Rating: 
Summary: Darkside by P. T. Deutermann
Review: When a body falls from the roof of a six-story building and lands in a brick courtyard, there isn't going to be much left of the body. When Midshipman William Brian Dell takes a dive off of the roof of part of the United States Navel Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, not much of the body is left. But when what is left is clearly wearing women's panties the case becomes more than just a typical suicide. For about to graduate Midshipman Julie Markham her nightmare has begun. When Dell made his fatal plunge, he was wearing her panties and the powers that be want an explanation as to why.The Academy's Administration known as the "Dark Side" (an uncomplimentary nickname reference to the Empire of the same name made cinematically famous) wants the case solved rapidly. Any death is a politically sensitive issue and with graduation just weeks away the case must be solved quickly. Murder does not happen ever, and a suicide is unacceptable because that would mean the selection process failed. No, the only correct answer is that it was an accident. Even if it was an accident, the panty question has to be answered and explained and if necessary, someone living has to be held accountable. Since he is dead and left no note and was wearing her panties, it is up to Julie to explain why he was wearing her panties. But she can't. And then small inconsistencies with Julie's statements appear and soon her father, Professor Ev Markham (former graduate of the academy) knowing how things will be perceived arranges for legal representation for his daughter. That does not sit well with the administration and the investigators because that is a civilian reaction and not one a military person should adopt. But Julie has not told the whole truth by a long stretch and slowly her case begins to weaken as the facts concerning her innocence come out. At the same time, in a parallel story line, head of Security Jim Hall is dealing with someone that is playing havoc in the utility tunnels of the school. From spray-painting graffiti, to serious acts of vandalism and sabotage, to various attacks on people outside the school, someone is having a field day underground, coming and going as he or she pleases. When Jim pushes the issue and calls the person out, he or she responds by escalating the violence, which quickly results in a death. As the unknown individual begins to hunt Jim the underground battle turns personal with deadly consequences. What should have been a good read with these two storylines quickly becomes a tedious reading exercise. A good 150 pages or so could have been excised from this 400-page novel, which would have been a considerable improvement. Much of the book is spent in long detailed character descriptions as well as long sections on the military honor code, civilian ignorance regarding all aspects of the military, and the like. And both investigations go absolutely nowhere for long sections in the book. The investigations produce no new clues, suspects or any momentum at all. It is only because a freakishly contrived situation that the novel finally breaks free in the last 100 pages. And while those last 100 pages are better than the first 300 preceding it, they continue the same problems. The reader knows these characters virtually inside and out thanks to the long descriptions and constantly shifting third person point of views but no emotional connection is ever established. That could be because of the fact that the author uses at least six different points of view (including the italicized point of view of the psychopath) which quickly becomes annoying. Or it could be because these characters for all their extensive descriptions never come across more human that the italicized psychopath. They simply never become real people to care about one way or the other. This lack of emotional connection and distantness of the work leaves the reader with a flat and for the most part absolutely boring book that became a tedious work to read. This is far from the enjoyment of some of his earlier novels such as "Sweepers" and more reflects the flat read of his first novel "Scorpion in the Sea." Since this author has shown consistently over the course of his career, a certain roller coaster ability in quality regarding his novels, it can be hoped that future ones will be worth reading.
| 
