Call Off the Dark is a psychological thriller centered on grief and uncertainty.

The novel follows Helen, a young woman reeling from the murder of her first husband, Tyler. In the aftermath of that loss, she makes an impulsive decision to marry Wade, a near stranger, and retreats with him to an off-grid farmhouse in rural Washington. The move is meant to offer escape and safety, but instead places Helen in an isolated environment that intensifies her grief and PTSD following Tyler's murder.

Helen struggles to adapt to a life that feels deeply misaligned with who she was before. Her days are marked by domestic routines she resents, and her nights are filled with memories of her past and the love she lost. That fragile equilibrium is disrupted when Isaac, Wade’s brother, appears at the farmhouse. The problem is that Isaac, according to Wade, died years earlier in a farming accident.

From that point forward, the story turns on uncertainty. Helen is forced to question what is real and who can be trusted. Is Isaac truly alive. Is Wade manipulating her perceptions? Or is Helen’s grief altering her sense of reality. The novel unfolds as she navigates competing versions of truth while the threat of violence grows closer.

At its core, Call Off the Dark explores how grief can distort judgment, how intimacy can become dangerous when built on instability, and how isolation magnifies fear. The tension comes less from action and more from psychological pressure, memory, and doubt.
#CallOfftheDark #HallieShepherd #WilliamMorrow

Going into this story I expected a pretty straightforward domestic suspense/thriller but this book ended up being so much more. It’s a beautiful exploration of grief and loss but there are also very strong horror elements. I read a lot of horror and it takes a lot for a scene in a book to creep me out but there were a few scenes in this one that really did. The author also did a good job with keeping me guessing as to what was real, was someone crazy/imagining things or was it more straight forward.

I think the timeline flashbacks were also incredibly effective and helped us to understand Helen and her loss more, it also resolved certain thriller avenues the book could have taken by showing us Tyler’s murder and the after of it.

As for the reasons this didn’t get a five, I felt the pacing was a little slow near the beginning (I wanted Isaac to show up a little sooner) and I would have liked a little more of a flash forward at the end to show us Helen a year or two down the line. But these are mainly small quibbles and overall I will strongly be recommending this book.

Call Off the Dark is something that, at first glance, could go in the overflowing stack of novels about women in complicated relationships dealing with suspicion and grief. But this novel is so much more interesting than that, and it should NOT be missed.

Is Helen slowly losing her mind? Alone in the woods with only her husband and her grief, it’s easy to think so. But as things progress, I found myself on the edge of my seat, unable to stop reading until I found out what was going on, and how it would be resolved. My theories changed from chapter to chapter, and I was SO hooked in.

(Also, the flashbacks of her relationship with her first husband had me actually crying. So beautifully and lovingly written.)

Thank you to William Morrow for an ARC of Call Off the Dark via NetGalley.

I devoured this book in 24 hours and honestly cannot believe it is a debut! The writing was sharp and beautiful, and the pace of the story really kept me on my toes. GoodReads, the blurb, and many of the other early reviews classify this book as a thriller...IT ISN'T! This book is a bit of mystery, a bit of horror, a lot of paranormal, and more than anything a case study in grief. Readers who go into the book expecting a thriller may end up disappointed, but I think anyone who can go in open-minded in terms of genre will be wowed like I was. I'll be on the lookout for more titles from this author!

4.5 stars rounded up.

Good Lord, I usually like to do my reviews right after I finish the book. However in this case my jaw is still on the floor. It's honestly hard to wrap up what I just read - except to say that it was a beautiful story about grief, and how that can affect people differently. By the end I was a blubbering mess. I'm not a horror reader at all, but I really had no idea where the story was going to go until the very last page. The way the author wrote these words, it felt like I could physically feel the main characters emotions. The love, loss, pain, excitment.. everything. It's definitely a book I'll be thinking of for a while.

Call of the Dark

Following the devastating loss of Tyler, Helen makes a radical choice, abandoning the vibrant city life she once cherished to join Wade in a secluded, remote location—a place intentionally detached from the rhythm of the world. For months, she exists in near-total isolation, seeing no one but Wade. Yet, the ghost of her past remains; her heart still aches for Tyler, sending silent, desperate pleas for a sign of his return.

The delicate balance of their isolated existence is shattered with the sudden arrival of Issac, Wade's brother. His presence acts as a catalyst, forcing Helen to confront the life she has chosen and the desires she has repressed. As her grip on reality begins to fray, she questions her sanity and, in turn, the stability of Wade's own mind. The narrative expertly builds a suffocating tension, blurring the lines between grief, isolation, and paranoia. The emotional intensity escalates until a final, unexpected twist fundamentally reshapes the entire story. This pivotal moment elevates the novel, cementing its status as a compelling five-star read.

Highly recommended for readers who appreciate deeply psychological thrillers and character-driven suspense.

I am never going to mentally recover from this book.

This debut from @hallie.shepherd was one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time.

It was so easy to devour every page. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was definitely a "just one more chapter" read and before I knew it, it was 3am.

It was spooky, it was thrilling, it was emotional. At the heart of it there was a love story. I found my self so wrapped up in the story and characters, I was the one who felt crazy at times. It makes you think who's real and who's not. The writing will suck you in and make you feel like you're part of their world.

I need this one as a shelf trophy asap!

A huge thank you to @hallie.shepherd @netgalley and @harpercollins for this arc copy!

This was amazing! If I were to describe the feeling this book gave me, it would be The Haunting of Hill House meets Rebecca. I was so enthralled by this author's writing style, imagine my surprise when I realized this was a debut! Such an atmospheric and devastatingly beautiful book. I'm not much of a horror reader, but this book has me rethinking a few of my next book choices.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the Advance Reader Copy!

This was my first 5-star read of the year!

Call Off The Dark by Hallie Shepherd is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read in a long time.

Hallie uses the setting with intention, something that isn’t just an eerie backdrop but deepens the story. What I love is that the atmosphere is never at the expense of character development. The emotional heart of the story is just as compelling as it is unsettling.

At its core, this novel explores what remains after unimaginable loss. It’s about grief, longing, and the kind of love that continues to shape us even after someone is gone. I found the protagonist’s emotions deeply authentic, and I never struggled to understand or feel what she was carrying. Every decision, every fear, every desperate hope felt earned.

I can confidently say I was the exact target audience for this book. If you love atmospheric psychological suspense with unforgettable characters, an undercurrent of grief, and a story that stays with you long after it’s over, don’t miss this one!!

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for early access to this book.

If this is Hallie Shepherd's debut, I can't even imagine what we could get in the future. Her writing style is so uniquely her own in the best way. The way words flow on the page makes for such an enjoyable read. Looking at the contrast between Helen's past and present was particularly interesting. From the outset we knew what happened to Helen but seeing everything unfold and the twists along the way made the book surprising and kept me glued to the page.

I can't wait to see what Hallie does in the future. I will definitely be picking up a copy when it's released and will be recommending this friends.