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Driving in the Dark

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and 29 year old analyst Riley Coupland has just wrapped up work for 12 whole days.

There’s something in his bag. Something silver and glistening, sparkling with hopes and dreams of a bright and beautiful future. The only thing standing
between him and his soon to be fiancée Emma is his arduous, mind-numbing drive home.

But something isn’t right. His phone, his hearing, the music, the traffic; everything just seems off and out of sync, and Riley can’t quite put his finger on it.

All he has to do is keep his eyes on the road…

All he has to do is take it slow…

In this brooding and deeply moving short story by Jack Harding, buckle up and settle down for a journey that will stir your senses and pull on your heart strings, keeping you guessing right until the end of the road.

30 pages, ebook

First published December 6, 2021

61 people are currently reading
536 people want to read

About the author

Jack Harding

12 books127 followers
Jack was born in Portsmouth, U.K. in 1989. One June day in 2021, the impulse to write a short story came to him suddenly after a particularly vivid nightmare. That first short story, The Cat’s Meat Man, was published in a horror anthology several months later. More stories followed, and by the end of the summer, he had a total of ten short stories, one novelette, and three poems to his name which were subsequently published as a collection by Blood Rites Publishing in January 2022. That collection was Ripper Country.

In the autumn of 2021, Jack self-published the short stories React and Driving in the Dark, both of which were met with largely positive reviews. His second collection of short stories, Dark Lines, was published in the spring of 2022 by DarkLit Press. Jack has also had stories featured in the horror anthologies, Dead of Night and Terror in the Trench, in addition to pieces of flash fiction appearing in the collections, Slice of Paradise and 206 Word Stories.

His third collection of short stories, Warning Signs, is slated for release in the autumn.

His favorite authors are Ray Bradbury, Stephen King and Richard Matheson.

Instagram: @rocket.man.reads

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5 stars
276 (16%)
4 stars
461 (26%)
3 stars
611 (35%)
2 stars
282 (16%)
1 star
82 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
Profile Image for Peter.
4,071 reviews797 followers
December 5, 2021
Riley is driving home for long Christmas holidays. It's a 70 miles ride and you'll hear about his hopes and dreams while sitting in his car. He's a great Bruce Springsteen fan (who isn't), listening to some famous 80s Springsteen tunes. It's the soundtrack of his life. But soon he and you'll come to learn that he's on the road to hell. The highway home soon turns into a highway to the danger zone. Will he reach his home and his girlfriend Emma in a sound condition? Why does the song Dancing in the Dark getting a special meaning in this story? Loved reading along that Highway of Hopes the author laid out for us. This is a great roadmovie tale if there ever was one. Plausible, credible characters, some crucial what-if situations. I hope I'm also in for long Christmas holidays. This story made me think about how fragile our daily lives are. Highly recommended real life horror!
Profile Image for Brandon Baker.
Author 3 books10.3k followers
July 8, 2023
You’ll know exactly what’s happening, but I thought it was enjoyable!
Profile Image for Sacha.
341 reviews102 followers
October 16, 2022
Driving in the Dark by Jack Harding

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)

That was my second short-story by Jack Harding and I liked it as well. It wasn‘t as strong as „React“ but still an awesome piece. 😳

A man is finally on his long drive home and makes a disturbing experience. 🚗

The whole story is pretty interesting and straight forward until the big plot-twist that changes everything. One could guess something is up after the middle of the story but I wasn‘t on the right path in the end. This one was less of a horror story but still a great read and highly recommended as well! 😁👍🏻
Profile Image for Michela.
Author 2 books80 followers
November 30, 2021
Riley is driving home after work, he's tired but it's almost Christmas and he's excited to propose to his girlfriend Emma. But something isn't right: his phone suddenly breaks, there's a lot of traffic and he keeps hearing a weird beeping sound. What is going on in that car?

Driving in the Dark is the second short story written by Jack Harding that I have the pleasure to receive from the author and read, and I have to say, it's again another 5-star read!
This is not a horror story, it's actually quite sweet to read about this guy so in love with his girlfriend and their life together, but the reader can feel that there is something strange going on, something dangerous and dark.
Riley is so well written that I connected with him immediately, almost felt like I knew him (and this in just 30 pages!). I also really liked the ending, even though I saw it coming. But in this kind of story it's not the ending that matters, but the journey.

Make sure to grab your copy! Out on December 6th!

* I'd like to thank Jack Harding for providing this free copy in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Benjamin Pritchard .
235 reviews24 followers
November 29, 2021
I was VERY lucky enough to get an ARC of this wonderful short story from Jack and it really did not disappoint. I absolutely love his writing style and it really felt like a love letter.....You'll know what I mean when you all read this! It's a beautiful and well written story, well paced and you really fall for the characters in such a short space of time. One of my personal favourites of Jacks. I'm so excited for more of his work to be released. PLEASE go read this when it's released and spread the word!
Profile Image for Matthew Siegal.
27 reviews4 followers
April 29, 2022
I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advanced copy of this short story and it honestly surprised me. I didn’t think I’d be able to relate to a character and a situation to such an extent in a short story.

You can’t help, but feel the unease that the main character is feeling and you have this constant feeling of concern and at the same time you just hope that everything ends well for him.

This is a story that’s going to make you reflect, make you think and maybe just maybe make you change some things in your life too.
Profile Image for booksweread.
136 reviews2 followers
March 12, 2022
Yeah yeah yeah, we’ll all probably see that ending coming, but it doesn’t take away from the unease or the dread of the journey!
Jack has a way of getting you invested in his characters and their lives in the shortest time possible! So glad I found him on Instagram. Can’t wait to see what else he comes up with.
Another brilliant 5 star read 👌🏽
Profile Image for Christopher Badcock.
Author 7 books51 followers
December 23, 2021
An emotional tour de force. You get a sense of impending doom, but it doesn't prepare you for the punch to heart that this short tale delivers. Fans of The Boss will also love how some of his best hits are woven in so expertly.
Profile Image for Chuck Jones.
355 reviews
August 28, 2025
This was a very quick read that started off slow, but packed a punch by the conclusion. Just as I was starting to get bored with the story and it's pacing, it hit it's stride and took off quick and left quite a mark. The first half of the story is rather uneventful, but if you can get past that, then you're in for a treat of a conclusion.

The author was able to express quite a bit of emotion in this short novel, ranging from love to grief, bliss, to uncertainty. I certainly enjoyed this one overall!
Profile Image for Dave Musson.
Author 15 books128 followers
December 3, 2021
Eyes on the road dickhead…

I was fortunate enough to be sent an ARC of Driving in the Dark, the new short story from the excellent Jack Harding (@rocket.man.reads) and it is equally EXCELLENT!

We spend the story sat in Riley’s Red VW Golf as he makes his final drive home of the year - yep, he’s driving home for Christmas. Work is in the rearview, his favourite Springsteen playlist is filling the air, and there’s something small and sparkly in his bag that he’s hoping to slip on the finger of his girlfriend Em once he’s completed the 70-mile trip home.

In short, all is well, all is good…or is it?

Like many, I’ve been really impressed with Jack’s published works from the second half of 2021, and this story sees him rounding off the year in style…and a *different* style to boot. While his previously published stories are visceral, nasty, and pretty fucked up, this one is more pensive and introspective. That’s not to say it doesn’t get under your skin and unnerve you though, because it absolutely does. As we sit back and try to enjoy the ride things slowly become darker and unsettling.

With this story, Jack has shown a real ability to build character, heart and a whole lot of dread in just a handful of pages - it’s impressive to say the least. This one will draw you in then kick you in the gut. I really enjoyed it a lot, and won’t even knock off a star for Riley’s boring choice of driving music 😴😉

Driving in the Dark is out on Monday and available to pre-order now via the links in @rocket.man.reads bio. Do it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Feli.
324 reviews26 followers
December 11, 2021
It's the friday before Christmas. As always, Riley is about to start his 2h commute and can't wait to get home for the holidays and listening to The Boss while on his way.

That's more or less the story. The writing is very good, I like how Jack Harding just starts a story and I feel like I'm completely sucked into his world. He's really good at that.

That being said, for me, Driving in the Dark felt a tiny bit too long (even for a short story, yes). Because you just know what'll happen and wait for it to happen. Then again, the ending is great, because as a reader you see how it's all about the 'journey' and how everything's important what Riley says or does.

So overall it's a round story and thus ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me.
Profile Image for rose ☾.
22 reviews21 followers
October 4, 2023
short, simple, gut wrenching. this short story was engaging and so sad!

only 24 pages, everyone should read!
Profile Image for Alicia Jones.
40 reviews
December 7, 2021
A MUST read!

Well, I didn't want this to end. I feel like this was just an important read! The truth in what can happen when you don't fully concentrate on driving. The message it gave out was so so important!
Profile Image for Christina B..
696 reviews7 followers
December 6, 2021
Spoiler Free Short Story Review

WOW.
.
In a recent discussion with a friend, I was saying that I’ve read a lot of short stories in my life and while most of them have been fine, good even, only a small percentage were memorable enough to stick with me. We agreed that in order to go from good but forgettable, to excellent, the story has to pack a punch and the shorter a story is, the bigger the punch needs to be.

Driving in the Dark is around 30 pages and it does pack a punch, but not the kind I was expecting. Instead of a sharp jab to the eye or an uppercut to the jaw, I got a body shot right to the solar plexus; it stole my breath and made me ache with a hurt that’s not going away anytime soon.

This is different from Jack’s previous writing as it isn’t horror. I would call it a love story; I could certainly feel the emotion Jack put into every word. I instantly connected to Riley’s journey, and yet each turn of page took me closer to despair. Whether you see the inevitable ending ahead of time or only in the last moments, it’s no less powerful. I won’t give any other details about the story but the feeling it left me with was similar to Stephen King’s story, The Last Rung on the Ladder.
ALL the feels. ALL the stars.
Profile Image for J.
535 reviews
May 19, 2022
This is the second short story I have read by Harding and I have loved them both. Harding has the ability to make you feel empathy towards the characters and then he fills you with anxiety. I love that.

I wasn't sure where the story was headed but after reading React, I knew there was going to be an emotional and mind-blowing twist. There is an eerie feeling throughout the story that makes you eager to find out where the story is going. This isn't a horror story but maybe it is. It's chilling and you feel the MC's uneasiness. For me, this is realistic horror.

I loved how Harding used the Bruce Springsteens songs and lane names in a clever way. This kind of keen eye for details and thoughtfulness is what I appreciate and love while reading a story.

This is a story that will make you reflect and think about what's important in life. Never take your days for granted. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Kyle.
Author 15 books48 followers
December 8, 2021
This story is heartbreaking. Enough said.

Okay, maybe there's more to be said. This is a fantastic story, delivering amazing description and an engaging story, turning a routine drive home into a fascinating narrative with a gut-punch of an ending.

Speaking of the ending, hints of the outcome are dropped along the way, but even if you work out what's coming you won't want to stop reading. You've got to know exactly how it ends!

It's hard to review this without accidentally spoiling it. Suffice to say you just have to read it.

It really touched on my anxieties, even though I'm always a passenger and never a driver.
Profile Image for Chloë Blyth.
Author 7 books54 followers
March 19, 2022
Great, quick read, perfect over lunch (it does mention McDonald's, so perhaps this is best served with a Big Mac Meal to avoid cravings).

A lot of us have experienced a long commute and getting stuck in traffic at some point, so this is a tale many of us can relate to... until it gets weird! I was fully absorbed by this story and find it hard to say more without giving spoilers. I especially enjoyed the way the music was woven into the story.

I recommend this for anyone who has half an hour to spare and enjoys stories where things aren't quite what they seem...
430 reviews16 followers
January 3, 2022
[I received a free copy]

This was a great short-story!
It was highly recommended to me by a friend, so even though I'm not at all a big horror reader, I took the plunge. I'm glad I did.

If I could make up genres, I'd call this a psychological horror :)
We follow the MC as he get's in his car, all excited to go see his girlfriend and propose, after a long row of dreary workdays.

Although I could pretty much see the twist coming from a distance, halfway through the book, it was still very satisfying and painful.

Sexual content: none except for one comment
Coarse language: moderate
Violence and gore: none

Conclusion
I really enjoyed this a TON more than I thought I would. It's a very fast read, and highly engaging. I read it in a single sitting, and would definitely recommend it.
Profile Image for Vinícius Sgorla.
437 reviews17 followers
February 17, 2022
Um conto MUITO bem escrito, que apesar de ter um twist bem previsível logo nos primeiros sinais estranhos da narrativa, ainda assim cativa o leitor a ver até que ponto o autor quer explorar o tópico. Achei bem inspirado em um álbum recente (que não direi qual é porque senão o twist ficaria ÓBVIO) e gostei da forma que as músicas se interligaram com a história. Apesar de ser marcado como terror, é o que tem de menos nesse conto. Tô bem curioso pra ler o outro conto dele, React.
Profile Image for Brutal Bookshelf.
85 reviews7 followers
January 30, 2022
I love driving after dark. It's always at least a little creepy and ominous, and everything is shrouded in shadow. It's not for everyone, though. Jack Harding's "Driving In The Dark" has a different perspective to offer. What starts out as a lengthy, but basic commute home twists itself into something far more sinister. As the story progresses alongside the commute, the anxiety of looking on as an outsider builds until you realize there is no explosion coming, only the revelation of the deadly truth, exposed far too late.
Profile Image for summer | the.hellbound.reader.
89 reviews45 followers
January 7, 2022
“Eyes on the road dickhead”

Wow okay. I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked this short story up (I hadn’t read the synopsis, but I read Jack Harding’s first short story and loved it, so of course I needed to dive into this one as well).

Driving in the Dark was brilliant. I don’t want to give too much away so all I’m going to say is that I absolutely loved it. Harding had me sucked in from the very beginning. I am a big fan of his writing style, and he has a way with endings. A punch right to the gut.
Profile Image for Georgia♡.
176 reviews21 followers
June 26, 2024
A short story about Riley’s 70 mile drive home that goes terribly wrong. This was a clever little story but unfortunately I didn’t like the writing style and I guessed the ending pretty much from the first page. Also why is Bruce Springsteen mentioned on literally every single page?
Profile Image for Eimer.
21 reviews1 follower
July 28, 2022
GCSE drama wants their script back
Profile Image for Andrew Jackson.
26 reviews4 followers
December 28, 2021
Jack Harding is knocking it out the park lately. React was a stunning self-publishing debut and somehow he's managed to follow it up with another cracker!

Driving in the Dark isn't a horror story, except it is. It's a chilling reminder that everyday life can be as scary and unpredictable as monsters and vampires. You should never take your next day or next drive for granted.

Riley is a sympathetic, dryly funny narrator and we've all been in his shoes before. Maybe he likes Bruce Springsteen slightly more than most people ...

This is definitely a tragic story above all, and there are clever breadcrumbs Jack drops throughout the text that tease the ending. But there's also possibility in pain and heartwarming moments. It's a tale of love as much as loss.

This is a great tale to read coming up to the holidays when we're desperate to get home and see our families. It's moving, it's tragic, it's haunting, and it's absolutely worth your time.
Profile Image for RegalCanary.
47 reviews3 followers
January 17, 2022
worth a read

On the brink of a glorious twelve-day break from work for the Christmas holidays, Riley is eager to get home to his beloved girlfriend. His backpack carries a small, portentous blue Tiffany box to officially transform girlfriend to fiancée. After three years, Riley and Emma know each is the other’s ideal partner. Only two things are bothering Riley this evening’s commute: first, resisting the temptation of three different Golden Arches luring him in to ruin his appetite and delay his return to Emma; second, a glitch with his nearly-new cell phone which has frozen his screen black and allowed no access other than Riley’s usual Springsteen set for the long ride home.

Riley’s ride this evening becomes stranger as his cell phone deteriorates even further, as he swears he hears Emma talking to him in the car, as a particularly severe episode of tinnitus shrills through Riley’s skull.

And Springsteen and the E-Street Band provide the background music to this slice of Riley’s life, the song titles and lyrics reflecting the actions of Riley’s commute that night….
Profile Image for Robin Knabel.
Author 19 books44 followers
April 3, 2022
This short story is quite a ride - no pun intended (maybe!)

My spoiler free review is listed here, but I want to share that this story left me emotional and stunned, wanting to go back and read it all over again after I finished. I am looking forward to reading more of Harding's works.

https://robinknabel.squarespace.com/r...
Profile Image for Hannah.
128 reviews19 followers
December 7, 2021
Take my heart and throw it in a blender. This was so sad but so powerful.

The ability to cram so much and make me feel, so many feelings in so few pages is just an incredible achievement.

I loved it!
Profile Image for chlosreads.
175 reviews26 followers
January 26, 2025
Wow! Considering that this was only 24 pages, this was a good book, and the ending 😮. I will definitely be checking out more of this authors writing when I’m after a short story!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews

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