PRO CONNECT
DE Funk is the writer of the Rage Series. Her debut novel, Silent Rage was awarded the Silver Falchion Award Best Suspense novel at the 2019 Killer Nashville International Writer’s Conference. Her second book Deafening Rage is completed and will be launched soon…and she has started her third book. She is a teacher who began her career in education with middle schoolers, moved to high school, and ended up in college. She now teaches history and criminal justice at a local community college.
Coming from a long line of ancestors who loved all things pertaining to reading, writing, and learning, it was only natural for her to tackle the task of completing a novel. As an avid reader who especially enjoys the history of crime, she weaves interesting facts among her characters and locations. She wrote her book because she loves to read, and wants to entertain with her stories.
She currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina with her husband, as well as a dog and a cat. When she is not writing or researching for her books she enjoys exercising and being outside especially in the heat. She also enjoys interacting with groups of people and is available for speaking engagements.
“A sometimes-bumpy but always compelling tale about a budding murderer”
– Kirkus Reviews
A teacher witnesses the birth of a serial killer in the form of one of her students in this debut psychological thriller.
Libby Teach barely escaped a serial killer when she was 9 years old: her own Uncle Roger, who molested her and warned her to never tell. Now she works as a sixth grade teacher. One of her students is Russell Thomas, the son of a serial killer. Roger Allen Watson—the Trailer Park Murderer, who met his end via lethal injection—raped Russell’s mother when she was just 14. She now works as a stripper and prostitute, and her boyfriend, Wayne Jetsoe, molests 12-year-old Russell whenever he gets the chance. Russell likes Miss Teach: “She was pretty and seemed to care about all of her students even Russell. Maybe especially Russell. She often stood by his desk when she was lecturing about history and smiled at him like they shared a secret or something.” For her part, Libby is starting to worry about Russell and the violent things he writes in his journal. Is it possible that he may have inherited a few things from his father—the same man who molested Libby when she was a girl? Funk’s plot is an intricate dance between the various characters: not just Libby and Russell, but also others, including psychotic Wayne and handsome policeman Mike O’Malley, the protagonist’s love interest. The author’s prose is broad and simple: “Bud was the local go to guy for most drugs. Users like Leo were always looking for a new way to get high and forget about their miserable existence. Ironically, Bud was a conscientious drug dealer. He didn’t want his regulars getting messed up and dying.” Funk attempts to not only show how a serial killer behaves, but to identify the childhood roots of that behavior as well. In that sense, the book succeeds: Readers will feel badly for Russell even as they are horrified by what he is becoming. While the presentation is not quite as smooth as it could be, the novel is generally thrilling and thoroughly unafraid to take readers to some very dark places.
A sometimes-bumpy but always compelling tale about a budding murderer.
Pub Date: Nov. 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-72875-892-3
Page count: 267pp
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2019
Day job
Writing and Teaching
Favorite author
James Patterson, CJ Box, and James Lee Burke
Favorite book
Robinson Crusoe
Favorite line from a book
“Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
Hometown
Greenville, South Carolina
Passion in life
Encouraging others to try new things or rise above a difficult situation
Unexpected skill or talent
Served as leader in a homeless ministry for over six years
SILENT RAGE: Silver Falchion Award Best Suspense novel at the 2019 Killer Nashville International Writer’s Conference, 2019
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.