The Darkest Place

Southampton #1

by Daniel Judson

It is a winter of record cold, and the dead bodies of young men are being found adrift in the frigid waters surrounding the trendy summer town of Southampton, New York. Though officially the deaths have been ruled suicides, the local authorities are secretly scrambling for the identity of a cunning killer they have nicknamed “John the Baptist.” In their sights is Deacon Kane, a troubled college professor whose own teenage son drowned in a tragic accident two years before. Quickly realizing the only hope of clearing his name is to join forces with a trio of private investigators—each one more mysterious than the other—Kane plunges blindly into a manhunt that will ultimately bring him face to face with an evil that appears to have risen straight from his own tortured nightmares…an evil that dwells closer than he could have ever realized…an evil, should Kane make one wrong move, that will all too easily consume him. Called “riveting” by Booklist, “harrowing” by New York Daily News, and nominated for a Shamus Award for Best Novel, The Darkest Place is Book One of The Southampton Trilogy. Daniel Judson, a Shamus Award winner and four-time finalist, is the author of seven acclaimed The Southampton Trilogy, comprised of The Darkest Place, The Water's Edge, and Voyeur, as well as The Gin Palace Trilogy, comprised of The Poisoned Rose, The Bone Orchard, and The Gin Palace. He is also the author of a stand-alone novel, The Violet Hour.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

DANIEL JUDSON, a Shamus Award winner and a four-time finalist, is the author of five previous novels, most recently The Violet Hour. He attended Southampton College, and his time in the Hamptons (particularly the parts that don’t make the society pages) was the inspiration for the setting and characters in Voyeur. He now lives in Connecticut.

Reviews

[Petra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. Quite confusing at first, as several perspectives are introduced and I couldn't keep up with the who is who and how characters were connected. Took a good while to get into this, but then it became more and more gripping and turned into a complex, dark mystery. Very atmospheric, noir crime story. Great descriptive passages. I was slightly disappointed by the ending. There was a revelation which, on the one hand, was quite clever, but on the other hand, came out of nowhere (or perhaps my detecting skills were just rubbish and I missed the clues).
I am hoping to read the second book of the trilogy at some stage.
The audio was ok, but I found this was easier to read than to listen to.

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa! This was like a roller coaster ride ... going up, up, up and then rapidly falling before coming to a compete halt. It takes a minute for your body to feel normal again.

Short premise ... young college men are being found drowned. Cops are sure these are suicides. One of the families hires a private investigator firm because they think their son was murdered.

There are lots of characters woven into and around the events taking place. I had to stop and re-read a page or two a few times. Convoluted plot. Interesting characters. A couple really bad guys.

The last few pages will leave you gasping. But the ending is like the end of the ride ... it just stops.... leaving you wanting something just a little more.

[Donn Headley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In reading Judson's novel, I realized that there is a spectrum for every writer of noir, a spectrum from confusing to intriguing to convoluted. This story starts out confusing due to the author's use of multiple points of view, but it quickly becomes intriguing. The characters are all well-drawn and fleshed out capably. Still, there are gaps in explanation and the author is often overly coy about saying too much or telling us the truth so that we are kept in the dark about the big picture. So, as the story unwinds, it also becomes convoluted at times, especially as it approaches resolution, which the reader sometimes might think will never come. But the basic plot does hold together and this novel is well-written, even if it does end rather abruptly, perhaps a bald attempt to lead the reader into picking up the next novel in the trilogy. I rated this novel pretty highly, but Judson's characters and story failed to inspire me to read anything else by him.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best story I have read in a while

When I began reading this book I thought descriptions,ugh! To many adjectives. As I got in to the story I was captivated.
If ever a person had a bad day, it could never be as bad as this one.
This Story begins as a mystery then that evolves into a story-within-a-story and the Mysteries pile up until you have to finish the story and ordered to know what's.
Now I have to go get the other books because a writer this good needs to be appreciated and I really, really appreciated him.

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling

Totally awesome! It's full of thrills , suspense, and a wild rollercoaster ride. It's been four years since Kane's son died and he still hasn't gotten over his death. He lives his life seeing Meg, a married woman whenever her husband is out of town. He also teaches at a college whenever he can manage the willpower to show up.
The next thing he knows he's being framed for murders he didn't commit.
If you love thrillers I recommend reading this book.

[vickieallred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book

Kept me reading, I wanted to know what was happening. I didn't want to put the book down. I was fooled for quiet a while, but did figure out who the character was behind the killings. I found the book very thought provoking. Really believable characters and engrossing details about human thoughts, reactions, and ways of dealing with everyday life after tragedy.

[michael pilgrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cool

Normally i can figure out who dun it, but this one was definately a real left field! The story was involved but an excellent tale of human behavior caused by family loss! Having had a family loss, i could agree with the problem! But this problem had a varied cast of people with different concerns! Well written, but harsh wordings! Good read!!!

[maureen Boland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down

I really enjoyed this book. I like murder mysteries as a general rule ,but this one had a little bit of everything. The main character was sympathetic but it would have been believable to also look at him as a looser which is what the police would do from all the accumulation of evidence

[Hrn1947 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every character as serious problems. The telling of the weather was excellent. Not sure who the winners are. The mention of things we know nothing about constantly was a distraction. I guess this was to make-us want another episode

[lesly martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a mystery buff who has never recommended a book on Good Reads...until now. This is a gripping story that held me from beginning to end. A different storyline from the many mundane books I've read before. I highly recommend The Darkest Place.

[Karen Dinardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good Thriller

I love the way this author writes. There's a lot of fast moving action with interesting characters who all have different motives for different reasons. I can't wait to start book two in the Southampton Trilogy.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

My friends laughed when I said “I’ve read better. I’ve read worse.” I agree with the other reviews that the beginning of the book is extremely confusing. Character intros are abrupt and seem to appear unexpectedly. I was eventually able to follow the various storylines and piece together the innuendos.
There is a sense of mystery and seedy past to most of the characters, which became a bit exhausting. I understand the underlying theme that we cannot outrun our past and most people are alike despite their own perceptions; I just don’t think it tied together as well as the author intended.
Although this wasn’t a bad book, I still don’t think I would recommend it.

[Darrell L. Kalmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well constructed characters

A difficult book to put down. Wish the author had split the chapters up more, because breaking in the middle of a chapter was hard to do. Often was up too late getting to the end of a chapter. Still a great, engaging read.

[Valerie · Rating 1 out of 5]

confusing and dumb

[ken kudek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great character development.

[Rosemary Beattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read could not put book down

Best book I have read in a very long time. Loved how the writer created such deep story lines for all the characters.
You will enjoy this read!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a 5 🌟 read, but the language was bad and editing was not good (words omitted, misspelled or duplicate words)

[Weiping Yin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story line and cleverly written

This is a non stop reading book. It cleverly crafted, keeping readers guessing until the end. Wish the characters could be a little deeper.

[N. Monson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reader

This was an exciting story, but a bit too gruesome for me...too much violence...too heavy on intense descriptions of fighting.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super crazy thriller/mystery. I had no clue how it was going to end, until it happened, so that was exciting.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Lots of twists that kept me guessing which is all I can hope for in a thriller. I’m anxious to read the next two in the trilogy.

[Patsy Carnahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

Lots of twists and turns. Kept my interest and would recommend this book. Good all the way to the very end

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo

Very well written, excellent characters and character development. Kudos to the editor as well. Highly recommend for mystery fans and lovers of who done its.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. Too many similar characters. And no one I cared about.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of twist after twist after twist. Each time i thought I've got it......bam hit with another twist.
Excellently written masterpiece! 😁

[ELIZABETH A. CERCE · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCITING Excellent Read !

If you want a great mystery this will fill the bill ! LOTS of twists and turns.
After this book the other 2 in the trilogy are MUST reads!

[Meredith Michaels · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing to write home about.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 4.25

It's been more than four years since Judson's last book, far too long a gap for a talented author. His two earlier books were part of a series featuring Declan MacManus; THE DARKEST PLACE is a standalone that has many elements in common with those two books but with many notable differences as well.

It's a cold winter in the summer resort town of Southampton on the Shinnecock Bay in Long Island. Deacon Kane is a literature professor at a local college who is barely functioning. His son had died in a drowning accident four years earlier; although there was nothing he could have done to save him, Deke constantly berates and blames himself over the loss. He's living in a squalid two room apartment, involved in an obsessive affair with a married woman and drinking so much that he is about to lose his job. The only really positive aspect of his life is his friendship with one of the other professors who serves as a kind of mentor and father figure.

And then the drownings start. The first appears to be a suicide. Since the boy was a student of Deke's, the police interview him to find out more about Larry Foster's state of mind. After a few more young men die in similar circumstances, it becomes clear that there's a homicidal killer on the loose. Unfortunately, it looks a lot like that killer is Kane. It's only when one of the victim's parents hires a private investigator named Reggie Clay that the truth begins to unfold. And some of what is uncovered points directly at Kane.

The plot was complex and involving, layered and suspenseful. However, the low point of the book was the resolution which severely strained credulity. Fortunately, the overall message that doing the right thing can lead to redemption was strong enough to overcome that flaw. It isn't only Kane who has a black pit at the center of his life. Several of the other characters are working through grief and despair in their own ways.

Judson's earlier work was extremely noir. Although the characters in THE DARKEST PLACE aren't the happiest people you're ever going to meet, they do have a sense of hope in spite of the setbacks they've experienced. Judson knows how to develop the kind of character with whom the reader bonds emotionally. Although it seemed hopeless, I found myself rooting for Kane to win his battle with the bottle, to end an affair that was draining him of his potential, to take control and perform on his job. At the same time, it felt as if he could never extricate himself from the half-life he had built for himself.

One of Judson's greatest strengths is his evocative writing style. Although somewhat bleak, THE DARKEST PLACE is an accomplished work. I just hope that Judson doesn't wait another four years to write his next book.

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overall poorly done.

There is some good character development, and a convoluted (if not well planned) plot that kept me engaged. The author shits the bed on the ending. It violates BOTH of the two most fundamental rule of mystery writing-

1) the reader must get the clues along the way to figure out who is the killer and 2) the killer MUST BE A CHARACTER IN THE BOOK!

THe killer shows up at the end as a brand new character. His only scene is the big reveal. Worse than that, when he does explain his nefarious plot it's nonsensical, and we can only conclude its not some clever killer explaining a master plan, just some idiot who cant get anything done right and has a penchant for REALLY COMPLICATED plans while overlooking the obvious holes I could drive a mack truck through, drunk, blindfolded and sideways. .

[Diana Hockley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kane is falling into the pit of alcoholism and obsession over his part-time lover, Meg, when a series of strange deaths brings him back to reality. His job in jeopardy, he is forced to confront what he has become in his grief over the death of his son four years previously.

Although the police are determined to present the deaths of several young men as suicide, a private investigator and those who work with him have other ideas.

I read this book in one night because I couldn't put it down. The twists and turns are riveting as the net closes tighter around Kane. The characters are well thought out and Judson's writing is excellent.

A good, sturdy thriller which I am sure will be enjoyed by anyone who buys this book.