Author:Clive Cussler,Justin Scott
Private Detective Isaac Bell crosses some of America's harshest terrain in pursuit of the most twisted killer yet, in the latest action-packed historical blockbuster from Sunday Times bestseller Clive Cussler.
Women are being brutally murdered all over America . . . it's going to take an extraordinary mind to uncover the truth before it's too late.
The year is 1911. Chief Investigator Isaac Bell of the Van Dorn Detective Agency has had many extraordinary cases before. But none quite like this.
Hired to find a young woman named Anna Pape who ran away from home to become an actress, Bell gets a shock when her murdered body turns up instead. Vowing to bring the killer to justice, he begins a manhunt which leads him into increasingly more alarming territory. Anna Pape was not alone in her fate - petite young blonde women like Anna are being murdered in cities across America.
And the pattern goes beyond the physical resemblance of the victims - there are disturbing familiarities about the killings themselves that send a chill through even a man as experienced with evil as Bell. If he is right about his fears, then he is on the trail of one of the greatest monsters of his time.
The latest action-packed historical blockbuster featuring Isaac Bell, from Sunday Times bestseller Clive Cussler. Women are being brutally murdered all over America . . . it's going to take an extraordinary mind to uncover the truth before it's too late
—— from publisher's descriptionPraise for Clive Cussler
—— -Cussler is hard to beat
—— Daily MailThe guy I read
—— Tom ClancyThe Adventure King
—— Sunday ExpressJust about the best in the business
—— New York PostOceanography's answer to Indiana Jones. Exotic locations, ruthless villains, and many narrow escapes - Cussler's fans come for swashbuckling and he delivers
—— Associated PressNobody does it better . . . nobody!
—— Stephen CoontsRaw, psychological, disturbing. The Owl Always Hunts at Night, the new thriller by Samuel Bjork, is one of those reads you just can’t stop thinking about . . . a great thriller, a novel that leaves you with a sense of confusion and anxiety, a discomfort because of what humanity is capable of.
—— Il Giallista (Italy)Superb . . . Chilling . . . and establishes her as a great tragic heroine of modern detective fiction
—— Joan Smith , Crime Book of the Month, Sunday TimesOutstanding series debut . . . builds to its stunning conclusion, one of the more remarkable in recent crime fiction
—— Publishers WeeklyThe Darkness melds an insightful character study with a solid plot for an outstanding novel
—— Washington PostThe perfect territory for mystery [writers]
—— New York TimesExtraordinary, the three books in that series are all amazing . . . very moving all the way through
—— Ian RankinIt's shockingly sinister and has an ending that will leave you, literally, gasping for breath
—— CrimesquadThe ending really took my breath away and that's hard for writers to do to me these days . . . It was a complete surprise and I should have seen it coming and I didn't. [Hulda] is a fantastic, complex 3D character and I want to see more of her, so hurray, this is the first of a three book series
—— Ian Rankin on the Simon Mayo PodcastThe Darkness will have you burning the midnight oil till 2:00am. It's a gloriously compelling yarn, whose spell continues to hold even when you've turned its final page thanks to its unexpected ending. I can't wait for his next
—— Reader reviewExpertly plotted, with an ending that's a true shocker, The Darkness is the first book in a trilogy featuring this engaging investigator, which is good news
—— Book of the Month, GuardianChilling - a must-read
—— Peter JamesPage-turning stuff with an unexpected ending!
—— James Swallow, bestselling author of NomadWas gripped from the start of this brilliantly told story. And left wide-eyed with shock at the ending
—— Fiona Barton, bestselling author of The WidowA true masterpiece . . . a plot full of twists and turns and an ending that leaves you gasping for air
—— Yrsa SigurðardóttirAs chilling as the nip in the Icelandic air
—— Choice MagazineCrime fiction has never seen a character quite like Hulda Hermannsdóittir; nor a series launch so entirely willing to take risks and obliterate long-standing tropes . . . There is no doubt that The Darkness will rank as one of the most popular and powerful reading experiences of the year
—— Bolo Books ReviewBreathtaking. Read it in two sittings. Yet another instant Ragnar Jonasson classic
—— Thomas Enger, bestselling author of the Henning Juul seriesThe Darkness is a bullet train of a novel, at once blazingly contemporary and Agatha-Christie old-fashioned. With prose as pure and crisp as Reykjavik snowcrust, Ragnar Jónasson navigates the treacherous narrative with a veteran's hand. I reached the end with adrenalized anticipation, the final twist hitting me in the face. I dare you not to be shocked.
—— Gregg HurwitzThe Darkness is Ragnar Jonasson at the top of his game - deft plotting, a great central character and a story as chilling as the Icelandic winter. I couldn't put it down
—— William Ryan, author of The Holy ThiefIt had an intense, visceral sense of place and the connection between the emotional lives of the character and the landscape was evoked beautifully
—— Helen Callaghan, bestselling author of Dear AmyIt will get your pulse racing, and keep you hooked to the last page
—— Simon Kernick of The Bone Field seriesMagnificently dark and twisted and that ending - blimey!
—— C. J. Tudor, bestselling author of The Chalk ManPraise for Ragnar Jónasson
—— -Jónasson is an automatic must-read for me . . . possibly the best Scandi writer working today
—— Lee ChildAs chilling as the nip in the Icelandic air
—— Choice MagazineSuperb. . . chilling . . . This is the first volume in Jonasson's Hidden Iceland trilogy, which tells Hulda's story in reverse chronological order and establishes her as one of the great tragic heroines of contemporary detective fiction
—— Sunday Times Crime Book of the MonthExpertly plotted, with an ending that's a true shocker, The Darkness is the first book in a trilogy featuring this engaging investigator, which is good news
—— The GuardianMagnificently dark and twisted! That ending - blimey!
—— C. J. Tudor, bestselling author of The Chalk ManA sympathetic yet entirely unsentimental portrait of a flawed but decent detective seeking justice for a murdered Russian asylum seeker
—— Sunday Times Crime ClubIt will get your pulse racing and keep you hooked to the last page
Crime fiction has never seen a character quite like Hulda Hermannsdóittir; nor a series launch so entirely willing to take risks and obliterate long-standing tropes . . . There is no doubt that The Darkness will rank as one of the most popular and powerful reading experiences of the year.
—— BOLO Books ReviewThe Darkness is a bullet train of a novel, at once blazingly contemporary and Agatha-Christie old-fashioned. With prose as pure and crisp as Reykjavik snowcrust, Ragnar Jónasson navigates the treacherous narrative with a veteran's hand. I reached the end with adrenalized anticipation, the final twist hitting me in the face. I dare you not to be shocked
—— Gregg Hurwitz , Sunday Times bestselling author of Orphan XThe Darkness is Ragnar Jónasson at the top of his game - deft plotting, a great central character and a story as chilling as the Icelandic winter. I couldn't put it down
—— William Ryan , author of The Holy ThiefAnother masterpiece from the King of Icelandic Noir
—— Thomas Enger , bestselling author of the Henning Juul seriesUnbearably sinister
—— Helen Callaghan, bestselling author of Dear AmyThe Darkness is a true masterpiece of a crime novel, introducing an original protagonist, a plot full of twists and turns and an ending that leaves you gasping for air
—— Yrsa Sigurðardóttir , author of the bestselling Thora Gudmundsdottir crime seriesPraise for Ragnar Jónasson
—— -No country associated with the label Nordic noir is as bleak, cold, snowy and empty as Iceland. And no crime writer portrays those elements as evocatively and scarily as Ragnar Jonasson
—— The TimesA classic crime story seen through a uniquely Icelandic lens... first rate and highly recommended
—— Lee Child, on , SnowblindA modern take on Agatha Christie--style mystery, as twisty as any slalom . . .
—— Ian Rankin, on , SnowblindRagnar Jónasson writes with a chilling, poetic beauty - a must-read addition to the growing canon of Iceland Noir
—— Peter JamesDistinctive blend of Nordic noir and golden age detective fiction...atmospheric...economical and evocative prose
—— The Guardian on NightblindSeductive ... an old-fashioned murder mystery with a strong central character and the fascinating background of a small Icelandic town cut off by snow. Ragnar does claustrophobia beautifully
—— Ann CleevesThe ending hits the reader like a kick in the stomach
—— FRÉTTATIMINN ****Jonasson's books have breathed new life into Nordic noir ...all the skilful plotting of an old-fashioned whodunit although it feels bitingly contemporary in setting and tone
—— Sunday ExpressHulda Hermannsdottir is a welcome addition to the selection of Icelandic crime fiction protagonists . . . It is almost impossible to put the book down until the last word has been read
—— Fréttablaðið ****Out of all of Ragnar's books, this is the one I like the most . . . The book of his which reminds me most of Agatha Christie
—— Kiljan, on The IslandThe threads lie in various places, the plot is well woven and the pieces in the puzzle come together well in the end. The structure is good, the main characters are believable, the story flows well, everyone is a suspect á la Agatha Christie and the solution unveils the mystery and leads the readers to the truth. But not all the truth, as some things are better left hidden
—— Morgunbladid (Icelandic newspaper)A very good book, gripping and interesting, with all the threads carefully managed. Hopefully the author will publish as many books as possible with lead character Hulda
—— Vikan Magazine, on The Island