There's only so many ways to say the same thing. There's only so many ways to describe Violet's gut and the amount of discomfort she feels in it during any stressful circumstance. There were just too many moments where the story felt needlessly drawn out thanks to descriptions being a bit on the repetitive side. In fact I actually DID give it 5-stars at first, but deducted one when I thought on it some more prior to this review. Nice solid entry in the Violet Darger franchise, damn-near perfect. For anyone who likes crime novels, serial killers in general, and solving obscure riddles to advance the plot, Countdown To Midnight is a highly recommended read. Once again McBain and Vargus have delivered a story that is not only suspenseful but will most likely have you scratching your head at best and screaming at your chosen reading media at worst when the ultimate twist is revealed.įor those who may be unfamiliar with this series never fear as the overall storyline is presented in a way that, while part of a larger series, any of the installments can be picked up and read at any point without losing any of the overall character structure or feeling as if you’ve come into something mid-stream. I have read more than my share of police procedurals, crime novels, serial killer books, whatever you want to call them and to date I do not believe that I have encountered a premise quite like the one used in Countdown to Midnight. Once again the duo has delivered with a well-written, well-researched narrative that will have you not wanting to stop reading. And with Darger and Loshak on the case, celebrities in their own right with their prior cases with the FBI, and Violet’s interactions with serial killer Leonard Stump the irony is not lost on this reader. With the rantings of the deceased railing against “celebrity”, it is ironic that the spectacle that is being created clearly was designed to receive some of the limelight that the perp was so vehemently opposed to. With each new clue and each new reveal and information leak, the duo finds their work becoming more and more difficult. But this case is a bit different as their perp is dead so with nobody to catch, the focus shifts to stopping the future planned attacks. Taking place not too long after Trouble in Paradise, Darger and Loshak do not have a moment’s peace or rest as they track their most recent killer. Now not only fighting the clock but also the curious attention seekers and a possibly unknown accomplice the duo along with the local authorities find themselves in a breakneck race against time to keep the bomber's body count from rising.Ĭountdown to Midnight is the 8th in the Violet Darger series of books by author duo Tim McBain and LT Vargus. As the team slowly begins to unravel the clues that lead them to the subsequent attacks, specific details of the case start getting leaked to the public. The killer has hidden clues in addition to excerpts of his personal journal pages as hints to the next victims. This initial bombing is only one in a potential series of attacks spaced out roughly every eight hours over the next day. What appears to be an open and shut case takes a dark turn when the final manifesto of the killer lays out a deadly scavenger hunt for the authorities. A minor celebrity has been the victim of a mail bomb and the bomber has also been found – victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound with a note left behind. All opinions are my own.įreshly back from a semi-official business trip to the Caribbean Island of Curacao, Darger and Loshak are called immediately to New York. If she doesn't solve the clues in time, thousands will die.įull disclosure - I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book by the authors but have voluntarily provided a review. Understanding the bomber's psychology could be the key to deciphering the codes and riddles, the key to saving lives.ĭarger faces a threat on a scale unlike anything she's encountered so far. These not only articulate his twisted message, they contain clues about the bombs.Įverything law enforcement needs to locate and disarm one of the bombs is there. The bomber has left chunks of his journal throughout the city. Starting at midnight tonight, a bomb will go off roughly every eight hours, and a target will be neutralized. The bomber's plan is meticulous - an ever growing spectacle of gruesome violence meant to spread his cryptic message piece by piece. So begins the series of mail bombs that beckons FBI profiler Violet Darger to New York. A plain cardboard box in the mail blows when he opens it. The first blast takes out an actor from a string of famous coffee commercials. By the time you read this, I’ll be dead, but what I’ve set into motion will only be beginning.
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