A Visible Darkness (Max Freeman Novels)

By Jonathon King

Book Overview

With his first novel The Blue Edge of Midnight, Jonathon King was praised for his "powerful storytelling" (San Diego Union-Tribune), for his "stunning" and "superb" writing (Pittsburgh Tribune), and for adding "new dimensions to the modern crime novel" (Michael Connelly). And, in a starred review, Publishers Weeklycompared King to James Hall, Robert Parker, and James Lee Burke. Now, in A Visible Darkness, King delivers another gripping, unforgettable story. Max Freeman is seeking refuge from the familiar demons of his former life as a Philadelphia police officer, in his secluded shack deep in the Everglades. But his self-imposed isolation is inter-rupted when he receives a desperate call from his best friend, attorney Billy Manchester. There has been a recent string of suspicious deaths-all elderly women, all from a poor neighborhood, and all with sizable and recently sold-off insurance policies-which the police have been unable, or unwilling, to investigate. Billy believes something sinister may be at work, and so, to help his friend, Max must reluctantly pry where he's not wanted, and act like the cop he's trying to forget he was. To discover an unseen killer, Max will confront not only the dangers of a forgotten Florida cityscape, but the unexpected and dark corners of his own past as well. Filled with twists, turns, and a breathtaking evocation of a rarely glimpsed underside of modern America, A Visible Darknessconfirms Jonathon King's place at the forefront of a new generation of crime novelists.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525947140
• ISBN13: 9780525947141
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Dutton Adult
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.4" x 1.0" x 6.2"

Customer Reviews

King does it again.

There are a couple small weaknesses in this book: you know the killer, which does lessen the suspense, and the protagonist is physically described by seeing himself in a mirror. But I forgive those flaws as King has created a story which builds layer upon layer, showing the motive for the killings and who is behind them. The book is full of interesting characters, including Max and Billy, about whom we learn more in this second book, Det. Sherry Richards, drug dealers and gang members. The story of Max's father's death and the friendship between his and Billy's mother is almost a mystery within the mystery. King's description of Florida, particularly the contrast between being in the city or on the water, is particularly effective. This is starting off as a very good series and I'm pleased to see there are more books waiting for me.

Close Your Eyes and Feel the Heat

I've read the first two books of this series and will, without a doubt, purchase the newest. I don't know what else I can say that hasn't already been said better by other reviewers. Jonathan King is to Florida what I feel Michael Connolly and Robert Crais are to L.A. He writes the same beautiful music, just in a different setting.

Visible Darkness is a visible hit!

The accurate and engrossing details of Visible Darkness point to John King's life as a crime reporter. More importantly the story itself is compelling and believable making this book very hard to put down. The action matches the character's personalities, something many writers are unable to accomplish.I now have to find the other Max Freeman books and catch up on his life. King makes the back-story interesting without clogging the current story with unnecessary details.This book is a winner and I highly recommend it.

A Visible Darkness

Following up on his intense and enjoyable first novel "The Blue Edge Of Midnight," author Jonathon King brings back his soon to be signature character Max Freeman. It has been a few months since the events depicted in the first novel but Max is still dealing with his sudden unwanted return to notoriety and unexpected consequences. Then, he gets a call from his old friend and attorney Billy Manchester. Billy who has long been trying to end Max's self imposed isolation needs his help and knows that Max won't refuse him.A series of elderly women have died and the police and medical examiner's office have concluded in each case that the women died of natural causes due to age. But a daughter of one of the women has contacted Billy and asked for his help in finding out who killed her Mother. Billy agrees that something isn't right and with nothing more to go on than the strange coincidence that all the deceased women had recently sold their life insurance policies to investors, Max begins working the case.However, it soon appears that something is going on and that there are links to other unsolved cases in the surrounding area. Cases that no one before had linked because of the area involved as well as an inability to see the big picture. Soon, Max is dealing with many of the members of the task force from the first book and feeling the old adrenalin surge as he chases a killer.This book does not feature the intensity level of the first book. This might be because from page one, the reader knows exactly who the killer is by name, but not the motivation. As such, there is less intensity as the novel shifts back and forth from the killer's point of view to Max's and back again. This shift is not often and therefore does not serve as a distraction for the reader.This sequel does feature all the complexity of the first novel as well as the further development of the Max Freeman character. Other character developments are also encouraged and tie in very nicely in the storyline as the novel moves forward. The ongoing professional confrontation between Hammond and Max should serve as major plot points in the coming novels.This is another excellent read and the author has established an excellent starting point in his first two novels, which should be read in order. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a major series on the order of Sanford's "Prey" books as one example. While not widely known despite award nominations, this is an author to definitely keep your eyes on for future novels.

Mesmerizing!

No sophomore slump for Jonathon King. His debut ("Blue Edge of Midnight") was nominated for an Edgar and "A Visible Darkness" is equally as strong.The characters are realistic...you have seen or met all of them...the villains you have avoided and averted eye contact.Protagonist Max Freeman has taken disability from the Philadelphia PD and moved to the Florida Everglades. A Fort Lauderdale lawyer he grew up with is his civilized world contact and anchor. He is serious, smart, studious and careful.Max has not lost his investigative instincts and is compelled to avenge wrongs in an almost vigilante way. The crimes are particularly despicable...more a how and why dunit, as we know the perp from the start. Working with his lawyer and the FLPD, the investigation takes Max into Fort Lauderdale's drug market. There he forms a most unusual alliance.The plotting is swift. The romantic subplot and flashbacks to his Philly days add depth and fill in a few blanks.Mr. King writes like a veteran. This is a most provocative series.Highest possible recommendation.