The Sunday Mail
Andrew Moyo
THERE are numerous authors who have wasted no time in setting the year ablaze with their artistry as there are several bestselling novels that are already on the market.
One such writer is Jonathan Moore, who released a scorcher, “The Dark Room”, which is definitely one of the books that should be part of your 2017 collection if you are a fan of that fiction genre.
While his writing career might still be in its infancy, as his pen is yet to see a decade, his talent cannot be ignored — he has managed to captivate audiences with his work.
After introducing himself to the literary world with “Redheads” in 2013, following up with “Close Reach” in 2014, his other recent offering, “The Poison Artiste”, came out last year and was received well.
This certified him as a brilliant writer. The latest edition to his growing catalogue of thrillers is something worth applauding as he continues to prove that he is in the business to stay. The biggest selling writer in the world, James Patterson, has even likened the author to Michael Connelly, while commenting on this book.
“Suspense that never stops. If you like Michael Connelly’s novels, you will gobble up Jonathan Moore’s ‘The Dark Room’.”
The story is centred on San Francisco homicide detective Gavin Cain, who showcases his investigative prowess while trying to get to the bottom of a case involving blackmail.
The book sets off with the protagonist being called in the wee hours of morning by his lieutenant while he is in the middle of a grave exhumation only to be told that he is being reassigned.
The fact that there is mention of him being picked up by a helicopter shows the gravity of the matter, and indeed it is that important. After being picked up at a golf course, he is taken to City Hall where he meets the mayor, Harry Castelli, who shows him malicious photos with an accompanying blackmail note suggesting that the city father should kill himself if he does not want more pictures to go public.
Even though the mayor denies any knowledge of the meaning of these pictures, the detective points out that the blackmailer knows that he is somehow involved.
“Come on?” Cain asked. “Did we read the same note? The guy who sent it, he’s pretty sure this stuff means something to you. The next ones — the photos he’s holding back — those might mean even more.”
From the discussion that these two are having, one might feel that the mayor is hiding something considering the way he is responding but then the fact that he has roped in the police and the FBI probably means he might also be in the dark.
As one reads the book, they try to figure out who the character behind the blackmail is and how the detective will get to unmask him or her.
The twists and turns keeps the storyline exciting and as the mystery deepens, one also becomes anxious and wants the details to be revealed as quickly as possible.
Moore did a brilliant job straying from the obvious, creating scenarios that will keep the reader guessing. While the writer might have done more on his characterisation as he slacked in this department, he can easily get away with it because of the solid plot, which keeps you interested in what is taking place in the book rather than on the characters.
This is an exciting thriller that will keep you turning the pages with the fast pace with which the story moves.
