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Till Darkness Comes
Beth Vogelsang is born of an unwed mother and unknown father, raised by her grandmother, aunts and uncles. She is subjected to abuse and becomes a teenage mother herself. When she reveals her emotional journey to her lesbian therapist, a series of revenge killings in Kansas City, Missouri begins.
202 pages, ebook
First published October 17, 2016
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Sandra de Helen
18 books44 followersI still have the book from which I learned to read at the age of four. It is Now We are Six by A. A. Milne. I am a voracious reader, and now I write and read every day.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 12, 2016
2.5 stars
Being no stranger to dark and gritty stories, when I saw ‘Till Darkness Comes’ listed as an LGBTQ thriller, I was excited to get my hands on a copy. It delivered on being a dark thriller, not so much the LGBT angle, but I’ll get to that.
First and foremost, readers need to be aware although the blurb states “Beth has been abused, beaten, raped…those things are not in the past, they occur in the pages of this story. A huge part of the story is about Beth and her husband, he is an abusive a-hole, with crimes consisting of drugs, domestic violence, rape and abduction. All on page.
A child also dies in this story, something I found truly gut wrenching, as will most readers. It annoyed me a little actually. I felt it would’ve been more fitting if the person who brought about his demise had died. From that point on, the main focus of this story is a vigilante killing people who’ve denied others medical care and /or claims. The mystery aspect of that is cut short as the person doing such is revealed to the reader. I had trouble buying who it was as if said person was so psychotic why put up with… Damn, I can’t say what without spoilers.
Back tracking, the story starts with Beth’s uncle being killed, and not for the same reason other people are being murdered, but because of the sexual abuse he inflicted on others – sorry if that’s a spoiler but I really think readers need to be aware this story has a heavy focus on abuse, most of it MF not same sex.
So where does the LGBTQ angle come in? Well Beth crushes on her therapist because she wants to know what all the hype about lesbian sex is. However despite her therapist spilling her guts to her client about her sexuality she doesn’t reciprocate Beth’s feelings or advances. Then there’s Regan, Beth’s childhood friend, who is loosely woven into the plot, and identifies as not being attracted to either gender.
This story has a shifting timeline which is somewhat choppy and disjointed. The biggest issue I had with the storytelling was the abundance of telling, there was little emotion shown or deep character building. In hindsight, with all the dark things going on that could very well be a good thing.
The fact this story kept me engaged enough not to be tempted to skim read, had me hovering on a 3 heart rating, right up to near the end. What end? I can’t say if it’s a cliffy or if the readers are supposed to decide for themselves what, or how, things turned out.
I’m but one reviewer, with my own opinion. Grab a copy and decide for yourself if the story is for you.
Copy provided in exchange for an honest review
Being no stranger to dark and gritty stories, when I saw ‘Till Darkness Comes’ listed as an LGBTQ thriller, I was excited to get my hands on a copy. It delivered on being a dark thriller, not so much the LGBT angle, but I’ll get to that.
First and foremost, readers need to be aware although the blurb states “Beth has been abused, beaten, raped…those things are not in the past, they occur in the pages of this story. A huge part of the story is about Beth and her husband, he is an abusive a-hole, with crimes consisting of drugs, domestic violence, rape and abduction. All on page.
A child also dies in this story, something I found truly gut wrenching, as will most readers. It annoyed me a little actually. I felt it would’ve been more fitting if the person who brought about his demise had died. From that point on, the main focus of this story is a vigilante killing people who’ve denied others medical care and /or claims. The mystery aspect of that is cut short as the person doing such is revealed to the reader. I had trouble buying who it was as if said person was so psychotic why put up with… Damn, I can’t say what without spoilers.
Back tracking, the story starts with Beth’s uncle being killed, and not for the same reason other people are being murdered, but because of the sexual abuse he inflicted on others – sorry if that’s a spoiler but I really think readers need to be aware this story has a heavy focus on abuse, most of it MF not same sex.
So where does the LGBTQ angle come in? Well Beth crushes on her therapist because she wants to know what all the hype about lesbian sex is. However despite her therapist spilling her guts to her client about her sexuality she doesn’t reciprocate Beth’s feelings or advances. Then there’s Regan, Beth’s childhood friend, who is loosely woven into the plot, and identifies as not being attracted to either gender.
This story has a shifting timeline which is somewhat choppy and disjointed. The biggest issue I had with the storytelling was the abundance of telling, there was little emotion shown or deep character building. In hindsight, with all the dark things going on that could very well be a good thing.
The fact this story kept me engaged enough not to be tempted to skim read, had me hovering on a 3 heart rating, right up to near the end. What end? I can’t say if it’s a cliffy or if the readers are supposed to decide for themselves what, or how, things turned out.
I’m but one reviewer, with my own opinion. Grab a copy and decide for yourself if the story is for you.
Copy provided in exchange for an honest review
February 3, 2017
This was definitely a step outside my normal reading but it was definitely worth it! This is not a book for the faint of heart and for those who can't handle violence. This will definitely grab you from the beginning and not let you go. A little hard to keep up with the story does jump back and forth and it does need some editing! I will check out more of this authors books! I was gifted this book for a fair and honest review!
February 3, 2018
Dark
This is a first book I have read of this author's and probably won't be the last. I found it easy to follow the storyline even with the going from the present to the past. Believe it or not I was Shocked at who the watcher was. Even though I the idea of who it was did run through my head a couple of times. This book kept me interested from page one. I would definitely recommend this book.
This is a first book I have read of this author's and probably won't be the last. I found it easy to follow the storyline even with the going from the present to the past. Believe it or not I was Shocked at who the watcher was. Even though I the idea of who it was did run through my head a couple of times. This book kept me interested from page one. I would definitely recommend this book.
January 9, 2017
I am still thinking of this book with mixed emotions. It's a dark story and and I liked the plot. But I felt like there were two or maybe three different books in this. However the ending left me waiting for a sequel.
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February 1, 2017I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review.
OMG WOW.. This was an awesome book with edge of your seat suspense and page turning mystery. I was pulled in right away and had to keep reading to find out what happened. You have to read this book.
OMG WOW.. This was an awesome book with edge of your seat suspense and page turning mystery. I was pulled in right away and had to keep reading to find out what happened. You have to read this book.
January 8, 2017
An amazing fantastical thrill-ride from the first word to the last. Writing excellence at the top of her game in this book by Sandra De Helen. you just got to read it all! loved it :)
January 9, 2017
This book was a FANTASTIC read! It was one of those books that, once picked up and started, I was unable to put down until I had finished every last page of it! The characters were well-developed and complex -- some being easy to identify with and "feel for", while others are easy to despise and loathe, lending to an interesting and riveting plot. It is not hard to see how Beth is shaped into the person she becomes and how her identity evolves from stage to stage in her life. Regan will resonate with everyone who has ever felt like a "misfit" for whatever reason.
The story line transitions seamlessly from present to past and back again, several times. Often, it can become difficult to follow a story line that "ping pongs" back and forth on the timeline as much as this one does. But, de Helen has done a SUPERB job of making these switches flow with a natural ease from one chapter and period of time to the next. There are some very well-done plot twists, and I think a sequel would not be remiss. In fact, I am fervently hoping that there will be a sequel which follows some of these characters further down the path of their life.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and have chosen to voluntarily leave a written review."
The story line transitions seamlessly from present to past and back again, several times. Often, it can become difficult to follow a story line that "ping pongs" back and forth on the timeline as much as this one does. But, de Helen has done a SUPERB job of making these switches flow with a natural ease from one chapter and period of time to the next. There are some very well-done plot twists, and I think a sequel would not be remiss. In fact, I am fervently hoping that there will be a sequel which follows some of these characters further down the path of their life.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and have chosen to voluntarily leave a written review."
February 5, 2017
Wow!
I freaking loved this book. There will be a trigger warning at the end of the review- so if you don't want to see it, tread carefully.
Sandra did a fantastic job in writing this novel, and I ended it with a smile. Not because it's a HEA, but because it's just devious enough to be amazing.
I'm giving this novel 4 stars because there were numerous grammatical, and sentence structure issues that distracted from the overall text.
That being said, those issues are my only complaints! The main characters develop back stories in a fashion that has you hanging on, desperate for the next clue about why they are this way.
Sandra also does a fabulous job using imagery, and creating said imagery in new ways. Example, "Beth sat on the edge of the couch, her face as tense as a flexed bicep". I have never heard anything like that, and it was incredibly refreshing to see.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thrilling mystery. Definitely worth the read!
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TRIGGER WARNING
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This novel contains graphic scenes, violence, rape, etc..
I freaking loved this book. There will be a trigger warning at the end of the review- so if you don't want to see it, tread carefully.
Sandra did a fantastic job in writing this novel, and I ended it with a smile. Not because it's a HEA, but because it's just devious enough to be amazing.
I'm giving this novel 4 stars because there were numerous grammatical, and sentence structure issues that distracted from the overall text.
That being said, those issues are my only complaints! The main characters develop back stories in a fashion that has you hanging on, desperate for the next clue about why they are this way.
Sandra also does a fabulous job using imagery, and creating said imagery in new ways. Example, "Beth sat on the edge of the couch, her face as tense as a flexed bicep". I have never heard anything like that, and it was incredibly refreshing to see.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thrilling mystery. Definitely worth the read!
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•
•
•
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TRIGGER WARNING
•
•
•
•
•
•
This novel contains graphic scenes, violence, rape, etc..
January 17, 2017
I have no problem with a dark tale, in fact, I like a good dark, cringe-worthy story, but this was more sad than dark to me. I also like a good back story if it's important to the book, but the constant jumping around from past to present, in no particular order, was just distracting and hard to keep up with (ie. at one point early in the book, the chapters go from 2010 to 2004, back to 2010, then to 1990. 1997, 2007, 2010, and then 2008). It was also way too easy to figure out who the killer was fairly early in the book. I wasn't crazy about the ending but could've been okay with that if the story itself weren't so jumbled. Also, for those that watch for triggers, this one has plenty - everything from sexual abuse to domestic violence.
October 24, 2017
This book started out great. It kept my interest and I looked forward to bedtime, which is when I get to do my reading. About three-quarters in, though, things fizzled. I wish the serial killer would not have been revealed until more towards the end. The very last few paragraphs end as a cliff hanger, and if there's a sequel, I'd probably read it.
The time-line seemed choppy, and I'm not sure if we needed to have Regan's and Beth's alternating plotlines, especially since Regan's seemed to be mostly filler.
That being said, I did enjoy the book and thank the author for the free copy.
The time-line seemed choppy, and I'm not sure if we needed to have Regan's and Beth's alternating plotlines, especially since Regan's seemed to be mostly filler.
That being said, I did enjoy the book and thank the author for the free copy.
November 20, 2017
A killer seeks justice in this sad, dark tale of vengeance. Scenes are filled with graphic violence and sexual abuse and the reader must wonder and decide—along with the killer—whether the killer is an avenging angel or just mentally disturbed.
A challenging read as the story jumps from character to character and back and forth through time exploring the characters’ histories. But stick with it, it’s a good story.
A challenging read as the story jumps from character to character and back and forth through time exploring the characters’ histories. But stick with it, it’s a good story.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews