The Killing Floor Blues (Daniel Faust #5)
By: Craig Schaefer
Website: http://craig-schaefer-v2.squarespace.com/
Release Date: July 30th, 2015
Publisher: Demimonde Books
Series: Daniel Faust Series
Rating:

Okay, so, let’s admit I need to get my life together. While I have been broken out of my reading rut I can’t get in a review writing mind frame so, I’m a slacker. So, we’re bringing it back to the remaining books of the Daniel Faust series that I’ve read to get me back on track. Also, if you’re a fan of the series we’re approaching a new release on this series sometimes in end of 2019, early 2020.

Back to Faust.

He’s in trouble. I’m not talking the normal kind of trouble for Daniel. I mean, there’s a timey-wimey- wibbly-wobbly thing going on and Daniel wakes up on the bus to a high-security prison known as The Iceberg.

In my constant attempt to avoid the dreaded spoilers I am forgoing talking about the who, what, where, when, why and how of this book. Instead I’ll tell you about the feelings associated with this book.

Since Daniel is our narrator and we only have his POV to work with we feel what he is feeling. And, for most of this book we fluctuate between confusion, anger, frustration and desperation. Daniel doesn’t know how he got to the Iceberg, doesn’t remember his own trial, knows he shouldn’t be locked up but cannot make anyone believe him.

Anger shows up when people are attacking Daniel, when he isn’t believed, when he realizes there is something crazy is going on and he cannot get out. The frustration and tension and worry builds and builds with this novel and, honestly, if I hadn’t come to the series so late in the game I would’ve been convinced Daniel would die in this book.

Daniel is desperate to be proven innocent, to get out alive. He also has a new worry, on top of how this all happened. Prisoners are disappearing. As no one has ever escaped and no guard will admit to the disappearances everyone knows something nefarious is going on. This brings in the fear aspect, one that Daniel tries to cover up in himself but honestly, how could it not be terrifying to literally be locked up with no way out?

Also, Craig Schaefer remains king of tone and consistency because even as he’s balancing the new environment we still have Daniel’s dark humor, cynicism and muddy morals on full display.

You cannot ask for much more in a long standing series.

As always, I have to leave you all with a quote by Mr. Faust.

“I could imagine I was on a college campus, if it weren’t for the fences, the gun towers, and the razor wire.”

– Daniel Faust, The Killing Floor Blues by Craig Schaefer