Book Review | Murder on the Down Low by Pamela Samuels Young

Rating: 5 stars – a fast-paced legal thriller that kept me guessing right until the end

Murder on the Down Low by Pamela Samuels Young is a legal thriller about murder and a group of young African-American women who are trying to come to terms with the death of their close friend.

I read this book as part of the Pump up your book promotion virtual book tour. It’s the first book I’ve read as part of a book tour and I’m glad I got involved as this is not the type of book I would usually read.

I read this book during a vacation at the beach and was hoping it would be a fast-paced read. I was a little unsure when I first picked it up as I’m not really a fan of authors who describe characters by giving an account of their clothing (personal taste but it feels a little clunky at times) however I stuck with it and was glad I did. Once you get your head round each of the characters and how they relate to each other this becomes a really enjoyable book. As several murders occur and the friends are involved in trying to catch the killer, or prove that they themselves are not the murderer I really got caught up in the story. The characters are likable and Samuels Young throws in enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. I admit I didn’t figure out whodunit until right at the last minute!

The one thing I feel I should point out is the meaning of Down Low. I’m from the UK and that piece of slang means nothing to me; the back cover merely refers to the murder of African-American men, so I was a little taken aback in the first few pages to learn that being on the Down Low means you’re a ‘straight’ man who sleeps with other men. I feel I should throw that in there as I know it might not appeal to some readers. Personally I thought that the author handled my education in this subject very sensitively and I came away from the novel having thoroughly enjoyed the ride and feeling like I had learnt something too.

Great job Pamela – I look forward to reading more of your books.

Order today:Murder on the Down Low