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Jackson Donne #4
An Empty Hell
A year after the devastating events of Not Even Past, Jackson Donne has gone into hiding in the forest of Vermont. Under the guise of Joe Tennant, Donne has been recovering — and even enjoying his life up north. Until one of the few friends he’s made goes missing. Meanwhile, back in New Jersey, someone is killing ex-cops — the ones who Donne used to work with. Terrified Donne is committing the murders, a former colleague hires private investigator Matt Herrick to track down New Jersey’s most famous fugitive. Herrick agrees and almost immediately, there’s a bounty on his head. The closer Herrick gets to tracking Donne down, the more dangerous the case becomes. And once Donne and Herrick cross paths, the two cases tie together, and Donne realizes he must go back to the life he left behind. Because the past has come calling, and if Donne does face up to it, he and Herrick could lose everything, including their lives.
342 pages, Paperback
First published February 9, 2016
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335 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 11, 2016
It’s been a year since former NJ cop turned private investigator Jackson Donne was involved in a case that ended with two men dead and Donne pegged by law enforcement as the killer. (Not Even Past) Though on the face of it evidence did seem to indicate Donne was responsible, the reality of the situation was far more complicated.
Unfortunately, Donne is persona non grata with the local police, who hold a serious grudge against him for his actions while a member of their ranks. So, rather than stick around and try to explain Donne decided a change of scenery was in order.
Now, the lifelong Jersey resident finds himself using the name Joe Tennant and working as a handyman in a small town in Vermont, living pretty much off the grid and isolated from all but a few locals. It’s a situation that’s far from ideal, but one Donne has come to accept as the way things need to be.
Trouble seems to have a way of finding Donne, however, and the first hint of it occurs when the owner of the small motel where Donne works is abducted. Donne makes the mistake of indulging his investigator instincts and pokes around the motel, where he comes across information that leads him to believe the abductor wasn’t only after Donne’s boss/friend, but that Donne is a target too.
Unbeknownst to Donne, there’s also trouble brewing back down in Jersey. It seems members of Donne’s old narcotics unit are being knocked off one by one. Concerned Donne is the one doing it, one of the remaining members of the unit hires private investigator Matt Herrick to track down Donne. Things take an unexpected turn when, shortly after he’s hired, Herrick finds himself the target of a seriously disturbed individual seemingly bent on tearing down Herrick’s life brick by brick… unless he finds Donne and turns him over.
And with that, An Empty Hell, the latest installment in the Jackson Donne series from Derringer Award-winning author Dave White, is off and running.
Himself a Jersey native, White has in the past steeped the Donne series in all things Jersey, from intricate details about the locale to making use of the state’s notoriously corrupt political system. An Empty Hell finds both Donne and White stepping outside of Jersey a bit, and it’s a welcome change of pace. Placing Donne in an environment foreign to him forces Donne to operate in a way that’s unfamiliar and uncomfortable, and leads to Donne doing things he might not otherwise, and that arguably aren’t the wisest course of action. That makes for hard times for Donne, but good reading for readers.
The addition of Herrick to the mix also ups the dramatic stakes. Just as Donne carries around the burden of his past and the mistakes he made and bridges he burned, both of which lead to people whom Donne cared about dying, Herrick is also wrestling with serious demons. Ex-military, Herrick was put in a position while serving in Afghanistan that forced him to commit an act that relentlessly haunts him…and that made him vow to never again carry a gun.
Together, Donne and Herrick make for two very flawed, yet immensely compelling characters—men living in their own personal hells on earth, both one small step away from having nothing left to lose. When their paths finally cross in An Empty Hell, the fireworks are a given. The only thing left to sort out is who’ll be left standing once the smoke clears.
Unfortunately, Donne is persona non grata with the local police, who hold a serious grudge against him for his actions while a member of their ranks. So, rather than stick around and try to explain Donne decided a change of scenery was in order.
Now, the lifelong Jersey resident finds himself using the name Joe Tennant and working as a handyman in a small town in Vermont, living pretty much off the grid and isolated from all but a few locals. It’s a situation that’s far from ideal, but one Donne has come to accept as the way things need to be.
Trouble seems to have a way of finding Donne, however, and the first hint of it occurs when the owner of the small motel where Donne works is abducted. Donne makes the mistake of indulging his investigator instincts and pokes around the motel, where he comes across information that leads him to believe the abductor wasn’t only after Donne’s boss/friend, but that Donne is a target too.
Unbeknownst to Donne, there’s also trouble brewing back down in Jersey. It seems members of Donne’s old narcotics unit are being knocked off one by one. Concerned Donne is the one doing it, one of the remaining members of the unit hires private investigator Matt Herrick to track down Donne. Things take an unexpected turn when, shortly after he’s hired, Herrick finds himself the target of a seriously disturbed individual seemingly bent on tearing down Herrick’s life brick by brick… unless he finds Donne and turns him over.
And with that, An Empty Hell, the latest installment in the Jackson Donne series from Derringer Award-winning author Dave White, is off and running.
Himself a Jersey native, White has in the past steeped the Donne series in all things Jersey, from intricate details about the locale to making use of the state’s notoriously corrupt political system. An Empty Hell finds both Donne and White stepping outside of Jersey a bit, and it’s a welcome change of pace. Placing Donne in an environment foreign to him forces Donne to operate in a way that’s unfamiliar and uncomfortable, and leads to Donne doing things he might not otherwise, and that arguably aren’t the wisest course of action. That makes for hard times for Donne, but good reading for readers.
The addition of Herrick to the mix also ups the dramatic stakes. Just as Donne carries around the burden of his past and the mistakes he made and bridges he burned, both of which lead to people whom Donne cared about dying, Herrick is also wrestling with serious demons. Ex-military, Herrick was put in a position while serving in Afghanistan that forced him to commit an act that relentlessly haunts him…and that made him vow to never again carry a gun.
Together, Donne and Herrick make for two very flawed, yet immensely compelling characters—men living in their own personal hells on earth, both one small step away from having nothing left to lose. When their paths finally cross in An Empty Hell, the fireworks are a given. The only thing left to sort out is who’ll be left standing once the smoke clears.
March 2, 2016
Just when I thought I was out they pull me back in. -Michael Corleone
I open my review of An Empty Hell with a quote from The Godfather, Part III instead of the first line of the book because it must have been what Donne was thinking. A year after the events of Not Even Past, Jackson Donne has settled into a nice routine in Vermont; he does odd jobs for a local motel, he avoids attention, and he drinks lots of beer. Back in New Jersey, members of the narcotics task force Donne belonged to when he was still a cop start showing up dead. One of the few remaining former cops thinks Donne is behind the murders and, thinking he is next on the hit list, hires PI Matt Herrick to track down Donne. Herrick finds Donne and a whole lot more than he bargained for.
No matter what he does, Donne can't stop being haunted by his past No matter what he does, whether it's the right thing or running away, he always ends up in pain or causing pain to those he holds dear. It's even evident in the action that wrecked his police career, which is told in flashback in the middle of the book.
Matt Herrick his haunted in his own way, too. In some ways he is a mirror image of Donne. He is a high school basketball coach who is a retired soldier. Like Donne, he is haunted by his past actions, but those actions ended up saving lives, instead of costing them. He also does the right thing, even when the right thing is quite often is the path of most resistance.
In many ways, An Empty Hell is Herrick's book, not Donne's. He gets more screen time (page time?) than Donne and is a very active character, while Donne is more reactive. The two are a good pair and, at times, I had visions of them becoming a Derek Strange/Terry Quinn private eye duo. But, since White likes to put his characters through the emotional wringer, that was not meant to be.
As always, Dave White knows his New Jersey. There are times you can almost smell the Taylor ham (or pork roll, if you prefer that term). And the novel's pace threatens to give you blisters as you turn the pages.
In terms of the series, I wouldn't recommend this book as the starting point because the events are tied very closely to what happened in Not Even Past. But every Donne book is worth your time.
I open my review of An Empty Hell with a quote from The Godfather, Part III instead of the first line of the book because it must have been what Donne was thinking. A year after the events of Not Even Past, Jackson Donne has settled into a nice routine in Vermont; he does odd jobs for a local motel, he avoids attention, and he drinks lots of beer. Back in New Jersey, members of the narcotics task force Donne belonged to when he was still a cop start showing up dead. One of the few remaining former cops thinks Donne is behind the murders and, thinking he is next on the hit list, hires PI Matt Herrick to track down Donne. Herrick finds Donne and a whole lot more than he bargained for.
No matter what he does, Donne can't stop being haunted by his past No matter what he does, whether it's the right thing or running away, he always ends up in pain or causing pain to those he holds dear. It's even evident in the action that wrecked his police career, which is told in flashback in the middle of the book.
Matt Herrick his haunted in his own way, too. In some ways he is a mirror image of Donne. He is a high school basketball coach who is a retired soldier. Like Donne, he is haunted by his past actions, but those actions ended up saving lives, instead of costing them. He also does the right thing, even when the right thing is quite often is the path of most resistance.
In many ways, An Empty Hell is Herrick's book, not Donne's. He gets more screen time (page time?) than Donne and is a very active character, while Donne is more reactive. The two are a good pair and, at times, I had visions of them becoming a Derek Strange/Terry Quinn private eye duo. But, since White likes to put his characters through the emotional wringer, that was not meant to be.
As always, Dave White knows his New Jersey. There are times you can almost smell the Taylor ham (or pork roll, if you prefer that term). And the novel's pace threatens to give you blisters as you turn the pages.
In terms of the series, I wouldn't recommend this book as the starting point because the events are tied very closely to what happened in Not Even Past. But every Donne book is worth your time.
January 13, 2016
Jackson Donne is one of my favorite crime protagonists. AN EMPTY HELL finds him at an all-time low, still recovering from the traumatic events of NOT EVEN PAST. When a series of murders points at Donne as a possible suspect, another PI must join the fray to find out the truth.
Dave White has really put together a solid, engaging and always smoothly-written series in the Donne books, with each installment getting better than the last. I read this book in a few sittings and the only bad thing I have to say is that I wish it kept going. Gritty, dark and teeming with a sense of character and location, AN EMPTY HELL is the latest and best chapter of an excellent series.
Dave White has really put together a solid, engaging and always smoothly-written series in the Donne books, with each installment getting better than the last. I read this book in a few sittings and the only bad thing I have to say is that I wish it kept going. Gritty, dark and teeming with a sense of character and location, AN EMPTY HELL is the latest and best chapter of an excellent series.
February 22, 2016
AN EMPTY HELL was my introduction to Jackson Donne, and I'm definitely going back for more. Featuring two great protagonists, with the addition of high school basketball coach-slash-PI Matt Herrick, HELL is a slow burn of a thriller, but you never feel like the pace is lacking. Each chapter drives you forward to the next. Visceral and engaging.
January 10, 2018
Meet Jackson Donne. He's a hard-boiled ex-narc officer who may or may not have killed a senator. Officially wanted for questioning, he's gone into hiding in the mountains of Vermont. He's an ex-officer for a reason. Five years back he was part of a tight-knit group of narcotics officers in New Jersey, led by Leo Carver. Problem is, they were skimming large quantities of drugs off their raids for personal use. Donne's significant other, Jeanne, couldn't take it anymore, and stormed out on him. That was the proverbial kick-in-the-pants he needed to call Internal Affairs, and clean his act up. He's found out that being the snitch has far-reaching consequences that are still haunting him to this day.
Our other protagonist is Matt Herrick. He's a basket ball coach who works as a private investigator in his spare time. His team has strong seasons, and reliably produces college basketball stars, which comes in handy for getting tidbits of information from the police. He's been hired to find Jackson Donne, and bring him back from hiding. Someone seems to be hunting both men though, and a carefully designed web begins closing in on them. Can they figure out what is going on before it's too late?
Bottom line: Dave White has written a tense thriller which kept me turning the pages. Unfortunately, multiple grammatical and spelling errors (at least in the edition I read) detracted somewhat from my experience. Also, while I enjoyed his offering, the ending was formulaic, and motives weren't fully explained. Apparently, this is part of series which probably explains a lot of my confusion. Other people have given An Empty Hell high reviews, so by all means check it out from the library, and give it a shot. However, I don't feel comfortable recommending it as a purchase, and give it a rating of 2 stars or "average".
Our other protagonist is Matt Herrick. He's a basket ball coach who works as a private investigator in his spare time. His team has strong seasons, and reliably produces college basketball stars, which comes in handy for getting tidbits of information from the police. He's been hired to find Jackson Donne, and bring him back from hiding. Someone seems to be hunting both men though, and a carefully designed web begins closing in on them. Can they figure out what is going on before it's too late?
Bottom line: Dave White has written a tense thriller which kept me turning the pages. Unfortunately, multiple grammatical and spelling errors (at least in the edition I read) detracted somewhat from my experience. Also, while I enjoyed his offering, the ending was formulaic, and motives weren't fully explained. Apparently, this is part of series which probably explains a lot of my confusion. Other people have given An Empty Hell high reviews, so by all means check it out from the library, and give it a shot. However, I don't feel comfortable recommending it as a purchase, and give it a rating of 2 stars or "average".
May 9, 2016
Ok, I haven't finished the book yet; however, it has been a huge page turner. I can't put it down. The story keeps you wanting to know more. This could be this way for me because I have not yet read the prior books in the series, I didn't even know it was a series. So I will indeed read the first three of the series and Dave White has gained another reader. Great book so far!
Update* I finished the book and the book is awesome. I look forward to the next if there is a next!
Update* I finished the book and the book is awesome. I look forward to the next if there is a next!
March 27, 2016
So glad that Jackson Donne is back. I have read all the books in Dave White's series and couldn't wait for this one to come out. White does not disappoint. Another edge of your seat, stop what you are doing and keep reading thriller. So glad that Jackson returns to NJ and that we get to meet new character Matt Herrick. A fun and compelling read.
December 13, 2016
AN EMPTY HELL plays to White’s strengths as an author. It is a tense, slow burn of thriller that achieves maximum payoff. I can only imagine what emotional wringer Dave White will put his hero Jackson Donne through in his next thriller.
February 17, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed. Jackson Donne and the new PI/HS Hoops Coach Matt Herrick are great.
I have read every book in Dave's series and they are all excellent. I particularly enjoy all the Jersey references having spent much of my life here. Regardless the plots are great and they are all great reads
I have read every book in Dave's series and they are all excellent. I particularly enjoy all the Jersey references having spent much of my life here. Regardless the plots are great and they are all great reads
March 15, 2016
Dave White delivers another Jackson Donne installment with the wit, tension and surprises that make this a terrific series. Recommended.
August 28, 2018
This book felt a little disjointed to me. I think if you read all the books in order it is probably easier to follow. I didn't relate to some of the main characters very well and I never did understand who was responsible for what and why in regard to the motive for all of the killing and taunting, etc.
July 3, 2018
I didn't like this book at all. Won't be reading another of his books. If the ending is supposed to make me want to read the next book in the series, it doesn't. No real plot. Just bad guys & more bad guys.
May 27, 2018
Meh
I kept reading, hoping the book would get better. The storyline was out there and pretty unrealistic. I probably won’t read another book by this author.
I kept reading, hoping the book would get better. The storyline was out there and pretty unrealistic. I probably won’t read another book by this author.
July 27, 2016
Much violence, Protagonist (Jackson Donne) winds up in prison. Will he get out?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews