Ty Buchanan is certainly not your typical lawyer. After the tragic death of his fiancé, Ty moves into a trailer behind a convent and befriends a nun with a passion for hoops. Together they work to bring justice to the downtrodden that cross their path. Ty's latest case involves a young girl whose mother was brutally murdered before her eyes. As Ty and Sister Mary Veritas look further into the case, they uncover a conspiracy between a larger than life business mogul and Ty's old law firm. It will take every ounce of Ty's wit and Sister Mary's unwavering faith to bring justice and hope to the little girl that has stolen their hearts.

James Scott Bell has given us exactly what we want in a sequel: an even better story. I thoroughly enjoyed Try Dying, but this second installment really outweighs the first. Ty Buchanan is such an engaging character full of heart, flaws, and passion. His own personal search for truth and meaning is such a welcome addition to an already rich plot. Bell knows how to structure a plot (heck, he has written a book about it) and his talent is on full display here. Never does the story drag or cause you to wonder just how many more pages are left. This is truly one of the more engaging novels I've read in some time.

Let's not forget about the wonderfully strange cast of characters Bell treats us to. Sister Mary Veritas is a fun and complex counterpart to Ty and their relationship is wonderfully explored here. Father Bob and Pick McNitt are back and as entertaining as ever with their witty banter and unique perspectives. Bell also mixes in some new characters that are sure to become fan favorites.

Try Darkness holds it's own as a mystery and also works as a relevant exploration into faith. Ty and Sister Mary remind me of Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth on the TV show, Bones. Being a self proclaimed agnostic, Ty often butts heads with Sister Mary over issues of spirituality making for fascinating conversations between the two. Indeed, one of the most intriguing aspects of Ty Buchanan is his passion for helping and serving others despite his uncertainty about God.

James Scott Bell totally has me hooked and I am eagerly awaiting another installment in this impressive series.

But not five stars. Lots of witty dialogue, but it gets to be a surfeit at times and a little tedious. Well drawn three-dimensional characters. The ending is a little bit manufactured and I don't think is quiet sufficiently motivated. In addition to the plot, the author offers a nice side dish of food for thought.

These days I start a new mystery a little nervously. Will the author create a compelling plot? Will I want to spend time with the characters all the way to the end? Or will I get frustrated, peek ahead and close the book with a sigh, regretting the loss of time?

So I was delighted to find Try Darkness. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Ty Buchanan, corporate lawyer who's recovering from a difficult past. I didn't read the first book in the series so I'm not sure how he ends up living in a trailer on the property of a Benedictine convent. But his friendship with Sister Mary adds a nice subplot. Their back and forth banter makes a nice break for the reader.

The nuns and the resident priest, Father Bob, function as Buchanan's sidekicks. I don't see them as creating a spiritual dimension for the novel. Sister Mary seems to have a lot of freedom for a junior nun. In one episode she's described as a postulant. Yet she regularly defies the superior, Sister Hildegarde. She wants to wear traditional dress yet chooses to take a very non-traditional role.

Buchanan is fun to watch as he moves back and forth between his old life as a hotshot lawyer and his new role as a hired gun (or loose cannon, one might say). The plot follows a typical arc, culminating in a major conflict at the end. In true detective fashion, Buchanan combines his deductive skills, his street smarts and his brainpower to solve the case and make sure everything works out.

Reviewed by Danielle Feliciano for Reader Views (8/08)

"Try Darkness" is a true thriller. I picked up this book and could not put it down until I was done. It starts by introducing us to Ty Buchanan, a former hotshot attorney with a major firm who now lives in a religious enclave and practices law from a rented chair in a local coffee shop. While trying to pick up the pieces of his life, while dealing with the death of his fiancé, as well as being falsely accused of murder, Ty is happy playing basketball with his favorite nun and having philosophical conversations with the resident priest, Father Bob.

When Father Bob brings him a new client, it seems to be a relatively easy case. Reatta, a single mother, lives in a bottom-of-the-barrel motel in a seedy part of town with her six-year-old daughter, Kylie. The motel utilized an illegal practice of shoving residents out after a few weeks and making them wait a week to check in again. This prevents the residents being protected by resident laws. Reatta decides to fight since this practice will put her and Kylie on the street. Ty takes the case, and things pick up speed very quickly. As the bodies pile up, Ty is in for the case of his life in every sense of the word.

In the midst of the danger, we see another side of Ty. Snarky and sarcastic, he is also loving and caring. He still visits his late fiancée's mother, finds himself forming an unwanted bond to this abandoned girl and is struggling with feelings for a woman he should not be thinking about.

"Try Darkness" by James Scott Bell is a thriller at its best. It was full of action, wonderful and realistic dialog and characters that rang true. Once you pick this up, be prepared to be in for quite a ride!

After the sizzling debut of his Ty Buchanan series last year in "Try Dying", James Scott Bell does it again in this fast-paced and tightly plotted second entry.

Still at loose ends after clearing himself of his fiancee's murder, we find Ty getting involved in a legal battle for the rights of tenants being hustled by the landlord of a Single Room Occupancy hotel in downtown LA.

But as Ty delves deeper into the case, he finds things aren't what they seem, and matters swing out of control, resulting in murder, kidnapping, and a confrontation with some of the city's top-level power brokers.

Buchanan is a fascinating, well portrayed character full of sardonic insights and witty ripostes; the secondary characters are all fully-realized and three-dimensional, each memorable and distinct in their own right.

The personal story between Ty and Sister Mary Veritas continues to develop, and I can hardly wait to see what happens in the next installment.

This book barrels along like a runaway train. It satisfies on every level, and Bell is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

A solid five stars; get this book!

After the sizzling debut of his Ty Buchanan series last year in "Try Dying", James Scott Bell does it again in this fast-paced and tightly plotted second entry.

Still at loose ends after clearing himself of his fiancee's murder, we find Ty getting involved in a legal battle for the rights of tenants being hustled by the landlord of a Single Room Occupancy hotel in downtown LA.

But as Ty delves deeper into the case, he finds things aren't what they seem, and matters swing out of control, resulting in murder, kidnapping, and a confrontation with some of the city's top-level power brokers.

Buchanan is a fascinating, well portrayed character full of sardonic insights and witty ripostes; the secondary characters are all fully-realized and three-dimensional, each memorable and distinct in their own right.

The personal story between Ty and Sister Mary Veritas continues to develop, and I can hardly wait to see what happens in the next installment.

This book barrels along like a runaway train. It satisfies on every level, and Bell is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

A solid five stars; get this book!

Lawyer Ty Buchannon returns in the legal thriller Try Darkness by James Scott Bell. After the death of his fiance in Try Dying, Buchannon moved into a trailer on a convent in the hills of Los Angeles where he is quickly becoming friends with Sister Mary, a pretty, but fiesty young nun, and Father Bob, a priest trying to recover from false accusations of abuse. A woman named Reatta has come to the convent for help. She lives in the Lindebrook Hotel and they're trying to evict her and her six year old daughter even though they have money to pay the rent. Ty agrees to take the case and then a whole lot more when Reatta is murdered. He and Sister Mary take in the daughter Kylie and Ty begins investigating the owners of the hotel.

Incredibly rich Sam Decosse owns the Lindebrook, has a son who has been given everything and a beautiful wife. Ty is convinced Decoss is behind Reatta's death. The rest of the novel consists of Ty getting to the bottom of Reatta's checkered past as well as trying to find out what Decosse is really up to. Bell writes quick fast paced story. Buchannon is witty and quick on his feet yet very skeptical of the religion of Sister Mary and Father Bob. Buchannon's wit sometimes falls flat, but his transitions into the darkness and the questioning of why evil happens are some of the best parts of the book. The relationship with Sister Mary is the best part of the book, but receives less attention than it should. Since the novel is told from Buchannon's point of view, we know little about Sister Mary's true feelings towards Buchannon and the conflict they may pose with his vows. At times the novel moves too quickly and I wasn't able to relate to some of the characters as much as I had hoped.

Fans of Bell will enjoy this legal thriller. Try Darkness contains a lot of discussion of religion for a book that isn't supposed to be a Christian novel. Try Darkness is as good as the best of Bell's Christian legal thrillers and a must read for his fans.

Bell delivers as promised in Try Darkness, his second Ty Buchanan novel. This sharp, crisply-written legal thriller is fastly-paced and cuttingly humorous. The protagonist's one-on-one battle with a nun on the basketball court and the heart-tugs of a child in distress are all weaved into this legal thriller, forcing readers to keep flipping pages. Set in Bell's world of Los Angeles, Buchanan must use his skills as an investigative lawyer to protect the rights and life of Kylie, a young girl suddenly left homeless and abandoned. And Buchanan's mouth is as deadly as the killers he tracks, whether he's facing a brass-knuckled enforcer or trying to emotionally shield himself from a Benedictine nun trying to help. Try Darkness compels you to travel with Buchanan through a labyrinth of leads until the moment of truth is revealed.

Reviewed by Gina Holland for RebeccasReads (6/08)

Ty Buchanan was once a great lawyer who was engaged to a woman he truly loved with all his heart. Jacqueline was his heart and soul, and then she was murdered. Ty was the prime suspect in her murder and proving his innocence in court was extremely hard. He was eventually found innocent and went on to live his life without Jacqueline, but his life as a lawyer changed drastically. No longer willing to practice for a large firm, Ty decides that he wants to use his services to help poor people who cannot afford the services of expensive lawyers. Ty's life was about to take a most drastic turn.

Ty's new office is a seat at a local coffee shop called the Freudian Sip. He lives out of a trailer on the grounds of St. Monica's, a very nice community church. In this place, Ty feels peace for the first time in a long time. He has friends here: Father Bob and Sister Mary Verita. Father Bob occupies the trailer next to Ty's, so if Ty needs to talk, Father Bob is only a minute away. There's nothing better than having a priest right next door when you need to talk. Sister Mary is a confidant, a helper and beautiful nun.

One day, Ty receives a visitor who claims to need his help. Her name is Reatta and has a beautiful daughter named Kylie. She seeks Ty's help for she is living in a place where they will not allow you to stay week after week. She has the money to pay them but they will not accept it. It's basically a place where homeless people and ex cops and ex veterans stay when they have nothing left or no place else to be. Ty decides that he wants to help her and so he begins to try and find out what is going on. As Ty begins to investigate the situation, he dives into a world of murder once again. Now he is in charge of a small child, and he is falling in love with someone who he should not be, and who should not love him back.

This thriller is so fantastic. Ty is a very interesting character and very funny as well; I sometimes found myself laughing out loud. Sister Mary also had some very humorous things to say. Father Bob was very knowledgeable and very wise.

James Scott Bell shows us how different people can be friends as well as enemies. I wish I could have given this book more than 5 stars.

Written by: James Scott Bell
Published by: Center Street
Reviewed by: Stephanie Rollins for ReviewYourBook.com 7/2008
ISBN: 978-1-59995-685-5
"You Will Love This!" 5 stars
I loved Bell's Try Dying. This is even better! Between the drama and the brewing romance, there is excitement on every page.
Buchanan is a lawyer who went from the life concerned about billable hours to the life concerned about advocacy. He lives with nuns and a priest who are equally lovable (except for one). Remember the Father Downing mysteries? If you liked those, you will love this series. Read Try Dying to understand why he lives with nuns and a priest.
Buchanan is a smart-aleck. He has an intelligent banter with those around him. It drives everyone crazy except for Sister Mary. There is an underlying tangible sensuality between the two of them that is obviously taboo. However, you will find yourself wanting Sister Mary to take off her habit and run off into the sunset with the rogue Buchanan.
Buchanan is searching for the killer of a little girl's mother. He thinks that the killing is related to greedy developers. Will he solve the case without getting himself and the girl killed? Will he and Sister Mary finally acknowledge their feelings?
This is a book you have to read. Bell's talent for sarcasm and fast-moving drama makes him one of my favorite authors. Do not pass this one up! Better yet, read Try Dying and Try Darkness!

James Scott Bell scores again. Ty Buchanan, defender of the defenseless, takes on the case of a man accused of robbery and murder. The man claims he didn't do it, but eye-witnesses ID him. Or is it a case of mistaken identity? Ty is determined to find out. Then, a secretive woman with a six year old daughter seeks his help, only to wind up dead, leaving the little girl, with no last name, orphaned. Ty takes the child under his wing and sets out to find her mother's killer.

But Ty is on his own now, with no trial experience in criminal law, armed only with his sense of justice, sharp mind, and a dogged determination to push through all obstacles to find the truth. We met Ty in Try Dying, Book 1 of the Ty Buchanan mystery/thriller series when his fiancée was killed and he learned it wasn't just a freak accident--it was out-and-out murder. He took some hard knocks, even accused of murder, but fought his way through to the truth.

His sometimes smart-aleck and confident attitude gets his bell rung a few times in Try Darkness, too, Book 2. And his temper threatens to be his undoing a number of times. But the wise counsel of his friends Sister Mary Veritas, a Benedictine nun, and Father Bob, a disgraced priest, try to help him stay on track. Ty's home and sanctuary is in a trailer situated on the grounds of St. Monica's due to the Benedictine rule of hospitality, Sister Mary and Father Bob his only 'family.

Try Darkness is fast moving and action packed, with snappy dialog. The pages practically turned themselves as I read--as I've come to expect from a James Scott Bell book. I love the unique layout of the chapters, all 191 of them! But not to worry, they're not long. Some are only a paragraph, some may appear two to a page, maybe even, with the book open, you'll see five chapters between the two pages. It's fun, and kept me turning the pages. AND, there's no place to find an easy break where you feel ready to set the book aside. Can't be done. I read Try Darkness in less than two days, waking up in the night to my husband taking my glasses off, setting the book aside and turning out the light.

Do I recommend this book? Oh, yeah!

Try Darkness by James Scott Bell is the second book in his series starring lawyer Ty Buchanan. Ty has been through the ringer: his fiance murdered, accused of murder himself, and then the loss of his job. He's restarted his life living near a Benedictine convent in the hills outside of L.A. and picking up legal cases out of his "office" is a local coffee shop. A young woman approaches him to help defend her and her daughter against an illegal eviction. But as Ty starts to press the case, it quickly becomes complicated, and then the woman is murdered, leaving Ty to look after her six-year-old daughter Kylie who quickly steals his heart and peace of mind. Sister Mary Veritas, basketball champ, is back stomping Ty on the court as well as on his heart. This series reminds me a bit of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. Ty is quick with the one-liners and the punches, and you have to love a book in which a priest gives lessons in street-fighting, and there are dead-on caricatures of Charlie Sheen and Donald Trump. Bell captures the spirit of L.A. with its quirky characters and a sheen of celebrity. I'm not sure if Ty is moving closer to faith or just to Sister Mary, but either way, I'm along for the ride!

James Scott Bell has a real winner with Ty Buchanan. This is the second in the series, and is even better than the first, Try Dying. From the first line--"The nun hit me in the mouth and said, 'Get out of my house.'"--to the last page, this is a fast-paced, entertaining read. Buchanan is flawed but easy to root for. If you like action fiction with emotion, drama, and some laughs, pick up a copy of Try Darkness. And watch for the next novel in the Ty Buchanan series. I know that I will.

Try Darkness is one of the best legal thrillers I've read. Better, than Try Dying because Dying was melancholy and Ty's sarcastic bent was darker. In Try Darkness, Ty is more inclined to hope. He's still cynical but he's beyond the rough grief.

I love Ty and his quirky band of people. Sarcasm, bad guys, legal maneuvering and a hint of romance make this an entertaining read. The influence of those who love God and Ty's struggles with what he believes or doesn't believe make Try Darkness an honest and compelling yet inspirational read.

Murder, violence and evil are very present in the novel. Those who are very sensitive may struggle a bit. Legal thriller lovers, mystery lovers, folks who devour multi-dimensional characters and those looking for a great story will find much to like. Bell is a master. I am looking forward to what happens next in Ty's life. Based on where we left off in Try Darkness, it's going to be good.