Review // In The Dark by Loreth Anne White

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As a new reader of author Loreth Anne White, I was thrilled at the opportunity to read her latest release IN THE DARK. I’m always looking for new (to me) authors that can open my eyes to both new stories and characters. I can say that I was not let down with my first entry into White’s writing.

“For in the end, there can only be one.”

Intrigued by the story of eight people brought together, trapped and secluded, is always an awesome deal when reading in the mystery, thriller, and suspense genre. Easily swayed by the seclusion of their remote destination and the unknown that awaits each person; fear settles in and trust is never established, well, of course, I was in! All I needed was some warm mint tea and a cozy spot to drop and enjoy!

As a fan of Agatha Christie, I was immediately drawn into the reading as Christie’s own AND THEN THERE WERE NONE plays a role within White’s novel. Intricately weaved, our characters know that someone is out to get them. The unknown is if it is someone outside of their group or someone among them. Keep your eyes open as the story begins to roll quickly.

“You do not need to be defined by the darkness of your past.”

One can quickly gain that two connected stories are unfolding within – one story of the secluded group of strangers and the second story of the rescue efforts to find them – and although there is jumping between the stories and timeframes each chapter, reading flow is never disjointed or choppy. Each chapter is purposefully positioned to flow into the next. With that said, one thing to keep in mind that I felt a bit chaotic about is the first half of the novel seems to do this quite a lot. It doesn’t take away from the reading, but it can seem to be a bit busy.

There is a whole slew of characters that you will follow. Each character has a purpose and fulfills their purpose wonderfully. With such a large group – eight people – I honestly never got close to any one person. The tale is of the whole, and although you do learn the backstory of each – and one does eventually standout – I was drawn to two characters that for me were central in the storyline, homicide cop Mason Deniaud and rescue expert Callie Sutton. Their storyline helps to anchor the entire read.

There is a point within the reading where I felt the storyline become a bit obvious. This in no way means you should stop reading. At this point, there were still many questions that I had to get the answer to, so it’s not a point where you will know everything. However, I was able to pull a few scenarios together – one which was correct – of how it would all play out. FINISH READING – it is worth it.

I do feel a bit torn between feeling if the novel was too long or just long enough. There are a large group of characters that need to tell their stories, both past, and present. In that aspect, understanding that each needed time to develop their story within a story, I fell the length was just right. There are a few instances where I felt a story was already told and it was becoming repetitive reading. This wasn’t too often and not every reader is going to find those same spots.

Loreth Anne White pulled together the perfect location for IN THE DARK. A remote, secluded and forgotten landscape is the perfect setting for a bit of mystery. This setting lends itself well to the psychological game being played out as the group has no way to reach the outside and with absolutely no trust among the group, characters begin to question everything. 

Overall, Loreth Anne White’s latest release, IN THE DARK, is a must-read mystery with a bit of psychological torture. I feel this is a definite read if you love the Queen of mystery, Agatha Christie. You will draw some correlations between the two authors, but White is definitely a writer that delivers her own mind games within her writing. I’m not sorry that I discovered White’s writing and will definitely start perusing her previous novels and keep my eyes open for all future reads.

“And then there was one.”

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Loreth Anne White is a bestselling author of thrillers, mysteries, and romantic suspense. A three-time RITA finalist, she is also the recipient of the Overall 2017 Daphne du Maurier Award, the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Romantic Crown for Best Romantic Suspense and Best Book Overall. In addition, she’s a Booksellers’ Best finalist and a multiple CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award winner. A former journalist who has worked in both South Africa and Canada, she now resides in the Pacific Northwest with her family. When Loreth isn’t writing, you will find her skiing, biking, or hiking the trails with her dog (a.k.a. the Black Beast) or open-water swimming. She calls this work because that’s when the best ideas come. Visit her at www.lorethannewhite.com.