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Roberto to the Dark Tower Came
Roberto is a young left-wing South American journalist who receives an ominous phone call: leave the country in ten days, or die. He has every intention of leaving, as soon as he follows a lead on a major story developing in the jungle. The book follows him on his perilous journey into the heart of darkness in pursuit of his story. Unknowingly, Roberto is headed toward a confrontation with an evil darker than he could possibly have imagined.
- GenresFiction
350 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2018
7 people are currently reading
806 people want to read
About the author
Tom Epperson
5 books21 followersTom Epperson, a native of Arkansas, headed west to Los Angeles with his boyhood friend Billy Bob Thornton to pursue a career in show business. Epperson's co-written the scripts for One False Move, A Family Thing, The Gift, A Gun, a Car, a Blonde, and Jayne Mansfield's Car. His L.A. noir The Kind One was nominated for both the Edgar Award and the Barry Aware for Best First Novel. Four more books followed, Sailor, Roberto the Dark Tower Came, Make Believe, and Baby Hawk: A novel in verse. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife, Stefani, two pampered cats, and two frisky dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 29, 2018
📣 Roberto to the Dark Tower Came is available NOW!
Despite the slow beginning, things really picked up around 40% in (six days before the deadline). For me this book was more about Roberto's adventure to uncover and expose the truth, it is less of a mystery/thriller. If I were to give this book a rating at 30% it would have been maybe 2.5 stars, but it is easily a 4 star ending for me. I think that many people will appreciate the buildup and character building, but for me I wanted the action to come faster!
There are interesting parallels with terrorism and the fear of terrorism being used as a means of gaining control or excusing governmental acts of force that most certainly apply in the modern climate, and the media is used to spread this message to tamper outrage. I think that is why I felt a disconnect: it felt too real but not actually discussing real events. I don't generally hold fiction up to a "reality" standard, but this almost read like nonfiction to me. It is likely that Epperson didn't name the country on purpose so that it isn't rooted so much in modern historical events, but I found it a bit distracting personally to have the narrator refer to "my country" and "my city" constantly. Regions mentioned were in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru - all countries which I have traveled to, which is probably why I was trying to pick it apart! My best guess is that Roberto is based in Colombia, and the strife depicted is a fictionalization of the FARC conflict.
cw: animal abuse, rape, murder, war
Overall this is a good read, and I think those interested in political adult fiction will enjoy this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Meerkat Press, for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Blog | Twitter
"In ten days, Roberto. You must leave the country. Or else you will die."3.5 stars The book opens up with Roberto waking up in the middle of the night to receive a death threat on the phone, and the narrative counts down each day before the unknown man's deadline. Roberto to the Dark Tower Came is overall a powerful novel about a young journalist in an unnamed South American country fighting for the truth when journalists - and other subversives - are routinely murdered for doing their jobs.
"The fact that someone wants to kill you for doing your job should make you realize how important that job is."I am going to admit that I am a bit conflicted about this book. It started incredibly strong and hooked me from the opening lines, but the subsequent few days (nine, eight, and seven) dragged for me and I struggled to continue... but my desire to see what happened kept me going (and I am so glad I stuck with it!). I understand that it was important to Roberto's life to wrap things up, and to reminisce about the past, but I found the pacing to be a little slower than I would have liked. Despite the considerable amount of time in the first 40% of the book dedicated to the people in his life, barring Roberto, Daniel, and Lina the characters fell flat for me; however, the connection that I felt for those three characters was deep.
Despite the slow beginning, things really picked up around 40% in (six days before the deadline). For me this book was more about Roberto's adventure to uncover and expose the truth, it is less of a mystery/thriller. If I were to give this book a rating at 30% it would have been maybe 2.5 stars, but it is easily a 4 star ending for me. I think that many people will appreciate the buildup and character building, but for me I wanted the action to come faster!
There are interesting parallels with terrorism and the fear of terrorism being used as a means of gaining control or excusing governmental acts of force that most certainly apply in the modern climate, and the media is used to spread this message to tamper outrage. I think that is why I felt a disconnect: it felt too real but not actually discussing real events. I don't generally hold fiction up to a "reality" standard, but this almost read like nonfiction to me. It is likely that Epperson didn't name the country on purpose so that it isn't rooted so much in modern historical events, but I found it a bit distracting personally to have the narrator refer to "my country" and "my city" constantly. Regions mentioned were in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru - all countries which I have traveled to, which is probably why I was trying to pick it apart! My best guess is that Roberto is based in Colombia, and the strife depicted is a fictionalization of the FARC conflict.
cw: animal abuse, rape, murder, war
Overall this is a good read, and I think those interested in political adult fiction will enjoy this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Meerkat Press, for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Blog | Twitter
March 29, 2018
This book was one I couldn't put down from the beginning of reading until the end. It is on a subject I have tried to bring to the attention of people and organizations for about 4 decades concerning in particular the Indigenous peoples in the rainforests of South America and the poor from Mexico on down to the end tip of the Americas. Maybe because of better communication worldwide, cell phones. and internet we are seeing the amount of journalists and activists that are being arrogantly murdered over trying of expose corruption and atrocities created against Indigenous people and the poor to exploit and destroy their areas.throughout the world and in my personal opinion the rainforests are the areas we most need to protect and secure from this but it shouldn't be happening anywhere at this point in time and will continue until whole countries rise up against it and say no more. The author did a great job of bringing his characters to life in a fast paced thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat unable to stop because you need to see what is going to happen. I would recommend this book to anyone and feel it would make a great movie if true to the book.
#RobertoToTheDarkTowerCame #NetGalley
#RobertoToTheDarkTowerCame #NetGalley
June 20, 2018
An investigative reporter in South America receives a threat: leave the country in ten days, or die. It's a heck of a starting point, and the chapters are laid out as "X Days Until the Day Roberto Has Before He Dies". The first half of the novel follows the protagonist around the "civilized" journalistic world; the second half plunges into the deep, dark jungle where terrible things are happening, that MUST be reported, according to Roberto. This book was different and not cliched, and that's why I liked it! No spoilers here.
June 19, 2018
I received a free copy of this from netgalley.
Roberto to the Dark Tower Came needs ALL the trigger warnings. Gore, death, torture, sexual assault, cruelty to animals, death of animals, language, whatever you can think of. If that is enough for you to not read it, then you probably don’t need to read the rest of my review.
If your still reading my review, then maybe you will consider picking up this novel. It was disturbing and dark, but I couldn’t make myself stop reading it. I became invested in the characters, and I wanted so bad for them to triumph, but this isn’t that kind of book. It’s the type that juxtaposes flawed characters who want to make a difference with the cruelty of those are resisting. It’s the kind of gritty realism where no one wins.
Roberto to the Dark Tower Came is written in third person present tense that gives an immediacy to the prose as Roberto, a left-wing journalist, receives death threats, makes plans to leave the country, gets pulled into reporting on one last story, and witnesses all manners of atrocities. The narrative builds suspense like a thriller, but it is layered with literary symbolism and imagery.
The most terrifying aspect of it was the realism. The story has a contemporary setting. The little details about daily life ground in it a place that may or probably does exist somewhere. Even though the country the book was set in was never directly named, at least not that I noticed, other real countries were.
It’s one thing to read about a character who witnessed someone get flayed in an epic fantasy like Game of Thrones that is set in a secondary world. It is far more disturbing in a book like this, but also probably more worth reading. Because somewhere in the world, people are living in fear of getting killed for disagreeing with governments or living on land people in power want to exploit. I can tell myself “It’s fiction, don’t let it get to you,” and it almost works with a secondary world fantasy, but with a book like this, my brain responds, “yes, fiction, these people aren’t real, but someone else might be living an equally hellish story.”
This story made me think about more social, political, and humans rights problems than I can count, but ones that stood out to me were the relationship between people and land, between those in power and those indigenous to the land, and how it’s not just things diamonds or gold, but some kind of metal or element used to make everyday things like cell phones, that directs greedy monsters to the places they destroy. How many everyday items that I take for granted are made with materials that were obtained by exploiting land and murdering those who love it?
After reading Roberto to the Dark Tower Came, I appreciate what I have and where I live ten times more than I did before, but it also makes me sick about what my privileges, safety and conveniences have cost someone else. Maybe it will drive me to research things and be more careful about what products I buy. Maybe because this book was so damned disturbing, I’ll lose myself in another story and I try to forget about.
I came away from this novel appreciating how precious my freedom is and terrified the current American leadership could make my world more like Robertos.
Overall, if you want a book that will take you out of your comfort zone, keep you up at night, engage you with a blend of literary realism and a political thriller plot, and make you think a lot, then this is the book for you.
But be warned, this book is loaded with triggers.
Roberto to the Dark Tower Came needs ALL the trigger warnings. Gore, death, torture, sexual assault, cruelty to animals, death of animals, language, whatever you can think of. If that is enough for you to not read it, then you probably don’t need to read the rest of my review.
If your still reading my review, then maybe you will consider picking up this novel. It was disturbing and dark, but I couldn’t make myself stop reading it. I became invested in the characters, and I wanted so bad for them to triumph, but this isn’t that kind of book. It’s the type that juxtaposes flawed characters who want to make a difference with the cruelty of those are resisting. It’s the kind of gritty realism where no one wins.
Roberto to the Dark Tower Came is written in third person present tense that gives an immediacy to the prose as Roberto, a left-wing journalist, receives death threats, makes plans to leave the country, gets pulled into reporting on one last story, and witnesses all manners of atrocities. The narrative builds suspense like a thriller, but it is layered with literary symbolism and imagery.
The most terrifying aspect of it was the realism. The story has a contemporary setting. The little details about daily life ground in it a place that may or probably does exist somewhere. Even though the country the book was set in was never directly named, at least not that I noticed, other real countries were.
It’s one thing to read about a character who witnessed someone get flayed in an epic fantasy like Game of Thrones that is set in a secondary world. It is far more disturbing in a book like this, but also probably more worth reading. Because somewhere in the world, people are living in fear of getting killed for disagreeing with governments or living on land people in power want to exploit. I can tell myself “It’s fiction, don’t let it get to you,” and it almost works with a secondary world fantasy, but with a book like this, my brain responds, “yes, fiction, these people aren’t real, but someone else might be living an equally hellish story.”
This story made me think about more social, political, and humans rights problems than I can count, but ones that stood out to me were the relationship between people and land, between those in power and those indigenous to the land, and how it’s not just things diamonds or gold, but some kind of metal or element used to make everyday things like cell phones, that directs greedy monsters to the places they destroy. How many everyday items that I take for granted are made with materials that were obtained by exploiting land and murdering those who love it?
After reading Roberto to the Dark Tower Came, I appreciate what I have and where I live ten times more than I did before, but it also makes me sick about what my privileges, safety and conveniences have cost someone else. Maybe it will drive me to research things and be more careful about what products I buy. Maybe because this book was so damned disturbing, I’ll lose myself in another story and I try to forget about.
I came away from this novel appreciating how precious my freedom is and terrified the current American leadership could make my world more like Robertos.
Overall, if you want a book that will take you out of your comfort zone, keep you up at night, engage you with a blend of literary realism and a political thriller plot, and make you think a lot, then this is the book for you.
But be warned, this book is loaded with triggers.
March 15, 2018
Roberto to the Dark Tower Came works as a thriller, for sure, but also a wider conversation piece about very real dangers and perils in the world today. This is a novel with a rounded-out character who we grow to know and care about, and a novel where atmosphere is important. Rober to the Dark Tower Came could form the basis of an entire section of a modern novel or current issues in literature course. Well done.
August 11, 2019
‘There they stood, ranged along the hillsides, met
To view the last of me, a living frame
For one more picture! In a sheet of flame
I saw them and I knew them all.’
(Robert Browning)
At 6am one morning Roberto, an investigative journalist in an unnamed South American country, receives a phone call: ‘In ten days, Roberto. You must leave the country. Or else you will die.’ Over the course of the next few days he realises that he is being watched, and when the police detective that Roberto had told about the threat ends up dead, he knows that he is in trouble. Planning to leave to be with his girlfriend Caroline, who is visiting her family in Saint Lucia, he starts to clear out his life and pack up. His investigative instinct, however, kicks in as he learns of a potential massacre in the region of Tulcán, and so he postpones his departure and, accompanied by his photographer friend Daniel, sets off on a journey into the heart of darkness.
The novel is a brave attempt to explore the generalities of corruption and political mass-murder, and the lack of specifics allows us to read it as a wider critique of injustices throughout the world. As Roberto, Daniel and their guides penetrate deeper and deeper into the jungle in search of the truth the whole atmosphere becomes claustrophobic, tense and threatening. With the clock relentlessly ticking (x days until the day Roberto is to die) there is a sense of the inevitable, too, as they reach their destination, the massacre at El Encanto, the site of the ‘dark tower.’ The deliberate nod to Browning’s poem in the novel’s title gives us a framing device and, with the Conrad feel to it as well, there is a tight focus in the forward-moving story. This is further enhanced by the present-tense narrative, which keeps the action moving forward and adds a sense of the ‘now’ to the whole thing.
Overall this is a decent enough thriller, with enough political resonance to make it relevant. I did find myself skim-reading at times, however, just to get through the story. There is a twist of sorts at the end, but it’s fairly obvious how it will all end (no spoilers!). A good read, but not a great one, so a decent 3 stars.
To view the last of me, a living frame
For one more picture! In a sheet of flame
I saw them and I knew them all.’
(Robert Browning)
At 6am one morning Roberto, an investigative journalist in an unnamed South American country, receives a phone call: ‘In ten days, Roberto. You must leave the country. Or else you will die.’ Over the course of the next few days he realises that he is being watched, and when the police detective that Roberto had told about the threat ends up dead, he knows that he is in trouble. Planning to leave to be with his girlfriend Caroline, who is visiting her family in Saint Lucia, he starts to clear out his life and pack up. His investigative instinct, however, kicks in as he learns of a potential massacre in the region of Tulcán, and so he postpones his departure and, accompanied by his photographer friend Daniel, sets off on a journey into the heart of darkness.
The novel is a brave attempt to explore the generalities of corruption and political mass-murder, and the lack of specifics allows us to read it as a wider critique of injustices throughout the world. As Roberto, Daniel and their guides penetrate deeper and deeper into the jungle in search of the truth the whole atmosphere becomes claustrophobic, tense and threatening. With the clock relentlessly ticking (x days until the day Roberto is to die) there is a sense of the inevitable, too, as they reach their destination, the massacre at El Encanto, the site of the ‘dark tower.’ The deliberate nod to Browning’s poem in the novel’s title gives us a framing device and, with the Conrad feel to it as well, there is a tight focus in the forward-moving story. This is further enhanced by the present-tense narrative, which keeps the action moving forward and adds a sense of the ‘now’ to the whole thing.
Overall this is a decent enough thriller, with enough political resonance to make it relevant. I did find myself skim-reading at times, however, just to get through the story. There is a twist of sorts at the end, but it’s fairly obvious how it will all end (no spoilers!). A good read, but not a great one, so a decent 3 stars.
April 7, 2018
A very disturbing, page-turner political thriller novel.
The theme presented in this story represents the many kinds of injustice and violence that happened or are still happening in parts of the worlds and how brave persons are still fighting to disclose the truth.
This fast paced novel will take the readers to the world full of perils, where strangers can be true friends and true friends can be enemies; where the distance between dangers and yourself can be less than one breath away, and a lot can happen in a minute. The author has a way of making each character distinct and lively without giving away too much, one of them be the funny and terrible Daniel.
With detailed, vivid world building and a touch of romance, this novel is a very interesting read.
Highly recommended for fans of thriller.
I received a ARC of this book in accordance with the terms of Librarything Early Reviewers program.
The theme presented in this story represents the many kinds of injustice and violence that happened or are still happening in parts of the worlds and how brave persons are still fighting to disclose the truth.
This fast paced novel will take the readers to the world full of perils, where strangers can be true friends and true friends can be enemies; where the distance between dangers and yourself can be less than one breath away, and a lot can happen in a minute. The author has a way of making each character distinct and lively without giving away too much, one of them be the funny and terrible Daniel.
With detailed, vivid world building and a touch of romance, this novel is a very interesting read.
Highly recommended for fans of thriller.
I received a ARC of this book in accordance with the terms of Librarything Early Reviewers program.
July 3, 2018
I loved this book. I devoured it in one big gulp. It was suspenseful. It was thoughtful. It was timely. But most of all I was surprised by how soulful it was for a thriller. It's set in a Latin American country full of political turmoil and though written by an Arkansas author, its sense of place is amazing! You can practically feel the jungle all around you. By the end of the book my heart was actually thumping in my chest as I feared for the fate of all involved. Highly recommend!!!!
September 4, 2018
This is the darkest and most legitimately frightening book I have read this year. Thanks Mr Epperson for ensuring that I will never visit South America for any reason, although I had really wanted to prior.
This book is insanely well written, with characters you root for desperately. The descriptions of the jungles and villages and people make you experience them and the ruthlessness and barbarism is a kick in the teeth. Everyone should read this book.
This book is insanely well written, with characters you root for desperately. The descriptions of the jungles and villages and people make you experience them and the ruthlessness and barbarism is a kick in the teeth. Everyone should read this book.
July 1, 2018
3.5/5. Set in an unnamed fictional South American country [probably an amalgam of several real ones], The story follows Roberto, an investigative reporter, from his receiving a telephone call threatening his life in ten days if he doesn't leave the country, to his planning to join his fiancée in the Virgin Islands, to his following one last Big Story of massacre in the jungle. He and a photographer friend, Daniel, set out to do just that that. An odd assortment of guides take them into the midst of evil. They witness ghastly, bloody scenes of killing and destruction against people living in a fishing village with Daniel photographing an esteemed general of the army leading a Special Ops branch of the army and Roberto busily taking notes. One more stop: a hacienda where most of the inhabitants had been murdered by the "Black Jaguars", a paramilitary group. The excitement and tension build until the ending, which did seem a disappointment. There were other parallels to Robert Browning's long poem Childe Roland To The Dark Tower Came besides the obvious ones of the novel's title and the dark tower [standing for the hacienda; the hacienda did have one] on the cover. I thought the cover very striking. The book did a great job of creating and maintaining the atmosphere. But the reprisals were much too grisly for my taste and there was too much sexual talk, action, and innuendo.
Recommended for those who enjoy political thrillers.
Recommended for those who enjoy political thrillers.
January 1, 2020
Though the nation is never named, I couldn't help but think of Colombia & FARC rebel commanders' recent call for an end to a 3-year peace. The novel is timely, well-paced, & beautifully (or perhaps 'horribly,' given the content) cinematic; the reader can 'see' every detail, as if watching a movie in his/her head. I initially thought the warning & time-frame Roberto had received was unrealistic, for if anyone wanted him dead, he would have been before the book started. However, it was an effective way of framing the narrative, & the author gave enough hints throughout the book to allow the reader to predict the ending. I definitely recommend & think this novel would make a wonderful film. I received a Kindle edition from a Goodreads giveaway.
October 6, 2025
Roberto to the Dark Tower Came by Tom Epperson is a gripping and atmospheric literary thriller that plunges readers into the shadowed intersection of political corruption, personal conviction, and moral decay. Set in a volatile South American landscape, it follows Roberto a young journalist whose pursuit of truth propels him into a confrontation with forces far darker than he anticipates.
From the first page, Epperson commands tension with cinematic precision. Every scene feels charged with danger and moral ambiguity, as Roberto’s idealism collides with the brutal realities of power and fear. What begins as investigative journalism soon becomes a journey into the heart of darkness, echoing the timeless struggle between truth and survival.
Epperson writes with gritty realism and haunting insight, blending the suspense of a political thriller with the philosophical weight of a modern parable. The jungle becomes both a physical and psychological terrain a place where humanity’s worst impulses are laid bare, and courage is tested not by victory, but by endurance.
More than a thriller, Roberto to the Dark Tower Came is a meditation on conscience, corruption, and the peril of chasing truth in a world built on deceit. Readers drawn to the moral intensity of Graham Greene or the existential thrill of Joseph Conrad will find themselves captivated by Roberto’s descent and what it reveals about the cost of integrity.
From the first page, Epperson commands tension with cinematic precision. Every scene feels charged with danger and moral ambiguity, as Roberto’s idealism collides with the brutal realities of power and fear. What begins as investigative journalism soon becomes a journey into the heart of darkness, echoing the timeless struggle between truth and survival.
Epperson writes with gritty realism and haunting insight, blending the suspense of a political thriller with the philosophical weight of a modern parable. The jungle becomes both a physical and psychological terrain a place where humanity’s worst impulses are laid bare, and courage is tested not by victory, but by endurance.
More than a thriller, Roberto to the Dark Tower Came is a meditation on conscience, corruption, and the peril of chasing truth in a world built on deceit. Readers drawn to the moral intensity of Graham Greene or the existential thrill of Joseph Conrad will find themselves captivated by Roberto’s descent and what it reveals about the cost of integrity.
November 22, 2019
This is an "um" book, as in what did you think of the book? "Um . . ." On the one hand, there are a lot of themes to like in it: the idea of holding on to small beauties and perfect moments in the midst of an ugly and cruel world to avoid drifting in to nihilistic territory, as my favorite example. But even at that, the book becomes too much like that horror movie where you can't stand how stupid the characters are. They're always running into the spooky old barn instead of getting in the running car. That's this book. **Spoiler Alert** So in the end, the main character's death is pointless, as much because of his own decisions than the situation he finds himself in, which is more a statement about human nature than about the world in general, even the S. American world.
June 26, 2018
A slow walk through a banana republic. The story takes place in a corrupt South American country. Roberto is a liberal reporter that has been asked, by a revolutionary group, to leave the country within 10 days or be killed. After saying his goodbyes to friends and family he leaves for one last assignment. The book is so slow that I found myself asleep at times. The author does make an attempt at being funny and he does succeed on occasions, I guess that is a plus.
September 9, 2021
Now I’m depressed :)
I appreciate how this book shines a light on the importance and bravery of journalism. It was also really transfixing reading the jungle chapters. However I was not prepared for how graphically violent the book is, especially regarding children and females. I really like the authors simple but lyrical language in his writing style, even though I didn’t enjoy the tale from a males perspective as much as I would have enjoyed a females.
I appreciate how this book shines a light on the importance and bravery of journalism. It was also really transfixing reading the jungle chapters. However I was not prepared for how graphically violent the book is, especially regarding children and females. I really like the authors simple but lyrical language in his writing style, even though I didn’t enjoy the tale from a males perspective as much as I would have enjoyed a females.
June 23, 2018
Ridiculous fantacy
I enjoy a wide variety of novels. This book is so bad that I regret spending time reading it.
Unrealistic plot, extreme violence are a couple of it's better parts.
I enjoy a wide variety of novels. This book is so bad that I regret spending time reading it.
Unrealistic plot, extreme violence are a couple of it's better parts.
December 19, 2019
Engaging story
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. The book started slowly but got more and more interesting. Overall, I thought it was good but not great. I think some of the situations could have been fleshed out a bit more. But what an ending!
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. The book started slowly but got more and more interesting. Overall, I thought it was good but not great. I think some of the situations could have been fleshed out a bit more. But what an ending!
Read
July 15, 2020DNF
Read
June 9, 2021
Trigger & Content Warnings
Rape
Murder
War themes
Animal abuse
Rape
Murder
War themes
Animal abuse
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews