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John Santana #6
The Darkness Hunter
When St. Paul Homicide Detective John Santana is assigned a cold case involving the murder of an environmental engineer, he begins to see connections to another case he once investigated––the murder of a young Native American woman.
But in seeking justice for the victims, it soon becomes clear that someone wants to keep their deaths buried, someone very cunning . . . and very deadly. In his quest to hunt down the killer before he strikes again, Santana must deal with his own darkness and a conspiracy that threatens his life––and the life of the woman he loves.
But in seeking justice for the victims, it soon becomes clear that someone wants to keep their deaths buried, someone very cunning . . . and very deadly. In his quest to hunt down the killer before he strikes again, Santana must deal with his own darkness and a conspiracy that threatens his life––and the life of the woman he loves.
381 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2015
8 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Valen
19 books54 followersChristopher Valen is the award-winning author of nine works of fiction featuring Colombian-born, St. Paul Homicide Detective John Santana: White Tombs, The Black Minute, Bad Weeds Never Die, Bone Shadows, Death’s Way, The Darkness Hunter, Speak For The Dead, The Price Of Life, and No Way To Die. He's also written the historical noir murder mystery, City Of Stones, set in 1950 Minneapolis, with fellow author Dan Cohen, and the literary novel All The Fields.
Booklist calls Santana “. . . an appealing series lead, strong and intelligent . . .” Midwest Book Review declares that “Santana is a wonderful addition to the sub-genre,” and Library Journal says that Valen’s “ . . . highly moral Santana character is golden.”
Christopher is a graduate of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Citizen Academy and has many contacts and resources in the law enforcement community. He lives in Arizona and Minnesota with his Colombian-born wife, Martha. To learn more visit his website at www.christophervalen.com
Booklist calls Santana “. . . an appealing series lead, strong and intelligent . . .” Midwest Book Review declares that “Santana is a wonderful addition to the sub-genre,” and Library Journal says that Valen’s “ . . . highly moral Santana character is golden.”
Christopher is a graduate of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Citizen Academy and has many contacts and resources in the law enforcement community. He lives in Arizona and Minnesota with his Colombian-born wife, Martha. To learn more visit his website at www.christophervalen.com
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 4, 2015
I first stumbled upon mystery novelist, Christopher Valen, when I won my first John Santana Novel. His latest, The Darkness Hunter, is the sixth I have read, and if I am not mistaken, the sixth written. So I think it is fair to say I have read, and own, a complete set to date.
I loved how this book got started. Kicks off with Homicide Detective John Santana on scene of a murdered young woman. 17 year old Danielle Lonetree was discovered in a shallow grave. The boyfriend, Clay Buck, left his disabled van parked nearby. All the evidence gathered are glaring clues that point directly at Buck. Working the case with Wendell Hudson, his partner things go from simple to complicated fast.
Months later, after Detective Hudson’s retirement, Santana is assigned look into an unsolved cold case. Sam Noor was hired by an environmental group opposed to silica mining. He was murdered. No one was ever arrested for the crime. Santana’s investigation uncovers plenty of leads. Select Sands is the main company buying up land for mining. The benefits will rival natural gas as utility. But there are negative aspects to the mining as well. That was what Noor was searching for. If Noor’s snooping turned up anything negative about the company . . . the snooping could have cost him his life.
To make the case more intriguing, Santana’s old partner, Hudson, was the initial investigator. And even more than that, Clay Buck’s sister, Carrie, and uncle, Youngblood, are tied into the mix with the environmental group Noor worked for. Family ties, big money, and past secrets kept me turning pages. I devoured the book in two sittings. Each Santana novel just gets better, and better.
Christopher Valen is where it is at when it comes to police procedural thrillers. The mysteries are complicated, but believable. The characters are well drawn and realistic. The dialogue and action is crisp and intense. I highly recommend The Darkness Hunter and Christopher Valen to anyone looking for a solid mystery novel. I know I will be anxiously awaiting the next installment!
Phillip Tomasso
Author of Damn the Dead and Extinction
I loved how this book got started. Kicks off with Homicide Detective John Santana on scene of a murdered young woman. 17 year old Danielle Lonetree was discovered in a shallow grave. The boyfriend, Clay Buck, left his disabled van parked nearby. All the evidence gathered are glaring clues that point directly at Buck. Working the case with Wendell Hudson, his partner things go from simple to complicated fast.
Months later, after Detective Hudson’s retirement, Santana is assigned look into an unsolved cold case. Sam Noor was hired by an environmental group opposed to silica mining. He was murdered. No one was ever arrested for the crime. Santana’s investigation uncovers plenty of leads. Select Sands is the main company buying up land for mining. The benefits will rival natural gas as utility. But there are negative aspects to the mining as well. That was what Noor was searching for. If Noor’s snooping turned up anything negative about the company . . . the snooping could have cost him his life.
To make the case more intriguing, Santana’s old partner, Hudson, was the initial investigator. And even more than that, Clay Buck’s sister, Carrie, and uncle, Youngblood, are tied into the mix with the environmental group Noor worked for. Family ties, big money, and past secrets kept me turning pages. I devoured the book in two sittings. Each Santana novel just gets better, and better.
Christopher Valen is where it is at when it comes to police procedural thrillers. The mysteries are complicated, but believable. The characters are well drawn and realistic. The dialogue and action is crisp and intense. I highly recommend The Darkness Hunter and Christopher Valen to anyone looking for a solid mystery novel. I know I will be anxiously awaiting the next installment!
Phillip Tomasso
Author of Damn the Dead and Extinction
August 19, 2017
greed makes the world go round and round and round. Another winner...:)
October 1, 2022
The Darkness Hunter
Great story, a little too scary at times, very interesting. Keep on writing stories like this, they keep us all tied to the life of John Satana. THANKS
Great story, a little too scary at times, very interesting. Keep on writing stories like this, they keep us all tied to the life of John Satana. THANKS
September 16, 2015
Murder in the Midwest.
St. Paul, MN homicide detective John Santana and his partner begin with investigating one murder next to the Mississippi River. Then the primary suspect is killed and the case goes cold. Months later, Det. Santana is assigned a different murder cold case, unaware that the trail will lead him to the previous victims and create more dead bodies.
Local topics such as sand mining, casinos, and EPA regulations furnish an interesting backdrop to the action of this story.
The characters are multi-dimensional with Det. Santana having a life outside of the office, including a steady girlfriend and a faithful dog. I dropped into this series several books past the beginning but found the slivers of history inserted skillfully enough to understand the personal demons driving Det. Santana’s career choice.
St. Paul, MN homicide detective John Santana and his partner begin with investigating one murder next to the Mississippi River. Then the primary suspect is killed and the case goes cold. Months later, Det. Santana is assigned a different murder cold case, unaware that the trail will lead him to the previous victims and create more dead bodies.
Local topics such as sand mining, casinos, and EPA regulations furnish an interesting backdrop to the action of this story.
The characters are multi-dimensional with Det. Santana having a life outside of the office, including a steady girlfriend and a faithful dog. I dropped into this series several books past the beginning but found the slivers of history inserted skillfully enough to understand the personal demons driving Det. Santana’s career choice.
December 15, 2015
I received a copy of this for free through GoodReads First Reads
This was an excellent murder mystery. Very quick paced read. I loved the Native American references in this book. As a part Native American myself, I always love a novel that includes the history and superstitions of the different tribes. And John Santana is a wonderful main character. Will definitely have to pick up the rest of the series.
This was an excellent murder mystery. Very quick paced read. I loved the Native American references in this book. As a part Native American myself, I always love a novel that includes the history and superstitions of the different tribes. And John Santana is a wonderful main character. Will definitely have to pick up the rest of the series.
December 1, 2015
Another winner from Chris Valen.
February 8, 2016
don't normally like detective stories, but found this worthwhile
June 10, 2016
Enjoyed the book. A fun mystery set in Stillwater, which made it more interesting.
February 1, 2017
OK, pretty good, but nothing special. Too many characters, hard to follow sometimes. I hope he's not going to try to turn Santana into another Charlie Parker.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews