Book Review: “Hooker” by M. Lopes da Silva
Hooker
M. Lopes da Silva
Publisher: Unnerving
This is my first Rewind or Die book (I know, I know – I really need to read more of them) and makes for one hell of an introduction to this series. In Hooker, it’s 1984, and Sylvia Lumen’s sister is killed by a serial killer targeting sex workers. Sylvia sets out into the City of Angels, seeking revenge.
This is a hell of a ride. Silva drops us right into the city, inviting us to become part of Sylvia’s story. It’s a relatively quick book, but we get real in-depth characterisation with all the characters. We get solid relationships, both between Sylvia and her sister, and with her love interest. We get various women shown ‘on screen’, and it’s one thing I really appreciated about this book - all the relationships between the women read as real, and heartfelt. Nothing about them felt forced.
The whole ‘serial killer targets sex workers’ thing has become an almost overused trope over the years, but Silva does an excellent job of grabbing said trope and twisting it, giving us something fresh, as Sylvia takes the reins of her story and directs it herself. The women in this book have agency, and strength, and vulnerability, and it’s what gives this tale its real strength.
There’s a lot of action here too, fast-paced and tight, and to give you an indication of how gripped I was by the story, I managed to read this over only two days.
The writing could be a little better, a little stronger, but honestly, the story itself and the way Silva handles it more than makes up for it.
Hooker is a fun, fairly quick, female focused read, and without a doubt leaves me keen to see more from M. Lopes da Silva in the future.
Grade: A
Unnerving: https://www.unnervingbooks.com/
Review by Elle Turpitt
@elleturpitt
I received this e-book from the author for review consideration.
