I had a feeling this book was definitely for me after reading the description. At times I was on the edge of my seat but then the next chapter would give me time to calm down . I enjoyed the story and the way it all was handled.

I was given a NetGalley widget for this one a year ago and I just got around to reading it and dangit it was so good. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have consumed this wildly relevant fictional tale, which felt not at all fictional, more like historical fiction, due to the times. The cover initially was what drew me in, but I'm so thankful to have stuck with it because the outcome was magical. I always love listening to audiobooks and when they sweep me off my feet, I'm just utterly captivated! I always really enjoy multi-cultural thrillers, for I embark on a journey through a land unknown to me, while still getting spooked.

An interesting story with a few twists and turns.
The mystery is well written, but won't be for everyone because of the topics it deals with.

As expected the author is a great narrator.

Prequel: the prequel is also included with the audio, but didn't add anything for me.

The twists and turns in this story kept me engaged and turning the page. Well written characters, great atmosphere, and fun read.

Chose this because of Eriq La Salle and he did not disappoint, both as author and narrator. Great characters, interesting plot. So much happened but the vision of the story was clear and focused. I liked that every detail in the book was linked to the story and the character development was driven by the story.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

This book was SOOO much better than I thought it was going to be. I am so glad that I got the ARC and read it. Not going to lie, I was not sure that an actor could transition to an author successfully, but Eriq La Salle did it! There was so much nuance and emotional labor the characters had to work through but he pulled it all together. And they even got the bad guy! I can't wait to read the next one and see how the relationships progression!
#LawsofDepravity
#NetGalley

I admit that this book caught my eye as a die hard ER fan. The storyline was intriguing and I looked forward to turning the story back on. There were parts that did not always pique my interest but la Salle always had a way of dragging me back into the story. Great narration by the author. I’d recommend and pick up the sequel if I came across it.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media (Recorded Books) for accepting my request to audibly read and review Laws of Depravity & the attached prequel Laws of Innocence.

Author: Eriq La Salle
Published: 11/01/22
Narrator: Eriq La Salle
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

My choice always is a debut author over an established author. When requesting on NetGalley the option of author is under why. I often wonder when I click author do the Powers that Be think, oh she loves debut novels or do they think I just click. Once I was able to separate La Salle's voice and my memories of Coming to America, I relaxed and was not disappointed. I am stymied. This was written about ten years ago, there is a prequel and a second book making this a series. I'm thrilled I don't have to wait one to two years for the second book. I hope the author gets recognized this round.

The subject matter was prevalent ten years ago, and sadly it is still pertinent today. Detectives are tasked with figuring out who has butchered 36 priests; the job is who, the why has never left the news in real life. Laws of Depravity is dark. It is more than priests abusing kids. There are transgender people vying for police attention. There is a family where the abuse has formed different paths for siblings.

I don't want to simplify or misdirect with red herrings or spoilers. This is a smart, well-written, and told story. I couldn't read in one sitting. I had to let things resonate.

I would recommend to anyone who likes current news topics in fiction. This is a good mystery on its own. The Devil is in the details.

There is profanity, and that prevents five stars from me.

Prequel: Telling on its own. I learned things that perhaps would have been helpful. I'm not sure. I enjoyed both of my experiences equally, and have no regrets with reading the prequel second.

I should have finished this book a while ago because I enjoyed it and it was an intriguing read with interesting characters, but for two reasons, that was hard for me.

First off, life got in way and second, the book had moments that just dragged for me. I just had to keep shutting the audiobook off. Not that those parts were bad, but they just took me out of the moment and I just find it better to take some time away and go back to it later.

To be honest, I’m not even certain some of these parts would have even dragged for me the way they did if they didn’t take place right after a part that had me at the edge of my seat. That’s another problem I had. Sometimes there were some amazing moments that I couldn’t wait to see what happened next, then suddenly it went to a different perspective that I just didn’t care about at that moment, and that just frustrated me.

With that said, what I liked about this book was the writing. It was so good that it had me engrossed in the story, and the characters were well written too. There were moments that, like I said, had me at the edge of my seat eager to see what’s next and these days it’s rare for me to get that invested.

Overall, even though I had a couple of problems, this was a captivating audiobook, with great narration, that I recommend.

Side Note: It got heavy on the religion stuff, which I didn’t mind, but if that bothers you, maybe this isn’t the book for you.

I want to first thank the publishers, and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook ARC.

This books is about a 2.5 star out of 5 but for start rating purposes I will have to round down because this was a struggle for me to get through.

This book had a wonderful plot, but it just was not written the way I like. I felt like it was incredibly slow, and there were a lot of characters and sub plots that just made it hard to follow at times.

Basically, there is a cop that was abused by the church as a child, and a serial killer that is killer clergy members that are sinners. There is also a women whos son killed himself because he was abused by a priest, and the MC falls in love with her.

It just felt like there are a lot crammed into it, however I feel like if this book was any longer I wouldn't have finished it.

I always hate bashing a books, but I just feel like it fell flat for something that had such great potential. This story line is normally something I would love.

Tigger Warnings for SA, Murder, Torture, Death/Illness of family member, Suicide

This was a great listen - loved the narration. Initially I was a little confused by all of the characters, but that may have been more based on my listening habits of here and there listening. A well paced story that had plenty of action.

“New York City. Fall 2012. A priest is found murdered in the most gruesome of crime scenes. The brutal slaying is the work of “The Martyr Maker,” a serial killer that for the past 30 years has left behind a legacy of torture and fear.”

What rock have I been living under that I, not only don’t know that Eriq la Salle is an author, but also: HE DOESN’T SUCK.

I quite enjoyed this book, with its complex characters, fast pacing, and gritty story, as well as the deeper conversations about faith, and the ramifications of ‘saving demons from the Devil.’

I’m a little dubious that a mom would wade through her grief and start a relationship within two months of her child’s suicide, and I thought the “Little did he know” line, Book 2 hint, was a little contrived, but that won’t stop me from searching out other titles by Dr. Benton.

7.5/10

Thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, Ebony Magazine Publishing, and RB Media for this god-forsaken ARC.

When I saw an audiobook by Eriq La Salle, I immediately was interested! In fact, I questioned whether the author was the SAME Eriq La Salle that starred in Grey's Anatomy and Coming To America or someone just borrowing a unique name. Turns out the author is, in fact, the same man. I found out that Laws of Depravity was originally published back in 2012, so this is a re-release, or maybe the first time on audio.

Eriq La Salle was a fabulous narrator for the book. The thriller mystery at the center of Laws of Depravity was a fun, disturbing, dark one that is addictive enough to be a beach read. While there was little in the plot that hasn't been done before, I appreciate that La Salle is trying to break a barrier. Especially back in 2012, but even still today, there are not many mainstream thrillers written by male BIPOC authors. I see that it looks like he hasn't published any novels past the third in this series post 2014 and I hope that changes. He has a lot of promise as an author. I enjoyed his two male detective leads as well as the lead female Fed. Some of the writing was a bit cliche, but the story was good and there is a lot of potential for him as a novel writer.

I am interested in reading the other two books in this "Martyr Maker" series.

This is a really fabulous dark and twisty story about revenge and punishment and hypocrisy - and, of course, serial killing.. The characterizations were phenomenal here. From good guy to bad, La Salle did a fantastic job painting highly evocative pictures of his characters and their motivations. The story moved along at an aggressive pace that perfectly suited the tale. And I don't know if it's just me, but I am an exceptional fan of authors who read their own books.

No one knows the story better than the author so no one besides the author knows quite how to punch the right moments in narration, even when it's not immediately obviousthat certain moments are critical. And when the author also happens to be an extraordinarily talented actor, that ability to emphasize and downplay at just the right moments is only highlighted. La Salle is a phenomenal narrator, building on the strong storytelling with an equally strong and passionate narration.

It's a horrifying story and there is a lot of graphic and gruesome violence, but it was told so well and with such heart and genuine emotion that I did not mind despite not normally preferring my tales quite so gory. The prequel story at the end of the audiobook brought me to tears quite literally, and the combination of the two books definitely has me seeking out the next in the series. I can only hope that La Salle will narrate this one as well, because while I am happy to read the book, his voice acting definitely added a depth and breadth to the characters that I would happily seek out again.

A secret killer has been on the loose for 30 years now. Every decade he comes back to kill 12 priests and 36 are already dead so far. The police and FBI are all on their toes to catch him this time before he is gone for good. But discovering body after body across New York has unearthed the fact that he s killing these priests according to the sins they have committed. Will there be more deaths in the name of faith? Is he really a killer or merely a punisher of sins - only time will tell!
This book had a great hinge to it, keeping you involved at all times. The plot of the book reminded me of Dan Brown's book: Angels and Demon. With similar priest assassinations but a different objective for killing. The lengths to which Christianity religion is discussed in the book definitely deserve an additional genre tag. The 3rd personal narrative was a little on and off towards the centre of the book, but nothing the steaming characters cannot fix a few chapters later.

Thank you @netgalley @eriqlasalle @recordedbooks for the digital ARC

Genre: #mystery #thriller #religion
Rating: 3.5/5

#LawsofDepravity #NetGalley