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Everyone Has What He Wants

The killer picks her up in a Manhattan night club. Another trendy victim of the latest downtown scene. Young. Fresh. Healthy. Perfect. The police find her body in a Bronx park. Pale as a ghost. Peaceful in death. Her life has been drained away. Slowly. Methodically. Brilliantly. . .

No One Survives What He Takes

NYPD profiler Lee Campbell has seen the gruesome handiwork of the most deranged criminal minds. But this is something new. Something unbelievably twisted. A blood-obsessed lunatic who chooses his victims with deadly, loving care--and forces Campbell to confront the demons in his own life. No matter who wins this game, there will be blood. . .

Praise for C. E. Lawrence and Silent Screams

"Pulse-racing, first-rate. . .a wild ride down a dark road."–-John Lutz

"Lawrence delivers finely honed suspense with unique twists."--Katherine Ramsland

"A dark, intriguing thriller."-- Publishers Weekly

"Lawrence nails you to your seat."--Gayle Lynds

388 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

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About the author

C.E. Lawrence

14 books99 followers

C.E. Lawrence aka Carole Bugge' is the byline of a New York-based suspense writer, performer, composer and prize-winning playwright and poet whose previous books have been praised as "lively. . ." (Publishers Weekly); "constantly absorbing. . ." (starred Kirkus Review); and "superbly crafted prose" (Boston Herald). Silent Screams, Silent Victim, Silent Kills, and recently released Silent Slaughter are the first four books in her Lee Campbell thriller series along with her short novella Silent Stalker available on Kindle.

Her other works have been published under the name of Carole Buggé.

Titan Press recently reissued her first Sherlock Holmes novel, The Star of India.

She has also been a featured guest on Canned Laughter and Coffee with Renee Bernard, Comedy Concepts with Nancy Lombardo, ITW Thriller Roundtable Online Forum, WBAI FM 99.5 in NYC "In the Moment" with Ibrahim Gonzalez & Ahmad Adali, and Cafe Ali, WUSB FM 90.1.

Most recently C.E. Lawrence was selected as one of 21 authors featured in the 2012 anthology edited by Lee Child, and published by Mystery Writers of America Presents, called Vengeance.

Her story The Vly has also be chosen for the 2013 anthology titled What Lies Inside published by Mystery Writers of America and edited by Brad Meltzer schedule for release in 2013.

C.E. Lawrence also teaches classes at NYU, and holds regular writers workshops, all while writing, lecturing and writing about the craft of writing. She most recently taught a crime writing class at the San Miguel Writers Conference held in the lovely historic town of San Miguel d'Allende, Mexico and she had a cover article titled The Moral of the Story published in the July 2012 Mystery Writers of America's National Newsletter.


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5 stars
65 (20%)
4 stars
105 (32%)
3 stars
109 (33%)
2 stars
32 (9%)
1 star
12 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Erin.
2 reviews
March 1, 2012
This crime drama was good enough that I don't regret having spent my time reading it, but there were too many loose ends. The characters were well developed, but most of their personal stories that aided the character development were left unfinished and my questions left unanswered. I found myself wondering why the author spent so much time with these subplots. The story ended very abruptly, leaving me generally unsatisfied.
594 reviews2 followers
September 10, 2013
I don't have any words for this book, just read it!!
600 reviews
March 11, 2024
Book 3 of 5. Profiler Lee Campbell and his colleagues are in a desperate search for a killer who drains the blood of his victims. They are thrust into the world of Steampunk culture looking for clues.
Profile Image for Chanel.
321 reviews10 followers
September 7, 2018
Not a very good book. The bad guy was over-rated and the author dragged the story out. Almost afraid to read the next book.
May 6, 2013
Silent Kills is a kind of procedural, but a lot more, and C.E. Lawrence is that rare item, a series writer who gets better. Her Precinct is a little grim, nuts and sometimes funny. Try a rugby-playing boss cop married to a dangerous femme fatale and a detective who’s very afraid of dogs forced into close proximity with a German Shepherd.

Most crime books are all plot, stripped and dead. Lawrence doesn’t have this problem. She can go into the perp’s mind and find interesting thoughts, then show them slipping into sick, damaged thinking. Princetonian profiler Lee Campbell was interesting from the outset of this series, living at the edge of clinical depression, exasperating and very real. Everyone knows someone like this – really cool, good-looking, but dragging through life without hope. Campbell just happens to be smart and interesting, and unlike many of this type, he just won’t quit. Not a high energy guy, but somehow he maintains an enticing exotic girlfriend along with his work and his neuroses. Lawrence puts him in a very believable New York City world that somehow co-exists with her Gothic imagination in a natural unforced way. Silent Kills moves at a pace that is hard to match, without losing depth. It’s taut and relaxed, and it never stops moving. When she goes off the genre reservation, she gets away with it, because she goes to interesting places. A meeting of the Vidocq Society for example, where Campbell’s Armenian girlfriend meets Someone New.

And Lawrence’s characters lock in. You never ask yourself who someone is, even if they’ve been out of the narrative for a while. Her subliminal branding-iron identifies them indelibly – steampunk kid, sloppy cop, atheist Muslim street-vendor, crazy-beauty wife, whomever. You don’t forget the well-named Detective Butts and his appetite or a horny Valkyerie like Elena Krieger, or the smell of lamb as the street-vendor’s wife get him hot.

Lawrence is right on top of what’s going on in this century. As the narcissist-escapees of steampunk fake their way along through the anniversary of 9/11, you get the dark side of American Exceptionalism. It’s a perfect world for Davey, her well-bred good-looking steam-punk killer, who needs fresh blood to really be himself. Davey is sharp, he has style, and he’s convincing, and his evolution is artfully traced. None of your generic vampire teeth-to-the-throat – this isn’t Anne Rice warmed over. Davey is very professional, and he works hard. It takes a lot out of him finding appropriate victims, but it comes back in the cocktail that follows, or a transfusion. But he needs more and more blood, and even the most careful serial killer gets caught up in a rising tempo.

Likewise the reader. When cops, profiler, killer, and victim's brother drive upstate and converge on a steampunk gathering in Troy, Lawrence gives you the same frantic madness that capped Silent Victim. If you’re on the subway, you probably miss your stop.
Profile Image for Kelsey.
Author 1 book14 followers
January 19, 2012
Lawrence throws us headlong into a lot of complex relationships and one really deranged serial killer. Lee Campbell is NYPD's only full-time profiler and he has been asked to help on a case being dubbed the "Van Cortlandt Vampire." The serial killer drugs his victims and then drains them completely of blood. Campbell knows that the killings will only escalate. After interviewing the brother of one of the victims, Francois, Campbell instantly feels a bond and wants to help him. Campbell too has been through tragedy with the fall out of the disappearance of his sister which to this day has not been solved. Knowing that Francois will want to do whatever he can, Campbell decides to keep a close eye on him.

One thing that they know they have to do is immerse themselves in the steampunk world that this killer seems to gravitate towards. With the help of Campbell's girlfriend, Kathy, he starts to create a profile of the killer and what the significance is of the draining of blood.

Psychologically this page turner will leave you breathless. The added vulnerability of Campbell and his inner struggles day in and day out will have you fully vested in him and all the supporting characters. Each one has their own flaw but what makes them even more interesting is that the flaw they have do not hinder them for very long. Another aspect that adds to the story is that Lawrence sets her story one year after 9/11. These wounds are still fresh and every character in some way was impacted by the event. The switching view points gives the reader a look into each character and when Lawrence writes from the killer's perspective you literally see inside a mad man.

Great read for anyone that loves a good thriller.

(Book was provided by publisher for an honest review)
February 20, 2015
C. E. Lawrence continues to provide a great suspenseful thriller. It is part police procedural, part profiling, and part characters trying to move on with their lives at the 1st year anniversary of 09/01/01. While this is the 3rd book in the "Silent series," the author writes in such a way that you can pick these books up in any order. In talking with other readers, I have found that we appreciate her use of separate chapters to explain the history and rationale of the killer(s) and the murders he commits. Lee Campbell is a profiler but he also serves as a lecturer (providing more insight into the work he does) and battles his own anxiety and depression. All of that is well-described by the author. In this novel we got a taste of "Steampunk" and the author helped me to have a better understanding of that movement and what the "draw" to it may be. Did I adore the ending? No. Too much happened and got pulled together too fast to be really satisfying for me. I found that I was left with a few more questions that I was guessing at...but will I stop reading her work? Not a chance.
Profile Image for Lena.
96 reviews5 followers
January 10, 2015
Es herrscht tatsächlich Ruhe

Lee Campel ist einer der erfolgreichsten Profiler in New York und als die blutleere Leiche einer jungen Frau gefunden wird, ist all sein Können gefragt…
Leider hat mir dieser Thriller überhaupt nicht gefallen. Der Mordfall fristet ein Schattendasein, während die Kollegen vom NYPD im Rampenlicht stehen. Wer verzehrt sich nach wem? Wer kann wen nicht ausstehen? Und die Probleme und Ängste des Protagonisten und Helden, Lee Campel werden natürlich auch sehr ausführlich beschrieben. Aber da war doch noch was oder?!
Die Entwicklung der Geschichte ist sehr voraussehbar und der Verlauf der Ermittlung war sehr nebensächlich. Das NYPD stolpert über wichtiges Beweismaterial und irgendwann finden sie den Mörder.
Leider passiert dazwischen rein gar nichts – und dafür braucht der Autor 400 Seiten.
Profile Image for Lesley.
82 reviews21 followers
January 15, 2012
I have read all 3 CE Lawrence books. They just keep getting better and better. Lee Campbell is not only fighting to have his expertise recognized by the members of the NYPD but also wages a battle with depression caused by his sister's unsolved disappearance and the 9/11 attacks. In this one the group is trying to apprehend a killer who is also a member of the steampunk scene.
I love her characterizations. Even a minor character lights up the page from time to time, such as the Vietnam Vet who has schizophrenia and found one of thr victims. The main characters have their off duty personalities shown in small doses reminiscent of Law & Order.
Profile Image for Marianne Stehr.
1,037 reviews7 followers
December 2, 2011
Having never read any of the other in this series, I was expecting the run of the mill thriller, filled with who dun its and chases especially given that the murderer was a serial killer. I found that, but a whole lot more as well. This is very much a psychological book about grief, loss and death. I found it havinga quality of introspection, making me (the reader) look at my own feelings about death. To me this book felt very "deep" and for that I was both surprised and delighted. It is so much more than it appears.
Profile Image for Sierra.
6 reviews
May 27, 2016
First off, I have to say this is the first C.E. Lawrence book I've read. Silent Kill captivated me and I had a hard time putting it down. At first I was a bit confused by the story structure But, as I continued reading, I found the way the story was told made sense. I identified a lot with Lee Campbell. I noticed one or two typos here and there, but not nearly enough stop reading. All in all, I'm glad I got introduced to C.E. Lawrence. This definitely won't be the last book of his I read.
Profile Image for Julia.
61 reviews
March 20, 2012
Just finished this book. I really enjoyed the book and the author. The story took place in NYC right after 911. The author did a great job with the story line and characters. I stayed interested, however the book takes a dark side by adding some paranormal activity. Not my usual style of book but I do look forward to reading other bookd by C.E. Lawerence.
Profile Image for Andrea.
166 reviews3 followers
December 21, 2011
Here’s to a wonderfully campy thriller that introduces you to Manhattans steampunk culture while your favorite detective tracks down a living vampire that is silently killing his victims one by one.
Profile Image for Barbara Huskey.
749 reviews18 followers
April 16, 2012
Not the greatest suspense type book I've ever read, but definitely not the worst. I liked it overall even though the cops made some incredibly accurate guesses based on absolutely nothing. I kind of shook my head in some places, but I did keep reading it.
Profile Image for KC.
2,475 reviews
August 23, 2015
I really enjoy the main character in this series. Dr. Lee Campbell, NYPD profiler, is helping to find a killer who drains the blood from of his victims. Campbell is a damaged individual who cannot get past his own personal tragedy, which makes him a fantastic profiler.
11 reviews2 followers
July 28, 2012
New writer I started reading and I thought they were good.
Profile Image for Lee.
15 reviews
August 14, 2012
Just started today, will reserve judgement. I will say it's slow to start.
Profile Image for Valerie.
59 reviews8 followers
August 22, 2012
Fun read, good suspense throughout. I recommend this book for some dark-&-stormy-night light reading. Steampunk Vampire... nice stretch there, Ace!
Profile Image for Lynn.
230 reviews11 followers
February 6, 2013
Did not realize until I had finished that it was the third book of a series. Purchased the other books in the series and hope they will also be an enjoyable read.
1 review
March 1, 2014
A quick read. Intense at times but overall entertaining.
Profile Image for Crystal Barton.
4 reviews1 follower
November 1, 2015
Loved this book! Kept my interest from beginning to end. Would recommend it to anyone who likes these types of books. Can't wait to read the rest of the series!
1,215 reviews8 followers
May 2, 2016
Better than the other one of these that I read, but not by much...too much time given to the depression that the main character has and not enough to the mystery/suspense.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews

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