The Dark Side by David J. Sherman
Oak Tree Press - October 2002
ISBN: 1892343266 - Trade Paperback
Detective Mystery

Reviewed by Robyn Glazer, Myshelf.com
Buy a Copy - link N/A

Jack Murphy's gut told him not to take the case. His brain told him not to take the case. But, once again, his mouth was too quick for his brain to intervene. Ever since Jack moved from Lake Point, Wisconsin, to California, he vowed to keep his life simple and as different from his past as possible. Jack's vow is about to be broken when he agrees to investigate the disappearance of sixteen-year-old Carrie Sanders. Finding a missing person is never easy, and this is no exception. Jack questions everyone from hookers to filmmakers and learns that the previous detective on the case was murdered. He hopes Carrie hasn't fallen into the wrong crowd, despite overwhelming evidence that she has. With help from his two sidekicks, Arturo and Nadia, Jack gets information that could blow his case wide apart--and take him with it--if he's not careful.

David Sherman has been touted as the next Raymond Chandler. Usually I shrug off such statements; but, in this case, I found it to be true. Sherman writes with class. His violent scenes are never gratuitous and always expertly done. His characters have morals, which I find to be a welcome change. I really enjoyed the book for these reasons, but also because I could tell Sherman had fun with it. His writing seemed to speak to me individually as if Jack Murphy was whispering in my ear. I really look forward to his next novel and can't wait for people to discover The Dark Side and David Sherman.