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The Dark Room
Gavin Cain, an SFPD homicide inspector, is in the middle of an exhumation when his phone rings. San Francisco’s mayor is being blackmailed and has ordered Cain back to the city; a helicopter is on its way. The casket, and Cain’s cold-case investigation, must wait.At City Hall, the mayor shows Cain four photographs he’s received: the first, an unforgettable blonde; the second, pills and handcuffs on a nightstand; the third, the woman drinking from a flask; and last, the woman naked, unconscious, and shackled to a bed. The accompanying letter is straightforward: worse revelations are on the way unless the mayor takes his own life first.
An intricately plotted, deeply affecting thriller that keeps readers guessing until the final pages, The Dark Room tracks Cain as he hunts for the blackmailer, pitching him into the web of destruction and devotion the mayor casts in his shadow.
An intricately plotted, deeply affecting thriller that keeps readers guessing until the final pages, The Dark Room tracks Cain as he hunts for the blackmailer, pitching him into the web of destruction and devotion the mayor casts in his shadow.
294 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 2017
97 people are currently reading
2,381 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Moore
9books339followersJonathan Moore is an Edgar Award and Hammett Prize nominated author of six novels.
His third novel, THE POISON ARTIST, was a selection of the BBC Radio 2 Book Club. His novel THE NIGHT MARKET was optioned as a feature film by Amazon Studios and Mandeville Films, and his books have been translated into 12 languages.
Before graduating from law school in New Orleans, he lived in Taiwan for three years, guided whitewater raft trips on the Rio Grande, and worked as an investigator for a criminal defense attorney in Washington, D.C. He has also been an English teacher, a bar owner, a counselor at a wilderness camp for juvenile delinquents, and a textbook writer.
Connect with Jonathan on Facebook at .
His third novel, THE POISON ARTIST, was a selection of the BBC Radio 2 Book Club. His novel THE NIGHT MARKET was optioned as a feature film by Amazon Studios and Mandeville Films, and his books have been translated into 12 languages.
Before graduating from law school in New Orleans, he lived in Taiwan for three years, guided whitewater raft trips on the Rio Grande, and worked as an investigator for a criminal defense attorney in Washington, D.C. He has also been an English teacher, a bar owner, a counselor at a wilderness camp for juvenile delinquents, and a textbook writer.
Connect with Jonathan on Facebook at .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
March 4, 2017
I'll be honest, after seeing the widely varied reviews of I wasn't sure what to expect of Moore's latest book. I originally passed on reviewing TPA because I was overwhelmed with other requests I'd committed to and, unfortunately let those reviews sway my decision. Even though that book was a 180 from , I still would like to go back and read it as I was highly impressed with his form of storytelling and writing style. Most of my ŷ buds are aware of my deep love of police procedurals and my constant search for the very best ones; if you are a fellow lover of the sub-genre of crime fiction please pick this up. I can't recommend it highly enough!
This story has all the qualities a reader looks for in a solid police procedural; sharp, fleshed out characters, witty banter, a complex mystery with many twists I didn't see coming, and a conclusion that gave the reader closure without being too neat and tidy. I was particularly pleased once I read the author's closing note; he stated that he wrote another novel prior to this one, but his publishing team felt he needed to write another story to pave the way for his 2018 publication . I'm not sure if this means that these two books will be connected and the beginning of a crime series featuring Inspector Cain or if this is simply a case of wanting to use a familiar setting with varying characters in a "standalone" series. Either way, count me in! I'd love to see more of Cain and a continuation of some of the loose ends from TDR. I think my only complaint is that I wanted more! I felt like I blew through the book (it is only 293 pages after all) and had the instant sensation of when you've met up with an old acquaintance and you feel you simply blinked and it's already time to say goodbye. I think the author has created something really special in the foundation of this book and could really take it places if he chooses to do so.
If you've had a chance to see the cover in person you realize how absolutely intriguing it is. It truly looks like the light is coming out of the page; I was highly impressed with the texture and depth the graphic team created and just had to touch on the impression it made on me as a tactile reader. This book heavily featured noir characteristics and managed to feel equal parts dialogue, action, and atmosphere. The author succeeded in drawing me in as a reader with his plot containing past and present tense, even though I typically do not read much in the way of historical fiction. There wasn't a boring moment in this book and it did not focus too heavily on the procedural factors which kept the pacing up to my liking. Highly recommended for mystery fans needing a quick read that entertains the whole way through; I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for in 2018 with my fingers crossed for more from the SFPD homicide department!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my finished copy; it was a pleasure to provide and honest review.
This story has all the qualities a reader looks for in a solid police procedural; sharp, fleshed out characters, witty banter, a complex mystery with many twists I didn't see coming, and a conclusion that gave the reader closure without being too neat and tidy. I was particularly pleased once I read the author's closing note; he stated that he wrote another novel prior to this one, but his publishing team felt he needed to write another story to pave the way for his 2018 publication . I'm not sure if this means that these two books will be connected and the beginning of a crime series featuring Inspector Cain or if this is simply a case of wanting to use a familiar setting with varying characters in a "standalone" series. Either way, count me in! I'd love to see more of Cain and a continuation of some of the loose ends from TDR. I think my only complaint is that I wanted more! I felt like I blew through the book (it is only 293 pages after all) and had the instant sensation of when you've met up with an old acquaintance and you feel you simply blinked and it's already time to say goodbye. I think the author has created something really special in the foundation of this book and could really take it places if he chooses to do so.
If you've had a chance to see the cover in person you realize how absolutely intriguing it is. It truly looks like the light is coming out of the page; I was highly impressed with the texture and depth the graphic team created and just had to touch on the impression it made on me as a tactile reader. This book heavily featured noir characteristics and managed to feel equal parts dialogue, action, and atmosphere. The author succeeded in drawing me in as a reader with his plot containing past and present tense, even though I typically do not read much in the way of historical fiction. There wasn't a boring moment in this book and it did not focus too heavily on the procedural factors which kept the pacing up to my liking. Highly recommended for mystery fans needing a quick read that entertains the whole way through; I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for in 2018 with my fingers crossed for more from the SFPD homicide department!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my finished copy; it was a pleasure to provide and honest review.
February 26, 2017
This novel was a joy to read from beginning to end. It is in the best tradition of the darkest noir where the city of San Francisco is not only the the backdrop but a major player in this intricate and complex story. It reminded me of the classics of the golden age of hard-boiled detective fiction. Gavin Cain is a detective Inspector with SFPD exhuming a body on a case triggered by a deathbed video recording of a funeral director. He is pulled off the case when a more urgent present day case arises, Harry Castelli, the mayor is being blackmailed. He has been sent 4 incriminating photographs of a young girl with a message that there are others and that the mayor should do the decent thing and kill himself.
Harry claims he has never seen the girl before, but Cain does not believe him. Cain finds himself working with Special Agent Karen Fischer as they trawl through the deeper recesses of the mayor's life. Castelli's wife, Mona, is in a constant drunken stupor, and the daughter, Alexa, is seriously damaged goods and in a continuous state of undress with all and sundry. The photographs reveal that the male in a picture has a Pi Kappa Kappa tattoo, a fraternity that was outlawed but went underground, and it turns out Harry has such a tattoo. The girl is difficult to identify although Cain has his suspicions that there may be a link with the exhumation. However, nothing is as it seems in a case that brings a murderous blood drenched trail close to the police team and Gavin's personal life. The twists are outstanding, making this an impossible book to put down.
This is a beautifully multilayered read, the plotting is superb and the narrative keeps you hooked. The intense and vivid descriptions make you feel as if you are in San Francisco. The characters are sharply drawn with sufficient details to render them both arresting and compelling, such as Mona and Alexa. Gavin's partner, Lucy, is a pianist in the throes of a deeply ravaging trauma, and she adds another intense layer to the story. A novel I am happy to recommend highly. Thanks to Orion for an ARC.
Harry claims he has never seen the girl before, but Cain does not believe him. Cain finds himself working with Special Agent Karen Fischer as they trawl through the deeper recesses of the mayor's life. Castelli's wife, Mona, is in a constant drunken stupor, and the daughter, Alexa, is seriously damaged goods and in a continuous state of undress with all and sundry. The photographs reveal that the male in a picture has a Pi Kappa Kappa tattoo, a fraternity that was outlawed but went underground, and it turns out Harry has such a tattoo. The girl is difficult to identify although Cain has his suspicions that there may be a link with the exhumation. However, nothing is as it seems in a case that brings a murderous blood drenched trail close to the police team and Gavin's personal life. The twists are outstanding, making this an impossible book to put down.
This is a beautifully multilayered read, the plotting is superb and the narrative keeps you hooked. The intense and vivid descriptions make you feel as if you are in San Francisco. The characters are sharply drawn with sufficient details to render them both arresting and compelling, such as Mona and Alexa. Gavin's partner, Lucy, is a pianist in the throes of a deeply ravaging trauma, and she adds another intense layer to the story. A novel I am happy to recommend highly. Thanks to Orion for an ARC.
February 10, 2017
follows-up with an entirely different style, feel and set of characters. He goes from a plot hidden among the hazy fog, to a compelling police procedural. Completely different, but both deliciously dark and proof that this author has range. What felt familiar was Mr. Moore’s affinity for masking the truth. For making me feel duped in some ways. It seems he never gives up everything all at once. Honestly, is there anything better in a crime thriller?
I don’t want to spoil anything from THE POISON ARTIST, so I’ll only go so far to say it’s the SFPD homicide inspectors that loosely connect the two books. Meaning, if you feel like picking this one up without having read TPA - go for it. Having read them back-to-back, I can assure you, this is a true standalone. There are no spoilers or anything that could potentially taint your enjoyment of this book or the first, should you read them out of order.
The opening is compelling and quite morbid. Literally, as Inspector Cain is watching a coffin being exhumed, he’s reassigned to work on a case involving photographs of what appears to be a frightened young woman in a compromising situation. The photos tell somewhat of a story, but without the entire set of prints, it’s hard to guess how things ended for her. The cryptic note that accompanies the photos alludes that the Mayor knows exactly what happened. So the question becomes, why is the Mayor of San Francisco being blackmailed and what isn’t he telling Inspector Cain?
Jonathan Moore’s attention to detail and ability to drag the reader right into the story is phenomenal. I could almost smell the decay of the body being unearthed after thirty years, feel the chill of the air in the morgue as I witnessed the autopsies, conjure up the photographs of the woman so clearly it was as if I was holding them in my own hands and feel myself cringe at the description of gray-red brain tissue. Not every writer has the ability to do that. To completely enthrall a reader in this way. So kudos Mr. Moore.
What at first seems to be a straight forward investigation is anything but. I’m talking no holds barred, watch your back, you don’t see the twists coming good. Wow . . . and that ending! Mr. Moore has me convinced there might be a few crazies running around San Francisco.
*Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t want to spoil anything from THE POISON ARTIST, so I’ll only go so far to say it’s the SFPD homicide inspectors that loosely connect the two books. Meaning, if you feel like picking this one up without having read TPA - go for it. Having read them back-to-back, I can assure you, this is a true standalone. There are no spoilers or anything that could potentially taint your enjoyment of this book or the first, should you read them out of order.
The opening is compelling and quite morbid. Literally, as Inspector Cain is watching a coffin being exhumed, he’s reassigned to work on a case involving photographs of what appears to be a frightened young woman in a compromising situation. The photos tell somewhat of a story, but without the entire set of prints, it’s hard to guess how things ended for her. The cryptic note that accompanies the photos alludes that the Mayor knows exactly what happened. So the question becomes, why is the Mayor of San Francisco being blackmailed and what isn’t he telling Inspector Cain?
Jonathan Moore’s attention to detail and ability to drag the reader right into the story is phenomenal. I could almost smell the decay of the body being unearthed after thirty years, feel the chill of the air in the morgue as I witnessed the autopsies, conjure up the photographs of the woman so clearly it was as if I was holding them in my own hands and feel myself cringe at the description of gray-red brain tissue. Not every writer has the ability to do that. To completely enthrall a reader in this way. So kudos Mr. Moore.
What at first seems to be a straight forward investigation is anything but. I’m talking no holds barred, watch your back, you don’t see the twists coming good. Wow . . . and that ending! Mr. Moore has me convinced there might be a few crazies running around San Francisco.
*Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2019
”’You’d remember, if you saw her?�
‘I’d probably remember.�
‘Because she’s a knockout, right?�
The mayor glanced at the photograph. Cain wasn’t sure if he nodded or not.
‘She looks like one of those old film stars,� Cain said. ’Lana Turner maybe.�
‘You got it mixed up,� Castelli said. ’It’s Lauren Bacall you’re thinking of. She looks like Bacall.�
�The Big Sleep--that was her?�
‘Bacall and Bogart,� Castelli said. ’Yeah.�
‘One of your favorites?�
‘It was okay.�
‘I mean Bacall.�
‘Bacall?� the mayor asked. He took another drink.’She was before my time.�
‘Way before mine,� Cain said. ’But you see her on the screen, and it doesn’t really matter.�
‘Maybe for some guys.’�
Inspector Gavin Cain of the SFPD is interviewing San Francisco Mayor Harry Castelli about a packet of blackmail photographs that he received that date back to the 1980s. The girl in the photographs is who they are discussing. Now the interesting thing about this interview is that Cain is playing dumb on purpose. He knows the girl looks like Bacall, but he throws Lana Turner out there to make Castelli correct him. There is no way that anyone would confuse Lana Turner and Lauren Bacall. Bacall is about as distinctive of a woman to ever grace the silver screen. The only woman I’ve ever seen on film who looks even vaguely like her is Lisbeth Scott, who I always refer to as the poor director’s Lauren Bacall. If you can’t afford Bacall, you get Scott.
Now me, I’d be very leery of Cain at this point. He’s playing a bit of the Columbo, but Castelli has been drinking like a fish, not plowed, but as foggy as the streets of San Francisco. He isn’t quite tracking. If I were his handler, I’d have put the cops off until I had a chance to sober him up or at least have the cops talk to him first thing in the morning while he was hung over, but not yet starting his daily backstroke in a bourbon bath.
Castelli does the right thing calling the cops in, and Cain catches the case because he has the most seniority. He has other cases that he’d rather be working on, but a high profile case like this takes priority over everything else.
The blackmailer promises more photographs.
But doesn’t this feel like the type of thing a guy like Castelli would handle on his own? Powerful men and blackmailers go together like vodka and cunning eyed blondes. You pay off blackmailers or call in a favor to make them go away. The fact that Castelli calls the cops, instead of say a Philip Marlowe type, is interesting, maybe even puzzling.
Of course, there is always the possibility that he is innocent...naw can’t be that. The question is more about how guilty is he.
Cain goes to talk to Castelli’s wife and daughter, which if I wasn’t already having some Big Sleep flashbacks, I am now. If you remember from the book or the movie of The Big Sleep, there is the Sternwood mansion with one member of the family as crazy or crazier than the last one. Bogie spends most of the movie trying to figure out what is going on from people who haven’t had their feet planted on the real terra firma in a long time. Alexa Castelli is the daughter, and she is an IA investigation waiting to happen. She is comfortable with her body and doesn’t mind sharing it with everyone, including an unsuspecting police officer by the name of Cain. The mother is waiting for Cain with a pitcher of martinis, her eyes floating with gin dreams. Her engagement with reality is just a broken string of half thoughts and lost memories weighed down by a melancholy future.
Power and money do not make you happy. You still have to like yourself to be happy.
Cain has an interesting back story. He is involved with a piano teacher named Lucy, who has an anxiety order similar to agoraphobia. Jonathan Moore does a wonderful job giving us just enough about the source of a problem without actually revealing the story to us. He puts us on high alert for the rest of the book, looking for the clues that will reveal those missing pieces. So while we are trying to figure out the blackmailing story, we are puzzling over another case that may connect to the blackmailing case involving an exhumed casket, we fret over the backstory on Lucy, and of course, we are looking for any information that Moore wishes to breadcrumb to us regarding the mysterious Inspector Gavin Cain.
I love the way Moore sprinkles CSI stuff in that is, frankly, fascinating.
”She pulled his bottom lip out, and ran her gloved finger over the broken teeth. ‘You see that, this kind of suicide. End of a pistol’s barrel has a raised sight. It’ll crack the hell out of your teeth when the gun kicks.�
‘The bottom teeth?� Grassley asked. ‘The sight’s on top.�
‘Most of your gun-in-the mouth guys,� she said, ‘they put it in upside down. What else are they going to do---pull the trigger with their thumbs? So when it kicks, the sight knocks out their bottom teeth.’�
The case is strange, but becomes more twisted and sinister as more is revealed. As Cain and his partner close in on the perpetrators, the hunters become the hunted. Cain finds himself in a nightmare where he has seconds to be there in time, but is long minutes away. The conclusions will leave your heart pounding and sweat trickling down your neck. Readers who like the references reminiscent of the days of Philip Marlowe will love those subtle undertones, but those just looking for a great thriller will also be equally satisfied. The San Francisco backdrop again proves a fertile ground for Jonathan Moore. I’ve heard there is a third book already in the can. Sign me up.
Check out my Poison Artist Review
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:
‘I’d probably remember.�
‘Because she’s a knockout, right?�
The mayor glanced at the photograph. Cain wasn’t sure if he nodded or not.
‘She looks like one of those old film stars,� Cain said. ’Lana Turner maybe.�
‘You got it mixed up,� Castelli said. ’It’s Lauren Bacall you’re thinking of. She looks like Bacall.�
�The Big Sleep--that was her?�
‘Bacall and Bogart,� Castelli said. ’Yeah.�
‘One of your favorites?�
‘It was okay.�
‘I mean Bacall.�
‘Bacall?� the mayor asked. He took another drink.’She was before my time.�
‘Way before mine,� Cain said. ’But you see her on the screen, and it doesn’t really matter.�
‘Maybe for some guys.’�
Inspector Gavin Cain of the SFPD is interviewing San Francisco Mayor Harry Castelli about a packet of blackmail photographs that he received that date back to the 1980s. The girl in the photographs is who they are discussing. Now the interesting thing about this interview is that Cain is playing dumb on purpose. He knows the girl looks like Bacall, but he throws Lana Turner out there to make Castelli correct him. There is no way that anyone would confuse Lana Turner and Lauren Bacall. Bacall is about as distinctive of a woman to ever grace the silver screen. The only woman I’ve ever seen on film who looks even vaguely like her is Lisbeth Scott, who I always refer to as the poor director’s Lauren Bacall. If you can’t afford Bacall, you get Scott.
Now me, I’d be very leery of Cain at this point. He’s playing a bit of the Columbo, but Castelli has been drinking like a fish, not plowed, but as foggy as the streets of San Francisco. He isn’t quite tracking. If I were his handler, I’d have put the cops off until I had a chance to sober him up or at least have the cops talk to him first thing in the morning while he was hung over, but not yet starting his daily backstroke in a bourbon bath.
Castelli does the right thing calling the cops in, and Cain catches the case because he has the most seniority. He has other cases that he’d rather be working on, but a high profile case like this takes priority over everything else.
The blackmailer promises more photographs.
But doesn’t this feel like the type of thing a guy like Castelli would handle on his own? Powerful men and blackmailers go together like vodka and cunning eyed blondes. You pay off blackmailers or call in a favor to make them go away. The fact that Castelli calls the cops, instead of say a Philip Marlowe type, is interesting, maybe even puzzling.
Of course, there is always the possibility that he is innocent...naw can’t be that. The question is more about how guilty is he.
Cain goes to talk to Castelli’s wife and daughter, which if I wasn’t already having some Big Sleep flashbacks, I am now. If you remember from the book or the movie of The Big Sleep, there is the Sternwood mansion with one member of the family as crazy or crazier than the last one. Bogie spends most of the movie trying to figure out what is going on from people who haven’t had their feet planted on the real terra firma in a long time. Alexa Castelli is the daughter, and she is an IA investigation waiting to happen. She is comfortable with her body and doesn’t mind sharing it with everyone, including an unsuspecting police officer by the name of Cain. The mother is waiting for Cain with a pitcher of martinis, her eyes floating with gin dreams. Her engagement with reality is just a broken string of half thoughts and lost memories weighed down by a melancholy future.
Power and money do not make you happy. You still have to like yourself to be happy.
Cain has an interesting back story. He is involved with a piano teacher named Lucy, who has an anxiety order similar to agoraphobia. Jonathan Moore does a wonderful job giving us just enough about the source of a problem without actually revealing the story to us. He puts us on high alert for the rest of the book, looking for the clues that will reveal those missing pieces. So while we are trying to figure out the blackmailing story, we are puzzling over another case that may connect to the blackmailing case involving an exhumed casket, we fret over the backstory on Lucy, and of course, we are looking for any information that Moore wishes to breadcrumb to us regarding the mysterious Inspector Gavin Cain.
I love the way Moore sprinkles CSI stuff in that is, frankly, fascinating.
”She pulled his bottom lip out, and ran her gloved finger over the broken teeth. ‘You see that, this kind of suicide. End of a pistol’s barrel has a raised sight. It’ll crack the hell out of your teeth when the gun kicks.�
‘The bottom teeth?� Grassley asked. ‘The sight’s on top.�
‘Most of your gun-in-the mouth guys,� she said, ‘they put it in upside down. What else are they going to do---pull the trigger with their thumbs? So when it kicks, the sight knocks out their bottom teeth.’�
The case is strange, but becomes more twisted and sinister as more is revealed. As Cain and his partner close in on the perpetrators, the hunters become the hunted. Cain finds himself in a nightmare where he has seconds to be there in time, but is long minutes away. The conclusions will leave your heart pounding and sweat trickling down your neck. Readers who like the references reminiscent of the days of Philip Marlowe will love those subtle undertones, but those just looking for a great thriller will also be equally satisfied. The San Francisco backdrop again proves a fertile ground for Jonathan Moore. I’ve heard there is a third book already in the can. Sign me up.
Check out my Poison Artist Review
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:
February 7, 2017
The seeming black mail of a mayor. A disinterred grave with a horrifying discovery inside, a dysfunctional family, and secrets long thought buried come to light. This author and I, his writing style, his characters, get along very well. Although different in feel and tone than his previous novel, which I loved, I found this one equally engaging.
Gavin Cane, homicide detective, is an interesting and likable character. His dogged personality and his ability to put things together has served him well. His relationship with Annie, fraught with anxiety, is also unusual. The author does not use a heavy handed approach in fleshing out his lead character, leaving the reader a chance to form their own opinions.
Evenly paced, enjoyable reading that is not horribly graphic, this has become one of my new favorite authors.. Can't wait to read the next one.
ARC from publisher..
Gavin Cane, homicide detective, is an interesting and likable character. His dogged personality and his ability to put things together has served him well. His relationship with Annie, fraught with anxiety, is also unusual. The author does not use a heavy handed approach in fleshing out his lead character, leaving the reader a chance to form their own opinions.
Evenly paced, enjoyable reading that is not horribly graphic, this has become one of my new favorite authors.. Can't wait to read the next one.
ARC from publisher..
October 28, 2017
I received a free copy for review from the publisher.
Inspector Gavin Cain is in the middle of having a body exhumed when he is pulled off that case and rushed to meet the mayor of San Francisco who has received some photos which apparently show a woman being raped along with a threat to release more pictures if he doesn’t kill himself. The mayor denies knowing the woman in between gulps of bourbon, but Cain is less than convinced. As Cain investigates he quickly becomes sure that there’s a link between the blackmail and the shocking discovery they find in the coffin he was having dug up. Coincidence? I think not!
This is the second book in what author Jonathan Moore is describing as a neo-noir trilogy that started with his excellent The Poison Artist and will conclude next year with The Night Market. However, this is a stand-alone story that just hints at a few events of the previous book so it can be read on its own.
Overall this has a couple of very compelling mystery components with some horrifying elements to them, and the way the plot unfolds make the revelations and ultimate resolution very satisfying. At that surface level it’s a well done whodunit story, but it’s a deeper and more interesting book than just a simple detective novel. While The Poison Artist was a psychological suspense thriller that had a brooding and dreamy atmosphere The Dark Room is more of a straight-up police procedural. Both books make excellent use of their San Francisco location with Moore describing rainy streets filled with fog that make you think that Sam Spade might be walking just around the corner.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about these books is that they are incredibly tight with both of them coming in at less than 300 pages, and yet they feel like full and rich stories. Moore does his business with an admirable economy that doesn’t skimp on the character details. Cain takes shape over the course of the book as a competent and moral detective who is neither an action hero nor Sherlock Holmes. He’s also got a sub-plot about his relationship with his agoraphobic girlfriend, and that’s where we see a whole other side to him that adds more layers.
I’ll definitely be reading the third and final book of this trilogy when it releases, and I’m so impressed with Moore at this point that I’ll be checking out some of his earlier work, too.
Inspector Gavin Cain is in the middle of having a body exhumed when he is pulled off that case and rushed to meet the mayor of San Francisco who has received some photos which apparently show a woman being raped along with a threat to release more pictures if he doesn’t kill himself. The mayor denies knowing the woman in between gulps of bourbon, but Cain is less than convinced. As Cain investigates he quickly becomes sure that there’s a link between the blackmail and the shocking discovery they find in the coffin he was having dug up. Coincidence? I think not!
This is the second book in what author Jonathan Moore is describing as a neo-noir trilogy that started with his excellent The Poison Artist and will conclude next year with The Night Market. However, this is a stand-alone story that just hints at a few events of the previous book so it can be read on its own.
Overall this has a couple of very compelling mystery components with some horrifying elements to them, and the way the plot unfolds make the revelations and ultimate resolution very satisfying. At that surface level it’s a well done whodunit story, but it’s a deeper and more interesting book than just a simple detective novel. While The Poison Artist was a psychological suspense thriller that had a brooding and dreamy atmosphere The Dark Room is more of a straight-up police procedural. Both books make excellent use of their San Francisco location with Moore describing rainy streets filled with fog that make you think that Sam Spade might be walking just around the corner.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about these books is that they are incredibly tight with both of them coming in at less than 300 pages, and yet they feel like full and rich stories. Moore does his business with an admirable economy that doesn’t skimp on the character details. Cain takes shape over the course of the book as a competent and moral detective who is neither an action hero nor Sherlock Holmes. He’s also got a sub-plot about his relationship with his agoraphobic girlfriend, and that’s where we see a whole other side to him that adds more layers.
I’ll definitely be reading the third and final book of this trilogy when it releases, and I’m so impressed with Moore at this point that I’ll be checking out some of his earlier work, too.
February 4, 2017
I was a fan of "The Poison Artist" the first in a loose trilogy from Jonathan Moore, it was different and compelling and entirely gripping. With The Dark Room he has changed things up and out and I do believe I love this one more - I read it in two hugely immersive sittings, this is a slice of dark noir that digs deep with some beautifully composed characters (something that The Poison Artist also could boast of) and a story that just grabs you by the heart and won't let go.
Whilst the first book was a deep seated psychological thriller, The Dark Room, whilst maintaining that gorgeous prose unique to this author, has an entirely different feel about it. Both mystery and drama, with a main protagonist in Cain who holds you in the story and keeps you hooked, this is a dark often hard hitting tale with some haunting and emotive themes as its driving force. Starting with an exhumation and ending with what I can only describe as an indelible hit to the senses, the story twists and turns beautifully, keeping you off kilter and never sure what may happen next.
The characters are rich and full of depth, the mystery itself is eerie and fascinating, the writing is pacy yet considerably eloquent and the reading of it is often intense and ultimately very satisfying. I think you could say I'm now a huge fan - the fact that Jonathan Moore has now offered within a glass darkly two very different and yet similarly clever novels means that I will look forward hugely to The Night Market next year. In fact couldn't I have it now please? Oh go on....
The style may not be for everyone bur from me it comes Highly Recommended. HIGHLY.
Whilst the first book was a deep seated psychological thriller, The Dark Room, whilst maintaining that gorgeous prose unique to this author, has an entirely different feel about it. Both mystery and drama, with a main protagonist in Cain who holds you in the story and keeps you hooked, this is a dark often hard hitting tale with some haunting and emotive themes as its driving force. Starting with an exhumation and ending with what I can only describe as an indelible hit to the senses, the story twists and turns beautifully, keeping you off kilter and never sure what may happen next.
The characters are rich and full of depth, the mystery itself is eerie and fascinating, the writing is pacy yet considerably eloquent and the reading of it is often intense and ultimately very satisfying. I think you could say I'm now a huge fan - the fact that Jonathan Moore has now offered within a glass darkly two very different and yet similarly clever novels means that I will look forward hugely to The Night Market next year. In fact couldn't I have it now please? Oh go on....
The style may not be for everyone bur from me it comes Highly Recommended. HIGHLY.
December 15, 2017
Made-for-airport kiosk or made-for-TV movie
2.5 stars
Kept me turning the pages but zero character development. The Patterson blurb implying similarities to Connelly's Bosch series is laughable. Bosch has a detective's soul, tormented and righteous. I can't even recall the protagonist detective's name here or anything notable about him.
2.5 stars
Kept me turning the pages but zero character development. The Patterson blurb implying similarities to Connelly's Bosch series is laughable. Bosch has a detective's soul, tormented and righteous. I can't even recall the protagonist detective's name here or anything notable about him.
August 21, 2017
As my first Jonathan Moore novel, I was truly excited to find an author that writes gritty, well executed noir crime for American readers! I love a good, authentic police procedural but I also like a bit of darkness to go with it and The Dark Room is a perfect combination of both. Moore crafts an excellent tale and I look forward to reading more of his work!
January 18, 2022
Gripping, page turner of a mystery thriller ....slightly reminiscent of one of Thomas Perry's stand-alones.
Detective Gavin Cain is called away from an exhumation of the casket containing the body of a young man who died of AIDS back in the late 1980s. Cain is placed on special assignment to investigate a blackmail attempt against the mayor of San Francisco. The mayor has been mailed a series of incriminating photographs in what appear to be images of the torture/rape of a young woman.
From there multiple horrors emerge at a leisurely pace. Many murders. Much gore. A memorable thriller with a great cast of characters.
Jonathan Moore has become one my favorites after just reading two of his novels.
Highest Recommendation
Detective Gavin Cain is called away from an exhumation of the casket containing the body of a young man who died of AIDS back in the late 1980s. Cain is placed on special assignment to investigate a blackmail attempt against the mayor of San Francisco. The mayor has been mailed a series of incriminating photographs in what appear to be images of the torture/rape of a young woman.
From there multiple horrors emerge at a leisurely pace. Many murders. Much gore. A memorable thriller with a great cast of characters.
Jonathan Moore has become one my favorites after just reading two of his novels.
Highest Recommendation
July 23, 2016
I am picky about my crime reads. It's a hard genre to read because there's so much of the same thing over and over, when I really like to read things that are different. THE DARK ROOM has potential, it's well plotted and interesting. I would certainly recommend it to a lot of mystery and procedural lovers. I'll be going back to look at Moore's previous novels and I appreciate his clear and meticulous approach.
But this book, like so much of the genre, has a woman problem. It's not a lack of female characters, which is usually what you see. I think there are actually more female characters than male characters in this book, not too common in this genre. But the women fall into two categories. There are the women who get to be people (many of them police or other professionals) and the women who get to be objects. The professional women are treated similarly to the male characters, are allowed to be smart or make mistakes. But there is a character who literally takes off her clothes every time she interacts with the (male, obviously) detective, and no she is not involved with him romantically. It is just a thing that she does because she is (of course) young and beautiful and mysterious. This is also a story where the main plot is one where men kill a young, beautiful woman in an awful way. I am honestly so tired of this setup that I have quit several books that start with that premise. And there is the detective's girlfriend, who is delicate and fragile and traumatized and beautiful because of course she is.
I get that a lot of readers don't care about these things or are so used to them that they don't notice. But I know there are other readers like me who are weary of women in peril and women being objectified in what they read so I do owe it to them to point it out.
If that's a dealbreaker for you, you should move along. I was still able to enjoy and finish this book and it sated my appetite for a fast and entertaining read. But my caveats apply, you can choose accordingly.
But this book, like so much of the genre, has a woman problem. It's not a lack of female characters, which is usually what you see. I think there are actually more female characters than male characters in this book, not too common in this genre. But the women fall into two categories. There are the women who get to be people (many of them police or other professionals) and the women who get to be objects. The professional women are treated similarly to the male characters, are allowed to be smart or make mistakes. But there is a character who literally takes off her clothes every time she interacts with the (male, obviously) detective, and no she is not involved with him romantically. It is just a thing that she does because she is (of course) young and beautiful and mysterious. This is also a story where the main plot is one where men kill a young, beautiful woman in an awful way. I am honestly so tired of this setup that I have quit several books that start with that premise. And there is the detective's girlfriend, who is delicate and fragile and traumatized and beautiful because of course she is.
I get that a lot of readers don't care about these things or are so used to them that they don't notice. But I know there are other readers like me who are weary of women in peril and women being objectified in what they read so I do owe it to them to point it out.
If that's a dealbreaker for you, you should move along. I was still able to enjoy and finish this book and it sated my appetite for a fast and entertaining read. But my caveats apply, you can choose accordingly.
September 7, 2019
Jonathan Moore is an amazing author. Every book is different, mostly even a different genre. Unfortunately this makes for a long wait between books as he can’t write to a formula. While not as great as The Night Market this was a solid police procedural (Note -The Night Market is not a police procedural) and I really enjoyed it. I’m going to go back and read all his stuff now.
May 19, 2023
3,5*
Втора книга в моята лична библиотека от Джонатан Мур. Всички ми препоръчват "Частен детектив", но все още не съм се добрал до нея. Изглежда напълно изчерпана по книжарниците.
"Тъмната стая" е самостоятелен роман, който обаче ми се стори незавършен и бих му дал 4 звезди, ако беше начало на поредица. Това е от детективските истории, които ще се оценят по достойнство най-вече от по-консервативните почитатели на жанра.
Сюжетът не е прекалено заплетен, няма феноменални обрати или спиращи дъха сцени, но пък това, което предлага "Тъмната стая", е правдоподобност. И героите, и действията им ми се видяха реалистични. Гавин Кейн не е супер ченге - екшън герой, който решава случая с генирални прозорливости или с помощта на чисти случайности. Напротив, той си проправя път през историята методично, допускайки някоя и друга грешка, разсъждавайки, както един истински детектив, поставен в подобна ситуация, би правил.
Краят според мен дойде твърде бързо след развръзката и вероятно можеше Мур да се постарае още малко, като опише съдбата на героите след разрешаването на случая. Книгата свършва сякаш с идеята за продължение..., но такова май не се очертава.
Накратко, мога да кажа, че "Тъмната стая" беше приятно четиво, което съвсем не съжалявам, че купих и прочетох. В епохата на "психо-трилърте" и надпревара за написването на колкото се може по-засукани истории, книгата на Мур е като повик от миналото в жанра - няма с какво да ни изненада, но в никакъв случай не разочарова.
Втора книга в моята лична библиотека от Джонатан Мур. Всички ми препоръчват "Частен детектив", но все още не съм се добрал до нея. Изглежда напълно изчерпана по книжарниците.
"Тъмната стая" е самостоятелен роман, който обаче ми се стори незавършен и бих му дал 4 звезди, ако беше начало на поредица. Това е от детективските истории, които ще се оценят по достойнство най-вече от по-консервативните почитатели на жанра.
Сюжетът не е прекалено заплетен, няма феноменални обрати или спиращи дъха сцени, но пък това, което предлага "Тъмната стая", е правдоподобност. И героите, и действията им ми се видяха реалистични. Гавин Кейн не е супер ченге - екшън герой, който решава случая с генирални прозорливости или с помощта на чисти случайности. Напротив, той си проправя път през историята методично, допускайки някоя и друга грешка, разсъждавайки, както един истински детектив, поставен в подобна ситуация, би правил.
Краят според мен дойде твърде бързо след развръзката и вероятно можеше Мур да се постарае още малко, като опише съдбата на героите след разрешаването на случая. Книгата свършва сякаш с идеята за продължение..., но такова май не се очертава.
Накратко, мога да кажа, че "Тъмната стая" беше приятно четиво, което съвсем не съжалявам, че купих и прочетох. В епохата на "психо-трилърте" и надпревара за написването на колкото се може по-засукани истории, книгата на Мур е като повик от миналото в жанра - няма с какво да ни изненада, но в никакъв случай не разочарова.
December 12, 2023
3.2� Another decent mystery/thriller from Jonathan Moore.
San Francisco Police detective Inspector Gavin Cain is at the exhumation of a body, as part of a case he's working, when he's called away by his boss. The mayor is being blackmailed and Cain has to figure out who's doing it and why.
As usual Moore has a nice touch with settings and characters and he makes the soggy, foggy streets of San Francisco come alive for us. He also ties together the apparent coincidences of his plot well, but subtley; the reader is credited with enough intelligence to have been paying attention throughout the story.
The ending felt just a bit rushed to me but the whole book is very fast paced so Moore was just keeping up, I suppose. One of the things I like about this author is that he still writes stand-alone stories, that don't require you to be invested in a brand. That seems to be a vanishing art these days and I like the way it has allowed Moore's expansive imagination free reign to explore a range of locations and genres ( I've got nothing against interconnected series , I'm addicted to a number of them, but my hat's off to authors who create new worlds in each book).
-30-
San Francisco Police detective Inspector Gavin Cain is at the exhumation of a body, as part of a case he's working, when he's called away by his boss. The mayor is being blackmailed and Cain has to figure out who's doing it and why.
As usual Moore has a nice touch with settings and characters and he makes the soggy, foggy streets of San Francisco come alive for us. He also ties together the apparent coincidences of his plot well, but subtley; the reader is credited with enough intelligence to have been paying attention throughout the story.
The ending felt just a bit rushed to me but the whole book is very fast paced so Moore was just keeping up, I suppose. One of the things I like about this author is that he still writes stand-alone stories, that don't require you to be invested in a brand. That seems to be a vanishing art these days and I like the way it has allowed Moore's expansive imagination free reign to explore a range of locations and genres ( I've got nothing against interconnected series , I'm addicted to a number of them, but my hat's off to authors who create new worlds in each book).
-30-
March 2, 2017
A traditional type mystery with an interesting set of characters. A fast paced great read.
September 16, 2017
2.5 stars- Completely unremarkable and mostly inoffensive in its use of language or characterizations which I consider a plus for the thriller-pulp genre (I find a lot in this genre to be quite misogynistic or otherwise tone-deaf). A basic page-turner for when you need a mindless-moment, the equivalent of watching a L&O episode when the nuance and subtlety of Twin Peaks is just too much to handle in a world that sometimes demands tuning out and turning off. Flat characters, well paces storyline, sometimes far-fetched situations make this as formulaic but still as enjoyable as these things go.
April 2, 2017
A great police procedural.
My View:
Dark, dark and darker- this fantastic police procedural will keep you up all night until the crime has been solved and the villains dealt with.
This is a multilayered narrative � narratives of the past (cold cases) and present (new case) colliding providing depth to the narrative and then there is the back story � every bit as engaging � the story of Cain, what happened at his precinct � something shocking that is referred to but not fully disclosed and the incident involving Cain’s now girlfriend, Lucy � a virtual recluse since the incident (in which she was a victim/hero). Moore drip feeds us information about the various stories throughout the read but it is not enough, I want to know more about this situation and how the relationship between Cain and Lucy began…there is so much happening in this narrative.
Dark, evocative, complex and engaging � this police procedural has it all � and I do hope there is a book 2 to come soon.
My View:
Dark, dark and darker- this fantastic police procedural will keep you up all night until the crime has been solved and the villains dealt with.
This is a multilayered narrative � narratives of the past (cold cases) and present (new case) colliding providing depth to the narrative and then there is the back story � every bit as engaging � the story of Cain, what happened at his precinct � something shocking that is referred to but not fully disclosed and the incident involving Cain’s now girlfriend, Lucy � a virtual recluse since the incident (in which she was a victim/hero). Moore drip feeds us information about the various stories throughout the read but it is not enough, I want to know more about this situation and how the relationship between Cain and Lucy began…there is so much happening in this narrative.
Dark, evocative, complex and engaging � this police procedural has it all � and I do hope there is a book 2 to come soon.
October 21, 2021
5 stars. I believe this to be an example of a perfect crime novel.
As Cain and his team seek to discover the identity of the woman who has been buried alive in a coffin on top of another body, they must also discover the person behind the dark threats and sinister photographs sent to the mayor.
Like his previous book, Moore has written a very tight noir novel - in this case, a police procedural. The plot turns at a pace and cannot be anticipated or predicted, and yet is completely convincing. It's all here and masterfully executed: well imagined and defined characters, both interesting and complex; dialogue shaped by character and situation, always natural and economical; the landscape of San Francisco -the dark metropolis and bordering coast.
This is a very suspenseful read. The action of the novel felt urgent and the compulsion to read is thoroughly enjoyable. I've been missing that lately- exactly what it feels like to not be able to put a book down. Highly recommended. Jonathan Moore has just become a new favourite of mine.
As Cain and his team seek to discover the identity of the woman who has been buried alive in a coffin on top of another body, they must also discover the person behind the dark threats and sinister photographs sent to the mayor.
Like his previous book, Moore has written a very tight noir novel - in this case, a police procedural. The plot turns at a pace and cannot be anticipated or predicted, and yet is completely convincing. It's all here and masterfully executed: well imagined and defined characters, both interesting and complex; dialogue shaped by character and situation, always natural and economical; the landscape of San Francisco -the dark metropolis and bordering coast.
This is a very suspenseful read. The action of the novel felt urgent and the compulsion to read is thoroughly enjoyable. I've been missing that lately- exactly what it feels like to not be able to put a book down. Highly recommended. Jonathan Moore has just become a new favourite of mine.
April 7, 2018
Wow, what happened?
I loved The Poison Artist. Five-starred it, in fact.
This was something I was very excited about because the only reason I read it was because of a review I had read for The Night Market but wanted to read the first two novels in this very loosly linked trilogy first.
The Dark Room hooked me immediately. I was totally engaged and the central crime was horrific beyond imagination. But somewhere around the 40% mark tedium set in. The investigation slowed to a snail's pace and for the most part the characters did not touch me at all.
The tedium continued until about 66%, at which point I had decided that I would finish the book that day, essentially skimming to about 90% and finally slowing down to cut to the chase. If this wasn't a short novel I wouldn't have bothered.
Maybe the fact that this was geared to be a predominantly police procedural that made it so dull. But dull it was. Dull enough to question whether I want to read the last book after all. (Oddly, The Dark Room is the highest ranked of the three).
What a letdown. I had thought I'd found a new favorite author.
I'll likely change my mind and give him another chance. It'll be a while, though.
I loved The Poison Artist. Five-starred it, in fact.
This was something I was very excited about because the only reason I read it was because of a review I had read for The Night Market but wanted to read the first two novels in this very loosly linked trilogy first.
The Dark Room hooked me immediately. I was totally engaged and the central crime was horrific beyond imagination. But somewhere around the 40% mark tedium set in. The investigation slowed to a snail's pace and for the most part the characters did not touch me at all.
The tedium continued until about 66%, at which point I had decided that I would finish the book that day, essentially skimming to about 90% and finally slowing down to cut to the chase. If this wasn't a short novel I wouldn't have bothered.
Maybe the fact that this was geared to be a predominantly police procedural that made it so dull. But dull it was. Dull enough to question whether I want to read the last book after all. (Oddly, The Dark Room is the highest ranked of the three).
What a letdown. I had thought I'd found a new favorite author.
I'll likely change my mind and give him another chance. It'll be a while, though.
February 12, 2017
Supposed to be heart-pounding, according to the blurb. The many 4 stars and positive reviews had me buying this.
Instead of heart-pounding, my ticker was in danger of flat-lining. I didn't hear anything close to suspenseful. On the contrary, the 23% I managed to listen to was as lively as the morgue. Much of what I heard was the repetition of the photographs sent to the mayor and his repetitive protestations. It was just to long a wait to get to something exciting, something to raise my heartbeat, especially when there appears to be a tie between those photographs and a decades-old murder.
Maybe it's just the mood I was in but I decided I couldn't give 10 hours to all that waffling.
Instead of heart-pounding, my ticker was in danger of flat-lining. I didn't hear anything close to suspenseful. On the contrary, the 23% I managed to listen to was as lively as the morgue. Much of what I heard was the repetition of the photographs sent to the mayor and his repetitive protestations. It was just to long a wait to get to something exciting, something to raise my heartbeat, especially when there appears to be a tie between those photographs and a decades-old murder.
Maybe it's just the mood I was in but I decided I couldn't give 10 hours to all that waffling.
June 28, 2017
A good solid police procedural. Really readable and lots of twists and turns!
April 2, 2017
This is between a 3 and 4 star mystery/detective procedural for me. As much as I want to give it a 4 for the action prone and yet conversation intensive scenes with high visuals, I just can't. Because the character development lagged behind all the other aspects of the writing. Gavin Cain is a near cipher, IMHO. Internally why is he driven? No intense background conflicting elements or competitive declines like a Bosch? Not much class driven nuance in him? Why the intensity of bonding with a Lucy- and so quickly felled into surrounding long term crossover of purposes with her when they have hardly spent a full 3 straight days together. And time shared seems so little prioritized for either of them, IMHO. Need more than love? His character leaves more questions than gives us any identity or emotive habits and that's a rather large negative for me in a series that otherwise-well, otherwise it just seems so GOOD.
His perps, all of them in this one, are nasty. And the Mayor, for me, was actually one of the few I nuanced as close to normal. But then in California cultural dynamics of this economics and associations, I am a poor judge. But he never seemed as "off" to me as most of the other interviewees, and there are numerous sets.
Lots of driving, much time in the autopsy room, sad and horrific outcomes. This wasn't just a slow, slow usual who-dun-it. But at the same time, I could see this was written for the film dialog and placements in clear sight. One they could show on the cable channels that love to get a few great nude shots in there.
There would be a big question I would like to ask too about the occurrence of his being in the autopsy room at a certain time (Gavin) but I would give out spoilers to describe my query! I'm pretty sure that such a juxtaposition is not allowed. Mental health reasons.
Excellent flow as it is very fast paced and clear moving read. I had read his first (this is not any character connection which surprised me) and got slowly into the copy but once in, it just flew. Nasty case, nasty vile groups involved, and a sick and perverted relationship situation. So this is not vitriol and foul language- but it is NOT in any portion in the cozy category.
I'd read another. And I wonder if the actual Gavin Cain will eventually stand up.
His perps, all of them in this one, are nasty. And the Mayor, for me, was actually one of the few I nuanced as close to normal. But then in California cultural dynamics of this economics and associations, I am a poor judge. But he never seemed as "off" to me as most of the other interviewees, and there are numerous sets.
Lots of driving, much time in the autopsy room, sad and horrific outcomes. This wasn't just a slow, slow usual who-dun-it. But at the same time, I could see this was written for the film dialog and placements in clear sight. One they could show on the cable channels that love to get a few great nude shots in there.
There would be a big question I would like to ask too about the occurrence of his being in the autopsy room at a certain time (Gavin) but I would give out spoilers to describe my query! I'm pretty sure that such a juxtaposition is not allowed. Mental health reasons.
Excellent flow as it is very fast paced and clear moving read. I had read his first (this is not any character connection which surprised me) and got slowly into the copy but once in, it just flew. Nasty case, nasty vile groups involved, and a sick and perverted relationship situation. So this is not vitriol and foul language- but it is NOT in any portion in the cozy category.
I'd read another. And I wonder if the actual Gavin Cain will eventually stand up.
January 10, 2017
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first Jonathan Moore book but it will not be my last. This is a slow burn mystery / thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. I think the thing that most impressed me about this book was that although there was not heart stopping action from beginning to end, the story managed to keep me engaged the entire time. There so many different plot twists and characters, but Moore managed to intertwine them beautifully so there was no confusion between them and the story. The story is dark, deep and gritty. There are some definite disturbing parts, but nothing that would make you want to stop reading, in fact they make you want to read more to find out how this could have happened! Moore did an excellent job fleshing out the characters so that you could get to know them enough to keep it relative to the story but not too much that you miss details of the plot. The plot within a plot dynamic was wonderful and I think this was the first time I just let the story tell itself to me rather than me turning the pages furiously to try to see if I figured out "who done it." I very much enjoyed this and look forward to reading more by this author.
This is my first Jonathan Moore book but it will not be my last. This is a slow burn mystery / thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. I think the thing that most impressed me about this book was that although there was not heart stopping action from beginning to end, the story managed to keep me engaged the entire time. There so many different plot twists and characters, but Moore managed to intertwine them beautifully so there was no confusion between them and the story. The story is dark, deep and gritty. There are some definite disturbing parts, but nothing that would make you want to stop reading, in fact they make you want to read more to find out how this could have happened! Moore did an excellent job fleshing out the characters so that you could get to know them enough to keep it relative to the story but not too much that you miss details of the plot. The plot within a plot dynamic was wonderful and I think this was the first time I just let the story tell itself to me rather than me turning the pages furiously to try to see if I figured out "who done it." I very much enjoyed this and look forward to reading more by this author.
November 18, 2018
A very hard book for me to rate. Between a 3 and 4 star read- Police Procedure type book- which is what I like- but somewhere I felt it got all bogged down and I was skimming the book, just so it would move along. I liked the main character - I finished it..... There are those that gave this a 4 and 5 star read- so, having said that - you may want to give this a try.
Read
March 10, 2017Wow, wait -- I need to catch my breath! What a great police procedural. Suspense, real tension, and a complex case that begs to be solved. I had to slow myself down at times because I was so eager to get to the conclusion, to find out what had happened, and how this convoluted tale would be explained.
Inspector Gavin Cain, SFPD, is watching an exhumation when he gets a call and then is whisked off by helicopter to the mayor's office. He's met there by his boss, Lt. Nagata and FBI Agent Karen Fischer. Mayor Harry Castelli has a big problem --4 black and white photographs of a young woman in a very dangerous situation -- but he swears he doesn't know her, nor does he have an explanation for the blackmail letter that was included in the package he'd received. "Let's make one thing absolutely clear," Castelli says, " I don't know what this is and I don't have anything to hide." Inspector Cain knows -- "usually the first thing a witness said was a lie." The demand of the blackmailer is even stranger, for it is not money that is wanted.
What follows is a great story, descriptive and masterful writing, and characters that jump off the page as they are so realistic and three dimensional. I highly recommed this to anyone who loves a tightly plotted police procedural with lots of grisly detail and action.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company for the e-book ARC to review. I simply cannot wait to get my hands on the next book, THE NIGHT MARKET as it will be part of a "triptych of San Francisco's nighttime scenery" -- with THE DARK ROOM the center novel.
Inspector Gavin Cain, SFPD, is watching an exhumation when he gets a call and then is whisked off by helicopter to the mayor's office. He's met there by his boss, Lt. Nagata and FBI Agent Karen Fischer. Mayor Harry Castelli has a big problem --4 black and white photographs of a young woman in a very dangerous situation -- but he swears he doesn't know her, nor does he have an explanation for the blackmail letter that was included in the package he'd received. "Let's make one thing absolutely clear," Castelli says, " I don't know what this is and I don't have anything to hide." Inspector Cain knows -- "usually the first thing a witness said was a lie." The demand of the blackmailer is even stranger, for it is not money that is wanted.
What follows is a great story, descriptive and masterful writing, and characters that jump off the page as they are so realistic and three dimensional. I highly recommed this to anyone who loves a tightly plotted police procedural with lots of grisly detail and action.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company for the e-book ARC to review. I simply cannot wait to get my hands on the next book, THE NIGHT MARKET as it will be part of a "triptych of San Francisco's nighttime scenery" -- with THE DARK ROOM the center novel.
February 19, 2022
A very interesting story with a lot going on. It seems that nothing is what it appears to be, but the pieces slowly fit together in a way that we don't see until the end. We never know quite what is going on about anything; even the main detective's girlfriend is a mystery. But the book starts out seeming like it's cut and dried as to what happened, except... Well, I don't want to give anything away.
I've lived in the SF Bay Area for 50 years, so it was fun knowing all the places that feature prominently in the book. But it's not necessary, of course, to know the area.
There was just one thing that kind of bugged me. At one point, the detective got an important phone call very late at night, and his cell phone ran out of juice. I don't understand how someone who depends on his phone as much as this guy could not be bothered to plug it into a charger overnight. And if he has trouble remembering, he should carry a spare battery for emergencies. I don't really depend on mine that much, but I still make sure I keep it charged. You never know when something might happen and you really want your phone for some emergency.
I've lived in the SF Bay Area for 50 years, so it was fun knowing all the places that feature prominently in the book. But it's not necessary, of course, to know the area.
There was just one thing that kind of bugged me. At one point, the detective got an important phone call very late at night, and his cell phone ran out of juice. I don't understand how someone who depends on his phone as much as this guy could not be bothered to plug it into a charger overnight. And if he has trouble remembering, he should carry a spare battery for emergencies. I don't really depend on mine that much, but I still make sure I keep it charged. You never know when something might happen and you really want your phone for some emergency.
September 2, 2018
Inspector Cain is called at 2 a.m. while supervising an exhumation by his boss Lt. Nagati who said she was sending a helicopter to speed him off to city hall. No other details. After his arrival, he's sent to the Mayor's chambers where he's asked to investigate a threat and some pictures sent to the mayor anonymously.
Turns out the casket contains the bones of more than one person, and one of them had been put into the casket while still alive. The mayor, meanwhile, denies any knowledge of the person and actions in the photographs, but Cain knows he’s lying, and he suspects that the contents of the casket and the blackmail of the mayor may be connected.
That’s all I’m going to say except that this is an outstanding police procedural, done the way they should be, with interesting characters and a super plot.
Turns out the casket contains the bones of more than one person, and one of them had been put into the casket while still alive. The mayor, meanwhile, denies any knowledge of the person and actions in the photographs, but Cain knows he’s lying, and he suspects that the contents of the casket and the blackmail of the mayor may be connected.
That’s all I’m going to say except that this is an outstanding police procedural, done the way they should be, with interesting characters and a super plot.
March 7, 2017
I'm a huge fan of crime based novels! The whole mystery and trying to solve it side by side (albeit almost always getting it wrong) is really interesting. The Dark Room intrigued me on this aspect.
The plot goes like this. Detective Gavin Cain is in the middle of an exhumation when he gets a call about how someone is blackmailing the mayor, and how he personally asked for the best detective in the PD (Cain) to get to the bottom of the whole deal. Cain tracking down the blackmailer and making a lot of revelations on the way is essentially our story.
Positives first - I loved how Jonathan Moore's written this book. Everything is subdued and gritty and has a realistic feel to it. There were a lot of instances where it could've taken a whole "Dan Brown"-ish turn into high octane exaggerated action. Instead, Moore portrayed everything almost exactly how it would've happened in real life, major props to that! This kind of gritty style might not be for everyone though.
The characters are pretty fleshed out and we grow to care about them. I liked how Moore had a way of giving us exposition without making it feel like exposition.
My gripes with this books are the ending and something that happens near the 80% mark. The ending is.... well meh. It leaves a sour taste and you don't really get that feel that you've found who the culprit is. It's not BAD but isn't that good either. As for the other problem I had
All in all I liked Dark Room and would recommend it to anyone who likes gritty crime.
The plot goes like this. Detective Gavin Cain is in the middle of an exhumation when he gets a call about how someone is blackmailing the mayor, and how he personally asked for the best detective in the PD (Cain) to get to the bottom of the whole deal. Cain tracking down the blackmailer and making a lot of revelations on the way is essentially our story.
Positives first - I loved how Jonathan Moore's written this book. Everything is subdued and gritty and has a realistic feel to it. There were a lot of instances where it could've taken a whole "Dan Brown"-ish turn into high octane exaggerated action. Instead, Moore portrayed everything almost exactly how it would've happened in real life, major props to that! This kind of gritty style might not be for everyone though.
The characters are pretty fleshed out and we grow to care about them. I liked how Moore had a way of giving us exposition without making it feel like exposition.
My gripes with this books are the ending and something that happens near the 80% mark. The ending is.... well meh. It leaves a sour taste and you don't really get that feel that you've found who the culprit is. It's not BAD but isn't that good either. As for the other problem I had
All in all I liked Dark Room and would recommend it to anyone who likes gritty crime.
February 22, 2017
"The Dark Room" has the same kind of brooding presence as Hitchcock's "Vertigo," and is set in the same place: San Francisco. At its core is a tangled set of fears and resentments stretching back years held together by a set of terrible crimes. It is also held together by the fundamental decency of the cops on the trail of those crimes, especially that of Gavin Cain, a homicide inspector for SFPD. Its plot is complicated, but Moore plots better than anyone I've read in a long time. As an example, he creates a back story for Cain and his girlfriend, Lucy Bolet, that would support a solid novel on its own, but that creates an extra level of tension and fear in "The Dark Room." It is probably the tensest book I've read, maybe ever, and is one of the best written.
March 23, 2017
I made certain assumptions as I read this book. Assumptions which � now I’ve had time to ponder them and actually check � don’t seem to be the case.
When we meet homicide detective Gavin Cain, for example, he’s concerned about his girlfriend Lucy, who he met in a previous case, and he’s assisted by a computer specialist he met during that case. We eventually learn it involved a school shooting and Lucy was a key witness� something that’s (understandably) impacted her psychological health. I was intrigued. “I’ll have to read the previous book in the series,� I thought.
And yet� when I later sought information, it seems Moore’s previous book The Poison Artist doesn’t seem to have involved Cain. At all. Hashtag: am confused.
It’s hard now to review this book in light of the missing backstory. I assumed gaps in my knowledge� why Cain has a new partner, issues with the previous medical examiner, Cain’s history with Lucy and the story of the school shooting all originated in The Poison Artist. But, unless I’m now looking at a different book, it doesn’t seem to have been the case. (Or am I going mad?!)
Having said all of that, it sounds as if The Poison Artist similarly includes a cold case of sorts. And� for the most part, I enjoyed this book. If I don’t mull too much over it in retrospect. And it’s a good sign that I am. It’s sticking in my head, though some of it isn’t making sense� such as the motives of one of the players. And their ultimate actions.
However� I very much liked Cain. And his work team and colleagues, including FBI agent Karen Fischer. And obviously I was hooked by the backstory about Lucy and how she met Cain. And the seemingly eccentric IT guru Matt Redding, who we meet but briefly, was also great.
The book’s well-written and the links between the ‘now� and ‘then� are clever. And kinda macabre. I’m not sure I was entirely convinced by the eventual whodunnit and why, particularly as they related to the final scenes. But again, that’s probably more about my post-completion over-analysis than the narrative itself, which kept me turning page after page.
3.5 stars
Read the full review in my blog:
When we meet homicide detective Gavin Cain, for example, he’s concerned about his girlfriend Lucy, who he met in a previous case, and he’s assisted by a computer specialist he met during that case. We eventually learn it involved a school shooting and Lucy was a key witness� something that’s (understandably) impacted her psychological health. I was intrigued. “I’ll have to read the previous book in the series,� I thought.
And yet� when I later sought information, it seems Moore’s previous book The Poison Artist doesn’t seem to have involved Cain. At all. Hashtag: am confused.
It’s hard now to review this book in light of the missing backstory. I assumed gaps in my knowledge� why Cain has a new partner, issues with the previous medical examiner, Cain’s history with Lucy and the story of the school shooting all originated in The Poison Artist. But, unless I’m now looking at a different book, it doesn’t seem to have been the case. (Or am I going mad?!)
Having said all of that, it sounds as if The Poison Artist similarly includes a cold case of sorts. And� for the most part, I enjoyed this book. If I don’t mull too much over it in retrospect. And it’s a good sign that I am. It’s sticking in my head, though some of it isn’t making sense� such as the motives of one of the players. And their ultimate actions.
However� I very much liked Cain. And his work team and colleagues, including FBI agent Karen Fischer. And obviously I was hooked by the backstory about Lucy and how she met Cain. And the seemingly eccentric IT guru Matt Redding, who we meet but briefly, was also great.
The book’s well-written and the links between the ‘now� and ‘then� are clever. And kinda macabre. I’m not sure I was entirely convinced by the eventual whodunnit and why, particularly as they related to the final scenes. But again, that’s probably more about my post-completion over-analysis than the narrative itself, which kept me turning page after page.
3.5 stars
Read the full review in my blog:
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