Darker Than Night

John Lutz

May 2010 · Pinnacle Books

About this ebook

A desperate ex-cop searches for a shadowy killer in a thriller by the New York Times–bestselling author: “One of the masters of the police novel.” —Ridley Pearson
 
A killer dubbed “The Night Prowler” has turned the city that doesn’t sleep into a town kept awake by terror. Unseen, he enters couples’ homes. Unsuspected, he lingers until the perfect moment arrives. He leaves “gifts” for his victims—before taking their lives.
 
Enter ex-homicide cop Frank Quinn, still reeling in the wake of an elaborate setup that ended his career. For Quinn, this isn’t just any job—it’s a last chance to salvage his reputation. As the investigation proceeds, the murderer loses no time stalking new prey: a loan officer and her high-earning husband; a couple who made a killing in the stock market; a pretty actress and her prosperous lover.
 
With the body count rising, it’s up to Quinn to unlock the mystery of a madman’s past and end his bloody reign. Quinn’s got his work cut out—because in a city the size of New York, any one of eight million faces could be that of a killer—or his next target . . .
 
“I’ve been a fan of John Lutz for years.” —T. Jefferson Parker
 
“John Lutz just keeps getting better and better.” —Tony Hillerman
 
“Some writers just have a flair for imaginative suspense, and John Lutz is one of them.” —Jeremiah Healy
 
“John Lutz is the new Lawrence Sanders.” —Mystery Scene
 
“Lutz knows how to seize and hold the reader’s imagination.” —The Plain Dealer
 
“Lutz’s real gift is to evoke detective work better than anyone else.” —Kirkus R

Ratings and reviews

Quite an exciting and fast-paced novel, characters are semi-interesting. Good, fun reading at airports. *mild spoilers ahead* That said, the plot and characters themselves are slightly disappointing. Maybe I was misled by the synopsis or just after an Agatha Christie binge, but I feel a more apt title would be "A few days in the life of a killer and some cops." The killer goes about to commit multiple crimes and the main characters are barely any closer to solving it. I was hoping with each crime, a clue or something would help our main characters to piece together something. Zilch. Ok, maybe one clue after several crimes. That's it. The story also suffers from "show, don't tell" (which I admit is not an easy thing). The reader is being constantly told that our main characters are "the best at what they do/hella good detective etc", yet there are barely any signs of it. Midway through the book the plot stalls and the dialogue becomes repetitive: with more crimes being committed, the chief puts pressure on Quinn (main character), Quinn has no clues etc". And speaking about our main characters, despite us readers told how good they are, they did little to solve the crime. The big clue came from a someone else tipping Quinn, not from their detective work. The final confrontation happened because the potential victim contacted the police after seeing the news, not because Quinn and his gang managed to come up with a list of suspects. All in all, admittedly a fun and exciting page turner, but not one that left me satisfied. And occasionally annoyed at the repetitive dialogue.

John Lutz creates charscters you expect to meet for lunch! And evil twists you can never imagine. The term 'page turner' may have been invented for his books.

Nice to read the first one I've read alot of the series their not bad I like pearl

About the author

A multiple Edgar and Shamus Award winner—including the Shamus Lifetime Achievement Award—John Lutz is the author of over forty books. His novel SWF Seeks Same was made into the hit movie Single White Female, and The Ex was a critically acclaimed HBO feature. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and Sarasota, Florida. Visit him online at www.johnlutzonline.com.