The Darkest Corners by Kara ThomasMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Well, this book surprised me.
It’s the second book I’ve read by Kara Thomas, the first being Little Monsters, which I absolutely adored. But this one? Well, I liked the start. It was intriguing, but from about 30% to 70%, I found it sooooo slow. I was getting disappointed and it took me months to actually finish it.
But then when I got past the 70% mark, it was AMAZING. The pace was fast, there was twist after twist, and I just couldn’t read fast enough. The ending is where all the strands of the book tie together and it is beautifully done. Though I must just say the last 5% has A LOT of telling as the missing gaps are fillers in.
But that final page? That was a great ending.
Tessa is a great narrator. She’s independent and has a dark streak, and she’s so believable when we know her upbringing. Everything she does make sense. I especially love how there’s no romance story for Tessa. Instead, the whole book is about solving a murder mystery, finding family, correcting past lies, and finally learning the truth.
I must admit I was confused when, about two-thirds in, the baby Macey storyline suddenly came in. It seemed a bit late for a new subplot—but the ending redeemed it when we realise that baby Macey has in fact been in the story the entire time.
This book has got cases of mistaken identity, kidnap, murder, lies, secrets, and looks at the pressure the media and police put on witnesses to get them to give an account that matches what they’re looking for.
I really liked the friendship between Tessa and Callie. It’s rare to have two female characters who remain friends and aren’t pitted against each other.
All in all, this is a 4-star read, precisely because of that amazing ending. I’ll definitely be reading more by this author.
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