Thank you to Net Galley and Serpent’s Tail Books for this amazing advanced reader copy! I’m a sucker for just about anything that is labeled as a “thriller,” and This Little Dark Place by A.S. Hatch did not disappoint.
The Story
We primarily follow Daniel. He’s in a relationship with Victoria. They’ve been together for a while and are trying to start a family. After an unfortunate miscarriage, their relationship starts to unravel. Victoria gets really into fitness and develops a new “friendship” with her male personal trainer. Spoiler alert: They have an affair (predictable).
During this time, Daniel starts in with a prison pen pal program. He meets Ruby, and they develop a friendship. Over time, Ruby comes to tell Daniel that she cares for him, and it almost turns a little obsessive.
Then, Ruby gets out of prison and comes to visit Daniel. She stays for long periods of time, and they develop a relationship.
The Issues
Daniel gets paranoid about Ruby, thinking she has made things up and is actually a little crazy. Believing that his life is in danger, he does some drastic things.
Also, Victoria comes back, whining that the relationship with the personal trainer wasn’t what she thought it was. Also predictable.
Have I mentioned that Daniel moves out to an old, run-down cabin in the middle of nowhere?
In the end, you find that the story is written like a letter to Daniel’s daughter (wherever she came from)…from prison.
My Thoughts
Overall, This Little Dark Place was a pretty good book. It was a bit predictable. The ARC I received was an eBook (on my Kindle), and there were some MAJOR formatting issues that made it difficult to read at certain parts. If they fix that, it should make some more sense while you read it.
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