Gone to Darkness

Sydney Rose Parnell, Book 4

By: Barbara Nickless

Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith

From a Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Newly minted homicide detective Sydney Parnell faces a savage killer whose endgame is to capture her. And keep her.

Iraqi war vet and former railway cop Sydney Parnell is now the youngest homicide detective in Denver's Major Crimes Unit. In the past, gut instinct has served her and her K9 partner well. But it's not a trait Len Bandoni, her old nemesis turned reluctant mentor, admires. Not until Sydney's instincts lead to their first case: a man tortured and beaten to death, then left in a refrigerated train car with cryptic messages carved into his body.

The victim is a well-liked member of an elite club called the Superior Gentlemen. At first glance, the club appears harmless. But beneath its refined surface swim darker currents.

As Sydney; her K9 partner, Clyde; and Bandoni investigate the grisly murder, the three develop a bond that carries them through a shocking series of crimes and a horrifying conspiracy that threatens the detectives’ lives and promises to bring their beloved city to its knees.

©2020 Barbara Nickless (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“A gritty, hard-boiled crime novel with breathless action and deep, sturdy characters. Detective Sydney Parnell and her partner Clyde, a police dog, are a tantalizing duo, and the story’s narrative and dialogue are authentic and witty and demand compulsive reading. Gone to Darkness is everything you want in thriller fiction.” —Robert Dugoni, #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite Series

“Nobody does atmosphere better than Barbara Nickless. With deft strokes, she draws impending doom within bleak settings and then colors them with vivid action and brilliant characters, both human and canine. Gone to Darkness is mystery and suspense writing at its best!” —Margaret Mizushima, award-winning author of the Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries

“Barb Nickless’s Gone to Darkness is another stellar entry in the Sydney Rose Parnell series. Even though she’s now a Denver police detective, Sydney and Clyde catch a case involving trains, a unique milieu that Nickless masterfully evokes. Readers who enjoy an atmospheric setting, a kick-ass yet vulnerable heroine, solid police procedurals, fast-paced yet lyrical writing, and/or the closeness of a human-dog partnership should immediately buy or borrow every book in this series. (I stop short of suggesting stealing a copy, but if that’s your only option…)” —Laura DiSilverio, award-winning and national bestselling author of The Reckoning Stones

This case was one that could happen in any town

The growth of the characters in the series is wonderful to see. The evil they fight this time is one that is horrible, taking victims that many don't see coming and many feel they can't fight.

Very good story and good narration

I've read/listened to all 4 of the series. I detect absolutely no drop off in quality. The narration and story are very good and I couldn't stop listening. I hope there will be another in the series but that she takes her time to get it done as well as this one

Barbara Nickless is my Favorite new author

I have thoroughly enjoyed the saga of Sydney rose Parnell and her loyal partner Clyde. The author's style is riveting and I look forward to more from her.

Amazing Book Amazing Series

If you haven't discovered Barbara Nickless' books featuring ex-marine now railroad cop Sydney Rose Parnell and her Belgian Malinois Clyde you are in for a treat. The author knows how to move her stories along without being redundant and has a lot to say about the world we all live in. However, I recommend you begin with book #1 as there are threads that start there that weave through all the books. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Emily Sutton-Smith is my favourite narrator and she was outstanding in the delivery of this story

Still love Sydney

I enjoyed this installment of Sydney's story and appreciated the differences from the previous books.

Enjoy the uniqueness and the main characters!

Love the uniqueness of the main character originally coming from the Railroad Cop/Marine perspective. This one had a little too much of the current/authors-“political bias and crazed religious bad guys” references for me. Is my only criticism. It seems that just about every author I like starts to push their political and religious beliefs about the 4 th or 5 th book. I understand but it would be just as good a story if it was left out. Other than that I love the characters and enjoy the authors books.

Series started good and the fourth book is fab!

I just finished the 4th book in this series and I went back to the first book to leave a review that this is worth your time. The first book had quite a bit of background on the railroad system and it took some time to understand the culture, etc. The author covers some of this in the other books in the series but you get the meat of it in book 1. There are many people that will review the plot, so I just wanted to drop in to say the character development, background and plot is totally worth the investment in this series. I hope you enjoy as well! I thought the 4th book was the best of all and I loved the addition of the cousin that specializes in criminal writing interpretation.

Just. Gets. Better.

With each book I read in this series, I grow to love these characters even more. Sydney is so strong, resilient, headstrong, and full of heart. Cohen gets under my skin more with each story as well. I liked him from the beginning, but now he's downright lovable. Yet he's still very realistic and stays true to character. He loves Sydney, but not everything she's done in the past. He hasn't lost his morals or brains by falling in love with her.

Then there's Bandoni, who plays a big part in this story. He and Sydney are oil and water. He's abrasive, condescending, and downright crass. There isn't anything these two agree on, except the concept that Cohen is a good cop. But as Bandoni, Sydney, and Clyde work a homicide together, it's great to see the little changes in his attitude toward her. He may be an old dog, but there's still hope that he can actually learn new tricks.

I sincerely hope this isn't the last of the series. I'm absolutely not ready to be done with these characters and the situations they find themselves in. There's so much more yet to explore here, and I'm all for it. These are great reads, full of suspense, excitement, humor, a little angst, and a smidge of romance. Even though this book could be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend starting at the beginning. In order to appreciate these characters, you really need to meet them at the beginning.

Good series.

Loved the story. loved the characters especially klyde but the major cussing especially the f bombs. The book was great without that!

Really an Excellent Series!!?

I ripped through the first 4x books in this Series over the last 3-days, soooooooo good!!! Good writing, good characters, good story, well paced, good setting!!! Got it all!!!