The Dark Place by Stephanie Rogers Review

A Gripping Emotional Suspense Drama that will leave you guessing right to the very end.

What dark and twisted secrets could a teenage girl possibly have hidden from her family and friends?

Blurb:
When you look at those you love, what do you see?
When Issy, young mother and beloved daughter, seemingly kills herself her family is devastated.
Believing she would never leave son Noah willingly, Jon and Mel determine to discover what really happened to Issy. As they and the rest of the family struggle to come to terms with tragedy, Jon and Mel start to realise Issy’s secrets come from a very dark place…

The opening chapter of The Dark Place set a dramatic scene for this gripping emotional suspense drama.

The first and only chapter written from Issy’s perspective in the novel is an absolute
eye-opener. Issy tells the reader about her arrival home from University to meet her family.
We are introduced to her mother Mel, young son Noah and Issy talks about her father Jon.
We learn that Noah has been cared for by his grandparents to allow Issy to continue with her
schooling. Besides this very basic information, we actually don’t know very much about Issy
or her life at all.

From the onset despite this lack of information (or perhaps because of it), I sensed that Issy
was a deeply troubled teenager. The way she interacted with Noah and her mother and the
way she seemed to be almost removed from the situation really played on my mind.

It didn’t take long for my suspicions to be confirmed when Issy chose to end her life in the most
horrific way. The rest of Issy’s story is told mainly from the perspective of Mel and Jon, as
they stumble through life trying to make sense of Issy’s decision.

They battle to come to terms with the situation and what it means for not only their life going forward but for Noah’s future also.

Stephanie Rogers skillfully guides the reader through the process of losing someone to suicide. She
alternates between Mel and Jon’s perspectives and tactfully demonstrates that there is no ‘normal’
way to grieve and process such events in life.

I was thoroughly captivated by Issy’s story as the plot twisted and turned throughout the novel. I felt like I was on the journey with the family trying to discover what could possibly have made Issy decide to end her life.

As the plot unfolds, we learn more about Issy and we begin to understand her dark and
twisted past. Very soon we realise that Issy was not the only person under the microscope.

As each new secret is revealed, I found myself constantly playing detective, trying to piece
together the puzzle of Issy’s life. Friends and family all became suspects in my mind as I
rode the emotional rollercoaster that was Issy’s life.

The passion and raw emotions are free-flowing throughout the novel. It’s sad and
emotionally draining at times but despite the heaviness of the topic, it’s a thrilling read.

The Dark Place is one of those books that will have you on the edge of your seat, just wanting to
read the next page to see what will happen. Why would someone in the prime of their life
decide to take their own life? Who is Noah’s father? Why does Issy seem so distant from her
family?

You will just have to read Stephanie Rogers The Dark Place to find out!!!

About the Author:
Stephanie Rogers has always lived in Yorkshire, migrating a whole three miles over the border from South to North Yorkshire and has always loved reading. For most of her adult life, she has worked as a dog groomer, interspersed with bouts of working as a musician, playing drums and saxophone, which has taken her to Germany and Israel.
After ignoring the urge to write for a long time Stephanie finally did a creative writing course with Writers’ Bureau and the rest is history.