I liked reading this book. This true crime book has it all greed and murder and is set in 1970s Los Angeles. The author has done a lot of research and the book is well written and the story moves along at a brisk pace. Enjoy

A true crime set in the late 70s that involved drugs, money, and sex some movies that I had never heard of. when the paranoia started to set in everything went off the rails and then murder happened. The book itself seemed like reading a movie a bad movie at times but then you would remember that it was true. I lived through the 70s so I can't complain.

I wish I had something nicer to say, but honestly this was the most boring book I’ve ever read. Maybe I just didn’t jive with it, but it certainly didn’t hook me.

I love true crime and the premise of this book caught my attention instantly. Unfortunately, while the writing technique was well executed, it just is not in a style that interests me. I appreciated the uniqueness of Chip Jacob’s style and the effort he went into researching the subject of the book, but I just could not get into this book like I normally would for a true crime story. It was written in an overtly masculine narrative voice and had a noir vibe that felt forced to me. I think fans of 70s/80s noir films and books will love this book, but I’m not one of those fans.

I love true crime.
I...didn't love this book.
There was just something not as compelling or gripping about it. I finished it, but it didn't really settle well with me, so there's nothing great I can really offer other than the book is readable, and I can only assume is well researched.

When you add in CA Real Estate and murder, it doesn't get much crazier, than living the life in California.
Dark in places, scary where it is not dark. Lightning and thunder will have you under the covers awaiting the end.

DNF

Thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Uncorrected Copy

This book just wasn't for me, everything sounded so interesting and the first pages were amazing but then... I just couldn't read more, I didn't click with the story which is a shame because this sounded like a book I could really like and enjoy.

Unfortunately I did not finished this book. I thought I'll like it by reading the description, but it didn't work for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I am a lover of all things true crime, but I was unable to finish this book. I tried to get past the first chapter, but it failed to grab my attention. Perhaps I wasn't in the right frame of mind when I started it, but I am sad to say this went into my did not finish pile.

My apologies to the author and NetGalley for my failure. Also, thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me a chance to try and read this.

Carina M

This book has an interesting plot and the writing does drawl the reader in and make them want to see what is happening and finish the story. However the book does slow down significantly and that makes completing the story all the way thru. Fair warning, one must have a pretty good attention span in order to not this a DNF.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for granting me access to this book.

This looks like an enticing story, but I don't think it's a book for me. The 70s-80s were a very interesting time, especially in a city like Los Angeles, but I couldn't read more than the 20% of the book. I think it's a case of "it's not you, it's me." Perhaps I'm not that interested in real state greed after all.

Love ture crime and as soon I saw this one I knew i wanted to read it and I'm glade that I did, because its about a case I knew nothing about .It did take me a while to get into but that just helped bring the story to life more then anything .

“The Darkest Glare: A True Story of Murder, Blackmail, and Real Estate Greed In 1979 Los Angeles” by Chip Jacobs.⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: True Crime. Location: Los Angeles and surrounding communities, California, USA. Time: 1979-2011.-
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In 1979, L.A. entrepreneurs Jerry Schneider and Richard Kasparov decide to expand their successful space design business to include luxury remodels. They hire Howard Garrett to handle the construction end of the business. And from that moment, their business and lives descend into a sordid combination of greed, blackmail, and amateur murder-for-hire. You’ll laugh as an attempt to murder one person takes an unbelievable eight tries before the hapless assassins get it right.-
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Meticulously researched and full of anecdotal details about the crazy late 70s, this book will tell you more than you ever thought you wanted to know about a true crime scheme that ended in violence and the destruction of many characters’ lives. The book includes an interesting bonus short story about the rise and fall of the California-based Synanon cult. It’s 3 stars from me with thanks to NetGalley. Rare Bird publication date: March 8, 2021. 🌵📚”

I thought after reading this plot summary, I would like the book but I was sadly mistaken. It just wasn't my favourite of that time period. The author did an amazing job with the research into this book. However, I just didn't grasp the novel. It might have been the characters or the writing style of the author but thank you to netgallery and Rare Bird Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love me some true crime. Love it! I was excited to read The Darkest Glare. I hadn’t heard of this case before and was very interested in learning more. The story read like a script. A script for a like television series. I kept seeing episodes in my head. The author has a different story telling style and it took me awhile to get used to it. A lot of information and people are thrown at you. At times I had trouble keeping track of who was who. I admit, the level of evilness that went into everything that occurred is disturbing. I appreciate the author’s attention to detail. I felt transported to a different time and era.

The crimes committed were both senseless and disturbing. The author takes you from beginning to the very end. All those twists and turns made for a pretty good read. I give this 3 stars.

This book was a bit of a slow burn, and I did find my mind wandering when I was reading it. I did enjoy it, but it is a bit more difficult to review. I had a hard time staying focused on this book and I think it could be either a little more concise or maybe could benefit from speeding up a bit in the killing attempted because it was a bit weird and slow. The descriptions were very well done and I do love a good word picture!

It's definitely a weird true crime that will stick in your brain.

An advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Chip Jacobs, and the publisher.

As I began reading this, I had to remind myself that it is basically a true-crime book. The writing is full of hyperbole and flowery language, with a touch of sarcasm thrown in for good measure.
It is the story of Jerry and Richard going into business with each other. But, wait, Richard is a crook and with scam anyone, even his best friend. Then they hire and eventually fire Howard, and it turns out that Howard is not a crook, but a serial killer with a black temper.
As the story progresses, Howard has Richard killed and tries to do the same to Jerry. The turmoil around Jerry's impending murder ruins his business and his marriage, but as Jacobs goes on to show, it doesn't hold him down for long.
this was interesting to read although I have never lived in LA and was not familiar with many of the places named here.
Here is an example of the over the top language:
"Post signature, Richard traipsed from Jerry's lawyer's office a hollowed-out man, not unlike a condemned building after the first dynamite blast."
This would be interesting language if it was sprinkled throughout the book. However, this language appears on every page and practically every sentence. My advice to Mr. Jacobs: dial it back just a notch!

I had read a First Look of this book, and was pretty interested in it. Sadly, I just couldn't get into it when I read the whole thing. Something about the writing style was hard for me to read, and it didn't really keep my attention.

I'm a huge fan of true crime and this one was right up my alley. Although I'm not familiar with the events in this book, I was still heavily into this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

The Darkest Glare, written by Chip Jacobs is a true crime novel, one that, as the title promises, is full of murder, blackmail, and so much more.

Set in 1979 Los Angeles, this novel dives into a very real series of crimes. It follows Richard Kasparov and Jerry Schneiderman. Two construction workers, by most appearances. But anybody who has spent time reading a crime novel, true or not, knows how deceptive looks can be.

Before I dive into my review, I want to be upfront about something. I don't typically read true crime novels. It's not my cup of tea, and in general, I have no problem with violence or gore, but when I know it really happened? Then it tends to be too much for me.

Yet there was something about The Darkest Glare that caught my attention. Maybe it was simply because I was able to actually read a sample on BookishFirst – not something I generally get to do with books outside of my preferred genres.

Whatever it was, I wanted to give The Darkest Glare a proper chance, and read it all the way through. Overall, I found it to be a fascinating (yet dark – naturally) read. It wasn't what I expected, but I consider that to be a positive thing.

One thing that impressed me (but might prove how little true crime I read) is just how much research went into this novel. You can really tell how much work Chip Jacobs put into getting it all together, and it all seems to flow pretty smoothly. There's no sense of info-dumping, for lack of a better description.