“An angel. An earth-bound angel, or a heaven-bound
one, I wasn’t sure, but an angel nonetheless…”
Alex cared for
his mother in the final days of her life, and now he needs a fresh start, so he
heads off round the world in search of adventure. But he’s got no further than
Indonesia when he’s involved in a horrific bus crash. As he lies injured in the
road, his possessions are stolen and it seems his adventure is over before it’s
even begun. His last memory before he loses consciousness is of someone
offering him water. Is it an angel, or a human being?
Later, when he
wakes in hospital, she returns. She’s human after all – a fellow traveller
named Domino – and after getting him out of the hospital and away from the
suspicious local police, she takes him to her remote community near the spectacular
Lake Toba. At first, Alex thinks he’s discovered exactly the sort of off-the-beaten
track experience he was hoping for, but he soon discovers that the community is
haunted by secrets. Why is there so much tension between its inhabitants and the
locals? What’s behind Domino’s uneasy relationship with the community’s leader,
Kurt? And why will no-one talk about Sully, who left in mysterious
circumstances some time before?
The truth is
darker than anything Alex can imagine…
When the author
was growing up, his family had a home in Sumatra for seven years, and this experience
shines through in the writing. Everything about DARK HORIZONS – the setting,
the descriptions of the culture and the sights, smells and sounds – feels utterly
authentic. The plot is fast-paced but complex enough to be really satisfying,
and the writing is so vivid I could see everything that was happening unfolding
in my head like a movie.
My favourite thing
about DARK HORIZONS, though, is the charismatic and unpredictable Domino. I love strong
female characters, I love unusual names, and with this book, you get both. But with
her magnetic attraction to danger, is she the best thing that could happen to
Alex, or the worst? You’ll have to read the book and find out!
So what are you
waiting for? Grab a copy now and discover the deadly secrets that lie at the
heart of paradise. And why not check out Dan Smith’s equally gripping first
novel, DRY SEASON, too?
Many thanks to
Dan for agreeing to let the brilliant DARK HORIZONS be my first ever Book of the Month!
