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A Darkened Mind
Twenty-five years after his first case on the job, Larry has moved on to Wilmington, Delaware as a detective at the local precinct. He does his best to keep his head low, going after small property crimes compared to the violence that left him psychologically scarred in Philadelphia. Until that is, the chief hands him a case that will ultimately turn his world upside down, making him question his every move.
Hannah, on the other hand, has everything girls want. It’s when she’s brutally attacked at a high school party, that what she’s been able to suppress for years, comes out in a swirl of violence. As the months drag on, Hannah soon has to deal with the demons from her past in order to secure what little future she has left for herself.
Working through different perspectives throughout the investigation, it can be soon learned that as Larry and Hannah’s lives interweave, the ways people present themselves are not always the true reality. The deeper we go into Hannah’s mind, the more secrets long hidden in this tiny town are unearthed, leaving the one consequence that no one sees coming.
Hannah, on the other hand, has everything girls want. It’s when she’s brutally attacked at a high school party, that what she’s been able to suppress for years, comes out in a swirl of violence. As the months drag on, Hannah soon has to deal with the demons from her past in order to secure what little future she has left for herself.
Working through different perspectives throughout the investigation, it can be soon learned that as Larry and Hannah’s lives interweave, the ways people present themselves are not always the true reality. The deeper we go into Hannah’s mind, the more secrets long hidden in this tiny town are unearthed, leaving the one consequence that no one sees coming.
368 pages, Paperback
Published April 4, 2023
2783 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 20, 2025
This was an incredible book!! The cover, while lovely, belies the contents of a masterful psychological thriller. Hard to believe that this was the author's first book!
Something horrific happens to Hannah. We are then taken on one hell of ride through her delicate and broken psyche. The author, Ms. Dean, does a sublime job of making the reader feel both sympathetic towards and repulsed by Hannah. I couldn't stop turning the pages because I needed the next clue!
I really appreciated the approach to mental illness in this book. Even the best psychiatrist can be dismissive towards DID and jump to their own conclusions. How quick some can be to prescribe medications that numb but don't address the issues at hand and have no curative effects whatsoever. The author understands the frustration that many of us have felt in therapy. The powerlessness and fear. I felt that Hannah was let down by every adult figure in her life and this included her well-meaning therapist who struggled with preconceived notions. She truly had the power to help Hannah but instead dismisses her like everyone else did.
This book is compelling because what befalls Hannah could happen to anyone. She's a warning of what years of abuse and sexual assault can do to a child. It's dehumanizing and torturous and, sometimes, out of the rubble of torture a monster emerges.
Something horrific happens to Hannah. We are then taken on one hell of ride through her delicate and broken psyche. The author, Ms. Dean, does a sublime job of making the reader feel both sympathetic towards and repulsed by Hannah. I couldn't stop turning the pages because I needed the next clue!
I really appreciated the approach to mental illness in this book. Even the best psychiatrist can be dismissive towards DID and jump to their own conclusions. How quick some can be to prescribe medications that numb but don't address the issues at hand and have no curative effects whatsoever. The author understands the frustration that many of us have felt in therapy. The powerlessness and fear. I felt that Hannah was let down by every adult figure in her life and this included her well-meaning therapist who struggled with preconceived notions. She truly had the power to help Hannah but instead dismisses her like everyone else did.
This book is compelling because what befalls Hannah could happen to anyone. She's a warning of what years of abuse and sexual assault can do to a child. It's dehumanizing and torturous and, sometimes, out of the rubble of torture a monster emerges.
June 19, 2023
Hannah is the high school girl that everyone envies until she is the victim of a horrible crime and her life as she knows it is forever changed. She is forced into counseling sessions and we soon discover that there was something hiding under the surface of her memories. Has the suppression of these memories saved her over the years, or will it all come to a head and who will be left standing?
**Potential spoilers**
There was a lot to dissect in this book between all of the characters. I felt that I wanted to hear the POV from the different personalities that Hannah was suffering from more than I wanted a POV from other characters the author chose to include. I find personality disorders fascinating and I would have loved a deeper dive into that in this book.
I also didn’t feel any closure at the end. But I guess psychological thrillers don’t always offer that. I was left with questions about Genevieve, what happened to Hannah’s father, and ultimately what happened to Hannah after all was said and done? I wish an epilogue would have brought those answers.
Overall, the author writes well and I hope as a new author she will use her feedback to grow with her writing.
**Potential spoilers**
There was a lot to dissect in this book between all of the characters. I felt that I wanted to hear the POV from the different personalities that Hannah was suffering from more than I wanted a POV from other characters the author chose to include. I find personality disorders fascinating and I would have loved a deeper dive into that in this book.
I also didn’t feel any closure at the end. But I guess psychological thrillers don’t always offer that. I was left with questions about Genevieve, what happened to Hannah’s father, and ultimately what happened to Hannah after all was said and done? I wish an epilogue would have brought those answers.
Overall, the author writes well and I hope as a new author she will use her feedback to grow with her writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2023
We read this book for our book club, and I was really excited to see where the plot went. I was ultimately left feeling that the book was good, not great. I felt that the characters were busy, some not explained throughly, and a few too many characters. It would have been nice to have the author expanded and explain more about the main characters. Also, what about her dad? The one who left. He just seemed to be a name, no story there. I will read the authors next book if it's not too busy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2023
This book is a dark, twisted, riveting tale. It’s obvious to me that this author has done significant research along the lines of criminal investigations, mental health treatment and assault. The story is very character driven, which I enjoyed. It was a swift read for me; there was a lot of tension and intensity to keep me engrossed in the story. Buckle up for the darkness of this story.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews