Lugares sombríos

by Thomas H. Cook, Óscar Luis Molina, Óscar L. Molina (Translator)

Dos hermanos juegan junto al río. Billy, el menor, está dispuesto a atravesarlo a bordo de una balsa que él mismo se ha construido. Cal, el mayor, le advierte del peligro, le recuerda que poco más abajo los rápidos se precipitan con violencia sobre las rocas. Pero Billy es un niño intrépido y apasionado, y nada es capaz de detenerlo.
Años después, Cal Chase recuerda ese día de verano en que todo terminó felizmente. Pero ahora su hermano está muerto, y esta vez él no ha podido hacer nada para salvarlo. Por eso, sumido en la desesperación, decide reconstruir el último año de su vida, retroceder hasta la noche en que Dora March, la mujer a quien su hermano tanto ha amado, y que ha desaparecido tras su muerte, llega a Port Alma sin más equipaje que su enigmático pasado.
La irrupción de Dora March en sus vidas alterará el orden de las cosas en la familia Chase y sacudirá los cimientos de la soñolienta sociedad de Port Alma, poniendo en evidencia que lejos del alcance de la luz perviven los rincones más oscuros del alma humana.
Lugares Sombríos nos devuelve el gusto por un relato fascinante y minucioso, en el que el paisaje se erige en contrapunto anímico de unos personajes complejos y ricos en matices que Thomas H. Cook sabe conducir con maestría por los inquietantes caminos de la intriga psicológica.
« Las visiones nocturnas de Cook, vistas a través de una lente oscura, son cautivadoras.»
The New York Times Book Review
« Cook abre una ventana a la condición humana...literaria, fascinante... Los hechos se precipitan con fuerza creciente, pero son pocos los lectores preparados para la sorpresa que les aguarda al final.»
Publishers Weekly

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Thriller, Crime, Audiobook

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2000

About the author

There is more than one author with this name on Goodreads.

Thomas H. Cook has been praised by critics for his attention to psychology and the lyrical nature of his prose. He is the author of more than 30 critically-acclaimed fiction books, including works of true crime. Cook published his first novel, Blood Innocents, in 1980. Cook published steadily through the 1980s, penning such works as the Frank Clemons trilogy, a series of mysteries starring a jaded cop.

He found breakout success with The Chatham School Affair (1996), which won an Edgar Award for best novel. Besides mysteries, Cook has written two true-crime books including the Edgar-nominated Blood Echoes (1993). He lives and works in New York City.

Awards
Edgar Allan Poe – Best Novel – The Chatham School Affair
Barry Award – Best Novel – Red Leaves
Martin Beck Award of the Swedish Academy of Detection – The Chatham School Affair
Martin Beck Award of the Swedish Academy of Detection – Red Leaves
Herodotus Prize – Fatherhood

Reviews

[MadameD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story 5/5
Narration 5/5

What a beautiful tragic story very well written!

Places In The Dark by Thomas H. Cooks, is the kind of book that makes you think about Life and about yourself.
I loved it!
I highly recommend it, if you’re looking for an intriguing and captivating story, with an unexpected twist!

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This dark and intense novel is written like a Greek tragedy, IMHO. From the flowery passages of the first chapter you'll get both the negative propensity of the narrator and the stolid and exact "at home" environment for the placement of this brothers' tale. Two brothers, their mother and father- and how opposite "eyes" of their offspring's spirits and aptitudes were set into concrete within parental grinding oppositions. As if the "boys" were caught between two glaciers scraping away for far more than just their childhoods and young men "stages".

It's the last years of the Great Depression (which were actually worse than all the early 1930's) and in a small town in New England. This is the family that owns, prints the local newspaper- "The Sentinel".

It's Thomas H. Cook in his more overblown to poetic lines and 10 adjectives and adverbs a sentence mode. Not at all my favorite mood or style of his at all. And for me, in such a completely tragic tale? Succinct and stark in language would probably seem a better fit? The opposite of frozen aptitude and feeling in words, and the exactitude of them in the personal realities here within such lyrical length and styles of description? Within little ambiance, if anything at all, that holds a "joy" quality in this book that doesn't bridge obsession at the same time.

There are crimes and seeking to get answers by Cal, the older brother. And we are left with 1/2 a tale of outcomes and no motives for more than 2/3rds of the book. And knowledge of some evil abuse records of the past beyond the core family. And that leaves Dora, our female interchange link severely affected. And with "an affect" of emotion and cognition that is extremely outlier. Maybe "seeing things" too, that others cannot. Is she a clairvoyant or an empath?

Such a dark book. But with such finely honed points to the tragedy. So that in the end you can trace cause/ effect and outcome. But not at all gravel into the insight of the original abuser. So it left a ominous mood, IMHO.

This was read on a impulse to read more Cook than I had. But I see so much darkest in the remaining novels that I stop here. It's just exactly a 3 star at the most for me. It almost became a 2.5 star for the way he described Dara's physical reactions to appearances. Cook does the men immensely better than he does the women. And at times he thinks he can capture their mind set from facial or jerk movements when he (my guess only) doesn't have a clue. In this one he has the women far into a territory of stereotype, IMHO. He doesn't do that with the men- they are all defined and carved individuals down to their toes (4 star or better). In total, there are multiples of similes, metaphors and what I would consider flowery phrases in this one. Overwritten.

Now to some much happier tales.

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another loaded offering from this author. Not sure what you'd call this - obsessive, bent romantic noir? - but it reminded me of those overly dramatic and slightly cheesy black and white movies from the 40s where the men were distinct "types" and the women were either rough-looking broads and whores (the author's words, not mine) or beautiful, suffering victims. The whores here are happy, patient and fulfilled if not overly intelligent, and the intelligent women are anguished disasters. I'm oversimplifying a bit but then so was the author. I could almost hear the orchestra playing in the background. The cause of death of one of the main characters was over-the-top, eye-rollingly unbelievable and almost eclipsed the one genuine surprise in the book. And again, one of the themes here was the abuse and torture of little girls. I did enjoy this more than the others I've read on my Thomas H. Cook reading list, but I'm so over pedophilia as entertainment. 3 stars.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been disappointed with Thomas H Cook’s more recent novels but reading this, one of his earlier works, I am reminded what a terrific writer he can be. The familiar themes of longing and regret, the small town setting and the pervasive air of melancholy make for a bittersweet read. This is quality crime fiction. There is a similarity to these earlier novels which makes me understand his wanting to broaden his canvas but I think it’s a case of less is more. The newer novels just don’t capture the mood, character or setting half as effectively.

[mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

i will never get over the ending. ever.

[Glynis O'halloran · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling story with a most unexpected ending

[Carolyn Kanon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book and found it to be a fairly quick read. The pacing was good, and there was enough foreshadowing sprinkled about to keep the suspense. There was a twist toward the end, but I have mixed feelings about the ending itself. Maybe it really couldn’t have ended any other way. But I still had questions as to why she ended up in Port Alma other than throwing darts at a board. I also found it curious that he chose to set the novel in the 30s, and wondered whether there was a reason for that. I had to remind myself initially as to the time period, because it was written in that time period and in flashbacks, so I wasn’t sure whether the flashbacks were in the 30s or not. Overall, though, I thought the plot was good, the pacing was good, and the characters were good.

[Prashanth Bhat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Places in the dark - Thomas h.cook

1937ರ ಸಮಯ. ಅವನ ಸಹೋದರ ಕೊಲೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದಾನೆ. ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ವರ್ಷದ ಹಿಂದೆ ಊರಿಗೆ ಬಂದ 'ಅವಳೇ' ಕಾರಣ ಅಂತ ಅವನು ಅಂದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾನೆ.‌ಆದರೆ ,ಅವಳೆಲ್ಲಿ? ಅವಳು ನಾಪತ್ತೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದಾಳೆ.
ಅವನಿಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತು. ತಾನೂ‌ ಅವಳೆಡೆಗೆ ಆಕರ್ಷಿತನಾಗಿದ್ದೆ ಅಂತ. ಆದರೆ ಅದನ್ನು ಹೇಳಲು ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ಅವನ ಅಪ್ಪ ಅಮ್ಮ ಬೇರೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಯಾವತ್ತೂ ಅವನವರ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯ ಮಗನಾಗಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ ಅನ್ನುವುದೂ ಅವನ ಕಾಡುತ್ತದೆ.
ಈಗ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯ ಮಗನ ಕಳಕೊಂಡ ವೃದ್ಧ ತಂದೆ ತಾಯಿಯ ನೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾ ನಿಗೂಢತೆಯ ತನ್ನೊಳಗೆ ಅಡಗಿಸಿಕೊಂಡ ತನ್ನೂರಲ್ಲಿ ಅವ ,ಅವಳ ನಾಪತ್ತೆಯಾದವಳ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆಗುರುತ ಪತ್ತೆ ಹಚ್ಚಬೇಕಾಗಿದೆ. ಅವನ‌ ಸಹೋದರ ನಡೆಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಪತ್ರಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲೇ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಅವಳ ಹಿಂದೆಯೂ ಒಂದು ಕರಾಳ ಗತವಿದೆ. ಅದು ಆ ಊರಲ್ಲಿ ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತು ವರ್ಷ ಹಿಂದೆ ನಡೆದ ದುರಂತವೊಂದಕ್ಕೆ ತಳುಕು ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡಿದೆ.
ಹಾಗಾದರೆ ಅವನ ಸಹೋದರನ ಕೊಲೆಗಾರ್ತಿ ಅವಳೇ? ಆ ದುರಂತ ಯಾವುದು? ಅವನು ಹುಡುಕುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಅವನಿಗೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿತೇ?

ಕ್ರೈಮ್ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಕೊಲೆಗಾರ ಯಾರು ಅಂತ ಗೊತ್ತಾದ ಮೇಲೆ ಓದು ಮುಗಿಯುತ್ತದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಕೆಲವರು ಇನ್ನೂ ತೀರದ ದಾಹ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಡೆನ್ನಿಸ್ ಲೆಹಾನೆ, ಮೈಕೆಲ್ ಕಾನೆಲಿ,ಇಯಾನ್ ರ‌್ಯಾಂಕಿನ್, ಥಾಮಸ್ ಕುಕ್ ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಮುಖರು.


ಲಾಕ್ ಡೌನ್ ಆದ ಮೇಲೆ ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಓದಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ ರೋಜಾ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಬಿಟ್ಟರೆ ಪಟ್ಟಾಗಿ (ನಡು ನಡುವೆ ಫೇಸ್ಬುಕ್, ವಾಟ್ಸಪ್) ಕೂತು ಓದಿದ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಇದುವೆಯೇ. ಬೆಳಿಗ್ಗೆ ಶುರುಮಾಡಿದ ಓದು ಈಗ ಮುಗಿಯಿತು.

ಇವನ ಕೃತಿಗಳು ಒಳಗಿನ ಖಾಲಿತನವ ಅನ್ವೇಷಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಅವನ ಕಾವ್ಯಾತ್ಮಕ ಗದ್ಯ ಸಾಥ್ ಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಅದಕ್ಕೇ ಓದು ಇಷ್ಟವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

[Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been better - or more compellingly written. The plot was interesting and surprising enough but something was still missing. There wasn't any "edge" in the way of telling and in my eyes the outcome was slightly flat and unsuspenseful.

The tone of the story was by all means more artistic than in most crime fiction (if this can be included in the genre) but that wasn't entirely beneficial. To be honest, sometimes it appeared quite artificial.

Every now and then the author indulged in very poetical expressions which sounded as they had been "clued on" to the sentences.
Such as "...who drifted from a place to another rootless and lonely as driven by invisible lashes" or "Snowflakes swirled around him as white winged moths", "the winds calmed down like horses whipped to speed and then suddenly stopped" etc etc. Very poetic and fine but sometimes they really stood out like a saddle on a pig.

Don't trust my opinion. Read and decide yourself.

Hämärään kätketty
LIKE 2001

[Escapist Blog Books]

In the autumn of 1937, a mysterious woman named Dora March arrives in Port Alma, Maine with little more than the clothes on her back and a load of unspoken secrets. Her presence in the village irrevocably alters the lives of two brothers, Billy and Cal.

Billy, the editor of the local newspaper, hires Dora to work at the paper after she is found unemployed and as time passes, Billy falls in love. Cal, a lawyer and the local prosecutor, is wary of Miss March and the rapid development of his brother's relationship with her, so he seeks to uncover the mysteries of her past.

Before Cal can properly investigate Dora's past, she skips town in the wake of Billy's murder. This event leaves Cal submerged in guilt, wondering if he could have prevented his brother's death.

The novel explores the impact of secrets on relationships and the human psyche.
As the story progresses, the layers of deception and mystery are slowly peeled away, revealing the true nature of the characters and their actions.

Overall, "Places in the Dark" is a well-crafted mystery. The author's writing is haunting and atmospheric, and the novel's characters are complex and compelling. The themes of secrets and hidden truths add an extra layer of depth to the narrative. If you are a fan of mysteries or suspense novels, then "Places in the Dark" is worth reading.

http://escapistblogbooks1.worpress.com/

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cal and Billy Chase are brothers who are very different, but they are very close, until a strange young woman comes to town. Cal is a lawyer and works for the local Port Alma District Attorney’s office, and Billy runs the local newspaper, the Sentinel, owned by the Chase family. Dora March appears in town and keeps to herself, she is secretive about her past. Billy is in love with her, and plans to propose to her, but Cal is also in love with her. Cal finds Billy almost dead, and Dora has disappeared. Cal is determined to find Dora, to find out what she knows about Billy’s murder. An interesting read, the author moves between the present and the past.

[Ezekiel Benzion · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic fiction trope: brothers are divided by the mysterious woman who comes into their lives. But in fact, in the hands of the skillful Thomas Cook, it becomes so much more. The life-long tension among the family members, deeply denied by each of them, is explored as father and mother, and the two brothers, recall their different views of the purpose of life, the depth of love and the drive to carve out a path for oneself. The location of the Maine coastal town is the perfect setting: dramatic, shrouded in fog, with figures and events looming out of the mists. An enthralling tale that held my interest while on a long flight.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Places in the Dark is well..dark. But, a compelling mystery. I especially liked how Cook moved seamlessly through the present, past and future. Many authors attempt these transitions creating a fragmented, choppy read. Cook handles it quite well. I found the characters interesting and well developed, except for Dora. But, I believe that was by design. Dora, as an individual is vague and clothed in secrecy. References to a murdered family, a child tortured, a child rescued from drowning all lead the reader to a conclusion which is in the end the wrong one.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always liked this author and this one did not disappoint. The story is about 2 brothers and a young woman, Dora March, to whom something very tragic has happened. The story moves back and forth in time from early 30's to a few years later...after. I was sure I had this one figured out early on and was stunned by the ending. Cook totally surprised me. I passed right on over the clues that the author left. This is a dark story but there is so much depth about human nature and relationships. This one made me cry. I loved it!

[Rita Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second Thomas H. Cook book, even better than the first. What I most admire about this one is the way the author handles time transitions. There are 4-5 different time periods in the narration, and I could always tell "when" I was. Less able authors will label their chapters with time and place info or do something equally intrusive.

The "reveal" at the end is a little surprising, but not much, because plenty of hints are dropped along the way.

[Katherine S. Graham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't finish. I thought this would be a thriller but it's really more of a drama/romance. Unlikable cardboard characters all around; a naive and overly romantic younger brother, sad-sack pessimistic narrator, and last but not least a psychologically wounded, staggeringly beautiful (of course) female lead. They all deserved each other.

[Jennifer Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an engaging read; however, it was oftentimes difficult to get through a paragraph without the overwhelming use of similes and metaphors. When I didn't get lost in those, I found myself reading to see what the outcome would be.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the narrator is intentionally annoying. I never stopped disliking him. the plot does have a great twist at the end. A dysfunctional family, several hideous crimes against women and critical self analysis by the narrator makes for an intriguing ride in the early 1930s.

[Dulieta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have found this book in a supermarket library in a small south Italy town when I was really longing for some reading otherwise I wouldn't read such genre. But it really blown me away. I've finished it in two days I couldn't get away from the story. Realy catchy.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another masterful work by one of my favorite authors. Somewhat dark, yes, but with light at the end of the tunnel...a great ending. No one writes quite like Thomas H. Cook.

[Eliece · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very well written, and is an engrossing story, but OMG it's depressing.

[Solim · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 Heart-breaking, hypnotic, haunting and moving tale. Cook gives his readers a story of how gruesome life can be in 300 pages or so. Amazing author.

[Jerry Richter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost Steinbeckian in characters and plot development. Faint echos of East of Eden in the sibling relationship and theme. Great read!

[itistehreem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was not expecting the reveal at the end

[Deb W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr Cook never seems to fail to deliver that captivates.

[Dan Woessner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concisely written mystery with a nice twist at the end. I enjoyed this.

[Suguna Vaidyanath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written book. The writer’s way of revealing the story via memories all is intertwined with present day was masterful.

[Didi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exc

[Marcia Whoolery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting

Constant foreboding. Broken people trying to make human connections. Twist that failed to make the ending less heartbreaking. Can't day enjoyed, but definitely interesting.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read!

I have a soft spot for novels that are narrated in the first person but tell a story that isn't so much about the narrator but someone they know well. Thomas Cook's Places in the Dark, published in 2000, is just such a book. I loved Cook's award-winning The Chatham School Affair and can't quite figure out why I waited so long to read another of his novels. He's a masterful storyteller and not only does he write well but his plotting is assured and suspenseful. He manages to breathe life into a story that sounds somewhat clichéd--a mysterious woman arrives in a small town, a year later she flees leaving one man dead and another on the verge of madness. It sounds simple and the reader makes certain assumptions they believe will be true, but Cook is never quite so predictable.

"More than anyone I ever knew, my brother Billy felt the rapid wings of summer, how it darted like a bird through the trees of Maine, skittered along streams and ponds, then soared away, bright and gleaming, leaving us behind, shivering in coats and scarves."

Billy is a romantic and lives and loves passionately. Younger than his brother Cal by five years they couldn't be more different but that doesn't lessen the closeness they feel for each other growing up in Maine in the 1930s. Cal is practical and rational and looks after Billy who has no second thoughts before jumping into a fast moving river to save a small girl. Billy's life is defined by the passion he feels. He's guided by his heart, despite the skepticism both Cal and their father feel. Cal looks after his younger brother but can never quite match the inner brightness that Billy carries with him. And he never feels the unconditional love and respect his mother, in particular, reserves for her younger son. Both are inveterate romantics.

Billy follows in his father's footsteps and takes over the running of the family newspaper, which is deemed unsuitable work for Cal. Instead Cal is to study the law as it is cut and dried and requires no sentiment. So each brother leads his own life in the small coastal town of Port Alma, separate yet working in close proximity of the other and their parents. Then one cold November day Dora March steps off the Port Alma bus and throws both men's lives into an upheaval. Dora is a beautiful but scarred woman who remains shy and somewhat skittish. She obviously has something dark in her past, but it remains deeply hidden. She takes a job first as a maid/companion to an elderly resident of the town, but after his death she begins working at The Sentinel for Billy.

"For all his life Billy loved the idea that people had secrets they held within themselves like gemstones in a velvet pouch, precious, dazzling, rare. Perhaps that was what initially drew him to Dora. Not her beauty, but how grotesquely it had been marred. Not what she let him see, but what she hid."

It's, of course, unsurprising when Billy begins showing affection for Dora and perhaps more than that, as he hints that he's planning on asking her to marry him. Cal isn't so easily convinced of Dora's intentions or motives. In a way he is Dora's foil--both are afraid of love but for vastly different reasons. She cautions him not to want love too much for it can have regrettable consequences. And on the same bus Dora arrived on, she leaves Port Alma, and it's more than just a broken heart that is left in her wake.

Cook's suspense is more of a 'slow burn' sort of suspense. He takes his time telling his story, there's nothing rushed about it. He begins with a crime and then goes back and fills in the story. Each thread is woven so naturally into the storyline that the flashbacks aren't even noticeable as it all flows together so nicely. It's a simple story really, but Cook still manages to make it surprising. I really enjoyed Places in the Dark and won't let so much time pass before I start another of his books. As a matter of fact I've dug out the other books I own by him (including The Chatham School Affair for a reread), and have already started reading his forthcoming book The Quest for Anna Klein, which I am fortunate enough to have a galley copy of on my Nook. If you enjoy a good, literate, suspenseful story, usually with a historical setting that involves a mystery or crime of some sort, you might give Thomas Cook a try.