Dark Reflections

by Madeline Vaughn

Seventeen-year-old Lenny Green is desperate for stability after years in the foster system. After a turn of events, she’s placed with the Williams family in the remote coastal town of Fawson, Washington. But something isn’t right in this picture-perfect community. As Lenny begins to uncover the town’s horrifying truth, a cult whose members occupy every position of power, she realizes the home that has taken her in is part of it. In Fawson, curiosity and asking questions are considered a sin that demands purification. Now Lenny must find allies among the broken and the damned if she hopes to expose the cult before she becomes their next sacrifice. Because in this town, innocence isn’t protected, it’s hunted.

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 13, 2026

About the author

I have always been passionate about writing and storytelling. I love to explore different themes and motifs. I love to immerse myself into my projects- dive headfirst into the research, production, and fine-tuning of the stories I deem worthy to tell.

Reviews

[Cocolici · Rating 5 out of 5]

"𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜, 𝙵𝚊𝚠𝚜𝚘𝚗, 𝚆𝙰 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚜."

If you are looking for a read that drips with atmospheric dread and small-town claustrophobia, this is it.

We follow seventeen-year-old Lenny Green, who is desperate for stability after bouncing through the FOSTER system. She thinks she’s finally found a safe harbor with the Williams family in the remote coastal town of Fawson. But... as is the way with all picture-perfect towns in HORROR novels, something is deeply, disturbingly wrong.

I really enjoyed the tension in this one. Madeline does a fantastic job of building that feeling of isolation, you genuinely feel trapped in Fawson alongside Lenny.

The cult aspect is handled well, slowly peeling back the layers of a "perfect" community to reveal the rot underneath. The concept of curiosity being a sin that demands "purification" raised the stakes immediately.

Lenny is a protagonist you want to root for, she’s scrappy and resilient, not because she wants to be, but because the system forced her to be. Watching her find allies among the "broken and the damned" was a highlight for me.

It’s a dark, gripping ride about survival and exposing the truth before it consumes you.

[Ashley (adoseofthrills) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy dark read! Madeline does it yet again but buckle up it’s very different than her trilogy! Lenny’s story is so interesting and disturbing! I loved everything about it! From the cult theme, to the shepherds and torture! Madeline is such a mastermind! Please check trigger warnings first. I highly recommend adding this to your 2026 TBR!

[Nea Edie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was DARK, and I loved every bit of it. Did some scenes make me uncomfortable? Yes, absolutely. And that’s what’s so amazing about this book. I loved the way Madeline depicts the ab*se scenes to be closed door/fade to black, making this a great thriller for those who do want it dark, without the nightmares. I mean, I imagine it was difficult for her to even write it lol. Either way, I’m glad she did because this book was everything I needed in a thriller and for one of my last books of 2025. This book had my pregnant butt staying up till 2AM saying “one more chapter” because it was so hard to find a stopping point!

Thank you Madeline for gifting me a copy of Dark Reflections prior to release!

[Madeline Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a bit biased but I love Lenny's story. She represents so many children that are lost in our foster care system. While the story overall is fiction, her character was created from actual events that occurred in some of my close friends lives. With their permission and trust, I created Lenny and brought her to life.

I hope you enjoy meeting her.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Reflections by Madeline Vaughn is a haunting, slow descent into a town that feels wrong from the moment you arrive. The atmosphere is thick with unease, feels oppressive from the start, and is wrapped in rules and rituals that make it clear perfection here comes at a terrifying cost.

Seventeen-year-old Lenny Green is a compelling protagonist. She’s tough, guarded, and deeply human. After being failed by the foster system, she wants nothing more than stability, only to find herself placed in a community where obedience is prized and curiosity is dangerous. Vaughn expertly peels back the illusion of perfection, revealing a chilling belief system that turns control and punishment into acts of “faith.”

What makes this story stand out is how emotionally grounded it is. Lenny’s fight isn’t just against the town itself, but against a lifetime of neglect and silence. The connections she forms with others living on the margins add heart to an otherwise brutal narrative and give the story its emotional weight, which adds depth to this already gripping story.

This is Madeline Vaughn at her darkest and most fearless. The subject matter is intense and unsettling but handled with care and intention. It is essential to check the content warnings. Dark Reflections is gripping, disturbing, and unforgettable, and easily her strongest work yet. If you’re looking for a thriller that lingers long after the final page, this one belongs on your TBR.

[Nikki Lamers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

It’s been a while since I read a thriller and this one is not for the faint of heart, but I could not stop turning the pages. I had to know what was coming next. Lenny is an incredibly strong young woman who has lived a lifetime of tragedy in her short life. It was so good to see her developing friendships and support after everything, no matter how hard it was for her to trust, but life wasn’t done with her yet. My stomach was constantly churning, on edge and hoping for the best that she’s desperate for. Incredibly penned story that will bring you to tears and have you desperate for a sign of hope or closure on the cases of the missing children and a glimpse of happiness for Lenny, but you won’t believe what’s coming.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madeline Vaughn has written her best book yet. This story is much darker than her previous novels and I was all in. Her writing keeps you pulled in and cheering for Lenny. A product of a foster system that has failed her, as she finds herself fighting for her life in her recent home placement. This is an author you will want on your auto buy. The topics covered in this book can be triggers for many. However, she covered them in such a way that you knew she did her research and honored those affected by these warnings with respect and hope.

[Molly Bethoney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark Reflections was…dark and a wild ride.

I had a hard time getting into it because I felt it was rushed from the beginning. I wish I got to understand our FMCs better off before diving into the mess and hurt with them.

I did enjoy the plot and loved the dark themes. It was exciting to read and very provocative with the content.

[Patience Rose Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wild ride. Check the trigger warnings, because it’s probably the darkest novel written by this author so far. I couldn’t stop thinking about the FMC, even when I paused on the book now and then. Definitely recommend if you enjoy dark thrillers with a cultish-dystopian vibe.

[Christine Wellert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy plot twist Batman! Okay I figured there was some suspect stuff going on but I couldn’t believe the ending- so good!
This was suspenseful, gritty, and so so good. I enjoyed reading this- even if I lost some sleep reading after I should’ve been sleeping!

[Findapassion1114 · Rating 5 out of 5]

""𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈'𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝑭𝒂𝒘𝒔𝒐𝒏.""

Special thanks to @madelinevaughn for the gifted epub in exchange for an honest review.

👉🏼 swipe for synopsis ➡️

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Now I love dark thrillers, so when I saw the list of trigger warnings I was ecstatic!
For me, the darker the better.

I will say with that in mind alot of the triggers tend to be off screen and implied. I think it could've been darker, but I truly loved this story. I became so invested in Lenny's story and how a terrible situation can turn around by the slightest bit of kindness.

The ending was very satisfying, yet still had me on edge. I wasn't sure if there'd be one more twists i wouldn't see coming, but I do know there felt like some Easter eggs dropped that make me hope for another book in this story.

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
Jan 13, 2026

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Whats the last selfless act of kindness you've done?

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#darkreflections #arcreader #thrillerreader
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