Damnable, the surprising debut novel by Hank Schwaeble, is well written, intricately crafted, highly imaginative, and edge-of-your-seat suspenseful. It features a likeable and sympathetic hero, a diabolical villain, and a cast of supporting characters that enhances the fast-paced plot. It’s a quick, enjoyable read.

But the book has a big problem in its sexual content, which is so overdone and explicit that the narrative seems more like erotica than thriller in spots. This unfortunately detracts significantly from the otherwise highly engaging story.

The plot centers on Jake Hatcher, a wrongly imprisoned ex-military man. When he receives word that his brother has died—a brother he didn’t even know he had—he is temporarily released to assist his grieving mother with funeral arrangements. The trouble starts when he begins investigating the circumstances of his mysterious brother’s death. As Hatcher uncovers a series of increasingly confusing and disturbing clues, all signs seem to indicate that something very sinister is unfolding. Soon Hatcher comes face to face with true evil, and when he does, all bets are off as to whether he has what it takes to prevail.

There’s a lot to like about this book. The writing is good. The hero is sympathetic and realistic and displays an appealing combination of street-honed toughness and cerebral dexterity. Schwaeble does an admirable job of building the suspense and tension from the first pages right to the climactic conclusion. The story contains a nice blend of mystery, fantasy, and dark thriller characteristics. But the positives are seriously marred by the overdone sexuality and crass language. The depiction of evil in the book is stark and graphic as well.

The title is derived from Jake Hatcher’s description of himself when he reveals why he was imprisoned: after a politically sensitive operation, someone in his special-forces unit had to take the fall, and he was chosen—the damnable one.

In the end, the book’s positives don’t outweigh its negatives. Hopefully, with his next book, Schwaeble will focus more on the aspects of his writing that almost make this book really good and less on the explicitness and vulgarity that overshadow it. ( )