In the most hostile environment -cut off from the rest of the world – there’s a killer on the loose. One dead body. Twelve suspects. Twenty-four-hour darkness.
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.
It's such a pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for The Dark today. Many thanks to Emma Haughton and to Jenny Platt from Hodder for inviting me and for sending me a copy of the novel.
Any locked room mystery is always going to be compared to And Then There Were None, and indeed, resident doctor Kate North is reminded of Agatha Christie's classic story after events have taken a terrifying turn for the worse at the research station she is stationed on in Antarctica. The inhospitable setting is perfect for a thriller of this type and The Dark is an atmospheric, creepy novel where the characters - and readers - are cleverly manipulated to suspect almost everybody.
The book is narrated in the first person by Kate and it's soon obvious that her decision to apply for the role of doctor at the UN research station has been driven by some sort of personal trauma which has left her scarred in body and mind. She is joining the winter crew at the base which means they will soon be isolated in a place where it's dark for twenty-four hours a day and with no way to leave.
It quickly becomes apparent that coming here to exorcise the ghosts of the past is a risky choice; the challenges of such a forbidding environment tests even the most well-adjusted, healthy person and so Kate, with all her problems, is bound to find it an overwhelming experience.
Emma Haughton vividly describes the pressure of life in Antarctica and the effect it has on a person's psyche. It's not surprising that the change in altitude, weeks without natural light and enforced separation from loved ones plays havoc with the team's sleep patterns and mental health. It's a place where it's acceptable to medicate with sleeping pills and though not officially sanctioned, a blind eye is turned to marijuana usage by some of the crew. Kate isn't immune to needing extra help either but it's this which leads to serious doubts for the rest of the team, the reader and Kate herself as to how reliable and stable she is when she begins to suspect that the tragic death of her predecessor wasn't actually an accident.
Various secrets gradually come to light, some are confessed, others are discovered and tensions often run high. However, as Kate desperately tries to figure out the truth, the consequences of her past threaten to overcome her in the present. Can she convince others that she is right to fear they have a murderer in their midst - and who should she trust? The team take steps during their stay to alleviate the strain of living and working in this claustrophobic, dangerous place where they are entirely reliant on technology - and one another - to stay alive. Whether it's the structured kitchen rota which ensures all their international palates are catered for, the shared moment when they're captivated by the southern lights or a midwinter celebration, Emma Haughton captures the physical and emotional sense of place perfectly. It's strikingly evocative and unsettlingly oppressive, and I understood why people are drawn there despite all the hardships.
The latter chapters are especially tense as the characters' worst fears are realised and they become even more dependent on one another for survival. Kate is tested to the limit as we finally learn what she has been running from but she isn't the only one whose life is changed irrevocably and there are some nail-biting moments where their outcome is far from certain. The scenes after the team finally realise one of them is a murderer are especially nerve-wracking and although they agree to stay in one room together and to not go anywhere alone, the best laid plans are hopeless here. I must admit to guessing who the murderer was ahead of the reveal but that didn't worry me in the slightest. I was still gripped by the drama leading up to that point, the suspenseful uncertainty over who would survive and by what happens after the dreadful revelation.
The Dark is an intense, compelling mystery and the description 'chilling' has never been more apt! This is an assured, exciting thriller which has left me looking forward to more from Emma Haughton. I thoroughly recommend it.
The Dark is published by Hodder & Stoughton, purchasing links can be found here.
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