Darkness for Light

Darkness For Light is the third Caleb Zelic thriller by award-winning Australian author, Emma Viskic. Caleb Zelic is in a good place: things are going well in his no-longer-on-the-brink-of-divorce relationship with Kat, who is expecting his child; a patient therapist has him more settled and intent on making good decisions; and he is finding friendship and support in the deaf community he had earlier rejected.

But then his possible new client turns up dead before they even meet, and the AFP are somehow involved. Worse still, he is blackmailed into finding his ex-partner, Frankie Reynolds, a woman who doesn’t have his best interests at heart. It feels like the opposite of a good decision.

Caleb isn’t quite sure how, but he finds himself in charge of smart, quirky nine-year-old Tilda when she is kidnapped. Tilda is the daughter of Frankie’s sister, Maggie, with whom Caleb has some unfortunate history. Now, it seems he and Frankie will have to join forces to track her down. But they aren’t the only ones searching: certain ruthless criminals will stop at nothing to protect their interests.

Meanwhile, Alberto Conti also wants Caleb’s help. He believes that someone is sabotaging his business, a café where the deaf are employed, welcomed and catered for as customers. If his business fails, it will be a great loss to the deaf community. Can Caleb spread his skills and talents to cover both these challenges?

What a unique protagonist Viskic gives the reader in Caleb Zelic. He is clearly capable and possesses an exceptional capacity for observation. While his tendency to conceal his deafness and his disinclination to ask for help made him a somewhat frustrating character in earlier books, his (still reluctant) admission of it now allows Viskic to demonstrate the attitudes from the hearing community (hearies) to which the deaf are routinely subjected.

It also makes for an utterly hilarious exchange between Caleb and some rather stoned hearies that is best not read whilst eating, drinking or with a full bladder. Quite apart from his hearing challenges, Caleb also seems to have a problem picking whom he can trust; even when he gets it right, he sometimes gets it wrong…

Caleb Zelic’s third outing features a fast-paced plot with twists and turns that will keep even the most astute the reader guessing until the final pages. Viskic manages to include vandalism, money laundering, loan sharks, computer hackers, a windscreen wiper as a weapon, quite a bit of gunplay and a fairly high body-count in the lead-up to the nail-biting climax. More of this brilliant Aussie crime fiction please, Ms Viskic!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Pushkin Press

Caleb Zelic is a terrific protagonist; his complicated relationships present plenty of obstacles as he investigates the case, and his deafness means that the reader has repeated opportunities to learn how this affects both Caleb’s daily life and other people’s behavior towards him. Tilda, the young girl who is kidnapped early on, bonds adorably with Caleb. The complexity of Caleb’s relationships with various other characters made it hard for this book to work as a standalone for me. So many of the women—Kat, Maggie, Frankie, Georgie, Imogen, etc—have some sort of conflict or deeply convoluted history with Caleb that it becomes hard to keep track if you are new to the series. I had not read the previous books and found it too much work to keep track of all the history of mistrust, dislike, love, hate, need, betrayal, reconciliation, loss, etc. In this context, any new revelation or betrayal didn’t have much dramatic impact, because I was not sufficiently invested in any of the supporting characters and had already vaguely dismissed most of them as a bunch of untrustworthy nutcases.

The pace of the writing is brisk, the ending is satisfying, and Caleb Zelic is an investigator well worth following. For readers new to Emma Viskic, I would recommend that you avoid my mistake and start from the beginning of this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital advance review copy.

Darkness for Light is the third Australian thriller by author Emma Viskic featuring deaf P.I. Caleb Zelic.

After the ending of the first book, I had my thoughts that some threads left hanging would, at some point, culminate into a great pay-off. It happens in this third entry in the series, where everything sown by Emma Viskic in her first two novels bring the story to an epic climax.

As such, it’s better to read the first two books in the series before this one.

Caleb Zelic is, for a change, in a good place. Therapy has dealt with his trauma, he has changed his ways, and his relationship with his wife is the better for it. Still a P.I., but lessons learned, he’s taking safe cases, staying away from any violence. New lovable characters are introduced, and other ones developed.

The book begins as he’s visiting a children farm in which he has to meet a new client. It appears that this client doesn’t have much to ask from him, as Caleb finds him dead in a chicken coop.

Caleb is determined to give his statement to the local police and walk away from it all. But, federal agents take an interest in the case and, as could be expected, a specific fed we’ve already met then comes back to nag him.

Against his wishes, he’s dragged into a case involving players from previous books. People he would have liked to leave behind. Once a little girl is abducted, and it appears he’s her best chance to get out of this alive, mayhem and murder find Caleb Zelic again.

From then, the story is non-stop investigation and action, leaving us no room to breathe (especially with the author keeping to her unusual but efficient style for action). A major twist punches out whatever air remained in our lungs, before the race against time, and multiple unknown parties, continues in yet another direction.

This is a story of treachery, violence and treason. But, this is also a story of unicorns, almond milk, and the greater importance of kittens. This to say that, in spite of the seriousness of it all, the book also managed to get quite a few laughs out of me.

Darkness for Light is the best entry in the series so far, and I’ll be there if Emma Viskic decides to bring back her characters for a fourth novel.

Thanks to Pushkin Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for this unbiased review.


Link to review of book one : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3164949299

Link to review of book two : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3164949317

This is book #3 in a series featuring one of the most original MC’s you’ll come across. At first glance, Caleb Zelic seems like your average PI. But he has a special skill set. After a bout of childhood meningitis left him profoundly deaf, his other senses stepped up to fill the void. As a result, Caleb not only lip reads but notices what others miss. Gestures, expressions…all the little tics that give someone away. He never forgets a face & can repeat conversations verbatim. Unfortunately he has one other “gift”. The man is an absolute sh*t magnet & the tradition continues here.

He spent the last year dealing with dangerous thugs, the breakdown of his marriage & brutal betrayal by his former partner, Frankie. But Caleb’s a resilient guy & things are looking up. He landed his first solo job, he’s on more than speaking terms with his wife & regular therapy is helping get his head straight.

Well, it was nice while it lasted. He just found out his new client is slightly dead & the federal police are all over him. An old friend’s business is being sabotaged & a rogue cop is threatening him with blackmail. Then Frankie shows up.

Cue the ominous music. If you’ve read previous books, you know Frankie’s character is rarely associated with rainbows & puppies. More like bullets & blood. What started out as just a bad day suddenly has the potential to be craptastic.

Caleb is still reeling from their last encounter & wants nothing to do with her. But that’s before he meets her niece. Tilda is a funny, geeky little girl surrounded by domestic drama. When she winds up in Caleb’s care, they bond over weird facts & sign language. So when she is snatched, Caleb has no choice but to work with Frankie to bring her home. But who is behind the kidnapping & what do they want?

Good question. There’s a whack of bad guys to choose from. Money launderers, Frankie’s enemies, thugs trying to silence her mother….even the feds may see Tilda as a useful tool. All hell breaks loose as Caleb & Frankie race to find her against a backdrop of growing violence & an escalating body count.

What follows is a complex & chaotic story with a plot that keeps you guessing. Hidden connections & unreliable characters mean you never know who’s pulling the strings or telling the truth. It’s exactly the kind of investigation Caleb is trying to avoid as part of his resolution to “make good decisions”. The people involved are ruthless & not above targeting Caleb’s family to get what they want. There are ties to story lines from previous books & the reader finally gets some answers to long standing questions. Caleb’s personal life continues to develop & is nicely woven through the search for Tilda. Plenty of action & suspense keeps you reading but brace yourself…..there are some jaw droppers ahead & not everyone will survive.

As always, the author continues to provide a fascinating glimpse of what it’s like to be hearing impaired. From daily challenges to the little tricks Caleb employs, it’s clear she’s done her homework.
Sometimes when you meet a character beset with issues, it can seem like overkill. You end up thinking yeesh, give the guy a break. I never felt that here. Yes, Caleb has a lot on his plate but what saves this from descending into handwringing drama is the humour. Caleb’s dry wit provides some of the best lines that give the reader a chance to breathe between scarier moments. He’s a compelling character you root for & I’ll be keeping en eye out for his next adventure. Just maybe from a safe distance.

thriller, crime-fiction, Australia, deafness, snarky, mystery, private-investigators, family-dynamics, friendship

Edgy protagonist and plot. Deaf since childhood and using aids, lipreading, and Auslan whenever possible, Caleb sometimes seems more like an antihero as he works to solve several problems while dealing with fools and sadists. The story is compelling, full of misdirection, twisty, and red herrings in a dark yet often amusing way. Never having read the author before, I wasn't sure what to expect. Now that I have, I will certainly read more.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Steerforth Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

Very good third entry in the Caleb Zelic series set in Australia. After the experiences of the recent past, Caleb is trying to restart his life in all aspects, by avoiding the tricky situations and people who seemed to lead him, and those around him (including almost ex-wife, but now hopefully not, Kat, who he does love) into danger. Near death in the last episode. He is doing what he needs to do to keep himself on n a level ground and his relationship going well.

And then a figure from the past shows up demanding he contact Frankie, Frankie his former business partner who disappeared after saving his life. Of course she’s the one who put him in danger! There follows a plot filled with twists and turns, betrayals and counter-betrayals, all heightened by Caleb’s dependence on lip reading to supplement his powerful hearing aids. He is deaf. Something the general public has difficulty dealing with.

And, while dealing with murderous criminals, Caleb continues to work on saving his relationship with Kat, still more tenuous than he wants it to be.

This is an excellent series which I highly recommend. There is violence in service of the plot. I do recommend reading this series from the beginning if possible for the sake of the relationships, though some background information is provided throughout the novel.

4.5*

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I hugely enjoy Viskic's noir mystery series from Australia, featuring private investigator Caleb, who is deaf. Her writing about contemporary Australia is great for an armchair traveller, and her writing about the deaf community which is detailed in Darkness for Light is equally of interest. A compelling story with several mysteries wrapped together, Darkness for Light is classic noir of betrayals and loyalties.

Darkness for Light is the third book in Emma Viskic's Private Investigator Caleb Zelic series, set in Melbourne, Australia. With an edgy protagonist and plot, the story is compelling and brimming with misdirection. Deaf since childhood and using aids, lipreading and Aussie sign language, the reader is treated to a winsome character in Caleb who is flawed and seeing a therapist. The mystery is one of betrayal and doublecrossing. Well worth a read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Pushkin via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Darkness for Light is the third novel in Emma Viskic’s Caleb Zelic Australian Crime series. This novel continues threads from the previous two novels and reading those first might prove to be helpful. This one demonstrates that no matter what Caleb isn’t going to be able to settle down to a peaceful life. Frankie, his old partner and betrayer, still lurks in the background and she has something – some document – that everyone wants and that everyone will kill to get. Caleb is stuck in the middle cause everyone knows he is their connection to Frankie. But things being as they are Caleb has someone else – a new character- he must protect at all costs. This novel is action packed from start to finish and is another top-notch read. Caleb’s hearing-impairedness is perhaps not as front and center as in the first two novels or perhaps we as readers are just used to his lip reading and sign language as kind of the new novel. On to the fourth novel in the series.