Fast-paced legal thriller! Highly recommend this series by Victor Methos.

Thank you #netgalley and #thomasandmercer for the eARC.

As with The Secret Witness, the first book in the series, you know who the "bad guy" is very early on. Alonso Hafeez is an extremely violent but patient and intelligent criminal. Solomon Shepard is the prosecutor who put him away 11 years previously and Alonso is posed to exact revenge through a series of psychological tactics.

The Grave Singer is a fast-paced thriller that kept me engaged through to the end. I enjoyed the continuing development of the relationship between Solomon and county sheriff, Billie Gray, and look forward to the next installment of the series. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC.

A Smart and Violent Man Prepared for Revenge

Due to being a model prisoner, Alonso Hafeez was released after 11 years of a 20-year sentence. He starts his freedom by visiting close associate, Mark Webb, who Alonso gave $100K before going to prison. Mark did absolutely nothing for Alonso while he was in prison. Alonso made sure that Mark understood the importance of this meeting by throwing him out of a second story window. Alonso comes outside to continue the conversation in a non-contact manner. After Marks refuses to return more than the $100K, Alonso decides to drive away. As Alonso disappears around the corner, Mark starts to limp back to the house. Suddenly, he sees Alonso speeding back and up the driveway. Without slowing down at all, Alonso crashed into Mark and pins him against a brick wall. From this violent start, this novel starts.

The main storyline consists of two threads. The first is the investigation of Mark Webb’s murder. The second thread is a cat-and-mouse interaction between Alonso and a prosecutor, Solomon Shepard, who prosecuted Alonso that led to his prison term. Solomon was trying to make Alonso violate his parole, so he would be returned to prison. What Alonso wanted is not clear for some time, so who is the cat and who is the mouse is not clear. The stakes in this interaction just keep escalating especially when Alonso starts targeting more than just Solomon. As the reader knows of what Alonso is capable, the tension quickly reaches a very high level with the suspense on what was going to happen. I was solidly hooked on this novel.

The B-storylines are very normal in this novel. The personal sides of the two main characters have threads on Solomon with his girlfriend and the Sheriff Gray with a boyfriend she does not want. Also, Sheriff Gray shows her interest in Solomon. Their professional sides are shown through their thoughts, actions, conversations with the other characters. The B-storyline of Solomon’s interaction with Alonso was the best and most entertaining aspect of this novel for me.

As for the aspects that will stop some readers, first there are not any intimate scenes. There are extremely few vulgar words. While there are rude words, they too are not that frequent. There are numerous scenes where fairly graphic violence is described in the more edgy as it occurs. If you are sensitive to this, be forewarned. Lastly, this is a standalone novel so that it can be read without working about undocumented references to previous novels.

For what I liked and disliked, there was one minor thing right at the end that left Alonso’s conviction into question. Based upon Alonso’s physical characteristics, I find it hard to believe, but I will let you, the reader, decide. I particularly liked the cat and mouse interaction between Solomon and Alonso. I just had to keep reading to find out how this cat and mouse ends. This part was pure adrenaline. This novel is on par with the previous two prepublication and two purchases of this authors novels. This novel reaffirmed my Must-Read assignment. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel am eagerly waiting the next novel at this series. I rate this novel with five stars.

I received a free prepublication e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer. My review is based only on my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Prosecutor Solomon Shepard put Alonso Hafeez in prison over a decade ago, but he has been released and is now stalking him and looking for retribution. Sheriff Billie Gray is doing her best to keep her friend safe, but Alonso isn’t just violent, he’s smart and patient, having used his considerable time in prison to study the law and formulate a plan. The tension in this book is created by the mind games being played throughout, leading to a deranged conclusion. 3.5 stars

If you enjoy crime fiction and police procedurals, you’ll enjoy this hybrid police-legal thriller series, and I look forward to the next installment.

Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley kindly provided me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Thew story begins with Alonso beating up on an individual that he loaned money to over 11 years earlier. Alonso has been released from prison earlier and he wanted his money back. Because he wasn't going to get his money, he wound up throwing this person out of a window. The fall didn't kill him, but Alonso killed him by running a car into him and pinning him to the house. This in turn brought Billie, the sheriff, into the case.

Solomon had just finished up with a trial and was with Giselle, his girlfriend. Unknown to Solomon, Alomso had a plan and Solomon was to play a bis part in it. Alonso started stalking him and it got so bad that Solomon wound up attacking him. In addition, Alonso had someone hit Alonso hit him with a car and placed the blame on Solomon. As a result, Alonso had a restraining order place on Solomon in addition to Solomon being suspended.

Soon thereafter, Alonso attacked Solomon in his home and wound up taling Solomon to an unknown location where his plan involving Solomon and others would start.

To discover Alonso's plan, who the players were, what happened as the plan was in process in addition to how this ended up, then you need to read this book, it is a winner.

The Grave singer is an intense action-packed thriller. This is also the second book in the Shepard and Gray series.

Alonso Hafeez has been released from prison after eleven years. He’s determined to prove that Shepard tried him for a crime he didn’t commit. He's had a lot of time to think about how he's going to accomplish this. He is going to be judge and jury and Soloman will finally pay for what he did to him.

The story gets more intense with each chapter. I have read several other books by the author which I enjoyed very much, but this one wasn't as enjoyable as the others. I wasn't as fond of the character Solomon Shepard, but maybe if I had read the first book my opinion would be different.

Wow this book took the adventure up quite a notch from book one in this series and I really enjoyed it! A great mix of suspense and a continuation of the Shepard and Gray story. I'm a big fan of Methos and I will definitely continue to read this series!

I’ve read a few of Victor’s books and really enjoyed them all - this one was no exception!

I am really grateful to have been able to read an ARC of this book via NetGalley so thank you for this opportunity!

The grave singer is a quick paced legal thriller in which a recently released convict tries to seek out revenge on people he deems to have wronged him and caused him to be imprisoned. It is a really interesting concept pulled off really well. There are lots of gory fights and kills along the way and it really adds to the thrill of the story!

No spoilers but the ending leaves you with questions and often I don’t like this but it is part of a series so fingers crossed the answers will be explored in a later book!

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an EArc of this great sequel!

I first happened to stumble upon this author last year with an Audible credit, and since then I've been HOOKED.
He does a great job with each story and this one is no different!

In case you haven't read technically the first book in this series, that's ok! This one is not directly tied to that, as each of these books has a separate plot. There are subtle character/relationship dynamics and mentions of characters from the first book, but not in any way that makes you feel you're missing anything, or that affects the plot of this book.

The Grave Singer has such a great story and really built up the tension and suspense throughout the book. If you've read many legal thrillers, you may recognize they typically follow the formula of: crime happens, police solve/make arrests, then about halfway through we get to the courtroom drama part. This book takes that formula and twists it up while still following that loosely.

I cannot wait for the third in this series. Out of all this author's work, these characters may be my favorites to read about and return to. Through The Grave Singer, we really get to see Solomon and Billie develop individually and even together within their relationship.

Overall, highly recommend it!

In "The Grave Singer," the second book in the Solomon Shepard series by Victor Methos , prosecutor Solomon Shepard and county sheriff "Billy" Gray team up once again to face a dangerous criminal seeking revenge. This thrilling crime novel can be read as a standalone, but readers who enjoyed the first book, "The Secret Witness," will appreciate the continuation of the characters' stories.
Methos has crafted a hard-hitting crime thriller that is difficult to put down. The tension is palpable from the first page, and the reader is quickly drawn into the story. The pacing is excellent, with moments of heart-pounding action and shocking violence that will leave readers breathless.
What sets "The Grave Singer" apart is the depth of its characters. Methos has created a cast of complex and nuanced individuals, from the vengeful psychopath Alfonso Hafeez to the flawed but relatable Solomon Shepard. The relationships between the characters are also well-developed, adding an emotional resonance to the story that elevates it beyond a simple action-thriller.
The author’s writing is brilliant and engaging, with a style that is both descriptive and concise. The novel is a masterclass in crime fiction, with a tightly plotted story that keeps readers guessing until the very end.
Overall, "The Grave Singer" is a stunning and unbelievably good read. Fans of crime fiction will not want to miss this thrilling and expertly crafted novel.

Recently paroled, Alonso Hafeez has waited 11 years for revenge on prosecutor Solomon Shepherd that helped wrongly convict him. Now, Hafeez is determined to prove his innocence. Hafeez kidnaps Shepherd. Then, Hafeez “tries” him for wrongfully convicting him and plans to serve as Shepherd’s judge, jury, and executioner. Shepherd must going along with Hafeez’s trial and hope help arrives. Can Sheriff Gray find Shepherd before it is too late?

I couldn’t put this crime/legal thriller down! From its traumatic beginning to its dramatic and nail-biting ending, The Grace Singer is a wild ride. I was invested throughout. Additionally, how the story looked at stalking from two different perspectives was quite clever.

I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next with Shepherd and Gray!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions in the voluntary review are my own.

Book Review: The Grave Singer (Shepard & Gray #2) by Victor Methos
Published by Thomas & Mercer, April 25, 2023

★★★★☆ (4.25 Stars)

// Flashback to "The Silent Witness" (Shepard & Gray #1) (2022)
★★★★★ (4.5 Stars)
(Review of an Amazon First Reads Offering and Audible Audiobook)

Tooele County, Utah
West of Salt Lake City

"This is Reaper speaking!"

Solomon Shepard, former prosecutor, author, criminologist, chess player and man of intellect, walks with the aid of a cane stemming from an injury he sustained in a courtroom attack that effectively ended his career.

He is reluctantly enticed to get involved in a murder investigation by Tooele County Sheriff Elizabeth "Billie" Gray, daughter of his friend, the former sheriff. The methods used by the current suspect are similar to a multiple murder case Shepard was involved with as prosecutor decades earlier.

But when the "Reaper" causes the disappearance of smart and promising sixteen-year-old Kelly, daughter of next-door neighbors and his unofficial errand helper, Solomon Shepard shelves his nonchalant post-retirement persona and reapplies for duty as prosecutor.

As he and Sheriff Billie Gray confront a demented evil inherently nurtured from within..... //

-----

"The Grave Singer" (Shepard & Gray #2) by Victor Methos (2023)
★★★★☆ (4.25 Stars)

Tooele County, Utah
Bonneville Salt Flats
West of the Great Salt Lake

Prosecutor Solomon Shepard and Sheriff Billie Gray find themselves beleaguered in the heat and humidity of the vast salt flats in Tooele Country as they team up to confront a half-Afghan, half-Hispanic cigar-chomping giant of a man, whom Shepard had prosecuted and incarcerated over a decade ago.

Alonso Hafeez is out on parole for good behavior after eleven years of state lock-up. He'd used his time in prison well in autodidactic studies of Federal and State statutes, and has himself well-versed in the finer aspects of the law.

He's also secretly a practitioner of ancient Druid rituals.

Notably that of the gruesome and bloody Druid rite of the "Grave Singer".

Hell-bent on obsessively proving his "innocence", the depraved "Grave Singer" organizes a grotesque courtroom trial deep in Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats, where all the participants are coerced at risk of bodily harm, - or death.

And where Hafeez assumes the role of judge, jury and executioner...

// ....He inhaled off his cigar and then lowered it again,

"Did you know threats aren't protected free speech, but poetry is? So if were to say that I'm gonna saw your head off with that knife under your shirt, that would be illegal.

But if I wrote a poem and said the same thing, that's protected speech.

Everything is how you frame it, isn't it?" - Alonso Hafeez

- - - from "The Grave Singer " (Shepard & Gray #2) by Victor Methos //

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From Brigham Theodore, "The Neon Lawyer" (2014) to the "Desert Plains" series featuring Jessica Yardley (2020), and now Solomon Shepard and Sheriff Billie Gray.

Beyond a creative plot and great writing, juris doctor arguments and courtroom dramas in a Victor Methos novel has that touch of authenticity - scholarly and educational, with precise applications of Federal and State statutes that can only stem from the author's knowledge and experience forged over courtroom battles on both sides of the justice system, as a former Utah district attorney and as a former criminal and civil rights defense attorney.

Another must-read for Victor Methos and legal thriller fans!

Review based on an ARC from Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley.

A fast paced read about a man- Alfonso Hafeez- who is out to get the prosecutor- Solomon Shepherd - and Sheriff Billie who put him in prison. There are some interesting twists and more than a little graphic stuff, Methos does good courtroom. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A page turner,

When Alonso Hafeez is released from prison after more than a decade, he goes after some of the people from his former life who owe him money, and then for the man who put him in prison, former prosecutor Solomon Shephard. Solomon and Sheriff Billie Gray have to work to solve their cases while trying to stay out of Alonso's sights.

I love Solomon & Billie, they're an unlikely pair and their relationship is pretty unique for crime fiction. I also liked the Alonso character in this book. Still, this one was a little slow for me. It started out jumping into action but then dragged a bit in the middle for me. As always, it comes around and I ended up really enjoying it but this was definitely one a slower burn than his Killer's Wife stuff.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this ARC.
First of all, Victor Methos can do no wrong! He could write a script for Barney and I would read it! This book is filled with thrills, twists and turns! I always race to the end of his work!

I love all things Victor Methos, this one did not disappoint!! If you loved the killers wife you will love this one!

Victor Methos does not disappoint in this latest novel. Solomon Shepard is back after an injury caused him to take a leave as a prosecutor. An ex-con is convinced Shephard set him up for a crime he didn’t commit and is out to prove it. The author takes you on a journey through the ex-con’s unbalanced view of reality. I would highly recommend this book. You won’t put it down until it’s over.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of The Grave Singer by Victor Methos. I anxiously await every new book by Methos because I love his writing style and he is great at writing compelling courtroom scenes. The courtroom scene in this book was different but still good, but the book was unexpectedly graphic and brutal. I loved the story but didn’t remember disliking Shepard as much in the first book of the series as I did in this one. Maybe he was a lawyer just being a lawyer, but he didn’t sit right with me. This book felt like a departure from his previous books, but I will still read the next book in the series as well as any other Methos books I find because I have loved the other ones I have read.

This book was amazing! It keeps the reading guessing and on the edge of their seats the entire book!

This is my favourite type of authors: authors who write on a subject they themselves have had personal professional experiences with. Indeed, Victor Methos graduated himself from law school at the University of Utah, and became a prosecutor for Salt Lake City before founding what would become the most successful criminal defence firm in Utah.
With that in mind, the main storyline of a prosecutor (Solomon Shepard) and a Sheriff (Billie Gray) hunting down Utah’s most dangerous criminals, gets much credibility. ;)
I could not continue this book without starting the series from the beginning with the "Secret Witness". It must be said, this second book can be read standalone but you are really missing out!
I loved this series so far and can't wait to read more from this very talented author!