31 Reads of Terror: 'When All Lights Fail' by Randall Silvis

Part of me finds myself weary of police procedurals. In a world where each series introduces new characters and spins a fresh plot, they all seem to dance to the same familiar tune: a case arises, a detective steps in, and some nefarious villains lurk in the shadows. It’s a formula that has been played out time and again, often with the predictable simplicity that commercial expectations demand—just look at anything stamped with James Patterson's name as if it were a fast-food franchise. Yet occasionally, a novel surfaces amidst the mediocrity, a work with a touch more substance, like When All Lights Fail by Randall Silvis, an author I had been blissfully unaware of until I stumbled into this, the fifth installment of the Ryan DeMarco series.

The narrative unfurls with an intriguing premise: retired police sergeant Ryan DeMarco is reluctant to return to the murky waters of private investigation, but when a nine-year-old girl from Michigan pleads with tear-streaked cheeks to help her find her biological father, he can’t say no. The journey to the Upper Peninsula promises not just the promise of closure for the girl but also a chance for DeMarco and his partner, Jayme, to mend their frayed edges from their previous case—one that spun dangerously close to death's embrace. However, once they plunge into Michigan's thick woods, what seemed like a straightforward paternity quest transforms into a treacherous game of life and death.

As they peel away the layers of the investigation, they uncover chilling truths that intertwine with personal demons, particularly for one member of their team, who risks slipping into her own abyss of darkness. Each turn of the page reveals just how perilous their quest truly is; there are those willing to go to extreme lengths to ensure the skeletons stay buried.

Now, having never read the previous entry, No Woods So Dark As These, I suspect it ended on a cliffhanger that left all its characters dangling in the abyss. While I didn’t realize I was stepping into a well-trodden series until the final page, piecing together the puzzle wasn’t too cumbersome; I enjoy the thrill of connecting the dots.

Silvis's prose flows with an alluring charm, and the pacing keeps you teetering on the edge of your seat, compelled to discover what vile creature lurks just out of sight. Yet, as I neared the conclusion, my enthusiasm waned. The protagonist, Ryan DeMarco, while somewhat interesting, didn’t spark any real excitement in me. I found it hard to connect with him—he felt like a light bulb that flickered but never quite illuminated the room. And then there’s Jayme, his partner, who came off as insufferably self-righteous, grating against my nerves like nails on a chalkboard.

The plot held promise, a flicker of excitement that ultimately sputtered out in the final act, leaving me bewildered, scratching my head in confusion. Instead of an explosive climax, I was left with a sense of incompleteness, as if I’d been served a feast only to discover it was all just a well-crafted illusion. So here I am, with a twinge of disappointment, wondering what on earth I just read—trying to make sense of it all while chiding myself for getting lured into yet another tale of the enigmatic and the macabre. ╌★★★✰✰

〜B.J. Burgess