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Axel Blackwell
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Hold Back the Night (A Detective McDaniel Thriller Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Axel Blackwell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,767 ratings
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"5 out of 5 stars. One of the Best Novels of 2019!" - Wayne Stinnett

4:23 a.m. The phone rings. The officer on the other end says, “It’s a bad one, Darren. Can you come?”

Darren McDaniel has worked dozens of homicides in his years as a detective. It’s a dark and gritty business, and he’s prepared to handle whatever it throws at him. Or so he once believed.

The pre-teen girl is dead, dressed in a white princess gown, lying on a bus stop bench. There’s a steel chain clamped to her ankle. A cryptic message scrawled across the booth’s dusty glass wall may be the only clue.

As McDaniel plunges into the case, he isn’t surprised to discover the girl had been held somewhere horrible before her death. But, his blood chills when the evidence shows she wasn’t alone. Other children were with her. Are they still there? Can McDaniel save them in time?

The detective races against the clock, but the closer he gets, the deadlier the chase becomes. Secrets this dark fight back. When those secrets turn their murderous attention on McDaniel’s family, he faces an impossible decision – let the killer walk free or risk losing his own daughter.
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  1. Book 1 of 5
    A Detective McDaniel Thriller
  2. Print length
    220 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    November 16, 2019
  6. File size
    4225 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08178PZKN
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (November 16, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 16, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4225 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 220 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,767 ratings

About the author

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Axel Blackwell

Axel Blackwell

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Axel Blackwell lives aboard an old trawler in a misty bay on the northwest edge of America. In his life he has been a preacher man, a salesman, and a lawman (occupations which all pretty much use the same script – “Do what I say or something really bad will happen.”)

Now he just writes stories.

His works include the Darren McDaniel Thriller Series, the Stillwater Suspense Series (Co-written with Dawn Lee McKenna), and two standalone paranormal thrillers: The Timeweaver’s Wager and Sisters of Sorrow.

Keep up to date with Axel's publishing schedule and other cool news by signing up for Axel's newsletter at AxelBlackwell.com

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
3,767 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars This outstanding story came highly recommended by one of my most favorite authors, Dawn Lee McKenna, and I am more than satisfied with this intriguing story. Being a retired law enforcement official, I found myself overwhelmed by the outstanding descriptiveness of the ongoing investigative techniques of those involved in trying to solve some very disturbing, and horrific child abuse and homicide investigations.
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2019
Verified Purchase
Definitely five stars worthy, and I will be preordering the second book in this outstanding, and definitely compassionate, series. If you love Ms. McKenna's outstanding stories, then you will definitely enjoy this compassionately motivated story. The characters were perfectly selected for their assigned roles as law enforcement investigators, and the horrible bad guys definitely portrayed their assigned tasks with unbelievably gruesome attempts, that leaves little to the imagination. The storylines mesmerize you, as the story continuously intensifies with each new developing adventure.
The lead Investigator really will grab you almost immediately, and he becomes so involved that you cannot put the book down as he constantly changes his course of action. Definitely a "who dunnit" that touches your heartstrings immediately, and never lets go, as the investigation intensifies with each new developing episode!
Most definitely recommend this outstanding story of intriguingly suspenseful thriller that successfully touches anyone's heartstrings. I am normally a dyed in the wool western folklore enthusiast, but when Ms. McKenna recommended this book, I had to give it a try. Believe me when I say the story is a superb example of what could possibly be realistically true, I'm am not exaggerating. Try this book, regardless of your reading pleasure might be, as this is definitely an eye opening experience that will certainly raise the hair on the back of your neck!!!!
49 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Good thriller
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2021
Verified Purchase
This was a very fast paced thriller. The story is good and the characters have you rooting for them. The story will tug at your heart and we can only wish things like this never happen.
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Linda J. Hawkins
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing And Gut Wrenching To The Last
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2023
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I’m just in awe of this compelling read. Philosophical and suspenseful. Thanks to the author for his delving into the worst of humanity and the best as well. Victory for you, sir, and well done!
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Angel
5.0 out of 5 stars Gut Wrenching
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2024
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This was a first time author for me and I was hooked from the first page.

The characters meshed well together and the story was well told, the pages just kept turning.

The subject matter in the book is a difficult one but it moves quickly so you don't dwell on the unpleasantness even though it is not rushed so you would discount it. The very first pages set the tone and the mindset of the detectives on the case.
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D. R. Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Just WOW!! This is one very talented author!!
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2019
Verified Purchase
Where have you been, Axel Blackwell? Or where have I been that I never encountered this author previously? I’m an avid, I mean AVID, fan and reader of the genre known as police procedurals; and I’ve read literally hundreds of novels that fall into this category. But there are less than a dozen authors whose novels I’ve given a 5-star review and whose next book in their particular series I’m waiting for impatiently and with bated breath. Let’s add Axel Blackwell to that very select list of authors!
Having devoured “Hold Back the Night” in record time because it kept me riveted to the page, afraid to put it down & afraid not to, I’m already clamoring for the release of Blackwell’s second book because the first book in the Detective McDaniel series is truly deserving of a 5-star rating from this reader, who tends to be extremely stingy with a rating of perfect, which is as it should be in my opinion! As someone who relies on credible ratings to help me find new authors or my next exciting read, I’m positively livid at those readers/reviewers who hand out 5-star ratings for books they simply “like” or don’t hate. That’s no way to to properly evaluate novels and assign an appropriate rating!! It’s that kind of mindset that allows hundreds of, at best, mediocre books to sneak in with an overall 4.5+ rating while truly gifted and talented authors, such as this one, sometimes get lost among them and do t stand out, as they should. So please, people, be a bit more thoughtful and discerning before you blithely hand out perfect scores to perhaps undeserving novels or authors, who need to be motivated to hone their writing skills.
2 people found this helpful
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Gilbert M. Stack
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Police Procedural with One Significant Problem
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2021
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This is a great police procedural with one significant problem—Blackwell shows us the answer to half of the mystery in the first chapter of the book wherein a very young girl manages to escape a horrific pedophile before dying of exposure and hypothermia just before she reaches help. This first chapter is extremely well written, but it gives the reader way too much information when you consider that the police procedural encompasses the rest of the novel and the first third of those pages are dedicated to the detective discovering things we already know. The repetition almost caused me to abandon the book, but I’m glad I held on because when we move from locating where the girl came from to who her abuser is the novel becomes everything you would expect from this sort of mystery.

Blackwell is clearly a talented author who has created a cast of engaging characters. I just wish he hadn’t written he first chapter.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Kim
5.0 out of 5 stars attention grabber
Reviewed in Canada on March 18, 2022
Verified Purchase
Excellent book! The author described the settings so I could feel as if I was there in person, and experiencing the scenes first hand. Characters were well drawn as to know them and very lifelike, the plot gripping, the tension palpable. Wonderful read!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great crime drama
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2021
Verified Purchase
Explosive action with well crafted characters. Great crime drama from start to finish. Feel the heartache, pain and emotions of fighting crimes that challenge your values and world views. Well written novel that draws you in.
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Edu Martinez
3.0 out of 5 stars Buena novela
Reviewed in Spain on January 24, 2021
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Interesante novela policiaca, la recomiendo
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sue wells
4.0 out of 5 stars A thought provoking read
Reviewed in Australia on January 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
This was a thought provoking story. It was well written and the characters were great especially Darren. This is the first time reading by this author.
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Cheryl
4.0 out of 5 stars Great storyline
Reviewed in Canada on February 2, 2021
Verified Purchase
Good book...just short...but for the price? Great book 2 nights read good story telling cant wait to read the next 1
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