This Little Dark Place by A.S. Hatch
Genre: Psychological thriller
Read: 20th October 2019
Purchase: Amazon
(publication: 10th October 2019)
★★★ 3.5 stars
THIS LITTLE DARK PLACE is the compelling new debut from A.S. Hatch that had me hooked from the first page. It was different from what I expected, although I really didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't the dark and twisty ride that it certainly turned out to be. The reader is left questioning just what exactly is going on which keeps you guessing right up to the end. Nothing is as it seems and leaves only more questions. Even Lucy's identity wasn't forthcoming to me until just before the end...
The story begins in a unique way narrated solely by Dan in the form of letters to someone named Lucy, taking readers on a journey throughout all that lead up to where he is today. He shares the harrowing days of trying for a baby with Victoria and all her superstitions she has attached to falling pregnant. She becomes completely obsessed with it all. Her wardrobe soon only exhibits orange clothing; changing her diet to promote fertility; joining a gym; taking up yoga; but the one that hurt Dan the most was when Victoria stopped visiting his mother with him. That particular superstition was one that saw you cut off any friends of loved ones that were ill or on the brink of death. Victoria loved his mother and she loved her...but Victoria's desire to fall pregnant was far greater than her love for Ivy.
Then one day, the news they have been waiting for - Victoria is pregnant! They are both elated and overnight, it appears the old Victoria is back again, as they begin to plan the nursery and for when the baby comes. Dan is a carpenter, like his father before him, and he decides to surprise Victoria with all the necessary baby furniture - made by hand by him. He spends days and nights secretly working on them - a change table, a cot, a rocking chair for Victoria to sit in whilst nursing their baby. When he had finished, he planned to surprise Victoria when she returned home from the gym. But instead, they argue...and he never got to share the surprise with her. Later that night he finds Victoria in the rocking chair in the nursery...but nothing prepared him for what he would find.
In the midst of the turmoil he found himself in with Victoria's obsession of having a baby, Dan ultimately found himself somewhat superfluous...and incredibly lonely. It is during this time, whilst cleaning out his inbox that he discovers an email inviting him to join a virtual pen pal program called Inbox Inmate, where people exchange letters via email with prisoners. At the height of his loneliness...or maybe it was more like rock bottom...Dan fires off an email one New Years Eve. He never thought anything more about it. Until a few days later he finds a reply in his inbox from a prisoner named Ruby.
It isn't long before Dan and Ruby are exchanging secrets in their letters; deepest their fears and their darkest desires. Dan finds himself looking forward to Ruby's bright and cheery letters as opposed to the indifference he receives from Victoria.
Then when Dan's mother Ivy dies, Victoria doesn't even attend the funeral, and soon Dan learns that his mother had a cottage in the country that he knew nothing about. He drives out to this isolated cottage called Lanes End and upon finding it dilapidated decides to renovate it himself to something resembling inhabitable for he and Victoria to move into. The cottage finally ready, packed and ready to go, on the day they are to move in Victoria drops a bombshell - she is not going with him. But moving in with her personal trainer Scott.
Dan is devastated. Making the move himself, he soon becomes something of a hermit at Lanes End, cutting himself off from everyone and speaking to no one. This was meant to be a new start for him and Victoria...and instead he finds himself alone.
Added to that, Ruby dropped her own bombshell prior to the move - she was in love with him. Not knowing how to respond to that, he decided to do nothing at all. Having been rebuffed by his silence, Ruby becomes irate in her emails to Dan demanding an explanation...but he says nothing, ignoring her.
Until one day, Ruby comes looking for Dan...and never leaves. Soon, Dan finds himself questioning her motives. Who is she really? What does she want with him? Why is she here? And can she be trusted?
Woven throughout the story of Daniel's past is the one from his present - in jail. We see another tale unfolding throughout his letters to this Lucy and we are left wondering just who can be trusted? And who is Lucy? Can she be trusted?
There is so much unfolding throughout the pages of THIS LITTLE DARK PLACE, and the unique style in which it is written is a wonderfully clever concept. The entire story is told through a series of letters to the aforementioned Lucy, although at times it doesn't seem so...but rather more like it is happening as we read.
There is such an isolation to this story that is almost claustrophobic and the descriptions are chilling in parts, particularly of those surrounding Lanes End.
My only complaint is with the ending...I felt all that tension building was a bit of an anti-climax that simply didn't do the rest of the story justice. It felt a little rushed and a bit of a let down when compared to the love, pain, grief and obsession throughout. I thought it would have been a little more elaborate and satisfying.
A twisty tale of love, obsession, grief and betrayal, THIS LITTLE DARK PLACE is compelling debut that is both addictive and suspenseful.
I would like to thank #ASHatch, #NetGalley and #SerpentsTail for an ARC of #ThisLittleDarkPlace in exchange for an honest review.
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