Somewhere in the Dark: A Novel

Jessie Duval grew up Somewhere in the Dark. She lived through years of neglect including one whole year in a closet, kept there by her foster parents. In order to survive that ordeal, she retreated into a world that she created, one with Owen and Shelly James at the center. Once she was free, she followed them on tour until it ended with her arrest and a protection order placed against her. She served her time and is working as a caterer’s assistant when she ends up working at a party at the James’ house. Then Shelly winds up murdered and Jessie is the prime suspect. She has to figure out who really did it before she ends up back in a place she really doesn’t want to go.

You cannot help but feel for Jessie in this story. Her life is so tragic and it seems a bitter blow to be framed for a murder she didn’t commit. I loved that this was written by a psychologist because so much more time was spent on trying to understand Jessie as well as the motivations of the other characters, then just solving a murder. This book was a great example of how we underestimate people and what they will do to survive and I’m not just talking about Jessie. The other characters might have had less therapy and acknowledged issues, but they were fighting for what they had as well. Overall, a great and emotional read worth your time.