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Charlie Yates #2
Black Night Falling
It was almost dark when i landed...
'There are echoes of Chandler in washed-up journalist Charlie Yates's terse, cynical narration but this is more than a mere pastiche: it's subtle, original and enthralling.' Jake Kerridge, Sunday Express
Having left Texarkana for the safety of the West Coast, reporter Charlie Yates finds himself drawn back to the South, to Hot Springs, Arkansas, as an old acquaintance asks for his help. This time it's less of a story Charlie's chasing, more of a desperate attempt to do the right thing before it's too late.
Rod Reynolds' exceptional second novel picks up just a few months on from The Dark Inside, and once again displays the feel for place, period and atmosphere which marked out his acclaimed debut.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2016
About the author
Rod Reynolds
11 books54 followersRod Reynolds was born in London and, after a successful career in advertising, working as a media buyer, he decided to get serious about writing. He recently completed City University's two-year Crime Writing Masters course and THE DARK INSIDE is his first novel. He lives in London with his wife and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 17, 2016
In the interest of full disclosure, I *still* haven’t gotten to read Rod’s first book, The Dark Inside (I know!!!!) but after reading Black Night Falling I will definitely be reading it sooner rather than later!
Black Night Falling picks up after the events in TDI, yet it can easily be read on its own and not leave the reader with many questions. We meet Charlie Yates, who gets a call from someone he used to know. This call is enough to make Charlie go back to the South and back towards his past.
What follows is one of the best examples of American Crime Noir that I have ever read. The reader is instantly drawn in and engaged in the story. Charlie is such a great character and so likeable that you will be cheering him on through the whole book.
There are plenty of unsavoury characters and more than enough action to keep you gripped and turning the pages as fast as possible. I found myself stumped on more than one occasion because I just didn’t see where the story was going! This is what I love about books like this, you think you have everything sussed and then in comes a punch from leftfield and you are knocked sideways!
Black Night Falling is an all round excellent novel. Brilliant characters with various different story arcs coming in to play and the exceptional location make it a very atmospheric and tense book and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Rod Reynolds has created a wonderful thing here, in every sense, Black Night Falling is perfection.
Black Night Falling picks up after the events in TDI, yet it can easily be read on its own and not leave the reader with many questions. We meet Charlie Yates, who gets a call from someone he used to know. This call is enough to make Charlie go back to the South and back towards his past.
What follows is one of the best examples of American Crime Noir that I have ever read. The reader is instantly drawn in and engaged in the story. Charlie is such a great character and so likeable that you will be cheering him on through the whole book.
There are plenty of unsavoury characters and more than enough action to keep you gripped and turning the pages as fast as possible. I found myself stumped on more than one occasion because I just didn’t see where the story was going! This is what I love about books like this, you think you have everything sussed and then in comes a punch from leftfield and you are knocked sideways!
Black Night Falling is an all round excellent novel. Brilliant characters with various different story arcs coming in to play and the exceptional location make it a very atmospheric and tense book and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Rod Reynolds has created a wonderful thing here, in every sense, Black Night Falling is perfection.
August 12, 2016
The Dark Inside from debut author Rod Reynolds, was based loosely on the events surrounding The Texarkana Moonlight Murders of 1946, where young couples were singled out at a local courting spot and brutally attacked. The Texarkana Phantom, as the killer was dubbed, killed five people and assaulted three more, but evaded apprehension, with the killings stopping as quickly as they had begun. With this as the central premise for the story, Reynolds took us on an atmospheric, clever, and entirely plausible trip into a small community racked by fear and suspicion. Black Night Falling picks up the story just a few months on from the harrowing events of the first book featuring stoic reporter Charlie Yates, and there is more darkness in store…
Once again, Reynolds completely immerses us in the world of 1940’s America, incorporating insights into the American psyche, and referencing returning servicemen from World War II. Reynolds’ attention to the detail of the period is again completely on song, and the intense heat of his chosen location of Texas shimmers and scorches alongside the emotional intensity of Yates’ troublesome investigation. Particularly effective is Reynolds’ depiction of this small community of Hot Springs, with its local commerce being driven by corrupt local figures, and the mostly illegal activities of gambling and prostitution, allowing him to insinuate real life gangster figures into the plot, that are immediately recognisable to the reader. Also by placing Yates in this inward looking and suspicious community, it allows us to acknowledge for ourselves, the frustration and danger that he encounters in his search for the truth behind his friend’s untimely end.
Charlie Yates, our dogged reporter is once again bestowed with a real core of morality, and again Reynolds makes full use of his character pivoting between outspoken arrogance to moments of extreme self doubt and emotional vulnerability. As in The Dark Inside, Yates must use all his guile and powers of investigation to navigate his way between local law enforcement, the press, and the mayoral head honcho, assimilating, disregarding, or challenging their versions of events at no mean danger to himself. As much as Yates is fed false leads or incomplete information, we as readers are also constantly questioning the veracity of the information he receives, and playing the who’s the good guy, who’s the bad guy, game as the plot progresses. With Yates being so firmly front and centre of the plot, Reynolds’ cast of supporting characters are something of a conduit or mirror for his actions, but there is a good array of ne’er-do-wells, tarts with hearts, unlikely good guys, and a thoroughly pernicious killer at the heart of the story to keep you hooked. Admittedly, I am still a little unconvinced by the depiction of Yates’ personal life, and the slightly clichéd drawing on this in the plot to manipulate Yates’ actions, however, when book focuses purposefully on Yates’ dogged determination to track a killer and expose corruption, Reynolds keeps a realistic and tight rein of the unfolding plot. With The Dark Inside and Black Night Falling being so closely interlinked, Reynolds does endeavour to reference the first book in the second as Yates’ investigation has the overarching echo and ramifications of previous events, but I would urge you to read both books in quick succession, to fully appreciate the symbiosis of the two books, as sometimes the links between the two lose a little of their power in the reliance on sporadic back story.
When I reviewed The Dark Inside I said I was delighted to hear that there was a sequel in the offing, and more than happy to say that Reynolds has come up trumps again. Read both- you won’t be disappointed.
Once again, Reynolds completely immerses us in the world of 1940’s America, incorporating insights into the American psyche, and referencing returning servicemen from World War II. Reynolds’ attention to the detail of the period is again completely on song, and the intense heat of his chosen location of Texas shimmers and scorches alongside the emotional intensity of Yates’ troublesome investigation. Particularly effective is Reynolds’ depiction of this small community of Hot Springs, with its local commerce being driven by corrupt local figures, and the mostly illegal activities of gambling and prostitution, allowing him to insinuate real life gangster figures into the plot, that are immediately recognisable to the reader. Also by placing Yates in this inward looking and suspicious community, it allows us to acknowledge for ourselves, the frustration and danger that he encounters in his search for the truth behind his friend’s untimely end.
Charlie Yates, our dogged reporter is once again bestowed with a real core of morality, and again Reynolds makes full use of his character pivoting between outspoken arrogance to moments of extreme self doubt and emotional vulnerability. As in The Dark Inside, Yates must use all his guile and powers of investigation to navigate his way between local law enforcement, the press, and the mayoral head honcho, assimilating, disregarding, or challenging their versions of events at no mean danger to himself. As much as Yates is fed false leads or incomplete information, we as readers are also constantly questioning the veracity of the information he receives, and playing the who’s the good guy, who’s the bad guy, game as the plot progresses. With Yates being so firmly front and centre of the plot, Reynolds’ cast of supporting characters are something of a conduit or mirror for his actions, but there is a good array of ne’er-do-wells, tarts with hearts, unlikely good guys, and a thoroughly pernicious killer at the heart of the story to keep you hooked. Admittedly, I am still a little unconvinced by the depiction of Yates’ personal life, and the slightly clichéd drawing on this in the plot to manipulate Yates’ actions, however, when book focuses purposefully on Yates’ dogged determination to track a killer and expose corruption, Reynolds keeps a realistic and tight rein of the unfolding plot. With The Dark Inside and Black Night Falling being so closely interlinked, Reynolds does endeavour to reference the first book in the second as Yates’ investigation has the overarching echo and ramifications of previous events, but I would urge you to read both books in quick succession, to fully appreciate the symbiosis of the two books, as sometimes the links between the two lose a little of their power in the reliance on sporadic back story.
When I reviewed The Dark Inside I said I was delighted to hear that there was a sequel in the offing, and more than happy to say that Reynolds has come up trumps again. Read both- you won’t be disappointed.
March 1, 2018
The sequel to "The Dark Inside" sees journalist Charlie Yates back in Arkansas and dangerously close to Texarkana, the town he left in a hurry after his investigations uncovered that town's darkest secrets.
Yates has left his wife Lizzie safely, or so he thinks, back home in California to renew his acquaintance with another reporter who's been doing his own detective work in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
That man called him about 3 murdered women telling Charlie he had to do right by them. But, as soon as he arrives, he find the man he's supposed to meet has died in a fire in a cheap Hot Springs hotel. Worse still, he can find no record of the women's alleged murders and the more he digs, the more he suspects that hotel fire was no accident.
Charlie's best move would be to head home, but he stays and - just like a few months before - he begins to uncover some more deadly secrets that powerful people will kill to protect.
Despite the heat and merciless sun, darkness pervades every page as Yates tries to do the right thing. This sequel felt a bit "samey" in places as we follow Yates' dogged attempts to find the truth, but it's still a damned good thriller.
Yates has left his wife Lizzie safely, or so he thinks, back home in California to renew his acquaintance with another reporter who's been doing his own detective work in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
That man called him about 3 murdered women telling Charlie he had to do right by them. But, as soon as he arrives, he find the man he's supposed to meet has died in a fire in a cheap Hot Springs hotel. Worse still, he can find no record of the women's alleged murders and the more he digs, the more he suspects that hotel fire was no accident.
Charlie's best move would be to head home, but he stays and - just like a few months before - he begins to uncover some more deadly secrets that powerful people will kill to protect.
Despite the heat and merciless sun, darkness pervades every page as Yates tries to do the right thing. This sequel felt a bit "samey" in places as we follow Yates' dogged attempts to find the truth, but it's still a damned good thriller.
August 24, 2017
A journalist gets a call from an acquaintance to come help him deal with a sticky situation in a small town in the 1946 America. Said journalist trundles into a cesspit of corruption and murder. Many people have enjoyed this book far more than I did. If you tell me it's noir, it set in 1940/1930s America with a cynical hero who just can't help giving a damm my heart leaps like a golden retriever slavering for a Hammett and Chandler Oreo of amazingness. So a case of impossibly high expaectations foundering on the shores of humorless shoals of reality.
Nobody gets called a broad.
Red harvest really cannot be bettered, ever.
Nobody gets called a broad.
Red harvest really cannot be bettered, ever.
August 10, 2016
Black Night Falling – A Superb Suspense Thriller
Back Night Falling is the superb follow-up to Rod Reynolds debut thriller The Dark Inside, and it is absolutely stunning. It is hard to believe that this story set in America is written and researched by a British author, his hard work pays off and delivers a suspense thriller of the old school. With excellent prose, an eye for detail, and an ear for the accents of 1946 Arkansas and a knowledge of the American automobile of the times. Black Night Falling will not leave you disappointed as it delivers everything the reader wants.
Charlie Yates is a washed up journalist, who has just about escaped from Texarkana, six months previously, and with a new wife has escaped to the safety of the west coast and the sun. He may not be able to command a spot on one of the major papers these days at least he still has a job even if it is a more local rag than the LA Times.
An old acquaintance asks for his help once again in the deep south, but can he really trust Jimmy Robinson after what happened down in Texarkana. When he does turn up to help Robinson, he is too late, he had been killed in a fire at his boarding house cum bar, and the report says he had started it by being drunk and falling asleep.
Charlie Yates knows something is off, and working on a gut instinct looks in to what had brought Robinson to Hot Springs, try and find the story he was working on. When he finds that the story had links back to what happened back in Texarkana, he has reason to be perturbed and fearful for him and his new wife.
With cryptic notes and a few pictures, Yates is able to slowly able to piece together what Robinson was investigating when he was killed. Yates works out that it was finding what happened in the murder of three people had been successfully covered up and that by kicking that stone over had cost him his life. The picture that he gets of Hot Springs, is one of a town that has been built of gambling and prostitution and that there are just as many secrets hidden in the town and many people wanting to keep them hidden.
Like an old fashioned whodunit, Black Night Falling is a brilliant suspense thriller with plenty of twists and turns, and even though there are hints the clues to the ending are well hidden. This really is a welcome throwback to old school detective novels, which thrill and keep you in suspense in equal measure and Reynolds succeeds at this throughout the book.
Black Night Falling is a brilliant suspense thriller that will keep the reader hooked from beginning to end and delivers on every level. It is really good to read this brilliant follow-up to The Dark Inside and Black Night Falling will leave you wanting more of Charlie Yates and Rod Reynolds writing.
Back Night Falling is the superb follow-up to Rod Reynolds debut thriller The Dark Inside, and it is absolutely stunning. It is hard to believe that this story set in America is written and researched by a British author, his hard work pays off and delivers a suspense thriller of the old school. With excellent prose, an eye for detail, and an ear for the accents of 1946 Arkansas and a knowledge of the American automobile of the times. Black Night Falling will not leave you disappointed as it delivers everything the reader wants.
Charlie Yates is a washed up journalist, who has just about escaped from Texarkana, six months previously, and with a new wife has escaped to the safety of the west coast and the sun. He may not be able to command a spot on one of the major papers these days at least he still has a job even if it is a more local rag than the LA Times.
An old acquaintance asks for his help once again in the deep south, but can he really trust Jimmy Robinson after what happened down in Texarkana. When he does turn up to help Robinson, he is too late, he had been killed in a fire at his boarding house cum bar, and the report says he had started it by being drunk and falling asleep.
Charlie Yates knows something is off, and working on a gut instinct looks in to what had brought Robinson to Hot Springs, try and find the story he was working on. When he finds that the story had links back to what happened back in Texarkana, he has reason to be perturbed and fearful for him and his new wife.
With cryptic notes and a few pictures, Yates is able to slowly able to piece together what Robinson was investigating when he was killed. Yates works out that it was finding what happened in the murder of three people had been successfully covered up and that by kicking that stone over had cost him his life. The picture that he gets of Hot Springs, is one of a town that has been built of gambling and prostitution and that there are just as many secrets hidden in the town and many people wanting to keep them hidden.
Like an old fashioned whodunit, Black Night Falling is a brilliant suspense thriller with plenty of twists and turns, and even though there are hints the clues to the ending are well hidden. This really is a welcome throwback to old school detective novels, which thrill and keep you in suspense in equal measure and Reynolds succeeds at this throughout the book.
Black Night Falling is a brilliant suspense thriller that will keep the reader hooked from beginning to end and delivers on every level. It is really good to read this brilliant follow-up to The Dark Inside and Black Night Falling will leave you wanting more of Charlie Yates and Rod Reynolds writing.
June 8, 2016
Oh my God. Just when I thought my heart had returned to normal following The Dark Inside, here we are again. Back in the spider's web, with more traps, twists and turns that I knew what to do with.
This is the literary equivalent of being smacked in the face when you look over the parapet after having slumped back in your reading hole you just knew you'd be in for a while when you'd finished the first book. When you'd left Texarkana and thought you might never be back.
Not out until August but you have to go and find this book now. Plead with whoever you have to, sell your soul.
You do not want to miss this. Highly recommended!
Full review to come of course but I just had to write something now
This is the literary equivalent of being smacked in the face when you look over the parapet after having slumped back in your reading hole you just knew you'd be in for a while when you'd finished the first book. When you'd left Texarkana and thought you might never be back.
Not out until August but you have to go and find this book now. Plead with whoever you have to, sell your soul.
You do not want to miss this. Highly recommended!
Full review to come of course but I just had to write something now
November 5, 2016
Like book 1 in the series (THE DARK INSIDE) I found BLACK NIGHT FALLING another unputdownable read. Against his better judgement, reporter Charlie Yates is looking into some murders in another town, Hot Springs, at the request of a rather shady fellow reporter friend. But Hot Springs isn't just the party town it appears to be, and Charlie soon finds out that there's a much darker side to it. This book just oozes authenticity and deep noir menace. Charlie is a rather brooding and mysterious character, and someone you can really root for. I loved this book, and can't wait for the next in the series.
September 18, 2016
It is technically a 4.5 rating but I feel like I'm giving every book a 5 atm, as I've read so many belters! I would definitely advise reading book 1, The Dark Inside, in order to gain full enjoyment from this book. I'm going to add to this review, and also post one on https://crimeworm.wordpress.com/
once I get my thoughts in order. Awesome author, very highly recommended!
once I get my thoughts in order. Awesome author, very highly recommended!
May 26, 2016
A dark and deeply atmospheric thriller. Rod evokes the time and place of the story beautifully and there's a wonderfully gritty, noir feel.
More on the blog soon
More on the blog soon
September 12, 2017
Why isn't this more popular? It's really f*cking good. Take the word from this fella. (Or don't, but why read this if you ain't taking it into consideration?)
- A few clichés
- An overuse of the words "GODDAMMIT"/"GODDAMN/"GODDAMN YOU"
- No huge ‘whodunnit' twists
+ Huge turns of events anyway though
+ Original setting
+ Cool, intense writing style
+ Interesting plot
+ Character of Ella Borland
+ Beautiful cover (WE ALL JUDGE 'EM, OKAY)
+ Realistic portrayal of the time
Bought it in the airport on my way to Mallorca in July, which istelling that I'm a slow reader not something I regret at all. Had a good time with it.
- A few clichés
- An overuse of the words "GODDAMMIT"/"GODDAMN/"GODDAMN YOU"
- No huge ‘whodunnit' twists
+ Huge turns of events anyway though
+ Original setting
+ Cool, intense writing style
+ Interesting plot
+ Character of Ella Borland
+ Beautiful cover (WE ALL JUDGE 'EM, OKAY)
+ Realistic portrayal of the time
Bought it in the airport on my way to Mallorca in July, which is
October 23, 2025
to share the hands of company ,Charles yate accepts to help his ally robinson to investigate the murders, his friend calls him to join on it , but the moment he reaches to him the black night had been fallen upon him ,it means his friend had been murdered the time he neared to him , by this fate he assure's that he will find the murderer to recieve a relief to his friend ,the story begins towards until he discovers the alibi , the author Rod reynolds mixes the taste of tapestry of danger,love and the dept of friends in this book .
September 3, 2019
This amazing novel tells the story of Charlie Yates, a journalist who after a call from a previous acquaintance, Jimmy Robbins, becomes involved in a mystery of three dead women and his friend. This book is simply divine and I would recommend it to people that like books involving mystery and suspense.
December 30, 2019
Wowed again by Reynolds’ prose, his characters fully rounded and straddling the precarious line between good and evil. Yates is spot on again, his flaws creeping up on him just when he thinks redemption is near. The plot might have been too similar in tone and feel to his first novel for some readers, but I went along for the ride wholeheartedly. Can’t wait to savour the next arc of his life.
June 17, 2023
Closely linked to his first book, The Dark Inside, Black Night Falling is a great follow up. It's the second time we meet Charlie Yeates, and yet again, with his cynicism and determination, he does not disappoint. Set in 1940 America in Texarkana, its a page turner from start to finish. I found it very well written, well researched, lots of twists and turns and loved the characters.
August 20, 2017
could not care for any character or plot in general.
September 14, 2020
Very American book
Read
September 8, 2022DNF
May 24, 2022
An easy-to-read crime thriller that I picked up at a book swap. There is a lot of reference to the prequel of this book, which I haven't read, so I was missing a lot of previous knowledge about the main protagonist and his past. However, it had a good pace, it was tense at times, and had a fairly decent ending. I struggled to keep up with the main protagonist as he travelled all over America in search of answers; a few times I had to go back a few pages and remind myself how he got to this new location and who this new character was.
August 25, 2016
In Black Night Falling we are re-united with Charlie Yates, first encountered in last year’s brilliant The Dark Inside. This is a good start, Yates was a character I had really enjoyed reading about, his personal demons battling his dogged determination to chase down a story and uncover the truth.
The housekeeping – Black Night Falling is a stand alone novel and can be enjoyed as such, however, there are some threads which will follow on from The Dark Inside and you will get the best experience reading the books in order. This in its-self is not a problem as both are cracking reads.
Charlie Yates once again finds himself unpicking the lies as he tries to get to the bottom of the seemingly unconnected deaths of young women in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Charlie has come to town following a request for help from an old friend, however, Charlie arrives too late and learns his friend died in a tragic accident a few days earlier. Picking up the investigation with only the cryptic notes left by his late friend, Charlie finds another small town is unwilling to spill the beans on the powerful men who are very much in control of their community. And powerful men can have a long reach – well beyond Hot Springs and all the way to Charlie’s home.
The pressure is on Charlie to turn tail and head home. Snooping is very much discouraged and exposing corruption and murder is not going to make life easy for Charlie Yates. But as we learned in The Dark Inside, Yates does not walk away from the corruption, he will root it out and expose the culprits.
Black Night Falling is a treat for readers that like their adventure stories grounded, gritty and gripping. Rod Reynolds knows how to spin a story and he can ramp up the tension and befuddle the reader with red herrings. His books are a delight to read.
So, should you read Black Night Falling? Absolutely. And soon.
The housekeeping – Black Night Falling is a stand alone novel and can be enjoyed as such, however, there are some threads which will follow on from The Dark Inside and you will get the best experience reading the books in order. This in its-self is not a problem as both are cracking reads.
Charlie Yates once again finds himself unpicking the lies as he tries to get to the bottom of the seemingly unconnected deaths of young women in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Charlie has come to town following a request for help from an old friend, however, Charlie arrives too late and learns his friend died in a tragic accident a few days earlier. Picking up the investigation with only the cryptic notes left by his late friend, Charlie finds another small town is unwilling to spill the beans on the powerful men who are very much in control of their community. And powerful men can have a long reach – well beyond Hot Springs and all the way to Charlie’s home.
The pressure is on Charlie to turn tail and head home. Snooping is very much discouraged and exposing corruption and murder is not going to make life easy for Charlie Yates. But as we learned in The Dark Inside, Yates does not walk away from the corruption, he will root it out and expose the culprits.
Black Night Falling is a treat for readers that like their adventure stories grounded, gritty and gripping. Rod Reynolds knows how to spin a story and he can ramp up the tension and befuddle the reader with red herrings. His books are a delight to read.
So, should you read Black Night Falling? Absolutely. And soon.
August 10, 2016
Whatever you do, do not be put off reading Black Night Falling because is it a follow-up novel. Yes, I'm sure that the reading experience may be a little better if you've read The Dark Inside, but believe me, this is a very accomplished and brilliantly put together novel that can stand quite proudly on its own.
There's a dusty, dark, American Noir feel to the cover and that continues throughout the book. Rod Reynolds has a incredible way with words, he takes his reader from the comfort of their own reading spot and dumps them firmly into the heart of Southern America in the 1940s.
Charlie Yates is a newspaper reporter and finds himself back in Texarkana - a place that he really didn't think that he'd visit again. The author cleverly reveals Charlie's back story, allowing readers to get a feel for the character, and the location.
The plot twists and turns all over the place ... in a good way, but also in a way that I can't talk too much about it without fear of spoiling it all for readers who have yet to read it. Let's say that this is classic American crime fiction with a contemporary feel and that Charlie Yates is one hell of a character who is given some of the finest dialogue that I've read in a long time.
There's intrigue and deception, all in a setting that is so realistic that it was kind of a shock to lift my head, look out of the window and see the grey drizzle of Lincolnshire instead of the pines and magnolia trees, the gas stations and the long roads that form the backdrop of Black Night Falling.
This is not just impressive characters with a heady sense of place though, there's a well thought out and intriguing plot that rockets along with shocks and twists a plenty.
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...
October 30, 2016
I enjoyed Black Night Falling even more than the author's first book, The Dark Inside, something I didn't think was possible. Author Rod Reynolds has written another stunner!
Black Night Falling is set soon after The Dark Inside ends. Yet again, it has an authentic feel - not just for small town America but also for the 1940s time period. The book is well researched, well written and highly atmospheric, with plenty of action, historical depth and twists and turns to keep the reader engrossed and guessing all the way through.
The plot is gritty, dark and intense, as reporter Charlie Yates investigates corruption, dodgy dealings and mysterious deaths in a claustrophobic town in Arkansas. Some of the characters will be familiar if you've read the first book, but I do believe Black Night Falling could be read easily as a standalone.
This is a book that you won't want to put down. I was so immersed in the plot that I didn't even notice the time and finished it in the early hours. It's a winning formula of intriguing plot, believable characters and fascinating setting.
Charlie is a particularly strong character and extremely likeable - he's flawed, but not unbelievably so, which makes the book feel very 'real'. His wife Lizzie seems like his perfect partner (professionally and romantically), and I'm hoping she'll be taking a more prominent role as this series continues and develops.
Add Black Night Falling to your shopping list! And if you haven't read The Dark Inside, buy that too!
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Black Night Falling is set soon after The Dark Inside ends. Yet again, it has an authentic feel - not just for small town America but also for the 1940s time period. The book is well researched, well written and highly atmospheric, with plenty of action, historical depth and twists and turns to keep the reader engrossed and guessing all the way through.
The plot is gritty, dark and intense, as reporter Charlie Yates investigates corruption, dodgy dealings and mysterious deaths in a claustrophobic town in Arkansas. Some of the characters will be familiar if you've read the first book, but I do believe Black Night Falling could be read easily as a standalone.
This is a book that you won't want to put down. I was so immersed in the plot that I didn't even notice the time and finished it in the early hours. It's a winning formula of intriguing plot, believable characters and fascinating setting.
Charlie is a particularly strong character and extremely likeable - he's flawed, but not unbelievably so, which makes the book feel very 'real'. His wife Lizzie seems like his perfect partner (professionally and romantically), and I'm hoping she'll be taking a more prominent role as this series continues and develops.
Add Black Night Falling to your shopping list! And if you haven't read The Dark Inside, buy that too!
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2016
This is the second in the Charlie Yates series by Rod Reynolds and it follows 'The Dark Inside' which was his debut novel.
Charlie is a journalist and following the events in Texarkana which are chronicled in 'The Dark Inside', he has moved to California with his new wife Lizzie and is working for a small local newspaper. Out of the blue he receives a call from Jimmy Robinson, a fellow hack, who was pivotal to the events that took place in Texarkana and he needs Charlie's help to investigate a series of murders in Hot Springs. Charlie decides that he owes Jimmy and heads out to help him but by the time he gets there, he finds that Jimmy has died in a fire at his lodgings.
This sets Charlie off on an investigation which leads him to discover corruption at the highest level in the 'good time' town of Hot Springs.
Another exciting read with lots of twists and turns and a good smattering of action. I love the fact that Charlie starts out with very little information but manages to put things together piece by piece due to his investigative drive and his sense of justice. However despite gathering the facts Charlie is often unsure as to how they all fit together and is occasionally wrong footed.
I'm sure we haven't heard the last of Charlie Yates and am looking forward to his future investigations.
Charlie is a journalist and following the events in Texarkana which are chronicled in 'The Dark Inside', he has moved to California with his new wife Lizzie and is working for a small local newspaper. Out of the blue he receives a call from Jimmy Robinson, a fellow hack, who was pivotal to the events that took place in Texarkana and he needs Charlie's help to investigate a series of murders in Hot Springs. Charlie decides that he owes Jimmy and heads out to help him but by the time he gets there, he finds that Jimmy has died in a fire at his lodgings.
This sets Charlie off on an investigation which leads him to discover corruption at the highest level in the 'good time' town of Hot Springs.
Another exciting read with lots of twists and turns and a good smattering of action. I love the fact that Charlie starts out with very little information but manages to put things together piece by piece due to his investigative drive and his sense of justice. However despite gathering the facts Charlie is often unsure as to how they all fit together and is occasionally wrong footed.
I'm sure we haven't heard the last of Charlie Yates and am looking forward to his future investigations.
October 13, 2016
Having read The Dark Inside, Rod Reynolds first Charlie Yates book, and giving it 5 stars, I have been looking forward to the follow up, Black Night Falling, and boy, I am not disappointed!
As with the Dark Inside, Rod captures the feel of the time, mid west America, just after the war, (or as I imagine it from previous authors and films).
The story is a page turned once again, I won't add any spoilers, just to say I love the way the author has tied the book back into the original story, without spending numerous pages on a recap, just reminders in the course of the book.
Superbly written, great story line, likeable and believable characters, what is there not to like? (Except it end's of course and we have to wait for the next instalment of Charlie Yates!!). Read and enjoy.
As with the Dark Inside, Rod captures the feel of the time, mid west America, just after the war, (or as I imagine it from previous authors and films).
The story is a page turned once again, I won't add any spoilers, just to say I love the way the author has tied the book back into the original story, without spending numerous pages on a recap, just reminders in the course of the book.
Superbly written, great story line, likeable and believable characters, what is there not to like? (Except it end's of course and we have to wait for the next instalment of Charlie Yates!!). Read and enjoy.
September 19, 2016
I thought The Dark Inside was an exceptionally good debut novel but this is even better. Another Charlie Yates story as he picks up loose threads from the previous novel, driven in part by his instincts for a story but also by the search for personal redemption. Late 1940s small town America, perfectly captured with the occasional nod to Chandler and Jim Thompson - absolutely loved it. Cracking dialogue, subtle changes of pace and a plot that forces you to keep your wits about you. This is a compelling new voice on the crime scene and I hope we'll hear more of Charlie Yates. That goes for Rod Reynolds too.
November 3, 2016
After reading 'The Dark Inside' I pre-ordered this one pronto ! The first time I have gotten so far into a read and simply tossed in the towel in frustration (page 300 0f 344 !). It is so similar to it's predecessor it's scary ! Same plot layout, same premise...just so disappointing. By page 300 I simply didn't care what happened anymore... frankly I'd love it if Yates was killed and the bad guys won.
The repetitiveness is tedious, mulling over and over the same points. Sorry but the most let down I've ever felt by after discovery a new writer i initially loved.
The repetitiveness is tedious, mulling over and over the same points. Sorry but the most let down I've ever felt by after discovery a new writer i initially loved.
November 13, 2016
I borrowed this book not knowing much about it. I didn't get far into it before feeling like I was reading a Raymond Chandler novel. It's so good to read a modern novel that accurately channels the detective fiction of yesteryear. Black Night Falling was a very compelling read. Charlie Yates is a pretty convincing Sam Spade substitute.
December 25, 2016
Reynolds skriver godt, men hører til gruppen krimforfattere som synes å mene at bare man har mange drepte, så trenger man ingen egentlig intrige. Dette er hans andre roman og oppskriften var den samme i hans første roman, en roman denne på mange måter er en fortsettelse av.
March 28, 2020
Loved this story
Rod Reynolds really knows his stuff about postwar America, his books reek of authenticity. I love the Charlie Yates series, great characters, gripping and complex plot lines.
Rod Reynolds really knows his stuff about postwar America, his books reek of authenticity. I love the Charlie Yates series, great characters, gripping and complex plot lines.
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