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LAPD Detective Tully Jarsdel #3
The Darkest Game
Hollywood’s bygone playground, Catalina Island, sets the scene for a chilling noir when a museum curator is found shot to death at point-blank range.
336 pages, Paperback
Published April 5, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
May 1, 2022
I really really hate it when I don't like a book that I was excited to read and... this was one of them. though the characters were well developed, the story itself was so slow paced that I couldn't enjoy it well enough. there were references that I was not familiar with and I had to spend so much time googling them and I got bored doing so. the plot was not fast and exciting enough and I'm just sorry and disappointed.
Thanks to NetGallery for providing my copy.
Thanks to NetGallery for providing my copy.
April 7, 2022
Real Rating: 3.75* of five, rounded up because I'm still thinking about the story
The Publisher Says: Bad things happen every day. No one knows this better than LAPD Detective Tully Jarsdel. He also knows that bad things often go unpunished—all it takes is a glance at his dusty stack of cold cases to see that time is kind to sinners.
A museum curator is found shot point-blank, his home torn apart. It's the sort of random crime destined to fester in an evidence locker. But it's a case tailor-made for the academic turned detective—he can't leave any question unanswered. In pursuit of an untouchable killer, Jarsdel soon uncovers a web of fraud and corruption that leads him to sunny Catalina Island, Hollywood's bygone playground. There, nothing is as it should be: the past is ever-present, and Jarsdel unwittingly finds himself embroiled in a widespread conspiracy. While reckoning with a dark legacy, he'll exhume long-buried secrets of LA's troubled past and with it, deadly consequences.
A searing mystery from critically acclaimed author Joseph Schneider, The Darkest Game is a story about dread, greed, and anguish; how it spreads like rot, and how one detective struggles to keep it at bay.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: There are a lot of things wrong with starting a series with Book Three. I am usually very twitchy about this topic. I would, after having read this book, have felt much better had I had the history between the two leads. As it was, in medias res with them as a bickering old couple (not in the sexual sense), I was able to enjoy the story for itself. I still wish I'd had their history to hand in my brain's filing system, though.
The mystery itself got announced in a fairly usual way: Someone not obviously murder-worthy is found in a trashed home...there's just enough off about the situation to make the Odd Badge-wearing Couple poke more into the dead guy...and thus a very thorough policing job, one that proceeds without undue haste, uncovers some very rotten doins in both past and present that merit a lot of trouble being heaped on people more accustomed to doing the heaping. And, to be sure, they try their goddamnedest to do that heaping again. Tully, having "disappointed" his professor parents by *shudder* becoming a cop in LAPD, isn't likely to let a little thing like Official Disapproval stand in his way of a successful solution. Morales? He's along for the ride, an always-complaining partner-in-crime (solving) with more to gain by staying with the insufferable Tully than moving on. Plus he's not exactly easygoing hisownself.
Tully's abandoned life of being another Professor Doctor Jarsdel has, it is to be noted, equipped him with far more information than the typical cop. It didn't give him his powers of observation, however, and those are the key characteristics that get Tully into enough hot water that he gets quite viciously attacked...twice...and, the second time, he's almost killed from it.
Not only do both he and Morales survive, the second attack...and the murder of their chief suspect...coalesce into a picture of the actual murderer and the real motive for the entire sad affair. It was very, very well-handled, I thoroughly enjoyed Tully's snobby references to things others do not catch or care about, and still thought, "why hasn't friendly fire taken this oh-so-superior guy out?" Because he may grate on the ordinary people around him, but he gets the job done where most of them are honest enough to admit that they might very well not have done.
If you liked watching Endeavour on the TV, or liked the Gervase Fen series or the Nero Wolfe series, these stories will likely scratch the itch well. He's not as arch as Fen or as august as Morse, but Jarsdel will definitely be well-placed on your radar.
I spent most of my life in Texas, but was born in California to a native Californian, a man from Venice Beach. We visited Catalina Island many times, and I've seen the Huntington Museum that forms part of this mystery...but the main thing to know about the settings is that they are there to evoke moods and emotions in the reader. Yes, you'll recognize the places if you've been there or live there, but essentially these aren't used to make it impossible to "get" the full extent of the mystery the way some London- or Paris-set stories are. Like having read the first two entries in the series, it would add something to know what's what, but it isn't in any way *crucial* for you to have done so.
The Publisher Says: Bad things happen every day. No one knows this better than LAPD Detective Tully Jarsdel. He also knows that bad things often go unpunished—all it takes is a glance at his dusty stack of cold cases to see that time is kind to sinners.
A museum curator is found shot point-blank, his home torn apart. It's the sort of random crime destined to fester in an evidence locker. But it's a case tailor-made for the academic turned detective—he can't leave any question unanswered. In pursuit of an untouchable killer, Jarsdel soon uncovers a web of fraud and corruption that leads him to sunny Catalina Island, Hollywood's bygone playground. There, nothing is as it should be: the past is ever-present, and Jarsdel unwittingly finds himself embroiled in a widespread conspiracy. While reckoning with a dark legacy, he'll exhume long-buried secrets of LA's troubled past and with it, deadly consequences.
A searing mystery from critically acclaimed author Joseph Schneider, The Darkest Game is a story about dread, greed, and anguish; how it spreads like rot, and how one detective struggles to keep it at bay.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: There are a lot of things wrong with starting a series with Book Three. I am usually very twitchy about this topic. I would, after having read this book, have felt much better had I had the history between the two leads. As it was, in medias res with them as a bickering old couple (not in the sexual sense), I was able to enjoy the story for itself. I still wish I'd had their history to hand in my brain's filing system, though.
The mystery itself got announced in a fairly usual way: Someone not obviously murder-worthy is found in a trashed home...there's just enough off about the situation to make the Odd Badge-wearing Couple poke more into the dead guy...and thus a very thorough policing job, one that proceeds without undue haste, uncovers some very rotten doins in both past and present that merit a lot of trouble being heaped on people more accustomed to doing the heaping. And, to be sure, they try their goddamnedest to do that heaping again. Tully, having "disappointed" his professor parents by *shudder* becoming a cop in LAPD, isn't likely to let a little thing like Official Disapproval stand in his way of a successful solution. Morales? He's along for the ride, an always-complaining partner-in-crime (solving) with more to gain by staying with the insufferable Tully than moving on. Plus he's not exactly easygoing hisownself.
Tully's abandoned life of being another Professor Doctor Jarsdel has, it is to be noted, equipped him with far more information than the typical cop. It didn't give him his powers of observation, however, and those are the key characteristics that get Tully into enough hot water that he gets quite viciously attacked...twice...and, the second time, he's almost killed from it.
Not only do both he and Morales survive, the second attack...and the murder of their chief suspect...coalesce into a picture of the actual murderer and the real motive for the entire sad affair. It was very, very well-handled, I thoroughly enjoyed Tully's snobby references to things others do not catch or care about, and still thought, "why hasn't friendly fire taken this oh-so-superior guy out?" Because he may grate on the ordinary people around him, but he gets the job done where most of them are honest enough to admit that they might very well not have done.
If you liked watching Endeavour on the TV, or liked the Gervase Fen series or the Nero Wolfe series, these stories will likely scratch the itch well. He's not as arch as Fen or as august as Morse, but Jarsdel will definitely be well-placed on your radar.
I spent most of my life in Texas, but was born in California to a native Californian, a man from Venice Beach. We visited Catalina Island many times, and I've seen the Huntington Museum that forms part of this mystery...but the main thing to know about the settings is that they are there to evoke moods and emotions in the reader. Yes, you'll recognize the places if you've been there or live there, but essentially these aren't used to make it impossible to "get" the full extent of the mystery the way some London- or Paris-set stories are. Like having read the first two entries in the series, it would add something to know what's what, but it isn't in any way *crucial* for you to have done so.
March 30, 2022
Tully Jarsdel is not your typical homicide detective, much to the consternation of his more traditional partner. A former academic, he is cerebral and introspective. In this case, the third in the series, the detectives investigate the murder of a museum curator, traveling to Catalina Island to help unravel the mystery.
I have read the first two Jarsdel books and really enjoyed the first one. This series is not for everyone, especially if you want a fast paced, action packed thriller. Character development is interesting and there are many esoteric references such as “Phineas Gage” and “Joseph K”. If these names mean nothing to you, you may not enjoy this book unless you want to spend a lot of time Googling or just skipping over the unknown. If you enjoy well written, character driven works that are different from the typical run of the mill, this is for you. Oh yes, there are also family relationships and cultural and moral issues that are explored as well as modern day pirates! There is some violence as well.
This could work as a standalone, although reading the prior ones will give a little more background information.
There is something about Tully that I like and I will certainly read the next installment.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #PoisonedPenPress for the DRC.
I have read the first two Jarsdel books and really enjoyed the first one. This series is not for everyone, especially if you want a fast paced, action packed thriller. Character development is interesting and there are many esoteric references such as “Phineas Gage” and “Joseph K”. If these names mean nothing to you, you may not enjoy this book unless you want to spend a lot of time Googling or just skipping over the unknown. If you enjoy well written, character driven works that are different from the typical run of the mill, this is for you. Oh yes, there are also family relationships and cultural and moral issues that are explored as well as modern day pirates! There is some violence as well.
This could work as a standalone, although reading the prior ones will give a little more background information.
There is something about Tully that I like and I will certainly read the next installment.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #PoisonedPenPress for the DRC.
June 30, 2022
3.5 rounded up
LAPD Homicide Detectives Tully Jarsdel and Oscar Morales are assigned to the murder of museum donation engagement director Dean Burken. Dean wasn't the nicest guy in the world and there are plenty of suspects. The investigation takes them through academia, museum employees, and even the museum's board of directors. From LA to Catalina Island. Will they be able to solve the murder and find a motive before its too late?
This is my first book by the author, and as it turns out, this is book 3 in the series. This could be read as a stand alone, but you must be patient to get a lot of the back story on the characters. I liked that Jursdel wasn't your typical detective. He's sn academic who left his History Ph.D. program to pursue a career in police work, much to the dismay of both of his professor fathers. Tully comes across as likable to me and I enjoyed his "lectures" that seemed to rub his partner the wrong way. He doesn't really fit in with the other detectives and is often ostracized by his partner about his academic background. Morales I didn't care for. Instead of banter between him and Tully, he comes across as a colossal jerk who puts down Tully's knowledge, referring to him as "rain man." The mystery was decent, but the pacing was a little slow at times for a procedural, and took me out of the story. Overall a decent read though.
My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, author Joseph Schneider, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
LAPD Homicide Detectives Tully Jarsdel and Oscar Morales are assigned to the murder of museum donation engagement director Dean Burken. Dean wasn't the nicest guy in the world and there are plenty of suspects. The investigation takes them through academia, museum employees, and even the museum's board of directors. From LA to Catalina Island. Will they be able to solve the murder and find a motive before its too late?
This is my first book by the author, and as it turns out, this is book 3 in the series. This could be read as a stand alone, but you must be patient to get a lot of the back story on the characters. I liked that Jursdel wasn't your typical detective. He's sn academic who left his History Ph.D. program to pursue a career in police work, much to the dismay of both of his professor fathers. Tully comes across as likable to me and I enjoyed his "lectures" that seemed to rub his partner the wrong way. He doesn't really fit in with the other detectives and is often ostracized by his partner about his academic background. Morales I didn't care for. Instead of banter between him and Tully, he comes across as a colossal jerk who puts down Tully's knowledge, referring to him as "rain man." The mystery was decent, but the pacing was a little slow at times for a procedural, and took me out of the story. Overall a decent read though.
My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, author Joseph Schneider, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
November 19, 2021
The Darkest Game is the third novel in the Tully Jarsdel police procedural series, set in Los Angeles, with the chief protagonist being a former history professor who decided to do something with his life that means something. Here, he's paired in an odd couple situation with seasoned homicide detective Oscar Morales. Jarsdel is also odd man out at the Hollywood precinct, being a bit more intellectually inclined than most. The Case here is a bit obscure, involving a museum curator at the Huntington Library and Gardens and his untimely demise in a Hollywood hills home. The clues will lead Jarsdel and Morales through the archives of the museum and across the water to Catalina Island, a paradise 26 miles from Los Angeles, yet a world apart. It involves lost treasure and pirates. This one is a bit slower-paced than the first two books in the series and never quite gets to Freeway speeds.
November 16, 2021
I really dislike giving negative reviews but I found this book really hard to get through. This was not helped by the endless banter between the two main detectives involved in the case. The plot itself was slow and I just did not warm to any of the characters. thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.
May 23, 2022
This is the third book in this series and I have absolutely loved the previous two. I'd go so far as to say they are in my top reads for the year. I've no idea what went wrong with The Darkest Game but everything about this book struck me wrong. Tully, the primary character, is supposed to be brilliant yet suddenly he is speaking like he has marbles in his mouth. Wanna, couda, shouda, etc. His partner I guess is, I don't know, I wasn't paying attention but now his English also is unreadable. I seriously don't mind including accents in dialogue. There are times that it adds to the atmosphere of the book. There also are times when it becomes so distracting that it becomes the book and that is what happened here. Not to mention, the constant bickering between the two of them and between Tully and his two dads. It all just got to be too much. That is what the book was about instead of the crime - a crime which ultimately was boring as hell.
I highly recommend the first two books in the series but I'd give this one a pass. Hopefully, if there is another one, it will be better.
I highly recommend the first two books in the series but I'd give this one a pass. Hopefully, if there is another one, it will be better.
November 21, 2021
I read an advance copy and loved this book. The characters are great, delineated beautifully, and the mystery is both intriguing and surprising. The locales, from the Huntington Library to Newport Beach to Catalina Island, give us a views of Southern California that are rarely seen. And the sub-plot involving Detective Jarsdel and his Iranian father was particularly moving and gave additional depth and dimension to this thriller.
May 21, 2022
It's book tree and I've had it up to here *waves hand over head* with Tully's parents.
They are an utter nightmare! And even if they add a lot of angst and dimension to Tully as a character, I can't really stand them. They are toxic as hell and I keep feeling a bit sick every time Tully spends time with any of them, just waiting for the next, unpleasant comment or remark. *shudder*
The murders were interesting and I liked the change of scenery, but while writing this review, I'm realising that I don't actually remember all that much about the motive and what made the murder part of the story tick. I remember the family drama most of all.
Will I come back for book 4 though?
Yep. I totally will, once it's out.
They are an utter nightmare! And even if they add a lot of angst and dimension to Tully as a character, I can't really stand them. They are toxic as hell and I keep feeling a bit sick every time Tully spends time with any of them, just waiting for the next, unpleasant comment or remark. *shudder*
The murders were interesting and I liked the change of scenery, but while writing this review, I'm realising that I don't actually remember all that much about the motive and what made the murder part of the story tick. I remember the family drama most of all.
Will I come back for book 4 though?
Yep. I totally will, once it's out.
January 9, 2025
So good. There's two endings in this book-- one in Tully's personal arc and one about the case-- and they both end really bittersweetly. Just super profound.
I think this was better than the first book but the second book is still my favorite. I really hope Joseph Schneider writes more!
I think this was better than the first book but the second book is still my favorite. I really hope Joseph Schneider writes more!
March 2, 2022
A fascinating police procedural set in Los Angeles. Detectives Tully Jarsdel and Oscar Morales are the perfect pairing to drive this mystery forward. While Jarsdel and Morales might be the odd couple, there's nothing predictable about this duo.
Schneider does an outstanding job of creating characters and situations that are unique and compelling. The mystery unfolds at a perfect pace, sprinkling clues and local shifts along the way. Highly recommend.
Schneider does an outstanding job of creating characters and situations that are unique and compelling. The mystery unfolds at a perfect pace, sprinkling clues and local shifts along the way. Highly recommend.
February 20, 2022
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!
I absolutely loved this Los Angeles-based crime novel! I was born and raised in Los Angeles, brought up on the traffic-jammed freeways and the vast gardens of the Huntington in Pasadena, and oh! how I loved this book! The nuances of human behavior weaved throughout all the characters were fascinating. No matter how prestigious the institution, humans will always gravitate toward the direction of most power and rewards. Schneider wrote expertly about humans and Los Angeles, two of my favorite topics!
I absolutely loved this Los Angeles-based crime novel! I was born and raised in Los Angeles, brought up on the traffic-jammed freeways and the vast gardens of the Huntington in Pasadena, and oh! how I loved this book! The nuances of human behavior weaved throughout all the characters were fascinating. No matter how prestigious the institution, humans will always gravitate toward the direction of most power and rewards. Schneider wrote expertly about humans and Los Angeles, two of my favorite topics!
November 27, 2021
I felt this book was much better than the second book and on par with the first book in the story and the plot. The narrative doesn’t go on a tangent and sticks to the core plot. The case is unravelled in a step wise way methodically. The chapter length in the second part could be trimmed to maintain the pace. Some readers might find the pedantic nature of Tully grating, but the author has curtailed it a lot in this book and I would recommend them to give this book a try.
March 27, 2022
3/27/2022 Honestly, I shouldn't find these books as hilarious as I do but they're really good. Full review tk at CriminalElement.com.
Read
June 10, 2024THE DARKEST GAME – LAPD Detective Tully Jarsdel Mysteries – by Joseph Schneider
‘Insects thrum, owls pluck mice from clumps of thistle and sumac, and possums big as border terriers trundle across the roads, eyes flashing emerald in the wash of headlights.’
‘Gunfire in the hills stops the action, but not for long. The creatures fall silent, predator and prey alike pausing in their deadly game.’
I LOVE the main characters, Detective Jarsdel and Morales from the very beginning. Unfortunately, the storyline ventures off the rails a bit too much, and the narrative lag slows down the pacing, resulting in a DNF at 74%.
Though Book Three didn’t work for me, I look forward to reading Book One, ONE DAY YOU’LL BURN, and Book Two, WHAT WAITS FOR YOU.
Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press (Sourcebooks), for providing me with an eBook of THE DARKEST GAME at the request of an honest review.
June 14, 2022
Meh. I wanted more from this one. Not really worth the time it took to force myself to finish.
July 27, 2025
Λίγο βαρετό και η πλοκή πλατειαζει αρκετά
August 28, 2025
3.5 stars!
March 26, 2022
This was a fascinating book that gripped me from beginning to end! Tully is a detective who travels to Catalina Island in California to help solve a murder, and he gets involved in diverse and unusual cultural differences as they attempt to understand why the killing took place. Because Tully is half Iranian and an academic, he is able to look beneath the surface as he understands how heritage affects one's attitudes. So don't even attempt to figure it out; just sit back and enjoy the ride. Yes, there is violence but truth wins out in the end and it was a terrific ending. I look forward to reading more by Schneider!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
April 29, 2023
A very simple mystery, buried in bloated description., If your goal is to create a detective known as the professor detective, who is brilliant, you’ve got to make sure that that detective isn’t missing very obvious clues. Detective Jarsdal was a numbskull.
Also, I can understand creating a character who is intelligent, but this guy seemed to know very obscure information in every field that would pop up. Is it really possible that someone, even a former PhD candidate, would know minutia about every topic under the sun? It just didn’t feel plausible.
The mystery itself was meh. I guess that’s fine given that I didn’t feel like the mystery was very central to the story. I’m not sure what the central story was. It honestly felt like the descriptions of every single room the main character walked into was the driving force of the story. Which, I think you’ll agree, is weird.
Also, I can understand creating a character who is intelligent, but this guy seemed to know very obscure information in every field that would pop up. Is it really possible that someone, even a former PhD candidate, would know minutia about every topic under the sun? It just didn’t feel plausible.
The mystery itself was meh. I guess that’s fine given that I didn’t feel like the mystery was very central to the story. I’m not sure what the central story was. It honestly felt like the descriptions of every single room the main character walked into was the driving force of the story. Which, I think you’ll agree, is weird.
February 25, 2023
Detective Tully Jarsdel and his partner, Oscar Morales get the case when a man who worked at a museum is found shot multiple times in his home, which was trashed as if the murderer was searching for something. While investigating they find evidence of fraud and their leads send them from Los Angeles to Catalina where they uncover more than they bargained for, like the main suspect in their murder is killed. And both detectives are attacked. Tully is nearly killed the second time he is attacked and they finally get the pieces of the puzzle to why both murders happened.
(Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy for my honest review)
(Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy for my honest review)
December 26, 2021
Another mystery series to explore... a kind of cozy procedural, with an overly educated detective (think Morse, only slightly less highbrow and with a more experienced partner). I'd asked for this because of the connection to the Huntington's archives and that aspect was, well, disappointing. Still, I'm thinking this might be a good series to recommend to friends looking for something new who aren't into hardcore procedurals or twee cozies. The pirates on Catalina were so funny, it'll be a shame if they don't reappear in another book.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
March 11, 2023
The Darkest Game: A Novel by Joseph Schneider is the third book in this police procedural series that features LAPD detective Tully Jarsdel. A former academic who left his PhD program as he was working on his dissertation in order to join the LAPD, he is an enigma to his police coworkers as well as his parents who fled Iran long ago. This read builds on the previous books so it is best to have read them before embarking on this read.
Things have been relatively calm by Los Angeles standards, so Detective Jarsdel has been working cold cases. There are plenty of them for the Hollywood Homicide Table, aka HH2, and Jarsdel likes the emotional distance of old unsolved cases. It allows him to focus on the details of each case. Focusing on the work also allows him to ignore how some at the Hollywood station still treat him after all this time.
The cold cases and other matters are going to have to wait as they have a fresh murder up in Laurel Canyon. The body has been dead in the house for three days or so. The air conditioning has been on so that helps a little bit. The fact that most of his face is gone, thanks to being shot, does not help with the identification process. Not only is part of the face mostly gone, so too are the bullet casings.
The initial officers responding to the scene thought it was a home invasion gone wrong. That does not work for Morales, Jarsdel’s partner, as he can’t figure out why a home invasion robber would go to the trouble of picking up the casings out of the shag carpeting. While his wallet seems to be gone, it is kind of weird that the cushions have been yanked free and tossed randomly around on the floor. There was a lot of anomalies at the crime scene and the detectives are not sure exactly what they are looking at.
After figuring out who he was, they learn that he worked at a place named the Harrington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. They head there in the June heat and learn that Mr. Dean Burken was officially the “Donor Engagement Director.” A difficult man to get along with, he was in charge of securing large donations-financial or physical objects.
It becomes clear that the victim, in addition to be a difficult person to work with, also used his position as a weapon against others who did not bow to his wishes. This was especially true with the female staff and researchers. He was skilled at working things so that his actions appeared innocent, but the reality of what he was doing goes far deeper.
That means the suspect pool is quite large. It also means that somebody had good reason to kill him in this very complicated book.
Like the other books in this series, the read is part police procedural and part history and culture book. Those segments, whether it be art, Iranian history, or something else, are skillfully worked into the police procedural as Jarsdel and Morales work the case.
This is a good series and the latest, The Darkest Game: A Novel Joseph Schneider is a very good one. Strongly recommended.
The previous books in the series are One Day You’ll Burn and What Waits For You.
My reading copy came from the Forest Green Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2023
Things have been relatively calm by Los Angeles standards, so Detective Jarsdel has been working cold cases. There are plenty of them for the Hollywood Homicide Table, aka HH2, and Jarsdel likes the emotional distance of old unsolved cases. It allows him to focus on the details of each case. Focusing on the work also allows him to ignore how some at the Hollywood station still treat him after all this time.
The cold cases and other matters are going to have to wait as they have a fresh murder up in Laurel Canyon. The body has been dead in the house for three days or so. The air conditioning has been on so that helps a little bit. The fact that most of his face is gone, thanks to being shot, does not help with the identification process. Not only is part of the face mostly gone, so too are the bullet casings.
The initial officers responding to the scene thought it was a home invasion gone wrong. That does not work for Morales, Jarsdel’s partner, as he can’t figure out why a home invasion robber would go to the trouble of picking up the casings out of the shag carpeting. While his wallet seems to be gone, it is kind of weird that the cushions have been yanked free and tossed randomly around on the floor. There was a lot of anomalies at the crime scene and the detectives are not sure exactly what they are looking at.
After figuring out who he was, they learn that he worked at a place named the Harrington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. They head there in the June heat and learn that Mr. Dean Burken was officially the “Donor Engagement Director.” A difficult man to get along with, he was in charge of securing large donations-financial or physical objects.
It becomes clear that the victim, in addition to be a difficult person to work with, also used his position as a weapon against others who did not bow to his wishes. This was especially true with the female staff and researchers. He was skilled at working things so that his actions appeared innocent, but the reality of what he was doing goes far deeper.
That means the suspect pool is quite large. It also means that somebody had good reason to kill him in this very complicated book.
Like the other books in this series, the read is part police procedural and part history and culture book. Those segments, whether it be art, Iranian history, or something else, are skillfully worked into the police procedural as Jarsdel and Morales work the case.
This is a good series and the latest, The Darkest Game: A Novel Joseph Schneider is a very good one. Strongly recommended.
The previous books in the series are One Day You’ll Burn and What Waits For You.
My reading copy came from the Forest Green Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2023
April 6, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Joseph Schneider has just come out with The Darkest Game, the third standalone entry in his LAPD Detective Tully Jarsdel Mystery series. Marcus Tullius “Tully” Jarsdel himself is a Los Angeles-based homicide detective who was once a history PhD candidate. His erudite and pensive personality makes him an easy target for mockery and dismissal, especially when it comes to his old-school partner Oscar Morales and the rest of their cop colleagues. Things are no different in The Darkest Game, which sees Jarsdel working with Morales to figure out who broke into the Laurel Canyon home of museum curator Dean Burken and fatally shot him, with the trail leading to suspects like Ellery Keating, a longtime museum board member with whom Burken worked, and a gang of criminals who fashion themselves as modern-day pirates.
While I haven’t read the first two books in the series, this didn’t stop me from being able to jump in and derive some pleasure from this noir-flavored police procedural. The element I enjoyed the most was Jarsdel’s intellectual design and the stark contrast it has with its hardboiled surroundings. This is demonstrated most prominently via his banter with Morales, whose gruff dialogue falls in line with our expectations of the detective stereotype and emphasizes the cultivated expanse of Jarsdel’s vocabulary and background. I also got drawn into Jarsdel’s relationship with Baba, one of his two dads. The guilt-ridden backstory that’s gradually unveiled for Baba adds an affecting note to their dynamic and to the motivations that drove Jarsdel to sign up for the police academy in the first place.
Don’t head into The Darkest Game and expect it to pull you into a straightforward murder case that moves as fast as a cheetah, though. The mystery lumbers along at a deliberate pace and tends to meander between multiple digressions into topics like the historical genocide of L.A.’s Indigenous population and the museum industry. This could become a turnoff for impatient readers. Unless you’re able to get the majority of the obscure trivia—such as the name-dropping of Phineas Gage—that Schneider spreads all across his novel, they might leave you unsatisfied as well. Funny, since that’s probably when you’d sympathize with the characters in the book who find the academic detective to be grating.
All in all, The Darkest Game is an unusually cerebral police procedural that, despite its wandering plot and slow pacing, has encouraged me to add its predecessors, One Day You’ll Burn and What Waits for You, to my TBR pile.
Joseph Schneider has just come out with The Darkest Game, the third standalone entry in his LAPD Detective Tully Jarsdel Mystery series. Marcus Tullius “Tully” Jarsdel himself is a Los Angeles-based homicide detective who was once a history PhD candidate. His erudite and pensive personality makes him an easy target for mockery and dismissal, especially when it comes to his old-school partner Oscar Morales and the rest of their cop colleagues. Things are no different in The Darkest Game, which sees Jarsdel working with Morales to figure out who broke into the Laurel Canyon home of museum curator Dean Burken and fatally shot him, with the trail leading to suspects like Ellery Keating, a longtime museum board member with whom Burken worked, and a gang of criminals who fashion themselves as modern-day pirates.
While I haven’t read the first two books in the series, this didn’t stop me from being able to jump in and derive some pleasure from this noir-flavored police procedural. The element I enjoyed the most was Jarsdel’s intellectual design and the stark contrast it has with its hardboiled surroundings. This is demonstrated most prominently via his banter with Morales, whose gruff dialogue falls in line with our expectations of the detective stereotype and emphasizes the cultivated expanse of Jarsdel’s vocabulary and background. I also got drawn into Jarsdel’s relationship with Baba, one of his two dads. The guilt-ridden backstory that’s gradually unveiled for Baba adds an affecting note to their dynamic and to the motivations that drove Jarsdel to sign up for the police academy in the first place.
Don’t head into The Darkest Game and expect it to pull you into a straightforward murder case that moves as fast as a cheetah, though. The mystery lumbers along at a deliberate pace and tends to meander between multiple digressions into topics like the historical genocide of L.A.’s Indigenous population and the museum industry. This could become a turnoff for impatient readers. Unless you’re able to get the majority of the obscure trivia—such as the name-dropping of Phineas Gage—that Schneider spreads all across his novel, they might leave you unsatisfied as well. Funny, since that’s probably when you’d sympathize with the characters in the book who find the academic detective to be grating.
All in all, The Darkest Game is an unusually cerebral police procedural that, despite its wandering plot and slow pacing, has encouraged me to add its predecessors, One Day You’ll Burn and What Waits for You, to my TBR pile.
April 15, 2022
A very different mystery novel.
* I was sent this book by NetGalley for an honest review *
When I received this book, I chose not to look up anything about it outside of the synopsis listed on the book's page. I wanted to go in blind. As a result, I did not know this was the third book in a series until I finished it and headed to Goodreads.
However, that is a good thing. This was a stand-alone novel and I didn't feel confused at anything about the characters in the book. With that out of the way...
Tully Jarsdel is a cop unlike any other. He is an intellectual from a family with two dads, one of which is a brilliant professor. However, Tully made his dad, Baba, angry when he gave up academics for the police academy. Despite that, he became the cop that went to homicide scenes when they needed someone who could pull out clues the regular cops missed.
A museum curator was killed in his home and that led Tully and his partner Morales to the Huntington Library and Gardens, where clues there led them to Catalina Island, where they found a second dead body and Tully faced pirates, wealthy elitists, and a police force that was not ready for the crimes that invaded its coastal town.
What makes this stand out is that Tully is not what fans of Noir fiction might enjoy. He is not a typical cop and instead is a high intellectual (his partner jokingly calls him Rain Man more than once) and he doesn't fit in with other police officers. His thoughts, which are what we follow, are often philosophical in nature, but not in a high-brow way. He is very relatable and very sympathetic and a nice change-up in police detective novels.
It was also a quick read, and even with all the scenes involving Tully's thoughts, it flew by. His relationship with his dads was equally compelling.
If there is any complaint, it is that his relationship with Morales was a little too confrontational and he seemed more like a jerk than a sparring partner.
There were also a few too many characters spouting off about "cancel culture" and similar topics, and it took me out of the fictional world. I know this happens in the real world, and it was never Tully going on about it, but it just seemed jarring when thrown in and disrupted the story rather than adding flavor to it. For fun detective novels, even ones with more intellectual characters, I prefer not to have the story bogged down in real-world polarizing topics that often start arguments and fights in today's society.
With that said, I really enjoyed the book and will go back and catch up on the first two to see what I might have missed.
* I was sent this book by NetGalley for an honest review *
When I received this book, I chose not to look up anything about it outside of the synopsis listed on the book's page. I wanted to go in blind. As a result, I did not know this was the third book in a series until I finished it and headed to Goodreads.
However, that is a good thing. This was a stand-alone novel and I didn't feel confused at anything about the characters in the book. With that out of the way...
Tully Jarsdel is a cop unlike any other. He is an intellectual from a family with two dads, one of which is a brilliant professor. However, Tully made his dad, Baba, angry when he gave up academics for the police academy. Despite that, he became the cop that went to homicide scenes when they needed someone who could pull out clues the regular cops missed.
A museum curator was killed in his home and that led Tully and his partner Morales to the Huntington Library and Gardens, where clues there led them to Catalina Island, where they found a second dead body and Tully faced pirates, wealthy elitists, and a police force that was not ready for the crimes that invaded its coastal town.
What makes this stand out is that Tully is not what fans of Noir fiction might enjoy. He is not a typical cop and instead is a high intellectual (his partner jokingly calls him Rain Man more than once) and he doesn't fit in with other police officers. His thoughts, which are what we follow, are often philosophical in nature, but not in a high-brow way. He is very relatable and very sympathetic and a nice change-up in police detective novels.
It was also a quick read, and even with all the scenes involving Tully's thoughts, it flew by. His relationship with his dads was equally compelling.
If there is any complaint, it is that his relationship with Morales was a little too confrontational and he seemed more like a jerk than a sparring partner.
There were also a few too many characters spouting off about "cancel culture" and similar topics, and it took me out of the fictional world. I know this happens in the real world, and it was never Tully going on about it, but it just seemed jarring when thrown in and disrupted the story rather than adding flavor to it. For fun detective novels, even ones with more intellectual characters, I prefer not to have the story bogged down in real-world polarizing topics that often start arguments and fights in today's society.
With that said, I really enjoyed the book and will go back and catch up on the first two to see what I might have missed.
April 16, 2022
I received an advanced copy of “ The Darkest game” through Net Galley in return for an honest review.
“ The Darkest Game” begins with LAPD Homicide detectives, Oscar Morales and Tully Jarsdel being called out to the scene of a crime where they find the body of an older man. He had been shot through the head some days ago. His apartment apparently had been searched , but nothing seems to be missing. An identification is made: the corpse is that of the acquisition curator employed by a notable - and wealthy - Los Angeles Museum. The dead man was not well liked; in fact, he was vindictive, haughty with many co workers fearing him. Eventually a motive appears and it is, of course, money. Lots of it. The investigation takes the detectives to Catalina Island, where there is a gang of pirate role players, another body, ( this one killed with a musket ball , but no with shooter,) and a cast of island people living where it is always five o’ clock somewhere.
While Morales is the typical cop, loud- voiced, tough, and cynical, Tully is very different. Co-workers sometimes call him the Professor Policeman because he attended university, where studied ancient civilizations . He had started his doctoral theses then quit suddenly to join the force. The reader learns why late in the book. Tully is introverted and cerebral, often corrects other people’s facts, grammar and syntax.( and not always silently) He has secrets: namely that he has two fathers and is of Iranian descent,He is not a conversationalist but but book is filled with Tully’s thoughts, philosophical musings and ramblings. He could be low grade Asperger; in fact Morales calls him Rain Man. At times the book’s murder mystery seems to linger in the background as the author reveals more of Tully’s life, past and mind. Morales loves Catalina and it’s life style. Tully feels part and above it all. That , in a murder mystery is a dangerous way to feel.
Once the reader accepts the fact that “ The Darkest Game “ is like the main character, a bit different, the book is a good one. The climax is a stunner and the crime is solved , thanks to Tully’s insights.
Recommended : Different but enjoyable . Tully is a fascinating character, as noted. The book is G-rated, with the only real violence at the end- game. One personal note: a chapter deals with one of Tully’s two father’s deteriorating physical condition because of Cancer. Having recently been through a deathin the family, these pages were thought for me to read, so I skipped.
Otherwise, Recommended to readers who do not mind a detective story that is more introspective than usual.
“ The Darkest Game” begins with LAPD Homicide detectives, Oscar Morales and Tully Jarsdel being called out to the scene of a crime where they find the body of an older man. He had been shot through the head some days ago. His apartment apparently had been searched , but nothing seems to be missing. An identification is made: the corpse is that of the acquisition curator employed by a notable - and wealthy - Los Angeles Museum. The dead man was not well liked; in fact, he was vindictive, haughty with many co workers fearing him. Eventually a motive appears and it is, of course, money. Lots of it. The investigation takes the detectives to Catalina Island, where there is a gang of pirate role players, another body, ( this one killed with a musket ball , but no with shooter,) and a cast of island people living where it is always five o’ clock somewhere.
While Morales is the typical cop, loud- voiced, tough, and cynical, Tully is very different. Co-workers sometimes call him the Professor Policeman because he attended university, where studied ancient civilizations . He had started his doctoral theses then quit suddenly to join the force. The reader learns why late in the book. Tully is introverted and cerebral, often corrects other people’s facts, grammar and syntax.( and not always silently) He has secrets: namely that he has two fathers and is of Iranian descent,He is not a conversationalist but but book is filled with Tully’s thoughts, philosophical musings and ramblings. He could be low grade Asperger; in fact Morales calls him Rain Man. At times the book’s murder mystery seems to linger in the background as the author reveals more of Tully’s life, past and mind. Morales loves Catalina and it’s life style. Tully feels part and above it all. That , in a murder mystery is a dangerous way to feel.
Once the reader accepts the fact that “ The Darkest Game “ is like the main character, a bit different, the book is a good one. The climax is a stunner and the crime is solved , thanks to Tully’s insights.
Recommended : Different but enjoyable . Tully is a fascinating character, as noted. The book is G-rated, with the only real violence at the end- game. One personal note: a chapter deals with one of Tully’s two father’s deteriorating physical condition because of Cancer. Having recently been through a deathin the family, these pages were thought for me to read, so I skipped.
Otherwise, Recommended to readers who do not mind a detective story that is more introspective than usual.
March 30, 2022
Review of Advance Reader’s Copy
Los Angeles Police Detectives Tully Jarsdel and Oscar Morales investigate the homicide of a museum curator who worked at the Huntington Library and Gardens. After killing Dean Burken, the murderer tore the home apart, apparently in search of something, perhaps the reason for Dean’s murder.
The investigation takes the two detectives to Catalina Island where they discover their main suspect in the Burken murder has died. Soon they find themselves embroiled in an investigation that involves pirates and lost treasure.
Will they solve the mystery surrounding Dean Burken’s murder? And what of the pirates?
=========
Third in the Tully Jarsdel police procedural series, “The Darkest Game” works as a standalone for readers new to the series. An absorbing subplot involving Tully and Baba, his Iranian father, is particularly touching. The major plot, the mysterious murder of the museum curator, is complex and intriguing. Some unexpected twists come into play, giving the unfolding narrative a compelling slant that keeps the pages turning.
The characters are interesting and well-defined. Jarsdel, sometimes called the Professor Detective by fellow officers and the press [a result of his leaving his academic career to become a police officer], faces this unwarranted ridicule with characteristic stoicism, but it does seem as if this particular situation is overdue for settlement.
The combination of unique characters and the “academic mystery” behind the murder of the museum curator, creates a thought-provoking story that, while focusing on the facets of a police procedural, also examines cultural issues, making the book both consequential and informative.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley
#TheDarkestGame #NetGalley
Los Angeles Police Detectives Tully Jarsdel and Oscar Morales investigate the homicide of a museum curator who worked at the Huntington Library and Gardens. After killing Dean Burken, the murderer tore the home apart, apparently in search of something, perhaps the reason for Dean’s murder.
The investigation takes the two detectives to Catalina Island where they discover their main suspect in the Burken murder has died. Soon they find themselves embroiled in an investigation that involves pirates and lost treasure.
Will they solve the mystery surrounding Dean Burken’s murder? And what of the pirates?
=========
Third in the Tully Jarsdel police procedural series, “The Darkest Game” works as a standalone for readers new to the series. An absorbing subplot involving Tully and Baba, his Iranian father, is particularly touching. The major plot, the mysterious murder of the museum curator, is complex and intriguing. Some unexpected twists come into play, giving the unfolding narrative a compelling slant that keeps the pages turning.
The characters are interesting and well-defined. Jarsdel, sometimes called the Professor Detective by fellow officers and the press [a result of his leaving his academic career to become a police officer], faces this unwarranted ridicule with characteristic stoicism, but it does seem as if this particular situation is overdue for settlement.
The combination of unique characters and the “academic mystery” behind the murder of the museum curator, creates a thought-provoking story that, while focusing on the facets of a police procedural, also examines cultural issues, making the book both consequential and informative.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley
#TheDarkestGame #NetGalley
April 14, 2022
Marcus Tillius Jarsdal, Hollywood Homicide detective, rides again with his more experienced, more traditional partner, Oscar Morales. Things have been rather slow, so Tilly (to his friends) and Morales have been working cold cases. Then they get a case with a man murdered in his home. The place is a mess. The crime scene had been searched, but did the killer find what they were looking for?
Tully was PhD student when he had an epiphany. He wanted to make the world a little bit better than it was. He switched to police work, and brought a slightly different way of looking at people and what they do to the job. He gets called Professor due to his habit of dropping into lecture mode often. Morales has learned to tune him out when he can't head the lecture off. As different as the partners are, they have formed a fairly effective working arraignment. They are going to need both viewpoints on this case, which ultimately includes treasure maps, museums, pirates. mistaken identities and algae blooms.
In and amongst all this, Tilly's father is undergoing treatment for cancer and his other father is reconnecting with people from his days during the Iranian Revolution. All three are reexamining their relationships.
The case takes out detectives to Catalina Island. A person of interest in the first murder was killed on the island. One thing leads to another and Tully starts thinking. It doesn't go well for the bad guys when Tully starts thinking.
There were all sorts of twists and turns in this one. They seem kind of random going forward, but appear very connected looking backward. I'm not going to say the solution was a surprise, but it was well hidden. This is definitely a thinking person's police procedural.
I received the copy of the book I read for this review from the publisher via Netgalley.
Tully was PhD student when he had an epiphany. He wanted to make the world a little bit better than it was. He switched to police work, and brought a slightly different way of looking at people and what they do to the job. He gets called Professor due to his habit of dropping into lecture mode often. Morales has learned to tune him out when he can't head the lecture off. As different as the partners are, they have formed a fairly effective working arraignment. They are going to need both viewpoints on this case, which ultimately includes treasure maps, museums, pirates. mistaken identities and algae blooms.
In and amongst all this, Tilly's father is undergoing treatment for cancer and his other father is reconnecting with people from his days during the Iranian Revolution. All three are reexamining their relationships.
The case takes out detectives to Catalina Island. A person of interest in the first murder was killed on the island. One thing leads to another and Tully starts thinking. It doesn't go well for the bad guys when Tully starts thinking.
There were all sorts of twists and turns in this one. They seem kind of random going forward, but appear very connected looking backward. I'm not going to say the solution was a surprise, but it was well hidden. This is definitely a thinking person's police procedural.
I received the copy of the book I read for this review from the publisher via Netgalley.
April 20, 2022
I received a free electronic ARC of this novel from Netgalley, Joseph Schneider, and Poisoned Pen Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read The Darkest Game of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. The third book in a series featuring LAPD Detective Tully Jarsdel Mysteries, The Darkest Game is completely stand-alone. I am grateful to have had Schneider brought to my attention. He is an author I will follow.
Detective Tully is a very interesting character, a former scholar who brings his bright mind to work with him as he cruises the streets of Los Angeles. I especially loved this book because it is set for the most part in the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Check out the Bonzi trees. The Huntington is a museum my children and I love, thanks to my sister Rebecca. It's a place you can wander all day long. Throw in Catalina Island, as Schneider does, and it's the trifecta.
One of the curators of the Museum is found shot four times in the face in his home, the home was ransacked after he was shot, many antique items were blatantly destroyed, and there are no real clues. Dean Burken seems to be completely innocuous. Sixty-eight, single, no kids, no next of kin. It is only when they find his connection to the Museum that Jarsdel and Morales begin to make any sort of headway. The deeper they dig, the swampier the clues begin to seem. There are missing items gifted to the museum by ordinary people. Where have they gone? Can everyone at the museum be involved in this murder?
Netgalley
pub date April 5, 2022
received March 27, 2022
Poisoned Pen Press
Reviewed on April 20, 2022, at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and Kobo.
Detective Tully is a very interesting character, a former scholar who brings his bright mind to work with him as he cruises the streets of Los Angeles. I especially loved this book because it is set for the most part in the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Check out the Bonzi trees. The Huntington is a museum my children and I love, thanks to my sister Rebecca. It's a place you can wander all day long. Throw in Catalina Island, as Schneider does, and it's the trifecta.
One of the curators of the Museum is found shot four times in the face in his home, the home was ransacked after he was shot, many antique items were blatantly destroyed, and there are no real clues. Dean Burken seems to be completely innocuous. Sixty-eight, single, no kids, no next of kin. It is only when they find his connection to the Museum that Jarsdel and Morales begin to make any sort of headway. The deeper they dig, the swampier the clues begin to seem. There are missing items gifted to the museum by ordinary people. Where have they gone? Can everyone at the museum be involved in this murder?
Netgalley
pub date April 5, 2022
received March 27, 2022
Poisoned Pen Press
Reviewed on April 20, 2022, at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and Kobo.
May 9, 2022
I loved the first two books in this series even though I didn't like the main character - Tully. In this book, Tully's personality is pretty toned down, but overall the storyline is boring. I was very disappointed compared to the first two books. For example, the first two books featured killers who used an ancient torture method to cook people alive, and the other was an almost zombie-esqe face eating monster! The stories were gory and graphic and interesting! Then you have book three, which involved a home invasion and shooting... boring. And not a serial killer right off the bat. Even after the second victim it didn't get more interesting, because she was also killed in an overly simple type of manner that could have been featured in literally any other book or crime tv show plot. I was highly disappointed and really struggled to slug through the last third of the book and was about to give this story a 3 star review.
But the last third of the book finally got more interesting and brought the book up by a star, although the last chapter make me want to remove half of said star, but anyway.
Final thoughts: Tully was easier to read about in this book, parts of the plot were interesting but literally (lol) only in the last third of the story, and I also hated the cancer side storyline. Definitely didn't need that part of the story dragging me down because it was sad and hit way to close to home, and not in a good feels type of way.
If there is a fourth book I'll definitely read it especially now that Tully is dead because hopefully it will heat back up.
But the last third of the book finally got more interesting and brought the book up by a star, although the last chapter make me want to remove half of said star, but anyway.
Final thoughts: Tully was easier to read about in this book, parts of the plot were interesting but literally (lol) only in the last third of the story, and I also hated the cancer side storyline. Definitely didn't need that part of the story dragging me down because it was sad and hit way to close to home, and not in a good feels type of way.
If there is a fourth book I'll definitely read it especially now that Tully is dead because hopefully it will heat back up.
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