Dark Was the Night by Tania Lorena Rivera
“An exceptional suspense that shines in its prose and stylistic elements, a story that will keep the reader guessing at every twist and turn.” — Jane Riley for The Book Commentary
People go to extraordinary lengths to avoid prolonged periods of physical darkness. We brighten the gloom with the highest wattage of lighting we can afford. In fact, lighting has become a technology in itself — gone are the days of using a dim old Edison lightbulb; now we have energy-efficient eco-friendly LEDs that almost blind us when we get a glass of water in the middle of the night.
Perhaps it’s not the shadows we fear at all but rather the things that lurk in them? Or maybe it’s what the darkness represents on a more psychological level?
DARKNESS USED AS A COMPLEX LITERARY DEVICE
In Dark Was the Night, Tania Lorena Rivera’s fast-paced, home-invasion novella, readers get to explore the various layers of “darkness” as we follow the story of the protagonist, Lucie Arnold, who has an almost crippling fear of the dark.
Lucie is an ordinary woman — she is a loving wife and mother, and yes, she has a bit of baggage she’s trying to unpack with the help of a therapist. Ordinary … just like you or me. Unfortunately, Lucie’s not quite as lucky to work through her problems at her own pace in a safe setting, seeing as on Halloween night, she and her four-year-old daughter are attacked in their home by masked intruders.
This event triggers repressed memories of traumatic events from Lucie’s childhood, which makes it clear that her fear stems from something much deeper, something she still isn’t prepared to face but must if she is to keep herself and Natalie alive.
A READ THAT WILL LEAVE YOU WANTING MORE
Apart from the underlining subplots that drive the story forward, there’s also an abundance of action for readers to enjoy in this suspenseful novella. What’s more, Lucie is a strong female protagonist, who needs to confront a very real threat as well as deal with her own demons under extraordinary circumstances. And while readers root for Lucie to succeed with this mammoth task, the author keeps on throwing in twists and turns to keep you at the edge of your seat.
The novella has recently garnered recognition in indie circles with high marks and awards from Readers’ Favorite and Literary Titan. In a recent interview with the latter, Rivera reveals how trick-or-treaters at her door sparked the idea for the story: “I was home alone. … Every time the bell rang, I would get up, grab the big bowl of candy and open my front door without looking who was knocking. And then a spooky thought entered my mind. What is to stop anyone from barging in here the moment I fling that door wide open? How would anyone know my screams of terror are actual screams and not some silly Halloween prank?”
You too may find yourself more cautious of trick-or-treaters next Halloween after reading this book. All in all, by the end of Dark Was the Night, readers will be left both satisfied and wanting more of the thrills and chills that Rivera serves up so well.
