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Formats
Paperback Details
  • 09/2021
  • 979-8463794840 B09FCFPBLR
  • 236 pages
  • $9.21
Ebook Details
  • 10/2021
  • 979-8463794840 B09DFJLPNC
  • 153 pages
  • $1.57
Tania Lorena Rivera
Author
Dark Was the Night
Lucie Arnold is a mom plagued with paralyzing nyctophobia. One Halloween night, three masked intruders force their way into her home, where she is alone with her four-year-old daughter, Natalie. The intruders cut the lights and the phone lines, and they separate mom and daughter. Realizing this is not a typical break-in and that these individuals have dark intentions, Lucie must hatch a plan to escape her own house with her daughter. A terrifying game of cat and mouse ensues as Lucie navigates her gloomy surroundings and her debilitating fear of the dark.
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 9 out of 10
Prose: 8 out of 10
Character/Execution: 9 out of 10
Overall: 8.75 out of 10

Assessment:

Plot: Full of drama, intrigue, and intense emotion, Dark Was the Night grips readers from the first page and doesn't let up until the hard-hitting conclusion. 

Prose: The author is clearly a gifted writer, able to convey debilitating fear, create tension, and to elicit a visceral response from readers. There's a fine balance of detail, dialogue, and action as the chilling story unfolds.

Originality: This is a highly original work with memorable characters and a distinctive plot line.

Character/Execution: The author does an excellent job with characterization, particularly with Lucie, whose paranoia and fear dominate the book.

Blurb: Gripping and suspenseful, Dark Was the Night will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Date Submitted: April 25, 2022

Reviews
Taking place one Halloween night, this focused, fast-paced thriller grabs the reader from the opening line (“What was that noise?”) and never lets go. Lucie Arnold has a loving husband, a sweet four-year-old daughter, and a secret fear of the dark. Just as she begins to explore what causes that debilitating terror, through therapy, Lucie finds herself facing her fears in the fight of her life. On Halloween night, while she and her daughter are alone, masked intruders ambush her in her home. The invaders cut the lights, plunging Lucie into her greatest fear—darkness. Caught in the shadows, she must fend for herself and her daughter, while facing her own past traumas.

Lucie is a character you can't help but root for. Despite her nyctophobia, she possesses the will and fight that makes her a strong protagonist. “I need a plan, and I do not have much time to come up with one,” she declares early in the invasion. Themes of mental health and family secrets are woven seamlessly and skillfully into the heart-pounding plot. While brief, and told with direct clarity, the story builds with confident purpose to its climax—and to a truly shocking twist that will leave readers satisfied.

This absorbing novella, Rivera’s debut, is straight to the point, alive with vivid action and mounting suspense as Lucie hides, holds her breath, studies her adversaries, and faces terrors past and present. Scenes of Lucie staring down a hallucination and rousing herself to keep up the fight have power, and Rivera’s attention to everyday detail—like how Lucie’s slippers lack grip--create a sense of authenticity. Dark Was the Night stands as a perfect read for thriller fans eager to curl up with a book as the nights grow longer. The scariest place to feel threatened is your home, and Rivera plumbs that universal vulnerability while teasing out serious thrills and chills.

Takeaway: A focused, fast-paced home-invasion thriller offering suspense and a killer plot twist.

Great for fans of: Dean Koontz’s Intensity, Stephanie Perkins’s There's Someone Inside Your House.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A

Jane Riley for The Book Commentary

Dark Was the Night is an exceptional suspense that shines in its prose and stylistic elements, a story that will keep the reader guessing at every twist and turn. Not for the faint-hearted, the book is a fantastic read that keeps up the suspense while touching on difficult emotional topics as well.

Literary Titan

Author Tania Rivera sure knows how to write a fast-paced read that captures your attention from start to finish! Let me jump right into this review by mentioning how fantastic the plot and premise of the story are. I enjoyed the interconnecting story of Lucy’s childhood trauma to a present-day event. It shows the complexities of PTSD and how it can follow you and haunt you in more ways than one. 

Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite

Dark was the Night by Tania Lorena Rivera is a heart-stopping suspense novel. It is a sensational thriller that had me on the edge of my seat until I reached the explosive conclusion. 

The Prairies Book Review

Rivera layers her story with hidden depths, expertly mining Lucie’s nyctophobia, and her long-buried memories that refuse to come to surface. She does a skillful job of gradually unraveling Lucie’s tortured past while deftly juggling the fast-paced narrative.

News
11/18/2021
Encore Books Bookstore

For all you locals, my book is now available in Encore Books & Records bookstore in Montreal. 


It is under the 'Local Authors' section, which is a tiny section, but still.


Hope you guys check it out and take the time to check out the rest of the bookstore. They sell new and used books and records, and they also buy books all year long. They also possess a print and design studio for fine art prints.


Support a local shop in these trying times. 

12/03/2021
My Book Won an Award!

My book, Dark Was the Night, won a Silver Book Award from Literary Titan. So humbled and honored for this recognition!

 

 

Formats
Paperback Details
  • 09/2021
  • 979-8463794840 B09FCFPBLR
  • 236 pages
  • $9.21
Ebook Details
  • 10/2021
  • 979-8463794840 B09DFJLPNC
  • 153 pages
  • $1.57
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