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City Dark
A vanished mother, the grip of darkness, a lifelong mystery. Forty years later, a prosecutor faces them all again, this time as a murder suspect in a pulse-pounding legal thriller of psychological suspense.
On a steaming night in 1977, New York City is plunged into darkness and two boys, Joe and Robbie, are abandoned by their mother, Lois. Forty years to the day after this unforgivable moment, Joe is a hard-drinking ADA and Lois has resurfaced: Joe wakes from another alcoholic fog to learn she’s been found murdered on a Coney Island beach.
Joe throws himself into his work, struggling to reconcile his memories of Lois with the relative stranger found by the NYPD. And when another murder hits close to home and DNA links Joe to both crimes, he sinks deeper into the abyss. Joe can’t remember a thing. His last hope as the evidence mounts against him is Aideen Bradigan, a brilliant and dogged lawyer from his past.
It will take Aideen’s drive and Joe’s own shrewd legal mind to uncover a potentially terrifying truth—and to shatter the devastating secrets that claw back to that fateful night in the dark.
On a steaming night in 1977, New York City is plunged into darkness and two boys, Joe and Robbie, are abandoned by their mother, Lois. Forty years to the day after this unforgivable moment, Joe is a hard-drinking ADA and Lois has resurfaced: Joe wakes from another alcoholic fog to learn she’s been found murdered on a Coney Island beach.
Joe throws himself into his work, struggling to reconcile his memories of Lois with the relative stranger found by the NYPD. And when another murder hits close to home and DNA links Joe to both crimes, he sinks deeper into the abyss. Joe can’t remember a thing. His last hope as the evidence mounts against him is Aideen Bradigan, a brilliant and dogged lawyer from his past.
It will take Aideen’s drive and Joe’s own shrewd legal mind to uncover a potentially terrifying truth—and to shatter the devastating secrets that claw back to that fateful night in the dark.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2022
4470 people are currently reading
6255 people want to read
About the author
Roger A. Canaff
4 books67 followers The official version is below, but I'm a hybrid (indie and traditionally published) author of legal and psychological thrillers, informed by a career in special victims prosecution.
Roger Canaff is a well-known child protection and anti-violence against women advocate, legal expert, author and public speaker. A former Special Victims prosecutor, he has devoted his legal career to the eradication of violence against women and children. He has worked as a prosecutor in Alexandria, Virginia, the Bronx, New York, and as an Assistant Attorney General with the state of New York as well as a Senior Attorney with the National District Attorneys Association, Child Abuse Unit. He has also trained U.S. Army prosecutors on Special Victims cases as a Highly Qualified Expert. He is currently a partner and consultant with Justice3D.org.
Amazon: amazon.com/author/www.rogercanaff.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rogercanaff
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rogercanaffau...
“An engaging and talented writer, Roger Canaff pens crime thrillers with an authenticity born of years of work in the field. He knows his subject and delivers with sincerity and truth.”
Edward Conlon, New York Times Bestselling Author of Blue Blood
“Roger Canaff is a master storyteller with a gift for crafting chilling, riveting story lines and complex characters. His life, career and passion for justice add rich authenticity to his craft.”
Jennifer Jaynes, USA Today Bestselling Author of Malice
Roger Canaff is a well-known child protection and anti-violence against women advocate, legal expert, author and public speaker. A former Special Victims prosecutor, he has devoted his legal career to the eradication of violence against women and children. He has worked as a prosecutor in Alexandria, Virginia, the Bronx, New York, and as an Assistant Attorney General with the state of New York as well as a Senior Attorney with the National District Attorneys Association, Child Abuse Unit. He has also trained U.S. Army prosecutors on Special Victims cases as a Highly Qualified Expert. He is currently a partner and consultant with Justice3D.org.
Amazon: amazon.com/author/www.rogercanaff.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rogercanaff
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rogercanaffau...
“An engaging and talented writer, Roger Canaff pens crime thrillers with an authenticity born of years of work in the field. He knows his subject and delivers with sincerity and truth.”
Edward Conlon, New York Times Bestselling Author of Blue Blood
“Roger Canaff is a master storyteller with a gift for crafting chilling, riveting story lines and complex characters. His life, career and passion for justice add rich authenticity to his craft.”
Jennifer Jaynes, USA Today Bestselling Author of Malice
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 384 reviews
September 18, 2022
Good mystery
I got this as a first read through Amazon prime membership. I don’t usually pick a book but when I read the summary of this it sounded really interesting and I’m so glad I picked it up. I thought it was a good mystery and I enjoyed the writing style. I’m not one who usually likes flashbacks but in this case I think they were done really well.
I got this as a first read through Amazon prime membership. I don’t usually pick a book but when I read the summary of this it sounded really interesting and I’m so glad I picked it up. I thought it was a good mystery and I enjoyed the writing style. I’m not one who usually likes flashbacks but in this case I think they were done really well.
September 3, 2022
I have mixed feelings about this one, the plot was interesting but the writing style didn't work for me. I think it would have been more interesting as a tv show or movie. Mysteries from the past intersect with the present and a man fights to defend himself again murder charges
March 28, 2022
I loved this book! It was such an amazing book! The mystery of what would happen next kept me intrigued the whole time. I could not put down the book! I recommend this book to anyone and everyone who can read!. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It was a well written book.
Thanks so much netgalley for my arc copy
Thanks so much netgalley for my arc copy
May 16, 2023
An intriguing mystery with dual timelines - 1977 and 2017 - both surrounding blackouts. The former is during a literal New York City-wide blackout and the latter is an alcohol-induced blackout (sort of).
I rate this book 3 stars. In most parts, the dark moods are well written, the characters are compelling to follow, and the story flows nicely. Unfortunately, the ending/conclusion is a bit of a letdown and feels unsolved.
I rate this book 3 stars. In most parts, the dark moods are well written, the characters are compelling to follow, and the story flows nicely. Unfortunately, the ending/conclusion is a bit of a letdown and feels unsolved.
August 21, 2023
Otro narrador alcohólico que no recuerda lo que hizo o dejó de hacer. Ya este tipo de caracterización tienen que dejarla atrás. Siempre lo mismo.
Realmente me costó mantener el interés en la historia y el final es ridículo, al nivel de una telenovela barata.
Realmente me costó mantener el interés en la historia y el final es ridículo, al nivel de una telenovela barata.
September 26, 2022
OK, this book totally stumped me. I rarely pay attention to the % read figure at the bottom of my Kindle, but I noted this one so I could report back to y'all that for the first 80% of this thriller it's pretty decent. Our protagonist is an interesting and likable guy, a functioning alcoholic attorney who has a unique back story of having been abandoned by his Mom (for reasons we never truly comprehend) during the 1977 blackout in NYC. OK, we were off to a pretty good start. But at 80% complete, the plot totally fell off the rails. I was tempted to write a review complete with spoilers so I could tell you what a ridiculous plot development showed up towards the end (so absurd and unbelievable that I actually uttered "Gimme A Break" out loud (and I was alone at the time!) But I figured if I wrote it with spoilers you might not read the review and then I wouldn't do you any favors by not alerting you to this novel's weak points. First, there were multiple POV's, not a problem in and of itself, just mildly confusing. Then there were the constant flashbacks. The good news is that even if you doin't read the dates carefully, the typeface changes so you'll know you've traveled back in time some 40 years. I found I really didn't enjoy the flashbacks as much as the present day action. They were slow moving and not very clear as to why the two boys didn't just find a cop to assist them. The story also involves a Hannibal Lecter type psychopath (no cannibalism, just a character reminiscent of Lecter in his speech and omnipotence which stretched credibility.) Some good dedicated cops and other likable supporting characters. And several not so nice. I almost got the impression that the author wrote himself into a corner and then asked "how do I get out of here? I know, I'll create a solution so out of left field that I can wrap this thing up in twenty more pages." So bottom line, I know I'm in the minority on this one, I see lots of 4 and 5 star reviews. Mine would have been one of those had the story ended at 79%. But the denouement was so outlandish, it ruined the first part of the reading experience for me.
October 6, 2022
A very frustrating read! The book begins during a blackout when Lois is taking her two boys to New York City to visit their uncle. Lois abandons the boys during a blackout in the middle of the freeway and does not return. Through a lot of twists and turns, they make their way through the dark city to their destination and are raised by their uncle. I despised the segments of the boys finding their way through New York during the pitch black night. They were completely unreal and confusing.
Fast forward. Joe's brother Robbie, who was with him when Lois abandoned them, works as a custodian of sorts at a mental facility. Joe, the "successful" brother, is an alcoholic attorney who is accused of killing his mother and his ex-girlfriend. Since he gets blackout drunk most days, so he has no memory of where he was during the times the murders were committed and feels like it's possible he murdered them. His DNA is found at both scenes. On the other hand, he has some creepy sexual offenders who are angry at him for pursuing civil commitment against them and keeping them locked up after their parole.
The book alternates from 1977 and 2017, so you get the story in frustrating back-and-forth segments. It is also completely predictable like a soap opera. ***spoiler alert*** Think maniacal criminal who has access to computers and cell phones while in jail and persuades others to do his dirty work. A n'er do-well brother with an ax to grind. A secret twin brother who has been hidden away for almost 50 years.
I couldn't wait to be finished with this book!
Fast forward. Joe's brother Robbie, who was with him when Lois abandoned them, works as a custodian of sorts at a mental facility. Joe, the "successful" brother, is an alcoholic attorney who is accused of killing his mother and his ex-girlfriend. Since he gets blackout drunk most days, so he has no memory of where he was during the times the murders were committed and feels like it's possible he murdered them. His DNA is found at both scenes. On the other hand, he has some creepy sexual offenders who are angry at him for pursuing civil commitment against them and keeping them locked up after their parole.
The book alternates from 1977 and 2017, so you get the story in frustrating back-and-forth segments. It is also completely predictable like a soap opera. ***spoiler alert*** Think maniacal criminal who has access to computers and cell phones while in jail and persuades others to do his dirty work. A n'er do-well brother with an ax to grind. A secret twin brother who has been hidden away for almost 50 years.
I couldn't wait to be finished with this book!
July 29, 2022
3,5 stars
It took me an eternity to finish this one. I can't even explain why. Normally I loose my interests if the reading process lasts too long. But it wasn't the case with City Dark. I felt connected to the characters even if I didn't spend my spare time thinking about them. I could put this book aside for weeks and pick it up again without exhaustingly trying to remember what it was about (I have to admit, it happens not very often).
Probably the reason was the solid writing that I, by all means, enjoyed. It was an interesting case, in spite of I DIDN'T like the resolution of the mystery - it was really too far-stretched and hardly credible for my taste.
***ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.***
It took me an eternity to finish this one. I can't even explain why. Normally I loose my interests if the reading process lasts too long. But it wasn't the case with City Dark. I felt connected to the characters even if I didn't spend my spare time thinking about them. I could put this book aside for weeks and pick it up again without exhaustingly trying to remember what it was about (I have to admit, it happens not very often).
Probably the reason was the solid writing that I, by all means, enjoyed. It was an interesting case, in spite of I DIDN'T like the resolution of the mystery - it was really too far-stretched and hardly credible for my taste.
***ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.***
October 1, 2022
The premise and the description of this story grabbed my attention in seconds. I was intrigued to know what happened that night, 40 years ago when his mother disappeared.
Throughout the story, I found myself a bit confused unfortunately because I felt like there were way too many voices and the switch between now and then maybe happening too fast for me to actually follow the story.
It’s a good book that many will enjoy but be prepared to maybe create your own pinboard and draw who is who and where everything goes.
NetGalley arc
Throughout the story, I found myself a bit confused unfortunately because I felt like there were way too many voices and the switch between now and then maybe happening too fast for me to actually follow the story.
It’s a good book that many will enjoy but be prepared to maybe create your own pinboard and draw who is who and where everything goes.
NetGalley arc
October 1, 2022
July 1977, New York City - Lois DeSantos and her sons Joey and Robbie get caught in a blackout that few who lived through it will ever forget. Lois abandons her sons, and their trauma begins. In July 2017, Lois turns up dead on the beach at Coney Island. Based on papers found on her, the police are able to track down her son Joe, a smart prosecutor who is an alcoholic suffering from blackouts. When a second and similar murder takes place, Joe becomes the prime suspect.
I am attracted to stories that take place in New York City and City Dark does a fine job presenting its grittiness in the 1970s. Author Roger A. Canaff has created many intriguing characters in this interesting book which spends a lot of time in Brooklyn, which was a bonus. It's a dark book that you have to be in the mood to read as it addresses difficult and depressing subject matter.
Now if I could only get The Trammps 1977 song, "Where Were You Went the Lights When Out in New York City?" out of my head!!
Rated 3.5 stars.
I am attracted to stories that take place in New York City and City Dark does a fine job presenting its grittiness in the 1970s. Author Roger A. Canaff has created many intriguing characters in this interesting book which spends a lot of time in Brooklyn, which was a bonus. It's a dark book that you have to be in the mood to read as it addresses difficult and depressing subject matter.
Now if I could only get The Trammps 1977 song, "Where Were You Went the Lights When Out in New York City?" out of my head!!
Rated 3.5 stars.
October 4, 2022
This is a tough three stars, which means that if you have anything else to read, go for it.
I don’t know if this is a spoiler or not, so read at your own peril. There’s only one reason why to read and finish this book. There’s only one mystery worthwhile of going through the entire story. But for some reason, the author has decide to not give any plausible explanation to it.
Yes. The only reason to read this books is to find out why the mother left them. Every other “mystery” in the book is totally predictable and not interesting at all. Even from the point of view of a thriller, there isn’t enough action for the story to be good enough. That’s why all your bets are with why the mother left.
The explanation given by the author, related in the book, is weak and lazy. It doesn’t matter that the book is written well. It doesn’t matter that the characters are to a certain point well developed. It doesn’t even matter any of the other things that happen, even if they weren’t predictable. At the end, the explanation has to be good. This type of resolution feels like the author thinks the reader is a fool who will go with anything. It feels like the author was in a hurry to finish up the story. This resolution makes the reader put this book in the box of forgotten stories.
Again, if you have anything else to read, go for it.
I don’t know if this is a spoiler or not, so read at your own peril. There’s only one reason why to read and finish this book. There’s only one mystery worthwhile of going through the entire story. But for some reason, the author has decide to not give any plausible explanation to it.
Yes. The only reason to read this books is to find out why the mother left them. Every other “mystery” in the book is totally predictable and not interesting at all. Even from the point of view of a thriller, there isn’t enough action for the story to be good enough. That’s why all your bets are with why the mother left.
The explanation given by the author, related in the book, is weak and lazy. It doesn’t matter that the book is written well. It doesn’t matter that the characters are to a certain point well developed. It doesn’t even matter any of the other things that happen, even if they weren’t predictable. At the end, the explanation has to be good. This type of resolution feels like the author thinks the reader is a fool who will go with anything. It feels like the author was in a hurry to finish up the story. This resolution makes the reader put this book in the box of forgotten stories.
Again, if you have anything else to read, go for it.
September 18, 2022
Finished reading: September 17th 2022
"The darker truth was that Joe didn't understand what was happening to him at all."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
September 19, 2022
Super Predictable
This was just so basic. About 4 chapters in I could guess the whole premise. It was so predictable that I thought maybe the author was trying to make it seem easy to throw you off - but no such luck.
This was just so basic. About 4 chapters in I could guess the whole premise. It was so predictable that I thought maybe the author was trying to make it seem easy to throw you off - but no such luck.
July 10, 2022
**I received a free ARC of this from NetGalley**
I really liked this! I don't usually read a lot of legal thrillers/police procedurals, but the backdrop of the 1977 blackout intrigued me. I'm glad I picked this up! City Dark kept me guessing and kept my attention well past my bedtime. The characters were likable despite their flaws, and I loved that the book featured a diverse cast of characters who were all well-developed rather than just caricatures meant to represent different groups. I'll be checking out other book by Roger Canaff in the future.
I really liked this! I don't usually read a lot of legal thrillers/police procedurals, but the backdrop of the 1977 blackout intrigued me. I'm glad I picked this up! City Dark kept me guessing and kept my attention well past my bedtime. The characters were likable despite their flaws, and I loved that the book featured a diverse cast of characters who were all well-developed rather than just caricatures meant to represent different groups. I'll be checking out other book by Roger Canaff in the future.
February 15, 2023
writing isn't easy. it takes a lot to actually finish a book, and i'm always impressed when someone manages to see it through. but sometimes it sucks and that's okay
next day edit: i've had some time to think about how to expand on this, and i want to start by saying that it's not that canaff is a bad writer. there's a lot that's good as a foundation for the story and characters but he doesn't capitalize enough on the suspense necessary for the genre to work. i don't believe predictability means a story is inherently bad but there's little stakes from the jump and so it makes it a bit difficult to get into the main character's head as he wonders if he committed the crimes. the blackout-drunk-i-don't-remember shtick would just work better with a more limited POV; jumping around so often and seeing too much kills the suspense and never allowed me to get fully immersed. i also wished more time was spent in '77 and about how the abandonment affected both siblings, since it's just an intricate, driving force of the narrative, but it feels almost as if the flashbacks were a second thought instead of intended to be present from the beginning, which is a problem.
there's also the feeling that the characters just aren't... real. there were some chapters were i forgot whose perspective we were supposed to be in and had to backtrack to figure it out. there's not a lot of distinct personalities and in a cast that could really be so diverse, it's just disappointing that everything reads so flatly.
my biggest issue really is one of the death scenes, and the complete sexualization of a woman in death. it's not done for any larger narrative purpose to comment on the treatment of women; it's just blatant sexualization for the hell of it. there's obviously a lot of influence from 70s/80s thrillers in the narrative but we could've done without the sexism inherent from the genre being included
next day edit: i've had some time to think about how to expand on this, and i want to start by saying that it's not that canaff is a bad writer. there's a lot that's good as a foundation for the story and characters but he doesn't capitalize enough on the suspense necessary for the genre to work. i don't believe predictability means a story is inherently bad but there's little stakes from the jump and so it makes it a bit difficult to get into the main character's head as he wonders if he committed the crimes. the blackout-drunk-i-don't-remember shtick would just work better with a more limited POV; jumping around so often and seeing too much kills the suspense and never allowed me to get fully immersed. i also wished more time was spent in '77 and about how the abandonment affected both siblings, since it's just an intricate, driving force of the narrative, but it feels almost as if the flashbacks were a second thought instead of intended to be present from the beginning, which is a problem.
there's also the feeling that the characters just aren't... real. there were some chapters were i forgot whose perspective we were supposed to be in and had to backtrack to figure it out. there's not a lot of distinct personalities and in a cast that could really be so diverse, it's just disappointing that everything reads so flatly.
my biggest issue really is one of the death scenes, and the complete sexualization of a woman in death. it's not done for any larger narrative purpose to comment on the treatment of women; it's just blatant sexualization for the hell of it. there's obviously a lot of influence from 70s/80s thrillers in the narrative but we could've done without the sexism inherent from the genre being included
dnf
January 31, 2025January 28-30, 2025: DNF @ 38%
This was my C selection for my A-Z challenge. I’m really trying not to DNF those, but I’m failing miserably. My intention was to choose books that have been sitting unread on my kindle instead of borrowing new ones from KU. This was a free Kindle Firsts selection I chose a while back.
I must’ve known that this was about an alcoholic attorney who finds himself af the center of a case involving the murders of people he knows or used to know. The blurb is clear about that. I don’t enjoy reading about people who suffer with alcoholism because it hits too close to home. For whatever reason, I obviously thought it would be okay to make an exception here. Maybe it would’ve been okay, but I am finding that this book moves way too slowly for me.
The author is very knowledgeable of the legal system because he is a former prosecutor. At times I felt like things were too technical. I did like that the chapters were short because that tends to move the story forward more quickly. However, there was so much jumping around from person to person and past to present that I just wanted things to progress. To the contrary, it felt like they were stagnating. Perhaps if things had just been told solely from the drunkard attorney’s POV I would have found it more interesting. But he kept blacking out and not remembering things for days or knowing how he ended up in certain places.
I tried, but there were far too many POVs and jumping back and forth for my liking.
**I want to make it clear that I wasn’t confused while reading, I just felt like that stuff made the story drag.**
This was my C selection for my A-Z challenge. I’m really trying not to DNF those, but I’m failing miserably. My intention was to choose books that have been sitting unread on my kindle instead of borrowing new ones from KU. This was a free Kindle Firsts selection I chose a while back.
I must’ve known that this was about an alcoholic attorney who finds himself af the center of a case involving the murders of people he knows or used to know. The blurb is clear about that. I don’t enjoy reading about people who suffer with alcoholism because it hits too close to home. For whatever reason, I obviously thought it would be okay to make an exception here. Maybe it would’ve been okay, but I am finding that this book moves way too slowly for me.
The author is very knowledgeable of the legal system because he is a former prosecutor. At times I felt like things were too technical. I did like that the chapters were short because that tends to move the story forward more quickly. However, there was so much jumping around from person to person and past to present that I just wanted things to progress. To the contrary, it felt like they were stagnating. Perhaps if things had just been told solely from the drunkard attorney’s POV I would have found it more interesting. But he kept blacking out and not remembering things for days or knowing how he ended up in certain places.
I tried, but there were far too many POVs and jumping back and forth for my liking.
**I want to make it clear that I wasn’t confused while reading, I just felt like that stuff made the story drag.**
May 26, 2023
Not much to say about this. Not particularly good nor bad. Just okay. 3 stars.
October 10, 2022
Well that was a rollercoaster! I never thought my suspicions were wrong. All the clues dropped in the story pointed in one direction, the question was how do they all fit together...
September 8, 2022
not exactly a legal thriller, just a bunch of lawyers getting mixed up in hideous crimes.
but interesting, nevertheless, with some good characters and scenes.
NYC is the setting with boroughs and a ferry ride.
not much of a mystery, either, in the sense that we have no clues to work out on our own.
OK read.
but interesting, nevertheless, with some good characters and scenes.
NYC is the setting with boroughs and a ferry ride.
not much of a mystery, either, in the sense that we have no clues to work out on our own.
OK read.
October 3, 2022
Did Joe kill his mother and one other person? The proof seems convincing, and even Joe doesn’t know because he’s an alcoholic who has blackouts. The plot goes back and forth between the time Joe and his brother Robbie were abandoned by their mother when Joe was 10. He’s raised by his gay uncle. In the present Joe’s mother, who Joe supposedly hasn’t seen in 40 years is murdered and Joe becomes the prime suspect.
There’s plenty of things wrong with this book. First, the characterizations are weak. The uncle loves Joe, he’s gay, but not open about it, he’s kind. That’s it. We don’t know much more about him. Joe is an alcoholic, a good prosecutor, honest. That’s about it for him. The very angry Robbie, who goes his own way shortly after he’s abandoned, is just a little more interesting. But no one else is including the irresponsible mother.
The book is wordy with lots of details about tedious things. The part of the plot that takes place in the past is especially boring. Unfortunately, the main device that finally helps resolve the plot is what I would call a deus ex machina. And the mystery of why the murders take place and who’s involved in them is not very mysterious.
The story was at times interesting, but on the whole this is a very so so book.
There’s plenty of things wrong with this book. First, the characterizations are weak. The uncle loves Joe, he’s gay, but not open about it, he’s kind. That’s it. We don’t know much more about him. Joe is an alcoholic, a good prosecutor, honest. That’s about it for him. The very angry Robbie, who goes his own way shortly after he’s abandoned, is just a little more interesting. But no one else is including the irresponsible mother.
The book is wordy with lots of details about tedious things. The part of the plot that takes place in the past is especially boring. Unfortunately, the main device that finally helps resolve the plot is what I would call a deus ex machina. And the mystery of why the murders take place and who’s involved in them is not very mysterious.
The story was at times interesting, but on the whole this is a very so so book.
February 13, 2023
A life can be lived in the dark and one day just turn upside down. The strong survive. This is a story of survival.
September 25, 2022
had potential- found a lot of repetition and the ending was unsatisfactory
September 12, 2022
This one is a "keeper"
This is a extremely well written book, with a deeply thought out plot. It turned into one of those reeds that you just can't put down ...Before I knew it I was still reading til 5:30am..This is a sensational story, one that I highly recommend!...
This is a extremely well written book, with a deeply thought out plot. It turned into one of those reeds that you just can't put down ...Before I knew it I was still reading til 5:30am..This is a sensational story, one that I highly recommend!...
October 5, 2022
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this book until an unknown twin brother entered the picture. Really? How likely is it that someone doesn’t know he has a twin brother? Plus it bothered me that the detectives somehow knew that Robby was involved in the murders, when there were no clues pointing to him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2022
Good mystery.
December 17, 2022
“City Dark: A Thriller” by Roger Canaff is an excellent legal thriller set in New York City in July 1977 and 2017.
On the hot, muggy, storm-filled night of July 13, 1977, the City of New York experiences a total blackout. Driving along the West Side Highway, single mother Lois DeSantos and her two young boys run out of gas. Leaving Robbie and Joe in the car, Lois goes for help. She never comes back.
Now, 40 years later, Joseph DeSantos is a respected Assistant Attorney General litigating the commitment of sex offenders to state mental health facilities. He’s also a raging alcoholic, high functioning most of the time, but occasionally subject to blackouts.
When an apparently homeless Lois is found murdered on the beach at Coney Island, Joe can’t say positively that it’s his mother because it's been such a very long time since he’s seen her. But he does have a foggy recollection of seeing this woman only recently. He just can’t remember where or when or why. Nor can he explain a certain pair of sandy shoes in his garage or how the Reggie Jackson baseball card he gave to his mother on the night of the blackout is now in his possession.
“City Dark” couldn’t be a more appropriate title. The novel is exceedingly dark, dealing as it does with murder, rape, alcoholism, child abandonment, pedophilia, mental illness, and homelessness. But it’s so very well written. The prose and dialogue are descriptive and believable. Chapters are short and to the point and move the story along at a brisk pace. And the research is first-rate, especially in terms of police and legal procedure, what it means to be a high-functioning alcoholic, and even what New York City was like in the summer of 1977 and on the night of the blackout.
Also impressive are the characters Mr. Canaff has created, especially Joe DeSantos. Yes, he’s deeply flawed. But we care about him, even with those flaws, because he never stops trying to do the right thing, even when he doesn’t want to.
And the mystery is so absorbing. What happened to Lois that night? How did she come to be homeless? Who murdered her and why? Did Joe have anything to do with it? And will he be able to “turn the page” regarding his alcoholism and find a fulfilling life?
Prior to “City Dark,” I’d never read anything by Mr. Canaff. But based on what I've read so far, I look forward to reading his previous and future works.
On the hot, muggy, storm-filled night of July 13, 1977, the City of New York experiences a total blackout. Driving along the West Side Highway, single mother Lois DeSantos and her two young boys run out of gas. Leaving Robbie and Joe in the car, Lois goes for help. She never comes back.
Now, 40 years later, Joseph DeSantos is a respected Assistant Attorney General litigating the commitment of sex offenders to state mental health facilities. He’s also a raging alcoholic, high functioning most of the time, but occasionally subject to blackouts.
When an apparently homeless Lois is found murdered on the beach at Coney Island, Joe can’t say positively that it’s his mother because it's been such a very long time since he’s seen her. But he does have a foggy recollection of seeing this woman only recently. He just can’t remember where or when or why. Nor can he explain a certain pair of sandy shoes in his garage or how the Reggie Jackson baseball card he gave to his mother on the night of the blackout is now in his possession.
“City Dark” couldn’t be a more appropriate title. The novel is exceedingly dark, dealing as it does with murder, rape, alcoholism, child abandonment, pedophilia, mental illness, and homelessness. But it’s so very well written. The prose and dialogue are descriptive and believable. Chapters are short and to the point and move the story along at a brisk pace. And the research is first-rate, especially in terms of police and legal procedure, what it means to be a high-functioning alcoholic, and even what New York City was like in the summer of 1977 and on the night of the blackout.
Also impressive are the characters Mr. Canaff has created, especially Joe DeSantos. Yes, he’s deeply flawed. But we care about him, even with those flaws, because he never stops trying to do the right thing, even when he doesn’t want to.
And the mystery is so absorbing. What happened to Lois that night? How did she come to be homeless? Who murdered her and why? Did Joe have anything to do with it? And will he be able to “turn the page” regarding his alcoholism and find a fulfilling life?
Prior to “City Dark,” I’d never read anything by Mr. Canaff. But based on what I've read so far, I look forward to reading his previous and future works.
May 5, 2023
The story begins in 1977 where Joe, Robbie, and their mother, Lois, are in a car together. The lights in New York go out. Around the same time Lois runs out of gas. She tells the boys to stay in the car while she tries to get some gas and returns. Lois never returns. The story then flashes forward for 2017 where Lois’s body is discovered by a homeless person on Coney Island Beach. From there the investigation begins and the story continues flopping back and forth between what happened in 1977 and present day 2017. Older Joe is a functioning alcoholic lawyer. The case of his mother and other additional murders get pinned on him. Aideen, another lawyer, takes the case. Does she have what it takes to save Joe? Who is behind these murders?
I chose this crime thriller from Amazon First Reads. But I decided to delete it and then download it through Kindle Unlimited so that I could listen to the audiobook instead. The narrator was really good! I appreciated all of the different voices and accents of all of the many characters in this book. Well done!
Aideen and her daughter were my favorite characters. Aideen was very smart and tenacious with the case, and I loved how she talked out problems with her daughter. I liked hearing each chapter begin with the date and time. I felt like I was watching an episode of Law and Order. It was refreshing to listen to a genre I don’t normally go for.
I chose this crime thriller from Amazon First Reads. But I decided to delete it and then download it through Kindle Unlimited so that I could listen to the audiobook instead. The narrator was really good! I appreciated all of the different voices and accents of all of the many characters in this book. Well done!
Aideen and her daughter were my favorite characters. Aideen was very smart and tenacious with the case, and I loved how she talked out problems with her daughter. I liked hearing each chapter begin with the date and time. I felt like I was watching an episode of Law and Order. It was refreshing to listen to a genre I don’t normally go for.
September 14, 2022
Well, this was a pleasant surprise. I never read anything from this author, but if I see he has written something in the future, I'll be sure to read it.
This was a pretty interesting story, weaving together the power blackout in NYC of 1977 with what is going on 40 years later in the lives of the boys whose lives were affected in 1977.
The good guys were likeable and the bad guys were despicable, nothing vague about that. The more ambiguous characters, Lois and Robbie, well, they were easy to believe in light of their pasts. And I do appreciate a 'happy'(?) ending -- or should I say justice apparently done.
This was a pretty interesting story, weaving together the power blackout in NYC of 1977 with what is going on 40 years later in the lives of the boys whose lives were affected in 1977.
The good guys were likeable and the bad guys were despicable, nothing vague about that. The more ambiguous characters, Lois and Robbie, well, they were easy to believe in light of their pasts. And I do appreciate a 'happy'(?) ending -- or should I say justice apparently done.
September 16, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, my first by Roger Canaff. I received it recently as part of Amazon "First Reads" and thought it was excellent in terms of its interesting characters, credible dialogue, criminal intrigue, suspense with twists, and overall story telling. Although the protagonist was a lawyer, assisted by other defense attorneys, I wouldn't label it a legal thriller in that there was little, if any, courtroom procedure/drama. I will definitely seek out other novels by Mr. Canaff...
September 18, 2022
The complicated story of an alcoholic man with a childhood full of loss.
The plot is well crafted and demonstrates how many agencies and police departments work hand in hand in the boroughs of New York City in a very positive way to solve crimes and help people. The main characters hang on to hope, even in the face of one character who is truly evil.
The plot is well crafted and demonstrates how many agencies and police departments work hand in hand in the boroughs of New York City in a very positive way to solve crimes and help people. The main characters hang on to hope, even in the face of one character who is truly evil.
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