Sam Brannick's Blog
December 29, 2025
Let Me Introduce You...
First of all, if you are reading this page you have heard about my debut novel, The Darkness They See.
If you have read it, thank you with all of my heart. It was a work of passion.
If you haven't read it and are considering it, I thank you as well. That is all an author can ask for.
I was about 80% through writing the novel and still struggling on what title to give it. The writing gods must have been listening because I happened across an interview of Michael Connelly (a major influence of mine) who was speaking about the type of novels he likes to write about. He said that he liked depict realistically portrayed detectives and "the darkness they see." I knew I had my title the second I heard his words.
The title is about more than just the criminality that police see and the people who commit the crimes. It is also very much about the darkness that sometimes shrouds police officers who are embedded in investigations like sex assault, child abuse, and homicides.
When a major crime occurs, there is a tsunami of grief, anger and a myriad of difficult emotions that directly impact friends, family and loved ones of the victims.
But after the tsunami settles, the ripples of those waves continue long afterwards. Touching those responsible for seeking justice, again and again.
My goal is to write novels that when the reader is done they say something like:
"I can relate to these people. Maybe not the situation or the crime. But they feel like people I know. Friends I have. Family I love."
They feel like me.
If you have read it, thank you with all of my heart. It was a work of passion.
If you haven't read it and are considering it, I thank you as well. That is all an author can ask for.
I was about 80% through writing the novel and still struggling on what title to give it. The writing gods must have been listening because I happened across an interview of Michael Connelly (a major influence of mine) who was speaking about the type of novels he likes to write about. He said that he liked depict realistically portrayed detectives and "the darkness they see." I knew I had my title the second I heard his words.
The title is about more than just the criminality that police see and the people who commit the crimes. It is also very much about the darkness that sometimes shrouds police officers who are embedded in investigations like sex assault, child abuse, and homicides.
When a major crime occurs, there is a tsunami of grief, anger and a myriad of difficult emotions that directly impact friends, family and loved ones of the victims.
But after the tsunami settles, the ripples of those waves continue long afterwards. Touching those responsible for seeking justice, again and again.
My goal is to write novels that when the reader is done they say something like:
"I can relate to these people. Maybe not the situation or the crime. But they feel like people I know. Friends I have. Family I love."
They feel like me.
