Darker than Night: The True Story of a Brutal Double Homicide and an 18-Year Long Quest for Justice
Written by Tom Henderson
Narrated by Jonathan Davis
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
In 2003, this bizarre case hit the glare of the criminal justice system, as prosecutors charged two brothers, Raymond and Donald Duvall, with murder. With no bodies ever found, the case hinged on the testimony of one terrified witness who saw a bloody scene unfold-and who was still nearly too frightened to talk.
Now, the truth behind an eighteen-year-old mystery is revealed against the backdrop of an unusual, electrifyingly dramatic trial. Raymond and Donald Duvall bragged to friends that they killed their victims, chopped up their bodies, and fed them to pigs. A Michigan jury soon had evidence of this brutally methodical execution-evidence that would lead a shocked courtroom through the heart of evil and beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Tom Henderson
Tom Henderson, a native of Michigan, has worked as a news reporter for many years. He has been a sportswriter for Detroit Free Press, a freelance writer for Detroit News, and a senior editor for a monthly business publication called Corporate Detroit. He currently covers finance and technology for a weekly business publication, Crain's Detroit Business. Henderson is the author of A Deadly Affair, Blood Justice, Darker Than Night, and Afraid of the Dark.
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Reviews for Darker than Night
23 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I may make it a goal to read every non-fiction book about crimes that happen in Michigan. This was SO interesting. I'm excited to read more of his books
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Not as good as expected because of the raving reviews on amazon. It was interesting but so slow, I got bored.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The disappearance of two hunters in the Michigan Woods in 1985 took 18 years to solve and prosecute. This story was not so much a who-done-it as it was a how-to-prove-it. The break in the case came when one eyewitness to the brutal homicide was eventually persuaded to testify by state policeman Bronco Lesneski. He worked the case every day. He spent many of his off hours tirelessly re-interviewing witnesses. Everybody seemed to have an opinion as to what had happened, but nearly all fingers and lines of questioning pointed back to the Duvall brothers. It’s a story straight out of Deliverance. Perhaps the most amazing aspect of this case was that it was successfully prosecuted without a body, without a weapon, and without one iota of physical evidence. The courtroom testimonies are the most fascinating and at many times rather amusing parts of this story. It’s a horrific crime. No doubt about that. And certainly nothing amusing about it either. But the cast of characters is so unbelievable that one can’t help but laugh. And some of the testimonies were beyond belief.The writing however was sloppy, and the editors missed many an error. The mystery didn’t really carry the story either because early on, the reader had a good idea of what happened and who had done it. What keeps the reader engaged is perhaps one of the same motivators that kept Lesneski plowing away. The reader wants to see justice done and the truth come out.I’ve read better true crime novels. Ann Rule is hard to compete with in terms of quality of writing and storytelling. However, the courtroom drama in this book makes it worth the read for true crime fans. It leaves the reader shaking his head and wondering if he picked up a work of fiction or non-fiction. There’s a quote attributed to different people that says the difference between fiction and reality is that fiction has to make sense. That’s how I know this crime and these players are real. No one could have made them up in their wildest imaginations. The witness who by his own definition was a recovering amnesiac still has me laughing. The world can be a crazy…and scary…place.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a great book for anyone who loves suspense/mysteries. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, although growing up in the area where the murders occurred added another element for me.