Jacob's Descent

There is something very satisfying about bingeing through an entire series as if I was reading one really long novel. The continuity from book to book builds an excellent backstory for Liv Bergen, her large family, and her coworkers. All of them develop into flesh and blood people that you feel like you are getting to know. It is rather like world building in the fantasy genre. Backstory realism is vital to making the series really work.

JACOB'S DESCENT is almost more historical fiction than a mystery, but, as we all know, there are cold cases going back decades that need to be solved. Sometimes those ancient crimes are front and center to solving current ones. As in all the books, the answer to the 'big question' is tied to Liv in the most unexpected way.

Although present in all the books, this one dwells more on the human condition and moral dilemmas with which law enforcement must deal. When human beings decide that a person or family is different, other, animosity can fester long after it should have faded away. Liv seems to understand instinctively that compassion and understanding go hand in hand with upholding the law. This is most evident in her dealings with suspects.

This book takes place in Deadwood, South Dakota. That place should bring to mind early western American history, the notorious Wild Bill Hickok, or maybe the dead man's hand of aces and eights. This is a real place, steeped in legend, and still exists in the Black Hills. Sandra Brannan explains in her Q & A at the end of the book that many of the places mentioned are real places in Deadwood and nearby Lead (pronounced Leed). What happens in these places, in the book, come from Brannan;s imagination.

As far as I'm concerned, the only downside to this particular episode in the life of Liv Bergen is that I can't immediately dive into her next adventure. Patience may be a virtue, but one that I am sorely lacking. If you are reading this, I do hope it's because you've already read the first five books in the series. If not, be sure to start with the first book, IN THE BELLY OF JONAH, and work your way through them all.

This is the sixth book in the Liv Bergen mystery series.
Liv has been forced to take a leave of absence from her job at the FBI following the tragic death of her love, Jack Linwood. She finds herself back home in Rapid City, South Dakota, far from her closest friend and colleague, Streeter Pierce, and her trusted dog, Beulah. Struggling with the risks and pressures of her career and the nostalgia of home, a heartbroken Liv questions whether or not she has made the right choices in life. As if that weren’t enough, she finds herself sitting in a bar, staring up into the faces of the bizarre wax heads of the infamous citizens of Deadwood—where her bullheaded sister Agatha has dragged her to drink off her pain.

The pace in the first half of the book was rather slow, and for a while, I could not make sense of the feuding and to what extent it involved the characters and the mystery of Father Darby. What I did like was that though Streeter did not make an appearance, he influenced the environment around Liv and that kind of cover and support did make the ending a bit disappointing for me. I wanted more.

If you haven't started this series yet then I highly suggest you do

If you have been reading in order then you remember what happened in the last book. Liv has been placed on leave to grieve and really think if she wants to stay with the FBI. Her family well mostly her sister wants her to be able to grieve and bury her head in a drink though we know that Liv will end up finding herself caught up in case. So it is no surprise when Liv is dragged into a family feud that has been going on for years and the crime that will follow will get her to work. Not only is Liv and the police looking at the crime that happened now they will also be looking into a crime that happened a hundred years ago. It is crime that someone wants to keep secret for their own personal reasons.

We don't see Streeter much in this one but one of the characters in another book makes an appearance and I have to say I was surprised. I thought I knew what the huge excitement was when I was piecing everything together but I was once again taken for a total shock when I got to the end. I never thought to put two and two together. Way to go author for that in your face surprise. We still don't know if Liv is going to stay with the FBI or if she is going to go back to mining yet we see how she dealt with the grief of losing someone and it didn't pull her down. I can't wait to read book 7 there is so much I have to know!!! If you haven't started this series yet then I highly suggest you do!

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is book 6 in a series and I believe it may be the final book.

Now, I would like to say that this series has been a great series to read. I highly recommend it. This book was no different. I was intrigued with the storyline all the way through. I have really enjoyed the mystery concept behind this book. I have loved the story of Liv. The author did a great job in telling her story. We have seen her make choices through out the series and the you cant help but support her choices.

I highly recommend this series

I had forgotten HOW much I loved this series! Liv is someone who could be your best friend, and her family is one you'd love to be part of. So when you take those two elements, and put her back in her 'stomping grounds' without the accruements of her current job (FBI), bot with the lessons learned there, you have the perfect setting for an interesting 'can you go home again?' scenario.

The book is fast paced and will keep you on your toes, as Liv matches wits not only with her sister's new boyfriend, but his boss, the Sheriff, and an unknown attempted killer. Can they finally work together to solve the mystery, or will family feuds and assumptions, keep the truth at bay, and harm lives? I read the book in 2 nights, as it's such a fast read, and can't wait to see what happens next in the seventh (and final installment, Jeremiah's Revenge! if you;re looking for a series to binge on all Summer, this might be JUST the one you're looking for!

Review: JACOB'S DESCENT by Sandra Brannan
(A Liv Bergen Mystery Book 6)

I read Books 1-6 in 9 days; I truly adore this series, and I hope it continues on and on (lots more on which to expand). Liv is recuperating with her family in South Dakota following the tragic losses of Book 5. But where Liv is, often as not will be not peace but controversy, not safety but danger. As in WIDOWS MIGHT, history plays an essential, if ugly role. Liv will face danger, deception, and modern-day feuding families. Like Book 5 and earlier, this was a one-day read, as I just couldn't stop.

I loved two things about this book: Liv got to work through her feelings for Jack and grief and there was more suspense around Streeter and the case she found herself solving.
This series has been amazing, mostly because the crimes committed directly or indirectly affected Liv and she never shied away from asking questions and seeking answers.
The pace in the first half of the book was rather slow, and for a while, I could not make sense of the feuding and to what extent it involved the characters and the mystery of Father Darby. What I did like was that though Streeter did not make an appearance, he influenced the environment around Liv and that kind of cover and support did make the ending a bit disappointing for me. I wanted more.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

Thanks Netgalley for a copy to read and review.

This book is the last available book in this amazing series. I found this book a bit hard to get into in the facts that the feud was just unfounded and no one really gave a plausible explanation for its come about. Still Liv is an impressive character, and she fights hard to give the devil it's due. I missed Streeter in this book, so sure after Jacks death that he would offer comfort to Liv. He s not seen in this book but Mully makes a new appearance since Lots return to Sodom. I'm beginning tbut think there is more to Mully than meets the eye but we will have to see f he appears again. Again the action of s unstoppable and Liv has learned to play her cards close. I'm ready for another Liv Bergen book. Five stars of entertainment!!

Some murder mysteries are not for the faint of heart...and this is one. Unusual murders committed by unusual means should make the crimes easy to solve. Not so in Liv Bergen books. Liv is one of ten children of a mining family that has produced many eccentric personalities. This book is set in South Dakota's Black Hills with plenty of background to let us know that the author has at least seen the Black Hills. Reading her books is always enjoyable, even if they sometimes make me jump when the story takes an unexpected turn. I hope this series lasts a long time.