She Treads Softly: A Dark Place

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

A Dark Place

A Dark Place by Trevor Negus
9/22/24; 436 pages
Inkubator Books
DCI Danny Flint Book #13

A Dark Place by Trevor Negus is a highly recommended intense procedural. This thirteenth book in the series has DCI Danny Flint and team searching for a monstrous killer using acid.

Homeless addict Terrence McAvoy is found dead, secured up right. His death was clearly torture. The killer used acid in a horrific manner. Then an off duty police officer who was walking his dog late at night is found shot. It is unknown if this death is related to the first. This is followed by another victim of the acid killer found, a pharmaceutical companies CEO. And then another victim, a scientist who worked for the same pharmaceutical company, is found killed in the same manner. Now the search is on for a serial killer.

Be forewarned that the manner of death used by the killer is gruesome and horrific in this well-written procedural. A Dark Place is a perfect choice for fans of procedurals as each new piece of information or clue that the investigations undertake are closely followed. The narrative is basically following the police investigation with some chapters from the point-of-view of the perpetrator.

While I enjoyed the novel, it did feel a bit slow a bit too long and drawn out. Even though it is part of a long running series, it can be read as a standalone novel. Thanks to Inkubator Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.