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Find You In The Dark
In this chilling debut thriller, in the vein of Dexter and The Talented Mr. Ripley, a family man obsessed with digging up the undiscovered remains of serial killer victims catches the attention of a murderer prowling the streets of Seattle.
Martin Reese is obsessed with murder.
For years, he has been illegally buying police files on serial killers and studying them in depth, using them as guides to find missing bodies. He doesn’t take any souvenirs, just photos that he stores in an old laptop, and then he turns in the results to the police anonymously. Martin sees his work as a public service, a righting of wrongs that cops have continuously failed to do.
Detective Sandra Whittal sees it differently. On a meteoric rise in police ranks due to her case-closing efficiency, Whittal is suspicious of the mysterious caller—the Finder, she names him—leading the police to the bodies. Even if the Finder isn’t the one leaving bodies behind, who’s to say that he won’t start soon?
On his latest dig, Martin searches for the first kill of Jason Shurn, the early 1990s murderer who may have been responsible for the disappearance of his sister-in-law, whom he never met. But when he arrives at the site, he finds a freshly killed body—a young and recently disappeared Seattle woman—lying among remains that were left there decades ago. Someone else knew where Jason Shurn buried his victims . . . and that someone isn’t happy that Martin has been going around digging up his work.
When a crooked cop with a tenuous tie to Martin vanishes, Whittal begins to zero in on the Finder. Hunted by a real killer and by Whittal, Martin realizes that in order to escape the killer’s trap, he may have to go deeper into the world of murder than he ever thought.
Martin Reese is obsessed with murder.
For years, he has been illegally buying police files on serial killers and studying them in depth, using them as guides to find missing bodies. He doesn’t take any souvenirs, just photos that he stores in an old laptop, and then he turns in the results to the police anonymously. Martin sees his work as a public service, a righting of wrongs that cops have continuously failed to do.
Detective Sandra Whittal sees it differently. On a meteoric rise in police ranks due to her case-closing efficiency, Whittal is suspicious of the mysterious caller—the Finder, she names him—leading the police to the bodies. Even if the Finder isn’t the one leaving bodies behind, who’s to say that he won’t start soon?
On his latest dig, Martin searches for the first kill of Jason Shurn, the early 1990s murderer who may have been responsible for the disappearance of his sister-in-law, whom he never met. But when he arrives at the site, he finds a freshly killed body—a young and recently disappeared Seattle woman—lying among remains that were left there decades ago. Someone else knew where Jason Shurn buried his victims . . . and that someone isn’t happy that Martin has been going around digging up his work.
When a crooked cop with a tenuous tie to Martin vanishes, Whittal begins to zero in on the Finder. Hunted by a real killer and by Whittal, Martin realizes that in order to escape the killer’s trap, he may have to go deeper into the world of murder than he ever thought.
405 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 6, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 581 reviews
May 21, 2024
**4.5-stars rounded up**
Dark and freaking twisted, Ripley had me glued to the pages!
I flew through this with wild abandon, racing towards the conclusion. As soon as I started reading, I was sucked in.
Find You in the Dark mainly follows Martin Reese, a retired tech guru with an amazingly odd hobby. He was a really unique character.
Not super likable in the mainstream sense, he is definitely morally grey, but personally, I like that.
I felt major Tony Stark vibes from this guy sans iron super-suit. Highly intelligent, wealthy, cunning, dry and harboring a lot of secrets.
We also get the perspective of Detective Sandra Whittal, easily my favorite character. She's onto Reese's extracurricular activities and she's pretty much the only one.
Dogged in her investigation, Detective Whittal refuses to back down, even when reprimanded by her higher-ups. Along with her sexy partner, she commences a wonderfully plotted cat-and-mouse game with Reese.
Okay, we have a cat, we have a mouse, then a dog gets thrown in too just to make the game a little more interesting.
That's right, we get to climb into the mind of a serial killer. It's dark and I loved every second of it. There were twists and turns in this I did not see coming. In a few places I was absolutely floored.
I thought the plot progression was wonderful and the characters well fleshed out, messy and complicated though they were.
As you can tell, I had a heck of a lot of fun with this one.
I hope there is a continuation to this book. It left off in a place that could stay here and let the Reader decide the rest or could be progressed further. I would love to see Sandra and Martin meet again for a rematch!
A big thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I truly appreciate the opportunity and really look forward to reading more from this author in the future!
Dark and freaking twisted, Ripley had me glued to the pages!
I flew through this with wild abandon, racing towards the conclusion. As soon as I started reading, I was sucked in.
Find You in the Dark mainly follows Martin Reese, a retired tech guru with an amazingly odd hobby. He was a really unique character.
Not super likable in the mainstream sense, he is definitely morally grey, but personally, I like that.
I felt major Tony Stark vibes from this guy sans iron super-suit. Highly intelligent, wealthy, cunning, dry and harboring a lot of secrets.
We also get the perspective of Detective Sandra Whittal, easily my favorite character. She's onto Reese's extracurricular activities and she's pretty much the only one.
Dogged in her investigation, Detective Whittal refuses to back down, even when reprimanded by her higher-ups. Along with her sexy partner, she commences a wonderfully plotted cat-and-mouse game with Reese.
Okay, we have a cat, we have a mouse, then a dog gets thrown in too just to make the game a little more interesting.
That's right, we get to climb into the mind of a serial killer. It's dark and I loved every second of it. There were twists and turns in this I did not see coming. In a few places I was absolutely floored.
I thought the plot progression was wonderful and the characters well fleshed out, messy and complicated though they were.
As you can tell, I had a heck of a lot of fun with this one.
I hope there is a continuation to this book. It left off in a place that could stay here and let the Reader decide the rest or could be progressed further. I would love to see Sandra and Martin meet again for a rematch!
A big thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I truly appreciate the opportunity and really look forward to reading more from this author in the future!
August 4, 2018
⭐️⭐️.5
I’ve read a lot of out-of-the box thrillers recently. This one certainly fits that category, though maybe not in the best of ways.
Martin is a loving husband and father. He puts his family first. Okay…most of the time he does. Here’s the deal, it seems Martin has some bizzare hobbies. The kind of bizzare that both his family and the police would probably frown on. But his heart is in the right place... I mean this is for his family after all...right?? And besides, what really are his crimes? Just how guilty is Martin? And what evil has he invited to his front doorstep?
I thought the premise for this book was quite interesting! It grabbed me right away! Though for me it became a very slow read that lacked that push to keep the story moving forward. I think this could have turned into a great read, but I always felt I was on the outside looking in on this book. Never felt a part of the action. Lacked the connection to help me care about the characters or the story.
A buddy read with Susanne!
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Nathan Ripley for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve read a lot of out-of-the box thrillers recently. This one certainly fits that category, though maybe not in the best of ways.
Martin is a loving husband and father. He puts his family first. Okay…most of the time he does. Here’s the deal, it seems Martin has some bizzare hobbies. The kind of bizzare that both his family and the police would probably frown on. But his heart is in the right place... I mean this is for his family after all...right?? And besides, what really are his crimes? Just how guilty is Martin? And what evil has he invited to his front doorstep?
I thought the premise for this book was quite interesting! It grabbed me right away! Though for me it became a very slow read that lacked that push to keep the story moving forward. I think this could have turned into a great read, but I always felt I was on the outside looking in on this book. Never felt a part of the action. Lacked the connection to help me care about the characters or the story.
A buddy read with Susanne!
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Nathan Ripley for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2018
I'm between 3 and 3.5 stars.
I had this feeling of pervasive dread while reading Nathan Ripley's Find You in the Dark , kind of like watching a horror movie. I wasn't exactly sure what would happen but the tone of the book was so creepy that I kept reading while waiting for something bad to occur.
Martin Reese is a technology executive who was able to retire very early in order to spend more time with his wife and teenage daughter. But he fills his days in a very unusual way—using police files on serial killers that he buys illicitly, he finds long-buried bodies of their victims and unearths them. Then he calls the police anonymously and lets them know where they can find the bodies, although not without taunting them a little.
He doesn't do this for the glory or for some kind of weird or sexual urge. He does this simply to help the families who have spent years, perhaps even decades, without being able to put their loved ones to rest to get some closure. The only souvenirs he takes from his "digs" are photos, photos which he includes in a computer scrapbook that gets locked away.
One police detective doesn't see Martin's "work" as magnanimous; she thinks that if he's digging up these bodies there must be something else wrong with him. Will he soon lead them to bodies he murdered and buried on his own? She wants to apprehend this individual she has dubbed "The Finder" before he gives them something inexplicable to find.
And that's not the only attention Martin is getting. When he buys the file of infamous serial killer Jason Shurn, whom he believes might have abducted and murdered his wife's sister nearly 20 years ago, and he locates a body, he finds a recently murdered corpse in the same gravesite. It turns out that Martin may be uncovering someone else's kills as well—and they're not too happy about it. How far will they go to get him to stop?
While comparisons to Dexter are inevitable, Find You in the Dark is totally different. It does have a dark, creepy tone, and while it has a similar feel to many other thrillers out there, it definitely has a somewhat unique concept. Ripley knows how to ratchet up the suspense, and even though in the end things turned out a little more predictably than I expected, I definitely wondered where he would take the plot.
I thought this was a good read, although the pacing moved a little slower than many other thrillers. This isn't a book that will leave you breathless, but it definitely will leave you wondering what happens next.
NetGalley and Atria Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
I had this feeling of pervasive dread while reading Nathan Ripley's Find You in the Dark , kind of like watching a horror movie. I wasn't exactly sure what would happen but the tone of the book was so creepy that I kept reading while waiting for something bad to occur.
Martin Reese is a technology executive who was able to retire very early in order to spend more time with his wife and teenage daughter. But he fills his days in a very unusual way—using police files on serial killers that he buys illicitly, he finds long-buried bodies of their victims and unearths them. Then he calls the police anonymously and lets them know where they can find the bodies, although not without taunting them a little.
He doesn't do this for the glory or for some kind of weird or sexual urge. He does this simply to help the families who have spent years, perhaps even decades, without being able to put their loved ones to rest to get some closure. The only souvenirs he takes from his "digs" are photos, photos which he includes in a computer scrapbook that gets locked away.
One police detective doesn't see Martin's "work" as magnanimous; she thinks that if he's digging up these bodies there must be something else wrong with him. Will he soon lead them to bodies he murdered and buried on his own? She wants to apprehend this individual she has dubbed "The Finder" before he gives them something inexplicable to find.
And that's not the only attention Martin is getting. When he buys the file of infamous serial killer Jason Shurn, whom he believes might have abducted and murdered his wife's sister nearly 20 years ago, and he locates a body, he finds a recently murdered corpse in the same gravesite. It turns out that Martin may be uncovering someone else's kills as well—and they're not too happy about it. How far will they go to get him to stop?
While comparisons to Dexter are inevitable, Find You in the Dark is totally different. It does have a dark, creepy tone, and while it has a similar feel to many other thrillers out there, it definitely has a somewhat unique concept. Ripley knows how to ratchet up the suspense, and even though in the end things turned out a little more predictably than I expected, I definitely wondered where he would take the plot.
I thought this was a good read, although the pacing moved a little slower than many other thrillers. This isn't a book that will leave you breathless, but it definitely will leave you wondering what happens next.
NetGalley and Atria Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
October 18, 2022
I read this book when I had the flu. I'm telling you this because me being high on Nyquil and breathing Bengay fumes may have exacerbated my fleeting moments of terror! I had to stop reading one night, get up from bed and walk away. So, I waited til the next day, started reading again and realized that yep, I had definitely been high on the Nyquil, because it just wasn't scary anymore! The good news though is that this book and the main character was one creepy son of a gun. Sure, he came across as fairly normal, but when you understand how this "family man" has lived his whole entire life then it turns up the creep factor. I would like to see what's happening 10 years down the road from when this story ends. Yeah, I'd recommend this book, and I intend to read more from this author. My thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read and review this e-arc.
August 14, 2018
Find You in the Dark by Nathan Ripley is a 2018 Atria Books publication.
The title and synopsis for this book sold me right away. However, I never could have guessed the way this odd thriller would pan out.
The comparison to Dexter and The Talented Mr. Ripley is way overblown, but if you look closely you might see some small similarities.
Martin Reese has a very, very, dark and twisted hobby. Finding the remains of victims of notorious serial killers, whose bodies were never recovered, just happens to be Martin’s forte. Every time he succeeds, he sends a note to the police, bragging about his ability to do what they could not.
Martin’s wife lost her sister to a serial killer and Martin’s obsession hinges on finding his dead sister-in-law. But, to accomplish this goal, he must rely on a rogue cop to provide him with files that gives him the information he requires to perform his task.
Martin’s wife and teenage daughter have no idea what Martin does when he leaves the house. It is a secret he must keep at all costs.
What he does could be considered an act of compassion, giving the murder victim’s family long awaited closure. But Detective Sandra Whittal isn’t buying it. Whoever is taunting the police isn’t digging up buried bodies because of any altruistic motives…. And her instincts could be spot on!
This book is very creepy and atmospheric. Martin’s narration, his remarks about his own dark secrets had me on edge, on top of an already tense situation, and adding Martin’s curious daughter in the mix is beyond bizarre.
The story has some real potential, but it took its time gathering steam. For me, one of the weaker spots is with Sandra and her partner. They aren’t a good match at all and their dialogue is truly awful. The ‘Dexter’ comparisons and black humor, works better than any real attempts at being a ‘Mr.Ripley’ chameleon- it just wasn’t smooth enough to pull that off.
But, I liked this book because it was different and not another cookie cutter psycho-thriller. Despite running off the rails a time or two, the author gets kudos for creativity and imagination. However, the story was perhaps a bit too ambitious. I have mixed feelings about this one. I’m rambling on because I’m still waffling on the rating. It wasn’t half bad, actually, but it did have a few issues. Still, I found it entertaining and appreciated the ‘bump in the night’ Chiller aspects enough to give it the benefit of the doubt.
3.5 rounded down.
The title and synopsis for this book sold me right away. However, I never could have guessed the way this odd thriller would pan out.
The comparison to Dexter and The Talented Mr. Ripley is way overblown, but if you look closely you might see some small similarities.
Martin Reese has a very, very, dark and twisted hobby. Finding the remains of victims of notorious serial killers, whose bodies were never recovered, just happens to be Martin’s forte. Every time he succeeds, he sends a note to the police, bragging about his ability to do what they could not.
Martin’s wife lost her sister to a serial killer and Martin’s obsession hinges on finding his dead sister-in-law. But, to accomplish this goal, he must rely on a rogue cop to provide him with files that gives him the information he requires to perform his task.
Martin’s wife and teenage daughter have no idea what Martin does when he leaves the house. It is a secret he must keep at all costs.
What he does could be considered an act of compassion, giving the murder victim’s family long awaited closure. But Detective Sandra Whittal isn’t buying it. Whoever is taunting the police isn’t digging up buried bodies because of any altruistic motives…. And her instincts could be spot on!
This book is very creepy and atmospheric. Martin’s narration, his remarks about his own dark secrets had me on edge, on top of an already tense situation, and adding Martin’s curious daughter in the mix is beyond bizarre.
The story has some real potential, but it took its time gathering steam. For me, one of the weaker spots is with Sandra and her partner. They aren’t a good match at all and their dialogue is truly awful. The ‘Dexter’ comparisons and black humor, works better than any real attempts at being a ‘Mr.Ripley’ chameleon- it just wasn’t smooth enough to pull that off.
But, I liked this book because it was different and not another cookie cutter psycho-thriller. Despite running off the rails a time or two, the author gets kudos for creativity and imagination. However, the story was perhaps a bit too ambitious. I have mixed feelings about this one. I’m rambling on because I’m still waffling on the rating. It wasn’t half bad, actually, but it did have a few issues. Still, I found it entertaining and appreciated the ‘bump in the night’ Chiller aspects enough to give it the benefit of the doubt.
3.5 rounded down.
July 25, 2018
If you’re looking for a creepy book that will make you really uncomfortable, this is it.
“Find You In The Dark” by Nathan Ripley is the kind of book that will get under your skin and make you look over your shoulder. Martin, is the finder, he searches for and locates murder victims’ bodies hidden by a serial killer and calls in these “finds” to the police, letting them know that he did their job for them. Martin is a happily married man and a father of a teenage girl who he loves with all of his heart. His fascination with the case began before he got married and as it turns out, his wife’s sister was allegedly one of the serial killer’s first victims. Before Martin got married, he was just a regular guy, you know, the type: the kind that liked to watch women from afar, studying them, learning about them, obsessing over them. That’s how Martin met his now wife…and he’s not even the creepster you need to worry about. The guy you need to worry about, is the one putting these gals in their graves in the first place and once he discovers that the bodies are being dug up, well, he sets his sights on Martin. Are you scared yet? I would be if I were you.
This was a buddy read with Kaceey - both of us were in agreement on this book from start to finish.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria and Nathan Ripley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 7.25.18
May 10, 2018
Find You in the Dark by Nathan Ripley is a thriller that centers around Martin Reese who after an early retirement has a rather odd hobby no one else knows about. You see Martin takes these camping trips off by himself but instead of enjoying nature Martin looks for the remains of victims of serial killers.
Martin’s wife’s sister had been a victim twenty years before and the family had never received closure or real evidence of what happened to her so Martin thinks he just may find her in his adventures one day. When he does find something he makes anonymous tips to police getting himself known as the finder. Of course stepping into this world gets Martin more than he ever bargained for.
Find You in the Dark was compared to Caroline Kepnes and Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter which put me on the fence on whether this one would be for me. Love some Caroline Kepnes but not so much the Dexter so of course I land in the it was alright zone with this one instead of the love it.
The book had a lot of potential to it but again with this one the characters never really pull me in to where I absolutely am on the edge worrying what will happen to them. The story is somewhat a slow burn that to me really seemed a bit predictable along the way leaving me with the meh, it’s alright feeling after I was done. Some may love this one but for me it lacked a spark of excitement in it’s darkness.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Martin’s wife’s sister had been a victim twenty years before and the family had never received closure or real evidence of what happened to her so Martin thinks he just may find her in his adventures one day. When he does find something he makes anonymous tips to police getting himself known as the finder. Of course stepping into this world gets Martin more than he ever bargained for.
Find You in the Dark was compared to Caroline Kepnes and Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter which put me on the fence on whether this one would be for me. Love some Caroline Kepnes but not so much the Dexter so of course I land in the it was alright zone with this one instead of the love it.
The book had a lot of potential to it but again with this one the characters never really pull me in to where I absolutely am on the edge worrying what will happen to them. The story is somewhat a slow burn that to me really seemed a bit predictable along the way leaving me with the meh, it’s alright feeling after I was done. Some may love this one but for me it lacked a spark of excitement in it’s darkness.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
June 18, 2018
The blurb for this book grabbed me immediately. Anything mentioning Dexter pretty much guarantees I'll take a closer look. This is a dark one, and very original. It is not Dexter, though it shares a main character with a compulsion to do something highly unusual. It's even more of a gray area than Dexter is, however. Martin is not killing anyone... he's simply finding those who have been murdered, effectively both killing hope but giving some kind of closure to their families. And he can't resist anonymously taunting the cops a little bit about it, thinking them ineffective and himself more intelligent. An unusual and grisly hobby, but he's not killing anyone... right?
This doesn't fit well with Detective Sandra Whittal. She has the insider's perspective of the police department, knowing how thin they're spread trying to take down active murderers before they strike again, saving people. Finding bodies that have been hidden for sometimes decades falls by the wayside. Cases go cold, clues are missed. She is not a fan of the disguised voice that calls with the location of long-lost murder victims, and thinks something is deeply wrong with him. Surely he can't be content with staying anonymous and non-violent forever.
Sandra isn't the only person who is bothered by Martin Reese, who has been nicknamed "The Finder". Martin's digs have certainly captured his attention... and now Martin is in the sights of a killer.
This is a chilling tale that left me grimacing at times. There were pages where I found some of the writing awkward and had to go back and re-read it to get the point. This didn't happen enough to curtail my enjoyment much, but it was noticeable. This book has been optioned for the small screen, and I think it would translate well. Maybe a dark, gripping miniseries? Time will tell! This one gets a 3.5 from me, rounded up to a 4. I wish I'd been able to connect a bit more with the characters, but still found it to be a good read.
I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Atria Books, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
This doesn't fit well with Detective Sandra Whittal. She has the insider's perspective of the police department, knowing how thin they're spread trying to take down active murderers before they strike again, saving people. Finding bodies that have been hidden for sometimes decades falls by the wayside. Cases go cold, clues are missed. She is not a fan of the disguised voice that calls with the location of long-lost murder victims, and thinks something is deeply wrong with him. Surely he can't be content with staying anonymous and non-violent forever.
Sandra isn't the only person who is bothered by Martin Reese, who has been nicknamed "The Finder". Martin's digs have certainly captured his attention... and now Martin is in the sights of a killer.
This is a chilling tale that left me grimacing at times. There were pages where I found some of the writing awkward and had to go back and re-read it to get the point. This didn't happen enough to curtail my enjoyment much, but it was noticeable. This book has been optioned for the small screen, and I think it would translate well. Maybe a dark, gripping miniseries? Time will tell! This one gets a 3.5 from me, rounded up to a 4. I wish I'd been able to connect a bit more with the characters, but still found it to be a good read.
I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Atria Books, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
May 11, 2018
I loved this book’s synopsis and had such high hopes for loving these characters!
Moving along . . .
Martin sold his tech company and retired early. He’s wealthy and his wife, Ellen, is a loan officer turned shopkeeper. Their teenage daughter, Kylie, is a high school student with a love for swimming. Ellen’s sister, Tinsley, has been missing for twenty years and Martin has been spending all of his free time searching for her remains. Along the way, he uncovers bodies of other murdered women and anonymously report the findings to the police. Ellen doesn’t have any clue about how Martin spends his “camping” time, but his daughter soon finds out some interesting details when he becomes sloppy.
At first it seems as though Martin’s secretive search for his sister-in-law is a genuine one. He cares for his wife but her sister’s disappearance/assumed murder is a very touchy subject. It’s also one that keeps bouncing to the forefront of their family life because their daughter wants to be more independent and Ellen is increasingly paranoid that some terrible misfortune will befall her. But does Martin have another motive for finding these buried women? What’s his true agenda?
Issues?
This story was very underwhelming for the first half and the pace was frustratingly slow.
Martin visited these burial sites regularly, dug up human remains in various stages of decay and returned home sometimes a smelly mess, and his wife NEVER suspected something was a bit odd?
Okay, so he mostly showered and cleaned up at hotels, but he did this solo “camping” activity for many years and if camping were a sport, then Martin was an Olympian! He lied to his daughter and wife about his whereabouts all the time and he still managed (somehow) to be a bore! His inner monologue for the majority of this book was dull, despite the nature of his exracurricular activities. Other issues? The two detectives assigned to investigate the finder of these uncovered bodies were one dimensional. Detective Chris Gabriel felt inferior to his partner, Sandra Whittal, and she was about as likable as a migraine. Their dialogue together was only slightly interesting at the very end.
The gist of this story?
Favorite lines spoken by Kylie?
“You smell like unwashed old man, Dad.”
▣ The author’s writing style was okay, but the pulse of this book was at flatline status for almost the entire story! There were occasional blips of life and some clever bits, yes. But these characters really skipped from gray to ultra high definition after the sixty-two percent mark. The last twenty-four percent of this book? That’s when Martin really came to life! That’s when he possessed some personality! Finally!
*NetGalley ARC provided by Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.
Moving along . . .
Martin sold his tech company and retired early. He’s wealthy and his wife, Ellen, is a loan officer turned shopkeeper. Their teenage daughter, Kylie, is a high school student with a love for swimming. Ellen’s sister, Tinsley, has been missing for twenty years and Martin has been spending all of his free time searching for her remains. Along the way, he uncovers bodies of other murdered women and anonymously report the findings to the police. Ellen doesn’t have any clue about how Martin spends his “camping” time, but his daughter soon finds out some interesting details when he becomes sloppy.
At first it seems as though Martin’s secretive search for his sister-in-law is a genuine one. He cares for his wife but her sister’s disappearance/assumed murder is a very touchy subject. It’s also one that keeps bouncing to the forefront of their family life because their daughter wants to be more independent and Ellen is increasingly paranoid that some terrible misfortune will befall her. But does Martin have another motive for finding these buried women? What’s his true agenda?
Issues?
This story was very underwhelming for the first half and the pace was frustratingly slow.
Martin visited these burial sites regularly, dug up human remains in various stages of decay and returned home sometimes a smelly mess, and his wife NEVER suspected something was a bit odd?
Okay, so he mostly showered and cleaned up at hotels, but he did this solo “camping” activity for many years and if camping were a sport, then Martin was an Olympian! He lied to his daughter and wife about his whereabouts all the time and he still managed (somehow) to be a bore! His inner monologue for the majority of this book was dull, despite the nature of his exracurricular activities. Other issues? The two detectives assigned to investigate the finder of these uncovered bodies were one dimensional. Detective Chris Gabriel felt inferior to his partner, Sandra Whittal, and she was about as likable as a migraine. Their dialogue together was only slightly interesting at the very end.
The gist of this story?
Favorite lines spoken by Kylie?
“You smell like unwashed old man, Dad.”
▣ The author’s writing style was okay, but the pulse of this book was at flatline status for almost the entire story! There were occasional blips of life and some clever bits, yes. But these characters really skipped from gray to ultra high definition after the sixty-two percent mark. The last twenty-four percent of this book? That’s when Martin really came to life! That’s when he possessed some personality! Finally!
*NetGalley ARC provided by Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.
March 6, 2018
Dark, menacing, and gritty!
Find You In The Dark is an engrossing, creepy thriller that delves into the sadistic and disturbing thoughts, motivations, and actions of serial killers and immerses you in all the manipulation, violence, murder, depravity, and pure evil they're capable of.
The prose is chilling and tight. The characterization is well done with a whole slew of characters that are flawed, vulnerable, and persistent. And the plot, told from multiple perspectives, is an exceptionally suspenseful, twisty, violent, tension-filled thrill ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the very first page.
Overall, Find You In The Dark is a fast-paced, unique, ominous tale that reminds you that if you continually dance with the devil eventually you might get burned.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at https://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
Find You In The Dark is an engrossing, creepy thriller that delves into the sadistic and disturbing thoughts, motivations, and actions of serial killers and immerses you in all the manipulation, violence, murder, depravity, and pure evil they're capable of.
The prose is chilling and tight. The characterization is well done with a whole slew of characters that are flawed, vulnerable, and persistent. And the plot, told from multiple perspectives, is an exceptionally suspenseful, twisty, violent, tension-filled thrill ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the very first page.
Overall, Find You In The Dark is a fast-paced, unique, ominous tale that reminds you that if you continually dance with the devil eventually you might get burned.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at https://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
August 15, 2018
2.5 I thought I would never finish stars
This book had quite a different interesting concept. It was about a man, Martin Reese, who had a penchant for finding the graves of women who were killed by serial killers. Martin would unearth the bodies and then in a hidden phone message, alert the police to his finds. He claimed he was doing so in order to give the dead women's family peace and to bury the remains of their family member. However, there were many indications that there might be something wrong with Martin. This was enough of an idea to make me want to read this book.
Unfortunately, the book was overly long although, just somewhat over three hundred pages. It made me wonder was this because of the content or the writing or even a combination of both? I concluded that the writing was my issue. It was to me too wordy, too detailed, and too repetitious. I kept on pushing myself to read it, figuring the intensity of the story would get me to the end. I wanted to quit a number of times, but I did sally forth hoping that in the last few chapters that I would be rewarded for my my diligence. Sadly, for me this wonderful premise just did not measure up. I am sure others will like this slow plodding story, but for me it was just dull. As we all know there are millions of books out there waiting to be read so off I go cracking into one or two or even three of those millions.
Thank you to Nathan Ripley, Atria books, and NetGalley for a copy of this book. I wish I had liked it better.
This book had quite a different interesting concept. It was about a man, Martin Reese, who had a penchant for finding the graves of women who were killed by serial killers. Martin would unearth the bodies and then in a hidden phone message, alert the police to his finds. He claimed he was doing so in order to give the dead women's family peace and to bury the remains of their family member. However, there were many indications that there might be something wrong with Martin. This was enough of an idea to make me want to read this book.
Unfortunately, the book was overly long although, just somewhat over three hundred pages. It made me wonder was this because of the content or the writing or even a combination of both? I concluded that the writing was my issue. It was to me too wordy, too detailed, and too repetitious. I kept on pushing myself to read it, figuring the intensity of the story would get me to the end. I wanted to quit a number of times, but I did sally forth hoping that in the last few chapters that I would be rewarded for my my diligence. Sadly, for me this wonderful premise just did not measure up. I am sure others will like this slow plodding story, but for me it was just dull. As we all know there are millions of books out there waiting to be read so off I go cracking into one or two or even three of those millions.
Thank you to Nathan Ripley, Atria books, and NetGalley for a copy of this book. I wish I had liked it better.
August 9, 2019
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
3.5 Stars
First – lets talk about the blurb I just noticed . . . .
Perfect for fans of Caroline Kepnes’s Hidden Bodies
So if a title is “hidden bodies” and another book is about hidden bodies they are the same?????
Obviously the person who wrote that has never read Caroline Kepnes.
As for the second comparison to everyone’s favorite serial killer?????
That’s a little more feasible (but I’d actually recommend Hangman instead should you be looking to fill the void the lack of Dexter has left in your life . . . if I ever get around to reviewing that one).
This is a book for those of you looking for pure stabby good times. There’s absolutely ZERO reality involved as the story focuses on Martin – a smarter than smart smartypants who buys the files of serial killers from a dirty cop and then uses his super tingly spidey senses to find any missing bodies – all while hiding this strange hobby from his family, natch. You know what that means, right??? Of course a real bad baddy is going to get fed up with the spotlight not being on what a good murderer he is and set Martin up to potentially take the fall.
Recommended to anyone whose browser history looks like mine . . . .
3.5 Stars
First – lets talk about the blurb I just noticed . . . .
Perfect for fans of Caroline Kepnes’s Hidden Bodies
So if a title is “hidden bodies” and another book is about hidden bodies they are the same?????
Obviously the person who wrote that has never read Caroline Kepnes.
As for the second comparison to everyone’s favorite serial killer?????
That’s a little more feasible (but I’d actually recommend Hangman instead should you be looking to fill the void the lack of Dexter has left in your life . . . if I ever get around to reviewing that one).
This is a book for those of you looking for pure stabby good times. There’s absolutely ZERO reality involved as the story focuses on Martin – a smarter than smart smartypants who buys the files of serial killers from a dirty cop and then uses his super tingly spidey senses to find any missing bodies – all while hiding this strange hobby from his family, natch. You know what that means, right??? Of course a real bad baddy is going to get fed up with the spotlight not being on what a good murderer he is and set Martin up to potentially take the fall.
Recommended to anyone whose browser history looks like mine . . . .
May 29, 2018
Martin Reese is a digger. He finds the graves of serial killer victims whom the police haven’t been able to find throughout the years. After taking photos of the bones for his own personal collection, he calls the police anonymously and informs them of his find. He likes what he does and is meticulous and thorough. Nobody, not even his wife and daughter know what he's up to in his so called “camping trips”.
All is well, until he finds a grave, which is supposed to be hiding 20 year old bones of a victim. But the grave is covering more than the old remains. There is a newly murdered corpse under the pile of bones. Someone has been following him. Someone knows his secret and is threatening to expose him.
This book had its ups and downs. The story-line was unique and intriguing but was slow-paced and predictable. There were too many details, repetitions, drawn-out inner dialogues and redundant conversations. The book could have been shorter. Much much shorter.
Thanks to Nathan Ripley, Text Publishing UK and Netgalley for the advanced copy.
All is well, until he finds a grave, which is supposed to be hiding 20 year old bones of a victim. But the grave is covering more than the old remains. There is a newly murdered corpse under the pile of bones. Someone has been following him. Someone knows his secret and is threatening to expose him.
This book had its ups and downs. The story-line was unique and intriguing but was slow-paced and predictable. There were too many details, repetitions, drawn-out inner dialogues and redundant conversations. The book could have been shorter. Much much shorter.
Thanks to Nathan Ripley, Text Publishing UK and Netgalley for the advanced copy.
July 26, 2022
I read this book when I had the flu. I'm telling you this because me being high on Nyquil and breathing Bengay fumes may have exacerbated my fleeting moments of terror! I had to stop reading one night, get up from bed and walk away. So, I waited til' the next day, started reading again and realized that yep, I had definitely been high on the Nyquil, because it just wasn't scary anymore! The good news though is that this book and the main character was one creepy son of a gun. Sure, he came across as fairly normal, but when you understand how this "family man" has lived his whole entire life then it turns up the creep factor. I would like to see what's happening 10 years down the road from when this story ends. Yeah, I'd recommend this book, and I intend to read more from this author. My thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read and review this e-arc.
October 3, 2018
FIND YOU IN THE DARK is the chilly, creepy debut thriller by Nathan Ripley.
Martin Reese has a strange hobby, and one that his family is not aware of: he is obsessed with serial killers. He researches and digs up murder victims. He buys stolen police files on serial killers, and uses them to find and dig up missing bodies. Calls in the results anonymously, to the police. He feels worthy that he can secretly solve mysteries, ones that the police can’t solve.
But Martin keep a scrapbook of his discoveries. Why?
Detective Sandra Whittal is suspicious of the mysterious caller, who she calls the “Finder”. Is he the one leaving the bodies behind?
But then Martin comes across a shocking discovery…and one which shows that someone is not happy with him digging up bodies.
Now, in order to keep his family safe, Martin is on the run from the cops as well as the killer.
This debut novel had an interesting plot, and was an okay read with a creepy dark aspect to it, but I was looking for more WOW in the delivery.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley for my digital copy.
Martin Reese has a strange hobby, and one that his family is not aware of: he is obsessed with serial killers. He researches and digs up murder victims. He buys stolen police files on serial killers, and uses them to find and dig up missing bodies. Calls in the results anonymously, to the police. He feels worthy that he can secretly solve mysteries, ones that the police can’t solve.
But Martin keep a scrapbook of his discoveries. Why?
Detective Sandra Whittal is suspicious of the mysterious caller, who she calls the “Finder”. Is he the one leaving the bodies behind?
But then Martin comes across a shocking discovery…and one which shows that someone is not happy with him digging up bodies.
Now, in order to keep his family safe, Martin is on the run from the cops as well as the killer.
This debut novel had an interesting plot, and was an okay read with a creepy dark aspect to it, but I was looking for more WOW in the delivery.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley for my digital copy.
May 9, 2018
Nathan Ripley (real name Naben Ruthnum)'s
Find You in the Dark
is an interestingly different serial killer story than what I'm used to. The story focuses on Martin Reese, father, husband, breadwinner, and grave digger. Martin's hobbies include vigilante investigating and rescuing missing bodies of the victims that were never discovered and returning them to the police. Plot twist: Martin returns the bodies in secret, taunting and bullying the police for not doing their jobs. Martin's secretive hobby has spanned decades and the police are beginning to question this mysterious vigilante's motive. While investigating another key dig, Martin starts to unravel a deeper, darker secret that not only threatens him, but the livelihood of everyone in his life. Martin must dive into this uncharted territory of the underground society of crime and murder in order to save the people he loves most, but will it end up taking a piece of him with it?
Find You in the Dark is an intelligently written dark serial killer thriller that not only provokes you, it questions what is deemed right and wrong in our society. It's a slower paced novel than other serial killer thrillers that I've read, but the pacing ends up working well with this story. Find You in the Dark is a character-driven story, latching onto our emotions, while keeping us on the edge of our seats. This story is a slow-burn at it's core, which you wouldn't expect from the synopsis provided, so prepare to wait for the build-up and hope it pays off for you. Sometimes with slow-burns, the pay off is phenomenal (e.g.: The Woman in the Window), and sometimes the pay off falls flat. For me, I didn't necessarily feel that the pay off was as incredible as it could've been, but that's because I've read too many novels with the same plot. If you have yet to fully dive into this demented, sick world of serial killers and crime-fiction, I would urge you to read this story. As I've mentioned before, it's a beautifully character-driven story that really resonates the reader with the characters. For me, the pay off was something that I felt has already been done before. Crime-fiction is a hard genre to write for since it's become such an over-saturated market, but if you're inquiring about Find You in the Dark , then you should totally pick it up.
Find You in the Dark is an intelligently written dark serial killer thriller that not only provokes you, it questions what is deemed right and wrong in our society. It's a slower paced novel than other serial killer thrillers that I've read, but the pacing ends up working well with this story. Find You in the Dark is a character-driven story, latching onto our emotions, while keeping us on the edge of our seats. This story is a slow-burn at it's core, which you wouldn't expect from the synopsis provided, so prepare to wait for the build-up and hope it pays off for you. Sometimes with slow-burns, the pay off is phenomenal (e.g.: The Woman in the Window), and sometimes the pay off falls flat. For me, I didn't necessarily feel that the pay off was as incredible as it could've been, but that's because I've read too many novels with the same plot. If you have yet to fully dive into this demented, sick world of serial killers and crime-fiction, I would urge you to read this story. As I've mentioned before, it's a beautifully character-driven story that really resonates the reader with the characters. For me, the pay off was something that I felt has already been done before. Crime-fiction is a hard genre to write for since it's become such an over-saturated market, but if you're inquiring about Find You in the Dark , then you should totally pick it up.
June 27, 2018
As much as I’m a serial killer thriller junkie I’m always on the lookout for a unique twist on the genre and this one was definitely original. Sure, you have a cop tracking down a murderer and the killer himself, but the addition of Martin, who isn’t a killer but instead a bizarre combination of vigilante and everyday family man. He hunts the burial sites of victims, he doesn’t search for women themselves and he definitely doesn’t hurt them. A strange little hobby to say the least, but one that makes for a very interesting premise.
Martin was the sort of highly complex character that I love, you never quite know what to make of him. Is he really just a normal husband and father with an odd hobby? Or does he have some darkness inside himself, a desire to have a close brush with death? If kept me on my toes, and Whittal the detective investigating the case was another character I really enjoyed.
This is definitely a slow burn, there is plenty of simmering tension but it does require some patience, but for me, the wait was worth it. Ripley is an extremely gifted writer, his prose had a subtle intensity and feel of sophistication that worked so well for me. Recommended for those wanting a read that takes time to reveal its hand and also those who like a thriller that delves into a literary type of read.
Find You In the Dark in three words: Subtle, Original and Fluent.
Martin was the sort of highly complex character that I love, you never quite know what to make of him. Is he really just a normal husband and father with an odd hobby? Or does he have some darkness inside himself, a desire to have a close brush with death? If kept me on my toes, and Whittal the detective investigating the case was another character I really enjoyed.
This is definitely a slow burn, there is plenty of simmering tension but it does require some patience, but for me, the wait was worth it. Ripley is an extremely gifted writer, his prose had a subtle intensity and feel of sophistication that worked so well for me. Recommended for those wanting a read that takes time to reveal its hand and also those who like a thriller that delves into a literary type of read.
Find You In the Dark in three words: Subtle, Original and Fluent.
May 9, 2018
Martin is a family guy who has what some may consider a very creepy hobby. No, he doesn’t collect Living Dead Dolls or horror movies like the rest of weirdos, he digs up the corpses of people murdered by serial killers and taunts the police with his ghastly finds. His wife and daughter have no idea what he’s doing on the side even though he comes home dirty and smelly after a long day of playing with old bones. The police also haven’t a clue.
Find You In The Dark has a twisted and unique to me story. On his last dig, something goes awry that may expose Martin’s strange little hobby to the world and put he and his family in danger. Martin will do anything to keep his family safe (even though one member doesn’t deserve his loyalty, if you ask me) and that is all I am going to say about the plot.
I love being in the head of messed up people rather than being stuck reading a story from the lead investigators POV the entire time. Martin, a serial killer and the police officer who gets involved in the case all share page space and I enjoyed that. I see a lot of people taking issue with the female officer but she didn’t bug me at all. The person I didn’t like was Martin’s wife. She was spoiled and selfish and every conversation with her was insufferable and I kept hoping bad things would happen to her. If my spouse took off for a few days and came home smelling of anything foreign, never mind death (frigging death, people!), you can bet he’d be answering questions until his lips fell off. This woman? All she cared about was helicoptering her teenager and getting her boutique ready for opening day. Not a nosy bone in that one’s body. How is she even a wife?!
This wasn’t a fast paced book and it took me longer to finish than I had hoped. Something about the pace was just a wee bit off but I liked the strange turns the story took. There aren’t fifty shocking twists but it walks down some dark and unexpected paths. If you don’t mind a slower pace and like to spend a little time with deviants this one is for you!
Thank you Atria Mystery Bus for surprising me with a copy of the ARC!
Find You In The Dark has a twisted and unique to me story. On his last dig, something goes awry that may expose Martin’s strange little hobby to the world and put he and his family in danger. Martin will do anything to keep his family safe (even though one member doesn’t deserve his loyalty, if you ask me) and that is all I am going to say about the plot.
I love being in the head of messed up people rather than being stuck reading a story from the lead investigators POV the entire time. Martin, a serial killer and the police officer who gets involved in the case all share page space and I enjoyed that. I see a lot of people taking issue with the female officer but she didn’t bug me at all. The person I didn’t like was Martin’s wife. She was spoiled and selfish and every conversation with her was insufferable and I kept hoping bad things would happen to her. If my spouse took off for a few days and came home smelling of anything foreign, never mind death (frigging death, people!), you can bet he’d be answering questions until his lips fell off. This woman? All she cared about was helicoptering her teenager and getting her boutique ready for opening day. Not a nosy bone in that one’s body. How is she even a wife?!
This wasn’t a fast paced book and it took me longer to finish than I had hoped. Something about the pace was just a wee bit off but I liked the strange turns the story took. There aren’t fifty shocking twists but it walks down some dark and unexpected paths. If you don’t mind a slower pace and like to spend a little time with deviants this one is for you!
Thank you Atria Mystery Bus for surprising me with a copy of the ARC!
February 26, 2018
I received a free e-copy of Find you In The Dark by Nathan Ripley from NetGalley for my honest review. This book is Nathan Ripley‘s debut thriller.
This book is about a wealthy retired man, Martin, who has a family of his own. He is bored and is obsessed with serial killers. He secretly researches and digs up missing victims of serial killers. He feels like he is doing people a favor by helping solve mysteries secretly and doing thing that the police don't do.
Martin's most recent dig is the body of Tinsley, who is his wife's sister who has been missing for 20 years. When he arrives at the burial site to dig up his victim, he discovers something extra that sets him in a tailspin of events. Now he is on someone's radar and he is being chased by someone who isn't happy that Martin is digging up his work.
Mystery, suspense, serial killers and crooked cops. Need I say more . . . .
This book is about a wealthy retired man, Martin, who has a family of his own. He is bored and is obsessed with serial killers. He secretly researches and digs up missing victims of serial killers. He feels like he is doing people a favor by helping solve mysteries secretly and doing thing that the police don't do.
Martin's most recent dig is the body of Tinsley, who is his wife's sister who has been missing for 20 years. When he arrives at the burial site to dig up his victim, he discovers something extra that sets him in a tailspin of events. Now he is on someone's radar and he is being chased by someone who isn't happy that Martin is digging up his work.
Mystery, suspense, serial killers and crooked cops. Need I say more . . . .
March 10, 2018
Before I started reading this I’d heard mixed reports which is always intriguing – turns out I adored it and it was just the kind of story I love to get my head into. Not sure what that says about me…
ANYWAY, Martin spends his spare time looking through the cracks of various police investigations and very successfully digging up lost victims of serial killers. Sandra is a detective who is not as enamoured of this idea as some of her colleagues – rather than seeing him as a hero, she wonders about the psyche of a man who would do this sort of thing. Martin calls in his finds anonymously, but what he doesn’t know is that someone is watching..and Sandra is determined to track him down too..
There were several things that worked for me in this novel – first and foremost Martin himself, who tells his own story, allowing the reader to see inside his head. It was refreshing to see an exploration of a dark personality who has channelled that darkness into something that could be termed a public service – hence, I suppose, the comparison to Dexter, certainly both those characters are dangerously attractive, but this is a very different kettle of fish. So to speak.
Then we have Sandra, a divisive character, she is edgy and often annoyingly obtuse, yet you can see her side of things – wondering if this mysterious benefactor of closure for parents isn’t just working himself up to being the one who deprives said parents of their offspring in the first place. The yin yang between that and what you know of Martin makes for a fascinating reading experience, whose side you might take, whether you want Martin to “get away with it” or not…
The mystery elements are very well done but this one is all about the character study in many ways, descriptively it is dark and gorgeous and I loved how it ended – I’m wondering if we will get a sequel, I do hope so I’d love to see what happens next following the closure of this cat and mouse tale, I really would love to go back into Martin’s world again, I had a good if somewhat terrifying time there.
Recommended.
ANYWAY, Martin spends his spare time looking through the cracks of various police investigations and very successfully digging up lost victims of serial killers. Sandra is a detective who is not as enamoured of this idea as some of her colleagues – rather than seeing him as a hero, she wonders about the psyche of a man who would do this sort of thing. Martin calls in his finds anonymously, but what he doesn’t know is that someone is watching..and Sandra is determined to track him down too..
There were several things that worked for me in this novel – first and foremost Martin himself, who tells his own story, allowing the reader to see inside his head. It was refreshing to see an exploration of a dark personality who has channelled that darkness into something that could be termed a public service – hence, I suppose, the comparison to Dexter, certainly both those characters are dangerously attractive, but this is a very different kettle of fish. So to speak.
Then we have Sandra, a divisive character, she is edgy and often annoyingly obtuse, yet you can see her side of things – wondering if this mysterious benefactor of closure for parents isn’t just working himself up to being the one who deprives said parents of their offspring in the first place. The yin yang between that and what you know of Martin makes for a fascinating reading experience, whose side you might take, whether you want Martin to “get away with it” or not…
The mystery elements are very well done but this one is all about the character study in many ways, descriptively it is dark and gorgeous and I loved how it ended – I’m wondering if we will get a sequel, I do hope so I’d love to see what happens next following the closure of this cat and mouse tale, I really would love to go back into Martin’s world again, I had a good if somewhat terrifying time there.
Recommended.
March 26, 2018
I find it impressive how vile and tormented someone could be, how a sick mind can operate... This book give you an inside view on how a serial killer thinks, and that is something. Ok, I'll say it, it's disgusting. This book was good, but I found it difficult to read.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 4, 2019
3.5★s
Find You In The Dark is the first novel by Canadian author, Nathan Ripley. Martin Reese is a wealthy man with an unusual hobby. He made his money from IT, sold his company and now enjoys his free time looking after his wife, Ellen, who insists on maintaining some independence, and his almost-fifteen-year-old daughter, Kylie.
Every so often (more often, recently) Martin goes on a camping weekend, on his own. At least, that’s what he tells everyone. What he’s actually doing is tracking down the unfound bodies of the victims of serial killers. He digs them up, photographs the remains and then sends the cops a message with GPS coordinates. It’s usually a pretty snarky message, taunting them for their incompetence.
Detective Sandra Whittal finds those messages very irritating and is determined to discover the identity of the man(?) she calls The Finder, but it’s not easy: the sites are always clean; the messages from him are computer-generated. But Sandra feels he’s escalating, and she worries he will move on from finding victims to producing his own.
When Martin tracks down his final body, the one for whom he’s been searching for nearly twenty years, he finds a surprise, and it’s not a pleasant one. It seems that, despite all his care, someone else knows what he has been doing. And has implicated him in something much less benign than giving closure to bereaved families.
Ripley’s plot is clever and original, with plenty of twists and a good dose of tension, although it does require some suspension of disbelief over several aspects of the story. While Martin and his daughter show a bit of depth, many of the support characters are rather one-dimensional or a bit stereotypical for much of the book. The pace is a bit slow at times, only picking up to page-turner speed in the final quarter, and there are some minor plot holes.
If the reader can accept the premise of what the main character does and why, then Ripley’s tale is an interesting exploration of what sort of pressure it takes to make a person act on their most repressed inclinations. Ripley’s serial killers are chillingly believable, and he does manage to have the reader wavering between wanting Sandra to get her man and wanting Martin to get away with it. Not quite Dexter or Mr Ripley, but still quite an impressive debut novel.
Find You In The Dark is the first novel by Canadian author, Nathan Ripley. Martin Reese is a wealthy man with an unusual hobby. He made his money from IT, sold his company and now enjoys his free time looking after his wife, Ellen, who insists on maintaining some independence, and his almost-fifteen-year-old daughter, Kylie.
Every so often (more often, recently) Martin goes on a camping weekend, on his own. At least, that’s what he tells everyone. What he’s actually doing is tracking down the unfound bodies of the victims of serial killers. He digs them up, photographs the remains and then sends the cops a message with GPS coordinates. It’s usually a pretty snarky message, taunting them for their incompetence.
Detective Sandra Whittal finds those messages very irritating and is determined to discover the identity of the man(?) she calls The Finder, but it’s not easy: the sites are always clean; the messages from him are computer-generated. But Sandra feels he’s escalating, and she worries he will move on from finding victims to producing his own.
When Martin tracks down his final body, the one for whom he’s been searching for nearly twenty years, he finds a surprise, and it’s not a pleasant one. It seems that, despite all his care, someone else knows what he has been doing. And has implicated him in something much less benign than giving closure to bereaved families.
Ripley’s plot is clever and original, with plenty of twists and a good dose of tension, although it does require some suspension of disbelief over several aspects of the story. While Martin and his daughter show a bit of depth, many of the support characters are rather one-dimensional or a bit stereotypical for much of the book. The pace is a bit slow at times, only picking up to page-turner speed in the final quarter, and there are some minor plot holes.
If the reader can accept the premise of what the main character does and why, then Ripley’s tale is an interesting exploration of what sort of pressure it takes to make a person act on their most repressed inclinations. Ripley’s serial killers are chillingly believable, and he does manage to have the reader wavering between wanting Sandra to get her man and wanting Martin to get away with it. Not quite Dexter or Mr Ripley, but still quite an impressive debut novel.
May 28, 2018
View this full review and many more at: 5171 Miles Book Blog.
My first thought upon finishing this debut Thriller by Nathan Ripley was, "Thank goodness that's over!" For anyone sure I was able to drop nothing but 5-star reviews on every other book this year, here is proof of the contrary. I do loathe giving low-star ratings to books, especially those I was incredibly excited to read, but such is the life of a book blogger. If I had not requested and received this book through Netgalley, I would have called it quits on this title around 40%. In an effort to always provide an honest review of an entire book, I decided to push through. And, I really tried to like Find You in the Dark because the premise was quite intriguing, but as the story crept forward, I was seriously bored. I found myself struggling to stay awake while I skimmed the last 40% to get the full picture of the story. Unfortunately, this is one with a blurb more exciting than the story within the pages.
Martin is a man obsessed with murder. He illegally buys old police files with the goal of providing closure to families with missing relatives, much like his own wife's family. Martin's sister-in-law, whom he had never met, was kidnapped and possibly murdered in the early 1990s. Martin's wife has been tortured with years of wondering what happened to her sister and the paranoia something similar might happen to her daughter. Martin uses the information he collects to dig up the graves of murdered women around the Seattle area, thinking he is able to provide a greater service to the community than the police. On one of Martin's regular digs, he stumbles upon a grave with multiple bodies, including that of a newly missing woman in the area. He suddenly realizes he may have made an enemy of an undiscovered killer through his philanthropic work.
Readers are able to experience the events happening from Martin's perspective in real-time, then we are given Detective Sandra Whittal's point-of-view as she investigates the developments. This means readers are given an accurate description of what happened with Martin's POV, then we read Sandra's theories, which at times closely matched with what actually happened. Having to read through the events twice, while the police mulled things over was incredibly redundant and boring. Besides this flaw in the storytelling, there was nothing inherently wrong with the writing. The plot was simply dull and slow-moving. A big part of me is left wondering how this book made it through the cracks and is being published by a large publishing house. There are a ridiculous number of better stories out there, published by little-known Indie authors.
Unfortunately, I can't give this book any more than two stars and would not recommend Find You in the Dark to anyone. I wish the story was able to live up to its great blurb, but instead ended up being slow, predictable, and purely work to read. However, if you're interested in checking this one out for yourself, pre-order a copy or pick it up upon its release on June 19th.
My first thought upon finishing this debut Thriller by Nathan Ripley was, "Thank goodness that's over!" For anyone sure I was able to drop nothing but 5-star reviews on every other book this year, here is proof of the contrary. I do loathe giving low-star ratings to books, especially those I was incredibly excited to read, but such is the life of a book blogger. If I had not requested and received this book through Netgalley, I would have called it quits on this title around 40%. In an effort to always provide an honest review of an entire book, I decided to push through. And, I really tried to like Find You in the Dark because the premise was quite intriguing, but as the story crept forward, I was seriously bored. I found myself struggling to stay awake while I skimmed the last 40% to get the full picture of the story. Unfortunately, this is one with a blurb more exciting than the story within the pages.
Martin is a man obsessed with murder. He illegally buys old police files with the goal of providing closure to families with missing relatives, much like his own wife's family. Martin's sister-in-law, whom he had never met, was kidnapped and possibly murdered in the early 1990s. Martin's wife has been tortured with years of wondering what happened to her sister and the paranoia something similar might happen to her daughter. Martin uses the information he collects to dig up the graves of murdered women around the Seattle area, thinking he is able to provide a greater service to the community than the police. On one of Martin's regular digs, he stumbles upon a grave with multiple bodies, including that of a newly missing woman in the area. He suddenly realizes he may have made an enemy of an undiscovered killer through his philanthropic work.
Readers are able to experience the events happening from Martin's perspective in real-time, then we are given Detective Sandra Whittal's point-of-view as she investigates the developments. This means readers are given an accurate description of what happened with Martin's POV, then we read Sandra's theories, which at times closely matched with what actually happened. Having to read through the events twice, while the police mulled things over was incredibly redundant and boring. Besides this flaw in the storytelling, there was nothing inherently wrong with the writing. The plot was simply dull and slow-moving. A big part of me is left wondering how this book made it through the cracks and is being published by a large publishing house. There are a ridiculous number of better stories out there, published by little-known Indie authors.
Unfortunately, I can't give this book any more than two stars and would not recommend Find You in the Dark to anyone. I wish the story was able to live up to its great blurb, but instead ended up being slow, predictable, and purely work to read. However, if you're interested in checking this one out for yourself, pre-order a copy or pick it up upon its release on June 19th.
April 12, 2018
4.5⭐
Find You in the Dark was a very fun read for me. The synopsis is right up my alley, and I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it.
You can pretty much sell me on any serial killer novel, and this one did not disappoint. The story was intriguing, and I was so excited to find out what was going to happen. This is also a pretty unique story since the main character is a vigilante of sorts who is digging up victims of serial killers that the police couldn't find.
This is a slow burn, but I still found it to be an addicting read. I was interested in the storyline as a whole, I liked some of the character dynamics - it's always interesting to me when someone has a family, and keeps a secret life like this.
The main issue that I had with this book, and what kept it from being a 5 star read for me, was the ending. It was unsatisfying to me, and there's a plot point that I really wish would have been wrapped up that wasn't. I don't want to say anything else to avoid spoilers, but I'm frustrated. I feel like some things just weren't explained, and I'm not sure why.
My other problem was the way the two main cops interacted with one other. I had moments in which I liked Sandra, and others in which she irritated me so much. I understand that she has difficult struggles as a woman police officer, but she was so specifically obsessed with being better than her partner (who also was her friend). Then her partner (Chris) kept hinting around her not understanding certain things because she didn't have children. Ugh. There were other things, too, but I just didn't really care for either of them. They weren't supposed to be heroes, though.
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much, and I hope to read more crime fiction from Nathan Ripley. Thank you so much to Atria Mystery Bus for providing me with an early copy. Find You in the Dark will be released on 6/19!
Find You in the Dark was a very fun read for me. The synopsis is right up my alley, and I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it.
You can pretty much sell me on any serial killer novel, and this one did not disappoint. The story was intriguing, and I was so excited to find out what was going to happen. This is also a pretty unique story since the main character is a vigilante of sorts who is digging up victims of serial killers that the police couldn't find.
This is a slow burn, but I still found it to be an addicting read. I was interested in the storyline as a whole, I liked some of the character dynamics - it's always interesting to me when someone has a family, and keeps a secret life like this.
The main issue that I had with this book, and what kept it from being a 5 star read for me, was the ending. It was unsatisfying to me, and there's a plot point that I really wish would have been wrapped up that wasn't. I don't want to say anything else to avoid spoilers, but I'm frustrated. I feel like some things just weren't explained, and I'm not sure why.
My other problem was the way the two main cops interacted with one other. I had moments in which I liked Sandra, and others in which she irritated me so much. I understand that she has difficult struggles as a woman police officer, but she was so specifically obsessed with being better than her partner (who also was her friend). Then her partner (Chris) kept hinting around her not understanding certain things because she didn't have children. Ugh. There were other things, too, but I just didn't really care for either of them. They weren't supposed to be heroes, though.
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much, and I hope to read more crime fiction from Nathan Ripley. Thank you so much to Atria Mystery Bus for providing me with an early copy. Find You in the Dark will be released on 6/19!
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May 24, 2020
December 13, 2019
I thought the premise was interesting and one I would like. Well it was different but a little too creepy for this dark and twisted mind and it just didn't work for me
I received a copy from the publisher on NetGalley
I received a copy from the publisher on NetGalley
August 12, 2018
Find You In The Dark by Nathan Ripley is an original thriller that had me turning pages as fast I as I could! Such a great book.
Martin Reese is a husband and father and he has a very strange and morbid hobby...he buys police files and searches for murder victims before digging them up and anonymously calls them in. Detective Sandra Whittle starts to think that Nathan - who she calls "The Finder" might be more involved than just finding the bodies. And now he is being hunted by a killer who is targeting his family.
The story was different and I loved the writing. Highly recommend this book. Thanks to Text Publishing UK and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest views.
Martin Reese is a husband and father and he has a very strange and morbid hobby...he buys police files and searches for murder victims before digging them up and anonymously calls them in. Detective Sandra Whittle starts to think that Nathan - who she calls "The Finder" might be more involved than just finding the bodies. And now he is being hunted by a killer who is targeting his family.
The story was different and I loved the writing. Highly recommend this book. Thanks to Text Publishing UK and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest views.
January 30, 2020
La idea es buena y el desarrollo terrible. Soy incapaz de conectar con nadie ni de seguir el hilo. Abandonado.
Want to read
February 13, 2018Hello book. Your blurb speaks to all the twisted parts of me. Let's be BFF's.
I'm just going to put out into the universe how much l want to win an ARC for this book. SO. MUCH.
Please and thanks Universe. Regards, Lisa (super excited fan girl w/ black heart).
I'm just going to put out into the universe how much l want to win an ARC for this book. SO. MUCH.
Please and thanks Universe. Regards, Lisa (super excited fan girl w/ black heart).
May 30, 2018
3.5 stars
Find You in the Dark is a dark and gritty novel with a unique twist. Martin Reese is a successful business man, husband and father. He also has an unusual obsession. He finds bodies left behind by serial killers. Is he motivated by the closure that this gives to the victims' families? The pleasure of taunting the police? Or by some sordid desire? Detective Sandra Whittal would probably place her bets on the latter. A driven officer of the law, her investigative skills are heads above the rest of her department and she has Reese in her sights. If that didn't provide enough tension for the plot, Martin draws the attention of a bonafide serial killer. Angry that someone has disturbed his burial sites, this psychopath decides to include Reese in his twisted fantasies. A heart stopping thriller, Find You in the Dark proved to be an enjoyable read.
Find You in the Dark is a dark and gritty novel with a unique twist. Martin Reese is a successful business man, husband and father. He also has an unusual obsession. He finds bodies left behind by serial killers. Is he motivated by the closure that this gives to the victims' families? The pleasure of taunting the police? Or by some sordid desire? Detective Sandra Whittal would probably place her bets on the latter. A driven officer of the law, her investigative skills are heads above the rest of her department and she has Reese in her sights. If that didn't provide enough tension for the plot, Martin draws the attention of a bonafide serial killer. Angry that someone has disturbed his burial sites, this psychopath decides to include Reese in his twisted fantasies. A heart stopping thriller, Find You in the Dark proved to be an enjoyable read.
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