In the isolated mountain town of Blarnie, the murder of local policeman Darcy Comer shatters the peace, with the crime seemingly linked to a sinister murder from the past. The murder of a local two decades ago was just the beginning, now, as the town reels from fresh bloodshed, it becomes clear that these new murders echo a dark legacy.
The old town rumours of a devil cult, long dismissed as folklore, are suddenly revived, and a new, enigmatic cult has arrived in Blarnie, promising enlightenment but bringing fear. The arrival of these outsiders in town, led by a mysterious ex-local stirs up old wounds and intensifies the scrutiny on the town’s secrets.
Detective Sergeant Nick Vada is summoned to Blarnie with his partner Joanna Gray, two years on from Darcy's murder to untangle the cold case. As he investigates he discovers unsettling connections between the murder and the town's shadowy past. With the line between reality and the occult blurring, Nick and Joanna must confront the sinister forces at play and unravel a chilling conspiracy that threatens to engulf the town in darkness...
Nick Vada reminds me of Jack Reacher but I like the dialogue using Australian dialect and the expressions. Good writer! Have I mentioned that I have read all 8 books? Yep, there are also two self help books but I am not sure if they are written by the same Jason Summers. I would love to read more adventures of Nick Vada.
I also enjoy reading the author's background as his job during the day has nothing to do with crime. I am a first time author of "The Bayou Heist" and find authors like Summers inspiring.
Love the Nick Vada series, I have devoured all of them this year. They are hard to put down, no lulls at any point and leave you guessing. I hope there is more planned for Nick and Joanna!
I have read this series from the start and wait in anticipation for the next one to come out. Jason you never disappoint, they just keep getting better and better. This one is your best yet !! Keep up the amazing work, I can’t wait to see what happens next :)
Really enjoyed this book. The suspense , the twists and turns and the characters. Good Aussie crime. Great storyline in all of the Nick Vada series. This book and series is a must read. Please keep them coming.
It was well written and mostly kept me enjoying it. That was until around page 330, when Joanna shoots the suspect Penny, in the chest. Penny falls to the ground and is apparently seriously injured. In the following chapter, Penny has magically recovered from her chest wound (no further mention of it), is led in handcuffed for a police interview to which she is able to respond without any indication of pain or illness. At this point, I scratched my head, went back and reread the pages, in case I had missed something, but no, I had not. The suspect, Penny, should have been dead or at least in hospital recovering from a chest shot, but instead, was now OK. I would have given it a 5 rating, except for this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I would have given 4 stars except for the complete lack of continuity at the end - without giving any spoilers how does someone shot in the chest and losing blood get put in a jail cell and interviewed without any mention of said injury? Also needs a good proof reader as the number of grammatical errors became a bit distracting! Shame as it was a good story!
Personally I really liked how different this was to the other books in the series. The only qualm I have with this book, and a couple others, are some grammatical errors within the text, just throws me off. Apart from that I really like this and enjoy how vivid Jason’s writing is.
Good story, I have read most if the titles in the series. Rarely have I read an author with so many grammatical errors and omitted words. Get a proofreader !