Dark Visions

By: James Byron Huggins

Narrated by: Tom Lennon

Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Joe Mac was a legendary homicide detective until his vision was lost in the line of duty and he was forced into retirement. Now he lives a life of darkness, his only friend being a huge Raven that Joe Mac names "Poe." But when Joe Mac's grandson is murdered by an unknown killer, Joe emerges from his self-imposed solitude to resurrect the skills of the detective he once was. And, although he is blind, Joe Mac begins to hunt down his tiny grandson's murderer.

Led in some dark way by Poe, Joe Mac relentlessly tracks a force that literally owns the darkness, uses the darkness, and belongs to the darkness. For the force he is tracking has fed upon this world for thousands of years, and has never known defeat. It kills like demons, disappears like ghosts, and leaves nothing alive. But Joe Mac is determined to follow this road to Hell no matter the cost. He will find whoever it was that so mercilessly killed his young grandson, and he will deliver justice ... even if it costs him his life.

Fearlessly following the clues, he tracks the murderers of his grandson into the deepest, most dangerous heart of ancient nightmares. And with each haunting step into that darkness, Joe Mac realizes that he has somehow challenged a power that has destroyed nations and conquered continents. And the death they have delivered to the Earth reaches back to the beginning of the world. It is a battle that will take Joe Mac to the edge of sanity and beyond.

©2018 James Byron Huggins (P)2018 WildBlue Press

Dark and Gritty !!

The entire book kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what mighthappen. The story was fresh and memorable.  Mr Hughes is truly atalented storyteller. I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good crime mystery."~

Unique detective thriller

Joe Mac, a former detective and currently blind, investigates murders committed by a group of elusive serial killers.
 
The plot and characters develop well throughout the story. There is an intriguing build up leading to a thrilling and suspenseful climax. The book was fairly long, with some repetition, but I was not bored. It was a different type of detective story with a unique flair. I enjoyed the raven character, it was fascinating.
 
Tom narrated very well. He has good intonation for all the characters and adds to the thrilling tone of the story. I would definitely listen to him again.
 
Note: This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this objective review voluntarily.

The title says it all

I'm usually not into child abduction that end badly for the child, but James Huggins does a very good job in making it the story without making it depressing. Good vs Evil and Huggins captures the story thru the main characters.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Unique Plot

Interesting plot, when murder happens close to Joe a retired cop, he goes after the killer. Too many bodies, not only his grandson having been killed. With a young cop and one Raven he undertakes the challenge. This is Jodi first homicide in making Detective, to be the eyes for Joe. His other instincts are sharp. A fansinating story and enjoyed the audio which added to the story. Given audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

Good story and narration!

Dark Visions
By: James Byron Huggins
Narrated by: Tom Lennon
This was a good serial killer, occult mystery book I received from freeaudiblecodes and it was quite thrilling. A blind ex cop, a rookie cop, and an archeologist work together to figure out who is killing people and why, especially after the last victim is the ex-cop's grandson. Lots of clues, twists, action, and a great Raven named Poe! He was my favorite character.
I found it odd that the ex-cop never mourned his four year old grand son's death and sat in the cop's meeting as they discuss how brutalized the boy was found and nothing was said about his feelings then either.
The narration was fairly good.

Good one

I never heard of this author before I read his book The Hunter, and I thought it was so good that I read this one too, and it was just as captivating so I’m on to his book The Reckoning which will probably be as good as the first two. I can only hope he has more. They’re worth the credits.

Poe..the ultimate private eye

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I liked Joe Mack. Alot. Joe Mack was (and still is a detective) who seeks justice. He was medically retired because of an injury that caused him to lose his sight and has been leading a quiet life. For company he has a raven that has befriended him and he has named him Poe. He comes out of retirement to find the person that kidnapped and murdered his 4 year old grandson. This baby was one of many victims all killed in a ritual like manner by what appears to be the same person. The police and FBI have been unable to find a connection between the victims so they cannot establish why these people are being murdered. So the cases are going cold. Enter Joe Mack who teams up with a rookie detective that took the original report for a missing child when she was still a uniformed officer before becoming a detective. They along with Poe and a couple of other friends and acquaintances will enter into the world of ancient religions. You will learn a great deal about ravens and ancient religions along with a new understanding of how an unsighted person navigates thru life. I liked the story although I hoped for a different conclusion. I hope there is another book in here somehow, somewhere.

As for the narration...this is the first time I have listened to Mr. Lennon and it takes some time to get used to his narration style. The characters voices were done well enough. I thought there was a problem with the consistency of different characters and their speech. But overall I would listen to his narration on another book. I recommend this book.

Everything you didn't know about Stonehenge!

“Dark Visions” is an excellent detective novel with a twist. Our protagonist Joe Mac is a retired New York detective, having thirty-five years’ experience. Joe Mac is also blind, losing his sight in the line of duty while saving a young boy from a fire. Joe’s blindness adds interest and uniqueness to the story as we follow Joe’s thought processes during the investigation. Another added treat is Poe; a large raven that is mysteriously attached to Joe as his avatar or familiar. You’re in for a lesson in ancient history and mythology, regarding subjects such as Stonehenge, the Knights Templar, and the ancient druids. The plot-line is centered around ancient druid history brought forward to today's headlines. I found it very interesting from start to finish and recommend it heartily. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

The raven Poe & blind Joe.

A dark and intense adventure in search of a mysterious killer. One that won't let you go once you begin.
Huggins does a fantastic job developing his characters. I really felt like I got to know them and their motivations. Joe, the retired detective, helps the rookie, Jody, in solving a string of homicides, one of which was his grandson. Also Poe, the raven, helps along the way.
The supernatural aspect of the story is what really pulled me in. I love fantasy and sci-fi, and giving this book just a hint of that magical, otherworldly feel was just what I needed.


At my request, I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Involved from the start.

From the start your pulled into this audio. Alot of depth to the characters, some intense action as they attempt to solve some grizzly murders. The narrator did an excellent job with the male characters, but the female voices I felt were just a little off. But this did not take away from the story.
I believe my favorite character was the raven.
This audio was given to me free, and I voluntarily gave this review.