usbsticky's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic! This is possibly the best book I've read in 2016 and that's impressive considering how many good books I've read this year.
Synopsis: SFPD inspector exhumes coffin to find strange body, then is pulled from case to investigate blackmail of SF mayor.
I'm amazed that the author has only written 3 previous books because his writing is top notch. His writing is very smooth and easy to get into. I got into the story within the first few pages. There is only one protagonist (Gavin Cain, the SFPD inspector) and everyone else is a supporting character. That makes the plot line very easy to follow. The action is fast and there are no boring parts. His writing is also impressive in its brevity. He is able to describe action or a character in just a few words, there are no long boring sentences that are just written for the sake of poetic license or verbiage. He just knows what to say to make the character or action feel real.
And there is just enough development of the character to move the story along and not so much that you felt it was too much. This is exactly how I felt about the early Law and Order episodes from oh so long ago - the actors were as real as they needed to be in the show but it skipped their personal histories and what they did at home, etc.
The only extraneous subplot I felt was the romantic one. I don't know if this is a stand alone book or the romantic entanglement was a followup from a previous book. Either way, this was one part that I felt didn't need to be there.
The plot was very well designed. It was complex but not confusing. The beauty of the plot was in the unraveling at the end so you could marvel how it all finally fit together and explained everything.
So in summary you got a fast reading and engrossing mystery. The characters were well described and the plot was pleasing. The only letdown is that I won't be able to find a novel as good as this one for a while. I got this book free as a review copy. I'm definitely going to read this author's other books.
Synopsis: SFPD inspector exhumes coffin to find strange body, then is pulled from case to investigate blackmail of SF mayor.
I'm amazed that the author has only written 3 previous books because his writing is top notch. His writing is very smooth and easy to get into. I got into the story within the first few pages. There is only one protagonist (Gavin Cain, the SFPD inspector) and everyone else is a supporting character. That makes the plot line very easy to follow. The action is fast and there are no boring parts. His writing is also impressive in its brevity. He is able to describe action or a character in just a few words, there are no long boring sentences that are just written for the sake of poetic license or verbiage. He just knows what to say to make the character or action feel real.
And there is just enough development of the character to move the story along and not so much that you felt it was too much. This is exactly how I felt about the early Law and Order episodes from oh so long ago - the actors were as real as they needed to be in the show but it skipped their personal histories and what they did at home, etc.
The only extraneous subplot I felt was the romantic one. I don't know if this is a stand alone book or the romantic entanglement was a followup from a previous book. Either way, this was one part that I felt didn't need to be there.
The plot was very well designed. It was complex but not confusing. The beauty of the plot was in the unraveling at the end so you could marvel how it all finally fit together and explained everything.
So in summary you got a fast reading and engrossing mystery. The characters were well described and the plot was pleasing. The only letdown is that I won't be able to find a novel as good as this one for a while. I got this book free as a review copy. I'm definitely going to read this author's other books.
literarycreature's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
muddypuddle's review against another edition
5.0
This had everything I love in a mystery. Best of all, it's all show and no tell. A setting - San Francisco - that I know, with lots of great description that emphasizes the map in my head. Deeply interesting characters that are real and not superficial or just words on a page. A small part of the story is about the protagonist and what's going on in his life, which is slowly unfurled and also tinged, just a bit, with mystery. And a super suspenseful, intricate plot that keeps you wondering and thinking until the very end, then wraps everything up without any questions left in your mind. Whew! What a ride. Masterfully read by David Colacci, I'm so sad that it had to come to an end.
fusrodah's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a huge fan of crime based novels! The whole mystery and trying to solve it side by side (albeit almost always getting it wrong) is really interesting. The Dark Room intrigued me on this aspect.
The plot goes like this. Detective Gavin Cain is in the middle of an exhumation when he gets a call about how someone is blackmailing the mayor, and how he personally asked for the best detective in the PD (Cain) to get to the bottom of the whole deal. Cain tracking down the blackmailer and making a lot of revelations on the way is essentially our story.
Positives first - I loved how Jonathan Moore's written this book. Everything is subdued and gritty and has a realistic feel to it. There were a lot of instances where it could've taken a whole "Dan Brown"-ish turn into high octane exaggerated action. Instead, Moore portrayed everything almost exactly how it would've happened in real life, major props to that! boring logical decision by going back to the coffee shop This kind of gritty style might not be for everyone though.
The characters are pretty fleshed out and we grow to care about them. I liked how Moore had a way of giving us exposition without making it feel like exposition.
My gripes with this books are the ending and something that happens near the 80% mark. The ending is.... well meh. It leaves a sour taste and you don't really get that feel that you've found who the culprit is. It's not BAD but isn't that good either. As for the other problem I had
All in all I liked Dark Room and would recommend it to anyone who likes gritty crime.
The plot goes like this. Detective Gavin Cain is in the middle of an exhumation when he gets a call about how someone is blackmailing the mayor, and how he personally asked for the best detective in the PD (Cain) to get to the bottom of the whole deal. Cain tracking down the blackmailer and making a lot of revelations on the way is essentially our story.
Positives first - I loved how Jonathan Moore's written this book. Everything is subdued and gritty and has a realistic feel to it. There were a lot of instances where it could've taken a whole "Dan Brown"-ish turn into high octane exaggerated action. Instead, Moore portrayed everything almost exactly how it would've happened in real life, major props to that!
Spoiler
For instance when Cain and Chun chase the guy through traffic and into an alleyway, Cain doesn't rush forward gun-ho and try to kill him. No, he assesses the situation, and takes theThe characters are pretty fleshed out and we grow to care about them. I liked how Moore had a way of giving us exposition without making it feel like exposition.
My gripes with this books are the ending and something that happens near the 80% mark. The ending is.... well meh. It leaves a sour taste and you don't really get that feel that you've found who the culprit is. It's not BAD but isn't that good either. As for the other problem I had
Spoiler
Hated how the random Brit called him up and gave him exactly what he wanted when it was needed. It was a cop-out (pun intended) and totally went against the realistic setting the book had till then. My guess is Moore couldn't think of a better way to make Cain find it out on his own.All in all I liked Dark Room and would recommend it to anyone who likes gritty crime.
martyfried's review against another edition
5.0
A very interesting story with a lot going on. It seems that nothing is what it appears to be, but the pieces slowly fit together in a way that we don't see until the end. We never know quite what is going on about anything; even the main detective's girlfriend is a mystery. But the book starts out seeming like it's cut and dried as to what happened, except... Well, I don't want to give anything away.
I've lived in the SF Bay Area for 50 years, so it was fun knowing all the places that feature prominently in the book. But it's not necessary, of course, to know the area.
There was just one thing that kind of bugged me. At one point, the detective got an important phone call very late at night, and his cell phone ran out of juice. I don't understand how someone who depends on his phone as much as this guy could not be bothered to plug it into a charger overnight. And if he has trouble remembering, he should carry a spare battery for emergencies. I don't really depend on mine that much, but I still make sure I keep it charged. You never know when something might happen and you really want your phone for some emergency.
I've lived in the SF Bay Area for 50 years, so it was fun knowing all the places that feature prominently in the book. But it's not necessary, of course, to know the area.
There was just one thing that kind of bugged me. At one point, the detective got an important phone call very late at night, and his cell phone ran out of juice. I don't understand how someone who depends on his phone as much as this guy could not be bothered to plug it into a charger overnight. And if he has trouble remembering, he should carry a spare battery for emergencies. I don't really depend on mine that much, but I still make sure I keep it charged. You never know when something might happen and you really want your phone for some emergency.
baishali_dhar's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
hardscifi's review against another edition
5.0
Great read
Very good characters, plot development, and a nice resolution. Mr Moore has other great books as well. Highly recommended.
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Very good characters, plot development, and a nice resolution. Mr Moore has other great books as well. Highly recommended.
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damppebbles's review against another edition
4.0
All of my reviews can be found at https://damppebbles.com/
**3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Amazon and Goodreads**
The Dark Room was published by Orion Books on 27th July 2017 and is available in paperback, audio and ebook formats. I received an eARC of The Dark Room but this has in no way influenced my review.
I read Jonathan Moore’s The Poison Artist back in 2017 and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was whilst sharing that review that a fellow book blogger, someone whose opinion I really respect, suggested I give The Dark Room a go. Unfortunately, due to being the slowest of readers and having a burgeoning NetGalley TBR, I have only recently gotten around to it. The Dark Room felt a little different to The Poison Artist in tone but is still a very enjoyable read.
Inspector Gavin Cain of the San Francisco Police Department is about to get some answers as he stands by the recently exhumed grave of a thirty-year-old corpse. That is until his Lieutenant calls and orders him to the Mayor’s Office – she’s sending a chopper and there’s no time to waste. Cain arrives, is introduced to Mayor Castelli and takes what seems like an instant dislike to the man. The Mayor confides that he has received a number of potentially incriminating photographs in the post along with a threatening note. These are the first four snaps. There are another eight to come. The note suggests that maybe the Mayor would like to commit suicide before the photographs fall into the wrong hands and he is exposed. Castelli claims to not know who the woman is and wants Cain to discover her identity. But the Mayor is hiding something and the further back into the Mayor’s past Cain digs, the more secrets he uncovers…
This is a slow burn, noirish thriller set in San Francisco. The slow drip of information as you watch the case unfold and as Cain joins the dots makes it an enjoyable read. Helped along by the wonderful setting and the fascinating characters. And, having read this author before, I can safely say he likes to throw the odd shock twist into the story to give his readers a bit of a start. Cain is an interesting chap and one I would happily read more of if this were a series (it’s not, it’s a standalone). He’s a very experienced SFPD Inspector and takes no bull (not even from the Mayor or his Lieutenant). I don’t feel the reader really gets to know him though. You learn so much more about his partner, piano teacher Lucy, than you do about him. Maybe he’s meant to be more of an enigma – after all, there’s only so far you can go with a character when they feature in only one book. Other characters in the book are well drawn, particularly the Mayor’s daughter, Alexa, who drove me crazy.
The ending absolutely fitted the story and it was the right way for the author to go but I was left feeling a little disappointed. I think that says more about me than the writing though. I wanted something a little more showy, more of a BANG than what we’re given.
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. It’s an absorbing police procedural which pulls you in from start to finish – you just HAVE to know how this one is going to end. If you’re a fan of a slower paced crime read with a cast of intriguing characters then absolutely, you will enjoy this book. Recommended.
I chose to read and review an eARC of The Dark Room. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
**3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Amazon and Goodreads**
The Dark Room was published by Orion Books on 27th July 2017 and is available in paperback, audio and ebook formats. I received an eARC of The Dark Room but this has in no way influenced my review.
I read Jonathan Moore’s The Poison Artist back in 2017 and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was whilst sharing that review that a fellow book blogger, someone whose opinion I really respect, suggested I give The Dark Room a go. Unfortunately, due to being the slowest of readers and having a burgeoning NetGalley TBR, I have only recently gotten around to it. The Dark Room felt a little different to The Poison Artist in tone but is still a very enjoyable read.
Inspector Gavin Cain of the San Francisco Police Department is about to get some answers as he stands by the recently exhumed grave of a thirty-year-old corpse. That is until his Lieutenant calls and orders him to the Mayor’s Office – she’s sending a chopper and there’s no time to waste. Cain arrives, is introduced to Mayor Castelli and takes what seems like an instant dislike to the man. The Mayor confides that he has received a number of potentially incriminating photographs in the post along with a threatening note. These are the first four snaps. There are another eight to come. The note suggests that maybe the Mayor would like to commit suicide before the photographs fall into the wrong hands and he is exposed. Castelli claims to not know who the woman is and wants Cain to discover her identity. But the Mayor is hiding something and the further back into the Mayor’s past Cain digs, the more secrets he uncovers…
This is a slow burn, noirish thriller set in San Francisco. The slow drip of information as you watch the case unfold and as Cain joins the dots makes it an enjoyable read. Helped along by the wonderful setting and the fascinating characters. And, having read this author before, I can safely say he likes to throw the odd shock twist into the story to give his readers a bit of a start. Cain is an interesting chap and one I would happily read more of if this were a series (it’s not, it’s a standalone). He’s a very experienced SFPD Inspector and takes no bull (not even from the Mayor or his Lieutenant). I don’t feel the reader really gets to know him though. You learn so much more about his partner, piano teacher Lucy, than you do about him. Maybe he’s meant to be more of an enigma – after all, there’s only so far you can go with a character when they feature in only one book. Other characters in the book are well drawn, particularly the Mayor’s daughter, Alexa, who drove me crazy.
The ending absolutely fitted the story and it was the right way for the author to go but I was left feeling a little disappointed. I think that says more about me than the writing though. I wanted something a little more showy, more of a BANG than what we’re given.
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. It’s an absorbing police procedural which pulls you in from start to finish – you just HAVE to know how this one is going to end. If you’re a fan of a slower paced crime read with a cast of intriguing characters then absolutely, you will enjoy this book. Recommended.
I chose to read and review an eARC of The Dark Room. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
kgaitzimeo22's review
2.0
I really don't know what to think of this book.
I originally decided to read this because it vaguely reminded me of the first episode of Black Mirror.
Unsurprisingly, it was nothing like that.
This was a crime novel which is not my normal type of book, but it largely kept me interested.
As soon as I started to get bored with the story, it got real dark. It ALMOST reminded me of Crow Girl by Erik Axl Sund, but not about children.
I thought the character development could have been much better. They felt like cliches to me and that was made worse by the narrator of the audiobook.
I HATED his women's voices. He made all but one of the female characters sound like some tiny, dainty, drugged up, cowardly bitch. That ruined some of it for me. I also felt the main character's voice turned him into a cliche as well.
The book itself was alright, I suppose, but I really did not like the narrator and despite me not seeing the ending coming, I still was not that impressed. But that could be due to this being outside my normal genre.
I also have to add that I HATED the ending of this book!!!! It was stupid af in my opinion.
I originally decided to read this because it vaguely reminded me of the first episode of Black Mirror.
Unsurprisingly, it was nothing like that.
This was a crime novel which is not my normal type of book, but it largely kept me interested.
As soon as I started to get bored with the story, it got real dark. It ALMOST reminded me of Crow Girl by Erik Axl Sund, but not about children.
I thought the character development could have been much better. They felt like cliches to me and that was made worse by the narrator of the audiobook.
I HATED his women's voices. He made all but one of the female characters sound like some tiny, dainty, drugged up, cowardly bitch. That ruined some of it for me. I also felt the main character's voice turned him into a cliche as well.
The book itself was alright, I suppose, but I really did not like the narrator and despite me not seeing the ending coming, I still was not that impressed. But that could be due to this being outside my normal genre.
I also have to add that I HATED the ending of this book!!!! It was stupid af in my opinion.
_whatlivreads's review
4.0
The Dark Room follows the story of Detective Inspector Gavin Caine's latest case. He's about to start the case of exhuming an old grave after they've had a tip off that they should check it. Whilst this is about to happen, his phone rings and he's pulled off the exhuming case, to the new case where he's specifically been asked for. The new case is the blackmail of the San Francisco mayor, Harry Castelli. Castelli has received some bizarre and incriminating photographs alongside a letter, which could threaten his career and his reputation, showing him in a bad light to the city of San Francisco.
But somehow, this blackmail case leads back to the grave they've just exhumed. What does Harry know? Is he hiding a dark secret? Who is blackmailing him and why?
It's so clear that the mayor and his family have this hierarchy about them, they can get away with anything and no one would bat an eyelash. To put it bluntly, I really did not like the Castelli family at all.
I'll be honest, at the beginning I wasn't that interested in the story, but it's definitely a slow burner and I did start to enjoy it as I got more involved in the plot. I think when you're so used to reading thrillers, crime/detective books can be really slow paced? I think it was well written, understandable language that wasn't cryptic to the average person who wouldn't understand police codes. The plot was enjoyable and all tied together in the end, however, the storyline of how DI Cain and his girlfriend Lucy met, was just sort of thrown in and not explained well and didn't have any purpose? I'd understand if this was the second book in the series, however, this is a standalone! It was completely unnecessary and had me puzzled, like what am I supposed to do with this??? It was an enjoyable read, but nothing so rememberable and I wouldn't tell you to rush out and buy it
But somehow, this blackmail case leads back to the grave they've just exhumed. What does Harry know? Is he hiding a dark secret? Who is blackmailing him and why?
It's so clear that the mayor and his family have this hierarchy about them, they can get away with anything and no one would bat an eyelash. To put it bluntly, I really did not like the Castelli family at all.
I'll be honest, at the beginning I wasn't that interested in the story, but it's definitely a slow burner and I did start to enjoy it as I got more involved in the plot. I think when you're so used to reading thrillers, crime/detective books can be really slow paced? I think it was well written, understandable language that wasn't cryptic to the average person who wouldn't understand police codes. The plot was enjoyable and all tied together in the end, however, the storyline of how DI Cain and his girlfriend Lucy met, was just sort of thrown in and not explained well and didn't have any purpose? I'd understand if this was the second book in the series, however, this is a standalone! It was completely unnecessary and had me puzzled, like what am I supposed to do with this??? It was an enjoyable read, but nothing so rememberable and I wouldn't tell you to rush out and buy it