Slipping into Darkness

How do you find someone who’s not supposed to exist? That’s the detective’s conundrum.

Francis X Loughlin is losing his sight. He's a cop, and because of the genetically acquired retinitis pigmentosa his future on the force looks bleak. He's always been a loner so this means ever increasing isolation.

Two decades before, Francis had been instrumental in the incarceration of Julian Vega for the murder of a woman. Julian has been released following years of legal appeals he orchestrated, and soon thereafter a similar murder is committed. Now, however, the police have access to DNA technology and some very strange links and relationships lead Loughlin to surmise that Julian may have been innocent.

Blauner does a nice job of balancing show more the assorted POVs. We see Julian struggling to overcome the hostility of just about everyone, each assuming he's guilty and got off on a "technicality." He's somewhat baffled by societal changes having been isolated for more than a decade. The family of the dead girl still feels they haven't received justice, and Francis battles his own feelings about the case as well as the political powers who have everything to gain by hiding what may be the truth. You feel for all of the characters.

Great title with multiple meanings. show less

Loved so much about this book. It presents both sides of the story in roughly equal weight, the cynical/humbled cop revisiting an old case, and the innocent man finally released, finding a very different world.

I've never read a more captivating, detailed, and real-feeling description of what it's like to emerge from jail. Harrowing. Frightening. Numbing. Hopeless...Julian feels all these things and it's described sparsely but effectively. Great emotional drama delivered in the details.

As for Francis, the cop, he gains depth more slowly through the book, but by the end he's my kind of good guy - very ambiguous, painted in shades of gray, his desires filtered down to doing one thing right even as he's uncertain about what "right" show more is.

Francis is going blind. For some reason, I didn't like the dissipating-hero thing as much I did in other books, like Peter Abramson OBLIVION. I guess I'm not sure it was necessary to the book. It was overkill. What with Francis's impending retirement, his shifting marriage, he tenuous relationship with his partner, etc. - this additional drama was over the top.

But again, most of all I liked how sharply focused Julian is, even if the picture is almost entirely bleak. show less

Julian Vega has been released from jail on a technicality after 20 years. Like most convicts, he maintains his innocence. He claims he was framed for murder when he was 17. Francis Loughlin, the detective that got his confession is ready for the retrial when a second murder, that mirrors the first one that Vega was punished for, occurs. Did Vega commit murder upon his release or could he be innocent of all charges?

This was an awesome book. I liked that Vega kept his dignity throughout and tried to do the right thing while he was out with some slips here and there. I liked that the book portrayed how difficult it is for ex-prisoners to get started when they are released. Society keeps punishing them - no jobs, no place to live, no show more financial help, no support...unless you fit into the system's stereotypes. I also liked that Det. Loughlin was real, too, not all good or all bad.

I checked this one out from the library because I like Michael Kramer's narration, and I found a new author. show less

I had mixed feelings about this book. The story was good, with enough uncertainty to the mystery, but something about the characters didn't set quite right. I did think that the picture painted of someone released from prison after 20 years trying to find their way in a new world was excellent. All too believable, I'm afraid. No wonder there are so many repeaters in the prison system. I had some trouble with Julian's character. He was 17 years old, with a full college scholarship when he was arrested and imprisoned. He spent most of his time in prison becoming a jailhouse lawyer, focused on his innocence and potential for release or appeal, and yet when out he is on the verge or real violence almost every moment. I do believe people are show more hardened in prison, but this was a completely different person even from the person he was while in prison. It was jarring to me. I liked the portrayal of Loughlin, the policeman, better, although I had difficulty "feeling" the language he used with his fellow cops. So, as I said....a bit mixed. show less

Well done mystery. Good writing and interesting characters and plot.

I just couldn't get into this book. In fact, I did something I rarely do, about 1/2 way through I decided to read the ending and move on.

Twenty years ago Detective Francis X Loughlin pushed a seventeen-year, Julian Vega to the breaking point and sent him up for murder of Allison Wallis. Now released from prison with the murder conviction dropped, another pretty, young doctor viciously killed, all fingers point to Julian. when Loughlin arranges for a DNA test, results blow-up in his face.