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In The Black Room
In The Darkness
An alternate cover edition can be found here.
FINALLY, THE COMPLETE BLACK ROOM SAGA, ALL IN ONE VOLUME!
There are hangovers, there are bad hangovers, and then there's waking up inside someone else's head. Thirty-something bartender Charlie Wilkes is faced with this exact dilemma when he wakes to find finds himself trapped inside The Black Room; a space consisting of impenetrable darkness and a huge, ethereal screen floating in its centre. It is through this screen that he sees the world of his female host, Minnie.
How did he get there? What has happened to his life? And how can he exist inside the mind of a troubled, fragile, but beautiful woman with secrets of her own? Uncertain whether he's even real or if he is just a figment of his host's imagination, Charlie must enlist Minnie's help if he is to find a way out of The Black Room, a place where even the light of the screen goes out every time Minnie closes her eyes...
IN THE DARKNESS, THAT'S WHERE I'LL KNOW YOU tells the complete story of THE BLACK ROOM PARTS ONE TO FOUR all in one book, and contains all of the adventures of Charlie and Minnie. All the answers are revealed in a story guaranteed to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
FINALLY, THE COMPLETE BLACK ROOM SAGA, ALL IN ONE VOLUME!
There are hangovers, there are bad hangovers, and then there's waking up inside someone else's head. Thirty-something bartender Charlie Wilkes is faced with this exact dilemma when he wakes to find finds himself trapped inside The Black Room; a space consisting of impenetrable darkness and a huge, ethereal screen floating in its centre. It is through this screen that he sees the world of his female host, Minnie.
How did he get there? What has happened to his life? And how can he exist inside the mind of a troubled, fragile, but beautiful woman with secrets of her own? Uncertain whether he's even real or if he is just a figment of his host's imagination, Charlie must enlist Minnie's help if he is to find a way out of The Black Room, a place where even the light of the screen goes out every time Minnie closes her eyes...
IN THE DARKNESS, THAT'S WHERE I'LL KNOW YOU tells the complete story of THE BLACK ROOM PARTS ONE TO FOUR all in one book, and contains all of the adventures of Charlie and Minnie. All the answers are revealed in a story guaranteed to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2015
644 people are currently reading
1687 people want to read
About the author
Luke Smitherd
32 books593 followersLuke Smitherd is the author of The Stone Man (shortlisted for Audible Book of the Year 2015) and its sequels as well as several other novels. A former singer and guitarist, he now writes full time, hosts the comedy music-discussion show Cracker Juice, and performs around Los Angeles as a stand-up comic. He divides his time between the United States and the United Kingdom.
www.lukesmitherd.com
www.lukesmitherd.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 241 reviews
January 29, 2020
There are hangovers, there are bad hangovers, and then there’s waking up inside someone else’s head.
And that’s exactly what happens to bartender Charlie after a night out in Coventry. He’s naked and in a very dark room. The walls are pliable and the floor has a strange quality to it: firm but not cold. Then a screen lights up throwing light into the room. He can now see a view of a bathroom and its as if he’s seeing it through the eyes of another person. Is this real? Is it a dream? Is he dead and this is what the afterlife comprises? We are left to ponder on this as Charlie begins to identify that he’s inside the head of a girl called Minnie. He knows this as when he talks she hears a voice inside her head and after initially freaking out she calms down enough to talk back to him.
It’s a weird start to what turned out to be a compelling story. My initial thought was that I’d struggle to stay with this tale for any length of time, that I’d tire of the absurd nature of this seemingly surreal tale. But in reality it wasn’t long before I was fully engrossed. Having seen her briefly in the bathroom mirror, Charlie thinks he might recognise Minnie, but he’s not sure. We learn that she has a history of drug taking, though she’s been clean for a while. Her initial reaction to Charlie’s voice is that she’s finally cracked, the drugs have done for her at last and the voice heralds her helter-skelter descent into madness.
Strange as this storyline seems, I quickly got used to the interactions between the two characters and was just beginning to think I’d worked out where this was going when a shattering twist was landed. Wow! I certainly didn’t see that coming. From here on in the pace increases exponentially as it races to a heart thumping, dramatic conclusion.
I’d find it hard to categorise this book but I’d say that if you’re in the mood for something very different then this one is certainly worth a look. I listened to this book on audio – so I had a voice in my head (the author’s own) talking about a woman with a voice in her head, weirder and weirder. But very entertaining.
And that’s exactly what happens to bartender Charlie after a night out in Coventry. He’s naked and in a very dark room. The walls are pliable and the floor has a strange quality to it: firm but not cold. Then a screen lights up throwing light into the room. He can now see a view of a bathroom and its as if he’s seeing it through the eyes of another person. Is this real? Is it a dream? Is he dead and this is what the afterlife comprises? We are left to ponder on this as Charlie begins to identify that he’s inside the head of a girl called Minnie. He knows this as when he talks she hears a voice inside her head and after initially freaking out she calms down enough to talk back to him.
It’s a weird start to what turned out to be a compelling story. My initial thought was that I’d struggle to stay with this tale for any length of time, that I’d tire of the absurd nature of this seemingly surreal tale. But in reality it wasn’t long before I was fully engrossed. Having seen her briefly in the bathroom mirror, Charlie thinks he might recognise Minnie, but he’s not sure. We learn that she has a history of drug taking, though she’s been clean for a while. Her initial reaction to Charlie’s voice is that she’s finally cracked, the drugs have done for her at last and the voice heralds her helter-skelter descent into madness.
Strange as this storyline seems, I quickly got used to the interactions between the two characters and was just beginning to think I’d worked out where this was going when a shattering twist was landed. Wow! I certainly didn’t see that coming. From here on in the pace increases exponentially as it races to a heart thumping, dramatic conclusion.
I’d find it hard to categorise this book but I’d say that if you’re in the mood for something very different then this one is certainly worth a look. I listened to this book on audio – so I had a voice in my head (the author’s own) talking about a woman with a voice in her head, weirder and weirder. But very entertaining.
March 8, 2016
If I had to sum up this book with two words, they'd be
interesting
and
bizarre
. And yes, I'm aware that interesting is quite generic, a bland word that doesn't do this book any justice whatsoever, but seriously. It's so interesting. And trippy. I suppose those three words combined sum up my feelings nicely.
I'm sure at one point, we've all wished we could be inside someone's head and in this book, that's exactly what happens to Charlie Wilkes. Only problem is, he doesn't know the head of the person he's found himself inside. Not to mention the fact that he's inside inside, not just his mind scoping out the woman's mind. Nope, he's inside, body and all. And naked. What unfolds after Charlie finds himself inside Minnie's mind is the bizarre, interesting, and trippy part of this equation because not only do neither of them really know what's going on and how to fix it, but other things come into play involving events that occur, yet don't. Some sci-fi elements are introduced at this point and I have to say that the speculation and the conjecture about the how's and the why's and the what-the-hell's were honestly my favorite part.
Usually, I like books that are faster paced, books I can speed through quickly because I don't have much time to sit down these days. This one didn't fall into that category. This one is a slow burn, and the pace is slower for a reason. And a damn good one at that. There are so many details, so many elements that are all thrown out, and even the most minute detail is something important to the big picture of Minnie and Charlie's predicament. For once, I'm happy to say that none of the details were unnecessary. Usually, it's the other way around, where authors jam so much irrelevant information into a story that it becomes a plodding mess. Not so with this one. Author Luke Smitherd gives such a detailed story and at the end, brings all those little elements together for one heck of a ... bizarre tale, and one that had me scratching my head on more than one occasion.
Bottom line -- Smitherd delivered a very odd tale, with plenty of wit and humor throughout and the bonus is, all the serialized volumes are together in one book. Had I read this in installments, I would have been impatiently waiting for the next one, dying to know what, exactly, is happening. Would I recommend this? Absolutely, but for who, I'm not sure. It's not a book that's easily classified -- it's a blend of mystery, thriller, some odd humor. I suppose it's best classified as a mind-fuck, because the author clearly likes to fuck with your mind.
**eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I'm sure at one point, we've all wished we could be inside someone's head and in this book, that's exactly what happens to Charlie Wilkes. Only problem is, he doesn't know the head of the person he's found himself inside. Not to mention the fact that he's inside inside, not just his mind scoping out the woman's mind. Nope, he's inside, body and all. And naked. What unfolds after Charlie finds himself inside Minnie's mind is the bizarre, interesting, and trippy part of this equation because not only do neither of them really know what's going on and how to fix it, but other things come into play involving events that occur, yet don't. Some sci-fi elements are introduced at this point and I have to say that the speculation and the conjecture about the how's and the why's and the what-the-hell's were honestly my favorite part.
Usually, I like books that are faster paced, books I can speed through quickly because I don't have much time to sit down these days. This one didn't fall into that category. This one is a slow burn, and the pace is slower for a reason. And a damn good one at that. There are so many details, so many elements that are all thrown out, and even the most minute detail is something important to the big picture of Minnie and Charlie's predicament. For once, I'm happy to say that none of the details were unnecessary. Usually, it's the other way around, where authors jam so much irrelevant information into a story that it becomes a plodding mess. Not so with this one. Author Luke Smitherd gives such a detailed story and at the end, brings all those little elements together for one heck of a ... bizarre tale, and one that had me scratching my head on more than one occasion.
Bottom line -- Smitherd delivered a very odd tale, with plenty of wit and humor throughout and the bonus is, all the serialized volumes are together in one book. Had I read this in installments, I would have been impatiently waiting for the next one, dying to know what, exactly, is happening. Would I recommend this? Absolutely, but for who, I'm not sure. It's not a book that's easily classified -- it's a blend of mystery, thriller, some odd humor. I suppose it's best classified as a mind-fuck, because the author clearly likes to fuck with your mind.
**eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
January 6, 2017
I very rarely write a review .. I'm just one of those readers that use everyone else's reviews to choose my next book.. however, this book blew me away. It had every genre within it and kept me on the edge of my seat! I highly recommend and will have you hooked within the first 5 pages! I happened to stumble upon this author and will now look at the other works he has written .
January 8, 2018
Luke Smitherd is an excellent writer and his books always explore interesting/original themes. I have previously been frustrated at how his stories develop/end but this one did not disappoint - it kept me gripped till the last sentence. In fact, I read it (listened to the audio-book) in two days. The book was read by Luke Smitherd and although author readings aren't always a good thing, his reading was flawless, telling the story as only it's creator could. And you won't see the plot twists coming!
May 8, 2020
Neat concept and unique delivery. Weird in a good way. I enjoyed the story even if I had to take breaks while reading Part 4 - but that's just me avoiding horror in general. Can't complain, everything makes sense and ties together neatly, even if the trip into the villain's mind is terrifying and his actions make your stomach turn. The ending is bittersweet but a truly happy one would have been out of place.
January 18, 2019
I was familiar with Luke Smitherd through Kill Someone, which is a terrific thriller. One I enjoyed so much, I picked this one up without even reading a description. I mean, yes, it was a freebie at the time, but it still shows a considerable amount of regard for the author. Kill Someone was a freebie at one time also and it is not often that one gets to discover a genuinely good author worth following that way, so yeah…Smitherd. Glad I started with Kill Someone, though, because I didn’t love this one nearly as much. I liked it and appreciated it, found the idea behind it authentically original and interesting, but the execution read drawn out…and quartered. No, really. The book is quartered as in it comprises four serial installments in one. In fact, one can almost review them accordingly. Such as the first one was really fun…such a wild premise, a man wakes up in a woman’s body as a sort of unwitting unwilling passenger to her mind and both of them have to figure out what’s going on. That’s some great WTF*ckery. And then we’re told what’s going on. And then there’s an antagonist introduced. And then they battle it out for sanity and control. So the last quarter (despite the fact the author had it reedited) still read too long and tiring, like an action sequence that’s gone on too long. And the epilogue is positively romantic movie adorable. So the entire thing is slightly…disjointed, maybe. Or at least, uneven in tone and mood. Which is probably unnoticeable when quarters are experienced individually, but it’s obvious when read all at once. But aside from that, the concept was great and the writing’s pretty good too. Smitherd certainly knows how to excite the imagination and engage the attention. This tale of interdimensional romance showcases his considerable talents quite nicely, though maybe not optimally. It is entirely possible I wasn’t exactly in a mood for it, it read too slow somehow, but it was entertaining. And next time Smitherd’s freebies come up, I’m definitely hitting the download button. Speculative fiction should be this original and fun.
January 16, 2019
This book has a really neat concept and then it goes places I never expected. I really enjoyed it!
May 28, 2016
This book was a trip, that's for sure. I was hooked from the first few pages and wanted to know the reason WHY right away.
The main character, Charlie Wilkes is in the same position we are on the first page. Why are we in this Black Room, why are we taking note of a woman's body, there are so many bloody questions that begin to pop up off the bat, too.
This is one of those books that I can't really divulge much because each little nugget is something that is detrimental to the mystery of the book in the first place, all I can say is that it's mind blowing, perhaps literaly.
Minnie Cooper is the counterpart to Charlie Wilkes and he just so happens to be inhabiting her mind, she is a frazzled individual who seems a touch..out of sorts even as far as someone being inside your brain goes. We soon discover why, too.
As the story progresses things swiftly take a turn into WTFville and it is not at all what I had been expecting, which is great. There were spots where I just found myself flicking through the pages and skimming because it was just a bit of filler and chatter that wasn't important to the actual plot. At times I felt like it was really a stop and go as far as some of the parts [not really chapters,] went.
The actual story and idea is phenomal, but the execution was a little off for me. It's difficult to portay an individual who is inside your mind without it becoming dull or limited, but Smitherd did well to make it intriguing, there were just some spots that I felt were rather superfluous. Again, I can't go into detail because unfortunately any detail is really a spoiler. Ha.
I give it 3 stars just because of those spots where I felt we were reading unneccesary acts, or re-hashing events that truly didn't need to be there. Still, Smitherd's work here is just so wonderfully odd... I did enjoy it.
If you're looking for a quick, mind blowing, science fiction, "what if" read, this is it!
The main character, Charlie Wilkes is in the same position we are on the first page. Why are we in this Black Room, why are we taking note of a woman's body, there are so many bloody questions that begin to pop up off the bat, too.
This is one of those books that I can't really divulge much because each little nugget is something that is detrimental to the mystery of the book in the first place, all I can say is that it's mind blowing, perhaps literaly.
Minnie Cooper is the counterpart to Charlie Wilkes and he just so happens to be inhabiting her mind, she is a frazzled individual who seems a touch..out of sorts even as far as someone being inside your brain goes. We soon discover why, too.
As the story progresses things swiftly take a turn into WTFville and it is not at all what I had been expecting, which is great. There were spots where I just found myself flicking through the pages and skimming because it was just a bit of filler and chatter that wasn't important to the actual plot. At times I felt like it was really a stop and go as far as some of the parts [not really chapters,] went.
The actual story and idea is phenomal, but the execution was a little off for me. It's difficult to portay an individual who is inside your mind without it becoming dull or limited, but Smitherd did well to make it intriguing, there were just some spots that I felt were rather superfluous. Again, I can't go into detail because unfortunately any detail is really a spoiler. Ha.
I give it 3 stars just because of those spots where I felt we were reading unneccesary acts, or re-hashing events that truly didn't need to be there. Still, Smitherd's work here is just so wonderfully odd... I did enjoy it.
If you're looking for a quick, mind blowing, science fiction, "what if" read, this is it!
March 14, 2019
I did my best in trying. Dragged this on for over 150 pages. I held on to it because the premise seemed intriguing and I kept hugging my belief that something with a measure of brilliance could be extracted out of it. Then, around that page mark, came along another unnecessary, lukewarm plot twist and that got the better of me. I'm tapped out. Too many overlong, over-the-top descriptive passages. No cohesive rhythm. Too many exclamation points. Some other reader declared Smitherd to be "the UK's Stephen King" and I cannot possibly imagine why would anyone say such a thing. Closed for good.
June 26, 2020
A true original story
January 17, 2019
Here is a book written by an insane teenager. Well, it must be. No one but a teenager, sorta feeling out how far he can go would use that kind of foul language. And i don't know how a sane person could dream up such a fantasy. My thoughts after a few pages -- thats enough. But where was he going with this? I'll read a few more pages -- and ended up reading the whole thing. Toward the end I figured out where he was going -- what would be the next step -- but I was wrong. If you can take the completly unnecessary foul language, and like something you are not going to figure out - you may like it. I did and I didn't. I gave the low rating in response to the cussing.
January 22, 2018
Absolutely brilliant. Loved everything about it. The suspense was perpetual and the story enticing. I could hardly put it down in spots. I was totally intrigued by the multiverse psychological thriller premise, the abject nature of reality, of mindfulness and what constitutes it -- the well-crafted and engaging characters facing their personal dilemmas, the setting, language and the overall enduring love story of mind, threatened only by the darkness of the protagonist's evil alter ego surfing the void.. The END.
September 23, 2019
Must Read
I just finished after reading until 3am and I just know starting another book will be impossible. I fear nothing more than turning back to page one will hold my interest right now! An update: I finally broke down and bought a paperback version of this so it will live forever in my library!
I just finished after reading until 3am and I just know starting another book will be impossible. I fear nothing more than turning back to page one will hold my interest right now! An update: I finally broke down and bought a paperback version of this so it will live forever in my library!
September 24, 2018
Okay, so there are books where you can predict the plot, and there are books that pull the rug out from under your feet. And then there is this book.
3.5 stars. High rating because of readability factor, but deducing a few marks for certain language phrasing that just makes me feel weird...( Can male writers please stop comparing random actions to sexual acts?), but it’s (thankfully) not that frequent.
Honestly, I didn’t see pretty much any of those twists coming, and had no idea where the plot was headed for 98% of this book.
If you are up for one whirlwind of a book, pick this up and read it. I can’t say much else about this, but holy moly...
3.5 stars. High rating because of readability factor, but deducing a few marks for certain language phrasing that just makes me feel weird...( Can male writers please stop comparing random actions to sexual acts?), but it’s (thankfully) not that frequent.
Honestly, I didn’t see pretty much any of those twists coming, and had no idea where the plot was headed for 98% of this book.
If you are up for one whirlwind of a book, pick this up and read it. I can’t say much else about this, but holy moly...
Read
September 19, 2018This is the second book of Luke Smitherd's that I have read - the first being his collection of short stories Weird. Dark., and this collection of his "Black Room" story was fantastic. Confusing, disturbing, and absolutely wild, but completely fantastic.
It's the kind of book that when you try to explain the plot to your friends they all go "...What?" or "...I have no idea what's happening".
Absolutely brilliant. I'll be picking up The Stone Man soon, I think!
It's the kind of book that when you try to explain the plot to your friends they all go "...What?" or "...I have no idea what's happening".
Absolutely brilliant. I'll be picking up The Stone Man soon, I think!
May 13, 2020
I got a good ways in but it just never grabbed me. It took too long for anything to happen, and nothing did by the time I gave up.
January 13, 2023
Messed with my mind
Just finished and not yet fully digested. A little trippy, but not in a bad way. Original idea (or at least I’ve never read anything like it). A good read!
Just finished and not yet fully digested. A little trippy, but not in a bad way. Original idea (or at least I’ve never read anything like it). A good read!
July 5, 2019
I liked a lot of things about it. But some of it dragged and got repetitive. An interesting and unique story for sure. The first part was my favorite.
July 2, 2017
A mind bending, well written Romcom with lol moments and 80s pop culture references. As the concept of the story changes and progresses, the writer guides the reader with ease, like 'greased lightning!' The later chapters were a little drawn out perhaps, but that may not be a bad thing. I was looking for a British author who had similar style to Stevie King and I didn't need to look far :)
February 23, 2022
A very original and different scifi/horror story. I was drawn in right away and carried right through to the end. Interesting characters and a romance involved as well, which isn’t usually my thing, but this one was a good addition to the story and brought about much of the problem that drove the story. Definitely recommend this one.
March 27, 2018
This book does throw you straight into the story, but it's not until about halfway through that it really gathers any pace; there are a lot of long-winded passages throughout the book which makes the first part quite a long read until the plot steps up a gear. Took a couple of surprising turns along the way which were unexpected! Personally I thought all the swearing, particularly near the end, was overmuch and rather unimaginative, but that's only personal preference. There is too much overlong explanation in places, and the first part takes a long time to get going because of that. A really unusual concept though and an interesting story.
May 24, 2020
I enjoyed the first quarter of this book - interesting premise and likeable characters. Charlie wakes up inside someone else's head - a young woman called Minnie. They both struggle to work out a) if he really is there and not just a figment of her imagination/a crazy dream he is having and b) what on earth can they do about it. However, as the story progresses, it becomes darker and really nasty. I tried to persevere but just could not get past the violence. I could see no positive outcome and decided that life is too short and went to seek some familiar stability and comfort in some old childhood favourites.
June 25, 2017
Clearly, Smitherd gets to the heart of a lot of people. I'm just really not a fan.
I attempted to get through The Stone Man but just couldn't. I stuck with this because I wanted to finish at least one book by the man before making a judgement, but what can I say? I find the writing, story, plot, characters all incredibly dull.
It's a shame really, because there's great ideas. Just poor execution.
I attempted to get through The Stone Man but just couldn't. I stuck with this because I wanted to finish at least one book by the man before making a judgement, but what can I say? I find the writing, story, plot, characters all incredibly dull.
It's a shame really, because there's great ideas. Just poor execution.
September 3, 2016
I enjoyed this book - very unusual premise and a combination of a Sci-fi, horror and love story. Whilst the storyline is a bit bonkers it was well written and kept me guessing throughout. Interested in learning more about the author after reading this.
January 18, 2017
This book is so weirdly cool. Never read anything like it before. It's also the type of book you are instantly immersed in yet can put down and leave for a while, come back and be right back there in the story totally immersed again. So many concepts to get me head around..... just love!
November 2, 2015
I told you....After The Stone Man I said in my review that here was a major new talent. This book confirms that in spades. Much darker, MUCH darker, but riveting. Wow. On to the next....
July 20, 2019
A book of four (I think) chapters, and each chapter used to be, apparently, sold as a book of itself.
If book or chapter #1 had been on itself, I would definitely not have bought any of the follow-ups, I am sorry to say.
This whole story starts very boring, with a thought-monologue by the male protagonist, and very few dialogues; although the dialogues get more numerous and liven up the story a bit, in my opinion there are far too few of them.
The story: After a night of drugs and booze, bartender Charlie Wilkes wakes up, not in his home, but in a very dark room, which, as it turns out, is the mind of a very troubled young woman, Minnie Cooper. The question is: why does he think she is so familiar, and moreover: how the heck will he get out there?
I really was fighting through the first two chapters, the third picked up the tension a bit, and we actually had a progressing plot, yippieh! The fourth actually, the big finale, showdown, whatever you want to call it, was really quite good. But all that did not save from over half of the book dragging on.
Part of it may have been the language and sentence structure, during the monologues it was very complex, long sentences and not a structure for English sentences I am used to. Furthermore, some of the words used were the more unusual ones in my opinion (e.g. juddered instead of the normal shuddered?), and I wonder if that was intentional or just the way the author speaks? Then again, English is not my mother tongue, so I assume this all was just too sophisticated for me...
Then: it does help, when editing, not to just run the words through spell check, but to physically check it on your own - there were a lot of spelling and grammar errors.
It is not that I did not like this book at all, I think it is just that my taste is a bit more old-fashioned and used to different types of narration.
If book or chapter #1 had been on itself, I would definitely not have bought any of the follow-ups, I am sorry to say.
This whole story starts very boring, with a thought-monologue by the male protagonist, and very few dialogues; although the dialogues get more numerous and liven up the story a bit, in my opinion there are far too few of them.
The story: After a night of drugs and booze, bartender Charlie Wilkes wakes up, not in his home, but in a very dark room, which, as it turns out, is the mind of a very troubled young woman, Minnie Cooper. The question is: why does he think she is so familiar, and moreover: how the heck will he get out there?
I really was fighting through the first two chapters, the third picked up the tension a bit, and we actually had a progressing plot, yippieh! The fourth actually, the big finale, showdown, whatever you want to call it, was really quite good. But all that did not save from over half of the book dragging on.
Part of it may have been the language and sentence structure, during the monologues it was very complex, long sentences and not a structure for English sentences I am used to. Furthermore, some of the words used were the more unusual ones in my opinion (e.g. juddered instead of the normal shuddered?), and I wonder if that was intentional or just the way the author speaks? Then again, English is not my mother tongue, so I assume this all was just too sophisticated for me...
Then: it does help, when editing, not to just run the words through spell check, but to physically check it on your own - there were a lot of spelling and grammar errors.
It is not that I did not like this book at all, I think it is just that my taste is a bit more old-fashioned and used to different types of narration.
July 10, 2021
I rarely give out 5 star ratings, and while my criteria for such a rating doesn't include a book being totally flawless, it does include a rather abstract 'x factor' for lack of a better term - when a character or the writing or, most often, the full circle complexity of a story takes me on a whirlwind adventure while still managing to wrap everything up satisfactorily by teatime.Three books that spring immediately to mind are The End Of Mr Y and The Man From Primrose Lane, and to lesser extent The Last Days of Jack Sparks just for how wild, unpredictable, kooky and slightly supernatural they all are - and this book slots right in there with the best of them.
This book was originally created in four parts, and each part introduces a new flavour to the story. It starts off light and whimsical, but don't be fooled - the book gets real dark, real fast from the second half onward. Don't say I didn't warn you. I think such a change in direction is difficult for some readers so the more open minded you are to a blend of genres, the more luck you will have with this.
I've read several of Smitherds books now, and everytime I read them I find the same two things - somewhat dodgy pacing, and the last 8% of my kindle edition of the book being comprised of the author doing a weird combo of justifying and apologising for his work in one fell swoop. Both of these things are still true in this book, but as I said, a five star read need not be flawless, and for me this book is just the right blend of weird, wild, romantic, dark, and ultimately satisfying to warrant the rating.
This book was originally created in four parts, and each part introduces a new flavour to the story. It starts off light and whimsical, but don't be fooled - the book gets real dark, real fast from the second half onward. Don't say I didn't warn you. I think such a change in direction is difficult for some readers so the more open minded you are to a blend of genres, the more luck you will have with this.
I've read several of Smitherds books now, and everytime I read them I find the same two things - somewhat dodgy pacing, and the last 8% of my kindle edition of the book being comprised of the author doing a weird combo of justifying and apologising for his work in one fell swoop. Both of these things are still true in this book, but as I said, a five star read need not be flawless, and for me this book is just the right blend of weird, wild, romantic, dark, and ultimately satisfying to warrant the rating.
April 3, 2021
I definitely went too early with the comparisons in my review of The Man With All the Answers; whereas the concept for that one could have been an episode of Black Mirror, this one literally is. Specifically, it's the second segment of "Black Museum", where Becky from Utopia has her consciousness transferred into her husband's head. Trapped in a black room, she can see everything her husband can see through a giant television screen, and she can talk to him too, appearing as a voice in his head. That is literally exactly what happens in this book.
Before you rush to decry Smitherd's shameless lack of originality, you may be interested to note that the first novella in this series came out in 2014, and that episode of Black Mirror came out in 2017.
It should also be noted that this eventually goes way, way further with the concept. Rather than outlining at the very start exactly who the characters are and how one of them ended up inside the other's head, Smitherd holds that information back to keep some mystery to proceedings - mystery that eventually resolves itself in some very unexpected ways, as the story eventually becomes unbelievably wide-ranging given its openings. That mystery becomes romance in the second act, but it's the third instalment that really sends this over the top, as the story reveals its hand and suddenly pivots into a breakneck, horrifying, almost unbearably tense supernatural thriller, driven by some of his most enthralling, pulsating writing. The book builds up so much momentum at this point that it's able to power through a final instalment that is just a little on the shaky side, the emotional rollercoaster coming to a bumpy landing. I would imagine opinion amongst the readership is probably very heavily split on the ending, too; my thought is, quite simply,
Before you rush to decry Smitherd's shameless lack of originality, you may be interested to note that the first novella in this series came out in 2014, and that episode of Black Mirror came out in 2017.
It should also be noted that this eventually goes way, way further with the concept. Rather than outlining at the very start exactly who the characters are and how one of them ended up inside the other's head, Smitherd holds that information back to keep some mystery to proceedings - mystery that eventually resolves itself in some very unexpected ways, as the story eventually becomes unbelievably wide-ranging given its openings. That mystery becomes romance in the second act, but it's the third instalment that really sends this over the top, as the story reveals its hand and suddenly pivots into a breakneck, horrifying, almost unbearably tense supernatural thriller, driven by some of his most enthralling, pulsating writing. The book builds up so much momentum at this point that it's able to power through a final instalment that is just a little on the shaky side, the emotional rollercoaster coming to a bumpy landing. I would imagine opinion amongst the readership is probably very heavily split on the ending, too; my thought is, quite simply,
October 23, 2024
My Audible review: I jumped into In The Darkness, That's Where I'll Know You with the expectation it was a horror story. It wasn't the type of horror I was hoping for, but I guess psychological horror counts. The concept is very tangentially similar to Being John Malkovich.
Smitherd, having not narrated one of his own novels previously, did a surprisingly solid job of being clear and conveying emotion effectively.
The number of characters that truly mattered to the plot was limited, but that left a lot of room to flesh them out fully. I had no trouble identifying with each as it was their turn in the spotlight..
My complaint list is limited to two, really: The ending and the romance. The former was definitely the weakest portion of the story. There aren't a lot of options for a conclusion when the story reaches that point, but the one Smitherd chose was probably one of the least satisfying. The latter was very abruptly developed. I believe the story would have benefited from more narrative investigating the unique situation the characters were in and how it directly influenced the feelings they had - though additional detail was added later to better explain the situation, one or both of the characters should have contemplated how their unique connection might have pushed things in a romantic direction.
I'll rate this one, "An enjoyable supernatural and psychological horror that did what it was intended to do."
Smitherd, having not narrated one of his own novels previously, did a surprisingly solid job of being clear and conveying emotion effectively.
The number of characters that truly mattered to the plot was limited, but that left a lot of room to flesh them out fully. I had no trouble identifying with each as it was their turn in the spotlight..
My complaint list is limited to two, really: The ending and the romance. The former was definitely the weakest portion of the story. There aren't a lot of options for a conclusion when the story reaches that point, but the one Smitherd chose was probably one of the least satisfying. The latter was very abruptly developed. I believe the story would have benefited from more narrative investigating the unique situation the characters were in and how it directly influenced the feelings they had - though additional detail was added later to better explain the situation, one or both of the characters should have contemplated how their unique connection might have pushed things in a romantic direction.
I'll rate this one, "An enjoyable supernatural and psychological horror that did what it was intended to do."
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