Only Darkness - Softcover

Reah, Danuta

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0006513158 ISBN 13: 9780006513155

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2000

Synopsis

Dark, edgy and unbearably tense, this extraordinarily accomplished first novel is both a love story and a gripping psychological thriller of immense power.

Debbie Sykes is a young college lecturer whose ordered life is about to be changed forever. One stormy winter’s night, waiting for the late train home, Debbie is acutely aware of being alone – the woman who usually shares her evening vigil is not there. Vulnerability turns to fear, though, when she turns to see a sinister figure looming between her and the safety of the street. The next day, she hears that the missing woman has been found murdered by the man they call the Strangler, a brutal killer who dumps his victims on isolated stretches of railway track.

The police renew their efforts to find the murderer before he strikes again, but how much time do they really have? When Debbie’s story is publicized by an unscrupulous journalist, it seems as though the jaws of an invisible trap are beginning to close around her – strange things start to happen and the foundations of Debbie’s life subtly shift. Only Rob Neave, ex-policeman and college security officer, appears aware of the danger but he is distracted by his own tragic past. The clock is ticking, and it will be midnight far sooner than anyone thinks.

About this title

Review:

‘As much a study in the nature of trust of trust as an exercise in suspense... A mixture of rich characterisation and atmosphere... may well do for Yorkshire what John Harvey achieved for Nottingham’
Sunday Express

From the Back Cover:

The nightmare begins for Deborah Sykes when she sees a sinister figure looming between her and the safety of the street as she waits on a deserted railway platform. The next day she learns that the Strangler, a brutal killer who dumps his victims on isolated stretches of railway track, has struck again.

While the police renew their efforts to find the murderer before another woman is slaughtered, strange events start crowding in on Debbie and it seems as though a trap is slowly closing around her. Only Rob Neave, ex-policeman and security guard at the college where Debbie works, appears aware of the danger she is in, but what if his past makes him turn away from her at the wrong moment? The clock is ticking, and it looks as if time may be running out...

'Her feel for dramatic pace suggests that she [Danuta Reah] may well do for Yorkshire what John Harvey achieved for Nottingham'
SUNDAY EXPRESS

'Menacing, highly atmospheric thriller... Scary stuff given an extra boost by dark and persuasive psychology in chilly provincial settings where horrible things happen which may freeze your blood.'
LITERARY REVIEW

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0006513158
• ISBN 13: 9780006513155
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272