In Joseph D’Aquisto’s LEFT FOR DEATH, Seattle detective, John Sandes, takes what may be his last case before retirement: Leo Johnson, a man living alone, not so unlike Sandes, has gone missing. The detective discovers quickly that Johnson has been murdered. But why? Detective Sandes finds several compelling clues in Johnson’s apartment. A picture of a blonde girl and a homemade bookmark with Roman numerals on it lead Sandes down a dark and increasingly twisted path into crimes uglier far more extensive than one dead man alone in his apartment. To solve Johnson’s murder and to stop more violence, Sandes, a strong man, bruised by life, must face dangers that severely test his waning strength.
LEFT FOR DEATH is a credible crime and mystery genre novel. D’Aquisto captures the detective’s character well, from his clipped, rational, observational style to his troubled past. Additionally, the spiraling depth and the sordid realities of the case suit this fictional form. D’Aquisto has also carefully constructed a plausible logic to his character’s motives. But D’Aquisto’s efforts in LEFT FOR DEATH are hindered by several challenges. More attention to Sandes’ mid-life transition to detective work might enhance reader’s appreciation, whose past is critical to understanding his character and drive. D’Aquisto also sometimes struggles with dialogue: the voices of non-native English speakers and hardened criminals can read awkwardly. Though D’Aquisto structures the fight scenes with care, the pacing is occasionally abrupt and is the author’s balance of too much, or too little, foreshadowing.
The greatest strength of the novel is the presentation of a bruised man continuing to fight the good fight with relentless dedication. Sandes is nearing retirement–his body aches and he is haunted by the absence of his beloved daughter, Mallory, from his life. His recollections emphasize his lost happiness, missteps and regrets. In the face of this, Sandes, outmanned by the criminals he is seeking to overcome, perseveres.
Joseph D’Aquisto’s LEFT FOR DEATH is a solid effort in the crime and mystery genre. The storytelling and writing style present a few obstacles, but there is a novelistic power in witnessing the aging and haunted detective’s dogged determination to do the right thing.
~Ellen Graham for IndieReader