The Dark Place by Stephanie Rogers #BookReview #BlogTour


When you look at those you love, what do you see?

When Issy, young mother and beloved daughter, seemingly kills herself her family is devastated.

Believing she would never leave son Noah willingly, Jon and Mel determine to discover what really happened to Issy. As they and the rest of the family struggle to come to terms with tragedy, Jon and Mel start to realise Issy’s secrets come from a very dark place…

It's my pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for The Dark Place by Stephanie Rogers today. Many thanks to the author, Manatee Books and Tracy Fenton for inviting me and for my digital copy of the novel.

The opening chapter of The Dark Place briefly introduces the reader to Issy as she returns home following her first year at university. We learn very little about her here, other than she is the mother of a young son, Noah who is cared for by her parents and she seems to struggle to know how to relate to him. The moment when her life comes to a sudden and violent end is a shocking moment, even if it doesn't come as a surprise. Jon and Mel are determined to find out the truth about their daughter's death but it results in some devastating discoveries and means they are forced to confront their memories of their daughter - just how well did they really know her?
I must admit to finding parts of The Dark Place very difficult to read. I lost my brother to suicide a few years ago and although the circumstances were very different, there was so much here that was painfully familiar. The suicide of a loved one feels like it rips your world from its axis and I remember only too well that raw grief that felt as though it would consume me in the early days after my brother's death. Although I sensed the prickle of tears a few times during the early scenes, I was able to admire Stephanie Rogers' skill in capturing the emotional intensity of that time with such searing honesty and as the book progressed I became so caught up in Jon and Mel's quest to discover the truth, that it became an easier, though no less compelling read.
It's not just Issy's life - and death - under the spotlight and it transpires that this family has more than its share of secrets; the chapters are mostly told from the alternating perspective of  Jon and Mel (a couple are written from the viewpoint of other characters) and it all makes for rather uncomfortable, even intrusive reading as we learn more about how past and present actions have far-reaching consequences. I didn't always agree with their behaviour and felt desperately sorry for little Noah who has lost his mother and is now caught up in a toxic atmosphere of suspicion and bitter recriminations but despite not always liking the characters, I never stopped caring about their pain and even at their least sympathetic, I still wanted them to find some sort of peace and resolution.
There are few clues as to the truth scattered throughout the book with some red herrings thrown in too. I had a pretty good idea about what drove Issy to her death but I was still emotionally invested in the story throughout and was intrigued to see how Jon and Mel would eventually learn the facts about Issy's life and death. The Dark Place is a poignant, engaging mystery and even though it was a difficult book personally for me to read at times, I couldn't put this assured novel down and look forward to reading more from Stephanie Rogers in the future.

The Dark Place is published by Mantatee Books and can be purchased here. Don't forget to check out some of the other stops on the blog tour, details are below.


About the Author
I have always lived in Yorkshire, migrating a whole three miles over the border from South to North Yorkshire and have always loved reading. As a kid, I was always reading when I should have been doing something else and nothing has changed (uncooked or burnt dinners being commonplace in my house – cooking’s overrated anyway). For most of my adult life I’ve worked as a dog groomer, interspersed with bouts of working as a musician, playing drums and saxophone, which has taken me to Germany and Israel. They’re not that compatible really, dog grooming and music – dogs hate the noises saxes and drums make (well mine do, or maybe it’s how I play them.) I have been and always will be, unashamedly, a rock chick.

After ignoring the urge to write for a long time (too busy, no time, kids to feed, books to read) I finally did a creative writing course with Writers’ Bureau, which I loved. I’ve written two thrillers, which is my favourite genre to read, and a couple of children’s books. I’ve also sold short stories to Take-A-Break’s Fiction Feast.
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