Chains of Darkness

Jon Stanton Thrillers #1

by Victor Methos

The Most Vicious Murder in a City's History. . .

A killer stalks the city of San Diego, brutally slaying women on the fringes of society. The body of a young woman torn apart in her bedroom makes even the hardened detectives of the San Diego PD's Homicide Unit tremble with disgust and rage.

A Detective With a Troubled Past. . .

For SDPD homicide detective Jon Stanton, the young woman is more than just another case. His former partner, Eli Sherman, was the original detective assigned to the case; before he was discovered to be one of San Diego's most ruthless serial killers.

A Final Chance at Redemption. . .

Stanton was unable to see Eli Sherman for what he was and blames himself for the murders he committed while on the force. Near death, Stanton swears that he will never wear the badge again. But with a depraved killer eluding the best San Diego PD has to offer, he must once again fight to uncover a killer that leaves no evidence behind, and that has turned his attention to new prey. . .

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Suspense, Audiobook, Procedural

285 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 28, 2011

About the author

Victor Methos is the Edgar Award nominated bestselling author of over forty novels. He has been a criminal and civil rights lawyer in the Mountain West, conducting over 100 trials, and produces two books a year with his dog Fraiser by his side.

Reviews

[Tulay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed.

When you download this book, it comes as Chains of Evidence, not White Angel Murder. His "The Invisible Client" was good, that was the reason wanted to read this one. Jon Stanton character is good father, doesn't drink or smoke. Also like his belief in God. Stanton assigned to solve a cold case, but finds out all the corrupt officials around the murders.
Sorry Mr Methos, this one only gets 2 stars from me.

[Marleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Jon Stanton series and it provides some background into the former partnership with Eli Sherman, another detective in the San Diego police force, but also a sick killer who is behind bars now. The SDPD is still reeling for not have seen Eli Sherman for what he was. Especially Jon. Jon Stanton is not your usual police detective. He’s Mormon and for some reason I like that he’s not your average cop; he’s actually a thoroughly good, but lonely man.
In this first installment, Jon joins the SDPD Cold case unit after a long absence, and is assigned the murder case of a young woman found murdered after being brutalized in a horrific way. Jon is haunted by the images of this murder.
Thanks to Jon diligence and tenacity, he makes one discovery after the other that also involves corrupt police officers. On top of that it appears that Eli Sherman is still pulling some strings, even from prison.
This is indeed a dark story, and the only positive aspect is Jon being steadfast and seeking justice for the victims.
I wish I there would have been more pages at the end, that would give the readers closure when the corrupt police officers are being confronted and exposed for what they are.

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very different

A retired Mormon police offer comes out of semi retirement to a cold case squad but there are lots of secrets and evil in the works and young girls are still being brutalized. This was really intriguing. So different.

[Adrian Lawrence]

A promising start to a new series. The main character, detective Jon Stanton, is featured in the FBI Mickey Parson series also written by VM, although I don't think it matters which series you read first. I do like the cross-over of characters between different series but the persona of both characters feels like, well....the same. Anyway, I found this a well thought out police thriller despite a few moments of leaning towards being far-fetched. It's reasonably pacey but it's not out-and-out twisty, although the police corruption keeps it interesting. If you haven't read any VM books I'd start with his legal thrillers that make his knowledge of the law obvious. Then the Baudin and Dixon police procedural series followed by the Mickey Parsons FBI series. If I'd have started off reading VM with this series I may not have read all the others; it feels darker and heavier. A long series to but recommended.

[Terri Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Jon Stanton's marriage is ending with wife Melissa preparing to marry Lance and his two young sons hardly getting to see him. While recovering from being shot by his ex-detective partner Eli who turned out to be a serial killer (yikes!), the chief asks him to come in and join a brand new well-funded cold case team. He does and all hell breaks loose when he finds out that the chief is corrupt and involved in crime and sets him up to take the fall for the death of another cop after Jon tells him to turn himself in or Jon will. It's hard enough to solve the brutal murder of a young woman who appears to be the victim of a vicious serial killer but having to hide out while doing so is a lot to ask. Jon clearly still loves Melissa and her actions in the book show she loves him. Jon is a Mormon so doesn't drink alcohol or have sex but then again, with so much going on he needs to have his wits about him! He does have some magical Mormon underwear and thinks the Garden of Eden was in Missouri (though the bible is entirely set in the Middle East, Egypt and Italy and the Garden of Eden myths on Genesis says the Garden of Eden is where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are which is NOT in Missouri.)

[Michelle Redder · Rating 5 out of 5]

**My First Series This Year!**

'"No one is what they want you to see. No one."'

I'm excited to start a new series...finally! Although, I must note that the title to this book is a bit confusing because it's called, 'Chains of Darkness' on Goodreads, but on Amazon it is called, 'White Angel Murder.'

Anyways, Jon Stanton is growing on me and some of the other characters too, but I think Jon needs a partner in crime. I loved the storyline and was very surprised when I finished this book and realized there were no court hearings! Still a very good and suspenseful read.

'"I hate mankind, for I think myself one of the best of them, and I know how bad I am."'
-Joseph Baretti

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is beautifully written, it's like watching a very good suspense/thriller film, or a particularly good episode of CSI or NCIS series. I didn't have a hard time at all picturing the scenarios described in the book, feeling the different characters' emotions, and anticipating as a reader the events that are unfolding in each chapter. The insights to each character in relation to their surroundings and past experiences are astute and realistic that I find it easy to empathize and step into their shoes. A strong sentiment that came across the story is the difficulty of holding on to morality when one is exposed to a crime ridden world, and how one still has to try and do good in the face of the seemingly futile efforts to purge the society of evil.
There are a select few authors of this genre who can sustain my interest from the first chapter to the last. Victor Methos will be joining Dan Brown & Dean Koontz as my favorites. 5 stars for a really good page-turner!

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got 18% in and packed this up. I'd only read 52 pages and already happened across a dozen mistakes. A pity as this sounded a good series and I had a few of them downloaded which I've now deleted. Life's too short and I'm very short on patience at the best of times !!
There were words dropped from sentences like be or me and one sentence made no sense. The author either dropped a couple of words or family home evening is something I never heard of. I was unsure-"She invited him out to family home evening".
Barbecue was misspelt every time it was used as barbeque and lightening was used instead of lightning. Apostrophes were missed as well. I gave up when I happened on "...the scene of a suicide where the victim had shot themselves...". Not good.
I wouldn't recommend the series on the back of this one unless they were tidied up, I'm afraid.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not Methos' best

Read alot of this writer's work and very much liked what and how he wrote. But maybe these first Stanton books were his first? The others I've read were much more focused, tight. This story meandered all over the place, has grammatical errors that are bad enough to cause the reader to have to reread paragraphs! So, I'd pass on this one if I were you.

Not a VICTOR METHOS winner, not at all.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this as a freebie on Amazon. I was so impressed with the characterization and the humanity of the protagonist Jon Stanton. It was very interesting too, as the main character is a practicing Mormon, and so there are some hints of how his faith impacts his work and relationships. I hope this is the beginning of a series.

[l · Rating 4 out of 5]

White Angel Murder

The book was a pretty good read. The only problem I had with it is the number of characters was so large, that it was awkward at times. Along that line, characters introduced at the start did not reappear until the end, by then you forget who they were and their purpose. On the whole it was a good read and enjoyable book.

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good, some not so good

The story had some real potential, but seemed to get bogged down by over compensation of the sleazy work of most characters, while over stating the virtues of main character. A fuzzy feel good ending.

[Lauren Godby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read

I Always like cop dramas. Had difficulty understanding some of the back stories and why there was so much corruption.

[Dr. Lloyd E. Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love to read mysteries taking place in a city I live in or near: John Sanford's Minneapolis, Walter Mosley, Jonathon Kellerman and Robert Crais' L.A. to name a few. Someone I like introduced me to T. Jefferson Parker's San Diego and Orange County. I was given this book taking place in San Diego and I enjoyed it. There are a few geographical flaws like taking 8 to get from San Diego to LaJolla and a drive to the Salton Sea from San Diego that took less than an hour. I liked the main character, Stanton, being a Mormon. It didn't make much difference in this story, but I like the premise to build on in future books. As my old friend Steve Bowles used to say, "A good book is a book that when you finish you want to read another book." I just bought the second book in the series and I'm looking forward to a little more about San Diego.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jon Stanton is a retired, Mormon detective in San Diego when he gets recruited to be a part of a special team to pursue cold cases. When he gets assigned to a stale murder case, he quickly recognizes that the killer is not the type to be satisfied with a single victim and that he must solve the case before the killer strikes again.

I appreciate a good thriller, and this one is the most intriguing that I've read recently. I thought the language went a little bit overboard, which is why I gave it four stars instead of five. Aside from that, I absolutely loved it.

I will admit that I'm probably a bit biased being a Mormon myself, but I consider this to be a first-rate thriller that will be enjoyed by anyone who is a fan of suspense novels.

[Nancy Silk · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Raw, Violent Novel With Dark Overtones"

This is the very popular blockbuster book written by prolific author Victor Methos. A killer is roaming around San Diego, brutally slaying women. The crime scenes are so horrific that even the hardened detectives tremble with disgust and anger. Previously assigned to the police force, Jon Stanton's partner had committed several murders; Jon felt guilty for not seeing the faults of his partner. He'd left the department but with the new series of gruesome murder, he steps back into an investigative special assignment to find the killer. I've read several legal thriller novels by Victor Methos which I prefer rather than this genre.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really a 3 1/2 - I enjoyed the read and will follow up on Jon Stanton. There was quite a lot of corruption going on and things intermingled in a way that prevented me from giving it a four. Sometimes, there is a certain amount of 'inbreeding' in a plot that just makes it a little too much. But, overall, there is a lot of promise on the series. I liked the main character and it was definitely an entertaining read.

[Cindy Mink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page tuner

I like the writing style of Victor Methos. This story is filled with twists and turns that you don't see coming. I will read more books in this series.

[zee clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder Mystery

This was a gripping book! Very exciting and never a lagging moment. I am going to read his next book!

[Gordon E. Sansom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusing

I could not keep all the. characters straight. I was never quite sure what was going on. Not very good.

[Alley Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a good start to this series! I definitely enjoyed it and there were a few twists that made me gasp a little. I’ll definitely be reading more Jon Stanton mysteries.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jon Stanton is a good man, bolstered by his faith (LDS/Mormon) and the knowledge that he lives amongst corruption. He's a former cop, shot by his one-time partner, Noah, and comes back into the police fold to work on cold cases.
His first case, the sadistic murder of a troubled young woman, seems a challenge, but, as the pieces begin to come together, some of the tracks lead back to senior figures within the police department. Oddly, powerful forces are working both to hinder and help ... can he work his way through the moral maze?
Jon's faith is an oddity in the story, it both explains and confuses some of his actions. Not carrying a gun, for example, seems like sheer stupidity at the least. From what I've read there doesn't seem to be anything in his religion to outlaw it, but it is never explained. At the end, luckily, he has a gun ... but when did he start carrying, and why?
After jamming religion into the story, it mostly lies dormant, appearing only to explain his undergarments, why he doesn't drink coffee, why Coke is out but Diet Coke is a grey area, and, of course, why he won't sleep with a woman before marriage. There's a rather strange part of the book where he reminisces about his youth and how he slept around - so far there has been no explanation of the leap from frolicking merrily to celibacy.
The book did introduce me to a musician who was new to me:-
"They climbed into Jessica’s Jeep Wrangler and pulled out of the parking lot. Stanton noticed that the CD playing in the car was Yanni."
Now I know why I haven't come across him before, or blanked him from my mind if I have - international shopping mall music belted out loudly and at a gallop. His stuff is dreadful!
There's a couple of odd typos, the most memorable being:- “Before we talk deal, how’s that little philly you were fucking in there?”
Philly? I think not. 'Filly' seems more apt.
And then there is the oddity of:- "He was actually in and out of jail most of my life. Nothing serious, he was just always drunk and getting into fights. He was Irish though so it’s hard to blame him I guess."
Hey, hold on a moment, that's stereotyping at it's finest. I'm Irish, and outside of the alleged horse rustling incident I've never been in a jail cell! A story for another day :)
As for "always drunk" - I do my best but round-the-clock drunkenness is something I can only aspire to!
All I can say to the author, Victor Methos, is that you won't see me making crude remarks about Afghanis and camels :)
Overall I liked it, not tremendously, but enough to keep me going. The ending, while satisfactory, is a bit rushed given the generally leisurely pace of the book up until then.
2.5 Stars

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the Desert Plains series last year and really enjoyed them all. This, however, was disappointing. Firstly, it was advertised as White Angel Murder and that’s how it downloaded to the Kindle, yet is called Chains of Darkness. The writing wasn’t good. There were many grammatical errors, continuity errors, difficulty reading passages that didn’t make much sense and repetitive use of terms or descriptions.
Jon manages to surf a lot for a detective that wants to catch a killer. The car he took to the scrapyard wasn’t his car (unless I missed something in the depths of my confusion) yet he talks about getting his car back from his criminal friend later in the book. The relationship between Jon and Jessica seems to come from nowhere, especially as they have just met. I’m not sure about the timeline of the book but it read as a few days to a couple of weeks. There’s a page or so about an article that profiled the detectives of the CCU and how Jon never carries his service weapon, and then later “instinctively, he reached for his firearm but felt nothing except the cloth of his shirt.”.

I really wanted to enjoy this. I suspect this is one of Methos’ earlier stories and would have benefited from a proof read and an edit.

Will I read more by Victor Methos? Yes, based on the Desert Plains series, but I think I will look for something published a little more recently.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dark and disturbing book about police corruption, coverups, and one good guy who saves the day. I’ve read several of the lawyer books by this author and everyone one is excellent. I discovered this series of eleven books so far in this series about a good detective who gets shot by his partner, Eli. Jon Stanton has a lot to deal with. His wife has left him and taken their two sons, 7 and 3. You get the feeling that maybe she isn’t all that happy with her decision but is living with it for now. There is a serial killer loose in San Diego who has a taste for young blondes. Jon gets called back to head up a cold case unit by his old boss, now the police chief. There is a reason he calls Jon but you’ll have to read the book to find out the reason. No spoilers here. I listened in audible and Wayne Farrell, the narrator, is terrific. He uses voices that fit the character and he does a great job. There are ten more books in this series so you know Jon survives all that he endures in book 1.

[Thomas R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a book by this author and it was pretty good story, unfortunately the ending was predictable. The main character is a very flawed, intelligent, and heroic character. The most important part of his makeup was his Mormon religion and how it impacted his performance on his job. He had retired from the police force early because of a betrayal that caused him to lose his marriage which sent him into a deep depression. The plot was believable because one of the main characters was someone our hero looked up to and someone who was always trying to get him to go against his religion. The Author tied up the plot in a very neat happily after bow, and I would have liked a messy ending.

[Freethings Forme · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reluctant detective, who happens to be great at his job. This detective doubts himself because he didn't see through the lies told to him by his last partner. On the night his partner led him by the nose to the truth about himself and his habits, he also tried to kill him. All this happens, then his wife leaves him while he's still recovering in the hospital.

After a little prodding by his old boss to come back to work he finally gives in.

Then he gets assigned a cold case with a secret.
The secret was that the case was allowed to go cold because solving it would have exposed a few damming secrets for some other people. Of course being a great detective, it doesn't take him long to start uncovering those very secrets

I recommend this book.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic beginning to this series!

This was an intense, complex, and suspenseful story with unexpected twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. With numerous secrets, lies, betrayals, and hidden agendas, there's more going on than searching for a killer. It's certainly not a story that you'll want to miss.
I actually read this book years ago, before the entire series was published, and before I started writing reviews. When I decided to read this series, I figured it would be best to start from the beginning. I'm glad that I did, as this is a must read book for those who love thrillers.
I would definitely recommend this book, series, and outstanding author.

[Cindi Sims · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good Cop story

This is a good detective story that. Is about a retired seemingly washed out detective who is going through a divorce. Then he gets invited back to the force to help with a cold case group that’s just being started. His case is especially vile because it’s a serial murderer who rapes & defiles. young blond woman who all seems to look alike. After that all hell breaks lose. The whole police force is corrupt as well as the DA’s office & most the judges but our detective is a Mormon and as such has no patience with the sins of men and the whole mess will take you on a merry chase to catch the killer. This story will keep your attention page after page!

[Beth deAcosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredib!e...definitely a bigger for sure!!!

Holey Moley!!!! The entire story was so captivating it made me feel I was standing right there, watching the entire experience happen! I read allot of 📚.....bunches!!!! Some good-some not so much but this one is in my special group of favorites. Stanton is so colorful in character and I enjoyed his pleasant demeanor and his no nonsense behavior in doing his job.....the right way. Brilliant writing!!! Bravo!!! Ready for book #2! Thanks Mr Methos💃

[Constance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely hated the narration of the audio book, I felt like the narrator was reading the story to put me to sleep, and the way the said prius was wrong and really annoying. Also, lots of the book is different depending on whether you were reading the ebook or listening to the audio. It could be confusing, especially since some of the character names were different depending of which version I was using at the moment.

However, the basic plot and characters were great.