Darkness, My Old Friend by Lisa Unger

DARKNESS, MY OLD FRIEND by Lisa Unger

Publisher: Crown

Publication Date: August 2, 2011

Pages: 368

SUMMARY: The New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Lies and Fragilereturns to The Hollows, delivering a thriller that explores matters of faith, memory, and sacrifice.

After giving up his post at the Hollows Police Department, Jones Cooper is at loose ends. He is having trouble facing a horrible event from his past and finding a second act. He’s in therapy. Then, on a brisk October morning, he has a visitor. Eloise Montgomery, the psychic who plays a key role in Fragile, comes to him with predictions about his future, some of them dire.

Michael Holt, a young man who grew up in The Hollows, has returned looking for answers about his mother, who went missing many years earlier. He has hired local PI Ray Muldune and psychic Eloise Montgomery to help him solve the mystery that has haunted him. What he finds might be his undoing.

Fifteen-year-old Willow Graves is exiled to The Hollows from Manhattan when six months earlier she moved to the quiet town with her novelist mother after a bitter divorce.  Willow is acting out, spending time with kids that bring out the worst in her. And when things get hard, she has a tendency to run away—a predilection that might lead her to dark places.

Set in The Hollows, the backdrop for Fragile, this is the riveting story of lives set on a collision course with devastating consequences. The result is Lisa Unger’s most compelling fiction to date.

REVIEW: In her latest novel, bestselling author Lisa Unger returns to The Hollows, the fictional setting of her previous novel Fragile and brings back some of the same characters. You don’t have to have read Fragile in order to fully enjoy Darkness, My Old Friend. I have not read Fragile and yet was completely consumed by Darkness. I loved it so much that I have now moved Fragile up on my to-be-read list! Each character is trying to conquer their own personal demons or “darkness.” Library Journal gave Darkness, My Old Friend a starred review and called it “one of Unger’s best thrillers yet.” I have read other reviews online that suggest reading Fragile first, as it makes the journey back to The Hollows and with some of the same characters, a more entertaining read.

Retired cop, Jones Cooper and his wife, Maggie, are trying to figure out their next step in life. Willow Graves is a moody teenager who is saddened and depressed by her parents divorce and her move from New York City to The Hollows. Paula Carr, a woman who is treated badly by her husband is facing the decision to stay or go. Eloise, the town psychic is trying to decide whether it is time for her to stop helping others and focus on herself. And finally, Michael Holt, who wants to understand what happened to his mother. Did she leave him and his sister or did something evil happen? The interaction between these characters is where the story takes off and the mystery truly begins. Each character is facing their own personal demons and their stories are fascinating for the reader to explore. I went into Darkness expecting a mystery but what I got was so much more. There was strong character development, intriguing plot turns, fascinating story lines and authentic characters. The Hollows itself becomes an intriguing character, a mysterious umbrella that all of the characters huddle beneath.

Lisa Unger has an incomparable talent for creating the perfect mix of mystery, thought-provoking literary tale and suspense. Darkness, My Old Friend was a fantastic story and one I couldn’t stop thinking about long after I had turned the last page. I will certainly be recommending this title to friends and family so that they too can explore the mystery within The Hollows.