"An exquisitely crafted Crime Thriller with a supernatural twist..."

• ASIN: ‎ B09QXRZK1P
• Publisher: ‎ Black Rose Writing (14 April 2022)
• Language: ‎ English
• Print length: ‎ 341 pages
• Genre: Supernatural Crime Fiction

The BookViral Review:

It’s rare that a novel leaves you glued to your seat, wanting to read it again, but Silver Or Lead is certainly one of them as Cox delivers an exquisitely crafted Crime Thriller with a supernatural twist.

It’s one of those stand-out reads where you finish it and re-run the plot in your head, re-running scenes in terms of the final shocking revelations and realizing as you do that Cox had a lot of fun writing it.

With the unsettled logic of a nightmare, in which nothing initially seems to fit it proves to be an exuberant exercise in style as Ben’s life is turned upside down and he finds himself immersed in a twisted game of duplicity and revenge.     

With heavy bloodletting and pervasive grimness, Cox’s narrative is faultless but Silver Or Lead is not just about narrative, it’s about creating the right atmosphere and the dialogue underpinning Cox’s story owes much to the hard-boiled style of crime fiction associated with the likes of Elmore Leonard, James Ellroy and Jim Thompson.

Yes, there are a number of bestsellers treading a similar path but there are a few things that make Silver Or Lead a cut above the rest. There’s Cox’s sly sense of humour, superb characterization and meticulous plotting and then there’s the progressive descent into the supernatural as Ben discovers the horrifying true nature of the web of lies and deceit he’s been drawn into through his friendship with Teddy Dabrowski.

On this level, Cox internalizes Ben’s and Teddy’s perspectives with no time for drifting. He trusts his readers to pay attention and in return, they are drawn deeper into a superb multi-layered plot without the distraction of trite tropes and tired clichés. More importantly, as Cox’s characters deceive and scheme for page after page they are wholly believable, rather than just repositories for clever dialogue. And as all of Cox’s plot threads come together the final chapters unfold in a cloud of delight in what proves to be a cracking ending to an uncommonly absorbing novel.

An exceptional debut from Cox Silver Or Lead is a five-star must-read for fans of Crime Thrillers and is recommended without reservation!