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The Murderer's Apprentice
Baltimore, 1966. A twelve-year-old girl is about to discover that some monsters are real.
So far, 1966 hasn't been so great for 12-year-old Dara Burke. Her mom yells at her all the time, and her little brother Alvey is a pain in the butt. But none of that matters because it's finally summer! Now she and her best friend Fran can ride their bikes, go to baseball games, or just hang out.
But then one day the dead boy whispers in Dara's ear. Warning her about the bad man who was coming.
On the other side of town, Baltimore City Patrolman Stan Gorsky also looks forward to summer crab feasts and cold bottles of Natty Boh. Until the first little boy dies.
Though the boy's death is ruled an accident, Stan isn't so sure. When he learns of similar deaths of other boys, he soon finds himself on the trail of a shadowy killer. A bad man who hunts the children of Baltimore and is always one step ahead.
In this countdown to murder, not everyone will survive!
So far, 1966 hasn't been so great for 12-year-old Dara Burke. Her mom yells at her all the time, and her little brother Alvey is a pain in the butt. But none of that matters because it's finally summer! Now she and her best friend Fran can ride their bikes, go to baseball games, or just hang out.
But then one day the dead boy whispers in Dara's ear. Warning her about the bad man who was coming.
On the other side of town, Baltimore City Patrolman Stan Gorsky also looks forward to summer crab feasts and cold bottles of Natty Boh. Until the first little boy dies.
Though the boy's death is ruled an accident, Stan isn't so sure. When he learns of similar deaths of other boys, he soon finds himself on the trail of a shadowy killer. A bad man who hunts the children of Baltimore and is always one step ahead.
In this countdown to murder, not everyone will survive!
347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2023
5 people want to read
About the author
Daryl Anderson
5 books20 followersDARYL ANDERSON is a USA Today Bestselling writer and author of the Addie Gorsky Mysteries. Her most recent series The Murderer’s Apprentice explores the supernatural side of mystery.
Though a longtime resident of Florida, Daryl recently traded all that heat and sunshine for the cool, rainy vistas of Washington state. When not plotting her latest homicide, you might find her hiking a lonesome woodland trail with her dog Pitch, always on the lookout for where the bodies are buried.
For more about Daryl, visit her at https://darylmystery.com/
Though a longtime resident of Florida, Daryl recently traded all that heat and sunshine for the cool, rainy vistas of Washington state. When not plotting her latest homicide, you might find her hiking a lonesome woodland trail with her dog Pitch, always on the lookout for where the bodies are buried.
For more about Daryl, visit her at https://darylmystery.com/
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 10, 2020
If you loved the 60’s and are looking for a murder mystery that keeps you guessing, this one is for you! Dara is a baseball fan and quite the tomboy. She’s best friends with a boy named Fran, has a little brother named Alvey who she’s quite protective of, and may have a bit of paranormal ability. Half the story is from her POV. There’s a bit of amateur sleuthing in there… and a lot of being a kid in the 60’s and baseball. Dara LOVES her baseball.
Stan is our other POV character and he is working to solve the mystery of what’s going on with some murders going on around Baltimore. The half of the novel from Stan’s POV was well written and a good procedural, focused on the cases of young boys who have fallen prey to a serial killer. In the sections that focus on Stan, author Daryl Anderson demonstrates that she knows her stuff, taking us through interesting discussions of poisons, motives, and police procedure.
There were large sections where the story slowed because of extraneous detail. On the one hand, I loved how this period work gave us such a lovely flash back to the 60’s. But at times it did feel as if the story paused for so long to describe every era-appropriate food, TV show or event that the plotting got lost. There were several plot threads that were raised at points throughout the novel that got dropped. Dara’s paranormal abilities are raised at the beginning of the novel… and then that plot thread disappears.
The bigger problem, however, for me, is including the graphic on page sexual assault of a child near the end of the book when it was not critical to the plot and then not including any reaction or follow up. Had a sexual assault of a 12-year-old from the child’s POV been an important part of the plot, something that the child reacts to, something that shapes them emotionally, something that has consequences later… then I could have understood the scene. As written, it happens. Dara declares Gary is “a bad man.” And then for the rest of the book it’s as if it never happened at all. The show goes on! This feels harmful in terms of how sexual assault should be talked about and written and poorly affected my opinion of the book in the last 15% of it.
Trigger Warnings:
Stan is our other POV character and he is working to solve the mystery of what’s going on with some murders going on around Baltimore. The half of the novel from Stan’s POV was well written and a good procedural, focused on the cases of young boys who have fallen prey to a serial killer. In the sections that focus on Stan, author Daryl Anderson demonstrates that she knows her stuff, taking us through interesting discussions of poisons, motives, and police procedure.
There were large sections where the story slowed because of extraneous detail. On the one hand, I loved how this period work gave us such a lovely flash back to the 60’s. But at times it did feel as if the story paused for so long to describe every era-appropriate food, TV show or event that the plotting got lost. There were several plot threads that were raised at points throughout the novel that got dropped. Dara’s paranormal abilities are raised at the beginning of the novel… and then that plot thread disappears.
The bigger problem, however, for me, is including the graphic on page sexual assault of a child near the end of the book when it was not critical to the plot and then not including any reaction or follow up. Had a sexual assault of a 12-year-old from the child’s POV been an important part of the plot, something that the child reacts to, something that shapes them emotionally, something that has consequences later… then I could have understood the scene. As written, it happens. Dara declares Gary is “a bad man.” And then for the rest of the book it’s as if it never happened at all. The show goes on! This feels harmful in terms of how sexual assault should be talked about and written and poorly affected my opinion of the book in the last 15% of it.
Trigger Warnings:
April 14, 2020
This murder mystery will grab you from the first page. Based in the 1960s, this thriller will keep you guessing. Anderson builds the suspense with believable characters and unexpected twists that will have you awestruck. This is my first book by this author but it won't be the last. I received this book as an ARC and this is my honest review.
November 11, 2019
Compelling mystery set in 1966
I received a free copy of this book from the Author through Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
The story is split between two points of view; 12 year old Dara Burke and Stan Gorsky, a Baltimore detective. Set in 1966 Dara's is a great baseball fan who is dealing with the fall out of her parent's split. Her mother takes her to chapel's of rest where she sneakily takes picture's of the dead to show other kids for money. One child is Cory who 'speaks' to her setting her on her path to discover more about him and why he died with the help of her best friend, Fran.
Stan becomes involved in the mystery when an old school friend, Joy, contacts him about the death of her son, Cory. Together Dara and Stan follow their separate paths trusting their hunches that the deaths aren't what they seem.
This is a well written and well researched book that is full of twists and turns. The 1960's time period is wonderfully brought to life.
I received a free copy of this book from the Author through Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
The story is split between two points of view; 12 year old Dara Burke and Stan Gorsky, a Baltimore detective. Set in 1966 Dara's is a great baseball fan who is dealing with the fall out of her parent's split. Her mother takes her to chapel's of rest where she sneakily takes picture's of the dead to show other kids for money. One child is Cory who 'speaks' to her setting her on her path to discover more about him and why he died with the help of her best friend, Fran.
Stan becomes involved in the mystery when an old school friend, Joy, contacts him about the death of her son, Cory. Together Dara and Stan follow their separate paths trusting their hunches that the deaths aren't what they seem.
This is a well written and well researched book that is full of twists and turns. The 1960's time period is wonderfully brought to life.
May 11, 2020
This murder mystery takes everything I normally dislike - the 60’s, baseball, annoying kids, polish food – and combines it in way that I found enjoyable. It will drag you into the setting, ground you with believable characters, keep you reading with a plot that blossoms with satisfactory timed reveals. And thoroughly annoy you with baseball trivia and a subplot that does nothing for the narrative. In short, the Murder’s Apprentice by Daryl Anderson is a rich, detailed, albeit flawed story with strong cast of characters and plotline.
The POV alternates between Dara Burk, a 12-year-old tomboy, and Stan Gorsky a policeman and would be detective. Anderson eases us in with Dara’s side of the story first, which while initially light-hearted, quickly becomes grittier and more real-to-life. Her chapters establish the first inklings of an issue, using a macabre hobby of collecting photographs of deceased people as a narrative device. This becomes important later and helps to link it to the second POV character and the overarching plot. Stan on the other hand fills the procedural detective aspect. He has been dragged into this by an ex-flame, which turns up some family drama which helps to keep his side rooted.
Anderson is a subtle and clever author, able to thread these two contrasting viewpoints deftly together into a murder mystery plot that is both believable, and exciting. There is a lot of detail and research here, and no easy outs. She brings life to the characters and world in way - even alternating her writing style to accommodate – that few others attempt. This is artistry at work.
However, that said, there are a few problems. At times Anderson gets so wound up in the setting that she will run off on a tangent with descriptions and world building. Now, I love that sort of thing, but towards the middle I found myself skimming. This problem manifests in a different manner towards the end of the book with an extraneous subplot (trigger warning, involves sexual assault). This scene neither advances the story, nor affects the character in question in any meaningful way. As such, it begs to question why it was included. Also, an early paranormal element in the first half of the book is dropped quickly with no explanation. It left me wondering if this was an aspect that was later nixed, and just not edited out. But this doesn’t terribly distract from the overall picture enough to upend the book.
At the core, the Murder’s Apprentice survives its flaws, and comes together in a solid, well-written mystery. Anderson’s ability in weaving two storylines is almost masterful, and her understanding of the genre, deep. Taken as a whole this book will presents a wonderful choice for fans of the murder mystery genre.
The POV alternates between Dara Burk, a 12-year-old tomboy, and Stan Gorsky a policeman and would be detective. Anderson eases us in with Dara’s side of the story first, which while initially light-hearted, quickly becomes grittier and more real-to-life. Her chapters establish the first inklings of an issue, using a macabre hobby of collecting photographs of deceased people as a narrative device. This becomes important later and helps to link it to the second POV character and the overarching plot. Stan on the other hand fills the procedural detective aspect. He has been dragged into this by an ex-flame, which turns up some family drama which helps to keep his side rooted.
Anderson is a subtle and clever author, able to thread these two contrasting viewpoints deftly together into a murder mystery plot that is both believable, and exciting. There is a lot of detail and research here, and no easy outs. She brings life to the characters and world in way - even alternating her writing style to accommodate – that few others attempt. This is artistry at work.
However, that said, there are a few problems. At times Anderson gets so wound up in the setting that she will run off on a tangent with descriptions and world building. Now, I love that sort of thing, but towards the middle I found myself skimming. This problem manifests in a different manner towards the end of the book with an extraneous subplot (trigger warning, involves sexual assault). This scene neither advances the story, nor affects the character in question in any meaningful way. As such, it begs to question why it was included. Also, an early paranormal element in the first half of the book is dropped quickly with no explanation. It left me wondering if this was an aspect that was later nixed, and just not edited out. But this doesn’t terribly distract from the overall picture enough to upend the book.
At the core, the Murder’s Apprentice survives its flaws, and comes together in a solid, well-written mystery. Anderson’s ability in weaving two storylines is almost masterful, and her understanding of the genre, deep. Taken as a whole this book will presents a wonderful choice for fans of the murder mystery genre.
April 28, 2020
**Rating 3.5 stars**
Characters
There are two main characters that you get to follow, a twelve year old girl named Dara and Officer Stan Gorksy. The beginning of the book is heavily Dara with Stan Gorksy taking up most of the middle and a decent balance between them rounding out the ending. I'll admit although I like Dara, her earlier chapters felt wanton. They had more direction near the end. By contrast Stan's chapters were filled with investigative work that had me turning pages. Dara is a tough as nails, in your face pre-teen with a tomboyish demeanor. I did like her overall and her oddly dysfunctional family. I was a little put off by how she had two older brothers that rarely showed their faces or made an entrance but it was mostly explained away.
Plot
This was a whodunit set in the 1960s. I felt like this was a well throughout out blast from the past. Lots of references from the era really sets the scene and dominates throughout the plot. A unique historical setting that had everything from baseball to name brand goodies that have survived into now like Poptarts and Bugles.
It had a slow start, but once it started to roll it was easy to turn page after page. If you have a more recent historical murder mystery, this is it. Fair warning it is very dark and has some other subplots that are equally dark. This is not for the faint of heart, there is violence against children throughout the book, but the perpetrator gets his due in the end...in a fashion.
Overall
Due to the nature of the story and many of its scenes, I cannot say that any child should read this, preteen or teen. This is very much for adults, so don't let the age of one of the protagonist fool you. Which gets me two the most disappointing points of the book. Firstly, the supernatural aspect was very underplayed and had almost no role in the overall plot. Secondly, the pointed violence against women (and girl) that routinely went unanswered for. There was a particularly graphic scene near that, although unsurprising, was unnerving. Expertly written to build suspense, it took too long to get going. You'll feel like you're right there with them, and that is the real magic of this author. You can see very scene with precise clarity.
Rating
3.5 stars (rounded down)
An initial slow burn, this blast from the past murder mystery will have you turning pages to a chilling ending.
Where did I get this book?
The author provided me with a copy. This review is voluntary.
Characters
There are two main characters that you get to follow, a twelve year old girl named Dara and Officer Stan Gorksy. The beginning of the book is heavily Dara with Stan Gorksy taking up most of the middle and a decent balance between them rounding out the ending. I'll admit although I like Dara, her earlier chapters felt wanton. They had more direction near the end. By contrast Stan's chapters were filled with investigative work that had me turning pages. Dara is a tough as nails, in your face pre-teen with a tomboyish demeanor. I did like her overall and her oddly dysfunctional family. I was a little put off by how she had two older brothers that rarely showed their faces or made an entrance but it was mostly explained away.
Plot
This was a whodunit set in the 1960s. I felt like this was a well throughout out blast from the past. Lots of references from the era really sets the scene and dominates throughout the plot. A unique historical setting that had everything from baseball to name brand goodies that have survived into now like Poptarts and Bugles.
It had a slow start, but once it started to roll it was easy to turn page after page. If you have a more recent historical murder mystery, this is it. Fair warning it is very dark and has some other subplots that are equally dark. This is not for the faint of heart, there is violence against children throughout the book, but the perpetrator gets his due in the end...in a fashion.
Overall
Due to the nature of the story and many of its scenes, I cannot say that any child should read this, preteen or teen. This is very much for adults, so don't let the age of one of the protagonist fool you. Which gets me two the most disappointing points of the book. Firstly, the supernatural aspect was very underplayed and had almost no role in the overall plot. Secondly, the pointed violence against women (and girl) that routinely went unanswered for. There was a particularly graphic scene near that, although unsurprising, was unnerving. Expertly written to build suspense, it took too long to get going. You'll feel like you're right there with them, and that is the real magic of this author. You can see very scene with precise clarity.
Rating
3.5 stars (rounded down)
An initial slow burn, this blast from the past murder mystery will have you turning pages to a chilling ending.
Where did I get this book?
The author provided me with a copy. This review is voluntary.
April 19, 2020
I recently received a free copy of this book from the author. I had not heard of her before but will definitely be reading more of her work.
The Murderer's Apprentice had me guessing right to the end. Every time that I thought I had the killer I found that I was wrong. Dara and her friend's live in an era when kids are just kids. But life can be changed in a moment by the actons of everyone that you know are are acquainted to.
I am looking forward to reading the next book.
The Murderer's Apprentice had me guessing right to the end. Every time that I thought I had the killer I found that I was wrong. Dara and her friend's live in an era when kids are just kids. But life can be changed in a moment by the actons of everyone that you know are are acquainted to.
I am looking forward to reading the next book.
August 20, 2024
This is the first book of Daryl Anderson's I have read but it won't be the last. It had everything even Baltimore winning the world series in baseball. She had me guessing right to the end about who was doing the murders(that they didn't really think were murders. I enjoyed all the characters especially the minor ones that only became more important as the story went on. I look forward to reading more from this author.
April 19, 2020
I found this book to be an enjoyable read. Dara was my fave character. There was a lot of research behind this book and I didn’t find it as supernatural as i originally thought it would be. Which was no problem as it still kept me guessing.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Voracious Readers Only
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Voracious Readers Only
April 23, 2020
I enjoyed reading The Murder's Apprentice. This is a great mystery set in 1966 with plenty of twists to keep your interest. I will be looking for additional books by this author.
I received a copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only.
I received a copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only.
April 20, 2020
I recieved a free copy from voracious readers. Really liked the book. Will look for more from this author.
February 16, 2020
The Murder’s Apprentice by Daryl Anderson is a well-plotted story—richly set in the mid-1960s—told through both the child-like eyes of twelve year-old Dara Burke and a young Baltimore policeman Stan Gorsky. The story knits together from different angles: Dara’s macabre hobby of photographing dead people and selling viewings of the photos to local kids leads her to wonder how red-headed boy, Cory (the link in the puzzle) died; Stan, meanwhile, is contacted by Jan, an old school-friend and mother of Cory, to help solve the mystery of her son’s death.
Although this is primarily a detective story, I particularly enjoyed the breadth of the protagonists’ backstories, which brought life to the two characters and gave insight into why they behaved and thought as they did. I also found the different nuances of writing styles between Dara and Stan’s stories interesting and this helped distinguish their different characters.
There was a good twist at the end, although I felt this was a little rushed. There were also a few clunky moments, such as the scene near the end between Dara and her mother’s boyfriend Gary, which I felt was unnecessary in that it didn’t push the plot forward. However, it’s clear Anderson has an abundance of imagination and creativity to weave many strands into an enjoyable story.
Although this is primarily a detective story, I particularly enjoyed the breadth of the protagonists’ backstories, which brought life to the two characters and gave insight into why they behaved and thought as they did. I also found the different nuances of writing styles between Dara and Stan’s stories interesting and this helped distinguish their different characters.
There was a good twist at the end, although I felt this was a little rushed. There were also a few clunky moments, such as the scene near the end between Dara and her mother’s boyfriend Gary, which I felt was unnecessary in that it didn’t push the plot forward. However, it’s clear Anderson has an abundance of imagination and creativity to weave many strands into an enjoyable story.
February 11, 2020
The Murderer's Apprentice is written with great style and attention to detail. Characters are extremely well developed, from the main characters all the way down to those who only get a page or two. The writer has an excellent ability to bring them to life and it feels like they all have big backstories--real lives--going on inside this book even if they never come to the fore.
The blurb really grabbed me and I was intrigued to find out all the dark secrets that were taking place. Boys were being killed, but what was the connection? How was it being done? Why was it being done?
It's written primarily from two storylines: First from a spunky young girl whose brother fits the profile of the murdered children--we're left to wonder, will he be next? The second storyline is from a detective's perspective. Eventually toward the end, their storylines converge. The last third of the book was exciting.
One thing I felt was that, while all the characters were incredibly developed, at times this actually weighed down the story. The forward momentum would get wrapped up in showing who these people were. I started to want things to just swiftly move along and give less detail about some of these characters. I felt it was costing the story its tension and wanted more of a balance between character development and plot progression.
Overall this is a very well written story with a great mystery in a well-developed world.
The blurb really grabbed me and I was intrigued to find out all the dark secrets that were taking place. Boys were being killed, but what was the connection? How was it being done? Why was it being done?
It's written primarily from two storylines: First from a spunky young girl whose brother fits the profile of the murdered children--we're left to wonder, will he be next? The second storyline is from a detective's perspective. Eventually toward the end, their storylines converge. The last third of the book was exciting.
One thing I felt was that, while all the characters were incredibly developed, at times this actually weighed down the story. The forward momentum would get wrapped up in showing who these people were. I started to want things to just swiftly move along and give less detail about some of these characters. I felt it was costing the story its tension and wanted more of a balance between character development and plot progression.
Overall this is a very well written story with a great mystery in a well-developed world.
October 11, 2019
This story opens up with baseball, specifically 12-year-old Dara's love of it that leads her and her friend Fran to trouble. It also does an excellent job of simultaneously setting the scene and showing the girl's personality. The details woven in about the sport and happenings in the summer/fall of 1966 are impressive with depth and unerring continuity. Between her damaged home life and the obstacles she faces, she is consistently rebellious, determined and strong.
After meeting Dara, we're introduced to Stan Gorsky, the son of a Polish immigrant who also happens to be a patrolman. I love how we're shown not only his home life, but how the case he is working in finding this murder effects every aspect of his life. It's a fresh take on a detective novel in that he isn't hardened, he hasn't investigated so many cases that the nuances no longer bother him. And as we learn details alongside him, the angle taken to write this story makes it have a heavier impact as all the eyes involved are (mostly) fresh.
The mystery itself twists enough to bring false conclusions to mind time and again, with enough red-herrings that it never lacks for excitement. I enjoyed this book immensely and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery. The amount of research put into every aspect of the story is impressive and added an extra breath of life to a good story to make it excellent.
After meeting Dara, we're introduced to Stan Gorsky, the son of a Polish immigrant who also happens to be a patrolman. I love how we're shown not only his home life, but how the case he is working in finding this murder effects every aspect of his life. It's a fresh take on a detective novel in that he isn't hardened, he hasn't investigated so many cases that the nuances no longer bother him. And as we learn details alongside him, the angle taken to write this story makes it have a heavier impact as all the eyes involved are (mostly) fresh.
The mystery itself twists enough to bring false conclusions to mind time and again, with enough red-herrings that it never lacks for excitement. I enjoyed this book immensely and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery. The amount of research put into every aspect of the story is impressive and added an extra breath of life to a good story to make it excellent.
December 18, 2019
This mystery takes place in 1966 and as a child of that era, I enjoyed the many references to fads, brands, and happenings of that time. Baseball has a large presence in this story with the protagonist, Dara, a major fan. The story is told through the eyes of two characters, Dara and Stan. Dara is a precocious twelve-year-old tomboy with a mischievous nature who acts more like a police detective at times. Stan is a Baltimore police officer who gets involved in the case and does more detective work than the actual detectives assigned to the case.
This story is rich with details and the main characters are well-developed. Although I wished the supernatural element of the story had been explained better and guessed who the murderer was, I was carried along by the suspense and enjoyed the story. The author does a good job of weaving the story together and brings it all to a satisfying conclusion.
This story is rich with details and the main characters are well-developed. Although I wished the supernatural element of the story had been explained better and guessed who the murderer was, I was carried along by the suspense and enjoyed the story. The author does a good job of weaving the story together and brings it all to a satisfying conclusion.
October 18, 2019
This is an excellent mystery story, well written, with many twists to lead you astray. The storyline captured my interest and keep me turning the pages. The characters were well developed and intriguing. This is the first book I have read from this author and now I want to read more if all are of this calibre of writing.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 10, 2019
This is a compelling mystery with fabulous characters. I love Dara and Fran. This story takes place when I was growing, although not in Baltimore. This book is well-written with plenty of twists to keep me guessing to the end. This is a new author for me and I am looking forward to her next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 4, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, Dara especially. I would've liked to know Stan a bit better, but also enjoyed the scenes written from his perspective. I loved the way the writer painted the 1960s era for the reader. This was exceptionally done. The story flowed well and I was taken by surprise at the end. I wish the ending had a bit more meat to it, but otherwise, I was satisfied.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews