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Wallace Hartman Mysteries #1
Dark River Rising
A tense and expertly-plotted debut mystery set against the bayous of Louisiana.
Baton Rouge Police Detective Wallace Hartman has had better days. With her long-time partner and mentor on medical leave and a personal life in shambles, she’s called to the scene of a particularly gruesome murder: the body of a known criminal has been found in a deserted warehouse, a snake sewn into his belly. Obvious signs of torture point to a cunning and cold-blooded killer who will stop at nothing to find what he’s looking for.
When Federal Agent Mason Cunningham arrives on the scene, Wallace expects a hostile takeover of the case. But when a scientist with ties to the victim goes missing from a government lab, she needs Mason’s federal connections as much as he needs her local insight, and the two form an uneasy partnership to solve a case that grows more complicated—and dangerous—by the minute.
Meanwhile, the killer lurks in the shadows with an agenda no one saw coming, and when Wallace and Mason threaten to get in the way they risk losing everything they hold dear. Including their lives.
Baton Rouge Police Detective Wallace Hartman has had better days. With her long-time partner and mentor on medical leave and a personal life in shambles, she’s called to the scene of a particularly gruesome murder: the body of a known criminal has been found in a deserted warehouse, a snake sewn into his belly. Obvious signs of torture point to a cunning and cold-blooded killer who will stop at nothing to find what he’s looking for.
When Federal Agent Mason Cunningham arrives on the scene, Wallace expects a hostile takeover of the case. But when a scientist with ties to the victim goes missing from a government lab, she needs Mason’s federal connections as much as he needs her local insight, and the two form an uneasy partnership to solve a case that grows more complicated—and dangerous—by the minute.
Meanwhile, the killer lurks in the shadows with an agenda no one saw coming, and when Wallace and Mason threaten to get in the way they risk losing everything they hold dear. Including their lives.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published August 29, 2017
23 people are currently reading
669 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
October 25, 2017
A thrilling first novel by a gifted writer, Dark River Rising is a police procedural with heart. There are elements of action and romance, but the center of the story is the relationship between the Baton Rouge police detective and the federal agent who are investigating a particularly gruesome murder scene. Highly recommended for fans of well-plotted mysteries and thrillers.
October 18, 2017
A thrilling opening, involving a snake, and a thrilling ending, and in between lots of twists and turns. Plus I loved the two protagonists, who were both very appealing. And it's set in Baton Rouge. Will definitely read more of this series.
November 13, 2017
Well written police procedural set in Baton Rouge with an intriguing opening and a thrilling ending. Wallace is a smart, tough heroine, but she has a tender side and a painful past. There's a touch of romance when she pairs up with a handsome federal agent to investigate the murder of a drug dealer and the disappearance of a government scientist who may have had a connection to the victim. Office politics and competing jurisdictions add complications to the plot. And of course, what they uncover puts their lives in great danger.
Great first novel, and I'm looking forward to more adventures with this character.
Great first novel, and I'm looking forward to more adventures with this character.
September 6, 2018
Decent start to a new series. I hope future books give us more insight into Wallace.
November 18, 2017
Excellent debut crime fiction novel. Characters were engaging. Best of all, the protagonist was anything but stereotypical. Looking forward to reading more books by Johns.
April 20, 2018
To begin with, Roger Johns has created one of the most appealing characters I have met in recent reads. Wallace Hartman is strong, smart, and most of all credible. She’s real, original, and nobody’s stereotype. You will love her. Johns has also created an intimate portrait of Baton Rouge; you might as well be staring out the car window as he takes you for a ride. And what a ride it is! Finally, a fresh and original premise, a truly innovative and surprising spin on the underbelly of the drug world. I won’t give anything away, but it is a storyline you will find nowhere else. The stakes are high for Wallace Hartman in Dark River Rising. And they keep getting higher, as the plot races to a sizzling conclusion. Johnson employs such a smooth writing technique that you’re never quite prepared for what trouble is waiting around the next corner. And if the plot isn’t tense enough, just add one federal agent to the mix, a handsome Mason Cunningham. Will there be sparks? Or will there be a fire that threatens to consume them all? I can’t wait to see what’s next from Roger Johns.
January 6, 2018
4.5 stars for this outstanding debut from Roger Johns, set against the bayous of Louisiana.
February 18, 2020
I jumped at the chance to meet this author when he came to Read It Again because I love to support local authors. Then I found out he was from Baton Rouge, and his books are set in Baton Rouge. This was my home base for my first 22 years. Or maybe I knew that before I met him? Anyway, he told me about an author convention he attended, and how the staff didn't know where to put him, since no one else had written crime fiction set in Baton Rouge. Nice hook to a potential reader!
On to the book: I admit I should have read this book more quickly and with more dedication to finishing it in a shorter period of time. As I kept sitting it down and picking it up, I started to forget names and details in the complex murder-mystery Johns concocted. I don't fault him that my own interests are heavily sci-fi/action based and so not having any space ships or epic battle scenes in it was a big stumbling block to overcome in the first half of the book. Once I committed to finishing it quickly though, I enjoyed it more.
The two main characters are at once believable and approachable. The sleuthing they undertake leads them closer together in a way that gives an extra dimension to the story, which made the story more appealing. After all, an intriguing relationship, while not a complete substitute for epic space battles, does help bring me in.
Overall I thought the plot was creative and plausible. I know just enough about chemistry to know that it is the fundamental building block explanation behind everything in the universe, so it wasn't a far stretch for an invented application to cross over from fiction to... oh my goodness what if this could actually happen?
The latter half of the book gave me some of the epic action I was thirsting for in the first half, but even so, the first half was a necessary and methodical revelation of not only the mystery, but the main characters. At first I wasn't sure it was prudent that I bought both of the Wallace Hartman Mysteries since I wasn't sure I would want to read another installment, but by the end, despite its genre not in my preferred wheelhouse, I am eager to tackle the sequel and see what new mysteries Detective Wallace can figure out.
I think this is a great debut for Mr. Johns. Congrats on breaking into the mystery scene and thanks for writing a suspenseful and detailed tale that even this sci-fi slave can enjoy.
On to the book: I admit I should have read this book more quickly and with more dedication to finishing it in a shorter period of time. As I kept sitting it down and picking it up, I started to forget names and details in the complex murder-mystery Johns concocted. I don't fault him that my own interests are heavily sci-fi/action based and so not having any space ships or epic battle scenes in it was a big stumbling block to overcome in the first half of the book. Once I committed to finishing it quickly though, I enjoyed it more.
The two main characters are at once believable and approachable. The sleuthing they undertake leads them closer together in a way that gives an extra dimension to the story, which made the story more appealing. After all, an intriguing relationship, while not a complete substitute for epic space battles, does help bring me in.
Overall I thought the plot was creative and plausible. I know just enough about chemistry to know that it is the fundamental building block explanation behind everything in the universe, so it wasn't a far stretch for an invented application to cross over from fiction to... oh my goodness what if this could actually happen?
The latter half of the book gave me some of the epic action I was thirsting for in the first half, but even so, the first half was a necessary and methodical revelation of not only the mystery, but the main characters. At first I wasn't sure it was prudent that I bought both of the Wallace Hartman Mysteries since I wasn't sure I would want to read another installment, but by the end, despite its genre not in my preferred wheelhouse, I am eager to tackle the sequel and see what new mysteries Detective Wallace can figure out.
I think this is a great debut for Mr. Johns. Congrats on breaking into the mystery scene and thanks for writing a suspenseful and detailed tale that even this sci-fi slave can enjoy.
December 4, 2018
This suspenseful procedural is a superb debut novel. Has it all- compelling characters, murders, drugs, conspiracies, a little sex, and the difficulties of solving crimes while dealing with other law-enforcement agencies. Plenty to enjoy as the different threads come together, with strong writing and a good story.
March 11, 2019
Mr. Johns first novel reads as if he had been writing thrillers for years! Excellent descriptions with just enough detail to draw you into walking with Wallace (a worthy hard nosed female detective and heroine).
December 19, 2023
Unbelievable mystery. Ends in shady internal work w/ a detective squad. Keep this book in free little libraries
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2018
Meticulously researched police procedural, heart-pounding climax.
January 25, 2022
3.6⭐ I enjoyed Mr. Johns' ability to evoke the feel of Louisiana air, the smells of the po boys on the bayou, and the lazy heat of a summer in the American South. Though some of his transitions could have been more smooth, and the very nasty villain more developed, the protagonist captured my heart. Detective Wallace Hartman is smart, sassy, sarcastic, and tangible. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
September 26, 2017
This book was so painstakingly average. There was nothing special about it. It was just a typical story of cop figuring out a mystery.
The character development just wasn't there and the chapters had waaaay too many different characters POVs.
There was nothing there to make me root for the characters. What did we really know about them? Why do we care if they solve this mystery or not? Spoiler alert! We don't.
The character development just wasn't there and the chapters had waaaay too many different characters POVs.
There was nothing there to make me root for the characters. What did we really know about them? Why do we care if they solve this mystery or not? Spoiler alert! We don't.
October 23, 2017
Fast-paced, solid police procedural mystery. Lots of twists and turns to keep your attention. Hope to see more of this author and this series.
September 5, 2019
Solid mystery.
October 12, 2017
A really great crime thriller from a first time author. This book was chosen as the monthly selection for a Poisoned Pen book club and they hit a home run with it. Well written good plot and fun to read. I hope Mr.Johns can do it again with his sophomore novel.
October 7, 2017
I really enjoyed this one. Tight packed action without tons of drama. Kind of reminded me of Karin Slaughter's style. The romance here was a little cliche at times, but was kind of endearing in the... omg no, not the "it was you that really saved me" line, but you still want them to be together in the end kind of way. All in all, I'd pass this one along to friends.
November 25, 2017
Um, no. Do not bother with this book.
Dark River Rising just never held my interest for long, therefore it seemed to take forever to finish this book. I'm not even going to mention the plot. It's not worth it. Sadly, I kept thinking it would get better and by the time I reached the middle of the book I was reading it and feeling resentful of the time wasted.
This was interesting, and it was not used as sarcasm or humor:
p. 243 stated as 1:10 PM - The Chief of Police calls while prepping for a colonoscopy.
p. 263 stated as 1:45 PM - The Chief of Police is present and active at the crime scene. No mention of the colonoscopy.
I did not notice other strange inconsistencies, but there is no way in Hell you are about to go under anesthesia (that was mentioned) at 1:10, and active at a crime scene 35 minutes later.
Dark River Rising just never held my interest for long, therefore it seemed to take forever to finish this book. I'm not even going to mention the plot. It's not worth it. Sadly, I kept thinking it would get better and by the time I reached the middle of the book I was reading it and feeling resentful of the time wasted.
This was interesting, and it was not used as sarcasm or humor:
p. 243 stated as 1:10 PM - The Chief of Police calls while prepping for a colonoscopy.
p. 263 stated as 1:45 PM - The Chief of Police is present and active at the crime scene. No mention of the colonoscopy.
I did not notice other strange inconsistencies, but there is no way in Hell you are about to go under anesthesia (that was mentioned) at 1:10, and active at a crime scene 35 minutes later.
October 5, 2017
This book is really good. The characters are real and complex. The story is good. It kept you hurrying along to find out what comes next. Well written. Can't wait for book #2.
September 24, 2017
Excellent! Unique storyline, lots of tension and a great lead character in Wallace Hartman. Looking forward to more Detective Hartman murder mysteries in the future.
January 27, 2018
Summary from Goodreads:
"A tense and expertly-plotted debut mystery set against the bayous of Louisiana.
Baton Rouge Police Detective Wallace Hartman has had better days. With her long-time partner and mentor on medical leave and a personal life in shambles, she’s called to the scene of a particularly gruesome murder: the body of a known criminal has been found in a deserted warehouse, a snake sewn into his belly. Obvious signs of torture point to a cunning and cold-blooded killer who will stop at nothing to find what he’s looking for.
When Federal Agent Mason Cunningham arrives on the scene, Wallace expects a hostile takeover of the case. But when a scientist with ties to the victim goes missing from a government lab, she needs Mason’s federal connections as much as he needs her local insight, and the two form an uneasy partnership to solve a case that grows more complicated—and dangerous—by the minute.
Meanwhile, the killer lurks in the shadows with an agenda no one saw coming, and when Wallace and Mason threaten to get in the way they risk losing everything they hold dear. Including their lives."
My Thoughts:
I picked this book up off of the library new releases shelf purely based off of that cover and the above summary. I hadn't heard about it previously so it was one of those rare library finds that I can't help but adore when it happens. It feels like serendipity! I'm glad that I brought it home with me because I really enjoyed this one. Wallace is a detective investigating the brutal death of a known drug dealer when Mason enters into her investigation. He has his own federal investigation relating to drugs as well but they soon find that the two tie in together. I enjoyed my time reading this book because it was different than the usual mysteries I read. I mean there was a murder but really they were trying to figure out what was going on in the drug world. Was there possibly a drug war about to begin? I also really, really liked both of the main characters. Wallace has had some bad things happen to her in the past which she is still working on dealing with. And Mason just wasn't your typical federal agent that you read about in other books. I loved the way that they worked with each other and the relationship that developed between them. It was all just really great to read about! I also really appreciated the ending of this book. I didn't see any of it coming until I was supposed to so I was very surprised by the ending. I could definitely read more about these characters so I would love if this author made this into a series! As far as I can tell it is currently just a standalone but I can sure wish otherwise!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would love to read more! I'm really glad that I decided to bring this one home from the library and didn't let it go back unread. It was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to seeing what else this author comes up with in the future. It had a really great mystery at the heart of it and an ending that I just didn't see coming. I would recommend this book to both thriller and mystery fans. It was a great choice and I need more books like this in my life.
Bottom Line: An enjoyable mystery with characters that I want more of!
Disclosure: This book came from my local public library.
Edited to add: I was just on Goodreads and there IS going to be a book two so this will be a series! 2nd book due to release this year!! I'm pumped!
"A tense and expertly-plotted debut mystery set against the bayous of Louisiana.
Baton Rouge Police Detective Wallace Hartman has had better days. With her long-time partner and mentor on medical leave and a personal life in shambles, she’s called to the scene of a particularly gruesome murder: the body of a known criminal has been found in a deserted warehouse, a snake sewn into his belly. Obvious signs of torture point to a cunning and cold-blooded killer who will stop at nothing to find what he’s looking for.
When Federal Agent Mason Cunningham arrives on the scene, Wallace expects a hostile takeover of the case. But when a scientist with ties to the victim goes missing from a government lab, she needs Mason’s federal connections as much as he needs her local insight, and the two form an uneasy partnership to solve a case that grows more complicated—and dangerous—by the minute.
Meanwhile, the killer lurks in the shadows with an agenda no one saw coming, and when Wallace and Mason threaten to get in the way they risk losing everything they hold dear. Including their lives."
My Thoughts:
I picked this book up off of the library new releases shelf purely based off of that cover and the above summary. I hadn't heard about it previously so it was one of those rare library finds that I can't help but adore when it happens. It feels like serendipity! I'm glad that I brought it home with me because I really enjoyed this one. Wallace is a detective investigating the brutal death of a known drug dealer when Mason enters into her investigation. He has his own federal investigation relating to drugs as well but they soon find that the two tie in together. I enjoyed my time reading this book because it was different than the usual mysteries I read. I mean there was a murder but really they were trying to figure out what was going on in the drug world. Was there possibly a drug war about to begin? I also really, really liked both of the main characters. Wallace has had some bad things happen to her in the past which she is still working on dealing with. And Mason just wasn't your typical federal agent that you read about in other books. I loved the way that they worked with each other and the relationship that developed between them. It was all just really great to read about! I also really appreciated the ending of this book. I didn't see any of it coming until I was supposed to so I was very surprised by the ending. I could definitely read more about these characters so I would love if this author made this into a series! As far as I can tell it is currently just a standalone but I can sure wish otherwise!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would love to read more! I'm really glad that I decided to bring this one home from the library and didn't let it go back unread. It was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to seeing what else this author comes up with in the future. It had a really great mystery at the heart of it and an ending that I just didn't see coming. I would recommend this book to both thriller and mystery fans. It was a great choice and I need more books like this in my life.
Bottom Line: An enjoyable mystery with characters that I want more of!
Disclosure: This book came from my local public library.
Edited to add: I was just on Goodreads and there IS going to be a book two so this will be a series! 2nd book due to release this year!! I'm pumped!
September 18, 2017
Dark River Rising
Mysterious Book Report No. 302
by John Dwaine McKenna
The Mysterious Book Report is always on the lookout for promising debut authors with unique protagonists and interesting points of view, that are set in unusual places which are all wrapped up in an original and compelling plot. This is such a one, an outstanding new murder mystery that takes place down south, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Dark River Rising, (Minotaur Books/St. Martins Publishing Group, $26.99, 2936 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-11009-1) by Roger Johns features Baton Rouge Police Detective Wallace Hartman. As the novel begins, she’s on scene at a deserted warehouse, where a local druglord was found tortured and murdered . . . with a live snake sewn into his belly. Shortly thereafter, a Federal Agent named Mason Cunningham shows up, and, rather than commandeering the case, becomes Wallace’s ally in solving the complex crime that gets more intriguing by the page, as each new development is revealed. Mason turns out to be a numbers cruncher, and an analyst rather than a field agent. He’s come to Baton Rouge because of some anomalies in the data he’s been studying, information he believes indicate a holocaust is brewing in southern Louisiana. As Wallace and Mason search for answers, a world-class scientist with ties to the murder victim disappears from a high-security government laboratory . . . along with a truckload of sensitive chemistry equipment. As the baffling case gets more complicated and dangerous, the pair of law officers form an uneasy partnership that uses Wallace’s insights and local contacts combined with Mason’s ability to access federal resources. What they don’t realize however, is that their lives are in increasing jeopardy as the killer stalks them with an agenda that no one can imagine in this thrilling, well-constructed and thoughtful murder mystery. Wallace Hartman is a tough, fearless and smart character with a boatload of personal appeal. We’re looking forward to more of her adventures as soon as Mr. John’s can produce them.
Mysterious Book Report No. 302
by John Dwaine McKenna
The Mysterious Book Report is always on the lookout for promising debut authors with unique protagonists and interesting points of view, that are set in unusual places which are all wrapped up in an original and compelling plot. This is such a one, an outstanding new murder mystery that takes place down south, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Dark River Rising, (Minotaur Books/St. Martins Publishing Group, $26.99, 2936 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-11009-1) by Roger Johns features Baton Rouge Police Detective Wallace Hartman. As the novel begins, she’s on scene at a deserted warehouse, where a local druglord was found tortured and murdered . . . with a live snake sewn into his belly. Shortly thereafter, a Federal Agent named Mason Cunningham shows up, and, rather than commandeering the case, becomes Wallace’s ally in solving the complex crime that gets more intriguing by the page, as each new development is revealed. Mason turns out to be a numbers cruncher, and an analyst rather than a field agent. He’s come to Baton Rouge because of some anomalies in the data he’s been studying, information he believes indicate a holocaust is brewing in southern Louisiana. As Wallace and Mason search for answers, a world-class scientist with ties to the murder victim disappears from a high-security government laboratory . . . along with a truckload of sensitive chemistry equipment. As the baffling case gets more complicated and dangerous, the pair of law officers form an uneasy partnership that uses Wallace’s insights and local contacts combined with Mason’s ability to access federal resources. What they don’t realize however, is that their lives are in increasing jeopardy as the killer stalks them with an agenda that no one can imagine in this thrilling, well-constructed and thoughtful murder mystery. Wallace Hartman is a tough, fearless and smart character with a boatload of personal appeal. We’re looking forward to more of her adventures as soon as Mr. John’s can produce them.
April 19, 2022
I read a short story by this author in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine called Birdbrains, and it was terrific, one of the best I’ve read in that magazine, so I purchased this novel, the first by Roger Johns. There are parts of the story that are good, and I really liked the female protagonist, but there are other parts that were so implausible they bordered on the ludicrous. The story opens with the police finding the dead body of a drug dealer who has had a live snake sewn into his stomach, presumably to torture the guy. OK, that is new and creative, I suppose, but it is also absurd. Torturing someone can be done a hundred easier ways than slicing a guy open (without killing him), shoving a slithering snake in him, and sewing him back up. All of this the killer would hope to do without killing the guy or making him lose consciousness. Sorry, but that’s silly. And then towards the end of the novel there are two sequences, where the good guy (the aforementioned female protagonist) and the bad guy square off, and both sequences are, to put it kindly, not well written. Nevertheless, the novel shows promise and I will read the second in the series when it is published. Hopefully, Johns, like many other authors, will only continue to get better.
August 20, 2018
A drug lord is murdered in a gruesome fashion in Louisiana. Most of us wouldn't shed a tear, except the murder foretells what could be the first-ever drug cartel war in the U.S. (most all the actual cartel wars take place south of the Rio Grande).
A strong-willed Baton Rouge homicide detective, Wallace Hartman, and a Drug Enforcement Administration number cruncher named Mason must overcome turf prejudices and team up to find the culprit and save America from Northern Mexico-style pandemonium. Their working theory is that somebody has invented an improved method of purifying cocaine, which is a secret worth killing for. Meanwhile, chemist Matt Gable has run away from his home, his job, and his girlfriend while staying one step ahead of the law.
It's a fun, high-stakes, educational premise. The book is linear, short, and easy to follow. No complicated side plots or superfluous characters. There's one good twist, but don't go into it expecting lots of surprises or anything too fancy or deep. Just a nice easy police procedural with a narco-war in the offing.
A strong-willed Baton Rouge homicide detective, Wallace Hartman, and a Drug Enforcement Administration number cruncher named Mason must overcome turf prejudices and team up to find the culprit and save America from Northern Mexico-style pandemonium. Their working theory is that somebody has invented an improved method of purifying cocaine, which is a secret worth killing for. Meanwhile, chemist Matt Gable has run away from his home, his job, and his girlfriend while staying one step ahead of the law.
It's a fun, high-stakes, educational premise. The book is linear, short, and easy to follow. No complicated side plots or superfluous characters. There's one good twist, but don't go into it expecting lots of surprises or anything too fancy or deep. Just a nice easy police procedural with a narco-war in the offing.
December 11, 2019
Dark River Rising is a difficult book to review. For much of the novel, it seemed rather ordinary -- a cop procedural with a woman detective (Wallace Hartman) with a troubled past and trouble with her bureaucratic boss, and an DEA agent tracking a gruesome murder with connections to a government lab and the local cocaine market. There is the obligatory sexual tension building between the two, but to me the relationship never really clicked.
The plot moves along for 250 pages, but I was never quite drawn in to the characters and the story. But I must say, the final 50 pages is the stuff most thriller readers dream of finding. After the slow warm up, the final delivery is amazingly well done. It's a breathless, tense conclusion that just keeps building to its climax.
If you're looking for a mystery/police thriller from an author that you haven't read before, you could do much worse than Dark River Rising
The plot moves along for 250 pages, but I was never quite drawn in to the characters and the story. But I must say, the final 50 pages is the stuff most thriller readers dream of finding. After the slow warm up, the final delivery is amazingly well done. It's a breathless, tense conclusion that just keeps building to its climax.
If you're looking for a mystery/police thriller from an author that you haven't read before, you could do much worse than Dark River Rising
February 8, 2019
The author provided a most exciting ending to the tale -good thing because that's what saved it from being a less than good read. The characters weren't well-defined and the requisite love-interest/romance didn't add to the narrative at all. The story might have been better had it not been introduced until near the end...as a more logical step in the connection between Wallace and Mason. Writing was often stilted and author's few attempts to introduce Louisiana vernacular were odd. Glad I read it as I did learn more about my new surroundings since my recent relocation to Louisiana. Also glad to read yet another book with a strong, smart female lead.
December 21, 2017
The "hook" in this one is bizarre. A Baton Rouge Police detective is assigned to a case in which the victim his found murdered with his insides exposed and a live snake moving around in the cavity. Ms Wallace Hartman is the above named detective and she is somewhat less than thrilled when the Feds are called in because they purportedly have knowledge of at least one similar crime. The federal officer assigned to her case does not immediately impress Wallace, but together they unravel an interesting crime.
January 3, 2019
As a native of Baton Rouge, I had a difficult time getting past all the inaccuracies with regard to the region. The most glaring one does not even require knowledge of the city to recognize--the murder is stated to have been committed at a warehouse in north Baton Rouge when the novel opens, then a few chapters later, the crime scene has somehow moved to a southeast Baton Rouge warehouse. Geographical inconsistencies aside, the novel isn't well-written, and it keeps you reading mostly because it's such an easy read. There's a truly cringe-worthy romance that just shouldn't happen because the characters aren't drawn well enough to compel us to care whether they get together.
November 27, 2017
I loved Dark River Rising! I was hooked after the first scene and the story kept me fully engaged until the end (the ending was particularly awesome: any plans I had went by the way-side because I had to find out how it ended). The main character, Wallace Hartman, is smart and fearless. I love a good thriller/mystery and I’m a tough grader. Without reservation, I highly recommend this book and look forward to more in this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews