Mary Willis Walker: The Red Scream

Mary Willis Walker

The Red Scream

Christina says:

Molly Cates, journalist and true-crime writer, has been following the case of Louie Bronk, aka the Texas scalper, for ten years. Bronk cruised the Texas highways and killed and raped several women. His personal signature was that he shaved their heads, a habit that gave him his nickname. Now he is on death row with all appeals refused and the date for the execution set. His most famous victim was socialite Tiny McFarland. Her husband Charlie was the only one who refused to be interviewed by Molly in all those years. All of a sudden he asks her to come to his home and tries to talk her out of writing an article about Bronk’s execution because the fresh publicity would upset his fragile daughter Alison. Molly refuses to be bribed and won’t even give in to pressure from her boss. Then Charlie’s second wife is killed the way his first was and Louie Bronk recants his confession in the McFarland case. Authorities think he’s trying to save himself, because he got the death penalty only for the McFarland murder. Bronk gives Molly a shaky alibi and asks her to check it out and she agrees to do so reluctantly. His new statement makes her a liar and threatens her book sales. And there’s more: anonymous letters seem to indicate that a copy cat killer has chosen her as his victim.

Molly Cates is a woman in her forties with a grown-up daughter and a couple of failed marriages who is always waiting desperately for the next check in the mail. Professionally, however, she knows exactly what she wants and digs into a story like a pitbull. A very likable and interesting character.

The reality of the death penalty is the thread that runs through the story. Walker describes the situation on death row in Huntsville/Texas and her inmate is typical, too: poor, with little education, represented by an overworked attorney who takes on cases of death row inmates pro bono because she opposes the death penalty. And Walker does not shy away from the dilemma even opponents of the death penalty are faced with: Molly Cates does not approve of killing people, but admits that she will feel safer when it is guaranteed that Louie Bronk will never again waylay women on the highway.

THE RED SCREAM is well written and gripping right from the start. The book does everything a mystery should do and as a bonus makes you think about a serious topic. Only the ending left something to be desired.

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Christina Gross

Last changes: 17/03/03