Hurricane Katrina Williams is back in A Particular Darkness, the second novel that follows on soon after the excellent A Living Grave. Dunn’s first Katrina Williams novel was a book that sat a little outside of my comfort zone, though I was still willing to give it a go purely because I’ve enjoyed Robert’s other books and I know that he can spin a good yarn. I definitely felt that Dunn found his true writing voice with A Living Grave. As with this new book, his characters are excellent and he is able to build realistic scenarios, bursting with thrilling twists and turns. A Living Grave is a pretty flawless thriller and so I was eager to dive back into the murky waters of the Missouri Ozarks with A Particular Darkness.
Katrina Williams is still haunted by her past. The physical and psychological damage done to her when serving in Iraq follows her everywhere like a black cloud. However, Williams is a tough and rugged character. She is strong and independent when on the job and sometimes fragile off of it. Here, we have a multi-layered character, a truly fantastic personality. In A Particular Darkness, a body caught in a fishing net sets the foundation for another dark tale of small-town crime. Similarly with the first book, this is a character driven thriller and one that kept me guessing right until the very end. Dunn’s Katrina Williams books are top draw thrillers. His plotting is concise, stories realistic, dialogue is superb and every character has a purpose, a reason for being there. I’ll be honest, I was a little bummed that Nelson isn’t around in this story after succumbing to cancer. He was a great character from the first book and it is sad that he is no longer with us.
The pacing is spot-on with this novel, the pages flew by in a blur and Dunn’s writing is smooth as silk. I’d definitely recommend reading A Living Grave first as I personally think it is a slightly superior novel. That certainly isn’t to say that A Particular Darkness is a slouch, on the contrary, this is another excellent thriller from Robert E. Dunn. If you’re looking for something gritty, dark and with a fascinating array of characters, Robert E. Dunn’s Katrina Williams books are not to be missed.
4/5 missing persons from the Grim Reader.
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Grim Reader Reviews 