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    Afraid of the Dark
    Afraid of the Dark
    Afraid of the Dark
    Audiobook12 hours

    Afraid of the Dark

    Written by James Grippando

    Narrated by Jonathan Davis

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    About this audiobook

    “Grippando has definitely reached a new level with this series entry. . . . One of his best.” —Booklist (starred review)

    A young girl’s murder sets off a grisly cascade of crime, death, and intrigue—and sends criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck after a sinister group of terrorists on the verge of unleashing chaos across the globe. From New York Times bestseller James Grippando, the ninth Jack Swyteck novel, Afraid of the Dark—perfect for fans of Steve Martini, Phillip Margolin, and Jo Nesbo—is a rollercoaster thrill ride into the very heart of evil.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateMar 22, 2011
    ISBN9780062027436
    Author

    James Grippando

    James Grippando is a New York Times bestselling author with more than thirty books to his credit, including those in his acclaimed series featuring Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck, and the winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. He is also a trial lawyer and teaches law and literature at the University of Miami School of Law. He lives and writes in South Florida.

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    Reviews for Afraid of the Dark

    4/5

    26 ratings7 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Not my favorite, and I found it a bit hard to understand all the intricacies of the story.
    • 4/5
      Article first published as Book Review: Afraid of the Dark by James Grippando on Blogcritics. Withdrawing as counsel on the case for Jamal Wakefield seems to be the only avenue Jack Swyteck feels comfortable with. His boss Neil is not so sure. Jack does not have all the information, and Neil makes him a deal. They will put Jamal through a lie detector and if Jack still feels the same way then Neil will take the case himself.Jack’s problem with Jamal is the the crime he is being tried for. The accusation consists of him murdering his girlfriend McKenna, the daughter of Chuck Mays. It is during this murder that a friend of both Chuck and Jack is injured. Sergeant Vince Paulo is the officer on the scene, and as he clears the property looking for the murderer, there is an explosion nearly killing him, but taking his eyesight instead. To make matters worse, May’s wife disappears a short time later, a possible victim of suicide.Having recently broken up with McKenna, the evidence is overwhelming. Secure in knowing that Jamal will not be able to pass the test he agrees to go forward. He is therefore unnerved when Jamal not only passes the lie detector test but also has a story to tell. This is a story that will take Jack to on a journey to the back stages of London and bring him into contact with an evil presence calling himself the dark. His presence as Jamal’s attorney also puts his wife Andie, an undercover operative for the government in grave danger.In Afraid of the Dark, James Grippando has characterized an evil both chilling and bold. The Dark is a disturbing and well-named adversary. Jack is a charismatic character full of fun and passion, caring about his friends and family as well as those he represents in the legal system. Every move is leading him in a direction that puts all he holds dear in danger. As death begins to take its toll, Jack digs deeper into the unspoken secret facilities know as black houses only furthering his danger.Grippando has set the stage on a fast paced, and gripping suspense novel, dealing with national security as well as homeland issues. He has peopled it with characters that are larger than life and quite believable. It is a story of darkness and yet one of discovery as well. The Dark is a great designation for the man with the power, capable and determined to protect his true name at all costs. Yet Jack is a worthy protagonist, even with a small glimmer of information, he takes the stage to bring him down.I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a rapid paced, suspense-filled thriller. It is full of all the excitement and mayhem necessary in a classic whodunit, but brings in more of the homeland and national security issues common to the day. This would be a great book for your library, one to take and read time and time again. It would also be a good book for a reading club; the information would make great discussion fodder.This book was received free from the publisher. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
    • 5/5
      Excellent work By James grippando a great Swytek novel loved every page full of twists and turns along the way an excellent read or listen highly recommended
    • 5/5
      Jack Swyteck is a character who first appeared in THE PARDON, he was a lawyer defending death row inmates. He is of course still a lawyer defending the underdog and still knocks my socks off! Theo Knight is also back in this book. I love Theo, he is one of my favorite characters. If I could meet a character in real life it would be Theo. I would love to have a drink in his bar. Jack saved Theo from death row and yes he was innocent. He has stood by Jacks side every since. Theo brings humor into the books but he is also a loyal friend.Afraid of the Dark is very much a stand alone novel. You don't need any back stories on the characters to enjoy this. If you've read his other books you will notice the reappearance of some characters and be happy to see them. Kinda like meeting with an old friend who you haven't seen in awhile. Knowing the characters stories and histories is always interesting but definitely not necessary to enjoy this novel.This book is filled with twists and turns. I read it slowly, not because it didn't grab me but because I savor Grippando's books, try to make them last so it doesn't seem like such a long wait for the next one to come out!I had a love/hate relationship with Chuck who is the father of the murdered girl. At times I wanted to cry for him and at other times I felt he knew so much more than he let on. Sgt. Vince Paulo stands out as a character with strength and bravery. Now blind he rarely feels sorry for himself and still manages to live life and help get to the bottom of things. He is a character who I would love to continue meeting in future books.I found the plot amazing. At first I thought "oh no, another terrorist attack book" but it really was so much more. The mystery and suspense is high. The characters are well developed and lovable. I highly doubt you will figure it out before the unbelievable ending.In my opinion Mr. Grippando writes some of the best suspense that you can get your hands on. You will find yourself holding your breath a lot in reading this book. There are not many books that I would want to re-read but anything by this author will be a book to go back to because you will enjoy it even more the second time around.My favorite parts of the book as always are the scenes with Jack and Theo. They are always good for a smile or laugh and are a nice interlude in such a high suspense novel.I can not recommend this book highly enough. Not just this book, any of Mr. Grippando's books. I can't say that I ever read one that was bad. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
    • 4/5
      But a really good read. I hated having to put it down to participate in my life. This story is loaded with bad guys and evil deeds. But the good guys are definitely up to the task. Vince Paulo, his friend Jack Swyteck and others are in it together. They originally set out to find the murderer of a teenage girl. Their search leads them into the dark underworld of porn, kidnapping and even terrorism. Sounds like too much for one book? It did for me too, for a short time when the terrorism reared its head. This story works, however, and while it can be disturbing, it is also touching at times. The author managed to pull all of the relationships together and make them realistic. One of my favorite moments contained the questionasked by a wife of her husband, wondering where he had been at a certain momentin time. It made perfect sense for her to wonder, considering the circumstances. There is nothing worse than a gritty, disturbing story that is nothing but that. Slasher books are no better than slasher movies. This book has it all. You willfind the characters worth getting to know and the ending full of surprises. I look forward to the next book in this promising series.
    • 5/5
      First read from this author. Excellent
    • 4/5
      Afraid of the Dark by James Grippando is the ninth book in his Jack Swytek series. (and 18th book overall)Swytek is a criminal defense attorney based in Miami. He is called in by an old friend to help with the defense of a young man who has been in Gitmo for 3 years. His true identity is uncovered - he is not a Somalian, but rather an American named Jamal - a young man wanted in the U.S. for the murder of his girlfriend and the blinding of the cop who tried to save her. But he says he was in a black site camp in the Czech Republic at the time and couldn't have done it. And the US government put him there.That's the opening salvo - from there the plot grows exponentially, including terrorism both home and abroad, child porn and more. (Some readers may find the graphic violence a bit too much)I like Swytek as a character and the series has always been a satisfying read. Afraid of the Dark was very, very busy in terms of plot - perhaps a bit too much. Grippando was ambitious with this one - I think Swytek being involved at the international level is a bit of a stretch. But the plot elements are very real and very current. This was a good, thrilling page turner - exactly what I've come to expect from James Grippando. Fans of David Baldacci would enjoy this author.