Everything the Darkness Eats – Eric LaRocca

Summary

After a recent string of disappearances in a small Connecticut town, a grieving widower with a grim secret is drawn into a dangerous ritual of dark magic by a powerful and mysterious older gentleman named Heart Crowley. Meanwhile, a member of local law enforcement tasked with uncovering the culprit responsible for the bizarre disappearances soon begins to learn of a current of unbridled hatred simmering beneath the guise of the town’s idyllic community—a hatred that will eventually burst and forever change the lives of those who once found peace in the quiet town of Henley’s Edge.

Review

Damn. That was D A R K. A lot of the times you see books seen described as dark but this? THIS is gut-wrenchingly, awfully DARK. Definitely not a read that you can just pick up for escapism, but a good horror for specific readers/specific moods.

The book is told in 2 POV’s, Malik’s and Ghost’s, and I found myself finding Ghost endearing (perhaps the narration also helped). LaRocca does a great work at making yourself root for him.

I had no idea where the book was heading towards to but the pacing is quite fast and the prose is not boring at all so you are always entranced to keep going.

There were some inconsistencies, like one part where Ghost is talking to little Piper and he ‘nods’ affirmatively at a question Piper makes; how is she supposed to know his answer if she’s blind? The kidnapping part was also absolutely baffling, it felt like it was written for a cartoon or something where you don’t expect credence or seriousness at all.

For my part, I had no problems with the writing style but I do think that the story needs better editing.

I recommend lots of puppy videos and cupcakes after reading this!