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Summary
Summary
A midshipman's six-story fall onto a plaza at the United States Naval Academy is classified initially as an accident. The Academy's administration-none-too-affectionately called the 'Dark Side' by the midshipmen-attempts to brush the ensuing controversy under the rug. But a bizarre twist complicates what might otherwise be a tidy cover-up, and pulls Midshipman first class Julie Markham into the incident in a highly embarrassing manner. Suddenly there are rumors of homicide.Julie's flawless reputation, high academic standing, and athletic achievements make her an unlikely suspect, but her father, Ev Markham, an Annapolis graduate who is now a professor there, knows the extremes to which the Dark Side will go to protect the Academy from scandal. Fearing Julie will be sacrificed to appease the rising public outcry, he hires high-powered attorney Liz DeWinter as the Naval Criminal Investigative Service begins an investigation.Meanwhile, Jim Hall, the Academy's civilian security officer, explores a trail of violent pranks in the locked subterranean tunnels connecting the Academy to Annapolis proper-tunnels that lead to an unsolved murder. But as he follows, Jim finds himself becoming the quarry instead of the hunter, pursued by an ingenious predator whose dark secret is hidden deep beneath the Academy's pristine grounds and sterling traditions. Darkside is a twisting, relentless thriller by an Annapolis insider-simply, Deutermann at his best.
Author Notes
P. T. Deutermann is an Annapolis graduate who retired from the Navy as a captain, to begin his writing career. He is the author of seven previous novels. He lives with his wife on their family farm in Georgia.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
This gripping mystery by the author of Hunting Season offers a memorable-if slightly improbable-account of some creepy goings-on at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. As the book opens, the school is buzzing with the news that a plebe has plummeted from a sixth-story window and died. Amid questions of suicide, a new twist emerges: the plebe was wearing a pair of panties belonging to Midshipman First Class Julie Markham, a perky senior at the academy and an acquaintance of the dead plebe, who then gets drawn into the investigation. Her father, a retired former fighter pilot and academy history professor, hires crack defense lawyer Liz DeWinter, fearing that Markham will somehow be scapegoated by the Navy Criminal Investigation Service as officers try to hush up scandal and save their own careers. Meanwhile, academy security chief Jim Hall begins probing the case on his own. After another death, it looks like there's a killer on the loose; some wild, murderous chases ensue in the academy's underground tunnels, while sparks fly between DeWinter and Markham's widower father. Veteran mystery novelist Deutermann, a graduate of the naval academy and retired captain, paints a detailed picture of the lives of midshipmen-including their rigorous education, strict honor code and suspicion of officers (referred to collectively as the "Dark Side")-as well as the inner workings of navy bureaucracy; the smart characters and deft plotting make up for some minor inconsistencies. Readers with navy backgrounds will naturally gravitate toward Deutermann's latest, but other mystery fans will find the story thoroughly absorbing as well. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
An affectionate if far from idolatrous look at "Canoe U" (midshipmanspeak for the US Naval Academy) as old salt Deutermann floats another seaworthy thriller. Commencement is only weeks away. The "firsties"--the almost-ensigns (enswines, in midshipmanspeak)--are in countdown mode, seeing clear to the blessed end of a four-year mental/physical/emotional survival course. Julie Markham, smart, pretty, a three-striper, which means she's among the best and the brightest in her graduating class, can't imagine anything blurring the significance of throw-your-hat-in-the-air day. Then the unthinkable happens. A midshipman, a plebe, plunges to his death from a dormitory roof, wearing (pause) a pair of Julie's panties. Darkside (midshipmanspeak for the Academy's power structure) cringes. With scandal looming, ranks close, and the blue-and-gold spinmeisters go to work. As the obvious lesser evil, "jumped" is favored over "pushed," a choice strenuously vouched for by the high command. Suddenly, however, there is unexpected resistance: maverick forces emerge and stubbornly rate truth over policy, unwilling to be reconciled to the idea of a cover-up. Jim Hall, the Academy's upright security officer, forms an odd-couple, ad hoc alliance with beautiful brassy Special Agent Branner (her first name is her business, thank you very much), head of the Academy's branch of the Naval Criminal Investigation Service. Risking their careers--and, as events prove, their lives--they seek a sociopathic killer the establishment would rather not have found. And what about Julie? She insists her relationship with the dead plebe was minimal, no more than the interaction predictable between members of the same swimming team. Unfortunately, for her and for all those with inconvenient and/or uncomfortable secrets, Hall and Branner become convinced that smart, pretty, best & brightest Julie is lying through her teeth. A dead-on sense of place and appealing characters in tight corners. Once again, and with satisfying brio, the retired Navy captain (Hunting Season, 2001, etc.) writes what he knows.
