Customer Reviews

Darker Than Night

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I loved this book. In Darker than Night, John Lutz has written an eminently readable thriller. This is a tightly woven web of plot line and character development leading to a surprising conclusion. Characters, including police, victims, and killer are all intelligently and realistically drawn, with just enough red herrings to keep the reader a bit off balance. Particularly interesting is Frank Quinn, the disgraced detective who is brought back to the department to track down a serial killer who is targeting and brutally murdering happily married couples. And the back story of the "Night Prowler," himself, is intriguingly planted throughout the book, shading the edges and giving it depth. This thriller provides all the anticipated suspense, plus a bonus--truly well written prose. Thank you, Mr. Lutz, for an altogether excellent read.

A serial killer preying on seemingly happily married couples. A disgraced detective trying to crawl his way out of the mess his life has become. A teenager with a troubled past living large in a house not his own. A girl trying to break free of the memories of a childhood tragedy.

All these stories and more are wrapped up in John Lutz's Darker Than Night. To say that Darker Than Night is a book about a serial killer is to say that the London Philharmonic Orchestra is about music. It is, but then it is so much, much more.

After a couple of seemingly unrelated murders, the New York City Police Department realizes it has a serial killer on their hands. But this serial killer's modus operandi is a little different than your average serial killer. This guy stalks his prey, studies them, gets into their lives, and even leaves them gifts that he knows they'll enjoy. The NYPD knows he has to be stopped and to do so, former Detective Frank Quinn is employed to sniff out the clues and hunt the killer down. Quinn however, is seemingly no saint. He has a past that has driven him so far down into life's gutter that there seems no way of his overcoming it. But the police department politics that got him into this mess in the first place are the same politics that influenced the decision to put him on the case. The two detectives assigned to partner with him aren't exactly your knights in shining armor either, both having run-ins with department politics that seem to have put the careers up against the wall.

Interwoven into the serial killer storyline is that of a teenage boy, pushed through the foster care system and seemingly at odds with the world in general. After a couple bring him into their home, his life starts to pick up and seems to be on the mend. He is employed by a kind man who teaches him his trade. But he also gets a little cozy with his foster "mom" until they are discovered by the husband. Driven away from the house, the boy finds a way to return, only to have tragedy strike again.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Darker Than Night is that we get to know each and every character of the book, including the killer, his victims, the detectives, and a few other characters that may or may not have an important role in the plot. This last part is especially what keeps the book intriguing because it leaves the reader guessing as to who or what is working behind the scenes. Just when you think you have it figured out, a plot twist is thrown in that completely throws your theory out the window. Even right down to the end, everything is not what it seems, thus only adding to the mystery and suspense.

The one major complaint that I have about the book are the often gratuitous sex scenes. Call me prudish, but these seem a little overplayed and highlighted more than what was sufficient. The book also has quite a bit of language, but this may lend to the feeling that the characters are a little on the unsavory side.

Darker Than Night is the fourth book in a series of six by prolific thriller novelist John Lutz. The "Night" series features six stand-alone novels connected by a common theme: serial killers and the attempt to stop them.

Lutz, who has written more than forty novels in a career now well into its fourth decade, has clearly learned a thing or two about writing thrillers along the way. Darker Than Night hooks the reader from, quite literally, the first page and rarely lets up in intensity until the final chapter. The plot is complex and multilayered--something of a rarity in the genre--and features interesting characters (especially the villain), dramatic crime scenes, and believable police work.

Lutz does an excellent job of presenting the story through the point of view of a large cast of characters, some of whom are killed off fairly quickly but nevertheless have an interesting perspective to add to the reader's experience. A particularly interesting series of scenes shows a man whom the reader assumes to be the villain undergoing psychological therapy. The scenes feature realistic dialog and give an interesting perspective not only on the psyche of a killer but also the reaction of the city, interpreted through the therapist's eyes, to the killings.

For much of the novel, the story switches between the present-day hunt for the Night Prowler, as the nighttime killer terrorizing Manhattan has been dubbed by the media, and the past life of an artistic young man who, having been adopted into a dysfunctional family, slowly devolves into a killer. As the tension builds in both stories, the reader can't help but draw conclusions about how the two plots must be related, but Lutz does a masterful job of concealing till the very end exactly what those ties are. Lutz does a good job with his characters as well, giving them backgrounds and motives that make them come alive.

Unfortunately, in spite of the good writing and careful pacing, there is much to be concerned about in this book. In both the past and present storylines, the protagonists engage in rather explicit sexual affairs. Foul language is minimal, but the depictions of the Night Prowlers murders are quite graphic--more so than necessary even for a book about serial crime. The book contains no spiritual dimension or even any uplifting themes to speak of.

Darker Than Night could have been a stand-out book in a crowded genre; the quality of the writing makes Lutz an author worth reading, and--at least on a purely literary level--the book is entertaining and compelling. It's too bad the gratuitous content makes this book impossible to recommend.

Synopsis

Frank Quinn returns as the skilled but fatally flawed ex-homicide detective whose career was ended by an elaborate conspiracy involving department politics and cops on the take. His life is a mess; he lives alone within the confines of a bottle, unable to clear his name and unwilling to recover. Eventually, he is coerced into teaming up with two detectives that are just a step ahead of him on the career ladder (meaning still employed, albeit barely) to stop a serial murderer who has New York City in a state of panic.

The third body is being discovered by the time Quinn and associates get involved. The murderer has a distinct modus operandi - stalking his prey, learning their daily patterns, getting intimately involved in their lives and even leaving them gifts that he knows they desire. He then enters their home unnoticed, leaving the gifts and causing conflict between the couple.

In the early morning hours, after entering the homes of the victims and observing them in their sleep, the killer lures his victims into the kitchen and brutally murders them, following a very distinct pattern. As the body count continues to rise, Quinn and company find themselves in the center of the storm, unable to uncover the clues that can stop the murders. * * *

My Two Cents Worth

This was my first read by John Lutz and from the beginning I couldn't help but think of the similarities of Quinn and Tom Selleck's character Jesse Stone in some of the serial movies of late. Talented big-city detective, recently divorced, out of work and suffering from drinking problems, making one last stand to restore his credibility, etc. Not a bad thing - I like them both.
That being said, I thought the relationship between Quinn and Pearl worked well - their similarities brought them together and you feel sure that the very same thing will drive them apart at some point. I thought Lutz developed their characters and their relationship satisfactorily.

I also liked the the story line in general, but found it to be a bit repetitive, with every crime being virtually identical. I thought there was room for some slight variations on the part of the killer to provide measured clues that would move the story along a bit. I had some problems with the fact that the killer could enter the victims residence on several occasions, leave gifts, and loiter for an extended period before violently murdering them without leaving a single clue. The CSI teams that have invaded our television sets have made skeptics of us all.

I expected the killer would eventually face an alarm system as he entered the home in the middle of the night, or that at least one of the victims would have made a call to 911 when they heard someone in their kitchen. This lapse of logic jumped out at me as the fourth and fifth victims were eradicated. I was also surprised that there didn't seem to be more action on the part of the NYPD to get involved in finding the killer. It doesn't make much sense that the entire case was left to these three maligned individuals and the wise-cracking medical examiner.

These lapses of reality aside, I did enjoy the book, primarily because of the lead character, Quinn. Give Lutz a try; a nice easy read from a talented storyteller.

Paperback
541 pages
7 hours

Thank you AMAZON for reviews and recomendations that led me to DARKER THAN NIGHT by John Lutz, this first book in Lutz's Frank Quinn series. Im am so happy a found it. What great detective gendre who done it. Frank Quinn, forced out of his detective job, falsely accused of rappe is given a chance to redeem his reputation by stopping the Night Stalker who is terrorizing New York City. Partner up with his faith old partner and Pearl Kasner, who becomes Quinns lover, they solve the complicated case. What a rush! And Quinn gets his badge back. Looking forward to the second Frank Quinn book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

THE SETUP
Frank Quinn-framed (by his fellow police officers) for the rape of a young girl (Anna Caruso), is "provisionally semi-reinstated" to investigate a serial killer (dubbed the Night Stalker) who enters married couples' apartments during the night, eating from their refrigerators, leaving presents for the wife, and eventually murdering the couples usually in their kitchens. Quinn proceeds with the assistance of Federman and Pearl Casner (with whom Frank has an affair). A mover who is into s & m serves as a "red herring", as does Anna, now a young woman, is incensed by Quinn's new notoriety. In many scenes it is unclear whether the protagonist is Anna, the mover, or the real Night Stalker. Speaking of red-herrings, as a back-story, the childhood of Luther Luntz is related, creating a believable portrait of a potential psychopath.

CAVEATS
The plot is contrived and implausible. It is particularly implausible that many of the murdered couples of modest means who cannot afford to live in apartments with effective security, all hire decorators. Even after the Night Stalker's "MO" are described in the local newspaper--women who suspect that they may be his targets don't bother changing locks, or taking other logical measures. The private lives of the numerous victims is told in excessive detail--I soon became bored with the details of their squalid lives. The details are just generic interchangeable details, failing to add depth or interest.

VERDICT
The story is sufficiently entertaining and compelling that the minor flaws are easy to overlook. Well, at least up to the several "Deaveresque" twists (not a compliment) in the last several chapters which all but ruin the novel, contradicting much of the buildup. You might even describe the ending as almost an "Orient Express" ending---a half-dozen characters (major and minor) have murdered, attempted murder, or will murder. Very unsatisfying.

While investigating a drug deal murder, New York Police Department Lieutenant Frank Quinn discovered that a group of his peers were receiving kickbacks to look the other way on illegal activities. Before he goes to Internal Affairs, someone informed IA that Frank raped a fifteen years old girl. He chooses the moral path, but his wife and IA do not believe in his innocence and takes their daughter across the country leaving a stunned Frank behind. He took a half pension rather than be fired

A serial killer The Night Prowler is murdering married couples in their kitchens. Nobody seems to hear him when he lets himself in using an apparent key. Assistant Chief of Police Henry Cortez, with a chance for the top job, feels Frank can solve the case and brings him on as a civilian consultant. Frank feels he has a chance to redeem himself and get his job back.

Readers will believe that they just stepped off a tilt-awhirl after reading this action-packed police procedural. Though he knows he got a raw deal, the protagonist instead of whining and feeling sorry for himself, he jumps into the fray the first chance he has to prove himself. Fans will root for Frank, who has powerful enemies that he is unaware of who want him removed form the scene. John Lutz places Serpico in a serial killer venue with his blue knights still after him.

Harriet Klausner

This book brought out all the old fears of childhood, you have a serial killer who is killing happy couples in Manhattan, before he does that, he leaves subtle gifts for them and the NYPD calls on Quinn who has been sitting disgraced for a crime he didn't commit, or did he? The way that this book is constructed it made it almost impossible to put down, the suspense built up until the last forty pages, I couldn't put the book down. The story managed to be plausible but unique; the characters were likeable and managed to be complex without being overly complicated. I feel like the moments between when "The Night Prowler" strikes are like being pulled from water and the plunged under again. You know that it is coming; you know it will happen but when it does, you find yourself blindsided. The best part about it is the ending was completely satisfying. Great Read!

This book is about a serial killer who enters occupied homes and kills the couple who reside there, all while leaving little to no evidence of his presence.

Enter Frank Quinn, disgraced ex-cop, who is approached to return to the NYPD to solve this case. Frank teams up with his old partner, as well as Pearl, another detective within the department. Two officers with troubles of their own.

Frank's target? "The Night Prowler", a serial killer who manages to enter homes, eat from the refrigerator and leave gifts while the occupants sleep. Ultimately murdering the couple before the final visit is over.

On the pro side:

I really liked the back story of the serial killer. I found it interesting (possibly the best part of the book) and still managed to find myself surprised by the Night Prowler's identity.

Additionally, I liked the Frank Quinn character. He was well written, likeable and despite having been let go under a cloud of suspicion, seems to be a good cop.

The book moved very fast and kept my attention the whole time, a plus for any book.

On the con side:

I found a lot of the story to be unbelievable. Primarily, prior to their murders, the Night Prowler leaves gifts behind for the wives and even though both husband and wife deny having purchased them, they never seem to believe each other. For some reason they believe their spouse purchased it and is being coy about it, or playing some game for a reason only known to them. Even if they do believe that the other one didn't buy it, nobody seems overly concerned that someone clearly is able to gain entrance to their homes. I might buy one of the couples feeling that way, but all of them? Then, the one woman who does become suspicious and calls police, is thought to be a hysterical housewife.

While I liked the Frank Quinn character, it seemed pretty absurd to me that after having been accused of committing a terrible crime, forced to leave the department, having his wife leave him and turning into a raving alcoholic while living in an apartment that makes port-a-poppies seem nice, could simply be approached and hired back on the say so of one person on a part time provisional basis. Also, is Frank truly the only person who can solve this crime? That's their best bet at capturing the Night Prowler?

Frank's partners were not much in the way of the characters. Frank's old partner, whose name I can't even remember, may as well not have even been in the story. There wasn't much memorable about him one way or the other. Pearl, the other detective, just wasn't that likeable. It's not that I disliked her, but I didn't like her either.

In the end I gave it three starts because it was a quick, interesting read, and really I read to be entertained.

The two stars I didn't provide were basically because of the lack of believability. I'm not asking for a completely realistic story, but still, something a little more believable would have made it a much better book.

Anything by John Lutz I Inhale. I usually read his stuff at least twice over the years, I wish he would write faster.