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Spiral Into Darkness
He blends in. He is successful, intelligent and methodical. There are no clues. There are no leads. The only thing the FBI and local police have to go on is the method of death: two bullets to the face- gruesome and meant to send a message. But it's difficult to understand any message coming from a dark and damaged mind. Two adopted boys, struggling in their own world, have no idea they are the next targets. Neither does their family. And neither does local law enforcement.
357 pages, Paperback
First published January 17, 2019
52 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Lewis
11 books101 followersI am a reviewer and published author in the thriller-crime-mystery genre. I've won approximately 20 awards. You can find my work on my website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.com
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December 23, 2018DNF @ 40%
This is the first time I've failed to finish an ARC, however, I'll offer my thoughts on what I was able to get through.
The description sounded very intriguing as I really love serial killer stories. This ended up being more of a police procedural story which is not a genre that I favor with virtually no time spent with the killer at all.
There are sooooo many characters in this book it borderlines on ridiculous. I'm talking more than a dozen, probably closer to twenty, honestly it could've been more than that. Like I said, it's ridiculous. 80% of them offering nothing towards advancing the plot. Every single cop and investigator, a group of adopted boys and all of their friends. I didn't care about any of them. The author didn't care to flesh them out whatsoever.
These adopted boys were, I think, victims of a child sex ring. I mean, I can't really say for sure what happened to them and how they ended up being adopted because it's never really explained.
At one point, two of the adopted boys are called to the scene of one of the murders to help with the investigation. Really? I mean, wtf?
And then came the part where my eyes rolled so far back into my head that I couldn't have kept reading even if I had wanted to.
Are you ready for this?
I don't think you're ready but here it goes...the adoptive parents are disappointed in one of their adopted sons for having sex with his girlfriend. However, they are not only NOT disappointed in but ENCOURAGED the same older adoptive son to continue having sex with their younger biological son.
So yeah, not much happening with the serial killer. I'm guessing it will all come together in the end. Maybe not. I don't care either way.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first time I've failed to finish an ARC, however, I'll offer my thoughts on what I was able to get through.
The description sounded very intriguing as I really love serial killer stories. This ended up being more of a police procedural story which is not a genre that I favor with virtually no time spent with the killer at all.
There are sooooo many characters in this book it borderlines on ridiculous. I'm talking more than a dozen, probably closer to twenty, honestly it could've been more than that. Like I said, it's ridiculous. 80% of them offering nothing towards advancing the plot. Every single cop and investigator, a group of adopted boys and all of their friends. I didn't care about any of them. The author didn't care to flesh them out whatsoever.
These adopted boys were, I think, victims of a child sex ring. I mean, I can't really say for sure what happened to them and how they ended up being adopted because it's never really explained.
At one point, two of the adopted boys are called to the scene of one of the murders to help with the investigation. Really? I mean, wtf?
And then came the part where my eyes rolled so far back into my head that I couldn't have kept reading even if I had wanted to.
Are you ready for this?
I don't think you're ready but here it goes...the adoptive parents are disappointed in one of their adopted sons for having sex with his girlfriend. However, they are not only NOT disappointed in but ENCOURAGED the same older adoptive son to continue having sex with their younger biological son.
So yeah, not much happening with the serial killer. I'm guessing it will all come together in the end. Maybe not. I don't care either way.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 2, 2019
3.5 STARS
Are they random killings? A professional businessman, school principal, stay at home wife, and a 15 year old boy are just some of the victims of a serial killer. He walks up to them, assures himself they are indeed his target, then shoots them twice in the face and calmly walks away.
There are no clues .. no leads ... no witnesses. Is he sending a message? Are these cases connected? And who could possibly be next?
This is a well written crime fiction, but there's a lot more involved. Not only the cops involved in hunting a killer, but the killer himself. There's also a story line of young male adolescents trying to come to terms with their sexual feelings. Throw in some exciting basketball drama, and it seems like everything is covered.
I felt that the family drama overshadowed the crimes being committed.
Although second in this series, it is easily read as a stand alone. There are so many characters to keep straight, I would recommend reading the first book before starting this one.
I did enjoy the police procedural part of the story ... it was tense, suspenseful.
Many thanks to the author / Black Rose Writing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction/thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Are they random killings? A professional businessman, school principal, stay at home wife, and a 15 year old boy are just some of the victims of a serial killer. He walks up to them, assures himself they are indeed his target, then shoots them twice in the face and calmly walks away.
There are no clues .. no leads ... no witnesses. Is he sending a message? Are these cases connected? And who could possibly be next?
This is a well written crime fiction, but there's a lot more involved. Not only the cops involved in hunting a killer, but the killer himself. There's also a story line of young male adolescents trying to come to terms with their sexual feelings. Throw in some exciting basketball drama, and it seems like everything is covered.
I felt that the family drama overshadowed the crimes being committed.
Although second in this series, it is easily read as a stand alone. There are so many characters to keep straight, I would recommend reading the first book before starting this one.
I did enjoy the police procedural part of the story ... it was tense, suspenseful.
Many thanks to the author / Black Rose Writing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction/thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
January 10, 2019
I really liked this story, the suspense was there. At first, this seemed like random killings and this author kept me interested from beginning the very end. I found the characters were well written and that I cared about what happened to them. I have never read a book by this author, but I will definitely be looking for more to read.
December 27, 2018
I got an advanced copy to read. The story is solid, the characters are solid and unique, and the plot kept my attention. It's a crime thriller I'd recommend once the final version is edited.
January 26, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. It was obvious from reading it, that there was an ongoing story but I found this could be read as a standalone.
The story is quick paced and well written, and explores lots of different themes. I love the family the author has created in the book. A bunch of young, damaged boys all now loved and cared for by Jeremy and Vicki. The bond that the boys share is unique and an interesting theme that the book explores, their love for each other forged through each others sense of loss, betrayal and abandonment. This is dealt with in a sensitive way and I felt it was an important inclusion to have.
The book starts as it would appear random people are being shot by an unknown man. The victims are male, female, old and young, there seems to be no logical pattern to the killer’s targets.
I fully intend to read the other books in the series, highly recommended.
Purchase Links –
The story is quick paced and well written, and explores lots of different themes. I love the family the author has created in the book. A bunch of young, damaged boys all now loved and cared for by Jeremy and Vicki. The bond that the boys share is unique and an interesting theme that the book explores, their love for each other forged through each others sense of loss, betrayal and abandonment. This is dealt with in a sensitive way and I felt it was an important inclusion to have.
The book starts as it would appear random people are being shot by an unknown man. The victims are male, female, old and young, there seems to be no logical pattern to the killer’s targets.
I fully intend to read the other books in the series, highly recommended.
Purchase Links –
January 21, 2019
Spiral Into Darkness really takes you on a ride into darkness. Admittedly, there are uncomfortable aspects of this novel, but it fits the overall theme and ideas.
Joseph Lewis has created this as a stand alone that follows characters from his previous books, but honestly, I wasn’t confused. There was enough history to understand who these people were to read this and not feel lost.
There isn’t a main character. Instead, this is a really in depth look into human psychology and that is where some of the uncomfortableness comes from. I have a deep interest in this psychology though, so I was more intrigued than creeped out.
The downside of this book, and what will make it a hit or miss for people is the in depth look at each character’s psychology. This makes some of the material difficult because as a reader, we don’t want info dumped on us. But coming from another direction, since this book is such a deep look at human psychology, all of this was necessary. It just might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
I will tell you, if you stick with it, the ending is really tied together and worth reading to. I recommend checking this one out!
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
Joseph Lewis has created this as a stand alone that follows characters from his previous books, but honestly, I wasn’t confused. There was enough history to understand who these people were to read this and not feel lost.
There isn’t a main character. Instead, this is a really in depth look into human psychology and that is where some of the uncomfortableness comes from. I have a deep interest in this psychology though, so I was more intrigued than creeped out.
The downside of this book, and what will make it a hit or miss for people is the in depth look at each character’s psychology. This makes some of the material difficult because as a reader, we don’t want info dumped on us. But coming from another direction, since this book is such a deep look at human psychology, all of this was necessary. It just might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
I will tell you, if you stick with it, the ending is really tied together and worth reading to. I recommend checking this one out!
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
November 14, 2019
Great title. Great cover art. Very confused book. It comes over as a curiously explicit young-adult domestic drama tacked on to a plot about a seemingly random serial killer. Spends more time exploring the confused sexuality of teenage boys than it does investigating the series of murders. It’s a bit like an X-rated version of The Brady Bunch with a homicidal maniac for added interest.
The plot is actually quite engaging, but it gets buried beneath a vast cast of characters and way too much adolescent angst. Might be more suitable for boys in their late teens than most other readers. It’s part of a series, but I wasn’t tempted to read the others.
6/10
The plot is actually quite engaging, but it gets buried beneath a vast cast of characters and way too much adolescent angst. Might be more suitable for boys in their late teens than most other readers. It’s part of a series, but I wasn’t tempted to read the others.
6/10
March 18, 2019
This was another one of Joe’s books I just couldn’t put down! His character development is phenomenal and I feel as if I know each of them personally. The plots are intricate and present day. Can’t wait for the next book!
Kathy Whitby
Kathy Whitby
February 2, 2019
Great book. Thrilling mystery with an underlying psychological theme. Lots of action, suspense, twists, and a focus on protecting your own. Recommend reading all of books by this author first to understand the characters best. There are a few graphic parts involving sexual acts among teenagers, but it fits into the context of the overall series.
December 25, 2018
A serial killer is on the loose, with the eight victims seemingly picked at random. As time runs out who will be the next victim and can the killer be stopped?
I was really irritated with Spiral into Darkness as nowhere on its NetGalley, Amazon or Goodreads page does it mention that this is part of a series and you really need a lot of context to understand the truly weird dynamics of the many characters in this book.
The story itself starts well - a police chief is called to join a large, specialist taskforce with the FBI to help catch a serial killer who has taken 8 lives so far. They begin profiling and investigating and that started to draw me into the story. At this point you know something bad has happened the previous summer but I assumed it was character backstory that you’d find out as you went along.
Then at around 20% the book takes a sharp left turn and drops the investigation and police storyline to focus on 6 brothers and their daily lives. As far as I can gather these 6 brothers are central characters in the other books, kidnapped as part of a child sex ring and are now all adopted into the same family. The family dynamics are weird and uncomfortable; the teenagers seem far too overly familiar with each other and two of the adopted brothers are having an intimate relationship (which is often graphically described). This relationship is no secret – the entire family know about it including the parents (one of the boys is their biological son) and all they do is just reassure them that they are definitely not gay. It also really doesn’t help that the kids all have really similar names for some reason – Brian, Billy, Bobby, Brett and Brad which made it really difficult for me to work out who was who.
Inexplicably the boys are drafted in to help the police and FBI team with their investigation. They make them walk the crime scene with the body still present, where they give basic information that surely trained and experienced police officers should already know. They then are given a victim’s book of poetry to analyse as if it was an English Lit project - the whole prospect is just bizarre. This is all interspersed with the underage sex scenes, overly repetitive family arguments and far too much description of everyday events (why should I care what brand of running shoe and sock every boy buys at the store when it has no relevance to the story?)
There are also far too many characters; the 6 brothers, their parents, all their friends, the 5/6 core members of the police team, their families and the killer themselves. I was desperate to DNF this book, particularly when I discovered it was part of a series but I persevered. I needn’t have bothered really - as there were so many characters, none of which got much ‘screen-time’, the final reveal wasn’t shocking or surprising at all – just ‘oh, that person, I’ve heard their name mentioned before’. The final show-down had some ridiculous decisions, unrealistic events and even a bit of the paranormal thrown in – it was all a bit ridiculous.
Overall if you’ve read the rest of the series perhaps you are used to the overload of characters, the uncomfortable family dynamics and the repetition of everyday events instead of a focus on the action. For a new reader however, Spiral into Darkness simply wasn’t for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for a copy of the ARC in exchange for a (very) honest review.
For more reviews check out www.kindig.co.uk
I was really irritated with Spiral into Darkness as nowhere on its NetGalley, Amazon or Goodreads page does it mention that this is part of a series and you really need a lot of context to understand the truly weird dynamics of the many characters in this book.
The story itself starts well - a police chief is called to join a large, specialist taskforce with the FBI to help catch a serial killer who has taken 8 lives so far. They begin profiling and investigating and that started to draw me into the story. At this point you know something bad has happened the previous summer but I assumed it was character backstory that you’d find out as you went along.
Then at around 20% the book takes a sharp left turn and drops the investigation and police storyline to focus on 6 brothers and their daily lives. As far as I can gather these 6 brothers are central characters in the other books, kidnapped as part of a child sex ring and are now all adopted into the same family. The family dynamics are weird and uncomfortable; the teenagers seem far too overly familiar with each other and two of the adopted brothers are having an intimate relationship (which is often graphically described). This relationship is no secret – the entire family know about it including the parents (one of the boys is their biological son) and all they do is just reassure them that they are definitely not gay. It also really doesn’t help that the kids all have really similar names for some reason – Brian, Billy, Bobby, Brett and Brad which made it really difficult for me to work out who was who.
Inexplicably the boys are drafted in to help the police and FBI team with their investigation. They make them walk the crime scene with the body still present, where they give basic information that surely trained and experienced police officers should already know. They then are given a victim’s book of poetry to analyse as if it was an English Lit project - the whole prospect is just bizarre. This is all interspersed with the underage sex scenes, overly repetitive family arguments and far too much description of everyday events (why should I care what brand of running shoe and sock every boy buys at the store when it has no relevance to the story?)
There are also far too many characters; the 6 brothers, their parents, all their friends, the 5/6 core members of the police team, their families and the killer themselves. I was desperate to DNF this book, particularly when I discovered it was part of a series but I persevered. I needn’t have bothered really - as there were so many characters, none of which got much ‘screen-time’, the final reveal wasn’t shocking or surprising at all – just ‘oh, that person, I’ve heard their name mentioned before’. The final show-down had some ridiculous decisions, unrealistic events and even a bit of the paranormal thrown in – it was all a bit ridiculous.
Overall if you’ve read the rest of the series perhaps you are used to the overload of characters, the uncomfortable family dynamics and the repetition of everyday events instead of a focus on the action. For a new reader however, Spiral into Darkness simply wasn’t for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for a copy of the ARC in exchange for a (very) honest review.
For more reviews check out www.kindig.co.uk
January 18, 2019
This review was originally posted on https://trailsoftales620253622.wordpr...
Riddle me this
An ambitious man in his early 30s, youngest partner at his advertising firm, a workaholic, competent, always dressed to the nine….
A 54 year old middle school principal, a devoted wife, kind, affectionate, sensitive, well loved….
What do these two have in common?
Nothing but that they were both shot
Twice
In the face
And all that the shooter said was this
You should not have done it
A series of murders, same modus operandi, with no apparent connection are happening in and around Milwaukee. At the time our story starts, there have already been 8 victims and no clues.
The FBI are working with the Waukesha City Police Department to stop the murders.
The story follows an eclectic group of dedicated detectives who are grasping at invisible straws in the dark to identify the perpetrator.
But how do you catch a killer who has no name, no face and no decipherable motive?
Time is running out.
And this time, the killer might be more closer to home than ever.
Joseph Lewis has crafted a stand alone that follows the characters from his previous books.
Not to worry…
He has touched on enough of the history so you know the characters even if you haven’t met them before.
Usually in a fiction, you are able to pin point a certain character as the main protagonist.
But not in ‘Spiral into Darkness’.
The author delves into the deepest ends of human psychology.
And that end… ain’t really pretty. Nor is it particularly comfortable.
Every single character has been highlighted by his/her psychological profile, the most interesting (in my opinion) being the killer.
The convolutions of the killer’s psyche is so profoundly portrayed that you cannot help but be pulled deeper in.
Perhaps that is why the book is called ‘Spiral into Darkness’.
Since I am a psychologist with a clinical background, psychological thrillers are particularly palatable to me. I also did a short course in Forensic Psychology which makes me a smidge more predisposed towards liking this book.
But I do understand that everyone might not view them with a similar perspective.
In a book like ‘Spiral into Darkness’ where each character’s psychology is brought to the forefront, there would be sections where you would wonder- Why did this have to be included? What does this do for the story?
We psychologists do tend to focus on the most minute of details. I know, I know…. that could be a bit irritating sometimes.
But it all ties in together at the end. I was actually quite taken by the ‘Spiral into Darkness’ as it neared the finishing line.
[To be noted- this book contains descriptions of sexual experimentation]
Why don’t you give it a read and tell me what you think about it?
Riddle me this
An ambitious man in his early 30s, youngest partner at his advertising firm, a workaholic, competent, always dressed to the nine….
A 54 year old middle school principal, a devoted wife, kind, affectionate, sensitive, well loved….
What do these two have in common?
Nothing but that they were both shot
Twice
In the face
And all that the shooter said was this
You should not have done it
A series of murders, same modus operandi, with no apparent connection are happening in and around Milwaukee. At the time our story starts, there have already been 8 victims and no clues.
The FBI are working with the Waukesha City Police Department to stop the murders.
The story follows an eclectic group of dedicated detectives who are grasping at invisible straws in the dark to identify the perpetrator.
But how do you catch a killer who has no name, no face and no decipherable motive?
Time is running out.
And this time, the killer might be more closer to home than ever.
Joseph Lewis has crafted a stand alone that follows the characters from his previous books.
Not to worry…
He has touched on enough of the history so you know the characters even if you haven’t met them before.
Usually in a fiction, you are able to pin point a certain character as the main protagonist.
But not in ‘Spiral into Darkness’.
The author delves into the deepest ends of human psychology.
And that end… ain’t really pretty. Nor is it particularly comfortable.
Every single character has been highlighted by his/her psychological profile, the most interesting (in my opinion) being the killer.
The convolutions of the killer’s psyche is so profoundly portrayed that you cannot help but be pulled deeper in.
Perhaps that is why the book is called ‘Spiral into Darkness’.
Since I am a psychologist with a clinical background, psychological thrillers are particularly palatable to me. I also did a short course in Forensic Psychology which makes me a smidge more predisposed towards liking this book.
But I do understand that everyone might not view them with a similar perspective.
In a book like ‘Spiral into Darkness’ where each character’s psychology is brought to the forefront, there would be sections where you would wonder- Why did this have to be included? What does this do for the story?
We psychologists do tend to focus on the most minute of details. I know, I know…. that could be a bit irritating sometimes.
But it all ties in together at the end. I was actually quite taken by the ‘Spiral into Darkness’ as it neared the finishing line.
[To be noted- this book contains descriptions of sexual experimentation]
Why don’t you give it a read and tell me what you think about it?
January 10, 2019
I tried not to DNF this completely, but it was just so bad that I had to at least skim read this. At first I thought that this book was just going to be a regular mystery/thriller book, but boy was I disappointed.
I don't use the word "hate" very often, but this book made me hate my entire existence, and the fact that I had to keep reading this made me want to disappear from Earth. The beginning was super boring, but then we got introduced to these 6 half-brothers, who went through very terrible things in their lives, but then the author decided to make the "brilliant" choice to have some of them have sex with each other multiple times, which made me cringe so hard. And the fact that both of them had girlfriends and their parents encouraged them to have sex with each other brought things to a whole another level of weird.
If for some reason, all of that seems appealing to you and you're a fan of stories with too many characters, then go right ahead and pick this one up. If you value your brain cells and your precious time, though, please don't.
I don't use the word "hate" very often, but this book made me hate my entire existence, and the fact that I had to keep reading this made me want to disappear from Earth. The beginning was super boring, but then we got introduced to these 6 half-brothers, who went through very terrible things in their lives, but then the author decided to make the "brilliant" choice to have some of them have sex with each other multiple times, which made me cringe so hard. And the fact that both of them had girlfriends and their parents encouraged them to have sex with each other brought things to a whole another level of weird.
If for some reason, all of that seems appealing to you and you're a fan of stories with too many characters, then go right ahead and pick this one up. If you value your brain cells and your precious time, though, please don't.
February 20, 2019
There were some aspects of the story that I liked, unfortunately, I didn't realise this was part of series so that threw me a little. Also felt there were far too many characters introduced too quickly to keep track of.
With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the Arc in exchange for an honest review
With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the Arc in exchange for an honest review
January 22, 2019
*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the author and Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Resources blog tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Spiral into Darkness is an unusual psychological thriller, with some disturbing and thought-provoking content.
Firstly, I would highly recommend that the author’s previous books are read before you try this one, as there is a lot of context and history between the characters prior to this story. The author does fill us in as he goes along here, but there are so many characters involved and the relationships are so unique that I really feel more of the back story would be useful.
The story itself has two distinct threads: one is a tight and tense police procedural with a multi-disciplinary team investigating a serial killer with an efficient method and obscure motive; the other an emotional family drama about blended and adopted families, teenage hormones and exploring sexuality. The connection that binds these two disparate elements together is the history between the family in question and a number of members of the investigative team; which can lead to some unusual decisions such as drawing on the expertise of teenage boys in a FBI murder investigation!
I am not sure if there is a trigger warning here or not, but I was slightly uncomfortable at the sheer volume of teenage sexual behaviour explored in the book and particularly at the casual acceptance of such behaviour between (adopted) siblings. I appreciate that the author stresses the importance of love, openness and communication in family relationships, and includes some very positive messages about acceptance and body confidence. My personal preference was for more of the psychological thriller and less of the teenage pleasures, but I am well past my own teenage years and quite British too, so fond of tea and euphemisms!
Whilst I found some plot points somewhat difficult to believe, I did enjoy the characters in the investigative team and their working relationships, and the suspense elements of the story were intriguing and kept me guessing. I think this would be a good read for those who are as interested in psychology as they are in crime thrillers, and don’t mind a LOT of sticky sheets!
He rarely displayed emotion except when the appropriate social situation called for it. On demand, he could feign anger, surprise, shock, or doubt. Even happiness and joy though they took more work. Like an actor. However, he viewed himself to be more of a chameleon than an actor.
He watched the news conference and concluded they did not have a clue. None. The blond FBI agent was no match for him. Beauty over brains, except that he did not think she was all that good looking either.
Free and clear, just as he had been and always will be, forever and ever, amen. He chuckled at his little joke, the smile disappearing as quickly as it appeared.
– Joseph Lewis, Spiral into Darkness
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
Spiral into Darkness is an unusual psychological thriller, with some disturbing and thought-provoking content.
Firstly, I would highly recommend that the author’s previous books are read before you try this one, as there is a lot of context and history between the characters prior to this story. The author does fill us in as he goes along here, but there are so many characters involved and the relationships are so unique that I really feel more of the back story would be useful.
The story itself has two distinct threads: one is a tight and tense police procedural with a multi-disciplinary team investigating a serial killer with an efficient method and obscure motive; the other an emotional family drama about blended and adopted families, teenage hormones and exploring sexuality. The connection that binds these two disparate elements together is the history between the family in question and a number of members of the investigative team; which can lead to some unusual decisions such as drawing on the expertise of teenage boys in a FBI murder investigation!
I am not sure if there is a trigger warning here or not, but I was slightly uncomfortable at the sheer volume of teenage sexual behaviour explored in the book and particularly at the casual acceptance of such behaviour between (adopted) siblings. I appreciate that the author stresses the importance of love, openness and communication in family relationships, and includes some very positive messages about acceptance and body confidence. My personal preference was for more of the psychological thriller and less of the teenage pleasures, but I am well past my own teenage years and quite British too, so fond of tea and euphemisms!
Whilst I found some plot points somewhat difficult to believe, I did enjoy the characters in the investigative team and their working relationships, and the suspense elements of the story were intriguing and kept me guessing. I think this would be a good read for those who are as interested in psychology as they are in crime thrillers, and don’t mind a LOT of sticky sheets!
He rarely displayed emotion except when the appropriate social situation called for it. On demand, he could feign anger, surprise, shock, or doubt. Even happiness and joy though they took more work. Like an actor. However, he viewed himself to be more of a chameleon than an actor.
He watched the news conference and concluded they did not have a clue. None. The blond FBI agent was no match for him. Beauty over brains, except that he did not think she was all that good looking either.
Free and clear, just as he had been and always will be, forever and ever, amen. He chuckled at his little joke, the smile disappearing as quickly as it appeared.
– Joseph Lewis, Spiral into Darkness
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
May 28, 2020
The story is a blend of psychological thriller/mystery with crime fiction.
The story starts with the murder of a young advertising executive. One day he was following his everyday normal routine, and when he reached the garage, suddenly he heard a voice and was shot dead.
The story continues with the next murder of Shirley Bodencamp, a middle school principal. One day after work, she heard a voice calling her name. As she turned, she was shot dead.
The story continues by appointing Jamie as Chief of Detective to investigate a case and solve the murders. So what is his strategy? Will he be able to handle the case? Will the murderer be caught? Who is this serial killer and why he is targeting these people? What is the motive behind these murders?
My Take:
Spiral Into Darkness is the sixth novel written by Joseph Lewis and its the most amazing book you will read. It has the elements of mystery and suspense.
The Story line is filled with intrigue, action, suspense, and drama. This book kept on the edge of my seat as all I wanted to know was what will happen next.
The Story line is impressively written and grasps your attention in all the right places. I found myself breathless as the story has a tight hold on your mind which will keep you involved in the book till the end.
I found this book very intriguing and the title of the book is a perfect match. The book will show you how interrelated they are to each other.
The book is written in simple English and was very imaginative. It was easy to imagine the characters and actions. Author Joseph Lewis has done impressive work in writing this amazing book.
Overall an amazing read that is exciting to read. So if you are a suspense lover just like me, then this book is a must-read. So read now
The story starts with the murder of a young advertising executive. One day he was following his everyday normal routine, and when he reached the garage, suddenly he heard a voice and was shot dead.
The story continues with the next murder of Shirley Bodencamp, a middle school principal. One day after work, she heard a voice calling her name. As she turned, she was shot dead.
The story continues by appointing Jamie as Chief of Detective to investigate a case and solve the murders. So what is his strategy? Will he be able to handle the case? Will the murderer be caught? Who is this serial killer and why he is targeting these people? What is the motive behind these murders?
My Take:
Spiral Into Darkness is the sixth novel written by Joseph Lewis and its the most amazing book you will read. It has the elements of mystery and suspense.
The Story line is filled with intrigue, action, suspense, and drama. This book kept on the edge of my seat as all I wanted to know was what will happen next.
The Story line is impressively written and grasps your attention in all the right places. I found myself breathless as the story has a tight hold on your mind which will keep you involved in the book till the end.
I found this book very intriguing and the title of the book is a perfect match. The book will show you how interrelated they are to each other.
The book is written in simple English and was very imaginative. It was easy to imagine the characters and actions. Author Joseph Lewis has done impressive work in writing this amazing book.
Overall an amazing read that is exciting to read. So if you are a suspense lover just like me, then this book is a must-read. So read now
April 8, 2019
The first paragraph in chapter seven of this garbage novel told me everything I need to know about the author's writing style: "Eiselmann wore his sports coat with his t-shirt and jeans, just as Batiste and Dahlke did. Alamorode wore an expensive tailor-made three-piece suit. Weist and Storm wore nearly matching pantsuits with a white blouse on Storm and a cream-colored blouse on Weist. Graff had dressed down to khakis and a police polo. O’Connor did not bother with any formality. He wore what he always wore: a t-shirt and jeans." Eight different characters are mentioned within those six sentences, and most of them are barely introduced at this point in the story. Who really cares about their outfits? I guess the author was trying to communicate something about each of their personalities? This is very poor writing. I came across a number of other badly written sections or incredibly dumb and unrealistic dialogue, but I won't bore you with additional examples.
Much worse than the writing is the content. Chapter sixteen features an extended scene in which an adoptive father offers to buy one of his sons condoms in case he'd like to continue to experiment sexually with one of his brothers. WTF??? Mind you, the father does not appear to be the villain of the story, he's presented as a fine upstanding citizen. Not sure what the author was going for here, but I think he's navigating without a moral compass if this is how he writes his characters.
Stay away from this dreck! I received an advanced reading copy in exchange for my review, but I could not make it past page 80. Worst novel I've come across in decades.
Much worse than the writing is the content. Chapter sixteen features an extended scene in which an adoptive father offers to buy one of his sons condoms in case he'd like to continue to experiment sexually with one of his brothers. WTF??? Mind you, the father does not appear to be the villain of the story, he's presented as a fine upstanding citizen. Not sure what the author was going for here, but I think he's navigating without a moral compass if this is how he writes his characters.
Stay away from this dreck! I received an advanced reading copy in exchange for my review, but I could not make it past page 80. Worst novel I've come across in decades.
April 19, 2023
Does reading and LOVING three of an author’s books officially make you addicted? Because I think I am addicted to Joseph Lewis’ writing, it’s an easy addiction to fall into with the family and characters his stories center around. The rag tag group of close-knit law enforcement and a family of adopted sons and close friends within makes for the foundation of a phenomenal sequence of plot lines to revolve around.
“The first shot had done the work, but the second shot was for fun” (p. 9).
“Spiral into Darkness” is the most bone chilling and terrifying read of Lewis’ yet. Centering around a serial killer, each death is more frightening than the last as the reader slowly becomes privy to more of the killer’s mind, routine, and patterns. The series of murders taking place seems disconnected and unexplainable. But, as the reader begins to understand the killer’s mind, we can see they are meticulous, calculating, and well versed on their targets.
There is more of a law enforcement presence in this read due to the serial killer nature of the crimes, showing off an even wider range of talent as Lewis shows breadth of knowledge regarding the process and procedure from the investigative perspective. This, coupled with the author’s real-life school counseling experience, combines to create a scary realistic read from the minds of the teens, to the killers, and detectives on the case. With the author’s background amongst various roles within the school setting, the relationships, feelings and interactions between the boys and their friends feels so authentic.
Each book written by Joseph Lewis has given me more and more insight into the writing style, brain, and characters of the author. Each book stands alone, and yet powerfully connects to the next as the Evans family boys navigate life as teenagers, adopted into a family of yet more boys of varying backgrounds, and all while facing some horrific, or soon to be horrific, crime spree. The more I read of Lewis’ work, the more I’m sucked into the characters and crimes he pens so flawlessly.
“The first shot had done the work, but the second shot was for fun” (p. 9).
“Spiral into Darkness” is the most bone chilling and terrifying read of Lewis’ yet. Centering around a serial killer, each death is more frightening than the last as the reader slowly becomes privy to more of the killer’s mind, routine, and patterns. The series of murders taking place seems disconnected and unexplainable. But, as the reader begins to understand the killer’s mind, we can see they are meticulous, calculating, and well versed on their targets.
There is more of a law enforcement presence in this read due to the serial killer nature of the crimes, showing off an even wider range of talent as Lewis shows breadth of knowledge regarding the process and procedure from the investigative perspective. This, coupled with the author’s real-life school counseling experience, combines to create a scary realistic read from the minds of the teens, to the killers, and detectives on the case. With the author’s background amongst various roles within the school setting, the relationships, feelings and interactions between the boys and their friends feels so authentic.
Each book written by Joseph Lewis has given me more and more insight into the writing style, brain, and characters of the author. Each book stands alone, and yet powerfully connects to the next as the Evans family boys navigate life as teenagers, adopted into a family of yet more boys of varying backgrounds, and all while facing some horrific, or soon to be horrific, crime spree. The more I read of Lewis’ work, the more I’m sucked into the characters and crimes he pens so flawlessly.
March 30, 2019
I know you should never judge a book by its cover...but we all do. A crime thriller about a serial killer with a dark and foreboding looking cover? What could be more perfect! I was really excited to start reading!
The scenes with the killer in them were gripping but there was so much else wrong with this book that I did not finish reading it.
There are some problems with the writing. Typos that are so bad that a few times I had to stop reading to try and work out what the sentence was supposed to mean. It is written more like a screenplay than a book: whole paragraphs devoted to where in the room each detective is sitting and what they are wearing. It’s just tedious to read and adds nothing to the story. There’s a cast of 15-20 detectives, which means there’s an awful lot of time spent tell the reader where people are sitting...and who is standing...and who they’re standing next to!!
But the thing that made me put down the book was the plot itself. There are frequent mentions of a previous case but no details about it. There’s an underage incestuous sex scene...which came out of nowhere and has nothing to do with the story. The father of the boys, one of whom is adopted, is aware of their liaison and accepts it and lets them keep sharing a bedroom. Which is, to say the least, a little odd.
My guess is that this book is part of a series. The first book in that series probably involves sex trafficking of minors and the underage sex scene is supposed to be some comment on how people deal with sexual abuse. But that’s a guess because there is nothing on the front cover about it being part of a series!
The scenes with the killer in them were gripping but there was so much else wrong with this book that I did not finish reading it.
There are some problems with the writing. Typos that are so bad that a few times I had to stop reading to try and work out what the sentence was supposed to mean. It is written more like a screenplay than a book: whole paragraphs devoted to where in the room each detective is sitting and what they are wearing. It’s just tedious to read and adds nothing to the story. There’s a cast of 15-20 detectives, which means there’s an awful lot of time spent tell the reader where people are sitting...and who is standing...and who they’re standing next to!!
But the thing that made me put down the book was the plot itself. There are frequent mentions of a previous case but no details about it. There’s an underage incestuous sex scene...which came out of nowhere and has nothing to do with the story. The father of the boys, one of whom is adopted, is aware of their liaison and accepts it and lets them keep sharing a bedroom. Which is, to say the least, a little odd.
My guess is that this book is part of a series. The first book in that series probably involves sex trafficking of minors and the underage sex scene is supposed to be some comment on how people deal with sexual abuse. But that’s a guess because there is nothing on the front cover about it being part of a series!
March 25, 2019
I never normally don’t finish books but 2019 has already bought me a second such one, after previously being unable to continue listening to an audio book I talked about in my January Book Reviews.
I started off slowly with this one as it was quite laden with ‘technicalities’ of the policing system and how people are organised. The first two chapters were great, describing the two murders and this really grabbed my attention, leaving you with many questions like why, who and what could link them. But following this the action slowed right down and became a little drab.
The story then moved into rather more uncomfortable territory and I just didn’t feel like continuing reading. I read some other reviews to see what others had thought, and found some with the same feelings as me. As I said, I don’t like not finishing a book, even if I am not loving it, but knowing people had similar thoughts about it to me made me feel a little better. I will say though, there were many good reviews with people loving it so it is definitely just a matter of personal taste I think.
I loved the sound of this book but unfortunately it just felt a little overladen with unnecessary detail for me which slowed the reading pace down and did not keep me engaged. This then made the uncomfortable content more difficult to deal with, as the pace of the book was too slow to keep it intriguing, and it just felt uncomfortable.
I was gifted this book in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own
I started off slowly with this one as it was quite laden with ‘technicalities’ of the policing system and how people are organised. The first two chapters were great, describing the two murders and this really grabbed my attention, leaving you with many questions like why, who and what could link them. But following this the action slowed right down and became a little drab.
The story then moved into rather more uncomfortable territory and I just didn’t feel like continuing reading. I read some other reviews to see what others had thought, and found some with the same feelings as me. As I said, I don’t like not finishing a book, even if I am not loving it, but knowing people had similar thoughts about it to me made me feel a little better. I will say though, there were many good reviews with people loving it so it is definitely just a matter of personal taste I think.
I loved the sound of this book but unfortunately it just felt a little overladen with unnecessary detail for me which slowed the reading pace down and did not keep me engaged. This then made the uncomfortable content more difficult to deal with, as the pace of the book was too slow to keep it intriguing, and it just felt uncomfortable.
I was gifted this book in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own
April 2, 2019
Because I always finish my books, regardless of whether I am enjoying them or not, I finished this one . I struggled to do just that with it. This book would not inspire me to buy another by this author. However one bad does not make an author bad. I dreaded each time I picked it and counted down the percentage of reading that remained on my Kindle. There is a lot of guy on guy action in the book. It was hard to believe the story; found it to be over the top in so many ways. Ending was unfulfilling. Just not an enticing book. Perhaps it is just me and this was not my type of read.
August 21, 2020
Thankyou to NetGalley, Black Rose Writing and the author, Joseph Lewis, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Spiral Into Darkness in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I struggled to maintain an interest in the storyline. The narrative seemed quite flat to me.
Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I struggled to maintain an interest in the storyline. The narrative seemed quite flat to me.
December 12, 2018
Suspenseful, thoughtful. A Crime Thriller with psychology thrown in. Solid characters. Entertaining. Highly recommend.
January 16, 2019
I really try not to DNF a book and I try not to write a negative review but this was a very difficult book for me.
The overall plot is good but gets lost in all the extras. There are way too many characters, most of which have absolutely no bearing on how the story plays out. I don't feel like any of the characters get fleshed out, especially the central ones.
There is a whole lot of unnecessary information and repetition. If all the unnecessary things were removed the book would be about half as long , but I don't know that it would help anything.
The whole believability of the book was my main problem. I did not believe that a single man who is a school counselor would be able to adopt 4 teen boys who have been through their own traumas. I did not believe that the FBI and local police would enlist the help of teen boys to find a serial killer. I also had a problem believing that the adoptive parent and biological parent would be ok with their 14-15 year old boys experimenting sexually with each other.
Overall this is not one I would recommend unless you really enjoy disturbing story lines.
I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC and my honest review.
The overall plot is good but gets lost in all the extras. There are way too many characters, most of which have absolutely no bearing on how the story plays out. I don't feel like any of the characters get fleshed out, especially the central ones.
There is a whole lot of unnecessary information and repetition. If all the unnecessary things were removed the book would be about half as long , but I don't know that it would help anything.
The whole believability of the book was my main problem. I did not believe that a single man who is a school counselor would be able to adopt 4 teen boys who have been through their own traumas. I did not believe that the FBI and local police would enlist the help of teen boys to find a serial killer. I also had a problem believing that the adoptive parent and biological parent would be ok with their 14-15 year old boys experimenting sexually with each other.
Overall this is not one I would recommend unless you really enjoy disturbing story lines.
I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC and my honest review.
February 11, 2019
I forced my way through about 50% of Spiral Into Darkness and then quit. It was so badly written; where was the editor? In the first 10% of the book, the author presents no fewer than 34 named characters, including 14 cops or FBI agents!!! By the 50% mark, none of the characters had been fleshed out and what characterization there was didn't ring true. Beyond that, the subject matter was extremely dark, not just murder but the sex trafficking of young boys. And I say that as someone who reads thrillers/mysteries almost exclusively, Absolutely do not recommend.
April 11, 2019
The idea for this book seemed good and I generally enjoy this type of book. However, this seemed to try to cram too many characters doing too many things into one novel. Also, there were plot details that were just creepy (and not in a good way) and this carried over characters from prior novels (didn't know this until I finally looked at other sources), which explains why some characters are introduced with little introduction.
Not my favorite.
#SpiralIntoDarkness #NetGalley
Not my favorite.
#SpiralIntoDarkness #NetGalley
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