What do you think?
Rate this book
All The Way Down
Dale is a crooked cop. It started slow, but grew like a cancer and now he can’t get out from under the thumb of Tat, a would-be kingpin in every vice he can turn a profit with.
And now Dale’s number is up – the top brass knows. But instead of getting busted, Dale gets an offer. The mayor’s daughter is being held by Tat in his fortress built from an abandoned office tower. They want her back but if they storm the gates, Lauren is as good as dead. So they’re sending Dale on what could very likely be a suicide mission: infiltrate Tat’s fortress and bring her out alive.
If the Mayor even really wants her alive…
Floor by floor Dale and Lauren have to fight off an increasingly difficult and dangerous set of obstacles.
Meanwhile, Dale’s wife has her own troubles and some of the drug kingpin’s goons are only adding to an already rough day.
The clock is ticking down along with the floors of the building and escape is looking less and less likely. But to save her, and to save himself, he must make it all the way down.
And now Dale’s number is up – the top brass knows. But instead of getting busted, Dale gets an offer. The mayor’s daughter is being held by Tat in his fortress built from an abandoned office tower. They want her back but if they storm the gates, Lauren is as good as dead. So they’re sending Dale on what could very likely be a suicide mission: infiltrate Tat’s fortress and bring her out alive.
If the Mayor even really wants her alive…
Floor by floor Dale and Lauren have to fight off an increasingly difficult and dangerous set of obstacles.
Meanwhile, Dale’s wife has her own troubles and some of the drug kingpin’s goons are only adding to an already rough day.
The clock is ticking down along with the floors of the building and escape is looking less and less likely. But to save her, and to save himself, he must make it all the way down.
- GenresThrillerAdult Fiction
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 7, 2019
17 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Eric Beetner
105 books120 followersBIO:
Eric Beetner has been hailed as “the new maestro of noir,” by Ken Bruen and “The 21st Century’s answer to Jim Thompson” by LitReactor.
He has written more than 2 dozen novels and his short stories has been featured in over 30 anthologies and along the way he’s been nominated for an ITW award, a Shamus, Derringer and three Anthony awards. He’s won none of them.
Novels include There and Back, All The Way Down, Two In The Head, Rumrunners, The Devil Doesn't Want Me and many more.
For more visit ericbeetner.com
Eric Beetner has been hailed as “the new maestro of noir,” by Ken Bruen and “The 21st Century’s answer to Jim Thompson” by LitReactor.
He has written more than 2 dozen novels and his short stories has been featured in over 30 anthologies and along the way he’s been nominated for an ITW award, a Shamus, Derringer and three Anthony awards. He’s won none of them.
Novels include There and Back, All The Way Down, Two In The Head, Rumrunners, The Devil Doesn't Want Me and many more.
For more visit ericbeetner.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 19, 2019
“All The Way Down” by Eric Beetner features Dale Burnett, a police officer on the take, with both professional and personal life falling apart. As he rides the elevator up the office of the chief of police, he is sure that they know everything and that he is on his way to jail, and he knew how things end in jail for a crooked cop. Well, they do know everything, but he is not on his way to jail, he is on his way to somewhere much more dangerous. Lauren, the mayor’s daughter, a reporter for an on-line news service, has been kidnapped by the town’s biggest crime boss, and coincidently the source of Burnett’s payoff money. Getting her back is the only way he can keep his job and perhaps his life.
There is a lot at stake for everyone involved, and conversation drives the plot. Characters and details emerge little by little about everything including, drug trafficking, political corruption, impropriety, and the unfettered drive for news, any kind, in an economic downturn.
Beetner gives readers vivid descriptions of the places:
“The wall paper crisscrossed with shiny gold hexagons. The carpet was a blood red. Mirrors hung so close to each other the room had a funhouse quality to it. It was enough to give you a complex, all those reflections of yourself all at once.
The people who inhabit them:
“His buzz cut gave his head the look of a howitzer shell. His teeth shone white in his mouth except where gold caps covered both his canines.”
And the way they die:
“She spasmed like a cell phone on vibrate for a second while the shots were pelting her body, then fell still, sinking deeper into the cushions.”
The title “All The Way Down” comes from the single completed building in the abandoned office complex, a thin rectangle with fifteen floors, and the death, destruction, and mayhem, that happen on every floor of the high rise fortress from the top all the way down to the basement.
“All The Way Down” is a thrill ride with plenty of nonstop action by the good guys, bad guys, and those in-between. I was given a review copy by Eric Beetner, Down & Out Books, and NetGalley. I enjoyed it, but it may not be for everyone. Readers should be advised that there is “strong” language along with copious overall violence and carnage that will leave readers exhausted from the exploits.
There is a lot at stake for everyone involved, and conversation drives the plot. Characters and details emerge little by little about everything including, drug trafficking, political corruption, impropriety, and the unfettered drive for news, any kind, in an economic downturn.
Beetner gives readers vivid descriptions of the places:
“The wall paper crisscrossed with shiny gold hexagons. The carpet was a blood red. Mirrors hung so close to each other the room had a funhouse quality to it. It was enough to give you a complex, all those reflections of yourself all at once.
The people who inhabit them:
“His buzz cut gave his head the look of a howitzer shell. His teeth shone white in his mouth except where gold caps covered both his canines.”
And the way they die:
“She spasmed like a cell phone on vibrate for a second while the shots were pelting her body, then fell still, sinking deeper into the cushions.”
The title “All The Way Down” comes from the single completed building in the abandoned office complex, a thin rectangle with fifteen floors, and the death, destruction, and mayhem, that happen on every floor of the high rise fortress from the top all the way down to the basement.
“All The Way Down” is a thrill ride with plenty of nonstop action by the good guys, bad guys, and those in-between. I was given a review copy by Eric Beetner, Down & Out Books, and NetGalley. I enjoyed it, but it may not be for everyone. Readers should be advised that there is “strong” language along with copious overall violence and carnage that will leave readers exhausted from the exploits.
January 1, 2019
All the Way Down by Eric Beetner
Fast-paced action-packed thrill ride from beginning to end!
When a dirty cop is sent in to save the Mayor’s daughter from the local gang leader it is more than likely a suicide mission for Dale Burnett BUT he is willing to go for it as he feels he has nothing to lose and perhaps some bad karma to turn the opposite direction. With a multi-story building for Dale and Lauren fighting off bad guys on every floor of the building the situations they find themselves in are hair raising and sometimes lethal...for those they encounter. Little does Dale know that his wife, on the outside, is also contending with bad guys asked to bring her in and the situations she finds herself in are just as lethal as those of those inside the building her husband is trying to escape. With twists and turns and a well laid out plot this is a book I could not put down. I have to say that though this is the first book I have read by this author it will not be the last.
Thank you to NetGalley and Down and Out Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Fast-paced action-packed thrill ride from beginning to end!
When a dirty cop is sent in to save the Mayor’s daughter from the local gang leader it is more than likely a suicide mission for Dale Burnett BUT he is willing to go for it as he feels he has nothing to lose and perhaps some bad karma to turn the opposite direction. With a multi-story building for Dale and Lauren fighting off bad guys on every floor of the building the situations they find themselves in are hair raising and sometimes lethal...for those they encounter. Little does Dale know that his wife, on the outside, is also contending with bad guys asked to bring her in and the situations she finds herself in are just as lethal as those of those inside the building her husband is trying to escape. With twists and turns and a well laid out plot this is a book I could not put down. I have to say that though this is the first book I have read by this author it will not be the last.
Thank you to NetGalley and Down and Out Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
January 8, 2019
All The Way Down is a thrilling story reminiscent of many action movies. It's enthralling and entertaining from beginning to end. Fans of thrilling fiction will like it!
December 17, 2018
It almost pains me to say that I didn't enjoy this one as much as I hoped. It does feature the a Beetner hallmark with its creative action, but it wasn't as humourous as I'd hoped and the characters were pretty one dimensional.
The set up comes straight from an 80s action movie and had me in mind of Die Hard, John Woo and (maybe only me) Samurai stories. Dale has been caught red handed as taking pay offs from local drug lord Tat, who is now holding the Mayor's daughter hostage. Dale is charged with being the initial one man rescue team to go into Tat's HQ - an abandoned 15 floor office building - and get Laura out of the building. His initial attempt prompts Tat to call for Dale's wife, Dahlia, to be taken in and held in order for Dale to change his mind.
There was something more generic about this one that stopped me feeling fully engaged with it and the most creative action sequences revolved around Dahlia and her captors rather than in the building block. There were some cool moments, but the story didn't surprise in any way. Chapters with other secondary characters didn't really add much to the mix.
Overall, not what I had hoped for, but not without its moments.
Thanks to Down and Out for the eARC via NetGalley.
The set up comes straight from an 80s action movie and had me in mind of Die Hard, John Woo and (maybe only me) Samurai stories. Dale has been caught red handed as taking pay offs from local drug lord Tat, who is now holding the Mayor's daughter hostage. Dale is charged with being the initial one man rescue team to go into Tat's HQ - an abandoned 15 floor office building - and get Laura out of the building. His initial attempt prompts Tat to call for Dale's wife, Dahlia, to be taken in and held in order for Dale to change his mind.
There was something more generic about this one that stopped me feeling fully engaged with it and the most creative action sequences revolved around Dahlia and her captors rather than in the building block. There were some cool moments, but the story didn't surprise in any way. Chapters with other secondary characters didn't really add much to the mix.
Overall, not what I had hoped for, but not without its moments.
Thanks to Down and Out for the eARC via NetGalley.
October 20, 2020
A crooked cop and a crusading reporter — who just happens to be the mayor's daughter — wind up trapped in the massive office tower belonging to the city's crime kingpin, and the only way out is floor by floor, body by body, through a river of blood.
Eric Beetner specializes in pureé-paced, gleeful-grindhouse pulp fiction, and ALL THE WAY DOWN takes his usual game up a few notches with this splattery high-stakes tale of cat-and-mouse. What sets this one above and apart is standout characterization. The crooked cop, facing either death or long prison sentence, is tired of being bent and wants to go straight regardless of the consequences. The mayor's daughter hates the crooked father whose power base is propped up by the crime kingpin — but does she, really? The cop's wife is done with her husband — but is she, really? The mayor is willing to sacrifice his daughter to save himself — but is he, really?
There's scarcely a moment to contemplate these questions, let alone breathe, as ALL THE WAY DOWN moves as fast as its kinetic title implies. It's good greasy, mildly gory fun on one level, but on another level you wonder not just who will live, but who will embrace their better angels when the end comes, however it comes.
ALL THE WAY DOWN is a speed-read with something in its shadowy humanity that sticks to the readerly ribs, too. One might wish for more recuperative moments, and a bit more thematic depth, but Beetner's decided to go a different way, and it cannot be said that he doesn't succeed marvelously at precisely what he sets out to do. A perfect way to pass a plane flight or an insomniac night.
Eric Beetner specializes in pureé-paced, gleeful-grindhouse pulp fiction, and ALL THE WAY DOWN takes his usual game up a few notches with this splattery high-stakes tale of cat-and-mouse. What sets this one above and apart is standout characterization. The crooked cop, facing either death or long prison sentence, is tired of being bent and wants to go straight regardless of the consequences. The mayor's daughter hates the crooked father whose power base is propped up by the crime kingpin — but does she, really? The cop's wife is done with her husband — but is she, really? The mayor is willing to sacrifice his daughter to save himself — but is he, really?
There's scarcely a moment to contemplate these questions, let alone breathe, as ALL THE WAY DOWN moves as fast as its kinetic title implies. It's good greasy, mildly gory fun on one level, but on another level you wonder not just who will live, but who will embrace their better angels when the end comes, however it comes.
ALL THE WAY DOWN is a speed-read with something in its shadowy humanity that sticks to the readerly ribs, too. One might wish for more recuperative moments, and a bit more thematic depth, but Beetner's decided to go a different way, and it cannot be said that he doesn't succeed marvelously at precisely what he sets out to do. A perfect way to pass a plane flight or an insomniac night.
August 7, 2019
This enthralling crime novel starts with a bad cop called on the carpet. Dale Burnett, risen to detective grade has allowed his need for money to gradually bend his ethics, in a city already badly out of tune with ethics and morality. He assumes the worst but is given one chance at redemption.
It turns out, the Mayor’s daughter has been captured and is being held by one of the city’s most dangerous and brutal gang leaders. Since Burnett is now known to the gang, law enforcement believes an alternative to a frontal assault is a better option. Burnett is tasked with going into gang headquarters and rescuing the young woman.
Of course, Burnett takes this limited opportunity to risk death and retrieve his good standing. What follows is a rousing and ever more dangerous series of encounters with the gang leader and his murderous minions. With the considerable assistance of the mayor’s able daughter, Burnett engages the forces of evil.
The scene is very limited, all the action takes place inside a single large former factory building, so some of the common characteristics of action novels such as weather, are missing. Nevertheless, the pace is relentless, the tension high and the outcome uncertain until the very end.
All The Way Down is a fine thriller of a novel with surprises on almost every page, sustained action and relevant character development. The mayor’s daughter is a strong, important component of the fabric of the story.
It turns out, the Mayor’s daughter has been captured and is being held by one of the city’s most dangerous and brutal gang leaders. Since Burnett is now known to the gang, law enforcement believes an alternative to a frontal assault is a better option. Burnett is tasked with going into gang headquarters and rescuing the young woman.
Of course, Burnett takes this limited opportunity to risk death and retrieve his good standing. What follows is a rousing and ever more dangerous series of encounters with the gang leader and his murderous minions. With the considerable assistance of the mayor’s able daughter, Burnett engages the forces of evil.
The scene is very limited, all the action takes place inside a single large former factory building, so some of the common characteristics of action novels such as weather, are missing. Nevertheless, the pace is relentless, the tension high and the outcome uncertain until the very end.
All The Way Down is a fine thriller of a novel with surprises on almost every page, sustained action and relevant character development. The mayor’s daughter is a strong, important component of the fabric of the story.
February 5, 2019
A thriller. A page-turner. Can't put down kind of book. These are some of the emotions I felt when reading 'All The Way Down' by Eric Beetner.
We are introduced to Dale Burnett, a cop who has got on the wrong side of the law by taking payouts from a kingpin named Tat. He has skated by under the radar with his crimes or so he thinks until he is summoned in to the Chief of Police's office one morning. Dale is tasked with the job of rescuing the mayor's daughter Lauren O'Brien who has been kidnapped and holed up in his fortress of a building. Lauren, a journalist had been trying to get to the root of a story to bring down Tat's organisation and uncovering her father's corruption in the process too. Dale is left with no choice but to accept the impossible mission as the Chief & Mayor are fully aware of his dealings with Tat.
Dale goes in to the building unarmed and pleading for the safe return of Lauren hoping his good reputation with Tat will bear fruit. What entails after this is a hell-of-a-ride, starting out on the 15th floor as they try to escape the building unarmed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book (thanks NetGalley) and it was so reminiscent of a Die-Hard like movie (even a slight nod to Die Hard in the book - nicely done). We are pulled in to this roller-coaster ride of a novel, so hold on to your seats for this one.
We are introduced to Dale Burnett, a cop who has got on the wrong side of the law by taking payouts from a kingpin named Tat. He has skated by under the radar with his crimes or so he thinks until he is summoned in to the Chief of Police's office one morning. Dale is tasked with the job of rescuing the mayor's daughter Lauren O'Brien who has been kidnapped and holed up in his fortress of a building. Lauren, a journalist had been trying to get to the root of a story to bring down Tat's organisation and uncovering her father's corruption in the process too. Dale is left with no choice but to accept the impossible mission as the Chief & Mayor are fully aware of his dealings with Tat.
Dale goes in to the building unarmed and pleading for the safe return of Lauren hoping his good reputation with Tat will bear fruit. What entails after this is a hell-of-a-ride, starting out on the 15th floor as they try to escape the building unarmed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book (thanks NetGalley) and it was so reminiscent of a Die-Hard like movie (even a slight nod to Die Hard in the book - nicely done). We are pulled in to this roller-coaster ride of a novel, so hold on to your seats for this one.
January 3, 2019
Action packed, twists & turns all the way thru it.......maybe even almost on every page there was something going awry?! It almost read like a script for a 'Die Hard' movie.......action, action, action....with some inkling of humor dabbed in there, along with a lot of shooting, stabbing, violence, & gore. I liked that it had about 3 story lines going parallel, & you wondered how/when they'd intersect with each other. It was a very fast read, didn't require a lot of investment of my attention (I was able to keep track of a basketball game on tv while reading it)...but it certainly did keep me entertained!
I received this e-ARC from Down & Out Books & the author, via NetGalley.....in return for reading & offering my own fair & honest review.
I received this e-ARC from Down & Out Books & the author, via NetGalley.....in return for reading & offering my own fair & honest review.
March 18, 2019
I recently met Eric Beetner at readings in Southern California. He's such a gentleman - warm, kind and funny. This is the first of his books I've read and the contrast of him vs. his imagination is striking. This book is a vertical obstacle course with epic levels of catastrophe awaiting every level of descent. Think of the old game show Let’s Make a Deal but instead of a dishwasher or new car behind every door, your choices are calamitous methods of danger or death. Beetner created a cast of characters with such adrenaline-rich drives to survive that their reactions seem to be a surprise to even to each of them, and will surely keep you in action-packed suspense - all the way down. It's a fun, high-energy book. Now I have to read more of his work!
January 21, 2019
This is a book you have to read in one sitting. Well, you don't have to, but once the story gets going – you're not going to be able to put it down.
Corruption, crime and survival are the name of the game in this tale. This has moments that feel over the top, but it's just such a great thriller that it's all alright. The characters draw you in as well. Dale thinking he can find redemption, his wife finding hidden depths, and a mayor wrestling with morality.
If you haven't read Beetner, you're missing out. This is a great place to start and then work your way backwards.
Corruption, crime and survival are the name of the game in this tale. This has moments that feel over the top, but it's just such a great thriller that it's all alright. The characters draw you in as well. Dale thinking he can find redemption, his wife finding hidden depths, and a mayor wrestling with morality.
If you haven't read Beetner, you're missing out. This is a great place to start and then work your way backwards.
December 21, 2018
I’m trying to figure out if this counts as a Christmas book. Old joke, but this does feel an awful lot like “Die Hard”. Crooked cop, wife troubles. “Played” by the police brass for their own purposes make the hostage situation seem almost like an afterthought. Still, there is plenty of action to keep the story moving. I received an advanced digital copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 12, 2019
Eric Beetner comes up with lots of clever high concepts for his work, and this is another of them. It has a lot in common with another thing he did, "The Year I Died Seven Times" -- and it's a lot of fun to see what awaits at each level, much like an arcade video game (but with more graphic violence).
I also enjoyed the way he intercut his story lines here. Another thing Beetner does well is pacing.
Enjoyable light entertainment.
I also enjoyed the way he intercut his story lines here. Another thing Beetner does well is pacing.
Enjoyable light entertainment.
Read
March 18, 2019This book is a vertical obstacle course with epic levels of catastrophe awaiting every level of descent. Think of the old game show Let’s Make a Deal but instead of a dishwasher or new car behind every door, your choices are calamitous methods of danger or death. Beetner created a cast of characters with such adrenaline-rich drives to survive that their reactions seem to be a surprise to each of them, and will surely keep you in action-packed suspense - all the way down.
Read
December 11, 2019This book is not listed in the library sawn catalog. The librarians didn't believe me but they did see it in California. I don't think I will read it until it gets to illinois. I don't buy books. I haven't bought a book in 20 years.
March 5, 2019
Excellent!
March 5, 2019
Start reading All The Way Down while waiting at your departure gate and you won't put it down until you've reached your final destination. Truly an action movie in prose form.
June 4, 2020
Allegedly a 'thriller'. 'Fans of Bruce Willis and the 'Die Hard' franchise may like this, but i thought it lacked originality and reads like the screenplay for 'Die Hard'. A redundant screenplay.
March 5, 2019
A wildly fun thriller. Looney Tunes-esque in the damage that it hands out to the main protagonist. Just constantly escalating violence and ridiculous situations that never dulled.
November 26, 2022
Eric Beetner’s All the Way Down is a slam-bam action thriller. Once you start, expect to power through it quickly. It’s that fun. Also, it may have the finest dedication ever in a novel.
December 30, 2018
Eric Beetner should break into the major leagues with ALL THE WAY DOWN. This is probably his best work yet, although, I'm such a huge fan of his writing, that I don't know if I can truly say if that statement is true. I'll leave you, my fellow readers to make that distinction. All I do know is I'm still trying to catch my breath after devouring this high speed thriller, and he's definitely one of the best!
January 11, 2019
Dale is a dirty cop about to be sent away but gets a second chance instead. He must save the mayor's daughter, Lauren, who's been kidnapped and held in a fortress you can't get out of!
Dale knows it's a suicide mission but doesn't have a choice. If that wasn't enough his wife also gets taken... There is no time to waste...
When you think Dale and Lauren might get out alive more things happen...
Really good, captivating, fast paced thriller! Action starts right away and never stops! It felt like a movie! Read in 2 days.
Thank you NetGalley and Down & Out Books for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.
Review shared online on NetGalley, Goodreads, Twitter...
Dale knows it's a suicide mission but doesn't have a choice. If that wasn't enough his wife also gets taken... There is no time to waste...
When you think Dale and Lauren might get out alive more things happen...
Really good, captivating, fast paced thriller! Action starts right away and never stops! It felt like a movie! Read in 2 days.
Thank you NetGalley and Down & Out Books for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.
Review shared online on NetGalley, Goodreads, Twitter...
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews