This author has been on my radar ever since I read Never Saw Me Coming back in 2021, so I was very excited to hear that she had a new book coming out in 2024. I loved the sound of the blurb of A Step Past Darkness, with the abandoned coal mine setting, the crime in 1995 and the murder that might be connected to the past in 2015. I've been looking forward to finally read it, as I fully expected to enjoy my time with it... But in the end it was a book of two halves for me. What do I mean with this? I'll try to explain below.

First of all I have to say that I still love the premise, and the Pennsylvania setting made for a great backdrop. It was fascinating to learn more about Wesley Falls, the coal mine and how the community was corrupted by Golden Praise, and I could really appreciate the way the supernatural/horror element was woven into the rest of the story. There was such an ominous vibe especially in the second half, and it really helped redeem this story for me. The supernatural is also not that overwhelming, so you should be fine even though it's not really your thing.

What made me struggle considerably for quite a long time had a lot to do with the pace and multiple POV structure. A Step Past Darkness read SO incredibly slow during the first half, and the fact that there are SIX different POVs doesn't really help either (actually even more than that, but I don't want to spoil certain events). Add the fact that there are two timelines (1995 and 2015), and the multiple POVs pop up in both, and this means a LOT of jumping back and forth between the different characters. Sure, it was interesting to get to know them better, but there were so many switches and it slowed down the pace way to much. It also made it harder to properly warm up to the cast, but I felt like I never got to spend enough time with any of them.

There was also way more focus on the high school drama than expected, which I'm never a fan of. I get that this drama is used to reinforce the fact that the capstone group are such an unlikely group to form a bond together, but still... With all the high school drama, I ended up much preferring the 2015 timeline over the 1995 one, but then again this is something that often happens with dual timelines for me. On top of this, A Step Past Darkness focuses a lot on another pet peeve of mine: religion. Golden Praise is of course extremely important to what happens in the plot, but I'm never a fan of more religion focused stories and especially Maddy's POV was quite a struggle.

Like I said before, A Step Past Darkness was a story of two halves for me. I struggled considerably with the first part, with its focus on the 1995 timeline and all that drama. It was so SO slow to read, and I even put it temporarily on hold because I wasn't enjoying it as much as expected and nothing much was happening in the first 20% or so. When I picked it up again and finally made it to the part where all five remaining capstone members were back in Wesley Falls, things did improve drastically. Once the focus is more on the 2015 timeline and them trying to figure out what happened to Maddy, I started looking forward to my time with this story again. This had a lot to do with the added tension and supernatural/horror element... Basically the first part was a 2.25 star rating for me, and the final part more of a 3.75 star rating; which is why I ended up with the 3 stars.

I've seen mentioned that the author used the popular It as her inspiration, and this is where it might just have gone wrong for me personally. I wasn't really a fan of that book either, and both stories seem to suffer from being overlong and too much drawing out. I probably would have enjoyed A Step Past Darkness so much better if it had 100-150 pages less and more focus on the present timeline instead of all that high school drama... If you enjoy more slow-paced and character-driven thrillers where the 'exciting' part only pops up later on, A Step Past Darkess will most likely work better for you though. I did love most of the second half myself!

I really wanted to like this book. After reading the description I had hoped that it would read like a coming of age novel with some mystery and suspense.
I did like how the author would move from each timeline giving us each of the main character's point of view. However, in the same token this made for a long, drawn out, slow conclusion that just seemed too neat and rushed in the end.
Even though the book dragged for me, I did finish it. Not every book will be my cup of tea.

Thanks to HarperCollinsCanada and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very slow burn with many points of view and some time jumping. There was a lot of background set for each character (maybe even a bit too much), yet I still didn’t feel connected to them. I originally liked the cult-like and supernatural aspects that crept in. However, what started as an interesting mystery quickly turned into a storyline that I couldn’t make much sense of. Ultimately I had a hard time finding a good flow.

The length of this book is daunting and it took me several weeks to get through it. It was mildly entertaining but I was never excited to read it.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
I admit, I was a bit intimidated by the length of this book (its a chunk), but after about 50 pages in I was absolutely hooked. This book starts off strong and gripped me in, so getting through this one was a breeze for me, despite the size. From the plot, the characters, the mystery, and a bit of romance…I was fully invested and could not put this book down. I think that Kurian did such an amazing job with her ability to keep the reader's interest with the length of this book and the amount of characters. I loved the dual timelines and different perspectives (six to be exact), and usually I would get confused with this many POV…but Kurian made it work perfectly as not to get confusing and bogged down. I came to adore the characters, the small town vibe, and loved Kurian’s talent of weaving a bit of supernatural horror elements, mystery, a speckle of romance, and even a bit of fantasy. However, do not go into this one expecting your typical thriller-this is definitely unique and weaved with other genres throughout. If you want to embark on a fun, addictive, incredible journey I highly encourage you to pick this book up!

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
✦Chunky books
✦Likable characters (and MANY of them)
✦A book with many different genres sprinkled throughout
✦A bingeable and addictive read



𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5

I enjoyed Kurian's last novel, "Never Saw Me Coming," and was pleased when I received an ARC for this forthcoming one - but honestly, "A Step Past Darkness" surpassed my expectations. A solid, epic-feeling thriller with lots of cult creepiness.

The format can be a tough one to pull off - alternating between the protagonists as teens and adults The novel is clearly influenced by Stephen King's "It," with a sprinkle of "The Breakfast Club." It is well done; there is no confusion between the two time periods, and the jumps forward/backward are pretty seamless. I often struggle with stories that jump around, but it wasn't a problem here.

The highlight for me? The characters. I have read many novels where the adult author does not create believable teens - the language, behaviour, etc. just seems off and it is very distracting. Kurian did a good job writing the teens in a way that made sense and also hinted at the people they would become as adults. You genuinely care about each of them, even the ones who aren't very likable on the surface.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy to read and review. Publish date: February 20, 2024.

2.5 stars

After devouring Kurian's "Never Saw Me Coming" in 2022, I was so excited to see a new title released. Yet I struggled to the end, in part because of the format: the ARC I received was a poorly formatted PDF with several blank pages in between chapters + section breaks and did not allow for even the simplest of changes like light mode to dark mode so I was stuck reading blurry black text on white pages on an endless scroll. But also because so many chapters ended right when things were getting interesting. The dialogue felt choppy and I found myself more interested in what was happening off page than written. Several times I hit the end of the chapter and found myself scrolling backwards and forwards searching for what I felt had to be missing pages. That's it? That's the end of the conversation/scene?

I all the "big ticket" plot points to be anti-climatic: Maddy's murder, the crime scene in the mine, the big reveal of the mystery behind Wesley Falls (this scene I had to re-read three times to see what I missed. I'm still unclear about it.) So it was difficult for me to care about the present-day problems our group faced after returning to reckon with Maddy's death.

Things I did like:

1. The initial "Breakfast Club" of it all. I love a classic coming-of-age tale where a group of kids realize they have more in common than they first believed. Kurian does an excellent job at building the early relationships of these kids as they begin to reveal their secrets and dreams and ultimately, support one another when their adults (mostly) fail them.

2. The church. Creepy cult with creepy expectations and requirements of its members? Oh, AND secrecy?! That checks out with everything I've personally experienced in a church.


Many thanks to Net Galley for an ARC!

It took me three and a half weeks to finish this book, whereas it should have taken me four days, a week at most. I found it I credibly difficult to get into, and did not feel an attachment to any of the characters. In addition, I am still not certain that I truly understood the plot, or what really happened, just because of how confused I was the whole time.

It was dark and scary, I can give the author credit for that. However, as much as I wanted to love it, this was not a book that I felt connected to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Books for an advanced digital reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

The summer of 1995 starts with a party in abandoned mines that ends with six students witnessing a crime. They investigate and vow to stay silent. Now twenty years later, one of them is murdered and they return to find out why.

This book reminded me of IT; two times likes where a group of adults go back to face a terrifying town and supernatural force that they faced as children. I especially enjoyed the timeline from when they were teens, all the nineties references were perfect. I felt it was slightly longer than it needed to be. I enjoyed the story but in the last 100 pages found myself ready to move on. I still enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it.

“The events of 1995 had never faded away so much as had been tucked into the back corner of her mind.”

A Step Past Darkness comes out 2/20.

Kurian excels at creating intricate (and often scary) settings against which her characters have to fight. This makes the threats come from more than just characters in the books, and leaves readers with a sense of unease at the turn of every page. A Step Past Darkness has it all-- spooky setting, cult like vibes, and a cast of unlikely friends determined to save each other and their town.

Title: A Step Past Darkness
Author: Vera Kurian
Pub Date: February 20, 2024

Six teenagers who were initially brought together for a school project, end up witnessing something horrible at a party in the mines in their town. They all go their separate ways and twenty years later, one of the six friends turns up dead in their hometown. They decide that they can’t ignore it any longer…something strange is going on in the town they grew up in and the death of their friend was not an accident. Together, they are determined to uncover the secrets of their town that have haunted them all these years.

This book is told from multiple points of view and alternates between the past and present. I chose it because I thought the synopsis sounded like a twisty thriller. Although it was a little slow to pick up, I enjoyed the first half of the book and getting to know the characters. However, I was surprised at the supernatural turn that it took, which is something I don’t typically read.

This is a pretty long book and it’s a slow burn so it took me a few days to read. It’s well written but it’s definitely not a typical thriller. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspense books with supernatural elements!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advanced reader copy.

I stumbled across Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian last year, and it was easily one of my favorite reads of 2023. Yes, I know I'm 2 years late to the game, and I was clearly thrilled to receive an ARC of her latest novel A Step Past Darkness. Eerie setting? Check. Band of misfit friends trying to solve crimes? Check. An unorthodox Breakfast Club if you will.

Vera Kuria did a phenomenal job of weaving the narrative through multiple narrators over a stretch of time. The 6 main characters could not be any more different, and Kuria was able to create a distinct tone for each person. A classic whodunnit, sprinkled with teenage angst and the perfect amount of supernatural events. Do not sleep on this one!

4.5/5

My first book of Vera Kurian's and I'm hooked! I loved the well-written characters and the creepy small town of Wesley Falls.

The story is told from the alternating POVs of six teenagers in the summer of '95 and again in 2015 when they lose one of their own. I was oddly nostalgic for my teen years though they were nothing like the ones in these characters' lives and loved these kids with all my heart. I was also excited to see how they turned out to be as adults.

I cannot empathize the importance of a book with characters that fill up your heart especially one in thrillers/mysteries which isn't too often. There were also moments in this book that completely threw me off. You know that moment you need to close the book because of the enormity of what you read?

This was exciting and fun and I can't wait to read more from the author. Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin books for the advanced e-copy!

I've been so looking forward to reading Vera Kurian's second novel, A Step Past Darkness—and it did not disappoint!

I'm a big fan of her first novel, Never Saw Me Coming, and I knew that this story is her ode to Stephen King's, It. Ms. Kurian seamlessly flows back and forth between six POVs (and two timelines)—not an easy task—and each character (and their voice) was clearly etched in my mind, so there was never any question or confusion. Not only that, but each chapter and different POV propelled the story forward like a practiced trapeze artist.

Just when I thought I had things figured out (including the villain) she pulled the rug out from under me. This was a fun, exciting and suspenseful read that I found very hard to put down.

Thanks so much to Net Galley and Park Row for the opportunity to read and give my honest feedback.

Synopsis from the publisher:
SIX CLASSMATES. ONE TERRIFYING NIGHT. A MURDER TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING…

There’s something sinister under the surface of the idyllic, suburban town of Wesley Falls, and it’s not just the abandoned coal mine that lies beneath it. The summer of 1995 kicks off with a party in the mine where six high school students witness a horrifying crime that changes the course of their lives.

The six couldn’t be more different.
Maddy, a devout member of the local megachurch
Kelly, the bookworm next door
James, a cynical burnout
Casey, a loveable football player
Padma, the shy straight-A student
Jia, who’s starting to see visions she can’t explain

When they realize that they can’t trust anyone but each other, they begin to investigate what happened on their own. As tensions escalate in town to a breaking point, the six make a vow of silence, bury all their evidence, and promise to never contact each other again. Their plan works – almost.

Twenty years later, Jia calls them all back to Wesley Falls—Maddy has been murdered, and they are the only ones who can uncover why. But to end things, they have to return to the mine one last time.

This is my personal issue, and it's with language:

The past storyline takes place in 1995; I lived through that period, and yes, there was harsh, unchecked offensive language often used by teenagers. We heard words like "f*ggot" much more in the 90s and into the 2010s than we do now. We also heard many other racially-charged epithets that we've now tried to get more in-check.

My issue, though, is that Kurian writes several uncensored instances of "f*ggot" into the text (though never to refer to its only queer character, thankfully) but none of the racially-motivated ones, despite two of the protagonists being of Asian descent and their being the only non-white people in town/in their school pointed out quite a few times. But none of the characters, who have no issue spouting homophobic slurs, racially bully them? That seems very incorrect for the time period, and for teenagers, in general.

As a gay man who was often called "f*ggot" as a teen (and, well, always), this made me feel a certain type of way that I'm struggling to understand and articulate. Why was it so easy for Kurian to insert that type of offensive language but not other types? Why is homophobia displayed but not racism? If this type of language is used for period realism, that's completely understandable; but then it's not realistic to see no instances of other kinds of offensive language besides homophobic language. Is this because the author is not white and that kind of bullying/verbal abuse would've hit too close to home? I don't know, but it felt very weird and, in some ways, pointed.

I thought this book was too long! Lots of details that were not needed! The last 20% of the book just seemed to go on and on. I liked the beginning of the story, but it lost me when the author introduced the supernatural elements to the story. Parts of the story were good, but I'm not sure I was the right audience. A younger reader might like this book better.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row, for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story started off so strong with the return of Jia to her hometown to help the local Sheriff find a missing women, all of whom grew up together. But then the story turns to the past and became a YA story of highschool drama between a group of friends. The pacing was slow, and the characters were flat. I struggled to finish this one.

DNF at 20% - I am only submitting this review here as required by Netgalley. I loved the concept of the story and the first few pages held my interest but after that it completely was lost. The characters were all a bit bland and the story was SO slow. I am sure if you like slow burn, character-driven novels this will be one you enjoy but it was not for me.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC.

I was elated to learn Vera Kurian was writing a new novel. I loved her book Never Saw Me Coming.

Why would six promising high school students leave their small idyllic town, vowing never to return? Surely, the secret isn’t in the creepy mine or the church that both run the town…

I love stories where long-lost friends or foes are reunited at the location they swore they’d never return to. I love the mystery behind what tore them apart and the power of the location that has kept them away. The story is a little breakfast club, a group of unlikely students forced together to work on a project, and it totally works.

The back-and-forth narrative of past and present added to many character perspectives was a little clunky in the beginning but settled into itself as the story finds its rhythm.

I enjoyed the mystery and the characters. I am still getting used to 1995 being “historical” fiction, but here we are. As an elder millennial, the 90’s will always be 20 years behind me. If you’re looking for a great mystery, a little horror, and some 1995, look no further.

Thank you, Harlequin and Netgalley, for the advanced copy.

Six friends from High School meet up back in their home town after 15 years to bury one of their pack. The past comes back in flashbacks as each of them, in varying chapters, recalls the horror of their childhoods in this quite horrible small town. The six had promised a vow of silence on what happened one fateful night… now all is coming unraveled.

Given this description and since the book was labeled in the mystery category, I thought I was going to be reading a mystery. I had read and enjoyed Vera Kurian’s first book, Never Saw Me Coming, about a female psychopath who specifically gets into a college to kill someone she hates. But then someone is murdered and the psychopath heroine did not do it! I recommend that book as fun and engaging.

However, A Step Past Darkness is not a mystery. It is pure fantasy, and being a lover of mystery novels, I found the book entertaining, especially at first, until I understood that rational character thoughts and actions were not present in this Kurian outing. I won’t give it away but suffice it to say, there is no mystery. Rather fantasy world elements keep this hometown in turmoil, and our six (now five since the murder of one) act completely irrationally — because that is acceptable in fantasy novels.

My preference for mystery/thriller novels lays in my desire to read about real life problems solved by logic and cunning. Thus, I am not a fan of fantasy novels! The first half of A Step Past Darkness without the fantasy as Kurian sets up the novel’s plot line, made me think that the book was going to following up the problem with a rational solution and ending. That was not the case. I liked the first half of the book, as Kurian can write good prose, but I do not want to be fooled into reading a genre I do not like due to a mislabel.

My ranking for this book as a mystery: 2. My ranking as a novel: 3.

This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. A Step Past Darkness will be published on February 20, 2024.