Lost Causes

Silent Scream

Fiction - Suspense
256 Pages
Reviewed on 07/07/2013
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Donna J. Thompson is mother and grandmother to a blended family. She has been writing all of her life, it seems, but never decided to publish until 2005 when her fist novel

    Book Review

Reviewed by Bil Howard for Readers' Favorite

The page turning thriller, Lost Causes: Silent Scream, by Donna J. Thompson is a suspenseful mystery that will have you chewing your nails the whole way through. When Casey West comes into Detective Karl Larkin’s office, suspicious of a problem at Lakeview Mental Hospital, he thinks that it is just a pretty crazy woman talking. However, when a nurse ends up dead and the evidence points toward Casey’s suspicions, Larkin finds himself knee deep in a murder mystery with more twists to it than a pretzel. As Casey and Detective Larkin work toward unraveling the mystery, which is ever more difficult because those being investigated have friends in high places, the players have a scheme of their own going on. The hospital administrator, Casey’s Uncle Jerry and his assistant/lover Kathryn Bailey, have a little secret involving two of their patients, which Casey suspects are her sister and her nephew. When Marcus Kelly suddenly enters into the picture during the height of the mystery, Casey is immediately suspicious of what role he is playing, though she finds herself uncontrollably attracted to him. As the many layers of this thriller are peeled away, the truth is finally revealed in shocking detail and Detective Larkin moves in to make his arrest.

Lost Causes: Silent Scream shows the professional skill of Donna J. Thompson as she demonstrates her literary art in a thrilling and suspenseful page turner. It flows smoothly and has a new surprise waiting around each corner of the Lakeview Hospital. The reader is able to walk the halls with Casey West and feel the tension in her gut. She has created a masterpiece with this work and it is a great addition to the bookshelf of the most avid mystery/thriller reader. There is never a dull moment and the reader is forced to unravel the mystery just as much as the detective and Casey. The reader will be thrilled, teased, and pleased by this suspense filled mystery.

Samantha Rivera

"Lost Causes" is the story of a doctor determined the make a difference in the world. But it is not just a story about that. Donna Thompson has woven a story of intrigue and suspense as the doctor stumbles across secrets someone has tried desperately to keep hidden. As she works to determine what really happened to her friend she will also begin to unravel the truth of her origins and her family as well. This story will leave you questioning absolutely everything you know and everything you think you understand from one page to the next.

This book is all about Casey West, a young woman who has just completed medical school and started her first job as a doctor in a busy hospital. Her goal is to help people and especially the mentally disturbed, which is something that anyone can relate to. Seeing and understanding her love and passion for her job as well as the way that she seeks to help everyone she comes into contact with makes her seem just like a regular person. The way she trusts so easily makes her vulnerable and definitely gets her into some trouble but it is also what makes you really look at her and say ‘I can see myself in that.’ "Lost Causes" is definitely all about the way that things happen when you least except them and it is definitely about the way that one person can make a big difference. Thompson has done a really good job weaving the twisting plot of events at Lakeview.

Maria Beltran

Written by Donna J. Thompson, the book Lost Causes: Silent Scream will certainly put you at the edge of your seat or bed. The story starts with the death of Trudy Madison, a nurse in Lakeview Psychiatric Hospital. This disturbing incident pushes Detective Karl Larkin to further investigate the story told by the hospital psychologist Casey West as to what happened prior to Trudy’s death. The detective believes that there is something strange about the death, especially since the story given by the management does not coincide with the evidence. Meanwhile, Jerry Connors, who runs the mental hospital, does everything he can to put a stop to the investigation. Casey then volunteers to be Larkin’s eyes and ears inside Lakeview. What is really happening in the mental hospital? Why was Casey’s friend Trudy brutally murdered? Will Casey be able to help Larkin solve the mystery?

The best thing about this book is that it is fast-paced. There is no doubt that Donna J. Thompson knows exactly how to make her novel engaging for her readers. She understands that a premise like her story should not be taken slowly or else it will drag and readers will find her book boring. The pacing of Lost Causes: Silent Scream is simply outstanding. It is therefore easy to say that this book is undeniably a page-turner. The danger is very intense and you are tempted to guess as to what will happen next. However, the author will never disappoint you simply because the novel is unpredictable. This book offers plenty of suspense but I do not want to reveal too much. One thing is for certain: Thompson will make you scream.