DANIEL JUDSON – The Darkest Place. Nominated for Best Private Eye Hardcover Novel of the Year, 2007.

St. Martin’s, hardcover, May 2006. Paperback reprint: May 2007.

   Book Description:

The Darkest Place

The cold of winter has come to the far reaches of Long Island, New York. The summer people are gone. So is the sunshine. And in the dark, a man carries a body to the water’s edge. It’s not his first – and he’s not done yet…

The police are talking about suicides. But a handful of people suspect something darker is going on. One is a college teacher drowning himself in booze and dangerous sex. One is a former high school football star who wants a second chance. And between them is a mysterious private investigator [Reggie Clay] who believes that a beautiful, amoral young woman is connected to the killings.

Soon, things will spin out of control. Clues will point in all the wrong directions. Then, it will be up to a few lost souls – men and women who know all about monsters – to bring a killer into the light….

   About the Author:

Daniel Judson is the Shamus Award–winning author of two previous novels, The Bone Orchard and The Poisoned Rose. He lives in Connecticut, where he writes full-time. He is a graduate of Southhampton College, and his time spent living in the Hamptons (particularly the parts you don’t find in the society pages) was the inspiration for the setting and characters in The Darkest Place.

   Review Excerpts:

Publishers Weekly: “Judson does a terrific job of setting up a complex plot that’s full of surprises, even if the pieces fit together a bit too conveniently in spots.”

Booklist: “Told from multiple points of view, populated with well-drawn moral and amoral characters, and permeated with violence, this riveting albeit bleak crime novel offers a strong sense of place along with thoughtful rumination about doing the right thing and finding redemption for past actions.”

   This is the first Reggie Clay novel. Judson’s previous two books featured PI Declan “Mac” MacManus:

The Bone Orchard, as by D. Daniel Judson. Bantam, paperback, March 2002.

The Poisoned Rose, as by D. Daniel Judson. Bantam, paperback, October 2002.