One of the Best Books I’ve Read in 2017
5 out of 5 stars
The title is not hyperbole at all, this book messed me up on many levels. Max might be one of the most realistic protagonists that I’ve read in a long time and RC Bray brought him to life in a way that I’m sure even surprised Eskens.
As I said above Deep Dark Descending messed me up on many levels. First, I couldn’t imagine the pain that Max was going through- losing your wife and finding out something more about it after she was gone. That would be hard enough on its own. Finding out there’s more to it than was reported would destroy most people. On top of it, you basically have to go back to your normal life, helping other people get closure on their cases while yours sits unsolved (and wrongly closed).
I listen to my audiobooks on my commute and when I’m up later at night gaming (mostly sports games like Madden). I’ve never once finished gaming and gone to lay in bed (where I usually check my phone one last time before I go to sleep) and continued listening to an audiobook. I just don’t do it. But, I couldn’t put this book down. I listened to another half hour the one night before making myself go to sleep.
Max felt so real, I honestly feel like he’s one of those people that I’ve met before in life and would remember for a long time. He was honest—brutally so in some scenes.
The timeline of this book bugged me in the beginning, but as we got towards the end I rethought the story and realized that I liked the way that Eskens wrote it. It flips back and forth between two timelines, but they aren’t that far apart.
It took me most of the story to realize that they were really only a day or two apart. It felt like we were flashing back to an old case – but in reality, that case was real and happening as he was going through the other thing that he was doing on the lake.
The lake scene(s) are just perfect. His interaction with the person there (trying not to spoil anything) were real and raw. His reactions to the persons lies were exactly as you would expect someone to react and the the other mans reactions were raw and real too. He was scared, but maybe not as much as he should have been.
Overall, The Deep Dark Descending put me into a book hangover. I can’t figure out what to read next. It was that good. I already love RC Bray’s narration, but this was just awesome. He really is one of the best voices in narration today.
Book Description:
The Deep Dark Descending by Allen Eskens
Narrator: R.C. Bray
Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
Published by Tantor Audio on October 3rd 2017
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 288
Format: Audiobook
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Goodreads
Homicide Detective Max Rupert never fully accepted his wife's death, even when he believed that a reckless hit and run driver was the cause. But when he learns that in fact she was murdered, he devotes himself to hunting down her killers. Most of his life he had thought of himself as a decent man. But now he's so consumed with thoughts of retribution that he questions whether he will take that last step and enact the vengeance he longs for. On a frozen lake near the U. S.-Canadian border, he wrestles with a decision that could change his life forever, as his hatred threatens to turn him into the kind of person he has spent a career bringing to justice.
I received this book for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Also by this author: The Life We BuryAbout the Author:
Allen Eskens is the USA Today-bestselling author of The Life We Bury, The Guise of Another and The Heavens May Fall. He is the recipient of the Barry Award, Rosebud Award, and the Silver Falchion Award and has been a finalist for the Edgar Award, Thriller Award, Anthony Award, and the Minnesota Book Award. His debut novel, The Life We Bury, has been published in 16 languages and is being developed for a feature film.
Allen has a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota and a law degree from Hamline University. After law school, he studied creative writing in the M.F.A. program at Minnesota State University-Mankato, as well as the Loft Literary Center and the Iowa Summer Writer’s Festival. He is represented by Amy Cloughley of Kimberley Cameron and Associates Literary Agency, and published by Seventh Street Books
Allen grew up on the hills of central Missouri. He now lives with his wife, Joely, in out-state Minnesota where he has been a practicing criminal defense attorney for 25 years.
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Awesome review!! I’m extremely intrigued to read this and have added it to my list. If you recommend it this highly, it must be good.