Review of The Darkness at Harborfront Village
Posted: 06 Dec 2021, 17:36
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Darkness at Harborfront Village" by Martin H. Zuckerman.]
This is a story about a trailer park community called Harborfront Village. It occupies a large section of expensive waterfront property just south of Chula Vista, California. Once a tranquil place, recent disturbing events have left residents of the trailer park hiding behind closed curtains, fearful of confronting the shadowy figures that come lurking most nights. Residents appear to vanish into mysterious vehicles, never to be seen again, and are replaced with lookalikes. Those left behind are too scared to speak out, terrified that the same fate will befall them.
Unbeknown to the residents, nefarious characters are at play. Wealthy businessman Ken Hizzell has enlisted the help of a dubious real estate firm and some criminal elements to execute a land-grab scheme. Upon learning of the waterfront property and the mouth-watering opportunities that come with controlling two miles of coastline, Ken makes a play at acquiring the property by any means necessary. Nothing is off-limits, not even murder. Will Ken and his cohorts get away with their heinous crimes?
The Darkness at Harborfront Village is a thrilling mystery novel and the second book in The Darkness at series by Martin H. Zuckerman. The story begins with an insightful prologue about the history of Harborfront Village that gives the reader adequate background on the waterfront property and its residents. The author employed a descriptive writing style that made the plot easy to follow, and the dialogue flowed just as smoothly. The character development was compelling, with sufficient backstories for each key personality. As such, not only were the characters relatable, their individual motives were also easily understood. The story was narrated in the third person by multiple characters. This gave the plot a cohesive feel.
One of my favorite characters was Alex, a rollover character from the first book in the series. Alex, an immigrant from Eastern Europe, was a victim of circumstances plagued by memories of things he has had to do to survive. After his misadventures in book one, Alex’s dream of building a new life in a new place is met with some challenges when he finds himself unknowingly caught up in Ken’s scheme. I liked how Alex unwittingly threw a wrench in the wheel of Ken’s plans. Not one prone to heroics, I was impressed with how Alex wasted no time coming to the rescue of another character at a crucial moment.
As the second book in the series, the author sometimes referred to plot points in the previous book. These references are often unfamiliar to those who have not read the first book. While this might leave readers a little perplexed at times, it does not in any way ruin the overall reading experience. As someone already familiar with the first book, these references enriched the storyline immensely. It was good to be reunited with Alex, who went by a different name in the first book. I also finally discovered what became of Veronica, another intriguing rollover character from the first book.
I could not find anything to dislike about this book. Most of the editing errors I found were typographical. While they were not significant enough to detract from the quality of the story, there were enough of them to affect my final rating. With its unique premise and compelling delivery, I am satisfied to rate The Darkness at Harborfront Village 3 out of 4 stars. The book contains a few mildly graphic violent scenes and strong language but no intimate scenes. This book is the perfect read for fans of dark mystery novels with a touch of action.
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The Darkness at Harborfront Village
View: on Bookshelves
This is a story about a trailer park community called Harborfront Village. It occupies a large section of expensive waterfront property just south of Chula Vista, California. Once a tranquil place, recent disturbing events have left residents of the trailer park hiding behind closed curtains, fearful of confronting the shadowy figures that come lurking most nights. Residents appear to vanish into mysterious vehicles, never to be seen again, and are replaced with lookalikes. Those left behind are too scared to speak out, terrified that the same fate will befall them.
Unbeknown to the residents, nefarious characters are at play. Wealthy businessman Ken Hizzell has enlisted the help of a dubious real estate firm and some criminal elements to execute a land-grab scheme. Upon learning of the waterfront property and the mouth-watering opportunities that come with controlling two miles of coastline, Ken makes a play at acquiring the property by any means necessary. Nothing is off-limits, not even murder. Will Ken and his cohorts get away with their heinous crimes?
The Darkness at Harborfront Village is a thrilling mystery novel and the second book in The Darkness at series by Martin H. Zuckerman. The story begins with an insightful prologue about the history of Harborfront Village that gives the reader adequate background on the waterfront property and its residents. The author employed a descriptive writing style that made the plot easy to follow, and the dialogue flowed just as smoothly. The character development was compelling, with sufficient backstories for each key personality. As such, not only were the characters relatable, their individual motives were also easily understood. The story was narrated in the third person by multiple characters. This gave the plot a cohesive feel.
One of my favorite characters was Alex, a rollover character from the first book in the series. Alex, an immigrant from Eastern Europe, was a victim of circumstances plagued by memories of things he has had to do to survive. After his misadventures in book one, Alex’s dream of building a new life in a new place is met with some challenges when he finds himself unknowingly caught up in Ken’s scheme. I liked how Alex unwittingly threw a wrench in the wheel of Ken’s plans. Not one prone to heroics, I was impressed with how Alex wasted no time coming to the rescue of another character at a crucial moment.
As the second book in the series, the author sometimes referred to plot points in the previous book. These references are often unfamiliar to those who have not read the first book. While this might leave readers a little perplexed at times, it does not in any way ruin the overall reading experience. As someone already familiar with the first book, these references enriched the storyline immensely. It was good to be reunited with Alex, who went by a different name in the first book. I also finally discovered what became of Veronica, another intriguing rollover character from the first book.
I could not find anything to dislike about this book. Most of the editing errors I found were typographical. While they were not significant enough to detract from the quality of the story, there were enough of them to affect my final rating. With its unique premise and compelling delivery, I am satisfied to rate The Darkness at Harborfront Village 3 out of 4 stars. The book contains a few mildly graphic violent scenes and strong language but no intimate scenes. This book is the perfect read for fans of dark mystery novels with a touch of action.
******
The Darkness at Harborfront Village
View: on Bookshelves