Publication: 19th August 2021 – Hodder & Stoughton
ONE DEAD BODY
TWELVE SUSPECTS
TWENTY-FOUR-HOUR DARKNESS
In the most inhospitable environment – cut off from the rest of the world – there’s a killer on the loose.
A&E doctor Kate North has been knocked out of her orbit by a personal tragedy. So when she’s offered the chance to be an emergency replacement at the UN research station in Antarctica, she jumps at the chance. The previous doctor, Jean-Luc, died in a tragic accident out on the ice.
The move seems an ideal solution for Kate: no one knows about her past; no one is checking up on her. But as total darkness descends for the winter, she begins to suspect that Jean-Luc’s death wasn’t accidental at all. And the more questions she asks, the more dangerous it becomes for them all…
I am delighted to welcome you on my stop on the blog tour for The Dark, the thrilling new novel by Emma Haughton.
A&E doctor Kate North thought that accepting the position of doctor in a research station in the Antarctica would mean a fresh start, a way to forget about her problems and the past few months of her life. However, imagine finding yourself in one of the coldest places on the planet, living together with a group of strangers, a place where your daily and familiar comforts are missing, with little communications to the outside world, and, when winter comes, complete darkness 24/7. It’s certainly not an easy living situation. Tempers run high, paranoia starts spreading, trust is tested, and Kate starts to suspect that the death of the former doctor of the base was not an accident.
The story is told from Kate North’s perspective. This character feels realistic and she is also flawed and unreliable. She took the job to leave her old life behind and try to forget the tragic accident that changed her life. However, she can’t control her addiction to painkillers and she can’t shake the feeling that something suspicious is going on at the base. Is there really a killer on the loose at the base? Who can she trust?
I think that the author made a clever and original choice choosing Antarctica as the setting for this gripping and engrossing thriller. Antarctica is a dangerous and unforgiving place, the constant darkness, cold, and isolation can affect even the strongest minds.
The Dark is intense and suspenseful and very well-written. The darkness surrounding the base, the sense of dread and suspicion that increased as I turned each page gave me the chills despite the heat wave. A must-read thriller!!!
A huge thank you to Jenny and Hodder & Stoughton for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a copy of this fantastic novel.
Emma Haughton grew up in Sussex, studied English at Oxford, and worked as a freelance journalist for a number of national newspapers, including the Times Travel section. She has written several non-fiction books for schools, as well as three young adult thrillers. The Dark is her first crime novel.
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