A Book A Week

Martin Reese is harboring a secret that threatens to completely alter his life as he knows it. He knows that his unique hobby is unconventional. That's putting it mildly. Others might see it as downright obscene, but Martin sees it as a kind of public service, an act of vigilantism that only he can perform. He keeps it secret from his wife and daughter. It's easier to keep this part of his life hidden. He's developed a pretty solid routine that helps him separate this piece of himself from the rest of his life. Retirement and a mass fortune from the tech company that he founded certainly help. Now, his years of caution seem to be for naught. Someone has discovered his secret.

Martin's obsession started innocently enough. He carefully took notice of his future wife Erin when he realized they attended the same university. How could he not notice the woman whose sister disappeared and was purported to be the victim of the brutal serial killer Jason Shurn? When Erin realized she was being watched, she approached Martin. Strangely, the two began a romantic relationship and the rest is history. Years later, the couple is married, have a daughter, and seem to be living a picture perfect life. If only Erin knew what Martin did during his periodic "camping trips".

Detective Sandra Whittal has seen a quick rise in her professional life due to a quick instinct and superior record of closing cases. She's been haunted by the work of the Finder, a mysterious person who has taken it upon themselves to dig up the long-lost bodies of murder victims. Some of her colleagues see this Finder as nothing more than a lone crazy person who is not harming anyone by his intermittent antics. If anything, at least some families are finally getting closure. Sandra is not so optimistic. There is something about the Finder's digitally altered voice that sends a chill down her spine. No sane person would investigate decades-old murder cases and dig up the victims' remains. When the freshly murdered body of a girl is discovered at the site of the Finder's latest dig, Sandra is convinced. She must find and stop this Finder.

Find You in the Dark sees author Naben Ruthnum (writing here as Nathan Ripley) present an intricately plotted and darkly thought-provoking thriller that will have you questioning where the line between good and evil truly lies. Both Martin Reese and Sandra Whittal are flawed characters who face grim realities that only add to the intrigue and believability of this novel. At first, I wasn't sure what to make of the novel. Ripley purposefully omits the darker details of the Reese family during the opening portions of the book. This allows for an adequate development of the family dynamic that created even higher stakes when the more traditional thriller elements kicked in later in the story. Beyond being the kind of slow-burning, read into all hours of the night novel I've come to expect of a summer release, Find You in the Dark breaks the mold by providing an intelligent commentary on justice, grief, and good vs. evil. All in all, you really can't ask for more from a serial killer thriller.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.

(2018, 26)