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Dark Is When the Devil Comes: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 28 Apr 26Unrelentingly scary and thrilling, Dark Is When the Devil Comes is an ambitious and chilling novel from acclaimed horror author Daisy Pearce.
The woods are known as the place to avoid. What goes in, doesn’t come out.
Hazel has been gone from her small hometown of Kawdarn in the English countryside for years. Now returned in the wake of a traumatic divorce and crumbling personal life, her simple plans are to lay low at her parents’ vacated house, reconnect with her prickly sister Cathy, and slowly get back on her feet.
Cathy is surprised when Hazel doesn’t show. Their relationship strained from a fallout half a decade ago, she didn’t expect them to get back into a sisterly rhythm…though she hadn’t counted on Hazel bailing, either.
But something isn’t adding up. Other people in town whisper of a threat that can’t be shaken. The woods are known for being restless. And Cathy knows the old saying.
If you go looking for trouble, you just might find it.
The woods are known as the place to avoid. What goes in, doesn’t come out.
Hazel has been gone from her small hometown of Kawdarn in the English countryside for years. Now returned in the wake of a traumatic divorce and crumbling personal life, her simple plans are to lay low at her parents’ vacated house, reconnect with her prickly sister Cathy, and slowly get back on her feet.
Cathy is surprised when Hazel doesn’t show. Their relationship strained from a fallout half a decade ago, she didn’t expect them to get back into a sisterly rhythm…though she hadn’t counted on Hazel bailing, either.
But something isn’t adding up. Other people in town whisper of a threat that can’t be shaken. The woods are known for being restless. And Cathy knows the old saying.
If you go looking for trouble, you just might find it.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 28, 2026
15857 people want to read
About the author
Daisy Pearce
6 books569 followersDaisy Pearce was born in Cornwall and grew up on a smallholding surrounded by hippies. She read Stephen King’s 'Cujo' and The Hamlyn Book of Horror far too young and has been fascinated with the macabre ever since.
She began writing short stories as a teenager and after spells living in London and Brighton Daisy had her first short story ‘The Black Prince’ published in One Eye Grey magazine. Another short story, ‘The Brook Witch’, was performed on stage at the Small Story Cabaret in Lewes in 2016. She has also written articles about mental health online. In 2015, The Silence won a bursary with The Literary Consultancy, and later that year Daisy also won the Chindi Authors Competition with her short story ‘Worm Food’. Her second novel was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Award.
Daisy currently works in the library at the University of Sussex, where she shelves books and listens to podcasts on true crime and folklore.
She began writing short stories as a teenager and after spells living in London and Brighton Daisy had her first short story ‘The Black Prince’ published in One Eye Grey magazine. Another short story, ‘The Brook Witch’, was performed on stage at the Small Story Cabaret in Lewes in 2016. She has also written articles about mental health online. In 2015, The Silence won a bursary with The Literary Consultancy, and later that year Daisy also won the Chindi Authors Competition with her short story ‘Worm Food’. Her second novel was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Award.
Daisy currently works in the library at the University of Sussex, where she shelves books and listens to podcasts on true crime and folklore.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 30, 2025
I received an ARC of this book.
I have to give this book 4.5 stars. I was so pleasantly surprised and I did not want to put the book down. This is the story of Hazel, a woman who has been going through a very hard time in her life and ends up back at home with her parents. She reaches out to her estranged older sister, Cathy, who is a bit unsettled when Hazel doesn't show up for their arranged lunch date later that week. When Hazel's childhood friend Suzie runs into Cathy just after Hazel's strange absence, both women find themselves attempting to figure out what happened to Hazel and where she might be. Is she in danger from lingering darkness in her past, or a new evil in the present?
I usually do not like horror at all, so I was a bit wary when the supernatural creepiness began to seep in, but it was so well-done, and by that point I had already been sucked in by the atmospheric details and engrossing setting. Everything was described so very perfectly that I could see, smell, and feel the story along with the characters. The plot kept me guessing through the entire book--I never knew what would happen next, and I even found myself admonishing some characters out loud, and saying, "Oh no! Don't --- !" Everything about this book was compelling, from the descriptions to the setting to the plot and pacing; there were so many beautifully written sentences. The ending was great. If you enjoy horror, psychological thrillers, and crime/suspense, then I would recommend this book.
I have to give this book 4.5 stars. I was so pleasantly surprised and I did not want to put the book down. This is the story of Hazel, a woman who has been going through a very hard time in her life and ends up back at home with her parents. She reaches out to her estranged older sister, Cathy, who is a bit unsettled when Hazel doesn't show up for their arranged lunch date later that week. When Hazel's childhood friend Suzie runs into Cathy just after Hazel's strange absence, both women find themselves attempting to figure out what happened to Hazel and where she might be. Is she in danger from lingering darkness in her past, or a new evil in the present?
I usually do not like horror at all, so I was a bit wary when the supernatural creepiness began to seep in, but it was so well-done, and by that point I had already been sucked in by the atmospheric details and engrossing setting. Everything was described so very perfectly that I could see, smell, and feel the story along with the characters. The plot kept me guessing through the entire book--I never knew what would happen next, and I even found myself admonishing some characters out loud, and saying, "Oh no! Don't --- !" Everything about this book was compelling, from the descriptions to the setting to the plot and pacing; there were so many beautifully written sentences. The ending was great. If you enjoy horror, psychological thrillers, and crime/suspense, then I would recommend this book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review