Against a Dark Sky

The DCI Dani Bevan Detective Novels, Book 1

By: Katherine Pathak

Narrated by: David Monteath

They died 30 years ago, but the case is not closed.

Five walkers set out to climb Ben Lomond on a fine October day. Within hours the weather has taken a turn for the worst. The group find themselves lost on the mountain. Two of the climbers manage to make it back down and call for help.

The following day a body is found. One of the female climbers has been strangled, and another man is missing without a trace.

DCI Dani Bevan is called to the Loch Lomond town of Ardyle to lead the case. It quickly becomes clear that Bevan must dig into the events of a similar tragedy that occurred on the hills 30 years earlier in order to find the killer.

This requires the DCI to face up to the ghosts of her own tragic past and to endeavor to put them behind her once and for all.

©2014 Katherine Pathak (P)2016 Katherine Pathak

Very good, but...

I really enjoyed this mystery with only one complaint. The narrators voice is excellent but the mouth noises (like dry mouth) are a bit distracting. Hoping future audible books with this narrator will be better edited. This distraction was not enough to stop me from listening and I am hoping for more from this author.

More of this series, Please

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, enthusiastically. The characters are nicely developed and believable. The mystery is plausible. The performance is top notch.

What other book might you compare Against a Dark Sky to and why?

It's the first in a series, but it seems that character development is central and that there will be several characters developed. It reminds me of Quintin Jardine's Bob Skinner series.

Have you listened to any of David Monteath’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, the Mark Douglas-Home Sea Detective series. This is a gifted and talented performer, enough so that I've added other books just because he's the reader.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No. It kept me engaged with the plot and caring about the characters, enough so that I want Audible to make the rest of the series available, very soon, please.

Nice new series

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed and believable. I have just purchased the next in the series and am about to download it, I highly recommend this book.

Scottish Highlands Mystery

If you could sum up Against a Dark Sky in three words, what would they be?

Unexpected finale.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dani Bevan, the lead detective. She is a driven and interesting detective. It is unusual that a detective novel is able to produce a central character who is not formulaic, and Bevan is not terribly original, but she is appealing and the reader wants her to succeed.

What about David Monteath’s performance did you like?

He reads very well, does not swallow his words as some narrators do. I have heard him read other writers and like his timing and cadence.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reaction, but I was kept guessing for most of the book. It is a rather complicated story which unwinds well.

Any additional comments?

I look forward to other books in this series.

A Promising Start

For me this was an entertaining police procedural. The story takes place in Scotland and I enjoyed the location. The plot was intricate and I didn't guess the solution of the mystery until it was revealed. DCI Dani Bevan and her team of officers are likable and interesting characters.

I found David Monteath's narration to be very good. The only problem was a slight amount of sibilance on words beginning with "s". I noticed it more at first - I suspect my brain just "ignored" the sound after awhile. I don't know anything about the technical aspects of sound recording. If there is a way to filter that slight sibilance I hope they use it on future recordings.

l look forward to more books in this series. I've already purchased and started on the second book. I hope the author continues the series. In future stories I'd welcome deeper character development of Dani Bevan and her co-workers.

Distracting

Is there another word for 'Whilst" I mean the authors must have used the word at least once in each sentence, it was so annoying. And don't even get me started on how distracting the narrator was, it was like he was breathing through his mouth or did not drink enough water during reading the book, I can't even describe the way he sounded it was a mess. The writing was child like. I'm giving it one star, because I couldn't write a review without a star rating, otherwise I wouldn't have given the book any.