A complicated, charismatic forensic psychologist tries to rescue her brother from the clutches of a maniacal cult leader in this edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller from the author of Beautiful Maids All in a Row.
After catching an infamous serial killer, Dr. Iris Ballard has become a TV sensation. Exhausted from her appearances on the talk-show circuit, she’s looking forward to some quality time with Luke Hudson, her former FBI partner and on-again, off-again lover. The last thing Iris wants is to get pulled back to her dying Rust Belt hometown, but after the frantic call from her mother, she doesn’t have a choice.
Iris is a disgrace in Grey Mills, Pennsylvania, but her twin brother has gone and outdone her. Billy has abandoned his fiancée, drained their checking account, and quit his job to join a cult called the New Morning Movement. Expecting to find something sinister at play, Iris is eager to destroy the quixotic hold they have on her brother. And that means outwitting the cult’s cunning, sadistic founder, Mathias Morning.
Iris has logic and reason on her side. But Mathias doesn’t play by society’s rules. Just as Iris begins to lose hope, her investigation leads her to cross path with the DEA. And now she needs to save Billy’s life before they’re both caught in the crossfire.
After catching an infamous serial killer, Dr. Iris Ballard has become a TV sensation. Exhausted from her appearances on the talk-show circuit, she’s looking forward to some quality time with Luke Hudson, her former FBI partner and on-again, off-again lover. The last thing Iris wants is to get pulled back to her dying Rust Belt hometown, but after the frantic call from her mother, she doesn’t have a choice.
Iris is a disgrace in Grey Mills, Pennsylvania, but her twin brother has gone and outdone her. Billy has abandoned his fiancée, drained their checking account, and quit his job to join a cult called the New Morning Movement. Expecting to find something sinister at play, Iris is eager to destroy the quixotic hold they have on her brother. And that means outwitting the cult’s cunning, sadistic founder, Mathias Morning.
Iris has logic and reason on her side. But Mathias doesn’t play by society’s rules. Just as Iris begins to lose hope, her investigation leads her to cross path with the DEA. And now she needs to save Billy’s life before they’re both caught in the crossfire.
Darkness at the Edge of Town is set to release on November 14th.
It is available for pre-order at the following links.
Momma Says: 3 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐
Darkness at the Edge of Town does have an interesting premise, but the story is a bit drawn out and slow at times. I haven't read the first Iris Ballard novel, and there were things mentioned in this one that were confusing. The author does eventually explain some things as the story progresses, but I spent most of the book feeling like I was behind on the characters and what led them to this point in their lives. The book is well-written and even with the slow pace, it was a compelling and suspenseful read. However, I wouldn't call this one a thriller by any means. It does pick up in the end, but while there is suspense surrounding the cult and its leader, and Iris' snark was entertaining, the book lacks that heart-pounding element that I look for in a thriller. I did find some things a little hard to swallow, especially when Iris attempts to infiltrate the cult to find her brother. From the beginning of the story, we know that Iris is quite well-known and her face has been splashed all over the media, plus being so close to her childhood home. Good or bad, publicity is talked about, especially in a small town. I find it hard to believe that it takes as long as it does for anyone to recognize this woman who is so prevalent in the news. As I said, I haven't read the first book, so maybe that would've put a different spin on this for me, but in the end, the stretch of imagination required combined with the slow pace made it just an okay read for me.
**ARC provided by NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Alibi.
Momma😘
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