That Darkness

Lisa Black

Apr 2016 · A Gardiner and Renner Novel Book 1 · Kensington Books

About this ebook

The “taut and haunting” first thriller in the Gardiner and Renner series from the New York Times bestselling author of Every Kind of Wicked (Jeff Lindsay, creator of the Dexter series).
 
As a forensic investigator for the Cleveland Police Department, Maggie Gardiner has seen her share of Jane Does. The latest is an unidentified female in her early teens, discovered in a local cemetery. More shocking than the girl’s injuries—for Maggie at least—is the fact that no one has reported her missing. She and the detectives assigned to the case (including her cop ex-husband) are determined to follow every lead, run down every scrap of evidence. But the monster they seek is watching every move, closer to them than they could possibly imagine. 

Jack Renner is a killer. He doesn’t murder because he enjoys it, or because he believes himself omnipotent, or for any reason other than to make the world a safer place. When he follows the trail of this Jane Doe to a locked room in a small apartment where eighteen teenaged girls are anything but safe, he knows something must be done. But his pursuit of their captor takes an unexpected turn. 

Maggie Gardiner finds another body waiting for her in the autopsy room—and a host of questions that will challenge everything she believes about justice, morality, and the true nature of evil . . .
 
“An absolute must read.”—Suspense Magazine
 
“Black skillfully portrays the stark realities of homicide cases.”—Library Journal

“Intriguing forensic details help drive the plot to its satisfying conclusion.”—Publishers Weekly

“The surprising ending is sure to keep readers coming back for more.”—Booklist

Ratings and reviews

That Darkness by Lisa Black is supposed to be a suspense thriller. It is the first book (such a pity) in the Gardiner and Renner series. Jack Renner is a vigilante and a cop. He has decided he is guilty and is taking them out one by one. Maggie Gardiner is a fingerprint officer in the crime lab. She does, though, fill in where needed including going out to crime scenes. She is good at putting together clues to help the detectives (she is actually better than the detectives who get bored with her scientific talk). Will Maggie be able to piece together the clues and discover that Jack is the killer? What will Jack do when Maggie uncovers his crimes? That Darkness had no suspense or thrills. We know who the killer is and how he does it. We just follow Maggie as she solves the crimes and Jack tries to stay ahead of her. That Darkness reads more like a police procedural manual than a fiction novel. I had a hard time getting through this book (I read two other books while I was supposed to be reading this novel). The characters are not really likeable (and have questionable morals). I could not wait to finish That Darkness. I will not be reading any more books in this series (sorry). I give That Darkness 2 out of 5 stars (I took pity on it). That Darkness is just not my type of novel. I want more interest (the best part of mysteries is solving the crime). I like to be drawn into the story and feel that I am a part of it (and I like solving the crime). The novel includes many details on fingerprints (which I liked), fibers (hair, rugs, wool, etc.), and dead bodies (autopsies). Some of it was interesting, but it did bog down the story (it got a little too technical at times). Somehow it is better on television than in print. I received a complimentary copy of That Darkness from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.

Could not get through the book at all. The main characters are boring - very one dimensional. Just in the first 3rd of the book, there were many opportunities missed that could have perked up the characters and story line. Wish i could return e-books.

The world is full of criminals. Some that don’t deserve to live after the crime(s) they have committed. The United States has a justice system to take care of criminals, but sometimes those that should be put away go free. What if one man has decided to take care of those that the system set free? Jack Renner, in his goal on one person, has taken it upon himself to keep society safe of some of these criminals. With a great attention to his details, he thinks no one will ever find out it’s him. Not until he meets a forensic investigator Maggie Gardiner, and her attention to detail. Will Jack be able to locate the woman he is searching for before he is discovered, or will the clues and his mistakes give him away. Suspenseful with twists along the way, and a varied cast of characters. Quite descriptive but not over the top gory. While Maggie is the investigator, it seems Jack has more storytime. All in all a good read.

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Black introduced the characters of Maggie Gardiner and Jack Renner in her acclaimed suspense novel That Darkness and continued their story in Unpunished, Perish, Suffer the Children, and Let Justice Descend. As a forensic scientist at the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office, she analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes. Now she is a latent print examiner and crime scene analyst for the Cape Coral Police Department in Florida, working mostly with fingerprints and crime scenes. Lisa is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the International Association for Identification, and the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts, and she is a Certified Crime Scene Analyst and Certified Latent Print Examiner. She has testified in court as an expert witness more than sixty-five times. Her books have been translated into six languages. She lives near Fort Myers, Florida. Visit her on Facebook, Twitter, or at www.lisa-black.com.