Written as letters penned to a mysterious Lucy, This Little Dark Place, is a story being told by the main character Daniel. I didn’t have any big expectations for this tale beyond expecting it to be told in present tense. Instead, we are treated to Daniel’s version of past events which left me wondering how much he was glossing over. It was a clever approach on Hatch’s part and I enjoyed the style once I adjusted to the abrupt switches from present to past.

Honestly, I didn’t particularly like the main character, Daniel. Right from the beginning when he thanks Lucy for asking for his side of the story rather than the narrative from the trial I knew we were in for an interesting ride. The mystery is carefully plotted and the story moves quickly and grips readers from the start.

I don’t read many books in epistolary format but I found it did work for this story. As the story continued, I felt my dread slowly increasing as the story went. It wasn’t due to caring about Daniel but rather the knowledge that this is his take on events and so I read the letters with heavy skepticism and I knew that there was so much not being relayed. Even with a day or two to decompress after this book I still feel my lip curling in distaste. I think that is probably the most striking thing about this book by A.S. Hatch, that I am still feeling an intense reaction to a book even after picking up a new story.

So many titles these days claim to be dark and twisty, but the twists don't always deliver. That wasn't the case with this book at all! It was a twisty and often bleak exploration within the domestic thriller genre that left me guessing throughout most of its chapters. I went through so many emotions ranging from pity, to shock, to sadness while reading A Little Dark Place. Some of the writing was clearly on the wall, but it was still an engaging read that gets under your skin.

At times it was a little hard to follow as we go back and forth between different points in time seen without much explanation, so I was confused quite often at the beginning. Once I started to get used to the book's stride, though, it was much easier to follow.

A Little Dark Place has a slow burn, hinting at something much more explosive, and has several little bits of terror peeking out, too. It was a really enjoyable read, one I would recommend to any other fans of this genre.

Full, in depth review to come at publication on my blog.

I was recommended this book by another book blogger on Twitter. I have finally gotten round to reading this before its release date. It's a good one. Another new author to me.

The story is based around Daniel and Victoria who are trying for a baby and over the coming months of failure are beginning to lose interest in one another and so Daniel takes up the hobby of pen palling with a prisoner, Ruby.

Over the course of yet more months they tell each other their life story and as it gets too close, Daniel suddenly stops corresponding as he is about to move to an inherited cottage by the coast. By this time, relations have completely broken down and Victoria stays behind and moves in with Scott, her personal trainer.

Lots of strange events and people are happening around the cottage at Lanes End and suddenly Ruby appears on Daniel's doorstep.

What happens next.... you need to read it. Go on....

Wow this book was kind of crazy. I really enjoyed it but it also was pretty confusing at parts. The suspense the book brought really kept me reading and on the edge. A bit different then the books I usually read but refreshing. Thanks NetGalley.

Wow, what a great read! This book definitely kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

The story begins with Daniel responding to a letter from a woman named Lucy, and right off the bat the reader can presume that he is in prison since he mentions a trial and telling his side of the story. From there he dives right into his relationship with Victoria and how they met, moved into together, and tried for a baby.

Tragedy strikes and over time their relationship appears to not be as amorous as it once was, but during this time, Daniel joins a pen pal program for prisoners. It is through this program that he meets Ruby, and while they start off casual and friendly, they eventually start to divulge more about their personal lives to one another. I knew it was too good to be true, and when she admits her feelings for him, he starts to pull away. Her messages then start to come across as a bit upset and obsessive, and one day she appears at his doorstep out of the blue...and out of prison.

The rest of this story was so full of suspense and the buildup had me thinking the story would go one way when it actually went another. As the story came to a conclusion, I was actually quite surprised to find out who Lucy was, but I thought it was the perfect way to bring to story full circle.

Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2978979303

The story is told in the form of letters to a woman called Lucy, by Daniel who is a very likable character. He is open and honest going way back to when he was much younger up to the point that he falls in love with Victoria and gets married. He is easy going, a little bit too much and supports his beautiful wife in anything she wants to do.
Daniel gets involved with a penpal system where he writes to an inmate in prison called Ruby, who swears that she has been wrongfully convicted of a violent crime. What starts as a basic how are you doing sort of penpal grows into something bigger.
The setting is so very perfect, with the house surrounded by woods tucked away from prying eyes which at times feels safe and inviting but at others a place that made me edgy and vulnerable. This is a cracking story that was simply impossible to guess how it would all end, as it branches so many ways and comes back on its self.
My heckles were up as the story seemed to turn on to unpredictable paths that were impossible to backtrack, as it headed full-on towards a dark and twisty place, perfect reading for the evenings that are drawing in now.
An unusual way to write a story but it worked brilliantly, a super debut from an exciting new author.
I wish to thank the publisher for an e-copy of this book, which I have reviewed honestly.

I thought the idea and the theme itself was quite original! I also enjoyed the writing style and the slow character development. Though I felt like the 'thinking aloud' approach was a bit too classic and gave it a bit too much forced suspense which wasn't worth it. Overall I enjoyed the read and would recommend it as an easy read to someone who likes mystery type novels!

Though this was well paced & kept me interested there’s just something about it that bothered me. I did enjoy the letter style format which I thought gave good insight into the narrators reasoning behind his actions. The story did jump around from different time periods with little to no transitions which was a bit annoying, however, I think it’s the ending that’s not sitting well with me. The story builds up throughout and, with the exception of one detail, I thought it was a let down. I wanted something more elaborate and cringe worthy. 3.5 stars.

I liked this story. It was a middle ground thriller that held my interest.

It's atmosphere was definitely creepy and it made the book good to read at night in the dark.

3.5/5

The introductory blurb was somewhat misleading in that the story is told through letters from Dan to Lucy. We do not find out who Lucy is until the end. The beginning was a bit disjointed but the book gained steam about half-way through. Once you figure out the cadence, it goes more smoothly. There were some surprises and a twist but not a likeable character to be found. Very good first novel! 3-1/2 ***

Sorry this book didn't do anything for me.
Couldn't connect with any of the characters at all. Not a lover of first person novels and this one didn't change my mind.
Book did gather pace towards the end which improved the read slightly. I was a little confused by the title of the book as it did not not make sense to me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read.

This was a strange and dark little book but it just didn't totally work for me. This is a well-written book, especially for a debut. However, it's very slow burn and it took me a long time to really get into it. I liked the ending where it picked up a little more but I still didn't find anything that happened particularly shocking. Overall, this wasn't the winner I was hoping for but I would still be curious to read more work from this author.

A brilliant story. Dark and creepy and quite jaw dropping. The characters well written and I raced through this x

What an awesome book! Such great storytelling and interesting characters. I felt it started a little slow, but it picked up fairly quickly and drew me in. Loved the plot, twists, and turns. I will highly recommend this book and author! Well done!

I read this book in one sitting. I couldn't wait to get to the end of it to find out what happened. It is the perfect thriller. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Started out a bit slow for me, but was intrigued on where this story was going. Wasn’t disappointed. I’m giving it a 4 because on a personal preference I like a bit of a faster pace beginning, however, can’t wait to see what comes next from the author.

Oh my days I don't even know where to begin.

This is an absolute masterpiece. Absolutely incredible. I read the entire book in one sitting, I just couldn't put it down. It flows so well and has a captivating undertone of danger and malice throughout.

There are so many little details in this novel that add so much. You don't even realise until you read another section and start putting the pieces together. It's like a 1000 piece jigsaw piece that you can feel yourself completing as you read it.

Incredible twist, invoked emotions, provocative and enthralling.

Read this book. You need to.

Dan and Vic have been together for 5 years. They have been trying to have a baby for a while, but unfortunately with no success. The disappointment and despair have put a distance between them and they are slowly growing apart. Out of loneliness Dan signs up for a pen pal program intended to help prisoners. And that is how he meets Ruby. What follows after is a mess of human emotions and relationships that I just couldn't stop reading about.
Oh,I forgot to tell you about the structure of this novel. The book is set in 2033. It is told in 3 parts and each part is a letter from Dan to someone named Lucy. In these letters Dan describes his life with Vic and his complicated relationship with Ruby. There are also occasional interludes telling about his life right as he is writing the letters,and through them we also meet a few people and see all the suspicious things going on around him.
I think my favorite thing was the writing. It is like you can almost taste it. Rich and beautiful,it makes the story so compelling that you have to keep reading.
The characters were flashed out and complex ,they felt real to me. I didn't even notice it,but I became quickly attached to them and invested in their lives.
The plot was great. All these little mysteries have you guessing until the very end. Who is Lucy? Why is Dan writing letters to her? What happened in the past? What is going on in the present? I read this book in one sitting because I just had to know.
I think this is my favorite arc I've read so far this year,5 stars for sure.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this mystery in just two short sittings as A.S Hatch made it very hard to walk away. The ending was something I never saw coming which is refreshing after reading back to back predictable stories. The characters were wonderful and well developed with the main character, Daniel, tugging at your heartstrings a little bit. But WOW that ending!! This story is sure to throw you for a loop!

I received a copy of "This Little Dark Place" from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Net Galley! Wow. This book captivated me from the beginning. I read it very fast and couldn't put it down. I love thriller type books but sometimes the story lines all run together because they are so similar. This one is different than any thriller book I have read. This is very well written and I loved how nothing turned out how I thought that it would. I like that this is written in letters from Dan to Lucy describing his life then and now. I highly recommend this one to anyone who likes a good thriller type book!