Dan Walsh has been a favorite of my book club for years, having read his many novels in which relationships are the focus. My friend Carrie has been urging me to read Walsh’s suspense novels, knowing that is one of my preferred genres. While When Night Comes may be a departure from Walsh’s usual fiction, it captured my imagination from the beginning. Combining his deft storytelling with page-turning action, Walsh has created a book I really loved.

When Night Comes is set in a college town in North Georgia. Known for its military history program, it is no wonder that alumnus and darling of the lecture circuit, Jack Turner has returned to be a guest lecturer. But from the first pages the reader knows there is something very sinister going on in this town. Jack really isn’t much of an amateur sleuth, but he falls into a mind-bending situation which just calls for more investigation. The reader is let in on what is going on before Jack gets a handle on the situation, but surprises still abound. My husband read this book too, and found Jack to be a bit of a doofus. I prefer to think of him as a bit naive as to people’s evil motives and machinations. I overlooked Jack’s shortcomings, because I thought the suspense was spot on. However, my favorite thing about When Night Comes is the way Walsh took Jack and the reader right into the action of historical events. The experiences Jack had were masterfully detailed and researched. You don’t have to be a history buff to appreciate the scenes that were created.

When Night Comes is the first of the Jack Turner novels, and I have already read book 2, Remembering Dresden. I am looking forward to more adventures with Jack.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(I purchased this book from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

Dan keeps you wanting to know more with each page. Very historical and mystery besides. ( )

I was quite impressed with my first Dan Walsh novel. It was well written, although a bit predictable, but with interesting characters and certainly an intriguing premise. Walsh has a way of laying out the storyline in a clear and concise manner with plenty of unexpected revelations throughout. There were well-researched historical scenes built around World War II events, including Pearl Harbor, and the Doolittle raid of Tokyo.

Not all is what it appears as the story unfolds ---

Jack Turner was returning to Culpepper, his alma mater, as a lecturer on Pearl Harbor. He was looking for a diversion from his life and looking forward to making progress on his new book. Somehow Jack finds himself traveling back in time to 1941 to that fateful day in Pearl Harbor and the Doolittle raid of Tokyo.

Professor Thomas Thornton is Jack’s former mentor and the person responsible for Jack being at Culpepper. The Professor faces many difficult choices throughout as secrets begin to unfold.

Rachel Cook is a sweet, likeable character that works as a teaching assistant in the political science department. Her teenage crush for Jack has never gone away, but has gotten stronger since they reconnected.

The character of Nigel Avery, the villain, is shadowy, violent and relentless. He excelled at surveillance. He is hired to watch the Professor.

Sergeant Joe Boyd – Culpepper, Georgia seemed like a better place to raise his family – nothing bad seemed to ever happen here. He left the excitement of being a homicide detective in the Pittsburg PD. I was somewhat disappointed in this character, as he seemed to shirk his responsibilities.

The last third of the book has a crescendo of suspense that kept me flipping the pages. It is the perfect choice for readers looking for suspense, historical events, and a touch of romance. My rating is 4.5 stars. ( )

Title: When Night Comes
Author: Dan Walsh
Pages: 346
Year: 2014
Publisher: Bainbridge Press
My rating is 5+ out of 5 stars.
What a thriller! I have read other works of Dan Walsh and enjoyed them too. When I saw the cover of When Night Comes, I must say I was highly intrigued! Then when I began reading, wow! The story can be called mystery, thriller, suspense and high octane tension and all of that would be true! Set in a small town, an upscale private college a student turns up dead, but one look at the victim and it is easy to see something weird is going on!
The further I read the book the deeper the mystery became along with a higher body count. The test subjects, though they didn’t know they were being sued, had dreams that were very lifelike. In fact, they could recall everything they experienced no matter how horrifying, scary or weird it felt. The only person who could attest to the drugs effect was a well-known author who was on campus to give some lectures on history as well as finish his latest novel. What he got was more than he bargained for with a possible romance so different from his last experience.
When Night Comes kept my eyes glued to the pages as action ramped up and the wonder of how the mystery would be solved was drawing closer. Part of the cast of characters was former agency man and a doctor who not only forgot his Hippocratic Oath but only saw the end result in dollar signs; no one else mattered.
The hardest part about finishing a great story like this is just that, the end. I have no idea what Dan Walsh plans next or is working on currently, but I hope he brings on more suspense type tales that engage the reader as thoroughly as this one did. The interesting part was when Jack, who was the lecturer/author, would dream it was always in the WWII era. History has a way of coming alive for those of us who weren’t around when it happened and reading it in a novel is a little more exciting than simply a textbook. So please don’t pass up this wonderful work of fiction! It captivates without scaring the audience. I don’t want to be scared; I want to be drawn in to the tale and then share what I think with other readers. If you know of someone who likes mysteries, history or even suspense books, here is one to give as a gift because they won’t be disappointed!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” ( )