This book was just okay. I don't much care for serial murder mysteries, because usually there's no mystery, just suspense. ( )

I'm going to try this series. This was a serial killer suspense; which I'm not crazy about; the character are okay. We'll see. ( )

Darker than Night by John Lutz.
This was an author that I had never heard of until he was recommended to me by another reader. From the very first page I was intrigued, and in some cases, horrified by what was happening.
The book centres on a serial killer known only as The Night Prowler by the police, with his reasons for slaying couples being hidden well by the author, revealing little by little as the book develops.
Frank Quinn is a disgraced NYPD cop brought back to look almost independently at the work of this killer by Harley Renz, Assistant Chief of Police. Renz has his eyes on the top job, as does Vince Egan, who also wants to keep Quinn out of things for reasons of his own. Quinn is given the services of his former colleague, Fedderman, and his new sidekick, Pearl Kasner.
A number of couples are murdered with the methodology gradually becoming clearer. Also involved is a removal man with sadistic sexual tendencies, a back story in Kansas with the runaway son of an executed murderer, a psychologist attempting to deal with a client who tells her very little, and an alleged rape by Quinn.
Lutz handles these different facets of his story very cleverly with the reader feeling almost as though they are a fly on the wall in each scene. Emotions of characters are fully explored, with the puzzlement of some of the intended victims adding to the tension of the story.
Needless to say the ending is very satisfactory, although the perpetrator’s identity did take me by surprise, especially as the seeds sown by the author had me believing that it was another character entirely.
Very clever, very crafty, very well crafted.
4.5 stars.

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A serial killer, The Night Prowler, is murdering married couples in their kitchens. He leaves gifts for the wife that she thinks are being left by the husband as a deadly game of cat and mouse is played out to the final conclussion. Assistant Chief of Police Harley Renz, with a chance for the top job, feels Frank Quinn can solve the case and brings him on as a civilian consultant. Frank feels he has a chance to redeem himself and get his job back. A win-win situation that is not all that it seems. The back story of the "Night Prowler," himself, is intriguingly planted throughout the book, shading the edges and giving it depth.

Their is some romance. The relationship between Quinn and Pearl worked well - their similarities brought them together and you feel sure that the very same thing will drive them apart at some point. I thought John Lutz developed their characters and their relationship very well. I also liked the the story line in general, but found it to be a bit repetitive, with every crime being virtually identical. I thought there was room for some slight variations on the part of the killer to provide measured clues that would move the story along a bit. I also was frustrated with the way Quinn's "brothers in blue" so unquestionably abandoned him. The entire case was given to these three maligned individuals, Quinn, Pearl and Fedderman, with little or no support from the NYPD. Other than those minor details, Darkrer Than Night provided all the anticipated suspense, chills, and intrigue that you would expect from this novel.


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If you have read any of Lutz's books with Quinn, Pearl, and Fedderman you probably already know a little about their relationships. This story starts off with the first time they team up to solve serial murders in New York. The characters are a little shallow in places but the mystery is worth putting up with them. Some of the relationships seem a bit illogical and reactions a tad unbelievable. But as always Lutz has created a fascinating protagonist. My only complaint is one I have with both of the books I've read by Lutz; he rushes the ending. There are the usual surprising plot twists but even with that the story seems to be hurried along. I can still recommend "Darker Than Night" because it is creative and it did hold my interest. [b:Darker Than Night|849197|Darker Than Night (Frank Quinn, #1)|John Lutz|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1387959988s/849197.jpg|506660] ( )