The Deep Dark Descending

Allen Eskens is an autobuy author for me. I'll never forget being introduced to his first book, The Life We Bury, through my favorite bookish podcast, Books on the Nightstand. (Sadly, they stopped producing it years ago.) During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I still had to show up at work — but since I couldn't do my normal job because of the restrictions, I had A LOT of downtime on my hands. Naturally, I filled it with reading, and that's when I got hooked on Eskens's books.

The Deep Dark Descending is an intense thriller that follows Minneapolis detective Max Rupert, a man still grappling with the haunting memory of his wife's death several years earlier. What he initially believed to be a tragic hit-and-run accident takes a show more sinister turn when new evidence emerges suggesting her death was no accident at all.

The novel unfolds across two converging timelines — Max in Minneapolis during the days leading up to a fateful journey north, and Max at a remote frozen lake on the U.S.-Canadian border. There, he faces a gut-wrenching decision: succumb to his own private madness and seek revenge, or hold onto the conscience that made him a good detective and a man his wife would have been proud of.

The fourth book in the Detective Max Rupert series masterfully blends tense procedural elements with moral complexity. The stark, frigid setting is the perfect backdrop for a story about a man testing the limits of his own humanity. It's emotional and fast-paced, a deep character study of a grief-stricken man pushed to his absolute limits — and the converging timelines only ratchet up the suspense.

I have photos and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog show less

I've been a fan of Allen Eskens' mysteries since the very first one, The Life We Bury. The four books so far are all loosely gathered around the character of Max Rupert. Readers have seen what a decent, dedicated, hard-working man he is from one book to the next, and now in The Deep Dark Descending, we all have front-row seats to watch what grief and rage can do to such a good man.

The mystery is solid. Why on earth would anyone want to kill a woman who dedicated herself to helping endangered children? The official case Rupert is involved in deals with catching a man who killed a woman, put her body in a minivan, and then set the vehicle on fire. The two cases are a study in contrasts because the minivan murderer could easily be show more eligible for a Darwin Award.

As with all of Eskens' mysteries so far, these books are about much more than merely figuring out whodunit. They are rich character studies. In The Deep Dark Descending, Max Rupert's descent into uncontrollable vengeance is told in two converging, clearly marked storylines. We see Max on that frozen lake at the Canadian border, and we watch Max in Minneapolis during the days leading up to his journey north. This is compelling storytelling that often elicits strong emotional responses.

I look forward to Allen Eskins' next book with a great deal of anticipation. This man can write. show less

I first 'discovered' Allen Eskens in 2015 when I was lucky enough to review his first novel, The Life We Bury. I thought it was fantastic and couldn't wait to read more of his work.

Eskens' fourth book, The Deep Dark Descending, releases today - and it too, is a five star read for me.

Detective Max Rupert has figured into all four of Eskens' books. The Deep Dark Descending finally provides the answer to a question that has haunted Rupert for years - who killed his wife? (And it is here that I will say, yes you could probably read this latest as a stand-alone, but you would be robbing yourself of some great reading if you didn't start with the first book. Just sayin')

Eskens uses one of my favourite story telling techniques - then and now, show more back and forth. It's a short then and now - only over the course of three days - from knowledge to finale. Rupert sees himself as a law abiding, good man, but the need for revenge and retribution has taken the upper hand. Deep Dark Descending opens with an action filled scene on the frozen ice between Canada and the US. One man ready to kill another.....and then we are taken back to the what that led to this moment. The reader does know that these two paths will cross in the end, but the telling in between is so very, very good.

The plotting, mystery and police details are believable, the action non-stop, the dialogue flows easily
the characters have depth and the reader cannot help but be on their side. The book had a bit of a movie feel to it and I can see it easily on the screen. I really like Max's partner Niki as well. She's tough as nails with a sharp tongue and mind and fiercely loyal to Max.

I feel gutted that this might be the last we see of Max Rupert, but my fingers are crossed for more. A note at the end of this book says that a 2018 novel will be the follow up to The Life We Bury. Yay! I'll be watching for it. show less

“The Deep Dark Descending” grabbed me from the very first sentence: “I raise the ax handle for the third time and my arm disobeys me.” True, it could be a thought of a person chopping wood – but odds are there is serious violence going on.

The main character, Detective Max Rupert, lost his wife years ago – but has never recovered from the loss. He’s survived in the most basic sense of the word – but has neither healed nor stopped grieving. When he is unexpectedly given new information about what he’d thought was the hit and run that killed his wife – the darkness and pain envelops him and overtakes his life and career.

The shifting timelines keep the reader guessing as to how he ended up holding an ax handle over a show more beaten man – and where that situation might lead…but there is definitely a sag in the tension as that scene goes on and on. (Too many holes to make!)

The pain that Max still feels so strongly about the loss of his wife Jenni comes across so strongly that it brought tears to my eyes at one point. His love for her is as strong, if not stronger than it was before her death. And as he learns more about her final hours, and what circumstances caused her death – the pain and grief grow.

I was surprised by the ultimate ending. The final plot points got a bit cluttered – but as the reader sees where Max is going – and then see what he is like when he gets there – the book takes on a whole new level. This novel’s look at revenge versus justice and what one or the other does to a person wanting both is fascinating and left me wondering what others might do in Max’s situation. show less

Our hero, Max Rupert, really does go down the hole this time. He has an opportunity to seek out and confront those who were responsible for his wife's death and he takes it. To an extreme.

I'm not a big fan of vigilante justice. Well done, suspenseful story, but damn, it made me very uncomfortable.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. Quite an easy read, more twists and turns than I expected so it definitely sucked me in. The characters didn't have time to build too much, but they were likeable and realistic.

This review is for the audiobook version of The Deep Dark Descending by Allen Eskens. I have to say that the narrators for Eskens books have all been wonderful so far. This one is excellent. The voice works with the characters and the story and drew me completely in. The story was also very good and even though I didn't really like how this one played out in the end, I'm still a fan of Eskens books. They are very well written and I automatically read every one as it is released and have now started to collect the audiobooks and am working through his back list again.
I highly recommend!