This was ok, a solid read with an edge. I don't have much to say about it but it was decent. I enjoy this other side of this author's repertoire and look forward to more.

This novel is billed as a pyschological thriller, but I think it really is in a blurred place and not easy to pigeonhole.

Corrine is having problems with panic attacks. Her father murdered two people, she was there, and all these years later she still can't remember it all. Jude, her husband, is bitter about her long hours at the hospital and her shaky memories of her traumatic past. A sexy waitress gets hired on at his favorite restaurant, and everything spells trouble.

This novel started out very strong, but I quickly guessed (turns out accurately) the twist. Still, it was well written enough to keep me reading it as quickly as I could. I think I read the last 75% of it in one sitting, over the course of an hour. I needed desperately to see it to the end.

The relationships are real enough to make you really feel for the characters: sadness, anger, sorrow.

Give this a try!

Such Dark Things is one of the best psychological thrillers that I have read in a long time. Courtney Evan Tate (aka Courtney Cole) is a mastermind at writing twisty mind effing books and this one is no exception. Ms. Tate takes you on one dark, twisted and mind blowing ride with this story and it's nothing short of AMAZING! I was lured into the story from the very beginning wanting/needing to know more about these characters. Each one of them skillfully developed, and more intriguing then the next. It is written in the dual povs of the main characters Corrine and Jude, it jumps between the past and present and every chapter reveals a little bit more of Corrine's past, and the predicament Jude finds himself in with the hot young waitress at his favorite cafe.
I could not put this book down, I was glued to the pages trying to figure out what was going on, and just when I thought I had it figured out, a twist I never saw coming. Well written and simply brilliant! I highly recommend this book.

http://www.willowaster.com/podcast/2018/4/12episode15-courtney-cole

Willow sits for a spell with New York TImes bestselling author, Courtney Cole. They take on the catharsis of writing, the perils of marriage to a twin with a fine behind, doggies in diapers, and Such Dark Things.

"One of my strengths as an author is to bring emotion to the page… I’m a character writer, so when I start writing, I’m in that character. So, when I have to go into dark places, it takes a toll… I have to make a conscious effort that when I come out of my office at the end of the day, I have to switch it off."
— Courtney Cole

I was hooked on the first page all the way through the last in Such Dark Things by Courtney Evan Tate. It is very compelling with all the twists and turns.

Such Dark Things is a story that will suck you in, keep you guessing, and make you feel like losing your mind to know the truth. It is a psychological thriller in all ways - one that gets into your head and really pulls you through a ringer and yet a story you want more of.

This book is a hard one to talk about without giving away any of the details, so sorry but you are not going to get a lot of summarizing thoughts because this book is one you need to go into blind and discover all the twists and turns for yourself.

Corinne was an amazingly written character, at times I felt like I was right there in her head and could understand her pain, her fears, and everything else. The emotions were so palpable, my heart thrummed as I flipped each page, my brain was overworked trying to figure out the details and find hints and clues to what was really going on. She's a doctor, one who's been through past trauma, one who thinks she knows everything about her life - and yet doesn't.

The rest of the cast of characters all play their part in the story, and each and every one has their place and will have you questioning their motives, wondering who is really good and who maybe isn't. From Corinne's husband Jude, to her brother in law who just so happens to be a priest, and Zoe, a waitress who holds a role in all of their lives.

Such Dark Things will guide you on a journey, one that will work your mind over, one that will leave you on edge, but one that will absolutely entrench you into its depths and leave you with one final question - What did I just read?

This was page turning, and had some dark and deep scenes. It kept me in the book which so many books don't seem to do. I did read this in one day so I think that says something! The story has many triggers...so if you have issues I'd probably not pick this up.
The aha moment wasn't as over the top as I would have expected. I wish there could have been more of the before story told...I'm feeling like I'm missing a part of the story.
Above all...a darn good dark thriller!

Review in thanks to Netgalley and publisher!

So I could get really picky and say this is more of an erotica thriller than a psychological thriller. There was a lot of sex… hot sex… sex that was nasty and really, really sexy! So I’d say this needs some type of erotica genre added in somewhere. Now, this doesn’t mean I was bummed, at all, by the small shift in genres. In the contrary, I found the sex appeal to really add to this book. It’s actually something that I believe some thrillers are missing out on.

So as my first every Courtney Even Tate, this book rocked! I was thoroughly invested/intrigued into the story. I was unable to stop reading this book. I was shocked and pulled in. I’m not going to tell you anything that happened in this book… it’s a thriller and Ms. Tate unfolds this story bit by bit before you. I loved the dual POV and how it all went back and forth in the timing. I was so into this story… it was nearly a compulsion and I finished it pretty quickly! It was different but totally thrilling!

I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.

HOW have I not read Courtney Evan Tate before?! Definitely fixing that when I need a dark, psychological thriller! This is definitely a book to read when you need something deep and thoughtful that deals with topics not many authors can write about successfully.

I've read some of the reviews about this book and I just want to say; this book does have sex in it. You were warned. But the sex is secondary (or even third) to the main storyline. And it goes hand-in-hand with some of the personality disorders that the book deals with.

Fans of true crime, Criminal Minds, Mind Hunter and shows like that will LOVE this story!!

Courtney Evan Tate did an amazing job on this novel!! It took me on such a wild ride that I couldn't believe this was the first time I had read any of her work!! I couldn't put this book down to save my life!!

It was full of twist and turns and I loved every single page of his book! I couldn't get enough! Event though the end of the book was near I was dreading the ending but also wanting it so I could finally see how things ended!

Sexy Psychological thriller meets Fatal attraction. I read this straight through in about 5 hours. Kept me guessing for sure.

This was my first time reading any of Courtney's books, and I have to be honest, I didn't love it. I'm no stranger to psych thrillers, though I do tend to read more romance. To me, Such Dark Things wasn't much of a thriller. It was more of an romantic mystery to me. My problem was that I personally couldn't connect to the characters, which in turn made it so I really couldn't connect with the story. I found myself skimming around 50%, and I really only continued because I wanted to see how the story ended. For me, the big twist at the end just didn't make sense.


Such Dark Things, follows Dr. Corrine Cabot who is put in a mental institute for trying to commit suicide. She has no recollection of doing so. Her husband at first seems like the perfect caring husband, but really he turned out to be a selfish grade A a-hole. Let me also say, I am a HUGE fan of cheating books. That being said, this was just wrong. Corrine's husband was just selfish, and the cheating wasn't warranted in my opinion. The story is told in dual pov's and switches from present, to before the attempted suicide. Like I previously said, I just didn't connect. The writing was fine, and I truly did want to like this book, it just wound up not being for me.

I’m sure I may have said this a million times, but I am a huge fan of psychological thrillers. This sounded just right for me, and I was even more intrigued to learn that the author is Courtney Cole, whose NA books I have read, and she is writing adult thrillers under this pen name! I was really looking forward to seeing if she pulled it off well, I love when authors take a step into something outside of their ordinary thing.

I think she succeeded in making me feel like I was reading an actual adult novel, it didn’t seem like the previous time spent writing NA had any influence on this books level of maturity. Shit got real in this book. Like the title states, there are dark things happening up in here. As usual with my review, I am not going to recap the story, that is what the synopsis is for. I’m just going to to throw my mess of thought on the book at you all.

The book is told in alternating perspectives and also in alternating time periods. It was weird at first but I easily picked up on keeping things separate, and I ended up feeling like it made the story more interesting. Basically, there are events in the days that lead up to Halloween and then events in the days following, (while also mixing in flashback as Corrine starts recovering memories), and at some point everything comes crashing together. I love when stories come together in such a way. It alternates between husband and wife, Corrine and Jude. I loved Corrine and Judes love for each other (despite Jude’s, um, flaws), and that made me like them and root for them. I hurt for Corrine so much once her entire story was revealed, and I hurt for Jude too, just less because some pain is self inflicted, so I feel like he should have to live with that.

It was great how things just steadily became more and more explosive and crazy as the time dwindled down to Halloween while her memories are also catching up to that day. I will say though, once the first BIG reveal is made, I could see the rest of the story play out easily, and aside from what happened to Jude’s brother, the rest was easy to predict. This is always a small downside for me, as I like to be shocked by a thriller, but at the same time, I want it to remain realistic. I clearly look for a weird balance that doesn’t exist.

One thing that continued to drive me insane was this scenario: You are being blackmailed by someone you hate – yet, when they start talking about your spouse and asking questions, YOU TELL THEM YOUR SPOUSES DEEPEST DARKEST SECRET? No. WTF. No you do not. (Let’s disregard the fact that in the end, it wouldn’t have matter whether or not they told them.) That was pretty far fetched for me. Also, the gaslighting really pissed me off, but I suppose it’s acceptable as far as the story goes, as that would happen that way in real life in many situations. But it still pisses me off.

Overall, this book was crazy, and intense, but as a warning: it may have triggers for some people. I would definitely give another book under this pen name a chance!

Holy wow! This book is soooo much more than a psychological thriller! It’s an erotica psychological thriller and honestly, I was never expecting it.

From the very beginning we are pulled into this world of what’s happening now and what the crap happened back then? It’s all very confusing but immensely intriguing too. The entire plot line focuses on what the main character, Corrine, is going through and how she’s just as confused as all of us. I loved witness this character find herself in this weird, enchanting way that Tate lays out for us. Her husband, Jude, is just as heartbroken and confused as Corrine, and for me, I wanted them to find each other again and work it all out. There are definitely some times where I wondered about them as a couple. My heart ached for them, but I found the situation I’m referring to, to be very relatable.

Overall, this book captivated me. I loved the mystery and intrigue behind it, and the plot was written so very well. The plot was presented and paced perfectly and I found myself hanging on the edge of my seat. This is definitely a book I would recommend for someone who reads psychological suspense as long as they’re okay with BDSM/Erotica too.

4.5 Suspenseful Stars!!!!
What a ride! It was most definitely a page turner and had my attention just from the synopsis. Courtney took me down yet another rabbit hole in this book. Corrine broke my heart. Her past slowly creeping up on her until she broke. Being separated from her husband who seemed to only want what was best for her added additional stress to her situation.

One thing I learned early on in this book was never to assume you knew where the story was going. Just when you think you know something the story takes another turn which will truly engage you even more.

The story is weaved so intricately that you are lost between the pages. I truly had a hard time pulling myself away to do "adulting".

Temptation can be a very strong thing and it definitely was conflicting for Jude. When conflicted he would seek out his brother Michael. Although he tried to resist spending time with Zoe the absence of Corrine seemed to override his thinking. Unfortunately it's his fall that adds so much more to the story. As we peel back the layers of the story and the actions that get us to where the story starts, all the pieces fall in to place leaving you with a gasp.

This book is told in both past and present day. With an amazing secondary character in Jude's brother, Michael. All I can tell you is that this book is truly worth the ride. If you like a little mystery, a bit of a thrill and not knowing what's coming on the next page....this is the book for you.

This book! I don't even have the words. I don't know what to say about it at this point. It has been a day or so since I read it and I am still sitting here blank. This book was disturbing. It was devastating. It was heartbreaking. Yet, it was thrilling and twisty and messed with my mind so many times. There were parts that were very uncomfortable to read. This is definitely not a safe read.

However, I love to read these kind of books. The kind that take me out of my comfort zone. The kind that make me think and make me view my own situations. This is definitely one of those books. I will tell you that I hated the characters. At one point they had each made me want to throw my kindle and I was so frustrated through a lot of the book. That being said, they were all so flawed and so damaged. It made them real. I have not read Courtney's other genres and books, but I am definitely looking forward to learning more about her work.

As we bear witness to Dr. Corrine Cabot’s life falling apart, we’re left feeling helpless as we begin to understand the magnitude of the events that led to it all. Corrine’s past, her relationship with her husband, the pressures of her life all conspire to leave her spiraling out of control. And, as she begins to drown under it all, the author begins to reveal, detail by pain-staking detail, all that has happened in her life that led to this this moment. And I was captivated.

This book elicits so many feelings. I was gripped by sorrow over Corrine’s current situation, confusion around her past, angry at Jude, and anxious about what would happen next. There were twists and turns and surprises. And, for anyone who’s married, this book showed a situation that undoubtedly scares us all. It asks us to consider what we would do if put in certain situations while, at the same time, having us witness things that we can only hope never happen to us. The writing was great and the characters had so much depth that it was easy to love and hate them…sometimes moving between the love and hate several times.

I can’t really tell you much about this book because I feel strongly that you need to experience it yourself. But, know this, the story will definitely move you. It will surprise, confuse, anger, and sadden you…but mostly it will grip you from beginning to end. This story is about the love and difficulties faced by families, the happiness and anguish that comes with loving another person, and the difficult decisions that sometimes must be made in order to move forward. It’ll touch your heart and your soul. I know that it did mine!

There are some titles that are a bit difficult to review. Those titles maybe so good that you can't really do it justice unless one experiences it themselves. Then there are those that you just can't review because there is no content that resonated with you due to some factors. Such Dark Places falls into the latter category for me.


The premise was good--It portrayed how far someone can go to ruin you when hatred is involved. But the execution resulted in my failure to like this. I did not really like the writing. I didn't like the fact that we got the then and now dual pov which at the beginning was a bit difficult to get. The POVs also felt similar. For example, the duo would do something three times--they would think think think-- anyway, such writing makes one more near to the thought but i didn't like it here


The plot line was complex and vindictive and makes you fearful of blind trust in someone. And did make me want to get to the finish line but I still didn't like the whole thing. Also the erotic factor to this. Nah, didn't really want it in a suspense/thriller book.


I was being made to fall for these characters but really I couldn't care less. I didn't like the chemistry and/or them. I didn't really feel for these characters. I just wanted to read and get it over with to write this review.


The Girl on the Train and the likes were executed effortlessly and made me feel for the characters, and I am sad that I didn't really connect with this storyline.


Special thanks to NetGalley and InkSlingerPR plus the Publishers for this

I look forward to more by this author. This is my first book by her. Great book. I wasn’t expecting the ending.

I really don't want to say much about the plot of this book because that would really spoil it for you, so I'll leave the Blurb to do the job of giving you the highlights of the plot.

That being said, I'm still not all that sure how I feel about this book. I think that's a good thing because there were times I was engaged and there were times I just wanted to stop reading this. The story and the writing definitely evoked some emotions in me while I was reading this and I did like that about it.

There were times I liked the main characters and understood their actions and there were times I really didn't get them at all and really didn't like them. Jude was an enigma to me, one minute a devoted sensitive husband, and the next.. well, he's doing things that can trigger Corrinne's darkest fears. Same goes for his twin brother Michel, who as a priest lusting after a young waitress just didn't work for me. I did like Corinne's character as she works through a devastating experience from her past that is now coming full circle.

I loved the suspense part of this book. It kept me guessing and that was what kept me reading this book. I also liked the creative way the story was presented by giving little glimpses between past and present. I do think there should be a content warning as cheating is sometimes a topic that can be triggering in some readers.

I give Such Dark Things high marks for how the story was presented, and the suspenseful and emotional elements. That's a five star for me. But I wasn't such a fan of the characters and I found that the sex was just not sexy. That's three stars for me. So together, I'm giving Such Dark Things 4 stars. Your mileage may vary as they say.

An ARC was provided for review.