Review For TWO DAYS GONE By Randall Silvis- 5*

Title: Two Days Gone 

Series: Ryan Demarco Mystery#1

Author: Randall Silivis

Genre: Murder Mystery

Rating: * * * * *

Publishers: Sourcebook Landmark

(Jan 10, 2017)

Paperback: 400 pages

ISBN: 978-1492639732

FTC Disclosure: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

A literary page-turner about a beloved college professor accused of murdering his entire family, and one small-town cop’s dangerous search for answers.

Thomas Huston, a beloved professor and bestselling author, is something of a local hero in the small Pennsylvania college town where he lives and teaches. So when Huston’s wife and children are found brutally murdered in their home, the community reacts with shock and anger. Huston has also mysteriously disappeared, and suddenly, the town celebrity is suspect number one.
Sergeant Ryan DeMarco has secrets of his own, but he can’t believe that a man he admired, a man he had considered a friend, could be capable of such a crime. Hoping to glean clues about Huston’s mind-set, DeMarco delves into the professor’s notes on his novel-in-progress. Soon, DeMarco doesn’t know who to trust—and the more he uncovers about Huston’s secret life, the more treacherous his search becomes.

I started this book a bit hesitantly as I'd read it was told from two POVs. I hate books told in alternating POVs so I was blown away when I realized that for a change this aspect didn't annoy the crap out of me.

This book is dark, very dark and the viciousness of the murders were very disturbing, however, the story was so darn captivating that I read it in two sittings. I love a book that can keep me guessing until almost the very end. I wasn't sure of Huston's guilt or innocence and keep swinging in first one direction and then another.  

The police detective, DeMarco was as fascinating and engrossing as Huston. There were so many facets in his personality that I'm not sure which character, Huston or DeMarco, was more fascinating. The secondary characters were as well flushed out as the main characters and you find yourself weighing each to see if one of them could have possibly killed the Huston family. There are several twists and turns in this story that keeps you clutching your book for dear life and unable to go to bed until you read just a bit more. Just one more chapter and then one more till you realize you been up all night. At first, I thought this was a standalone novel but I kept seeing it listed as a Ryan Demarco Mystery  so I sure hope we see more of this awesome detective or I'm really going to be disappointed. 

Novelist, playwright, essayist, and screenwriter Randall Silvis is the author of six books of fiction; two more are forthcoming from St. Martin's Press. A Senior Fulbright Fellow and Thurber House writer-in-residence, his many awards include the prestigious Drue Heinz Literature Prize, three National Playwrights Showcase Awards, and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. His work has been translated into eight languages.