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DS Stella Mooney #4
Down into Darkness
By Jack Curtis writing as David Lawrence
The naked body of a young woman is found hanging from a tree on a London roadside. Scrawled across her back, the words DIRTY GIRL. Detective Sergeant Stella Mooney and the AMIP 5 squad are faced with a murder as baffling as it is chilling. With no means to identify the victim and no apparent motive, the case is blocked, until...
A man is found on a bench by the river, his throat cut back to the vertebrae. And, as before, the killer has left a trademark comment: FILTHY COWARD. Stella and her team can see there's a connection: but what? One victim is a young girl - maybe one of the hookers who work the Strip; the other a researcher for a prominent and controversial MP. More evidence is needed. And soon enough, it comes: another death; another message...
The naked body of a young woman is found hanging from a tree on a London roadside. Scrawled across her back, the words DIRTY GIRL. Detective Sergeant Stella Mooney and the AMIP 5 squad are faced with a murder as baffling as it is chilling. With no means to identify the victim and no apparent motive, the case is blocked, until...
A man is found on a bench by the river, his throat cut back to the vertebrae. And, as before, the killer has left a trademark comment: FILTHY COWARD. Stella and her team can see there's a connection: but what? One victim is a young girl - maybe one of the hookers who work the Strip; the other a researcher for a prominent and controversial MP. More evidence is needed. And soon enough, it comes: another death; another message...
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 22, 2007
6 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
David Lawrence
7 books14 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Pseudonym for author David Harsent.
Pseudonym for author David Harsent.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 5, 2019
Ömrümden 20 gün yedi bu kitap. Uzun zamandır hiç bu kadar zor okuduğum bir kitap olmamıştı. Okuyamadım. Öncelikle çevirisi yok kötü. Çok çok kötü. Cümleler yarım, bir anlam içermiyor. İnsanın kafası karışıyor da karışıyor. Neden ya neden? Ne güzel konu bulmuşsunuz. Neden çeviri bu kadar kötü? Yoksa orijinali mi kötü? Bilmiyorum ama yordu beni.
Önce ağaca asılı bir kız bulunur. Üzerinde pis kız yazıyordur. Sonra diğer cesetler tek tek ortaya çıkar. Bağlantıyı kurmak zordur. Detektif Stella Mooneuiy kararlıdır.
Kendi kişisel hayatında da gelgitleri vardır ama işin peşini bırakmaz.
İnanılmaz sıkıcı bir kitaptı benim için. Tavsiye etmiyorum size 👎🏻
Önce ağaca asılı bir kız bulunur. Üzerinde pis kız yazıyordur. Sonra diğer cesetler tek tek ortaya çıkar. Bağlantıyı kurmak zordur. Detektif Stella Mooneuiy kararlıdır.
Kendi kişisel hayatında da gelgitleri vardır ama işin peşini bırakmaz.
İnanılmaz sıkıcı bir kitaptı benim için. Tavsiye etmiyorum size 👎🏻
July 1, 2020
Good book.
May 24, 2010
RATING: 3.25
A series of murders are occurring in the London area. Although the way the victims are killed varies, each has a message scrawled on their body, such as "Dirty Girl" or "Filthy Coward". It appears that the killer has chosen each of his victims for personal reasons, but it certainly isn't apparent to Detective Stella Mooney and her colleagues what links each of them. Is the killer some kind of moral guardian? Are his messages a justification for the murders?
The book started well enough, but as the narrative progressed, the pace slowed to a crawl. At about the midway point, I found myself becoming increasingly bored and irritated, first with the redundant nature of the investigation and secondly with Stella and her complicated personal life. I'm not usually able to predict who the murderer is in most mysteries, but in this one, the perpetrator was obvious to me. He wasn't a very interesting character, and his motives weren't believable. Having the detectives and a police psychologist endlessly dissect his possible motivations made me comatose.
The most enjoyable aspect of the book was how Lawrence developed the relationships within the police force. DI Mike Sorley, Stella's boss, is a calming influence on the department. Unfortunately, he suffers a heart attack and is removed from active duty to recuperate. His temporary replacement is a man who Stella detests and who delights in antagonizing her. Their relationship develops over the course of the investigation in some very interesting ways. Lawrence also does a good job of building the setting, most particularly the housing projects which hold some bad memories for Stella.
Down into Darkness is the fourth book in the Detective Stella Mooney series, and the first that I have read. I am sure that followers of this series will enjoy this book, as they will learn more about Stella's unhappy childhood and see her moving in new directions with her latest lover.
A series of murders are occurring in the London area. Although the way the victims are killed varies, each has a message scrawled on their body, such as "Dirty Girl" or "Filthy Coward". It appears that the killer has chosen each of his victims for personal reasons, but it certainly isn't apparent to Detective Stella Mooney and her colleagues what links each of them. Is the killer some kind of moral guardian? Are his messages a justification for the murders?
The book started well enough, but as the narrative progressed, the pace slowed to a crawl. At about the midway point, I found myself becoming increasingly bored and irritated, first with the redundant nature of the investigation and secondly with Stella and her complicated personal life. I'm not usually able to predict who the murderer is in most mysteries, but in this one, the perpetrator was obvious to me. He wasn't a very interesting character, and his motives weren't believable. Having the detectives and a police psychologist endlessly dissect his possible motivations made me comatose.
The most enjoyable aspect of the book was how Lawrence developed the relationships within the police force. DI Mike Sorley, Stella's boss, is a calming influence on the department. Unfortunately, he suffers a heart attack and is removed from active duty to recuperate. His temporary replacement is a man who Stella detests and who delights in antagonizing her. Their relationship develops over the course of the investigation in some very interesting ways. Lawrence also does a good job of building the setting, most particularly the housing projects which hold some bad memories for Stella.
Down into Darkness is the fourth book in the Detective Stella Mooney series, and the first that I have read. I am sure that followers of this series will enjoy this book, as they will learn more about Stella's unhappy childhood and see her moving in new directions with her latest lover.
March 29, 2011
Fourth in the mystery series, DS Stella Mooney, set in modern-day London where Stella is struggling with a serial killer who is not leaving a pattern---choosing people randomly with a purpose.
It’s an interesting cast of victims: a hooker, a researcher, a news editor, a retired teacher, and a politician. Finding the common thread is a tough task for Stella and her crew. As they tease out the connections, we are exposed to BIG money and its manipulations in our world as well as the depths to which such men will descend to accumulate it.
Emotionally, Delaney is struggling between boredom and love while Stella is experiencing her own struggle between her never-there mother who has suddenly reappeared in her life and the comfort she has with Delaney. Her fellow cop, Pete Harriman, has his own struggle with his sincere desire to share himself with as many women as possible and the one who just may prove his downfall. The whole squad has to deal with a replacement DI, Brian Collier, when Sorley is forced onto leave. It’s kinda fun to watch the “education” of Collier throughout the story.
Great cover with its graffiti and “tools of the trade” summarizing the story.
Lawrence raises an interesting question about the rightness (or wrongness) of when to kill. Something for all of us to consider. Excellent story.
It’s an interesting cast of victims: a hooker, a researcher, a news editor, a retired teacher, and a politician. Finding the common thread is a tough task for Stella and her crew. As they tease out the connections, we are exposed to BIG money and its manipulations in our world as well as the depths to which such men will descend to accumulate it.
Emotionally, Delaney is struggling between boredom and love while Stella is experiencing her own struggle between her never-there mother who has suddenly reappeared in her life and the comfort she has with Delaney. Her fellow cop, Pete Harriman, has his own struggle with his sincere desire to share himself with as many women as possible and the one who just may prove his downfall. The whole squad has to deal with a replacement DI, Brian Collier, when Sorley is forced onto leave. It’s kinda fun to watch the “education” of Collier throughout the story.
Great cover with its graffiti and “tools of the trade” summarizing the story.
Lawrence raises an interesting question about the rightness (or wrongness) of when to kill. Something for all of us to consider. Excellent story.
March 14, 2014
I really loved the first few books in this series and for that reason am giving this latest in the series the benefit of the doubt. My reading life has been a bit chaotic too, which may have something to do with not liking this novel quite as well.
I was having a bit of a hard time following all the story threads. The mystery wasn't working for me either. It almost took a back seat to Stella's and Delaney's psychological issues. For Stella, I wish she would either commit to therapy to work things out or just stop moping around.
And I really didn't like the detailed 'cage fighting' scenes - what was that all about?!
Overall, a disappointment, but based on the strength of the first few books, I won't give up on this series.
I was having a bit of a hard time following all the story threads. The mystery wasn't working for me either. It almost took a back seat to Stella's and Delaney's psychological issues. For Stella, I wish she would either commit to therapy to work things out or just stop moping around.
And I really didn't like the detailed 'cage fighting' scenes - what was that all about?!
Overall, a disappointment, but based on the strength of the first few books, I won't give up on this series.
February 26, 2008
This is a darn good detective cop mystery. A serial killer is at loose and detective Stella Mooney and her squad are on the case. The killer has a plan but its not clear why he is killing who he is killing and what are the reasons.
The book is filled with many separate plot lines all of which prove meaningful in one way or another to the story.
Highly recommended.
The book is filled with many separate plot lines all of which prove meaningful in one way or another to the story.
Highly recommended.
Want to read
March 23, 2008I read Cold Kill and was very impressed with it. I'd like to find this one now...
April 27, 2008
London-set serial killer mystery w/ decent detective characters.
June 13, 2008
This was a good detective mystery novel. Nothing amazing, but very entertaining.
June 30, 2008
London noir. Pretty good series. Good for a Sunday afternoon on the couch.
June 16, 2009
This is one DARK book about a serial killer with a twist.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews