the crimes being committed by the killer. Once the police officers and other good guys are introduced it is much easier to get into the plot. There are many subplots spreading from the main plot which ensure one has to keep concentrating at all times. It is worth concentrating though. The crimes impact the police officers deeply and the history of this is well explained which ensures buy in by the reader. By half way through one is hooked and wanting to know more about the characters which is a sign of a good read. This is not normally a genre I would choose as it is quite disturbing in content but I enjoyed the read. Highly recommended.

When I first started reading about the crimes perpetrated by Tilden, a sociopathic, sadistic serial killer I thought this had to be one of the most savage, brutal deaths ever thought up. There can’t be many ways that would be worse to die than being embalmed while alive. This serial killer wears more than one hat, and each victim is killed a different and brutal way. On his trail is Lieutenant Driscoll, a battle hardened detective who has encountered savage serial killers before. I didn’t read book one, so I can’t say if this one holds up, but I can say this one holds it own and is fairly entertaining. It did sag just a bit in the middle, but it had a strong start and a strong finish. Review posted to Litsy, LibraryThing, Amazon, Facebook and Goodreads.

The first note I wrote while reading No One Will Hear Your Screams is “modern-day Jack the Ripper” but this book turned out to be much more than that. For one thing, we know who our killer is. It’s Tilden and he is one sick man. We learn this via chapters from his perspective, via his thoughts and the cruel acts he carries out on his victims. This is not a book for the faint-hearted.

On the flip side, there is Homicide Commander Lieutenant John Driscoll. Tilden and Driscoll are like polar opposites. Driscoll is a caring man and a damn good cop. He has a close circle of friends and he is not afraid to show his more sensitive side. This is not only a good balance to our murderer, but to other police dramas out there where the cop is the ultimate tough guy.

The relationship Driscoll has with Sergeant Margaret Aligante and Detective Cedric Thomlinson is actually quite sweet. It is apparent they have been through a lot together and make a great team. However, you do get the feeling you are missing something by jumping into this series in the third book. By all means, it can be read as a standalone but if you are big into character development, you will miss out a bit.

My last comment on No One Will Hear Your Screams is that while I really enjoyed that it was fast-paced and full of action, sometimes it was a bit fast-paced and full of action, if you catch my drift. The story ended a bit too abruptly for me and there were some loose ends regarding Tilden that could have been better tied up. Still, it was a good read and an insight into another great police drama series.

A very creepy mystery. This was very well done. I will read more of this author. The book has a lot of action and is very well written.

A big thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I thought the blurb was really interesting and I tried really hard to like the book. But at the end of it, No One Will Hear Your Screams by Thomas O’Callaghan was just a disappointing read.

I’m taking a slightly different approach in this review, primarily because I found it a bit difficult to get through the story. I didn’t want to close it as a DNF, so I’m just going to summarize what I felt after ensuring I completed it.

Genre:
Mystery, Suspense

Length:
352 pages

Blurb:
Lieutenant John Driscoll begins investigating a series of murders in NYC. The perpetrator is twisted, as evidenced by his actions. But what’s driving him? And will Driscoll win the fight against the evil that the murderer epitomizes?

Overall Rating:
1 out of 10

Plot:
1 out of 10

Characterization:
1 out of 10

Primary Element:
2 out of 10 for its few random plot twists that did end up adding some elements of surprise.

Writing Style:
2 out of 10

Part of a Series:
Yes, it’s the third book in the John Driscoll series but can be read as a standalone.

A little more:
No One Will Hear Your Screams has some great reviews. Unfortunately, it just did not work for me. Here are a few reasons why:
> Characters were very one dimensional. There was good, there was bad, and there was very little depth to either. Maybe that was because the character of the protagonist, Driscoll, has been developed over the series, maybe not. Either way, there was little in way of development that made you really associate with the characters, consequently leaving you un-invested in anything that happened to them.
> Random arcs that went nowhere. I’m not even sure why these plot points were added other than for shock value.
> Which brings me to my next point – random shock value. There were some seriously graphic scenes, which could affect even those who’ve read tons of violent suspense. They could have honestly added a whole other layer to the story but didn’t, because they were incredibly haphazardly placed instead of being part of the theme and the antagonist’s MO.
> One small, but extremely irritating, point was the constant and childish interaction between two characters that were, until that point, shown to be capable, functioning adults. Put together, they become bickering toddlers. Not only was it uncharacteristic, it was just cringey to read because literally no one behaves like that.
> Lastly, the writing, story, and persons were just all over the place. Connections between characters, motives, psyche, and even the past of the characters (which was shown to have some effect on the present) were just explained enough to take the story a step forward without really painting a picture. With nothing being delved into, you just end up reading a series of loosely tied events.

Should you read it?
Writing a book is tough work, which is why I really tried to find something that I liked in No One Will Hear Your Screams. It just didn’t work for me though. I would not personally recommend it to anyone because there are a lot of mystery and suspense novels out there that would probably be a better choice.

An excellently written crime thriller. There is plenty of gore in it, the stuff of nightmares and the devolving mind of a serial killer keeps the reader captivated. I was a little disappointed to not know why Tilden was the way he is, but I guess no one can point out a single point at which the human mind turns bad.

This book was just okay. It was slow and the twists and turns were too far apart to keep my interest. I rate this book a 2.3

Before I tell you what I thought, I will throw up a trigger warning this book is dark and does contain reference to Sexual abuse and rape.

No one will hear your screams is book three in the John Driscoll series, I haven't read the others but would like to now however that didn't impact this book and it can be read as a standalone, past cases are referenced too but with enough detail that you get the jist.
Driscoll is a man I actually felt sorry for, and was keen to get inside his head and one of the reasons I want to read the previous books, as well as O'Callaghan knows how to draw you in with a dark and twisted mystery that looks inside the mind of a twisted killer. A great plot and some real edge of your read but with a dark disturbing theme. Which is kinda my thing. A well thought out and well written book and I enjoyed how all the pieces of the jigsaw slotted into place as the book started to come to an end.
Tilden is a creep of a guy, the mere mention of him sent chills down my spine and I just despised him. Not someone you would ever want to meet on a dark night that's for sure.

A great read and looking forward forward to seeing what else is in store for Driscoll and his team.

This author has a very vivid and scary imagination that will terrify you. It’s one of those books that you can’t put down! The story unwinds and has a cast of characters all entwined together. You have to keep track and pay attention from word one through the end. The author, Thomas O’Callaghan has done his research, all of the religious details are on point and accurate. The way he tells the story with short chapters jump from topic to topic, but he pulls it all together in the end to give the reader the true experience. It feels like your living in the moment and feeling what the victims are feeling. I don’t want to tell you any story details, that would ruin it for you, so I will preface it this way, you won’t want to put it down, but you will be repulsed at what your reading, in a good way!

‘Hello? Is anyone there?’

Who is murdering prostitutes in New York City? And why is the killer embalming them? We know the killer is named Tilden, and we know what his objective is. But why is he killing these particular women and how quickly can he be caught?

Lieutenant John Driscoll, Detective Cedric Thomlinson and Sergeant Margaret Aligante are the team who will try to find Tilden. Each of the three have issues of their own to deal with: issues which will bring both insight (and potential barriers) to the investigation. We also learn a bit about Tilden’s past and his motivation. Can Tilden be apprehended and brought to justice?

There’s plenty of tension as the story builds to a climax. Unfortunately for me, a few homonyms (such as main for mane and waive for wave) slowed down my read as did a couple of typos ‘gauge’ (presumably for ‘gauze’) and ‘you’re’ for ‘your’ and ‘they’ll’ for ‘there’ll’. Sigh. I know, I’m pedantic. Some readers notice (and care) about such things, others don’t. But in a story where details matter, proof reading can be useful.

This is the third novel to feature Lieutenant Driscoll. I’ve not (yet) read the first two. If you enjoy mysteries with a twist (or two), you may enjoy this.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and WildBlue Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

What I Loved:
No One Will Hear Your Screams had an excellent plot that had some great twists that kept me on the edge of my seat! I loved how the pieces all fell into place rounding out the entire stories and leading to those great “AH HA!” moments as the book wrapped up.

How I Felt:
This book had a great plot that I felt was really well put together. All the pieces fell into place and there was a good amount of suspense and surprise throughout the story.

The character Tilden was so awful. I applaud Thomas O’Callaghan for creating a character that I just completely despised. He was such a disgusting person, it was hard to read the portions of the story that were from his point of view. I would have liked him to be focused on a little less, or for his character to have had some other dimensions that would have fleshed him out a bit more.

Driscoll’s character was really well-built and I enjoyed reading about him. I liked that he was flawed, it made him very real. He struggles with issues from his own past and works to put those things aside to focus on the capture of this sociopath.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I liked seeing the clues that led Lieutenant Driscoll from point A to point B in the story. I enjoyed his character as well as his sidekicks from the department. The plot was exciting and had great twists to keep me on the edge of my seat!

Content Warning:
Prostitution, stalking, abduction.

To Read or Not To Read:
I would recommend this to readers that enjoy a dark mystery that provides a lot of insight into the mind of the killer.

No One Will Hear Your Screams is the third book in the John Driscoll Mystery series, but I felt that this could be read as a stand-alone if you have not read the rest of the series yet. This book does reference previous cases that Driscoll has worked on, but it did not affect my ability to understand the story in any way.

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

No One Will hear your screams is the 3rd book in the John Driscoll series. I havent read the first two books but this book could easily be read as a stand alone. Cases from the previous books are mentioned and I do feel that it would be beneficial to read the books in order though not necessary.

Let me start by saying I despise Tildens character. What an absolute piece of shit he is! As much as I hate this character his crimes make for a suspenseful read. Also O'Callaghan did a splendid job in developing the back story of his pyscopath.

The idea that someone is embalming prostitutes alive is absolutely horrifying. Overall the plot is suspenseful and full of plenty WTF moments. However the ending does fall a little flat for me. I wasn't satisfied with what happened to that POS Tilden.


I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A truly unique and fascinating departure from your "typical" murder mystery, with an especially diabolical madman. Realistic dialogue and relentless suspense. My only complaint -- and the reason for the one-star demerit -- was the author's use of today's common and stereotypical characters, e.g., a tough but troubled female protagonist who's almost always (literally) a redhead and/or of Hispanic heritage, with blondes (like me) usually portrayed as long on breasts and short on brains. I find that a somewhat offensive trend in current fiction.

*This book was provided to me at no charge as an ARC in return for my honest review. Thanks to the author and publisher for allowing my participation in this program.*

Who is embalming prostitutes while they are still alive?

That's the question that keeps Lieutenant John Driscoll awake at night. There's a name for the killer ... Tilden. But who is he? What's motives of these killings?

He and his team, Sergeant Margaret Aligante and Detective Cedric Thomlinson, set out to stop this vicious killer before he kills again.

"Tilden" may not be so easy to catch. He claims to have been abused when he was a child. He obviously has at least a little medical knowledge. He is definitely not your average serial killer. And he gets more creative with each killing. Is there a method to his madness?

This author has pulled together a tightly woven plot with skillfully drawn characters, warts and all. The killer is unique in his quest to rid New York City of all the ladies of the night. There are some twists and turns that lead to a surprising ending. I look forward to the next adventure for Driscoll.

Many thanks to the author / WildBlue Press / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This was a pretty good read, as I really enjoyed the suspense and the characters were well-developed. The only character that I had a slight issue with was Tilden, as I think the author wrote him as one-dimensional, as there was opportunity to flesh this character out a bit more.

No One Will Hear Your Screams by Thomas O’Callaghan is the third thriller featuring Lieutenant John Driscoll. If you like mystery novels where a police detective goes after a mad and peculiar serial killer, you are going to enjoy this one. If you are a picky reader, you are going to have some issues.

See complete review.