Some Choose Darkness (Rory Moore/Lane Phillips, #1)

Some Choose Darkness (Rory Moore/Lane Phillips, #1)

Charlie Donlea

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A taut, gripping novel about the deadly secrets hiding in plain sight... The truth is easy to miss, even when it’s right in front of us. As a forensic reconstructionist, Rory Moore sheds light on cold-case homicides by piecing together crime scene details others fail to see. Cleaning out her late father’s law office a week after his burial, she receives a call that plunges her into a decades-old case come to life once more. In the summer of 1979, five Chicago women went missing. The predator, nicknamed The Thief, left no bodies and no clues behind—until police received a package from a mysterious woman named Angela Mitchell, whose unorthodox investigation skills appear to have led to his identity. But before police could question her, Angela disappeared. Forty years later, The Thief is about to be paroled for Angela’s murder—the only crime the DA could pin on him. As a former client of her father’s, Rory becomes reluctantly involved with the killer—though he continues to insist he didn’t murder Angela. Now he wants Rory to do what her father once promised: prove that Angela is, in fact, still alive. As Rory begins reconstructing Angela’s last days, another killer emerges from the shadows, replicating those long-ago murders. With every startling discovery she makes, Rory becomes more deeply entangled in the enigma of Angela Mitchell—and in The Thief’s tormented mind. Drawing connections between past and present is the only way to stop the nightmare, but even Rory can’t be prepared for the full, terrifying truth that is emerging...


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  • Megsgibson
    Mar 03, 2025
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    Mar 29, 2025
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  • jslynsbooknook
    Mar 15, 2025
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    The summer of 1979 brought more than just hot weather, sunshine, and fun to Chicago. Five Chicago women went missing, and a predator, known as “The Thief” terrorized the city. He leaves no bodies and no evidence. The police don’t have a chance of catching him until they receive a package from Angela Mitchell with evidence that unmasks the killer. And before they can even arrest him, Angela Mitchell also vanishes without a trace.

    Forty years later, The Thief is about to be paroled. But Rory Moore knows there is more to this case. As she reconstructs what happened to Angela and the other five women, Rory unearths some unsettling truths and becomes obsessed with understanding who Angela Mitchell is and what happened to her.

    Switching between the various main characters’ points of view, shifting between the past and present, Charlie Donlea introduces readers to their new favorite criminal investigator and weaves a narrative full of interesting and dynamic characters.
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    Usually, it is the thrill of being shocked that keeps you coming back to psychological thrillers. However some of the twists and the turns that should shock you are predictable. But once you meet Rory and Angela (and even The Thief), you can’t help but become obsessed with their stories and their connections.

    For my full review, discussion questions, and tea, https://booksandbibles.blog/some-choose-darkness-charlie-donlea/.

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