Dark Friday [Paperback]

Jeffrey Leever (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2007

Welcome to Jasonville, Indiana - a town of one zip code, one high school, one cop car…and one terrifying autumn night. A young man is arrested for a series of murders, but police deputy Lorraine Barrett and Chief Bertrand Rix sense there could be a more disturbing explanation lurking in their town. Jasonville High student Casey Wood doesn't know why the cops have their eye on him. As his friends' secrets are revealed,Casey's world begins to unravel. Will the courage of stabbing survivor Hope Redmond prompt him to do the right thing? Investigative reporter Kevin Gibson isn't thrilled about being dispatched to Jasonville. Then unsettling events make clear to him there's more to the story than first meets the eye. When Lorraine, Chief Rix, and Kevin start digging, they realize that a killer (or killers) might still be at large. But to uncover the truth, they'll have to convince young friends to turn against each other, and put their own lives on the line.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeffrey Leever - "a new talent to be reckoned with” (Midwest Book Review) - is the author of the mystery/suspense novels The University and Dark Friday. His short story "Pre-emptive Measures" was adapted and performed as a play in Denver, Colo., and also published as an Amazon Short. Jeffrey is a former PR staff member for the Colorado Governor's Office, as well as former senior editor for a nonprofit organization. He now lives in Blue Springs, Missouri. A Nebraska native, he wrote a college football column, the Scarlet Commentary for four years. He holds a degree in English with a writing emphasis and is perpetually at work on his next suspense/mystery novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: Capital Crime Press (September 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977627632
• ISBN-13: 978-0977627639
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,101,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeffrey Leever is author of the mystery novels THE UNIVERSITY and DARK FRIDAY as well as the short story, "Pre-emptive Measures." A Nebraska native, Jeffrey now lives in Blue Springs, Missouri. His website is www.jeffreyleever.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed by Barb Radmore, September 7, 2007

By 

Front Street Reviews www.frontstreetreviews.com - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Friday (Paperback)

Five teenage girls are murdered on the same night on the same small rural town. One high school student is arrested but the police chief is not convinced he has the right person. As the town mourns the deaths and fears the future, one reporter delves deeper into the events. Reporter Kevin Gibson knows he is on the right track as he is threatened and stalked. A killer must still be on the loose but his identity remains hidden.

The story is see through the eyes of Casey Wood, friend of the circle of boys who seem to be involved in the murders. Although one of his friends has been charged with the murders, Casey is still confused by the circumstances. He has known these guys for years, spent many hours with the group that called themselves the Fraternal Order of Friday. They met to eat pizza and watch horror movies, a genre with which they were all obsessed. As he looks into the murders he finds that he has ignored much of what went on around him, turning a blind, or over accepting, eye on warning signs and ominous omens.

Leever does an exceptional job telling the story back and forth through time. He skips from the murders to the past to the present investigation with an even, smooth flow that adds to the tension of the story. The reader is never very sure of the direction the plot may take, a suspenseful trick of the writing. Leever is able to alter his writing style to meet the pace of the tale, from telling the background of the story in flowing prose to short staccato sentences of action or effective dialogue. The characters are deftly drawn, their personalities and motivations are outlined in stark, black marker but filled in with the colors and hues of a talented writer. They are not comfortable characters, they are the teenagers of parents' nightmares, their surface is calm, their depths' infinate. But, which is what makes the book so chilling, they are portrayed realistically and believably. The controversial topic of modern culture- horror movies and their influence- is examined, and comes out poorly, in this tale of teenage friendship and obsession.

Capital Crime Press has stepped outside their usual fare into this darkly tragic tale. As always they have chosen carefully and well with this novel, finding in Jeffery Leever another unique voice on the mystery/thriller shelves.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timely, Compelling, and Relevant, June 12, 2008

By 

E-knows (Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Friday (Paperback)

This is a great story, well-told, very creepy in parts but memorable and relevant to our times. Much of today's teen culture and entertainment is so steeped in violence that it becomes violence simply for the sake of. There's no point to it; it's simply on display. As a mother and wife, I appreciate this book because it manages to shine a light on issues of peer pressure, pop culture, and choices. Whether or not the author meant his novel as something more than just thriller-style entertainment, he has crafted a very meaningful mystery.

Other reviews here cover the basic plot, so I won't repeat what's already been said. I will say that there are scenes in Dark Friday that really "get you" and linger in your mind long after you first read them. At the same time, the story moves you along in a way that you literally keep turning the pages. There are some memorable teen characters, both young men and young women. And the adults in the story are very human and realistic. They are men and women who have to battle not to rush to judgment, and who struggle against doing what's best for their careers vs. what's right for the sake of truth and justice. As the story unfolds, forgiveness and redemption show up in some unexpected ways.

Toward the end of the book, there is a climactic confrontational scene between two best friends that had me in tears. I won't spoil it for you, but the characters are teenage boys and the scene is mostly dialog. Although I am a mother, I don't have any boys, much less teenage ones. So it's not like I have any irrational bias or built-in sympathy for characters like these. Still, I found myself getting choked up. (And this...from a MYSTERY novel!) That's when I knew this particular author has something that a reader doesn't encounter every day.

A book that's well worth the $11 or so Amazon asks for it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, September 12, 2009

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Dark Friday (Paperback)

This is one of the best books I have ever read. I hope to see more books by this Author.