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The River Is Dark (Liam Dempsey #1)
by
Joe Hart (Goodreads Author)
Ex-homicide detective Liam Dempsey is waiting to die.
His career, the only thing he ever knew how to do well, is over. The single solace each day brings is the ever-growing contemplation of suicide.
But when his estranged brother and sister-in-law are brutally murdered in their bucolic town set on the banks of the Mississippi River, he is drawn into an investigation surrou ...more
His career, the only thing he ever knew how to do well, is over. The single solace each day brings is the ever-growing contemplation of suicide.
But when his estranged brother and sister-in-law are brutally murdered in their bucolic town set on the banks of the Mississippi River, he is drawn into an investigation surrou ...more
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(showing 1-30)
The story takes place along the banks of the Mississippi river. The story however does not travel at a snails pace. The book begins with you on the edge of your seat and it did not let up until the very end.
I did figure out where the story was going but it was still an enjoyable trip to get there. Hart's writing was that perfect blend of spooky and pulse racing.
Liam finds out that his estranged brother and his wife have both been brutally murdered. He agrees to come down and take care of all the ...more
I did figure out where the story was going but it was still an enjoyable trip to get there. Hart's writing was that perfect blend of spooky and pulse racing.
Liam finds out that his estranged brother and his wife have both been brutally murdered. He agrees to come down and take care of all the ...more
The River is Dark opens to an explosively grim scene involving a child running from a monster. Immediately it's obvious the pace of Joe Hart's novel will move swiftly. Retired Detective Liam Dempsey goes to a Tallston, Minnesota after he receives news that his brother and sister in law have been brutally murdered. Their young son is in the hospital in critical condition fighting for his life.
Liam initially comes off as the damaged detective many characters seem to be nowadays. It almost makes yo ...more
Liam initially comes off as the damaged detective many characters seem to be nowadays. It almost makes yo ...more
Liam Dempsey, a former detective, is called to his estranged brother's town after learning that his brother and sister in law were the second couple brutally murdered in a short period of time.
Liam's own life is in turmoil after a work incident leaves him wishing that he could end his own life--but the guilt renders him unable to allow himself such an escape. Going back to bury his older brother (who had hated him all of his life), Liam finds himself being asked by the town's sheriff to help sol ...more
Liam's own life is in turmoil after a work incident leaves him wishing that he could end his own life--but the guilt renders him unable to allow himself such an escape. Going back to bury his older brother (who had hated him all of his life), Liam finds himself being asked by the town's sheriff to help sol ...more
Aug 02, 2014
Maxine (Booklover Catlady)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Crime Thriller Fans
I am a recent convert to liking the writing of Joe Hart, this book did not let me down at all from what I expected it to be. A lot of crime books have a very similar plot and approach to them, I found The River Is Dark to be different. Much of the perspective (and the detective work) is being done by former homicide Detective, Liam Dempsey, rather than a massive focus on the police and it being a police procedural, it has more of a "private detective' approach.
In a small town along the Mississi ...more
In a small town along the Mississi ...more
This was a fast and furious one from Joe Hart. Not overly high on the originality scale and scattered with horror clichés, this one still managed to grab me from the beginning and Joe’s storytelling pulled me thru the rest of the way. This would make one hell of a movie.
Ex-Det. Liam Dempsey doesn't sleep well. His estranged brother Alan and his wife Suzie fall victim to a brutal home invasion murder. Now Liam must go back to the small town of Tallston to get his brothers affairs in order and try ...more
Ex-Det. Liam Dempsey doesn't sleep well. His estranged brother Alan and his wife Suzie fall victim to a brutal home invasion murder. Now Liam must go back to the small town of Tallston to get his brothers affairs in order and try ...more
No longer a police detective, Liam Dempsey quickly sets out to investigate the barbaric murders of his brother and his sister-in-law when he gets a call from Special Agent Phelps informing him of the home invasion of his brother and sister-in-law in Tallston, Minnesota. When he arrives he learns his brother’s best friends were also murdered the day before. Liam’s nephew has survived and is in the hospital. When he is questioned he claims he saw the monster who killed his mother and father. Along
...more
Pretty standard thriller from Hart about a man who returns to his hometown to deal with his estranged brother and sister-in-law's murders. Not much original here and filled with the usual cliches for the genre, but the characters are likable and the story does move along at a nice pace. I went in with low expectations which probably helped. One of those stories you forget pretty much right after you finish. Literary Chinese food. 2.5 stars bumped to 3 because, well, it didn't annoy me.
Liam Dempsey, the protagonist of The River is Dark, arrives in Tallston, Minnesota, a sleepy, scenic town on the banks of the Mississippi River. An ex-homicide detective, he’s come to investigate the grizzly murder of his estranged brother and his brother’s wife, and to set their affairs in order. But these murders are different. His family wasn’t just killed. They were literally torn apart, and their deaths are just the beginning of a rampage of violence that’s riding into town. Such is the set
...more
Liam Dempsey, a former detective, is called to his estranged brother's town after learning that his brother and sister in law were the second couple brutally murdered in a short period of time.
Liam's own life is in turmoil after a work incident leaves him wishing that he could end his own life--but the guilt renders him unable to allow himself such an escape. Going back to bury his older brother (who had hated him all of his life), Liam finds himself being asked by the town's sheriff to help sol ...more
Liam's own life is in turmoil after a work incident leaves him wishing that he could end his own life--but the guilt renders him unable to allow himself such an escape. Going back to bury his older brother (who had hated him all of his life), Liam finds himself being asked by the town's sheriff to help sol ...more
Liam is an ex-detective who returns to his home town after his brother and his brothers wife are murdered in their home. Upon his arrival he and an old heartthrob, who has also come back to town for the funerals, start an investigation. The local sheriff enlists Liam's help to figure out who might be behind the murder of two separate couples in their homes, within a week of each other.
The murders were of such a gruesome nature that they are immediately thought to be of a personal nature. The on ...more
The murders were of such a gruesome nature that they are immediately thought to be of a personal nature. The on ...more
Review pending
Jan 30, 2015
Thomas Strömquist
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ebook-collection
I've agonized over this review for quite a while now and decided that it was time to bite the bullet. My decision was to go strictly with the Goodreads definition of rating and therefore this one gets one star from me; "did not like it" - this should be interpreted as " I did not like it" and says absolutely nothing (as always, but seems to merit pointing out sometimes) about how someone else might feel about it.
(view spoiler) ...more
(view spoiler) ...more
****3.5 stars****
THE RIVER IS DARK is a traditional murder mystery told from the point of view of Liam. His brother and sister-in-law have just been killed leaving his nephew hospitalized. Two weeks prior, their best friends were brutally murdered. Why is the killer singling these people out? Are the murders going to continue?
When the town Sheriff gives Liam the go ahead to investigate on his own he finds out more than he ever expected about the small town doctor and his friends. Joe Hart keeps the secrets held ...more
When the town Sheriff gives Liam the go ahead to investigate on his own he finds out more than he ever expected about the small town doctor and his friends. Joe Hart keeps the secrets held ...more
Sep 16, 2014
Kristin ❋extols death with luminescent brilliance❋
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
reviewed-ng,
mystery-thriller
I received an arc copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley!
Quite predictable and the writing was a little clinical at times, particularly at the beginning, but overall, I really did enjoy it. Fast paced and kept me turning the pages as the story unfolded. The characters were well developed and likeable, particularly Liam, Dani, and of course Ashes. If you like thriller/mysteries, it's worth the read.
Quite predictable and the writing was a little clinical at times, particularly at the beginning, but overall, I really did enjoy it. Fast paced and kept me turning the pages as the story unfolded. The characters were well developed and likeable, particularly Liam, Dani, and of course Ashes. If you like thriller/mysteries, it's worth the read.
This was a good quick thriller. Joe Hart did a great job. Characters were detailed and the writing just grabbed your attention. Excellent!
This book is weird and thus this review will be weird. Probably. It's hard to describe this book... I know. I know. I said I'd never try another Hart book but I needed something -- ANYTHING -- to get the memory of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea out of my mind (still need to write a review for that but can you see me cringing?)
Anyway!
This book isn't bad on the surface and the idea isn't bad. I don't even mind the premise and, while the monsters are rather uninspired and this seems to be ...more
Anyway!
This book isn't bad on the surface and the idea isn't bad. I don't even mind the premise and, while the monsters are rather uninspired and this seems to be ...more
Liam is called to a small town on the Mississippi River when he learns that his brother and his wife have been killed. He learns that another couple had been found in similar circumstances. Although he is feeling very low at the moment he is leading the investigation into his estranged brothers murder.
A little boy holds the only clue- he’d made a terrified call saying that the monster was killing his parents. He is in a coma in the hospital.
This is a very fast paced thriller- will Liam become th ...more
A little boy holds the only clue- he’d made a terrified call saying that the monster was killing his parents. He is in a coma in the hospital.
This is a very fast paced thriller- will Liam become th ...more
ARC for review.
Liam Dempsey is a former cop (for all the normal former cop reasons) and he's feeling suicidal (for all the normal former cop reasons). When he hears about the murder of his estranged brother and his wife he feels obligated to go to the small town where his brother died and, naturally, becomes involved in the mystery.
Overall this was a perfectly serviceable thriller, if a bit standard (the re-appearing love interest, the local cops who miss everything). It gets extra points for b ...more
Liam Dempsey is a former cop (for all the normal former cop reasons) and he's feeling suicidal (for all the normal former cop reasons). When he hears about the murder of his estranged brother and his wife he feels obligated to go to the small town where his brother died and, naturally, becomes involved in the mystery.
Overall this was a perfectly serviceable thriller, if a bit standard (the re-appearing love interest, the local cops who miss everything). It gets extra points for b ...more
What a great read! The main protagonist, Liam Dempsey, is likeable, serious, realistic, and makes this a great book. All the characters are realistic. I plan to read book 2 in this series soon, and I know it will be engrossing and I will be unable to put it down, just like this one! Highly recommend.
This was a pretty good murder mystery. It involved a retired detective who had a whole lot of baggage when he got a call that his brother and sister-in-law had been murdered. So, now he had more problems, including his desire to use his service revolver on himself. I really wasn’t crazy about reading that. That makes me think our hero isn’t wrapped to tightly. But, when he got to the town where his brother had lived he ran into the girl that he’d danced with ten years before at his brother’s wed ...more
Excellent read! Hard to put down!
I like Joe Hart's Liam Dempsey and I plan to read straight through to #2. There's enough gore and murder for every horror fan, without being over the edge for wusses like me. There is a delightful touch of romance and sex. The action is nonstop and I have to admit I didn't have a clue about the ending. Be sure to read it. You won't regret it!!
I like Joe Hart's Liam Dempsey and I plan to read straight through to #2. There's enough gore and murder for every horror fan, without being over the edge for wusses like me. There is a delightful touch of romance and sex. The action is nonstop and I have to admit I didn't have a clue about the ending. Be sure to read it. You won't regret it!!
The River Is Dark by Joe Hart is a highly recommended, fast paced thriller that will hold your attention right to the end.
The opening scene is of a frightened young boy trying to escape from a murderer. Then the action focuses on Liam Dempsey. Liam has just learned that his brother, Allen, and sister-in-law, Suzie, have been brutally murdered in the small town of Tollston, Minnesota where his physician brother had his medical practice. What he doesn't know until he arrives in Tollston is that an ...more
The opening scene is of a frightened young boy trying to escape from a murderer. Then the action focuses on Liam Dempsey. Liam has just learned that his brother, Allen, and sister-in-law, Suzie, have been brutally murdered in the small town of Tollston, Minnesota where his physician brother had his medical practice. What he doesn't know until he arrives in Tollston is that an ...more
“The river is dark, and the night isn’t something to swim in.”
I'm quite a fan of author Joe Hart. I've been on kind of a mini-readathon of some of his books and stories over the last few days. And this book is another fine example of WHY I'm spending my time doing this.
Liam Dempsey used to be a homicide detective. Now he's just a broken man trying to deal with his nightmares. And things ramp up when he gets a phone call that his brother and his brother's wife have both been murdered.
Dempsey head ...more
I'm quite a fan of author Joe Hart. I've been on kind of a mini-readathon of some of his books and stories over the last few days. And this book is another fine example of WHY I'm spending my time doing this.
Liam Dempsey used to be a homicide detective. Now he's just a broken man trying to deal with his nightmares. And things ramp up when he gets a phone call that his brother and his brother's wife have both been murdered.
Dempsey head ...more
Sep 10, 2014
Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!}
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
rainy or snowy afternoon read
Shelves:
fiction,
thriller,
romance,
present-day,
serial-killers,
relationships,
recieved-to-review,
ebook-free,
three-stars,
netgalley
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I'm embarrassed to admit that prior to now I hadn't read any of Joe's work. I'm proud to say that after reading "The River is Dark", I'll be reading it again.
Liam is a former cop haunted by recent trauma. Drawn home by the brutal murder of his brother's family, Liam is soon embroiled in a dire small town mystery as he tries to track down a crazed killer before he strikes again.
Joe does a terrific job of taking familiar elements of the mystery/thriller and infusing them with new life, and on thos ...more
Liam is a former cop haunted by recent trauma. Drawn home by the brutal murder of his brother's family, Liam is soon embroiled in a dire small town mystery as he tries to track down a crazed killer before he strikes again.
Joe does a terrific job of taking familiar elements of the mystery/thriller and infusing them with new life, and on thos ...more
Ah, so my love affair with this author's work continues. And while I didn't love this one quite as much as Widow Town, it was still really, really good.
Ex-detective Liam Dempsey is called to a sleepy Mississippi River town after his estranged brother and his sister-in-law are brutally murdered. This is the second such attack in a short amount of time. Another couple (who were friends of Liam's brother) were also brutally killed, and their small son attacked and seriously injured.
Just why were th ...more
Ex-detective Liam Dempsey is called to a sleepy Mississippi River town after his estranged brother and his sister-in-law are brutally murdered. This is the second such attack in a short amount of time. Another couple (who were friends of Liam's brother) were also brutally killed, and their small son attacked and seriously injured.
Just why were th ...more
LIam Dempsey, a former police detective, finds himself embroiled in the investigation of the (extremely) brutal murders of three people and the "regular" murder of one more person. How many more will die, and what does this have to do with Colton, Inc.? The answers are worse than you can imagine.
This is quite different from the YA literature I've been reading. The River is Dark is, well, dark. And brutal, unforgiving, yet with a small element of badly needed redemption.
Very well written, the aut ...more
This is quite different from the YA literature I've been reading. The River is Dark is, well, dark. And brutal, unforgiving, yet with a small element of badly needed redemption.
Very well written, the aut ...more
Intense.
This is my first Joe Hart novel. It won't be my last. Everything was detailed and felt plausible, something that is a bit of a rarity in thrillers like this. Every act of violence had severe consequences to the characters. Consider me a new fan.
This is my first Joe Hart novel. It won't be my last. Everything was detailed and felt plausible, something that is a bit of a rarity in thrillers like this. Every act of violence had severe consequences to the characters. Consider me a new fan.
This was going to get 4 stars, but the ending made me so super happy that I gave it 5!!!! Awesome book and loved the surprise twist at the end ;)
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