When I saw the description, I knew I had to take it. Written in 3 sections: Victoria, Ruby and October, this poignant, captivating and compelling psychological read lived up to and more to every expectation I had for this book. Narrated through the letter by the protagonist Daniel to a mysterious person, Lucy, whose identity is revealed in the most heart touching way as possible, it was every bit of a read I needed!

Daniel and Victoria are together and they are trying for a baby. After many unsuccessful attempts, they depend on IVF, which fails leading Victoria to emotionally distance herself from Daniel. She gets indulged in public forums on social media for women who are unable to conceive. Finally, she conceives and it leads to a terrible miscarriage one night. This breaks Daniel, whose mother is in her final days suffering from Dementia. After Christmas. his mother dies living him a cottage which belonged to her abusive second husband, Frank. Victoria seems to be having an affair with her fitness coach after getting into a fitness regime after someone advised her, on the forums. Daniel knows this and Victoria knows that he knows this but he wouldn't say anything. He makes plans of moving into the cottage with Victoria, as a new start.  To cope with loneliness, he joins a penpal program for prisoners. There, he meets Ruby, an art therapist who has been convicted on an abusive partner, with whom he shares an emotional bond during their exchange of letters until one day she confesses her love for him. The plot moves ahead until one day, Ruby comes to visit him. He has to explore the dark, complicated threads connected to one finale.

For a debut, this book is truly fine as wine! Every character in the book is constructed with a finesse that it captivates and indulges you into itself. It turned out to be a quick read, a read which you do not want to put down. So many unexpecting twists and each one just around the corner going unnoticed for the reader's eyes. You know when you have read to many mystery/thrillers that you just go on and unearth every mystery kept under? It's like your mind is a spoiler. It ruins half of the fun when you guess right but reading this book felt like I am experiencing the psychological thriller genre with new eyes.

This book gives you very strong emotions and it is a gripping tale well told with all the vividness! The book is filled with fall's essence, eerily creepy. The best Fall read of my life and nothing anyone will say will change it! I absolutely cannot wait to read this again and again. That's how remarkable this book is! #InLoveWithThisRead

Recommended: To everyone looking for a perfect fall read and every psychological thriller lover out there, this book is for you!

This was a creepy and gripping thriller, but unfortunately there was something missing for me. The story is told from Daniel's perspective; he and his girlfriend Victoria are trying for a baby but with it not going so smoothly Daniel gets drawn into a pen pal programme for prisoners and starts writing fairly intimately to Ruby. Ruby has been convicted for an alleged assault on her abusive partner, and eventually she comes to find Daniel... 

This was a disturbing thriller, and I think that people who are new to the genre would love this book. However,  for me, at times I found it a little one-dimensional. The story is narrated throughout by Daniel in the form of a letter to 'Lucy', but I think that it would have worked better told from multiple perspectives. Events that could have been shocking seemed to instead unfold with little surprise and I often found myself slightly underwhelmed.. I think that if we saw the story from various perspectives it might have made it more difficult to decide who to trust, and therefore made the plot all the more thrilling. Nonetheless, I was gripped throughout and I do think the letter was an original way to tell a story like this, adding another element to the mystery - who is Lucy?

Thanks to Serpents Tail and Netgalley from a copy of the e-book in exchange for a review.

I just can’t get through this. It’s supposed to be a thriller but it’s not thrilling… at all. The main character just goes on and on and it seems like there’s no point to the groveling. Maybe had I read further the story would come together  and become more exciting, but it’s not worth the boredom and a potential reading slump. I acknowledge that this book is simply not for me which is why I gave it two stars; the book is not bad but it could not keep my attention and as far as I had read, I would not consider it a thriller. I really enjoyed the idea that the main character was writing to a prisoner, but it was not enough for me to continue reading. Even though I did not enjoy nor complete this arc, I am extremely grateful to have been allowed the chance to read it.

Chilling edge of your seat thriller so well written so tense an author to follow,I was immediately drawn in by the characters the storyline highly recommend,#netgalley#serpentstail

When I first read the synopsis I was immediately drawn to the book, and glancing at the front cover I knew I was in for a twisted read.  The novel did not disappoint.  

When you first met Daniel you are ultimately drawn to him.  You hear about his father's death, his step-fathers' controlling nature, the early years with Victoria and their struggle for starting a family and you are left feeling sad and sympathetic towards him.  The story continues with more heartache and it really sets the scene for the whole novel.  Daniel's voice is so poignant that it is hard to feel nothing but compassion and tenderness towards him.  

As Victoria changes you are once again led down the path of routing for Daniel and willing her to leave so that he can find peace and happiness elsewhere.  The cottage becomes a haven not only for Daniel but for the reader.  Then the novel shifts gear slightly as Ruby enters his physical life.  Alarm bells are ringing and you suddenly feel very protective of Daniel and want to shake him into action.  He needs to rid himself of Ruby.  Can she really be trusted? 

Hatch very cleverly adds tension to the build up and you feel yourself bracing for the shock or climax, which is just around the corner.  The twist, although subtle, is good and all the pieces slowly fall into place.  Something that had been bothering me suddenly all made sense and really fulfilled my expectations and enjoyment of the novel.  

A very big thank you to Netgalley, Serpent's Tail and A. S. Hatch for this dark, twisted and psychological novel which I loved.  

This is my honest, unedited feedback.

This dark thriller is what I always go back to. I loved how I kept wanting to read until the very end. If you’re looking for a book you can finish in a day, pick up this bingeworthy read.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. 

Daniel and Victoria have been trying for a baby. They just keep experiencing heartbreak after heartbreak. Each time, they end up growing further and further apart. Daniel begins to feel lonely, and Victoria starts seeking solace in any other ways, except for going to Daniel. 

Daniel decides to start a pen pal relationship with a prisoner named Ruby. It starts out completely platonic, but then as the writing continues, Daniel can't help but wonder if he has feelings for her or if he is just lonely. He decides to cut off communication between the two, but Ruby doesn't seem to take it well. 

As time passes on, Ruby is out of prison and comes to find Daniel. As shocked and nervous as he is, he can't help but want her to stay around. Even when his inner critic is questioning everything and telling him to run. Who does he trust? Who is Ruby, really? 

Throughout the story, it jumps back and forth from present to past. You also notice another name in the book, that can be confusing, but will make sense in the end. Who is Lucy? This story is about jealousy, anger, grief, and betrayel. 

Thank you to Netgalley, Serpent's Tail, and especially A.S. Hatch for the opportunity to read this book.

As soon as I see the words "psychological thriller" I'm ALL in! This Little Dark Place is a debut novel by A.S Hatch ... 

I feel like a bit of the magic was lost on me at the beginning because my kindle copy was very choppy which left me confused. My copy didn't have chapters and at times things felt a bit run on. With that being said once I found a rhythm I was invested and didn't want to put it down. The characters were very well developed and intriguing, the storyline was interesting and one that absolutely played with my mind. All the twists and suspense I crave in a thriller! I was questioning the story, and at times so sure I had it all figured out ... I definitely went back and forth. Overall this is a solidly written thriller that I enjoyed and I would read more by this author.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and publisher for my review copy.

I struggled to read this book. It was all over the place. I couldn't connect to any of the characters and ultimately did not care what was happening. The story was just long and boring. I kept hoping that something interesting was going to happen but nothing ever happened. The main character rambling throughout the entire novel was just meh. I finished the book but honestly couldn't tell you what I read. I also couldn't tell the difference between the story and the letters/ correspondence. There was no transition which made it hard to decipher what was going on. This one just wasn't for me!  Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

When I first read the synopsis for this book, I was mildly interested. Something about the idea of exchanging letters with a prisoner captured my interest, but I didn’t think it would be a book I “love” Sadly, . I often prejudge a book based on a short snippet or unattractive cover and I’m always excited when I’m proven wrong. This is another case of being completely being wrong about a book. This book was phenomenal. From the unique way it’s written to the absolutely emotional heartbreak I felt for Daniel, I was captivated, I read this book cover to cover in less than 24 hours. For a unique ride through the psyche of this lost character, pick up this book.

This Little Dark Place proved to be different from what I expected. I enjoyed the letter format of the book - that always interests me. Yet, there was something missing for me here that kept me from getting completely into the book. 

The book jumps around in timelines and that proved confusing as there were little to no transitions to help guide you at times. Unfortunately, I did not find this one very twisty - I had it figured out early on and was not at all surprised by the ending. Personally, I expected more though I did enjoy the 2nd half of the book better - I read that part in 1 sitting. 

A good debut - I just wasn't blown away by it. I'd definitely still see what Hatch writes next. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Serpent's Tail Books for the opportunity to read and review an arc of this book.

Though this was well paced & kept me interested there’s just something about it that bothered me. I did enjoy the letter style format which I thought gave good insight into the narrators reasoning behind his actions. The story did jump around from different time periods with little to no transitions which was a bit annoying, however, I think it’s the ending that’s not sitting well with me. The story builds up throughout and, with the exception of one detail, Felt the way I did about the ending to The Girl on the Train. I thought it was a let down. I wanted something more elaborate and cringe worthy.

Daniel and Victoria are trying for a baby. But Daniel starts to feel lonely. He joins a group that sends letters to prisoners. His pen pal is called Ruby. They start writing to each other but it's not long before revealing more about themselves. 

This story jumps back and forwards from present to past. The pace is slow. The book starts off with a letter to someone called Lucy. This story is a out jealousy, anger, grief, loss and frustration to name a few. It also has an undertone of danger. I wanted to hate Daniel, but I couldn't it's quite a dark and creepy tale.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Septents Tail/Profile Books and the author A. S. Hatch for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Like some other reviewers, I found this book a bit difficult to follow. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it - the storyline is actually very good - but it was rather muddled in places, and I found that several times I had to skip back and forth to try and work out where I was in the story and exactly who was who.

There are books that should come with warnings. Get out of a toxic relationship and do you really think writing to prisoners is a good idea?  Both of these things happen in this creepy read and let’s just say there’s no happy endings.

There’s a very twisty time getting there though. Oh boy, this is like the game where you carefully hold the wire handle trying to keep it away from the metal rail. Touch it and the alarm will go off and you’ll get a shock. Well this book is that game and what a series of shocks. Then the ending! It’s buzzing! It’s set in a vague location somewhere near the Lake District so the idea of a dark place is enticing from the off. All those trees and shadows around! The title is cleverer than that however….

Most of the novel is told via letters - the perfect way to tell a story of this kind. Very effective!

A gritty, grippy read.

~ www.roxtao.com ~

We’re leaving in an era where information is available so largely, so easy and in such quantities that it created a downside. Our attention span is way shorter than it used to be, we’re losing our patience to concentrate for long and our interest is hooked only for a limited period of time. Therefore, as a reader, when you are choosing a certain type of book that is promising to offer you a quick gratification, like a thriller or a horror or a YA book, you’re definitely not expecting a very slow action, tons of descriptive paragraphs, either on the surroundings or on the characters feelings.

When I rated This Little Dark Place, I browsed a bit through other reviews and as I was anticipating, a lot of readers were disappointed by how slow this book is. Of course, if you’re reading a family drama, a decades saga or whatever book that obviously has an imminent unhurried rhythm, this wouldn’t be a problem. But the story A.S. Hatch creates is centered around not one, but two mysteries, one in the past and one in the present and it starts building the suspense from the very first pages. So when it continues to develop the storyline is a painfully slow pace, I cannot imagine how any reader would feel other than frustrated.

The whole plot of the book is not bad at all. But there are so many unnecessary descriptions that it’s difficult to get past this annoyance and not lose your interest until the end.

Despite this issue, I did enjoy the story and I did like the characters. With so much insight that the author offers on the characters, it’s easy to see their evolution, to understand their actions, even if some of them are negative, to feel their fears, their struggles and their hesitations. You get to know them so well that you can even anticipate their future moves and you might get frustrated when the main character himself still acts surprised or is unable to predict what comes in his way.

Despite suspecting what the outcome of all that suspense will be, I still couldn’t hold myself from hoping that I’m mistaken, mostly because of one of the characters involved, which seemed to be the most interesting of all and have the most potential to spice up the story and the lives of the ones around her.

Even if it was definitely not a WOW read, This Little Dark Place cannot really be thrown in the „bad books” basket, as it has an equal amount of positive and negative parts. I wouldn’t rush on recommending it to the people looking for a very thrilling experience so as long as you keep in mind that the action develops in a slow rhythm, you might find it pretty satisfying.

This was one that I wasn’t quite sure of.
I don’t know if it was the format that confused me slightly. It seemed to jump about and I wasn’t quite sure whether it was the present or the past at times. I got a bit lost at the start. As the story progressed I realised certain things about the setting and it became clearer.
Thanks to NetGalley and Serpent's Tail for the opportunity to read an early copy in which I give my honest unedited feedback.

This book was hard for me to follow. It was confusing being written in the form of letters and then all of a sudden it wasn’t while at the same time it was going off about something completely different. This book was just not for me, too slow and no direction.

Thank you to netgalley and Serpent’s Tail for the copy in exchange for the honest review! This Dark Little Place publishes October 10th, 2019!

This psychological thriller was quite a good read.. I think I was expecting too more with it. It grips you at times, I didn’t connect with any of the characters which was a shame but I’ll keep my eye out for more by this author in the future. 
Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this

Oh man. This Little Dark Place grabbed me from the beginning and wouldn’t let go (literally read it in one night!). This us a gripping, unique, twisty thriller that I highly recommend!