"Delightfully creepy." Dark Mind by @JChaseNovelist
Dark Mind
Written by Jennifer Chase
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Book Synopsis
A Serial Killer Plagues an Island ParadiseVigilante detective Emily Stone continues her covert pursuits to find serial killers and child abductors, all under the radar while shadowing police investigations.
Emily searches for an abducted nine-year-old girl taken by ruthless and enterprising slave brokers. Following the clues from California to the garden island of Kauai, she begins to piece together the evidence and ventures deep into the jungle.
It doesn’t take long before Emily is thrown into the middle of murder, mayhem, and conspiracy. Locals aren’t talking as a serial killer now stalks the island, taking women in a brutal frenzy of ancient superstitions and folklore. Local cops are unprepared for what lies ahead. In a race against the clock, Emily and her team must identify the killer before time runs out.
Charlotte's Rating
Charlotte's Review
Jennifer Chase’s ‘Dark Mind’ opens in a mixture of chaos, action and suspense, setting the tone for the rest of the novel. Although I struggled to keep up with which characters were which during the opening few chapters as there were so many being introduced at once, the tension that was created during the first couple of chapters held the promise of better things to come. I am happy to say that I was not disappointed.
The lack of character development at the beginning, which initially left me feeling like Chase wasn’t going to take her central characters beyond stereotypes, was soon rectified after the opening scenes and I quickly discovered that there was more to Emily and Rick than first met the eye. Emily’s nightmares made her more than the brave heroine she appears to be, allowing the reader to see past her tough outer shell and into the fears that shape her character.
However, what I really enjoyed about this novel was the dark undertones that ran through it. The gruesome murders that provide the main plot for the story, centering around the world of ritualistic killings, are delightfully creepy, sending shivers up my spine. The glimpses Chase gives us into the world of child abduction also gives the story another, darker dimension, emphasizing to the reader from the beginning that the world the story is set in is not a friendly one.
I would definitely recommend this book, not only to those who are already fans of this darker style of fiction, but also to those who are curious to try something new. Chase’s attention to detail, especially during scenes of high tension, really helps to set the scene and prepare the reader for the action to come. However, my favourite part of this novel is the fact that no matter which way you look, you are never sure who you can trust and who could be plotting against you.
Disclaimer: Adult issues dealt with in this novel and disturbing images give it a high maturity rating. Mild references to drugs and sex.
