Detective Jack Murphy returns in this exciting adventure. His partner, Detective Liddell Blanchard is accused of murdering a cop who was investigating a voodoo cult.

Murphy knows his partner well, and there's no way he is guilty of the accusations made against him. The hard part is proving it.

The suspense is well-paced and action packed. Just when you take a deep breath, there's another twist that gets thrown at you. The relationship of the two detectives are fun to follow ... they each have the other's back.

I liked the introduction of voodoo, as well as corruption, in the swamplands of Louisiana. For those readers who haven't visited that part of the country, if you get the chance, visit the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum. The author has done a fine job of research .. the story comes across as very credible.

Although this is 5th in a series, it is easily read as a stand alone. As usual, I always recommend starting at the beginning of a series. Rick Reed is definitely an author worth following.

Many thanks to the author / Kensington Books - Lyrical Underground / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Lyrical Underground and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Darkest Night. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

When his partner, Detective Liddell Blanchard, is accused of murdering a cop, Detective Jack Murphy must do what he can to expose the real killer. With the Louisiana bayou and voodoo magic lending a spooky backdrop to the novel, The Darkest Night has a change of scenery to help refresh the series. I have found the more recent offerings to be repetitive, with a certain formula that readers cannot help but recognize from book to book. Jack is not well liked by some, but it cannot be ignored that he gets the job done. His personal life always makes a showing, with the end result being Jack putting his foot in his mouth once again. Regardless, as the series has gone on, it would be difficult for the author to separate Jack's personal life from his professional one. So much of what makes Jack tick has to do with his loved ones and his reaction to the situations to which they find themselves involved.

To readers who are not familiar with the Detective Jack Murphy series of books: I would recommend starting from the beginning, in order to gain the full picture of this well developed character. For ongoing readers of the series, do not expect any revelations here. The Darkest Night is like a well worn pair of shoes - you can find comfort in knowing exactly what you are going to get when you put them on.

Most of my enjoyment in these novels, apart from the high octane action, comes from the badinage between Jack and Liddell which is natural, realistic and funny. I was looking forward to more of the same with the added bonus of Liddell's brother Landry in The Darkest Night but as I said it's a little subdued. There are still some great one liners but not so much sustained banter, perhaps due to the circumstances they find themselves in.

The Darkest Night is a good read which held my interest throughout. I found the corruption angle fascinating as I tried to work out the whos and whys but I took too much at face value so congratulations to Mr Reed for obfuscation. I have no hesitation, therefore, in recommending it.

This thriller - the fifth book in the Jack Murphy series - hits the ground running from page one and keeps a steady pace throughout.

Add a Louisiana setting, a bit of voodoo mysticism, some cops who may or may not be crooked and a whole lot of things that aren't what they appear to be and you've got The Darkest Night by Rick Reed.

Full of action and plot twists the book is a good read although I thought it was lacking in both a sense of "realism" and a feeling of true "impending danger". I enjoyed the book but I never really found myself caught up in it to the point that I couldn't put it down. There were several major twists that I never saw coming (so much so that it takes on an almost farcical tone at one point - that could have been intentional, a sort of tongue-in-cheek wink from the author, as there are several humorous moments sprinkled throughout).

This is my first experience with the Jack Murphy series and, to the best of my knowledge, my first outing with author Rick Reed. I am happy to say the book works well as a stand alone (it's a major peeve of mine when a book is represented as a stand alone and really isn't) and the author has a very accessible writing style that allows the story to flow at a good pace.

I give this book a rating of 3 and 1/2 stars. There are adult situations, violence, rough language and the like - this is a book for adults.

While I enjoyed the book I can't say that I will be seeking out more in the series, this has more to do with my out of control list of books I want to read than any ill feeling about the author or the series.

***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this title

If a mystery is set in the swamplands of Louisiana, then even during the day the title The Darkest Night applies. Unscrupulous, corrupt, and possibly murdering cops; voodoo cults; Murphy’s partner, Detective Liddell Blanchard, framed for a murder; and Blanchard’s teenage niece missing—with all this on his plate, Detective Jack Murphy is up to his ass in alligators when he arrives to bail out Blanchard. Murphy knows a setup when he sees one, particularly after he hears that the local police chief didn’t mince words with Detective Blanchard.

The Chief kept her eyes on his and said, “I know my people, Detective Blanchard. And I know your background. And that of your partner, Jack Murphy. And I know who your brother is. And if I may speak plainly, your brother and your partner are big pains in the ass. They are not going to be a pain in my ass. I’m going against my better judgment letting you leave here.”

Liddell closed his mouth, turned, and left the office. He wondered why she wasn’t locking him up.

When Jack Murphy arrives, Blanchard tells him he’s been accused of viciously murdering a female cop. The dead woman, Bitty, “was investigating a shadowy voodoo cult.” Murphy and Blanchard are professionals, equipped mentally and physically to fight the bad guys and win. They have the resources to reach out to Cotton, a cagey recluse who was once on the force.

Blanchard’s niece Evie, however, is a missing teenager, woefully unable to escape her mysterious prison. She asks herself, “…how could he find her when she herself didn’t know where she was?” Evie’s story is woven through The Darkest Night; it’s stark, gut-wrenching, and scary. Will she escape? Will she be rescued? It’s impossible not to be moved by her terror and anxiety, especially when she thinks about her dad and her mother who left them years ago.

He would watch the stars with her sometimes. That’s where she learned all that stuff. And she would ask him if her momma was up there among the stars. He would always say, “It’s just you and me, Evie. And that’s enough for me, kid.” He would put his arm around her shoulders and hug her close and kiss the top of her head.

“Oh, Daddy. What have I done? I’m so, so sorry. Please come and get me.”

Murdered cops, a missing teen, a swampy setting—and the last piece of the puzzle: voodoo. Gris-gris (voodoo talismans) appear, menacingly, near the various crime scenes. Are they meant to scare folks off? If so, it’s not working on Jack Murphy.

Jack didn’t believe in magic or coincidence. He believed in Mr. Glock. Murphy’s Law says: never bring a sissy little bag to a gunfight. But if the same Voodoo drawing had been left at Cotton’s and Bitty’s, it couldn’t be a coincidence.

Coincidence notwithstanding, Blanchard and Murphy have their work cut out for them. The murky undertones and patina of corruption and cruelty don’t deter them from working their investigation, but there’s an air of menace that permeates every page. The Darkest Night is a not-to-be-missed entry in Rick Reed’s Detective Jack Murphy series.

Another entertaining book by Rick Reed. Lots of action that makes this a quick read. I loved the humorous parts also. Definitely recommended

The Darkest Night is a terrific crime thriller. The book is very well written and has a great plot and characters. I especially enjoyed the setting. I recommend this book if you enjoy crime novels.

The Darkest Night
Rick Reed

Get ready for one heck of a ride.
This story is set in Iberville Parish, Louisiana.

Detective Liddell Blanchard goes to see his friend Bitty LeBoeuf and gets charged with her grisley murder. Detective Jack Murphy, his partner, drives from Evensvill, IL to find out what is going on. He soon discovers that nothing is as it seems. This looks like a setup to him and Liddell agrees. This is the slow part, not.

Bitty was involved in checking out a voodoo cult. But this is just the tip of this mixed up, twisted plot. Every time you think you got it figured out, well you don't. Not till the end is it untangled.

One of the best novels I have read in a long time. I never saw it coming.
For a well-crafted thriller that will have you afraid to stop reading this is the one.
Well done Mr. Reed.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Darkest Night by Rick Reed.
Jack Murphy knows a setup when he sees one. Proving it makes his day. Especially when it involves his own partner. Lured into a trap, Evansville P.D. Detective Liddell Blanchard is accused of murdering a cop who was investigating a shadowy voodoo cult. Justice is murky enough in the swamplands of Louisiana, but when a purported descendent of Marie Leveaux menaces a murder investigation, the gumbo really hits the fan. Corruption comes with the territory. But there are darker forces at play—and only Murphy can see the light . . .
An absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. Didn’t realise this was book 5. It was still a fantastic read. I liked Liddell and Jack. I will be looking forward to the next book in this series and I will be looking at the first one too. 5*. Highly recommended. Thanks netgalley and Kensington books.

To tell the truth, I didn't know that The Darkest Night was already the book#5 in the Jack Murphy series, otherwise I wouldn't have probably requested it. To step into the story in the midst of the series could be risky. But I'm glad I did it. And I can assure you:
You can read it, without any concerns, as a stand alone.

Rick Reed is a new for me author, and I was positively surprised not only to discover a new interesting mystery series, but also to find out a new mystery writer with a such impressive career .
Be sure, he knows the subject he writes about not ONLY from research.

If you like well-written dialogues, cool detectives with an irresistible appeal and a great sense of humor, corrupt cops and a messy investigation with ever surprising twists and turns, a hint of voodoo and an ending you won’t see coming, this is the book for you.

I enjoyed it a lot. Maybe not a literary masterpiece, but a thrilling mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat up to the very end.

This is the first book I have read by Mr. Reed but I was sucked in immediately. Very fast paced and couldn't wait to see what happened next. Great read

This is a preliminary review, but I just had to put my thoughts down now, at this early juncture. There is something that many authors now seem to feel they have to do; something that is not only irritating but sad. Let me say right up front: I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM WITH THE LGBT COMMUNITY. I hold my personal viewpoints, but I don't hate or discriminate... my motto is very much "live and let live". That having been said, I believe it is a sign of journalistic cowardice for authors to automatically include members of that community in their novels IF SUCH INCLUSION IS COMPLETELY WITHOUT RELEVANCE TO THE STORY LINE, as is the case in this novel. If it's relevant to the plot, then by all means... include it. If it's completely irrelevant, then it becomes nothing more than a symbolic bow to political correctness, and as such is irritating enough to me to warrant taking that individual off my list of "must read" authors. Shame on you, Reed; you're better than that. Or at least I thought you were. UPDATE: I have since discovered that there now exists an employee at nearly all publishing houses known as the "sensitivity reviewer". It is this person's responsibility to ensure that fictional books adhere to political correctness. Period. That's all they do. Finally, we have become a country where the minority rules. Said with all due sarcasm. Very sad. And since Mr. Reed is an outspoken member of this community, I shall refrain from reading more of his books since he appears unable to stick to creating thrillers where sexual orientation is not a blatant sub-plot.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy of The Darkest Night, the fifth novel to feature Indiana police detectives Jack Murphy and Liddell Blanchard.

Liddell gets a call from his ex partner, Bitty, asking to come to Plaquemines, Louisiana to help her. When he gets there he discovers his 14 year old niece is missing and then Bitty's dead body. When he is promptly arrested for murder Jack rides into to town to rescue him and find both Evie and Bitty's killer. As the body count rises they don't know who to trust.

I have read all the novels in this series and enjoyed them all. In comparison The Darkest Night is a bit subdued but is still a good read. The plot isn't particularly complicated as the reader gets two points of view, that of the police and that of Evie's captors so the tension and mystery come from trying to work out which officers are corrupt. I got some of it right but not all of it and there are a few surprises along the way.

Most of my enjoyment in these novels, apart from the high octane action, comes from the badinage between Jack and Liddell which is natural, realistic and funny. I was looking forward to more of the same with the added bonus of Liddell's brother Landry in The Darkest Night but as I said it's a little subdued. There are still some great one liners but not so much sustained banter, perhaps due to the circumstances they find themselves in.

The Darkest Night is a good read which held my interest throughout. I found the corruption angle fascinating as I tried to work out the whos and whys but I took too much at face value so congratulations to Mr Reed for obfuscation. I have no hesitation, therefore, in recommending it.

Evansville police detective Liddell Blanchard has been accused og murdering a man during an investigation into an alleged voodoo cult. Fellow detective Jack Murphy can small a set-up a mile away, and he’s bound and determined to clear his friend’s name and collar the real killer, but an alleged descendant of voodoo priestess Marie Leveaux is not making his job any easier. The bayous and swamps of Louisiana permeate this spooky mystery