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Darkness Runs Deep
In the darkest hour, a blood-soaked teenager flees the rural Gerandaroo football oval. Eight months later, Bess, a young teacher, returns home to Gerandaroo. A childhood game of dare with her former best-friend forces Bess to form a women's footy team to play against Denby, a rival town. Bess reluctantly recruits players, but the team has to contend with hostile locals - including Beth's own father. Will this help the small community to come back together - or will it be the final thing that blows everything apart? As tensions in the town boil over, so too do resentments and secrets and violence that have been previously held tight and close. Darkly told and breathlessly compelling, Darkness Runs Deep is a striking new Australian crime novel about the best and worst of who we are.
- GenresCrime
350 pages, Paperback
Published January 30, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 15, 2024
A horrific crime provides the background motivation for the events of Darkness Runs Deep to take place. It’s something that is hinted at regularly throughout the first half of the book, but it goes maddeningly unsaid for way too long, in my opinion. Rather than act as a tantalising piece of information, the non-explanation merely served to be an annoyance and, in fact, in my mind was irrelevant to the story that was unfolding in the present. As an AFL devotee, though, I enjoyed immersing myself in the footy talk and the great sense of teamwork that developed as an unlikely women’s team was created.
Victoria’s Gerandaroo is a town in stasis following a New Year’s Eve tragedy that resulted in the local football team being banned from participating in the 1993 season along with the nearby town of Denby.
Bess has returned to her home town from Melbourne where she works as a teacher. The locals regard her move to the city as a type of betrayal, fleeing the town when things were at their darkest.
In a drunken moment in the pub while catching up with best friend Jules, Bess accepts a dare to put together a town women’s footy team. Organise and train the team in preparation for a game against the women of Denby.
After the initial awkwardness of having to explain herself to the locals about the fact that she’s back and that she’s trying to put together the team, the interest starts to grow among the local women. Gradually, the disparate group forms into a team (of sorts) with friendships building and a sort of strengthening forms that serves the purpose of healing some of the wounds that were caused by the event that drove the town into its funk.
By the way, at this stage I should point out that through a huge portion of the book, the actual event that took place is only ever hinted at in the vaguest of terms. This is clearly a story that has tremendous meaning to the locals of Gerandaroo but for us, the details are leaked in the slowest manner possible.
Darkness Runs Deep is a story that tackles a range of emotional issues that lurk in just about any town or community. Deep-seated resentment, hurt feelings, misogyny, sexual discrimination are all displayed by those opposed to the women’s team from succeeding. The time setting of the early 90s is very appropriate for the attitudes that prevailed among many of the male townsfolk. But through a combination of defiance, strength and determination as well as a process of bonding the women with diverse backgrounds succeed in pulling together to become a team.
Claire McNeel succeeds in telling a story of rebuilding through the simple act of teamwork and togetherness. The activity that was the focus of this bond could have been anything at all, but for a small Victorian country town, it was only going to be through Aussie Rules football that the passion was going to shine through.
Just one little personal note, too, as an REM fan I very much enjoyed the scene when Bess turned the car radio up loud when ‘It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) came on. I could also relate when they all struggled to nail the lyrics of the song! This is definitely a song on my playlist when I run and it always gets played at maximum volume. Always! (It’s time I spent some time alone.)
Victoria’s Gerandaroo is a town in stasis following a New Year’s Eve tragedy that resulted in the local football team being banned from participating in the 1993 season along with the nearby town of Denby.
Bess has returned to her home town from Melbourne where she works as a teacher. The locals regard her move to the city as a type of betrayal, fleeing the town when things were at their darkest.
In a drunken moment in the pub while catching up with best friend Jules, Bess accepts a dare to put together a town women’s footy team. Organise and train the team in preparation for a game against the women of Denby.
After the initial awkwardness of having to explain herself to the locals about the fact that she’s back and that she’s trying to put together the team, the interest starts to grow among the local women. Gradually, the disparate group forms into a team (of sorts) with friendships building and a sort of strengthening forms that serves the purpose of healing some of the wounds that were caused by the event that drove the town into its funk.
By the way, at this stage I should point out that through a huge portion of the book, the actual event that took place is only ever hinted at in the vaguest of terms. This is clearly a story that has tremendous meaning to the locals of Gerandaroo but for us, the details are leaked in the slowest manner possible.
Darkness Runs Deep is a story that tackles a range of emotional issues that lurk in just about any town or community. Deep-seated resentment, hurt feelings, misogyny, sexual discrimination are all displayed by those opposed to the women’s team from succeeding. The time setting of the early 90s is very appropriate for the attitudes that prevailed among many of the male townsfolk. But through a combination of defiance, strength and determination as well as a process of bonding the women with diverse backgrounds succeed in pulling together to become a team.
Claire McNeel succeeds in telling a story of rebuilding through the simple act of teamwork and togetherness. The activity that was the focus of this bond could have been anything at all, but for a small Victorian country town, it was only going to be through Aussie Rules football that the passion was going to shine through.
Just one little personal note, too, as an REM fan I very much enjoyed the scene when Bess turned the car radio up loud when ‘It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) came on. I could also relate when they all struggled to nail the lyrics of the song! This is definitely a song on my playlist when I run and it always gets played at maximum volume. Always! (It’s time I spent some time alone.)
February 8, 2024
This book was so good! As an AFL fan, I got so into this story. I loved that the women of the town formed a team and stood up to those in the town who were against it, even their own families. It was much more emotional than I had expected, really got into my heart.
The town of Gerandaroo is broken after an horrific incident months ago. The locals are still in shock, trying to come to terms with everything. Can a women’s football team help bring them back together again and start to repair the wounds. Deep dark secrets will come out and tensions are high. The small town, where everyone thought they knew each other, learns a lot about themselves.
A powerful and thought provoking read. Highly recommend.
Thanks to Macmillan Australia for sending me an early copy of this book to read. Publishes in Australia on January 30th.
The town of Gerandaroo is broken after an horrific incident months ago. The locals are still in shock, trying to come to terms with everything. Can a women’s football team help bring them back together again and start to repair the wounds. Deep dark secrets will come out and tensions are high. The small town, where everyone thought they knew each other, learns a lot about themselves.
A powerful and thought provoking read. Highly recommend.
Thanks to Macmillan Australia for sending me an early copy of this book to read. Publishes in Australia on January 30th.
February 1, 2024
I love Australian Crime writing, this book I thoroughly enjoyed and finished in just a couple of days.
Set in a small Australian town, rocked by a terrible incident has left the town divided.. months on from the incident Bess returns to her hometown of Gerandaroo. The tension and resentment among the town is rife. Bess forms an AFL footy women's team to get the community back on track. Bess is resilient and full of moxie in her efforts to combat the hostility and division within the locals. Including pushback from her own family.
Lots of tension, hidden secrets in this one... very enjoyable. Looking forward to seeing what Claire releases next. Thanks so much to Pan Macmillan Australia for my ARC of this book. Out now across Australia
Set in a small Australian town, rocked by a terrible incident has left the town divided.. months on from the incident Bess returns to her hometown of Gerandaroo. The tension and resentment among the town is rife. Bess forms an AFL footy women's team to get the community back on track. Bess is resilient and full of moxie in her efforts to combat the hostility and division within the locals. Including pushback from her own family.
Lots of tension, hidden secrets in this one... very enjoyable. Looking forward to seeing what Claire releases next. Thanks so much to Pan Macmillan Australia for my ARC of this book. Out now across Australia
October 31, 2025
Massively mixed feelings about this one - but one thing I am absolutely positive about is that we need to stop allowing books with one murder in it be called a crime fiction book. If the book has next to no focus on the crime, the investigation or the aftermath then it's literally not a crime novel. It's just a book with a cheeky murder as part of a characters back story to give em a bit of trauma. So as a crime novel (which it is marketed as) it fails on all accounts.
As a general fiction book focused primarily on a group of women of mixed ages trying to start up an women's football team in a AFL loving but misogynistic small town it works much better. This was the central plot and the aforementioned murder really only served as a shoddy way to explain away why the men's football team can't play at the moment. I really liked this storyline, it's one that any fan of women's sport is all too familiar with and it was (in theory) a cool set up for a 'crime' novel.
However, despite this part of the story being interesting it was really let down Bess who felt pretty unknowable and plain. We don't ever really get to know her properly and the exploration of her grief re. what happened in the town, a life time of misogyny etc and how that fuelled her to end up where she is. Things sort of just happen to her and she lets it.
Shockingly I actually found the POVs of some of the male side characters a bit more interesting.
The exploration of homophobia within country Australia and how it intersects with AFL and violence was done okay but I think there was definitely a lot of room to do more with it. I also have zero idea why the author wouldn't parallel the homophobia storyline with another gay storyline by making Bess or one of the women gay too? Like obviously not all women who play AFL are gay but we are a huge part of the game culturally so it felt like a really missed opportunity.
Not a bad read but ultimately didn't meet its potential and it's NOT a crime novel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As a general fiction book focused primarily on a group of women of mixed ages trying to start up an women's football team in a AFL loving but misogynistic small town it works much better. This was the central plot and the aforementioned murder really only served as a shoddy way to explain away why the men's football team can't play at the moment. I really liked this storyline, it's one that any fan of women's sport is all too familiar with and it was (in theory) a cool set up for a 'crime' novel.
However, despite this part of the story being interesting it was really let down Bess who felt pretty unknowable and plain. We don't ever really get to know her properly and the exploration of her grief re. what happened in the town, a life time of misogyny etc and how that fuelled her to end up where she is. Things sort of just happen to her and she lets it.
Shockingly I actually found the POVs of some of the male side characters a bit more interesting.
The exploration of homophobia within country Australia and how it intersects with AFL and violence was done okay but I think there was definitely a lot of room to do more with it. I also have zero idea why the author wouldn't parallel the homophobia storyline with another gay storyline by making Bess or one of the women gay too? Like obviously not all women who play AFL are gay but we are a huge part of the game culturally so it felt like a really missed opportunity.
Not a bad read but ultimately didn't meet its potential and it's NOT a crime novel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 1, 2024
I've really embraced Australian crime drama in the last couple of years, but despite all of my best intentions, I could just never get into this book.
Bess, a young teacher, returns to her childhood home of Gerandaroo, an Aussie Rules footy obsessed town, which is also the home of a gay hate murder of a friend of hers, on the hallowed oval, by some footy playing homophobes. This act in turn caused her brother to flee.
On her return, Bess finds herself caught up in a dare to put together a womens footy team, to return the game to the town & return some hope to its people.
This book wants to do lots of things, calling out misogyny, homophobia, small town attitudes and lost love, but it does none of them well. None of the themes, other than the coming women's footy match, is well developed, the representation of regional people is borderline offensive, and the tension never really delivers.
This was a really disappointing novel. I almost always try & finish any book that I start, but this one tested my resolve!
Bess, a young teacher, returns to her childhood home of Gerandaroo, an Aussie Rules footy obsessed town, which is also the home of a gay hate murder of a friend of hers, on the hallowed oval, by some footy playing homophobes. This act in turn caused her brother to flee.
On her return, Bess finds herself caught up in a dare to put together a womens footy team, to return the game to the town & return some hope to its people.
This book wants to do lots of things, calling out misogyny, homophobia, small town attitudes and lost love, but it does none of them well. None of the themes, other than the coming women's footy match, is well developed, the representation of regional people is borderline offensive, and the tension never really delivers.
This was a really disappointing novel. I almost always try & finish any book that I start, but this one tested my resolve!
August 26, 2024
DNF. Bad writing.
October 30, 2024
I really dislike the writing tool whereby all the characters know what happened "dad was never the same after that fateful day" but we the readers do not know and it we see as it all unfolds.
It's different to we (the reader) is working it out with a detective of some sort...
Anyhoo .. that was annoying and as it jumped back and forward in time it was a bit of a head spin as to where we were. May be an audiobook problem.
But the writing was good .. good plot .. an AFLw team to heal a broken town .. I reckon this author will just get better and better!
It's different to we (the reader) is working it out with a detective of some sort...
Anyhoo .. that was annoying and as it jumped back and forward in time it was a bit of a head spin as to where we were. May be an audiobook problem.
But the writing was good .. good plot .. an AFLw team to heal a broken town .. I reckon this author will just get better and better!
April 15, 2024
Claire's debut novel is adapted from her own screenplay, bringing to life a uniquely visual reading experience. From its gripping opening scene to its dramatic conclusion, the story unfolds like a captivating film, inviting readers into the heart of rural Gerandaroo.
At the centre of the tale is Bess, a young teacher returning to her hometown amidst the shadow of a haunting crime. Bess's efforts to form a women's footy team become a thread of hope among some, and a source of tension for others, shedding light on deeply rooted discriminatory beliefs in the town. Claire deftly navigates the intricacies of small-town dynamics, painting a portrait of resilience and unity amidst adversity.
Throughout the narrative, Claire masterfully teases out details of the central crime, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the final reveal- one of my favourite aspects of the writing.
In this 2024 world, still fraught with division, "Darkness Runs Deep" serves as a poignant reminder of the profound impact that can be achieved when individuals set aside their differences and come together as one.
At the centre of the tale is Bess, a young teacher returning to her hometown amidst the shadow of a haunting crime. Bess's efforts to form a women's footy team become a thread of hope among some, and a source of tension for others, shedding light on deeply rooted discriminatory beliefs in the town. Claire deftly navigates the intricacies of small-town dynamics, painting a portrait of resilience and unity amidst adversity.
Throughout the narrative, Claire masterfully teases out details of the central crime, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the final reveal- one of my favourite aspects of the writing.
In this 2024 world, still fraught with division, "Darkness Runs Deep" serves as a poignant reminder of the profound impact that can be achieved when individuals set aside their differences and come together as one.
October 28, 2024
With a name like Darkness Runs Deep and a cover that shows an outback dirty road at night, not to mention being classified as "Crime", you'd be forgiven for thinking this is another Australia outback crime novel. But it's not. It's a book about a women's football match in the early to mid 90s. Bess can't say no to a dare, so when she's dared to start a women's Aussie rules team in Gerandaroo to play against Denby the weekend after the VFL Grand Final, she has to follow through.
The majority of the book is about Bess recruiting the team, training, dealing with the small-minded men in town and ultimately playing the match. There is a back story about something that happened eight months earlier, which has prevented the Gerandaroo and Denby men from playing the current season, but it's only hinted at for way too long.
There are too many characters and too much time spent with people being upset that other people have left Gerandaroo. But the footy was fun.
The majority of the book is about Bess recruiting the team, training, dealing with the small-minded men in town and ultimately playing the match. There is a back story about something that happened eight months earlier, which has prevented the Gerandaroo and Denby men from playing the current season, but it's only hinted at for way too long.
There are too many characters and too much time spent with people being upset that other people have left Gerandaroo. But the footy was fun.
March 25, 2024
Australian author Claire McNeel’s Darkness Runs Deep (2024) is her debut general fiction novel. Bess returns home from her teaching job in Sydney, eight months after an incident that is still raw for the grief-stricken town. Bess takes on a dare to establish a Gerandaroo female Australian Rules Football team to play against the neighbouring town of Denby. It causes protest and derision among the town residents, given the male footy team’s ban from playing due to the crime that cannot be talked about. With a plethora of characters still impacted by the tragedy, unresolved grief and past family dynamics combine to form a tenuous hope, despite opposition to the proposal. An enjoyable novel with a flowing narrative that could use more game description and has a three star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.
February 24, 2024
The blurb on this one says “crime novel” which is a little misleading. Yes a tragic crime provides the backdrop to the story. However it’s more the story of a small country town hurting and full of secrets, resentments and tensions, and this provides for a very atmospheric read.
A teacher returns to the small town and is goaded into forming a women’s AFL team to play a game against a neighbouring town. With the recent history of the crime (which is a slow reveal in the narrative) meaning the men’s team are unable to play, the genesis of the women’s team brings the issues of the town to the surface.
Having come from a small rural town, a lot of the “vibe” resonates. Enjoyed this a lot.
A teacher returns to the small town and is goaded into forming a women’s AFL team to play a game against a neighbouring town. With the recent history of the crime (which is a slow reveal in the narrative) meaning the men’s team are unable to play, the genesis of the women’s team brings the issues of the town to the surface.
Having come from a small rural town, a lot of the “vibe” resonates. Enjoyed this a lot.
June 16, 2024
Fabulous read that begins slowly, smouldering as it gains pace until you feel like you are racing towards its ultimate ending- the footy game. Great characters but the two teams forming and the ladies’ footy match are the central focus of this great book. I loved the developing players, their personalities and skills. Set in a typical small rural town, dependent on the farming areas being able to support their young people, Getandaroo is declining both in their youth and local services. This is a well-recognised sign of the times in rural Australia. Read it, you won’t be disappointed!
March 28, 2025
Gosh I really have to update my definition of a crime novel. This was nothing as I expected. And the title also was incompatible with the book. Yes, the book started with someone running through the dark and then almost the whole of the rest of the book is working out who, why, where and when. But it was more about the restoration of relationships between friends, parents and children after a traumatising incident. Can football bring them all together again? Apparently yes. But not a crime mystery.
But I quite enjoyed the plot flow even though I have never watched a game of AFL and had no idea about what any of footy was about.
But I quite enjoyed the plot flow even though I have never watched a game of AFL and had no idea about what any of footy was about.
September 23, 2025
I love trying any author in the Australian noir genre - outback crime is so interesting. This book was a disappointment however. The country town characters seemed cliche and there were so many 'issues' being discussed - small town secrets, misogyny, homophobia, racism - but the shocking crime from a few years ago takes so long to be divulged that I lost interest. Also I get that the author loves and knows a lot about Australian Rules Football but I found pages and pages of the details of training and match play utterly boring. I struggled to finish this and didn’t enjoy it at all.
February 21, 2024
Book 8. An Outback novel ( not quite noir) I found at Auckland Airport on my way down. About a town torn apart by tragedy and them trying to heal by putting together a women’s footy (AFL) team. Against a LOT dog prejudice and opposition. The story of the tragedy unfolds through memories of the characters. You have no idea what it is until about halfway through. A great read though. 🤓📚 #tsreadinglist2024 #tsrecommendations
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March 28, 2024My Review of one that I really should not have tried to read. Darkness Runs Deep by Claire McNeel:
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
As always, whenever the vehicle is contentious, DARKNESS RUNS DEEP is going to be a YMMV read.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
As always, whenever the vehicle is contentious, DARKNESS RUNS DEEP is going to be a YMMV read.
December 22, 2024
There are parts of this book I really enjoyed - and some not so much. The blow by blow account of the footy game was a bit tedious for a non sport lover, and I’m not sure you can really describe this as a crime novel. But I enjoyed the characters, the ‘twists’ and the plot.
April 17, 2024
Listened to the audiobook.
Once I worked out what this book was about…I feel an Australian country town drama, I throughly enjoyed it.
Once I worked out what this book was about…I feel an Australian country town drama, I throughly enjoyed it.
May 7, 2024
This kept my interest - when I don't watch football - secrets, lies and isolation...
May 13, 2024
Women fight for the right, that is the way it has always been. Is that the way it will always be.
Read
July 18, 2024an interesting story
September 9, 2024
A very good topic.
Congratulations for all the lessons.
Well written. It was a little frustrating.
Congratulations for all the lessons.
Well written. It was a little frustrating.
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November 4, 2025🎧 The beginning did nothing for this crime girlie. DNF
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews