THE DARK

 

SYNOPSIS

In the most inhospitable environment - cut off from the rest of the world - there's a killer on the loose.

A&E doctor Kate North has been knocked out of her orbit by a personal tragedy. So when she's offered the opportunity to be an emergency replacement at the UN research station in Antarctica, she jumps at the chance. The previous doctor, Jean-Luc, died in a tragic accident while out on the ice.

The move seems an ideal solution for Kate: no one knows about her past; no one is checking up on her. But as total darkness descends for the winter, she begins to suspect that Jean-Luc's death wasn't accidental at all.

And the more questions she asks, the more dangerous it becomes.

Title: The Dark

Author: Ema Haughton

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication date: August 19, 2021

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Dark has to be the ultimate locked room mystery in an isolated setting. Have you ever heard of anywhere more isolated than Antarctica during winter, with permanent darkness and no possibility of getting in or out for several months? Just thinking about it gives me anxiety!

Dr. Kate North arrives at a UN research station in Antarctica to replace the previous doctor, who died on an accident on the ice. But, did it really was an accident? When one of her new colleagues hints that the doctor’s death was a murder, Kate tries to find out the truth about the accident but soon another staff member is found dead so things get a bit tricky. Will they survive in those conditions for several months with a killer in their midst?

I’m not a big fan of darkness. I’m not afraid of it, but the thought of being surrounded by it 24/7 during several months doesn’t seem like an appealing idea to me. The writing was so vivid I could see myself there and felt the claustrophobia of that environment more than once. The cold atmosphere inside the station between all the people working there was at times even more chilling than the sub-zero temperatures outside. Add some rivalry and suspicious to a hostile environment and you have a time bomb!

If you’re expecting a fast paced thriller you’ll have to look elsewhere. The Dark has a calm rhythm that, like the darkness of the title, creeps up on you until it has you completely in its grip. Kate and her colleagues will have to face not only the threats of a killer but those of nature, and I’m not sure which ones I’d fear more.

Overall, a typical locked room mystery in a pretty original and extreme setting that will make you feel the cold.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.