Review: Sons of Brutality by Daniel Jeudy

An intensely suspenseful thriller centering around the investigation of the brutal murder of two young women by a serial killer, Sons of Brutality by Daniel Jeudy is decidedly dark but gripping.

Plumbing the seamy depths, the novel goes underground to find snuff clubs, drug-addled Satanists, occult murder, and the mob. Los Angeles is being bathed in blood as multiple sprees of vicious murders threaten to overwhelm a police department on the brink. Detective Addison Mowbray and his partner Jed are the tenacious sleuths on the hunt for answers, but as they bounce between leads, red herrings, and horrific new crime scenes, it becomes clear that something far more sinister is brewing in the City of Angels. As the trails of bodies begin to overlap, an even deeper evil reveals itself, pushing these veteran detectives, an eccentric medical examiner, and an entire city to the edge of madness.

The novel is a murder mystery at first glance, but there is an ocean of occult intrigue and social commentary lurking beneath the surface, and the contextual choices in this novel couch it as an allegory for our troubled times. Widespread social unrest and the increasing desperation of regular citizens are far from fictional, which makes it even easier for readers to immerse in this tense, pulse-pounding page-turner. Watching how evil forces can take advantage of instability for their own diabolical ends puts a fine point on the existential threats simmering within our own society.

Additionally, these are main characters who wear their flaws without shame; whether it is casual drug use, interpersonal failings, depression, or despair, this is a refreshing and darkly relatable aspect of the prose. A strong central detective is key to the genre, and Jeudy brilliantly sketches veteran detective Addison Mowbray, who believes in liquor and loyalty above all else. Jeudy loads readers up on exposition early, and within the first chapter, readers have a firm grip on this eclectic character.

There is a smooth flow of thought in the narration, seamlessly moving from abstract reflections to physical descriptions, which carries the story forward with cinematic ease. In the more gruesome and visceral moments, the author’s mastery of language becomes impeccably clear. Some sentences and passages demand to be reread and savored, despite the horror, like a car crash one can’t help but rubberneck: “The smell of Katherine’s fatality saturated the ether” is one of countless lines that will stop readers in their tracks.

On an editorial note, there are some sloppy errors, including missing commas, hyphens, and prepositions, but on the whole the prose is well-trimmed and the wording is clearly chosen with care. There is a steady rhythm to the writing, with suspenseful chapter endings followed by emotional shifts that act as palate cleansers, rather than overstimulating readers with too much action or plot development all at once. This also gives Jeudy time to flesh out some of the peripheral characters, and their motivations, without feeling like everyone is merely a foil for Addison’s investigation.

Earning its title, this debut novel is unfiltered and fearless, from an author who wields language like a savage and devilish whip. If you like your thrillers with a true sense of dark realism, Sons of Brutality is an expertly written and page-turning thriller that has all the makings of a classic.