The Darkest Game
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3.8 • 11 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
The past is steeped in blood.
Bad things happen every day. No one knows this better than LAPD Detective Tully Jarsdel. He also knows that bad things often go unpunished—all it takes is a glance at his dusty stack of cold cases to see that time is kind to sinners.
A museum curator is found shot point-blank, his home torn apart. It's the sort of random crime destined to fester in an evidence locker. But it's a case tailor-made for the academic turned detective—he can't leave any question unanswered. In pursuit of an untouchable killer, Jarsdel soon uncovers a web of fraud and corruption that leads him to sunny Catalina Island, Hollywood's bygone playground. There, nothing is as it should be: the past is ever-present, and Jarsdel unwittingly finds himself embroiled in a widespread conspiracy. While reckoning with a dark legacy, he'll exhume long-buried secrets of LA's troubled past and with it, deadly consequences.
A searing mystery from critically acclaimed author Joseph Schneider, The Darkest Game is a story about dread, greed, and anguish; how it spreads like rot, and how one detective struggles to keep it at bay.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The murder of Dean Burken, found shot to death at home in Laurel Canyon, drives Schneider's smart if discursive third outing for Det. Tully Jarsdel of the LAPD (after 2021's What Waits for You). Since Burken, who managed donations at Pasadena's Huntington Library, was an abrasive, polarizing figure, Jarsdel—a would-be academic turned homicide detective—has lots of suspects, including Ellery Keating, a Huntington board member. After Keating turns up dead on Catalina Island, Jarsdel gets on the trail of a self-styled band of pirates, a massive real estate deal in Newport Beach, and a 19th-century journal from a California settler that could lead to a gold mine. Assured prose and distinctive characters help compensate for the tenuous through line connecting these disparate elements to Burken's murder and the many lengthy if astute asides on such topics as the museum business, the city's Persian population (Jarsdel's father emigrated from Iran), L.A. history (including, notably, the genocide of the region's indigenous people), and the moral challenge of police work in general. This flawed but deeply intelligent novel will reward thoughtful readers.
Customer Reviews
Classic LA mystery; modern setting
Joseph Schneider has created an intriguing version of the complicated homicide detective, and he has
written a contemporary version of a classic LA crime story, a la Chinatown, LA Confidential, and Devil in a Blue Dress. Detective Marcus Tullius (Tully) Jarsdel is certainly not a typical cop, but his unique background gives him a wide base of esoteric knowledge and a different way of looking at the world. That turns out to be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to solving crimes.
This book was very entertaining. I would recommend it to anybody who likes classic mystery stories, idiosyncratic characters, and a little subtle humor. I definitely look forward to reading more from this series.
Thanks to NetGalley, I received this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
Very rich!
A fine mystery coupled with an extraordinary cast of characters. Joseph Schneider has created a fascinating detective whose depth of knowledge of history and culture adds a level of interest not found in many books!
Getting to “know” Tully and his relationships with his dads and his detective partner (and with himself)is so satisfying that I’m really looking forward to the next in the series!