Gone to Darkness

Written by Barbara Nickless

Narrated by Emily Sutton-Smith

From a Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Newly minted homicide detective Sydney Parnell faces a savage killer whose endgame is to capture her. And keep her.

Iraqi war vet and former railway cop Sydney Parnell is now the youngest homicide detective in Denver’s Major Crimes Unit. In the past, gut instinct has served her and her K9 partner well. But it’s not a trait Len Bandoni, her old nemesis turned reluctant mentor, admires. Not until Sydney’s instincts lead to their first case: a man tortured and beaten to death, then left in a refrigerated train car with cryptic messages carved into his body.

The victim is a well-liked member of an elite club called the Superior Gentlemen. At first glance, the club appears harmless. But beneath its refined surface swim darker currents.

As Sydney; her K9 partner, Clyde; and Bandoni investigate the grisly murder, the three develop a bond that carries them through a shocking series of crimes and a horrifying conspiracy that threatens the detectives’ lives and promises to bring their beloved city to its knees.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Jun 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9781799750574

Barbara Nickless

Barbara Nickless is the Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of the Sydney Rose Parnell series, which includes Blood on the Tracks, a Suspense Magazine Best of 2016 selection and winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence; Dead Stop; and Ambush. Blood on the Tracks and Dead Stop won the Colorado Book Award, and Dead Stop was nominated for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence. Her essays and short stories have appeared in Writer’s Digest and Criminal Element, among other markets. She lives in Colorado, where she loves to cave, snowshoe, hike, and drink single malt Scotch—usually not at the same time. Connect with her at www.barbaranickless.com.

Reviews for Gone to Darkness

[paulagalvan-323293 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sydney, a former marine, is now a detective with the Denver PD and finds herself partnered with Leonard Bandoni, a long-time, hard-nosed cop. Their first dead body leads them to a group of men who call themselves the Superior Gentlemen, and as it turns out, they are quite superior at rape and murder. With her K-9 partner, Clyde, at her side, Sydney and Len find themselves in a life and death fight with these evil mass murderers. The banter between Sydney and her new partner is witty and entertaining as their relationship grows and Len begins to accept Sydney into his world as an equal. Full of suspenseful twists and explosive action, this fourth installment in the series was as much a page-turner as the first three. Another winner for Barbara Nickless.

[delta61 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was a great story. Too bad the author had to resort to such vulgar language. The vulgarity in the banter was unnatural. You don't need it when the story is good. You have to stay away from this book if foul language offends you. Four stars instead of five.

[fredreeca · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sydney has started her new job as the youngest detective on the Denver Police Force. She has a lot to prove. And when Sydney’s first murder case does not even have a body….she is struggling to find out exactly what is going on.Sydney is a character after my own heart. She is smart and she is tough. She is a marine for goodness sakes. So, don’t mess with her. But this does not stop some people from trying. When this murder leads her to an elite, underground club her life becomes a target.And then there is Clyde. Clyde is her K9 partner and he is the best character in the book!I do not know how I have missed this author. But, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It moves quickly and I was hooked on the cryptic symbols….you have to read this to find out. Captivating to say the least. I have not read the other books in this series and I will remedy that soon. This is a stand alone read and you do not want to miss it! Plus! It has a dog! I am all about a dog!I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

[cathygeha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gone to Darkness by Barbara NicklessSydney Rose Parnell #4Gripping, gritty, gruesome beginning to what proved to be an excellent story. I was hooked from page one and wanted the bad guy put away before I even read what he would eventually do. Evil stepped off the page and made me glad I would never have to interact with such a creature…at least I *hope* I won’t!Sydney’s move from railway cop to homicide detective comes with a whole lot of having to prove herself. She is a rookie that everyone expects to fail or bail before her probation ends. Her mentor is a curmudgeonly sort that grew on me. Her boyfriend and his cousin were a delight – would love to hear more about Evan Wilding in future books. Clyde the K-9 partner is special and endearing and a force to be reckoned with. Sydney definitely holds her own and also uses her contacts with the railroad to solve the murder as the body was found in a refrigerated car on one of the trains that passed through town. What I liked: * Sydney: she seems like someone I would enjoy knowing. Her background in the military left her with an empathy with the dead and a connection stronger than most. * Clyde: a K-9 with skills beyond those of his training* Epigraphs that begin each chapter…interesting and well worth reading* Bandoni: seasoned detective not easy to warm up to at first but a great character by the end of the story* Cohen: seems to be a good book boyfriend to Sydney…and smart, too.* Evan Wilding: a brilliant man in his field * The police procedural parts* The train information * Learning about Pick-Up artists bent on seduction – learned some new terms, too* Seeing into the minds of evil doers* That the bad guys were caught in the endWhat I didn’t like: * The predators and what they did* The women treated as less than human* The creepiness…but I liked it, too* Knowing I will have to wait awhile for the next book in the series. Did I enjoy this book? DefinitelyWould I read more int his series? Without a doubt! Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review. 5 Stars

[twinkley_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was not a fan of this one as much I had been of the previous one. This was slow and kind of confusing with the too numerous characters. I still enjoyed it but mostly because I like the characters and not necessarily for the story.