The Deep Dark Descending

Last year I read my first Eskens book, The Heavens May Fall and was completely blown away. He is an insanely talented writer and his heroes are deeply flawed and vastly interesting and unique. While the characters in each book are the same, it’s not completely necessary to start at the beginning, they each work perfectly fine as a standalone. BUT, they’re so good that I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend reading them all.

For five years Max has been haunted by his wife’s death and he’s finally tracked down her killer. This opens with Max and an unknown man locked in an intense situation in the middle of nowhere near the Canadian border and Max finally has the chance to get justice for his Jenni. It’s tense and thrilling, the frozen atmosphere lends to the chilly scene becoming a character all of it’s own and adding a layer of danger to an already deadly story. It flips back to three days prior as you follow Max as he tracks down the killer, then flips back and forth throughout all the way up to an explosive conclusion.

I loved the moral struggle Max was facing throughout as he tried to bring revenge to a man who shattered his entire life. There was something poetic about him having a moral battle with himself while in the frozen wilderness that was both hauntingly beautiful and chilling. Vengeance and retribution is the name of the game here, this one kept me on the edge of my seat and flipping pages at a steady rate. If you haven’t read Eskens work you’re missing out, he’s a superbly talented author not to be missed.

Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged. - Samuel Johnson

This is the fourth book of Allen Eskens that I've read in as many days. It wasn't my favorite of the four. That is probably THE LIFE WE BURY but this was still a darn good book, looking at vengeance from both affected sides.

Minneapolis Homicide Detective Max Rupert's wife and unborn child were killed by a hit-and-run driver almost five years ago and not a day has passed that he hasn't thought of them.

This is the story of his journey looking for retribution for that heinous act, told from his perspective.

I did not feel this had the same quality of storytelling ability by author Eskens as his other three books did. I felt like he was drawing huge pictures for the reader this time around rather than letting us the readers subtly arrive at our own conclusions.

That's not to say this isn't a great book because it is - it's just not a superb book like the other three.

It is mentioned at the end of the book that Eskens is now writing his fifth novel, a sequel to THE LIFE WE BURY, due out in 2018. I am looking forward to that.

I received this book from Edelweiss and from the the store VINE program in exchange for my unbiased review.

Max Rupert is one melancholy homicide detective. His sadness since the loss of his wife in a hit and run accident, is heart wrenching. He has spent the last five years of his life looking for the guy that killed his beloved Jenni and now he has discovered that, in fact, Jenni was murdered. This truth consumes him with anguish and murderous thoughts of retribution.

How far will this decent, hard working cop go to exact his own brand of justice? Will he be able to live with himself if he follows through with his fantasy of torturing and killing the man that killed his wife? That, my friends, is the question driving this thought-provoking novel.

I adore flawed protagonists and Max Rupert is the best representation of a tragic warrior fighting to stay on the right side of humanity and morality. His struggle is most evident in this novel and the ending is amazingly satisfying! I cannot wait for the next book, I'm so invested in Rupert.

This is the fourth book in a brilliant series written by one of the most talented mystery/suspense writers working today, Allen Eskens. Since the first book, THE LIFE WE BURY, I’ve been hooked on Eskens and the gritty, raw characters he absolutely brings to life in the frozen Minnesota panorama.

For me, the back and forth format of the book felt awkward and really slowed down the pace of this thriller. Eskens's books are meant to be savored, rather than devoured, so it is only a minor complaint—but the reason for the 4 stars.

I highly recommend anything written by Eskens!

Still hungry for answers, Homicide Detective Max Rupert has not stopped looking for the person(S) responsible for his wife's death. Initially her death was ruled a hit and run but now information has come to light that proves that she was in fact, murdered, it becomes all-encompassing search for answers and suspects. It haunts him, and he is not willing to stop searching for the truth until he gets some answers. He blames himself believing that she was murdered because of one of the cases he was working on or someone he arrested is seeking their revenge but soon learns that may not be the case.

As he begins to investigate, and the clues begin to make terrible sense, he comes to a cross roads on a frozen lake on the US–Canadian border. Max has always thought of himself as a decent man, but now he is full of vengeance and anger. Knowing that he cannot continue to be a "good cop" while investigating and tracking down those responsible for his wife's death he has a decision to make...will he fall into madness and vengeance or will he make the decision that he knows would have made his wife proud?

This book has duo time lines, but they are not confusing and help the reader get into the mind of Max and his internal struggles over his wife's murder. This book is gritty and raw - just like the emotions of the main character. How far will one man go to get the truth? Will knowing the truth be enough? This is another well thought out and crafted book with an intelligent and riveting plot.

First Sentence: I raise the ax handle for the third time and my arm disobeys me.

Detective Max Rupert had believed his wife’s death was an accident. Learning she was murdered sets him on a course of vengeance. The question is: How far will he go?

What a powerful and effective opening. Eskins use of language and imagery is poetic—“After Jenni’s death, those occasions, even the lesser ones, remained my connection to her. I found her thread woven through almost every part of my existence, a tapestry once vibrant and alive now in danger of fading away.”

The plot is rather convoluted. One must pay attention. There is a temptation to take the book apart and reassemble it in a straight timeline. It’s hard to say whether anything would be lost by so doing. Either way, one admires Eskens’ ability to pack a serious story with a strong emotional punch in less than 250 pages, following the style of many early masters of crime fiction.

Even so, one may not find it as satisfying as Eskins’ other books, but it does raise an important question as to whether personal revenge can be justified. It’s hard not to be reminded of Mark 8:36: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” In this instance, what does Max gain? One interesting item was the mention of when Michael Dukakis ran for president and was asked about the death penalty, and of Max’s late-wife Jenni’s position on the issue.

“The Deep Dark Descending is a powerful and emotional book, albeit not necessarily a comfortable one to read. And that’s not a bad thing.

THE DEEP DARK DESCENDING (Pol Proc-Det. Max Rupert-Minnesota-Contemp) – VG
Eskens, Allen - Standalone
Seventh Street Books – Oct 2017

“The Deep Dark Descending” grabbed me from the very first sentence: “I raise the ax handle for the third time and my arm disobeys me.” True, it could be a thought of a person chopping wood – but odds are there is serious violence going on.

The main character, Detective Max Rupert, lost his wife years ago – but has never recovered from the loss. He’s survived in the most basic sense of the word – but has neither healed nor stopped grieving. When he is unexpectedly given new information about what he’d thought was the hit and run that killed his wife – the darkness and pain envelops him and overtakes his life and career.

The shifting timelines keep the reader guessing as to how he ended up holding an ax handle over a beaten man – and where that situation might lead…but there is definitely a sag in the tension as that scene goes on and on. (Too many holes to make!)

The pain that Max still feels so strongly about the loss of his wife Jenni comes across so strongly that it brought tears to my eyes at one point. His love for her is as strong, if not stronger than it was before her death. And as he learns more about her final hours, and what circumstances caused her death – the pain and grief grow.

I was surprised by the ultimate ending. The final plot points got a bit cluttered – but as the reader sees where Max is going – and then see what he is like when he gets there – the book takes on a whole new level. This novel’s look at revenge versus justice and what one or the other does to a person wanting both is fascinating and left me wondering what others might do in Max’s situation.

Max Rupert is a detective tormented by the death of his wife and child she was carrying. After a certain amount of time passes, Max is not allowed to have anything to do with the investigation of his wife’s passing. However, Max discovers that she didn’t die in an accident but was deliberately murdered! It doesn’t take much to imagine his fury and resultant reaction!
Max has it on tape, a voice clearly indicating his wife was deliberately murdered. Now he has to figure out who the Planner, the Henchman and the Boss are! The remainder of the story proceeds with Max figuring out the identity of the men responsible for Jenni’s death. Somehow she discovered facts that could materially indict certain people over a crime involving Russian woman brought to America to serve as prostitutes.
This novel is harrowing as Max confronts the chief perpetrator and plans to kill him. This is the essence of this story. It raises questions of moral integrity. When is it okay to wreak revenge on a killer? Why should the law be the one to punish a murderer or murderers? The laying out of these questions becomes clear when we see how Max begins to distance himself from everyone he knows, including a partner Niki, who cares for Max more than she should
The reader will be shocked by the end of this story and will certainly wonder what lies ahead in Max’s future. This reader has the feeling that this will become clear in future novels. For now, The Deep Dark Descending is nail-biting, tension-filled reading that lovers of crime thrillers, adventure tales and mysteries will thoroughly enjoy! Well done, Allen Eskens!

After loving two previous Eskens novels, The Life We Bury, and The Heavens May Fall, I was so excited to read this new one. The main character, Max Rupert, is a detective and still plagued by the death of his wife five years earlier. I liked Rupert and he made me care about this story. After a good start, the middle half of the novel was a bit flat. Part of it was a typical (under-the-table) investigation into the wife's death (looking like murder). The novel ended out going back and forth between 2 days: where Rupert is in the process of executing the man he thinks is responsible for his wife's death, and the backstory that brought him there. I didn't love that approach, nor did his actions seem consistent with the character I had gotten to know. The final couple of hours did pick up quite a bit, almost boosting my 3 star rating to a 4, but too much of the story was only okay.

Author Allen Eskens represents everything that is good about small-press, independent novels.

THE DEEP DARK DESCENDING is a tense and tautly wound thriller that involves a Homicide Detective near the U.S./Canadian border who is hunting down his wife's killer --- a person he knows is actually responsible for murder rather than an act of hit-and-run as reports originally led to believe. A chilling trip deep into the psyche of revenge.

This is a novel that starts out somewhat promisingly and soon goes awry. It alternates between the past tense as the hero narrates the events that led up to the long-drawn-out denouement, and the present tense as he almost endlessly describes said denouement, which is wearisomely grim. (He accidentally gets mixed up and slides into the present tense on page 206, as well as using "lay" wrong five times on pages 272 through 276.) The book is filled with violence, some of it perpetrated by the hero, and conveys a very unpleasant message.

Incredible writer. Twists and turns kept my guessing throughout. I listened to his audiobook in 1 sitting!

The narrator, R.C. Bray had a spellbinding voice and had me hooked to the end.

I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

There are two alternating chapter headings in this book – Minneapolis Yesterday and Up North. Up North is set in the present on a frozen lake where a cop is hoping to get a confession from the guy he believes killed his wife. The Minneapolis Yesterdays are tedious flashbacks explaining how they got there. The characters were undeveloped, particularly the bad guys, and both “chapters” were painfully longwinded. If I'd been ice fishing 'up north' reading this book, either me or the book would have ended up in the hole.

Like others here, I enjoyed the other three Allen Eskines books a lot and was looking forward to this one. But just finished it and am disappointed. I found myself skipping whole paragraphs at a time - the situation in the woods with the bad guy just didn't pull me in. I just wished Max would get on with it...either kill the guy or let him go, but hurry up and pick one or the other.

Maybe I just didn't care enough about either of them to be interested.

I liked the first three books so much that I'm not giving up on this writer, and will hope for characters I can care more about. Maybe Niki...she has a lot of promise.

I love Max Rupert! I read the previous book...The Life We Bury and I recommend it to all my friends and co-workers. I also read the next two, and they are great reads. I highly recommend Allen Eskens books.

I love Max Rupert! I read the previous book...The Life We Bury and I recommend it to all my friends and co-workers. I also read the next two, and they are great reads. I highly recommend Allen Eskens books.