Polis Books
2015
Life is filled with “what ifs.” What if… you had turned left instead of right on the way to work this morning? Would you still have gotten into that fender bender? What if you ordered a burger instead of fish for dinner? Would you have avoided that stomach bug that’s been going around?
What if
What if… What if your fiancé hadn’t died in that car accident after all? What if she not only lived, but has been on the run for the last six years, and you didn’t know it? Yeah, that queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach is exactly what ex-cop, ex-private eye Jackson Donne is feeling as he hits “play” on an email link that he finds waiting in his in-box. Because what he finds? Only a video of his dead fiancé Jeanne Baker, bound and gagged to chair, very much alive.
It is with this electrifying premise that kicks off NOT EVEN PAST. Last seen in 2008’s THE EVIL THAT MEN DO, Jackson Donne is a different person. Having cleaned up his life after Jeanne’s death, Donne is drug free, drinking in moderation, and finishing up his degree. Not to mention stuffing envelopes with wedding invitations for his upcoming marriage to Kate Ellison. Donne has a great life and this life is going FORWARD. But when he sees this mystery email, he has no choice but to drop everything and find Jeanne. Find out where she’s been for six years and punish whoever has kept her captive.
Dave White brings the goods. Skillfully crafting a tale that thriller fans will devour at lightning speed, yet meaty enough that mystery fans will delight in fitting the pieces together, NOT EVEN PAST truly has something for everyone, while still staying true to its tale. I can honestly say that this book has a climax that hit me square in the gut. Skillfully weaving Donne’s personal struggles with an over-arching mystery that struck me as truly unique, White gives mystery fans a tale truly worth spending their time and money on. Let’s just hope the wait isn’t so long for Jackson Donne’s next adventure.
Dan Malmon
