Dale Burnett is a dirty cop. He knows the difference between Good and Evil, Right and Wrong. It’s just that little by little, over time he’s begun to slip. And now, his secret is out. He’s on the way to a meeting with the Chief of Police, convinced that his next address will be the state prison. But like the very best noir tales, Dale thinks that he sees a light at the end of the tunnel. But it’s either a chance at Salvation… or an express bus gunning straight for him. That bright light morphs into a deal from Chief Schuster: local crime kingpin Tautolu “Tat” Losopo has the mayor’s daughter Lauren O’Brien held captive on the top floor of his high-rise stronghold. The powers-that-be think Lauren’s chances of survival are better with a one-man stealth rescue, as opposed to an army of heavily armed SWAT team officers declaring war on Tat’s fortress. And if Dale the Dirty Cop fails? No big loss to the city.
They can still call in the SWAT team.
Mix in and stir violently equal parts: Dale’s wife Dahlia having a day from hell, a weak-willed mayor, double-crossing politicians, a high-school garage band, and an army of evil line chefs (just go with it) and you have all the ingredients of Eric Beetner’s latest propulsive thriller. Beetner has made a career of producing some of the genre’s hardest hitting stories. ALL THE WAY DOWN carries on this breathless tradition. Getting in and freeing Lauren from Tat’s clutches proves to be the easy part. It’s getting out of the 15 story fortress from hell that’s the challenge. Every time the elevator door opens, Dale and Lauren are face-to-face with a new challenge and an impossible situation. Like a 90’s arcade game, Dale and Lauren have no choice but to clear out each level of a 15 story building before making it to the basement level to face off against the Big Boss. Because that is the only way Lauren will find freedom, and Dale’s only hope for possible redemption.
Beetner weaves the steadily increasing challenges that Dale and Lauren face inside the building with Dahlia Burnett’s day from hell. In response to Dale freeing Lauren, Tat has put out the call to his men to bring in Dale’s wife. But Dahlia is no shrinking violet. After escaping the initial attack, Dahlia herself faces increasing stakes and a crescendo of violence as she battles her way across the city, desperate to meet up with Dale. Dahlia battles her way through the city as Dale and Lauren battle their way down each floor, each party hell-bent to reach their ultimate goal: survival.
This book will leave you breathless. ALL THE WAY DOWN is an absolute roller-coaster through an insane asylum of a read.
Down and Out Books
January 7, 2019
