Official Review: The Eclipse of Darkness by Gary R. Jepsen

[Amy Murdoch Coleman]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Eclipse of Darkness" by Gary R. Jepsen.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Crime thrillers often walk a fine line. Either they reveal too much information to be truly suspenseful or they refuse to open up to the reader at all. The Eclipse of Darkness by Gary R. Jepsen falls into neither of these categories, but rather hits all the notes of a satisfying crime novel. This book details the paths taken by FBI Agent, Brandt Holgersen, as he attempts to solve what appears to be a religiously-motivated homicide. Brandt is "gifted" with premonitions about his cases through dreams, which have assisted him in his journey to become a respected agent. As he grows closer to solving the case, his wife and children are brought into the picture, forcing him to make impossible choices.

There is much to enjoy about The Eclipse of Darkness. First of all, many real-life events and crimes are alluded to in connection with the story's fictional homicide. Particularly prevalent topics like sex and drug trafficking, religious controversy, and abortion take center stage. I found the book to be relatable and deliciously fast-paced with characters from every corner of the moral spectrum. Brandt is a former pastor and uses his Christian background to assist in his investigations. Even the villains are well-rounded, with believable backstories that lend themselves well to justifying specific crimes.

Though the story itself was excellent, the formatting could have benefitted from a little more attention. The pace is slowed immensely in parts because the dialogue would take a break to define commonly recognized terms and acronyms. For example, at Location 421, it is stated that "It’s like he has OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and cannot let go of a case until he gets all the pieces to fit." Similar breaks happen frequently, and they feel a little condescending as if the reader cannot be trusted to have prior knowledge of law enforcement, psychology, or religion.

In much the same way, Brandt has some very long conversations with various characters about Christianity. The dialogue is filled with good information, but the story's pace is essentially brought to a complete halt in these moments. There are also quite a few typographical errors.

Because the excellent aspects outweigh the parts that could use some work, I give The Eclipse of Darkness 3 out of 4 stars. The story does have moments where anatomical gore is described explicitly and there are a few sexual innuendos, though neither feature is heavy-handed or overdone. Much of the plot's direction is guided in the direction of defending Christianity, so Christians will probably enjoy this book more than others. Due to the adult content and sensitive nature of the plot, I would recommend this story to mature readers only.

******
The Eclipse of Darkness
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Samgum50]

This seems like a very interesting book especially for people like me who love crime thrillers. Great review!

[Gracious Ngy88]

Going through the description,I felt like i should not stop reading though I don't like crime tales.
Great review I must say.

[NetMassimo]

This seems in many ways an intriguing thriller, but too much information slows down the pace and breaks the tension, so overall I feel like reading it but I'm not in a rush, so to speak. Thank you for your great review!

[sirbobthewise]

Sounds like an interesting book. You mentioned that Holgersen experiences “premonitions.” Is this more alluding to him being very intuitive or is there a supernatural aspect to it?

Great review! The mixture of Christianity and crime-solving has always been interesting to me; I’ve been a fan of the Father Brown series for a long time, and that aspect reminds me of those books. It’s unfortunate that the pacing was done poorly and that he broke up the pace with a little too much information, though.

[Tonika632]

Well, I don't like mature content but since there's a crime theme, I might give it a try. Nice review!

[book_fanatic_]

Crime-thrillers have always been one of my favorites to read. You have made this one sounds so fascinating that I'm already adding it to my shelf. Thanks for the detailed review.

[Wyzdomania_Gskillz]

I love intriguing crime thriller tales, especially this one that speaks in defense of Christianity...

[Chimdi_3]

This book is a wonderful combination of crime thrilier and Christian teaching,it seems like it will be an interesting book to read. Really detailed review.Thanks

[Dee_Robert]

I love crime thriller books so this is right up my alley.
You make it sound quite interesting so I'll be adding it to my shelf

Great Review.