Black Night Falling – Rod Reynolds

‘And now I stood here, on a desolate airfield in the Arkansas wilderness, a stone’s throw from Texarkana. Darkness drawing in on me. Cross country to see a man I never imagined seeing again. On the strength of one desperate telephone call…’

Having left Texarkana for the safety of the West Coast, reporter Charlie Yates finds himself drawn back to the South, to Hot Springs, Arkansas, as an old acquaintance asks for his help. This time it’s less of a story Charlie’s chasing, more of a desperate attempt to do the right thing before it’s too late.

Black Night Falling is Rod Reynolds’ second novel, picking up just a few months on from The Dark Inside. It’s a dark and deeply atmospheric thriller and Rod evokes the time and place (Arkansas in the 1940’s) of the story beautifully and there’s a wonderfully gritty, noir feel.

I must confess that I’ve yet to read The Dark Inside (though it’s now on my Kindle!) That said, Black Night Falling could easily be read as a standalone.

Our hero Charlie Yates finds himself in Hot Springs, Arkansas following a call from an old friend looking for help. Unfortunately Charlie arrives too late and finds that his friend died in a tragic accident. Or was it? He starts investigating, working with the somewhat cryptic notes he finds from his friend, looking into the deaths of several young women in the town.

Rod certainly knows how to tangle a plot, expertly draping it with red herrings which leave you guessing – who killed the girls? Just how far up does the web go?

I found it hard to believe that this was written by a non-American author, the evocation of place and period is just superb.

Liz (from Liz Loves Books) recently did a Q&A with Rod over on her blog which is well worth a read.

Highly recommended.

And Rod is taking part in the @FaberBooks Crime on Tour events in Lytham St Annes, Manchester, Urmston and Leeds in late September with JM Gulvin and Sarah Ward. I’m definitely going!