Author, Allen Eskers grabbed me in my first experience with him in The Guise of Another published in 2015. I loved the main character, and I praised Esken’s writing talent. It was fun, quick paced, and intriguing. Unfortunately, since then, I’ve been let down. The followup to Guise was The Heavens May Fall, whose protagonist is Detective Max Rupert. Though a decent plot line, the writing was dull, and Rupert was a depressing character to whom I could never grow attached.
In The Deep Dark Descending, we once again are presented with Rupert as he continues to be emotionally paralyzed by his wife’s death four years prior. In a span of only a few days, a secret file falls into his possession, and the hunt is on for his wife’s killer, with revenge as his goal. He must do so in secret, of course to preserve his job and maintain cover while solving another case - a case that doesn’t bring anything interesting to the overall story.
Rupert is nothing to get excited about, and again, not a character for whom I could muster up any the kind of empathy. Frankly, he was a bit annoying. The supporting characters were not much better, and the plot comes together a bit too neatly. The good guys and gals were few, but predictable; the bad guys are bumbling.
Perhaps this was Eskens’ first attempt at a novel, and only published now? I just didn’t work for me.
Published: 2017
Publisher: Seventh Street Books
Vickie’s Rating: 2 Stars