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Days of Night
When retired police detective Joe Heller is called in to investigate what might be Antarctica’s first murder, he quickly discovers that winter at McMurdo Station comes with a unique set of challenges: darkness, isolation, and the eccentric behavior of the research facility’s 157 inhabitants. But a difficult investigation turns much tougher when all communication with the outside world is suddenly cut off.
While Heller works diligently to reconstruct the scene of the crime, evidence mounts that a pathogenic event could be ravaging the rest of the planet. As night descends, fear mounts, and confusion reigns, the killer strikes again. If this is a global cataclysm, is someone now picking off the human race’s few remaining survivors? Is this the end of the world—or just the end of Joe Heller’s?
While Heller works diligently to reconstruct the scene of the crime, evidence mounts that a pathogenic event could be ravaging the rest of the planet. As night descends, fear mounts, and confusion reigns, the killer strikes again. If this is a global cataclysm, is someone now picking off the human race’s few remaining survivors? Is this the end of the world—or just the end of Joe Heller’s?
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2017
236 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Stone
59 books111 followersJonathan Stone, author of the Julian Palmer novels, is a graduate of Yale University, where he was a Scholar of the House in Fiction Writing and twice won the English Department's John Hubbard Curtis Prize for Best Imaginative Writing. He works in advertising and lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 2, 2018
A Wonderful top-notch, well-plotted mystery. At first, it reminds you a bit of Asimov's Caves of Steel series with a police detective going to a bubble-like space station separate and apart from the rest of civilization to solve a murder mystery. So, it's sort of a locked room Mystery as is actually discussed in the story but it's a locked room murder mystery weekend in the Catskills taken to the extreme - in a scientific research station at the South Pole with 157 suspects as once winter falls they are all locked in for the duration. Interestingly, the lead character is a Joseph Heller, which immediately made me think of Catch-22 and, wouldn't you know it, that becomes a part of the story too.
There's so much packed into this novel, particularly what happens in a society cut off from the rest of the world and the odd things that happen in such a closed, isolated society. It gets even more interesting when that closed society loses communication with the rest of the world and starts postulating about what happened to the rest of the world and how the last survivors will adapt. Add on to that a great narrative style and great characters and you have an extraordinary mystery that sort of borders on science fiction too given the location and all.
Overall, this was a terrific read, hard to put down, and I'm sorry I didn't pick it up months ago.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing a copy for review.
There's so much packed into this novel, particularly what happens in a society cut off from the rest of the world and the odd things that happen in such a closed, isolated society. It gets even more interesting when that closed society loses communication with the rest of the world and starts postulating about what happened to the rest of the world and how the last survivors will adapt. Add on to that a great narrative style and great characters and you have an extraordinary mystery that sort of borders on science fiction too given the location and all.
Overall, this was a terrific read, hard to put down, and I'm sorry I didn't pick it up months ago.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing a copy for review.
August 9, 2017
When I first started reading this, I wasn’t so into it. It just seemed so….dry procedural. While I loved the descriptions of Antarctica and McMurdo, I wanted a thriller and I was getting Joe Friday. I almost stopped reading it.
But a little something happened on the way to the next murder. I started kind of digging this.
Stone gives us a really fascinating thriller, set off by the isolation of the Antarctic wasteland. There’s something about being stuck in the dark and cold while a killer hunts…and you have to face the possibility that you just might be the last humans on earth.
The psychology of dealing with isolation, fear, and devastation come into play here, turning what I thought was a dry procedural into something chilling (forgive me), suspenseful, and truly very clever.
I won’t tell you the truth of what’s happened in the world, of course. Just know that the book was absolutely worth staying with.
Oh, and Joe Friday (i.e. Joe Heller), I kind of grew to love him.
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
But a little something happened on the way to the next murder. I started kind of digging this.
Stone gives us a really fascinating thriller, set off by the isolation of the Antarctic wasteland. There’s something about being stuck in the dark and cold while a killer hunts…and you have to face the possibility that you just might be the last humans on earth.
The psychology of dealing with isolation, fear, and devastation come into play here, turning what I thought was a dry procedural into something chilling (forgive me), suspenseful, and truly very clever.
I won’t tell you the truth of what’s happened in the world, of course. Just know that the book was absolutely worth staying with.
Oh, and Joe Friday (i.e. Joe Heller), I kind of grew to love him.
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
February 15, 2018
Review: DAYS OF NIGHT by Jonathan Stone
DAYS OF NIGHT is a Hemingway-esque thriller set on the planet's final frontier, Antarctica. Joseph Heller, detective of long experience, is appointed by the US Marshals' office to investigate an unsolved (possibly unsolvable) cold case murder at McMurdo Station. Heller, for quite serious reasons of his own, welcomes the opportunity. However, the case is really difficult and clearly the killer is highly cunning. His progress is nearly nonexistent-and then the unthinkable happens: McMurdo Station loses all contact--with anywhere. Apparently the worst has come to pass, and the end of the world has manifested. Even other Antarctic stations are unreachable...and it's "winter-over," the season of unending night, when travel is impassable. It's just 157 lonely scientists, technicians, administrators, and maintenance personnel, isolated, in the way below freezing pitch dark Antarctic night, likely the last humans on Earth. 157..156...
DAYS OF NIGHT is a Hemingway-esque thriller set on the planet's final frontier, Antarctica. Joseph Heller, detective of long experience, is appointed by the US Marshals' office to investigate an unsolved (possibly unsolvable) cold case murder at McMurdo Station. Heller, for quite serious reasons of his own, welcomes the opportunity. However, the case is really difficult and clearly the killer is highly cunning. His progress is nearly nonexistent-and then the unthinkable happens: McMurdo Station loses all contact--with anywhere. Apparently the worst has come to pass, and the end of the world has manifested. Even other Antarctic stations are unreachable...and it's "winter-over," the season of unending night, when travel is impassable. It's just 157 lonely scientists, technicians, administrators, and maintenance personnel, isolated, in the way below freezing pitch dark Antarctic night, likely the last humans on Earth. 157..156...
August 29, 2017
I have always read books by Jonathan Stone. Moving Day was one of my favorites of the six I read. So when this book came out on Kindle Unlimited I quickly downloaded it. But as I read I found it was quite a bit different from his previous books.
It takes place in the Antarctica and while it starts off with a death that Joe Heller, a retired cop, has to investigate - the story covers more than enough information of life in the Antarctica. The cold, the isolation, the long weeks of only nights, the ice and the people living at the station who are scientists who cover living conditions under these terms.
With 157 people there and a killer running around, the story takes a turn as they are cut off from communication with the rest of the world. Was there a catastrophic event that happened to the rest of the world? No way to find out and things start getting heated as thoughts turn to survival and confusion.
While at first I wasn't sure I was liking this book - the more I read, the more things got interesting and I needed to know how the population in Antarctica was going to survive - if at all!
It takes place in the Antarctica and while it starts off with a death that Joe Heller, a retired cop, has to investigate - the story covers more than enough information of life in the Antarctica. The cold, the isolation, the long weeks of only nights, the ice and the people living at the station who are scientists who cover living conditions under these terms.
With 157 people there and a killer running around, the story takes a turn as they are cut off from communication with the rest of the world. Was there a catastrophic event that happened to the rest of the world? No way to find out and things start getting heated as thoughts turn to survival and confusion.
While at first I wasn't sure I was liking this book - the more I read, the more things got interesting and I needed to know how the population in Antarctica was going to survive - if at all!
August 27, 2017
This was a good mystery story. After the mystery is solved I always think "Why didn't I see that?" and this was no exception. The setting was very original - I had not read anything that took place in Antarctica. I even learned a few things about the forgotten continent.
I won this ebook in a Goodreads Giveaway.
I won this ebook in a Goodreads Giveaway.
October 4, 2017
Long Nights
Good story that kept getting lost in all the thinking and talking . I started turning pages without reading them and still found I had not missed any of the storyline.
Good story that kept getting lost in all the thinking and talking . I started turning pages without reading them and still found I had not missed any of the storyline.
November 29, 2017
Marked down because I guessed the essence of the big mystery early on, more than guessed, a proper Sherlock deduction, whatever remains however improbable... And believe you me it's improbable.
otoh it is a page turner
otoh it is a page turner
December 14, 2017
Don't waste your time
It started out with a decent premise , however the writing style got in the way of delivering the story. The author overstated over embellished every single thought in this book . The ending was predictable .
It started out with a decent premise , however the writing style got in the way of delivering the story. The author overstated over embellished every single thought in this book . The ending was predictable .
June 30, 2018
This is a hard one to rate. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, but I wasn’t a fan of the writing style at all. I found the short, choppy sentences and repetition to be distracting. I need to read a non-fiction about Antarctica now.
August 30, 2017
McMurdo Station, Antarctica - "Part ramshackle frontier town, part interplanetary settlement."
I love stories of very cold climes, such as Antarctica, the Arctic Circle, Alaska, Canada. I'm not sure why. I just know that man vs. the frigid cold has always fascinated me.
So this book caught my eye right off. It's basically a locked-room mystery at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.
Joe Heller, a retired police detective, is called in to investigate a murder at the Station. He is called in by the U.S. Marshal’s office in Hawaii, which has jurisdiction over serious crimes at the American bases in Antarctica, through a recent agreement with the National Science Foundation, which operates the bases. NOTE: I am assuming this is actually true and not just made up for this story. I thought it was rather strange.
Heller comes into this closed environment totally clueless about Antarctica and the extreme cold and the customs that have developed there - for both the larger summer crew and the much smaller wintering over crew.
This was a great story that had a couple of unexpected twists that made this a totally different story from others I've read about Antarctica. The twists were handled adroitly and I thought this mystery was quite well done.
The only complaint I have is that it bogged down in the middle, got repetitive, and had way too many philosophical discussions for my taste. It is still well worth reading.
I received this book from Thomas and Mercer through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.
I love stories of very cold climes, such as Antarctica, the Arctic Circle, Alaska, Canada. I'm not sure why. I just know that man vs. the frigid cold has always fascinated me.
So this book caught my eye right off. It's basically a locked-room mystery at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.
Joe Heller, a retired police detective, is called in to investigate a murder at the Station. He is called in by the U.S. Marshal’s office in Hawaii, which has jurisdiction over serious crimes at the American bases in Antarctica, through a recent agreement with the National Science Foundation, which operates the bases. NOTE: I am assuming this is actually true and not just made up for this story. I thought it was rather strange.
Heller comes into this closed environment totally clueless about Antarctica and the extreme cold and the customs that have developed there - for both the larger summer crew and the much smaller wintering over crew.
This was a great story that had a couple of unexpected twists that made this a totally different story from others I've read about Antarctica. The twists were handled adroitly and I thought this mystery was quite well done.
The only complaint I have is that it bogged down in the middle, got repetitive, and had way too many philosophical discussions for my taste. It is still well worth reading.
I received this book from Thomas and Mercer through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.
September 2, 2017
A superb detective story in an unusual setting - overwintering at McMurdo scientific research base on the edge of the Antarctic ice shelf. This made it a very atmospheric and interesting read, with lots of detail about how the 157 winter residents cope with the extreme temperatures and several months' isolation. The book features a semi-retired detective who is contracted to investigate a murder at the base during the previous winter. He soon adapts to the way of life there - claustrophobic, self-reliant, isolated, intense, "you gotta adjust your thinking" he is often told, and this turns out to be true. His investigation and suspicions turn to quite a few prime suspects, and there are many red herrings along the way.
The writing style was rather unusual - quite a lot of short, clipped or even one word sentences interspersed with longer prose and dialogue. It worked though - giving a certain punchiness where needed. I felt that it became a bit too 'philosophical' at one point in the book and speed-read over that part (just a couple of pages). However, the psychological aspects of a group of people in dire straits (possibly the end of the world!) was extremely well done, riveting, and you could well imagine such things really happening to a group of distraught and scared people as they become more susceptible to malevolent and manipulative forces.
The writing style was rather unusual - quite a lot of short, clipped or even one word sentences interspersed with longer prose and dialogue. It worked though - giving a certain punchiness where needed. I felt that it became a bit too 'philosophical' at one point in the book and speed-read over that part (just a couple of pages). However, the psychological aspects of a group of people in dire straits (possibly the end of the world!) was extremely well done, riveting, and you could well imagine such things really happening to a group of distraught and scared people as they become more susceptible to malevolent and manipulative forces.
September 19, 2017
The book has an interesting premise - a murder mystery during the Antarctica winter, when no one can get in or out. But at the same time, civilization as we know it is could be ending. The book is from 2017 and includes a timely reference to Russia meddling in elections, territorial posturing from Korea, etc. This made the premise seem even scarier.
The book contained interesting information and observations about life on Antarctica, and about how psychologically fragile communities can be. It's a bit anti-religious, which could be a problem for some readers.
For me, the biggest problem was the focus on internal monologues/thoughts. Maybe that's why most famous detectives have a sidekick - it's more engaging to read conversations than trains of thought.
The book contained interesting information and observations about life on Antarctica, and about how psychologically fragile communities can be. It's a bit anti-religious, which could be a problem for some readers.
For me, the biggest problem was the focus on internal monologues/thoughts. Maybe that's why most famous detectives have a sidekick - it's more engaging to read conversations than trains of thought.
September 15, 2017
I picked up this audiobook purely based on an advert and the brief synopsis. I have to say that had I listened to a sample first, I might not have made the purchase - the staccato prose was initially off-putting to me, and I did fear that I wasn't going to make it to the end, but I have to say, I was soon gripped. The setting is already mysterious, and the story takes some fantastically unexpected turns. I found myself looking forward to my daily commute, and taking other less necessary car journeys so I could listen some more.
August 11, 2017
I received a copy of Days of Night to review from Netgalley.
I am a sucker for stories in the arctic and Antarctica, so I was intrigued by the description of this book: a straight laced cop with few ties back home goes to Antarctica to solve the continent's first murder. He ends up getting much more than he bargained for.
This book is a really interesting take on a traditional police procedural, and investigates human nature much more than I expected.
I am a sucker for stories in the arctic and Antarctica, so I was intrigued by the description of this book: a straight laced cop with few ties back home goes to Antarctica to solve the continent's first murder. He ends up getting much more than he bargained for.
This book is a really interesting take on a traditional police procedural, and investigates human nature much more than I expected.
September 14, 2017
I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. I enjoyed the book. Would have liked less introspective Psycho-Social insight. Understanding the mental thought process of a small group of people, stuck in a small and frigid area such as the Antarctic; living in close quarters and having your days and nights turned upside down was important. There was just a little too much of it for me. Had a "Lord Of The Flies" feel about it. I would like to read other book by Mr. Stone in the near future.
December 3, 2017
I felt like I was right there in Antarctica!
This was a gloomy, philosophical novel. I felt almost claustrophobic being there in the continuous night with the detective narrating the story. I felt frustrated with no leads in the murders and really panicked when the very real possibility of a global catastrophe loomed for the Antarctic base inhabitants.
You wouldn't think I'd enjoy this novel but I did. I hated to put it down and re-enter normal life!
This was a gloomy, philosophical novel. I felt almost claustrophobic being there in the continuous night with the detective narrating the story. I felt frustrated with no leads in the murders and really panicked when the very real possibility of a global catastrophe loomed for the Antarctic base inhabitants.
You wouldn't think I'd enjoy this novel but I did. I hated to put it down and re-enter normal life!
August 16, 2017
Author Jonathan Stone sets a murder mystery in a most unlikely place, that of the McMurdo Station in Antarctica. One hundred and 157 people are stationed there; one of them is a murderer. It is former detective Joe Heller's job to figure out who the murderer is. But, before he can do that, two more people wind up dead. Can Heller figure out the mystery before it is too late?
September 18, 2017
I live in St Petersburg, Fl, and I knew Hurricane Irma was heading our way. I charged my Kindel and prepared for a long night. I read this book as hurricane approached, hit, and winds died down, it was so good it helped me stay not totally focused on the storm. Thank you.
September 20, 2017
WOW! Stone's plotting and natural dialogue would have made this a great read in any event. The philosophical overlay made it outstanding as you wonder what you would think and feel in that situation. Strongly recommend!
January 27, 2018
Chilling!!!!
To say the least!! Brilliantly conjured in the mind of Jonathan Stone in a way that only he can deliver a story! Awakens all the senses as the reader makes their way through each chilling discovery! Bravo, bravo!
To say the least!! Brilliantly conjured in the mind of Jonathan Stone in a way that only he can deliver a story! Awakens all the senses as the reader makes their way through each chilling discovery! Bravo, bravo!
August 18, 2017
Great story
I read this in one sitting, couldn't put it down. It kept me guessing right up to the end. Wow!
I read this in one sitting, couldn't put it down. It kept me guessing right up to the end. Wow!
August 26, 2017
Pretty good and I loved the setting - Antarctica.
I'd give this a 3.5.
I'd give this a 3.5.
August 27, 2017
It had potential, but the flat narrative voice left me cold. The bit about T3 was interesting, however.
I received a copy from a Goodreads giveaway.
I received a copy from a Goodreads giveaway.
August 28, 2017
Good read
A very enjoyable read. Thought provoking, as well as captivating. Highly recommend. Looking forward to reading more of Jonathan stone's 📚
A very enjoyable read. Thought provoking, as well as captivating. Highly recommend. Looking forward to reading more of Jonathan stone's 📚
September 1, 2017
Unusual story. Somewhat drawn out.
September 12, 2017
It was highly unusual to read a book set in Antarctica. I know it was not all factual by any means but it was interesting to learn more about a place I knew so little about.
December 4, 2017
Enthralling
Great book to read. Had me hooked from the beginning. Good twists and the plot became more believable as each chapter finished.
Great book to read. Had me hooked from the beginning. Good twists and the plot became more believable as each chapter finished.
February 20, 2018
Timely.
The narration style might not be to everyone's taste but I enjoyed the intrigue and the exploration of "group delusion".
The narration style might not be to everyone's taste but I enjoyed the intrigue and the exploration of "group delusion".
October 24, 2019
This started out as a relatively good detective story that I was excited to read but then it became seemingly existential which was a fair bit annoying.
December 28, 2019
A bit long in the tooth
Too many adjectives and rephrasing the story over and over.
Not a lot of communication between characters instead insufferable narrative.
Too many adjectives and rephrasing the story over and over.
Not a lot of communication between characters instead insufferable narrative.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews