Thursday, July 29, 2010

Darkside [on CD]


Darkside
by P.T. Deutermann [Compact Disc Deutermann]

P. T. Deutermann set this novel at his alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy. It's spring and the academic year is almost over. The seniors are looking forward to graduating and the plebes are looking forward to the end of their first year. All except for Brian Dell, who plunges to his death from a sixth-story window. Was it a suicide by a plebe that couldn't handle the academic life? Was it an accident? Why was there bruising on his upper arms? Why was he wearing undergarments belonging to midshipman Julie Markham? The NCIS is brought in to answer these questions. While the NCIS is investigating Dell's death, the academy's security chief, Jim Hall, is conducting a different investigation. A midshipman is running amok in the steam tunnels beneath the campus and a second death draws the NCIS detective into Hall's case. Deutermann paints a vivid picture of academy life - the rugged academic standards, the emphasis on fitness through competitive sports, the lack of a social life for plebes because they don't have time. The descriptions of Jim Hall's excursions down into the dimly lit tunnels have a creepy feel to them. I could almost feel the mortar from the old bricks sifting down the collar of my shirt as I listened to the reader describe how Hall stood still with his back to the brick walls, the mortar drifting down his neck listening for the footsteps of the miscreant. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the works of Alex Berenson, Vince Flynn or Brian Haag.] -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department

[Also available in print format.]

[ official Darkside page on the official P.T. Deutermann web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.

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