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Dark Video
The second installment in Peter Church's Dark Web TrilogyA minibus taxi flipping spectacularly on its head; two teenagers engaged in forbidden sex in a shopping-mall rest room; a raunchy table dance in a Cape Town strip club. How are these scenes connected to a beautiful young woman running through a forest near the university early on a Sunday morning?Alistair Morgan is the key. A gifted law student with a glittering career in the offing, Alistair seems to have it looks, charm and money. But his privileged lifestyle is about to be turned upside down as he is lured deeper and deeper into the sinister online world of Dark Video, where reality blurs and morals unravel.Toggling between the urban landscape of Africa’s southern tip and Seattle, Washington in the mid- to late-2000s, just as YouTube and other video sharing sites were getting started, Dark Video explores the most disturbing and darkest corners of the digital world, where some people will pay for unimaginable videos and others make money in the most depraved way possible.
285 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
8 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Peter Church
4 books25 followersAfter a successful career in Information Technology, Church wrote his first novel,
Dark Video
in 2008. Dark Video was published by Random-Struik in South Africa and New Holland Publishers in Australia. Reviewed as 'one of the best debuts in a long time' by Lindsay Slogrove of The Natal Mercury, Dark Video was a Sunday Times 'Book of the Week'.
In 2011 Church followed up with the 'drink spiking' book Bitter Pill . Cosmopolitan magazine's 'Hot Read of the Month', the plot was described by Gillian Hurst of The Drum as 'adrenalin-laced, gritty (plot) will keep you furiously turning pages long after your bedtime.' Bitter Pill was nominated for the 2012 Sunday Times fiction prize.
In 2015 Two Dogs announced Blue Cow Sky , a novella of sexual proportions.
In 2019 Crackerjack was released by Catalyst Press, California and marked Church's North American debut. A review of Crackerjack was published in the New York Journal of Books.
Peter Church is a member of SA Pen and the Kimberley Club. His acclaimed sporting articles are featured on M&G's Sports Leader site.
A short story, The One, about compulsive love, appeared in a compilation of South African crime fiction called Bad Company . Another shortie, My Side, was selected for the annual Short Sharp Story collection Bloody Satisfied edited by Jo Hichens.
Peter lives in Cape Town with his wife Paula and three children Christopher, Megan and Ross.
In 2011 Church followed up with the 'drink spiking' book Bitter Pill . Cosmopolitan magazine's 'Hot Read of the Month', the plot was described by Gillian Hurst of The Drum as 'adrenalin-laced, gritty (plot) will keep you furiously turning pages long after your bedtime.' Bitter Pill was nominated for the 2012 Sunday Times fiction prize.
In 2015 Two Dogs announced Blue Cow Sky , a novella of sexual proportions.
In 2019 Crackerjack was released by Catalyst Press, California and marked Church's North American debut. A review of Crackerjack was published in the New York Journal of Books.
Peter Church is a member of SA Pen and the Kimberley Club. His acclaimed sporting articles are featured on M&G's Sports Leader site.
A short story, The One, about compulsive love, appeared in a compilation of South African crime fiction called Bad Company . Another shortie, My Side, was selected for the annual Short Sharp Story collection Bloody Satisfied edited by Jo Hichens.
Peter lives in Cape Town with his wife Paula and three children Christopher, Megan and Ross.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 13, 2025
Men writing women :,)
April 25, 2018
I really wanted to enjoy this novel more as I got a sense of how hard the author had worked whist writing it. The good points were it was clearly a page-turner as I read it in 5 days, the underlying idea for the plot was an interesting one (and relevant in this age of YouTube and people with a 2 minute attention span gorging on any random rubbish that gets posted), there was a great twist at the end that I didn't see coming (after the one that I did) and it did a decent job of examining how it feels to live with a guilty conscience. It was let down by some weak characters, some typos, some holes in the plot and some story threads that just stretched credibility. Spoilers approaching. I didn't believe that Alistair would hang around with the other drop kicks from the start, nor would he get sucked in to their disturbing plans and most of all he wasn't painted as a character that would pop random pills. Even if we can believe the pill popping, it did little to affect the story and seemed irrelevant. I can tick the box that says I have read a thriller set in South Africa written by a South African author, it was well worth the $2 I splashed at the Book Fair and I would just about read a follow up.
July 26, 2011
First book I read on a Kindle - sisters's - and what a surprise. I couldn't turn it off, now I'm hooked and contemplating buying one. There's a graphic scene of partner swapping in this book ala Roald Dahl's The Great Switcheroo and the film Consenting Adults, but told 3D graphic. One of the best South African thrillers I've read.
January 27, 2009
It took me less than 24 hours to read, had to create opportunities to do so in fact. It was hectic, thrilling and a chase from beginning to end... What a twist!!!!!! When's his next one?
May 1, 2019
Hierdie boek is oorspronlik in 2008 in beperkte oplaag uitgegee en was nogal moeilik verkrygbaar daarna. Sy opvolger #Bitterpill het bykans ongemerk in 2011 verskyn en was selfs skaarser as sy voorganger. Ek het my besimpeld gesoek. Gelukkig vir my verskyn sy derde boek #Crackerjack toe vanjaar en, daarmee saam, word die eerste 2 in nuwe gedaante uitgegee en in Suid-Afrika (die skrywer is ‘n Suid-Afrikaner) versprei deur #Lapa.
Alistair Morgan is die sogenaamde goue seun; ‘n regstudent aan die Universiteit van Kaapstad. Rykmanseun, aantreklik, intelligent..... en op soek na uitdagings. Hy raak betrokke by die skemerwêreld van ‘The dark web’. Eers net vir die gewaagdheid daarvan, maar, hoe meer hy betrokke raak, hoe meer vervaag die lyne van moraliteit.
Dis nie ‘n boek vir sensitiewe lesers nie; daar is een of twee tonele wat redelik grafies beskryf word, maar is - na my mening - heeltemal gepas in die konteks. Die skryfstyl is soms ietwat lomp; amper asof gebeurtenisse nie lekker ‘vloei’ nie, maar die verhaal is sterk en oortuigend. Ek sien uit om die volgende twee te lees.
April 15, 2020
This mystery-thriller is simply an amazing read.
If you enjoy reading themes on brotherhood, drug abuse, sexual abuse, young love, corruption, murder, betrayal and the dark web then definitely give this one a try!
I particularly enjoyed how the author included minority groups without it overshadowing the storyline and without it being another “tick” on the minority inclusion box.
The plot and character interactions were not glossed over and were genuinely believable. So much that you find yourself disliking some of the characters as you would dislike people in your own life. For me it was Alistair’s father haha.
Personally I found this book to be one of those stories that make you undoubtedly believe that it could happen to anyone in real life. That... on its own is a scary thought considering the things that happen In the pages are nothing short of shocking.
If you enjoy reading themes on brotherhood, drug abuse, sexual abuse, young love, corruption, murder, betrayal and the dark web then definitely give this one a try!
I particularly enjoyed how the author included minority groups without it overshadowing the storyline and without it being another “tick” on the minority inclusion box.
The plot and character interactions were not glossed over and were genuinely believable. So much that you find yourself disliking some of the characters as you would dislike people in your own life. For me it was Alistair’s father haha.
Personally I found this book to be one of those stories that make you undoubtedly believe that it could happen to anyone in real life. That... on its own is a scary thought considering the things that happen In the pages are nothing short of shocking.
November 8, 2019
I won't be finishing this book, I've seen enough in the first 100 pages. Two stars for what could have been a deeply interesting story... in another's hands. The writing is clunky, seemingly from one more interested in demonstrating how much he knows than crafting enjoyable prose. Sexual assaults abound among of far too many unlikeable men. I can't imagine how this could possibly redeem itself and I'm not interested in finding out how it tries.
March 19, 2026
Please check the trigger warnings before starting this book!
Luckily I’m not phased by much, but the start of this book was uncomfortable and not very pleasant to read. I got to page 40 and I was debating whether to carry on reading as I was still slightly interested. I decided (slightly influenced by my partner’s opinion) that I wouldn’t carry on. I did flick through before putting it down for good, and to be honest I am glad that I didn’t continue as I think I would’ve eventually got bored.
Luckily I’m not phased by much, but the start of this book was uncomfortable and not very pleasant to read. I got to page 40 and I was debating whether to carry on reading as I was still slightly interested. I decided (slightly influenced by my partner’s opinion) that I wouldn’t carry on. I did flick through before putting it down for good, and to be honest I am glad that I didn’t continue as I think I would’ve eventually got bored.
December 11, 2019
First book I've read by this author. Wow, hectic, and set in Cape Town. Hard hitting, gruesome, graphic very current subject, a thriller with quite a few twists, some I never saw coming at the end.
Definitely going to read more by this author.
Definitely going to read more by this author.
Read
November 30, 2019Check back for my review on the New York Journal of Books.
Not for cozy readers.
Not for cozy readers.
January 23, 2021
An interesting and original storyline. Really enjoyed this one!
March 25, 2021
Wasn't sure if I could get into this, was a bit hectic but some how it lured me into its dark, twisted plot and I thoroughly enjoyed it
March 29, 2023
I read this book. Its a very good book from peter church. Thanks Peter. I give it a 4 star read
December 26, 2023
Gripping, exciting, sexy, serious, funny.... finished in 2 days. Just could not put it down.
Throughly enjoyed every page!
Throughly enjoyed every page!
November 25, 2008
The cover design is slick and interesting. Combined with the back-cover blurb it promises good things.
But.
It's laboured and - though on occasion reads easily - trips itself up on romance novel cliches and more often than I'd like stuns with some terrible prose ("she felt the tingle race through her body").
If you persist, you'll numb to the hackneyed writing, but may still be disturbed by stilted and unnatural dialogue, entirely stereotypical characters who don't develop beyond caricatures of themselves, or by far-fetched situations, each new one seems to be created to out-perform the previous on shock-value.
The final twist in the story is the nail in the coffin of this clanger.
To give you an idea of what you can expect:
"She started to laugh. He looked over to her again and laughed with her. The shake of her mirth jiggled her free breasts; he felt a stirring in his pants. An unexpected development..." (and the ellipses are the novel's, not mine :))
Sloppy editing/proofing also does no favours: "He wondered what he'd would think about..."
There are moments of clarity where Church finds his rhythm, and a couple of occasions of interesting and insightful writing, but you'll have to wade through a lot of gratuitous and OTT violence to find them. To its merit, I couldn't dump half-way it because it does keep you interested in how it will all unravel.
Also bears mentioning that it's not for the sensitive reader, so read with an 18 age restriction (SLNV).
But.
It's laboured and - though on occasion reads easily - trips itself up on romance novel cliches and more often than I'd like stuns with some terrible prose ("she felt the tingle race through her body").
If you persist, you'll numb to the hackneyed writing, but may still be disturbed by stilted and unnatural dialogue, entirely stereotypical characters who don't develop beyond caricatures of themselves, or by far-fetched situations, each new one seems to be created to out-perform the previous on shock-value.
The final twist in the story is the nail in the coffin of this clanger.
To give you an idea of what you can expect:
"She started to laugh. He looked over to her again and laughed with her. The shake of her mirth jiggled her free breasts; he felt a stirring in his pants. An unexpected development..." (and the ellipses are the novel's, not mine :))
Sloppy editing/proofing also does no favours: "He wondered what he'd would think about..."
There are moments of clarity where Church finds his rhythm, and a couple of occasions of interesting and insightful writing, but you'll have to wade through a lot of gratuitous and OTT violence to find them. To its merit, I couldn't dump half-way it because it does keep you interested in how it will all unravel.
Also bears mentioning that it's not for the sensitive reader, so read with an 18 age restriction (SLNV).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2012
Dark Video get's off to a good start as Terri is jogging through the forest. Cue video...
This crime thriller was written in 2008 and I purchased the 437 KB Amazon Kindle ebook. It is set in South Africa and is a blokey tale of young men's aspirations. Dark Video is entertaining and shows the darker side of video production - hence the title but nothing is offensive. It is exciting as you wonder "what next?". This novel keeps you second guessing as the plot develops.
Dark Video described very well the thrill of video and the joy had by the voyeur. This book has a good explanation of the technology and software used in making and promoting video in our internet age. There is a good pace to the plot and it does not run out of steam.
This is a good book and I will vote it 4 stars on Goodreads as it is an enjoyable read. Everything comes together by the end of the story, with a twist that makes you smile.
This crime thriller was written in 2008 and I purchased the 437 KB Amazon Kindle ebook. It is set in South Africa and is a blokey tale of young men's aspirations. Dark Video is entertaining and shows the darker side of video production - hence the title but nothing is offensive. It is exciting as you wonder "what next?". This novel keeps you second guessing as the plot develops.
Dark Video described very well the thrill of video and the joy had by the voyeur. This book has a good explanation of the technology and software used in making and promoting video in our internet age. There is a good pace to the plot and it does not run out of steam.
This is a good book and I will vote it 4 stars on Goodreads as it is an enjoyable read. Everything comes together by the end of the story, with a twist that makes you smile.
April 3, 2014
Oh my word. This book was hectic! I don't know if it was more hectic because it was set in Cape Town so most of the locations were very familiar to me or just because it simply is a hectic story. Sheesh, I was hooked. There was one bit, about mid-way in the book, the pivotal part of the storyline where I just couldn't put it down. I was horrified in a way I am not usually while reading.
Oh, and then the ending ... it twists and turns perfectly for my highest expectations. You think you can see it coming ... and parts of it you can, but the very very end leaves you with the nastiest feeling in the pit of your stomach. If you like books like this, then read it. If you are remotely skeptical then stay away. It is a hectic read ... or as they say in the above write-up, an intense thriller, they couldn't be more spot-on! Shoo.
Oh, and then the ending ... it twists and turns perfectly for my highest expectations. You think you can see it coming ... and parts of it you can, but the very very end leaves you with the nastiest feeling in the pit of your stomach. If you like books like this, then read it. If you are remotely skeptical then stay away. It is a hectic read ... or as they say in the above write-up, an intense thriller, they couldn't be more spot-on! Shoo.
July 27, 2012
Wow!!!
What a book.................
A local Cape Town writer's first book - a thriller of note.
Everything is so spot on and true to life that it feels as though you are there.
The story starts with a gifted UCT student who has never wanted for anything in his life.
Daddy's blue-eyed-boy who can do nothing wrong suddenly finds himself in a situation that is so sinister and evil that he doesn't know how to escape from it.
His fears are out of control and he starts on the rocky road of taking uppers and downers on the advice of one of his friends.......
Read it.................... you will not be sorry!
What a book.................
A local Cape Town writer's first book - a thriller of note.
Everything is so spot on and true to life that it feels as though you are there.
The story starts with a gifted UCT student who has never wanted for anything in his life.
Daddy's blue-eyed-boy who can do nothing wrong suddenly finds himself in a situation that is so sinister and evil that he doesn't know how to escape from it.
His fears are out of control and he starts on the rocky road of taking uppers and downers on the advice of one of his friends.......
Read it.................... you will not be sorry!
August 10, 2016
Excellent thriller, suspenseful and true to the title, 'Dark Video'. The book draws you in, a twisted plot, leaves you wanting to know what happens next, until the final climax - what a twist? I highly recommend it if you can get past the fact that is quite a twisted plot with some deeply disturbing realizations as you go deeper and deeper into the book. The book has the perfect plot for a screen adaptation. Peter Church has a brilliant writing style, the plot was cleverly thought out, would love to read more of his books. I don't know whether the fact that he is a South African writer is exciting or shocking (for the fact that this type of plot came from a brilliant S.A. bred mind).
February 12, 2016
Very violent and very graphic in its sex and murder scenes. I can't say I enjoyed the book but I wanted to know what happened at the end. This novel drips testosterone from every page, the author must have had a wild time in university if this is what he's written. Or maybe like most men just has a huge fantasy world of sleeping with too many women and getting away with murder.
October 10, 2011
Ok so maybe I am one of those overly-enthusiastic proudly South African people - but I seriously loved this book! I tend to devour crime fiction on a regular basis but have been finding most of the stuff I pick up a little dissatisfying lately. Dark Video, however, was brilliant.
May 20, 2013
I wanted to like it, set in Cape Town, 3 strong plot lines, all should have held my attention, but somehow it didn't all come together for me. I did find it authentic, though, the language usage, the places, the university, all felt real and South African.
August 8, 2011
One of those books that you can't possibly put down until you are done. A creepy view on a world that no one could imagine existed.
August 18, 2012
Could not put this down. Downed in an afternoon!
February 2, 2014
Well written fast paced. It really shows human nature at its best and worst.
December 29, 2013
Well written thriller amazing how a simple action can take on a life of its own want more
October 6, 2015
aweful
unfortunately well written enough to allow the memory to retain this horror
avoid
unfortunately well written enough to allow the memory to retain this horror
avoid
March 7, 2016
Oh my word! What a book. If you can see past the gruesomeness of their actions, this is a spectacular read. And the twist? Was so not expecting it.
Read
November 30, 2019Check back for my review on the New York Journal of Books.
Not for cozy readers.
Not for cozy readers.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews