Customer Reviews

Dark Places: A Novel

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The book is about a backpacker who finds a dead body on a trail in Nepal, which has been mutilated in the same way his girlfriend was in Cameroon two years previously. Our hero sets out to find the killer. The book's about much more than that, however. It's about recovering from the death of a loved one. It's about backpacking, and travelling around the world, and needing to do so to the point where you only take jobs that will give you months of leave. It's about the bursting of the Internet bubble. It's about the concept of tribe, a chosen family that is your support network no matter how far away they are. It's about using the Internet to find people and track them down. And, yeah, there's a cool mystery in there, too. Evans captures the feeling of being on the edge of 30, and unwilling to buy into the two-kids-and-a-dog suburban lifestyle.

San Francisco computer programmer Paul Wood enjoys backpacking in remote unreachable places around the globe. Currently he hikes the rough terrain of the Himalayas on the sustenance budget plan when he finds a mutilated corpse with Swiss army knives stabbed through each eye. Paul is more than shook at seeing the body as two years ago he and his girlfriend were in central Africa when she was murdered in the same macabre manner.

Paul soon learns other people were killed with the same creepy modus operendi. Unable to ignore his preliminary findings Paul and his current girlfriend Bosnian Talena investigate. Other travelers from the central African tragedy join Paul when he decides to avenge the budget backpacking world by taking out a serial killer.

This entertaining but chilling thriller provides readers with a look at the backpacking community that reside in youth hostels or outside as they hike the planet. The story line hooks the readers with its twists and turns, albeit not all seem real, but no one will care. Paul is a terrific protagonist as he travels the orb although it is difficult to accept this gentle soul as a vengeful fighting machine. Still fans of dark suspense will appreciate this eerie tale as they hitch a ride with Jon Evans to extremely DARK PLACES.

Harriet Klausner

I was very disappointed with this book. The premise is good enough. There is a serial killer out there, hunting down unsuspecting travelers. And since the murders occur away from the western world, there is a tendency for the killer to get away with it. Sounds good enough right?

Well yes and no.

The descriptions of life on the trail, the attention to detail of life in the third world, etc. is all done very well. It is obvious that the author has done his share of traveling. But when it comes to crafting a mystery novel, once which keeps the reader guessing and wanting to read more, the author falls short. The protagonist is able to 'solve' the mystery of who the serial killer is in record time, and he does so in an almost elementary fashion.

If you are looking for a light read that captures what it is like to travel to third world countries, then this book might interest you. But if you are looking for a mystery novel with lots of twists and turns, you're better off leaving this book on the shelf.

A page turner from the very beginning. Gripping and suspenceful, the creative mind of the author brings new life to mystery novels. It has been a long time since a book has made me jump out of my chair and gasp out loud. Unsuspected curve balls keep the reader enthralled as you seem to trace the characters steps along side of them. Can't wait to read more by the author! I would recommend this book to everyone.

A friend who knows the author recommended this book to me. It is really good! I read it in three days and could hardly put it down. Good read.

Dark Places is well written and provides a refreshingly new backdrop and characters for a mystrery thriller. A hard book to put down!

From the very first chapter I was gripped by the story. I just couldn't put it down. As a backpacker myself, I relived the travel life through Evan's eyes, following his mysterious adventure through Nepal, San Francisco, London, Africa...Weaving the Internet into the story made is so real that I could totally relate to main character's adventure. Evan's is a master at creating a vision for the reader in few words. The story just kept moving forward at an exciting pace. I recommend this book to anyone who loves travel, mystery and technology. I loved it!

A fantastic read! It captured me after the first few pages and I couldn't put it down. You'll definitely enjoy this book.

A thriller based in Nepal, San Francisco and... Once starting to read you can not put the book down until finished.