Night Shadows

Detective Louis Martelli, NYPD, Mystery/Thriller Series, Book 4

By: Theodore Jerome Cohen

Narrated by: Gregg Rizzo

2015 PacificBook Review Annual Competition Winner: Best Thriller
2014 Readers' Favorite BookAward Winner, Fiction/Mystery/General: Bronze

When a wealthy Wall Street commodity futures trader is found dead in his townhouse of an apparent drug overdose, Deputy Coroner Michael Antonetti, NYPD, is suspicious. Antonetti tells Detective Louis Martelli he suspects what appears to be a suicide may in fact be murder. After a similar case is discovered involving a former friend of the Wall Street trader who played on the same high school football team almost twenty years earlier, Martelli is convinced he is dealing with someone bent on revenge. But the two teammates who ostensibly committed suicide were part of an elite three-man squad known as The Flying Horsemen. This convinces Martelli there will be a third victim. But who might it be, and could the killings have anything to do with the rape and suicide of some of the men's former high school classmates? The answers will be found in this mystery/thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Note: Books in this series may be read in any order.

Reviews:

Night Shadows received five 5-STAR Readers' Favorite(RF) reviews and won a BRONZE medal in the Readers' Favorite 2014 International Book Competition. This is what one RF reviewer had to say: "Night Shadows is a fascinating and believable story about the consequences of poor decisions...This story was an enthralling tale I just could not put down." (Lee Ashford for Readers'Favorite)

"The case in Night Shadows develops with structural underpinnings and plot machinations so advanced even the most savvy of mystery readers will 'raise an eyebrow' to the skill used by Cohen." (Gary Sorkin for Pacific Book Review)

"In Night Shadows, Cohen skillfully combines a unique creative imagination with a keen sense of investigative reporting, knowledge of police procedures, and an intuitive understanding of human nature...to draw the reader into the story." (Richard Blake for Reader Views)

"I cannot remember a time in the past decade when I picked up a mystery/thriller and was so surprised." (Russell D. James for Hollywood Book Review)

"As a lawyer, it's always been disconcerting how Cohen sets himself up as judge, jury, and executioner, but I know his readers absolutely relish the idea." (Kerry Donahue,Esq.)

"This novel, ripped from the headlines, should serve as a wake-up call to what increasingly appears to be an epidemic of child abuse, teenage rape, and teen suicide." )Susan Violante, author of Innocent War: Behind an Immigrant's Past, italianaustinite.com, blogtalkradio.com/vioradio)

©2014 Theodore Jerome Cohen (P)2018 Wordwooze Publishing

Mysterious Figure in the Dark — Who is it?

I am just beginning to use Audible and although I have read this book before, the experience was different and entertaining. I knew the story was and still entertained yet worried for the characters. Audible is still new to me but I could get hooked.

Solving these murders required overcoming seemingly virtually insurmountable obstacles. Every lead seemed to go to a dead end. There seemed to be only circumstantial evidence. The murderer left an ancient coin under the victims tongues, confusing everything but revealing the deaths were tied together. Danger increases as the ending builds and the cases are solved.

This book helps point out situations of sexual abuse, and there is factual information about the topic provided.

Top Notch Listen

WoW! What can I say but this was an amazing listening experience...This was my first foray into the world of Louis Martelli and his creator Theodore Jerome Cohen and it definitely won't be my last. The story just flowed very smoothly, once I started listening, that was it, not much sleep until I had finished this story. Awesome character development and the narrating done by Gregg Rizzo was flawless.... I received this free audiobook by the publisher at my request and I am voluntarily providing my unbiased and honest review.

Is it murder?

This gripping defective story, brilliantly narrated by Gregg Rezzo, kept me intrigued till the end.

Loved it!

Just one word—-WOW! Mr. Cohen sure knows how to write a detective story. He must have done extensive research or had first hand knowledge of the work of a detective. Gregg Rizzo did a fantastic job narrating it! I loved every minute of it!

vigilante justice versus rape

This was truly sad. No one was a winner or came out ahead in the end. I don't condone rape nor vigilante justice. I didn't think it was right for the product of a rape to profit from murder. While rape is horrible, I think death/murder is more final and a worse crime if using the scales of justice. This really captured me. I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this and am giving an honest review. The narrator did a great job bringing it to life.

Mystery in dark themes

This is an action packed mystery novel. Our detective wanders about greater NYC hunting clues supported by an under appreciated Jill-of-all-trades iT person.

I wouldn’t say the end surprised me much. But the clues were interesting, the plot solid and well spaced to add interest.

Narration compounded the story to enhance it - drama, pacing and tone all good.

Warning: lots of very dark themes here - rape, murder, suicide.

Not the first I’ve listened to in the series and it won’t be the last!

I received this audiobook for free in exchange for a review

Amazing Murder Mystery

Another murder mysterysolved by detective Louis Martelli and Sean O'Keefe. These books by Mr. Cohen are intriguing, gripping and suspenseful. Narrator Gregg Rizzoli does an amazing job of voicing these characters.

Unnecessary profanity

I picked this up from a GoodReads appeal to audibly read and review. Based on the use of profanity both F and seriously G-D, I would give this 2 stars.

The story audibly feels like a radio drama. At one point early on I found myself giggling and humming the Theme to Dragnet. The pause between the last word and new chapter is too long, every time, all 50+ chapters. Several times I checked that the problem wasn't on my end (first 5-6 chapters).

I liked the characters and their individual relationships. Quite noticeably the author chose to write a smart group that worked together.

The story was good too. It was well-developed. I found the ending to be on target and compassionate.

Sadly, the gross use of profanity ruins what could be a good, memorable story as well as an unapologetic gift (my standard). This is book 4 of 6, and my one and only.