The Descent
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-03-15 03:14:24
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Matt Brolly
- ISBN：B0838ZYNWB
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Were they pushed to the edge—or over it？
In the quiet coastal town of Weston-super-Mare， a body is discovered at the foot of a cliff just months after a near-identical tragedy—and Detective Inspector Louise Blackwell can’t believe it could be a coincidence。
Next to the body， she discovers a note that echoes one found beside the first: Death is not the end。 Louise is certain that behind these desperate acts someone is pulling the strings， but how many more will plunge to their demise before she can find out who—and why？
Struggling to stay focused under the strain of her troubled brother’s disappearance with his young daughter， Louise hits a much-needed breakthrough when a third tragedy points to the involvement of a charismatic cult leader。 The suspect is within her sights， but he knows she’s on to him…
Short on proof and with the body count rising， can Louise intercept his deadly mission—or has she taken on an unbeatable foe？
Reviews
Karen
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Book 2 carries on form the first book with the main characters within the police force finding there working relationship developing。 But still fears and doubts and who really is on DI Louise Blackwell surface for her。The crime they work on is very interesting well thought out， described and you get a real sense of those involved and how and why。Running along with this is other issues that draws DI Blackwell energy and thoughts from the crime。 Great description of the people involved in the crim Book 2 carries on form the first book with the main characters within the police force finding there working relationship developing。 But still fears and doubts and who really is on DI Louise Blackwell surface for her。The crime they work on is very interesting well thought out， described and you get a real sense of those involved and how and why。Running along with this is other issues that draws DI Blackwell energy and thoughts from the crime。 Great description of the people involved in the crime you get a wonderful sense of。then as。people and their pain and desperation they feel in the world。 This carries on in the crime itself。You feel you are with them watching from a distance submerged on the actions that are going on。Good procedural elements in the story that flows through it and only enhances the story and helps move it along。 The next book ready to read on my kindle shame only 3 in the series I really hope there will be more。 。。。more
Madeleine BAKER
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Couldn't wait to get to the end。An uncomfortable read。especially concerning the conflict regarding Louise and her worry about her niece and her job。 Very well written but not to my taste， sorry Matt。 Couldn't wait to get to the end。An uncomfortable read。especially concerning the conflict regarding Louise and her worry about her niece and her job。 Very well written but not to my taste， sorry Matt。 。。。more
Joann
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Well， I might not have started with the first book in this series， but the second one was a cracker of a start。 It's always hard to get into a new series and I've been running across this author's name a lot lately so decided to give his books a try。 I'm glad I did。 This mystery has me in a part of England I'm not familiar with so will have to get myself up to speed in that area。 I liked the main character and the back story with Louise and her family - especially the brother with the little gir Well， I might not have started with the first book in this series， but the second one was a cracker of a start。 It's always hard to get into a new series and I've been running across this author's name a lot lately so decided to give his books a try。 I'm glad I did。 This mystery has me in a part of England I'm not familiar with so will have to get myself up to speed in that area。 I liked the main character and the back story with Louise and her family - especially the brother with the little girl。 This book deals with a group of young women who have committed suicide， or have they？ We follow Louise as she tries to figure out how these three young women might be tied together and hopefully will come up with a killer。 。。。more
Sandrine
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Is it just me but does Louise suffer from the most hopeless case of imposter syndrome？I’m guessing the intention was to write a tough strong female lead but she comes across as insipid always doubting everything even making coffee in one part！！？？ Her constant juxtaposition of her niece on the victims was also overdone。 I also feel like everything is over explained and repetitive。 Like Brolly is mansplaining things to everyone。。。It’s a pity as the layout of the book is promising and giving reader Is it just me but does Louise suffer from the most hopeless case of imposter syndrome？I’m guessing the intention was to write a tough strong female lead but she comes across as insipid always doubting everything even making coffee in one part！！？？ Her constant juxtaposition of her niece on the victims was also overdone。 I also feel like everything is over explained and repetitive。 Like Brolly is mansplaining things to everyone。。。It’s a pity as the layout of the book is promising and giving reader the name and insight into killer from the beginning is different。 。。。more
mrs j symon
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Page turnerAn enjoyable and gripping tale where the character of Louise Blackwell comes across very well with her own personal issues convincingly linked to her on going investigation。 I liked the detailed descriptions of the setting and interwoven references to real life events and places。
Phil
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The writing was good。 I was just sickened by the plot and subject。 A story of young girls that are runaways， castaways， and those nobody wants。 A cult leader finds them， exploits them， and leads them into drug-induced suicides。 His charismatic personality and their fragile lives allow them to believe that death is the answer。
Debbie
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I enjoyed this book and really like this series。
valerie wilson
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I didn't think this book was as good as the 1st in 5his series just a bit too dark and dismal for me。 It won't put me off reading another of Matt Brolly's books but this one was not for me I didn't think this book was as good as the 1st in 5his series just a bit too dark and dismal for me。 It won't put me off reading another of Matt Brolly's books but this one was not for me 。。。more
Linda Stensgaard
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3。5
Janet Johnson
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This is the second in a series， featuring detective Louise Blackwell。 I bought it after finishing the first in the series， having enjoyed that。 The main character comes across as a bright， intelligent police officer who has had her struggles in the past with a particular male colleague who has undermined her and led to her enforced move to another station， in what she feels is a demotion in all but name。 This has left her distrustful of the motives of others， to the point of paranoia， and this b This is the second in a series， featuring detective Louise Blackwell。 I bought it after finishing the first in the series， having enjoyed that。 The main character comes across as a bright， intelligent police officer who has had her struggles in the past with a particular male colleague who has undermined her and led to her enforced move to another station， in what she feels is a demotion in all but name。 This has left her distrustful of the motives of others， to the point of paranoia， and this becomes more apparent in this second book。 In addition， family problems mentioned in the first book escalate in the second， causing additional anxiety。One female suicide is followed by another， with enough similarities to cause Louise to suspect they are connected。 Despite resistance from 'higher up' she follows her instincts and uncovers a sinister and horrible crime。 Much of the narrative involves Louise's internal thoughts and fears， both about the case in hand and her personal dilemma， causing considerable mental anguish as the two become intertwined。Much of the narrative is written from Louise's point of view， although several chapters centre on Amy， who is caught up in the crime。 This character is written in a very sympathetic way， giving an understanding of the process of the crime which might otherwise have been difficult to portray。 Other characters could have been 'fleshed out' a little more。I found the continual referral to Louise's thought processes， mulling over potential slights， criticisms and indecisiveness， rather repetitive and irritating， and actually detrimental to the mental anguish she suffers at the culmination of the book。 However， it does make her a believable character。 I just wish she'd put it behind her and show herself as the strong and capable police officer that I am sure she is。It was a goodish read， and I will read the next in the series and explore some of Matt Brolly's other work。 Probably best to read the series in order。 。。。more
stephen fletcher
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Gripping A slow burner at the start but then I was gripped。 Hard to make two stories work long side each other。 2 books done。 Onto the next one
Fictionophile
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Louise Blackwell makes for an engaging protagonist， and the beautiful and atmospheric setting is an added bonus。 In this book we learn more about what makes Louise tick。 Conflicted and intriguing in equal measure， Detective Louise Blackwell of the Avon & Somerset Police is fast becoming a favourite series character of mine in this her second outing。 Louise is fighting herself in this novel， trying to be there 100% for her work as well as for her family。 As one would expect， she fails and mistake Louise Blackwell makes for an engaging protagonist， and the beautiful and atmospheric setting is an added bonus。 In this book we learn more about what makes Louise tick。 Conflicted and intriguing in equal measure， Detective Louise Blackwell of the Avon & Somerset Police is fast becoming a favourite series character of mine in this her second outing。 Louise is fighting herself in this novel， trying to be there 100% for her work as well as for her family。 As one would expect， she fails and mistakes are made。 It is distressing to realize that Louise does not trust her own judgement。This plot featured social outcasts and a charismatic man who preyed upon their vulnerabilities。 It was so disturbing to be reminded that there are many people we see every day who are 'invisible'， people who have no one to really miss them if they were to disappear。。。。 How lonely and desperate they must be。The setting - Weston-super-Mare， a seaside tourist town in Somerset， England and the backstory of the protagonist added much to the narrative。In case you haven't yet guessed， I loved "The Descent" just as much as its predecessor "The Crossing"， and can't wait to read the next novel in the Louise Blackwell series which is called "The Gorge"。 Highly recommended！For this and over 600 more reviews visit: https://fictionophile。com/ 。。。more
clive timson
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new to this auther but have now read two of his books will definatly read more
Susan C。 Belanger
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The Descent -Hallucinogenic Drugs Used to make young women want to dieA handsome， charismatic young man manipulates a group of vulnerable young women to desire to pass over to the next state of being with Detective Blackwell trying to thwart the mission while also find her brother and young niece before pharmacies to them。 Suspenseful！！！
Kristin
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A really intriguing mystery。 I am… a little disappointed by some of the choices Brolly has made around Louise， but she is still an interesting character and the cases we're shown are also compelling。 I enjoyed reading it， even though I found the final （view spoiler）[two deaths （hide spoiler）] disappointing， especially the last one。 I am intrigued to see how the events of this book affect Louise going forward （especially those around （view spoiler）[her niece （hide spoiler）]）。 A really intriguing mystery。 I am… a little disappointed by some of the choices Brolly has made around Louise， but she is still an interesting character and the cases we're shown are also compelling。 I enjoyed reading it， even though I found the final （view spoiler）[two deaths （hide spoiler）] disappointing， especially the last one。 I am intrigued to see how the events of this book affect Louise going forward （especially those around （view spoiler）[her niece （hide spoiler）]）。 。。。more
Sarah Trickey
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Another good readI really enjoyed the first book in this series and enjoy this one however I did find this one had too much of its plot surrounding Louise 's problematic brother and it's in these instances I started to drift off and get a bit bored。 But the rest of the story has me gripped and I couldn't wait to see how the plot unfolded。 Can't wait for the next one Another good readI really enjoyed the first book in this series and enjoy this one however I did find this one had too much of its plot surrounding Louise 's problematic brother and it's in these instances I started to drift off and get a bit bored。 But the rest of the story has me gripped and I couldn't wait to see how the plot unfolded。 Can't wait for the next one 。。。more
Irene
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There’s a spate of women committing suicide in Weston-super-Mare， but was it suicide or something else？ So much about this book is depressing， even the descriptions of the town itself。 Inspector Louise was annoying with the decisions she made， the way she didn’t always have her full mind on the job at hand。 The side story with her brother and niece was predictable and boring。 I won’t be bothering with anymore in this series。 I was given this ARC by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an There’s a spate of women committing suicide in Weston-super-Mare， but was it suicide or something else？ So much about this book is depressing， even the descriptions of the town itself。 Inspector Louise was annoying with the decisions she made， the way she didn’t always have her full mind on the job at hand。 The side story with her brother and niece was predictable and boring。 I won’t be bothering with anymore in this series。 I was given this ARC by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
John Chalkley
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Ayahuasca A difficult to put down read， the book contains the effects of ayahuasca and that near death experience many have felt。 It may be an uncomfortable read for some but is as you would think full of twists and turns。
AngelaC
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Like "The Crossing"， this crime novel lets the reader see both sides of events - the crimes themselves and the subsequent police investigations。The main themes of the story （drugs and suicide） will not be for everybody， but the book is well written， with greater emphasis placed on the personalities and personal histories of the main characters。I did， however， feel that the second thread running through the book， the problems with Di Louise Blackwell's alcoholic brother Paul， was an unnecessary d Like "The Crossing"， this crime novel lets the reader see both sides of events - the crimes themselves and the subsequent police investigations。The main themes of the story （drugs and suicide） will not be for everybody， but the book is well written， with greater emphasis placed on the personalities and personal histories of the main characters。I did， however， feel that the second thread running through the book， the problems with Di Louise Blackwell's alcoholic brother Paul， was an unnecessary distraction。 In fact， it might arguably have been a book in its own right。Also， the not infrequent references to the case in the first of the DI Blackwell novels （"The Crossing"） became slightly annoying and I'm not sure why they were included。 The deaths in this novel occurred in different locations and neither the characters nor the modus operandi were in any way related to the earlier novel。This said， this is an enjoyable crime novel。 Predictable in that you know right will prevail but with an unexpected twist at the end。Would I recommend it？ Yes， I would。 。。。more
Mary Ann Nobbs
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Thought provoking A fascinating look into the lives of those on the outskirts of civilisation。 Do we ever think how hard it must be without the trappings of our lives。
Gabrielle Harris
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Enjoy reading books based in SomersetI admit to skipping some of the text as some parts too repetitive and needed greater insight to make really relevant。 When this stayed as a detective story it worked well
ian
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DelusionsAn intricate novel bringing human despair and susceptibility into the world of crime and personal challengesMatt Brolly has written a compelling story with twists and turns that keeps the reader in suspense
Tony Wheeler
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Well written， but not as good as the first novel about Detective Louise Blackwell。 I like Louise as a character， but I found this book hard going， drawn out， some of the characters too full of angst and slow paced until the end when the action picks up。 Will I read the next book about Detective Louise Blackwell？ Probably， but if the story line drags along like this one， I'm not sure I'll persevere to the end。 Well written， but not as good as the first novel about Detective Louise Blackwell。 I like Louise as a character， but I found this book hard going， drawn out， some of the characters too full of angst and slow paced until the end when the action picks up。 Will I read the next book about Detective Louise Blackwell？ Probably， but if the story line drags along like this one， I'm not sure I'll persevere to the end。 。。。more
G D Callachan
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Great BookTwo fantastic plots running side by side through this book from cover to cover。 Really intricate development of the characters from the first book onto the second。 All of which keeps you in suspense right to the end of the book。 First class read。
Anne
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I recently read and enjoyed the first book in Matt Brolly's Detective Louise Blackwell series， The Crossing， so was very keen to read this the second in the series。 I was not disappointed and found this to be as engrossing as the first book。There have been several suicides which cause concern for Detective Blackwell and she has her suspicions that foul play may be involved but has no evidence until another body confirms her suspicions。 Detective Blackwell is determined to identify who is respons I recently read and enjoyed the first book in Matt Brolly's Detective Louise Blackwell series， The Crossing， so was very keen to read this the second in the series。 I was not disappointed and found this to be as engrossing as the first book。There have been several suicides which cause concern for Detective Blackwell and she has her suspicions that foul play may be involved but has no evidence until another body confirms her suspicions。 Detective Blackwell is determined to identify who is responsible for these deaths before another body turns up but struggles with her loyalties as she is drawn into a family crisis which also requires her attention。A great read which I highly recommend。 I look forward to book three。 。。。more
susan
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Great readGreat read， can’t wait for the sequel to come out next February， I also enjoyed the first book in the series
Reggie
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Good story。 DI Louise Blackwell is on the case！ When the bodies of women， who apparently commit suicide， start showing up at the seaside， Louise knows that there’s a connection。 Of course， the ever present threat of headquarters taking over looms。 As Louise investigates and locates the common link， she is also struggling with finding her alcoholic brother， who has spirited away with her niece。 Can Louise keep herself together and solve these murders before it’s too late for another young woman？ Good story。 DI Louise Blackwell is on the case！ When the bodies of women， who apparently commit suicide， start showing up at the seaside， Louise knows that there’s a connection。 Of course， the ever present threat of headquarters taking over looms。 As Louise investigates and locates the common link， she is also struggling with finding her alcoholic brother， who has spirited away with her niece。 Can Louise keep herself together and solve these murders before it’s too late for another young woman？ What’s the truth about Paul Blackwell’s disappearance？Overall， the story is good。 That said， the constant threat of Louise’s case being taken away becomes boring。 。。。more
Shawn
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Interesting story line！I liked how you got information about the characters but not too much。 Also the book had just enough characters where you could keep track of each storyline
Abbi Beattie
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CompulsiveI couldnt/wouldn't put this down。I know the areas used in settings which added to my enjoyment of the text。Just thoroughly engrossing， from the troubled life of Louise to the sniping of her ex colleague and the manipulation of the charismatic and unpleasant Jay。Love the support and loyalty of Louise's team， both past and present or transitory。Roll on book three。 CompulsiveI couldnt/wouldn't put this down。I know the areas used in settings which added to my enjoyment of the text。Just thoroughly engrossing， from the troubled life of Louise to the sniping of her ex colleague and the manipulation of the charismatic and unpleasant Jay。Love the support and loyalty of Louise's team， both past and present or transitory。Roll on book three。 。。。more
mrs c a hayward
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Great bookThis is the second book and it is gripping stuff suggest that you read it you will not be disappointed
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Descent
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Descent&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Descent&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0