The Guise of Another
Who was James Putnam? Answering that question may mean salvation for Alexander Rupert, a Minnesota detective whose life is in a serious downward spiral. A Medal of Valor winner, Alexander is now under subpoena by a grand jury on suspicion of corruption. He’s been reassigned to the Frauds Unit, where he is shunned by his fellow detectives, and he fears his status-seeking wife may be having an affair. When he happens across a complex case of identity theft, Alexander sees an opportunity to rehabilitate his tattered reputation. But the case explodes into far more than he could have expected, putting him in the path of trained assassin Drago Basta, a veteran of the Balkan wars who has been searching for “James Putnam” for years. As his life spins out of control, Alexander’s last hope may be his older brother, Max, a fellow police detective who steps in to try to save his brother from the carnage his investigation has let loose.
Author’s Note
The Guise of Another, The Heavens May Fall, and The Deep Dark Descending follow the progression of Max Rupert as he goes from being a man with a strong moral code to a man fighting against his darkest nature.
Full Praise
“Eskens’s elegant but chilly prose, like winter in the blood, is well suited to this fiercely told morality tale (and its deeply cynical ending), which is sure to send all of us wretched sinners straight to hell.”
—The New York Times
“With just two books to his name, I have put [Eskens] on my ‘must read’ list.”
—Deadly Pleasures Magazine
“Readers looking for a new voice should pay attention to Eskens.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Eskens has conjured up a marvelously black spirit of a novel. It’s a taut, intelligent, heart-ripping story that explores the darkest places in the human psyche. After each unexpected twist, you’ll tell yourself things can’t get any worse. And then they do.”
—William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author of the Edgar® Award-winning Ordinary Grace
“Another great, dark, and brooding page-turner from Allen Eskens, with a tragic protagonist who will break your heart. Eskens’s characters will haunt you long after you finish reading.”
—Michael Sears, award-winning author of the bestselling Jason Stafford series
“The talented Allen Eskens fulfills the rich promise of his Edgar®-nominated debut with this chilling, dark, and sinister thriller. With precision and authority, Eskens’s determined cop hero takes one intriguing clue—and pursues it into spiraling disaster. With a deadly surprise around every corner and a bleak undercurrent of noir-like dread, this book will haunt you.”
—Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author of Truth Be Told
“Eskens has proven that he can play with the big boys with two outstanding novels under his belt—(Seeing another Dean Koontz), with his literary flair; appealing to a wide audience. Lots of action, plot twists—an intricately woven mystery.”
—Judith D. Collins Reviews (read the full review)
“Wow, what a novel The Guise of Another turns out to be! It is a thriller suspense that ended in a way I did not expect. Every detail is clear to understand, and the way each part of the story folds together kept me hooked.”
—Fresh Fiction (read the full review)
“The Life We Bury was an excellent mystery, and I wasn’t sure Eskens’ second novel could live up to it. However, The Guise of Another was fantastic and may be even better than his first novel.”
—Tina Says…
“The Guise of Another is certainly a page turner—gripping through to the end.”
—Beyond the Cover
“I highly encourage mystery, suspense, oh heck everyone should read this one. Guise of Another is a suspenseful journey of layers, each one more interesting than the last.”
—Night Owl Reviews (read the full review)
“I am so excited to discover a new mystery novelist in Mr. Eskens. I have really enjoyed both of his books and look forward to more from this talented author.”
—Booking Mama Reviews
“Eskens moves through these styles genres easily, using Alexander’s growing desperation to match the element of desperation in each genre. The slow reveal of his true nature makes him the fitting protagonist for each form the book morphs into. Eskens’ true accomplishment is how we care for his protagonist more as the vice tightens.”
—MysteryPeople (read the full review)
“This crime novel is layered in secrecy. The characters are well drawn, from the central lead and his brother, to the villain, a creative assassin adept at acquiring whatever he needs to accomplish his task. A quick read overall, and an intriguing one.”
—Omnimystery News
“Another excellent page turner from Eskens. I highly recommend his books. Eskens is firmly on my must-read list. I’ll be eagerly awaiting his third novel.”
—A Bookworm’s World
All Books
My books are not a series, but rather character arcs that revolve around a small community.
Click on the names below to see who appears in each novel.
