Book Review: "Try Darkness" by James Scott Bell

Title: Try Darkness

Author: James Scott Bell

Publisher: Center Street

ISBN, PUB Date: 978-1-59995-685-5, February 23, 2010

Reviewed By: Joan Hanna for Author Exposure

“The woman came in holding hands with a little girl. The girl was maybe six years old. They were both dressed in thrift store casual. The woman had shoulder-length brown hair and a face that would have been nice if you could take the pain out of it. Her expression was grim and resolute, as if she’d been hit a few times and knew she’d get hit some more.” (3)

What do you get when you cross a lawyer, a nun, a priest, a dead client, and a scared little girl? You get the second installation in the Ty Buchanan series by bestselling author James Scott Bell. Try Darkness moves like a slow hot burn. Bell unfolds his characters with such a masterful hand the reader can’t help but be drawn into the book from the first page. Ty Buchanan, a former trial lawyer, has been living at a monastery since the death of his fiancé. Ty was falsely accused of murdering his fiancé in the first book of the series, Try Dying. You don’t have to read this first book to understand the second book, but you will probably want to like I did.

When Father Bob comes to Ty’s makeshift office at the Ultimate Sip coffee bar and introduces a young woman seeking legal advice, Ty has no idea that he is about to step into a big tangle of mystery and intrigue. When the young woman is killed, Ty takes her daughter under his protective wing and settles her into the monastery under the watchful eye of Sister Mary, a young, tough, engaging nun. Ty begins to rely on Sister Mary and Father Bob for help in trying to solve the murder of the young girl’s mother.

Bell has packed this story full of twists, turns, and wisecracking lines from this terrific trio. He also peppers the story with many other unlikely characters, including an eyewitness, who instead of giving testimony verbally, pantomimes dance routines that have to be deciphered in order to be understood. Readers will be glued to the pages in this book, following a trail of theft, murder, and deception along with Ty Buchanan.

Try Darkness is mystery writing at its most literal: a down and out main character, a helpless child, and a mounting body count that require some not-so-ethically-sound maneuvers on the part of Ty, Sister Mary, and Father Bob. The pairing of these three characters and the little girl is pure delight. The bad guys are shifty and arrogant. The good guys are clever and pithy. Bell fills in enough mystery, intrigue, and legalese to keep the novel interesting, but the characters are what really drive this story.

Try Darkness keeps the reader engaged with humor, wit, and a memorable cast of hapless, yet alluring and lovable, characters. The teaming of Ty, Sister Mary, and Father Bob is only the beginning of the romp in this second book in the series. Reading this brought me back to the noir atmosphere of a Raymond Chandler epic, but with all the spice and current appeal of a modern-day whodunit. With its quippy, yet intelligent dialogue, and well-rounded characters, Try Darkness is a great book to read on a cold winter’s night by the fire.