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A review by themysterymaven
In the Dark by Loreth Anne White
4.0
There’s just something about a locked-room mystery - or the outdoor equivalent, such as here, with characters secluded in a swirl of sinister happenings in the woods - that really appeals to me. And this book did not disappoint!
Nine guests enter the very northern Canadian wilds, invited to the soft-opening of a posh new retreat. There’s an immediate, uneasy yet hazy connection amongst the group that creates a cast of caution as they embark together on this ten-day trip.
The story very much pays homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None; the book itself serves as a forboding foreshadow placed right in the forefront of the cabin retreat; it’s nestled quite ominously on the great room coffee table, along with nine wooden chess pieces, and a very curious poem that seems to fortell for the characters how this retreat intends to play out.
The writing here is excellent, as the multiple POV approach plays well as the intricate backstories of these guests unfolds, and the level of seclusion, secrets, and not-so-subtle clues set about the lodging makes for a thrilling page-turner - rusty weapons are within reach ala a very dark game of Clue, as one guest after another starts to meet a grisly end. And it’s the always-captivating question of is there an outside intuder picking them off one by one, or rather is it one of their own group that’s the wolf in sheep’s clothing?
This novel has deep, dark secrets, an inhospitable setting both indoor and out in the woods, and there’s no grace given in how the characters start to die, as the chisled chess pieces are dismembered in sync with each slaughter.
I really loved this book! It does slow a bit toward the very last 40 pages, but that is due to the extreme level of detail and yes, full closure, the author has created.
Highly recommend for fans of And Then There Were None and other books like The Hunting Party (but I give the edge to this story over that one!), with a dash of Clue and Harper’s Island.
Nine guests enter the very northern Canadian wilds, invited to the soft-opening of a posh new retreat. There’s an immediate, uneasy yet hazy connection amongst the group that creates a cast of caution as they embark together on this ten-day trip.
The story very much pays homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None; the book itself serves as a forboding foreshadow placed right in the forefront of the cabin retreat; it’s nestled quite ominously on the great room coffee table, along with nine wooden chess pieces, and a very curious poem that seems to fortell for the characters how this retreat intends to play out.
The writing here is excellent, as the multiple POV approach plays well as the intricate backstories of these guests unfolds, and the level of seclusion, secrets, and not-so-subtle clues set about the lodging makes for a thrilling page-turner - rusty weapons are within reach ala a very dark game of Clue, as one guest after another starts to meet a grisly end. And it’s the always-captivating question of is there an outside intuder picking them off one by one, or rather is it one of their own group that’s the wolf in sheep’s clothing?
This novel has deep, dark secrets, an inhospitable setting both indoor and out in the woods, and there’s no grace given in how the characters start to die, as the chisled chess pieces are dismembered in sync with each slaughter.
I really loved this book! It does slow a bit toward the very last 40 pages, but that is due to the extreme level of detail and yes, full closure, the author has created.
Highly recommend for fans of And Then There Were None and other books like The Hunting Party (but I give the edge to this story over that one!), with a dash of Clue and Harper’s Island.