Review: Noir Suspense Novel Keeps You At the Edge of Your Seat
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 28, 2014
“Nightfall” is a novella with the depth and suspense of a full-length novel—and I feel that its tough but inwardly scarred main character, Ezzy Morgan, could certainly carry many more stories on her determined shoulders.Ezzy has turned her back on being a paramedic in the wake of horrific nightmares she couldn’t quite shake, and now she’s making her living as a private investigator in a city that seems to have plenty of secrets. When a hooker named Amanda walks through the door, Ezzy is reluctant to take her case—as the cops say, it’s gone cold. But Ezzy finds herself sucked in regardless, and is soon tangled in a dark web of pimps, underworld corruption, and danger to her own life that she couldn’t have expected.“Nightfall” has a surprising, twist-filled plot. I didn’t expect the book to take the turn from gritty noir to straight suspense, and that left me just as shocked and confused as Ezzy as she presses on to solve the case—and eventually it becomes not about justice but about saving her own life. The writing is clean and sharp but still manages to create an atmosphere of a seedy town and dangerous characters; Ezzy herself is also well-done. She’s just hard-boiled enough to be believable as a PI and just vulnerable enough for you to relate to her and care about her situation.I would recommend “Nightfall” to readers who enjoy murder mysteries and suspense novels; there’s a lot to each enjoy for fans of each genre.