A review by shelleyrae
Darkness for Light by Emma Viskic
5.0
Darkness for Light is the third book in Emma Viskic’s outstanding crime fiction series featuring Caleb Zelic.
Following the tumultuous events of Resurrection Bay, and And Fire Came Down, security consultancy Caleb Zelic is attempting to make better decisions. With the help of a therapist he has begun reconnecting with the Deaf community, reconciling with his pregnant wife, and rebuilding his company after his partner’s betrayal.
Meeting a new client at an urban children’s farm might be unusual, but in need of the business Caleb isn’t suspicious of the arrangement until the moment he stumbles upon the man’s body. Caleb is prepared to make the right decision and walk away from the mess, but the dead man’s colleague, an AFP officer, refuses to let him. She needs to find Caleb’s ex-partner, Frankie, and she isn’t above using blackmail to ensure his cooperation. Caleb has no qualms about turning Frankie over to the agent, until her nine year old niece, Tilda, is violently abducted, and the only decision he can make is the one which will save the child’s life, for better or worse.
From the opening chapters, Darkness for Light sets a breathtaking pace of twists and turns. It’s not only the escalating violence that keeps you on the edge of your seat as the body count rises, but the complexity of the situation that Caleb finds himself struggling to unravel. Skilfully crafted, the main plot revolves around a hidden ledger that could expose the illegal financial machinations of Melbourne’s elite. There are several parties who will do anything to get their hands on it, and Caleb is caught in the middle with no one to trust. Viskic definitely kept me guessing.
Caleb is not just under pressure from the rogue AFP agent, Frankie’s reappearance, and Tilda’s kidnapping, Kat is nearing a critical point in her pregnancy, and Alberto Conti, a deaf restaurant owner who has become a friend, has asked for his help. All of this threatens to undo the progress Caleb has made in therapy to deal with his demons. Viskic’s character development with Caleb has been uniformly excellent in previous instalments, but I particularly admired how she handled his emotional conflict in Darkness for Light.
Darkness for Light is an exhilarating crime fiction novel, personally I’d recommend reading at least books one or two (though preferably both) before reading it, you’ll find the investment is worth it.
Following the tumultuous events of Resurrection Bay, and And Fire Came Down, security consultancy Caleb Zelic is attempting to make better decisions. With the help of a therapist he has begun reconnecting with the Deaf community, reconciling with his pregnant wife, and rebuilding his company after his partner’s betrayal.
Meeting a new client at an urban children’s farm might be unusual, but in need of the business Caleb isn’t suspicious of the arrangement until the moment he stumbles upon the man’s body. Caleb is prepared to make the right decision and walk away from the mess, but the dead man’s colleague, an AFP officer, refuses to let him. She needs to find Caleb’s ex-partner, Frankie, and she isn’t above using blackmail to ensure his cooperation. Caleb has no qualms about turning Frankie over to the agent, until her nine year old niece, Tilda, is violently abducted, and the only decision he can make is the one which will save the child’s life, for better or worse.
From the opening chapters, Darkness for Light sets a breathtaking pace of twists and turns. It’s not only the escalating violence that keeps you on the edge of your seat as the body count rises, but the complexity of the situation that Caleb finds himself struggling to unravel. Skilfully crafted, the main plot revolves around a hidden ledger that could expose the illegal financial machinations of Melbourne’s elite. There are several parties who will do anything to get their hands on it, and Caleb is caught in the middle with no one to trust. Viskic definitely kept me guessing.
Caleb is not just under pressure from the rogue AFP agent, Frankie’s reappearance, and Tilda’s kidnapping, Kat is nearing a critical point in her pregnancy, and Alberto Conti, a deaf restaurant owner who has become a friend, has asked for his help. All of this threatens to undo the progress Caleb has made in therapy to deal with his demons. Viskic’s character development with Caleb has been uniformly excellent in previous instalments, but I particularly admired how she handled his emotional conflict in Darkness for Light.
Darkness for Light is an exhilarating crime fiction novel, personally I’d recommend reading at least books one or two (though preferably both) before reading it, you’ll find the investment is worth it.