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Pitch Dark: A Thriller
It’s Christmas Eve, and Vera Coffey is on the run. She doesn't know the men who are after her. She has never seen them before, but she has seen the horrors they visit on people who don’t give them what they want. Vera has something they want badly. She’d give it up if it weren’t the only thing keeping her alive.
The Larkins have known the toll violence takes on a family ever since they were trapped in a madman’s shooting rampage. They've been coping with the trauma for nearly twenty years. Now, on a cold and lonely winter morning, Vera collapses at their roadside motel. And she’s brought something with her. Together they'll have to make one last stand against an evil that has followed them further than anyone could've imagined.
With a thriller so fast-paced that it’s impossible to let go and an ominous sense that everything is destined to go wrong, Pitch Dark is an intense read from a master of suspense.
The Larkins have known the toll violence takes on a family ever since they were trapped in a madman’s shooting rampage. They've been coping with the trauma for nearly twenty years. Now, on a cold and lonely winter morning, Vera collapses at their roadside motel. And she’s brought something with her. Together they'll have to make one last stand against an evil that has followed them further than anyone could've imagined.
With a thriller so fast-paced that it’s impossible to let go and an ominous sense that everything is destined to go wrong, Pitch Dark is an intense read from a master of suspense.
305 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2011
6 people are currently reading
465 people want to read
About the author
Steven Sidor
11 books79 followersI'm the author of the critically-acclaimed dark thrillers Skin River, Bone Factory, and The Mirror’s Edge. My latest novel of terror, Pitch Dark, is about a young woman on the run from a dangerous apocalyptic cult.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
April 21, 2024
Note, April 21, 2024: I originally hid this whole review behind a spoiler warning; but back in 2012, after I learned how to hide just the spoiler part of the review, I decided to do that instead. (I also later edited the review, and raised my rating, after reflection on the book gave me a truer perspective.) But I discovered just now that I'd never unchecked the "Hide entire review" box! I've now (finally!) done that. DUH, face-palm. :-)
As might be guessed from the fact that I labeled this as both science fiction and supernatural fiction, what genre it is might be debatable. The blurb doesn't suggest that it's anything but a naturalistic thriller, with a young woman on the run from killers, who want something she has, collapsing on the doorstep of a couple's small-town motel on the cusp of a massive Christmas Eve blizzard. (Actually, she doesn't really "collapse" there in the book; her nerves are pretty strung out, with good reason, but she's far from collapse.) But as the prologue, which is supposedly an excerpt from an obscure (imaginary) 1950 pulp horror story, quickly suggests, we're clearly in the realm of the paranormal here. What Vera Coffee is carrying is an artifact called the Tartarus Stone, an unthinkably ancient double prism that supposedly unlocks the doorway to the realm where terribly malevolent beings are imprisoned --and through which they can possibly come to invade the earth. And the killers pursuing her are a cult calling itself the Pitch, which wants to unleash the invasion. Are these potential invaders, as some believe, the fallen angels of earth's primal history, imprisoned by God in the Abyss? Or are they just powerful, profoundly alien entities like Lovecraft's Elder Gods? (Influence from Lovecraft is unmistakable in some particulars here.) The answer would tell us if we're dealing with SF or the supernatural, but that's not an answer Sidor chooses to supply; the signals are mixed. (Naturalistic psi powers play a big role in the plot, but so do seemingly magical wards drawn with chalk --but HPL's Cthulhu Mythos tales sometimes have their "wards" as well.) One thing is clear: the powers of the Stone, and the sentience and evil of what's inside it, are very, very real.
Despite the Lovecraft influences, the style is very unlike his. This is a very violent novel, with a significant gore factor; regardless of its Christmas Eve setting, it would NOT be a good choice to dramatize for a feel-good holiday movie. There's also more bad language here than I personally care for, including several uses of the f-word; and while much of this comes from characters who aren't sympathetic, some of it is used by Vera herself under stress (and with the kind of plot Sidor spins here, she usually is stressed.) To be fair, though, having been the live-in girlfriend of a professional burglar who used that kind of language, Vera could realistically be expected to pick some of it up (while she's sympathetic, she's not exactly a choir girl --and she didn't come by the stone legally, though she's got enough ethics to want to keep it away from the Pitch). And despite the body count and violence factor, Sidor doesn't really wallow in gore --a lot of the grisliness isn't directly described, or gets passed over quickly, without unnecessary stress on the physical damage. Even in the more violent parts, this isn't schlock. There are also a lot of positives here. Good and evil are clearly contrasted, by a writer who can distinguish between them, and the contest between the two isn't only the outward battle of good guys (and gals) vs. bad ones. The former have to fight an inner struggle, too, because we all have a dark side, selfish desires and fears that are precisely what the Pitch (and the things on the other side of the Stone) exploit to get people to do their bidding; and it takes moral strength and will to resist. (Sidor doesn't cast his story in Christian terms, and his characters aren't believers; but the moral realities here are consistent with a Christian perspective.) He has a strong appreciation for family love, and for the value of courage and commitment to duty; his character development is really good (I cared strongly about the five main good characters --and the major villains, and those characters who are in between, are vividly realized, too), and his handling of atmosphere, pacing, and cutting back and forth between the perspectives of physically separated characters is masterfully calculated to foster a mood of intense suspense that has your heart in your mouth half of the time. While there's no sex as such in the book, there's a low-key hint of possible romance that adds to its appeal.
Full (legally-mandated) disclosure: this book was a free review copy from the publisher, with no strings attached and no promise made that I'd like it!
As might be guessed from the fact that I labeled this as both science fiction and supernatural fiction, what genre it is might be debatable. The blurb doesn't suggest that it's anything but a naturalistic thriller, with a young woman on the run from killers, who want something she has, collapsing on the doorstep of a couple's small-town motel on the cusp of a massive Christmas Eve blizzard. (Actually, she doesn't really "collapse" there in the book; her nerves are pretty strung out, with good reason, but she's far from collapse.) But as the prologue, which is supposedly an excerpt from an obscure (imaginary) 1950 pulp horror story, quickly suggests, we're clearly in the realm of the paranormal here. What Vera Coffee is carrying is an artifact called the Tartarus Stone, an unthinkably ancient double prism that supposedly unlocks the doorway to the realm where terribly malevolent beings are imprisoned --and through which they can possibly come to invade the earth. And the killers pursuing her are a cult calling itself the Pitch, which wants to unleash the invasion. Are these potential invaders, as some believe, the fallen angels of earth's primal history, imprisoned by God in the Abyss? Or are they just powerful, profoundly alien entities like Lovecraft's Elder Gods? (Influence from Lovecraft is unmistakable in some particulars here.) The answer would tell us if we're dealing with SF or the supernatural, but that's not an answer Sidor chooses to supply; the signals are mixed. (Naturalistic psi powers play a big role in the plot, but so do seemingly magical wards drawn with chalk --but HPL's Cthulhu Mythos tales sometimes have their "wards" as well.) One thing is clear: the powers of the Stone, and the sentience and evil of what's inside it, are very, very real.
Despite the Lovecraft influences, the style is very unlike his. This is a very violent novel, with a significant gore factor; regardless of its Christmas Eve setting, it would NOT be a good choice to dramatize for a feel-good holiday movie. There's also more bad language here than I personally care for, including several uses of the f-word; and while much of this comes from characters who aren't sympathetic, some of it is used by Vera herself under stress (and with the kind of plot Sidor spins here, she usually is stressed.) To be fair, though, having been the live-in girlfriend of a professional burglar who used that kind of language, Vera could realistically be expected to pick some of it up (while she's sympathetic, she's not exactly a choir girl --and she didn't come by the stone legally, though she's got enough ethics to want to keep it away from the Pitch). And despite the body count and violence factor, Sidor doesn't really wallow in gore --a lot of the grisliness isn't directly described, or gets passed over quickly, without unnecessary stress on the physical damage. Even in the more violent parts, this isn't schlock. There are also a lot of positives here. Good and evil are clearly contrasted, by a writer who can distinguish between them, and the contest between the two isn't only the outward battle of good guys (and gals) vs. bad ones. The former have to fight an inner struggle, too, because we all have a dark side, selfish desires and fears that are precisely what the Pitch (and the things on the other side of the Stone) exploit to get people to do their bidding; and it takes moral strength and will to resist. (Sidor doesn't cast his story in Christian terms, and his characters aren't believers; but the moral realities here are consistent with a Christian perspective.) He has a strong appreciation for family love, and for the value of courage and commitment to duty; his character development is really good (I cared strongly about the five main good characters --and the major villains, and those characters who are in between, are vividly realized, too), and his handling of atmosphere, pacing, and cutting back and forth between the perspectives of physically separated characters is masterfully calculated to foster a mood of intense suspense that has your heart in your mouth half of the time. While there's no sex as such in the book, there's a low-key hint of possible romance that adds to its appeal.
Full (legally-mandated) disclosure: this book was a free review copy from the publisher, with no strings attached and no promise made that I'd like it!
October 23, 2011
Pitch Dark is a taunt visceral supernatural thriller!
Reminiscent of Clive Barker and Scott Nicholson and probably influenced by work of H.P Lovecraft. This story is a real page-turner that you would want to read in at least two sittings. Written well and plays out in you're mind like scenes from TV series Supernatural.
An Artefact of great importance is in need and those who speak of the most evil desire it!
Reminiscent of Clive Barker and Scott Nicholson and probably influenced by work of H.P Lovecraft. This story is a real page-turner that you would want to read in at least two sittings. Written well and plays out in you're mind like scenes from TV series Supernatural.
An Artefact of great importance is in need and those who speak of the most evil desire it!
"It was pitiful.
The dead were totally unaware of their condition.
Horus frowned at their predicament. He wanted to help get
them free.
Death always held more fascination than life for him. Every
time he killed someone his conviction was reconfirmed.
Death begat possibilities.
The dead gave his life meaning. He couldn’t have survived
without them.
Earlier today, his journey pushed up the asphalt river into southern Wisconsin. The land of Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer. Ghosts flocked the heavens. They perched in treetops and swooped down the valleys. Horus fought the urge to acknowledge them. He had a full agenda of business to conduct."
"You see stones are technology. Old, old technology. The thirst tools humans
made were stones. They elevate us above animals. Nearly all major
religions incorporate the stone as a symbol of their foundation.
‘The stone the builders. rejected has become the cornerstone’
Refers to jesus. Go back pre-Christ. To Stonehenge. The Mayans carved stellae. Mystery spheres in Costa Rica.The Dome of Rock. The Black Stone at Mecca. Jacob’s Pillow that was said to cry out for rightful kings and queens. The Philosopher’s stone.
The Freemason’s Ashlar. Druidic runes. Scrying stones and crystal balls. The Urim and Thummim. Worry stones and rosary beads.
New Age healing crystals . . . it goes on and on.”
“What does our stone do?”
“The Pitch religion is no different from its daylight counterparts.People yearn for rituals. Something they can see and touch. This stone is their central relic, at the very core, of their beliefs.”
“Which are?”
http://more2read.com/?review=pitch-dark-by-steven-sidor
April 19, 2011
The publisher sent me this book as an advance uncorrected proof. I like horror, and I liked the premise / promise of an evil thing that evil things want to posess. But the novel has no flow; not even in it's POV-hopping, time-hopping, sequence-hopping choppiness. The book is little more than 300 pages of murky head-hopping, motivation-switching acts intersperced with gore. Most of the second half of the book reminded me of a Night of the Living Dead movie.
That said, I liked the beginning of the book. It is strong with promise; of things hinted at that will terrify us with their strangeness and originality. I also liked the darkness and bleakness of the story; and liked how well the author isolated the community (why does it seem that all badness starts in Minnesota?) in the second half of the novel (well, actually starting with chapter 6). The family motel is well-defined; better than many of the characters. The concept of The Pitch was great and it did hold true (at least for me).
One of the problems I had was that I didn't know who to root for in this story. The bad guys are plenty bad, but the author turns the good guys into bad guys and then back again into good guys with no seeming residual affect; no penalty to pay. I wanted to like the main characters of this story, but in the end, I didn't care much about any of them. By the end of the book, I didn't care what happened, I just wanted to finish reading the story. And as far as the evil thing goes, I never got much of a feel as to whether it was even real or whether the bad guys just believed it was. It liked the story better at the beginning; when it seemed that magic hovered around the thing, and when anything was possible. Unfortunately, the writer's promise to the reader wasn't kept, and the story disintegrated. After all the betrayals, it seemed to me that the wrong characters surived (and for the wrong reasons). The final chapter was pointless. In the end, it didn't work for me.
That said, I liked the beginning of the book. It is strong with promise; of things hinted at that will terrify us with their strangeness and originality. I also liked the darkness and bleakness of the story; and liked how well the author isolated the community (why does it seem that all badness starts in Minnesota?) in the second half of the novel (well, actually starting with chapter 6). The family motel is well-defined; better than many of the characters. The concept of The Pitch was great and it did hold true (at least for me).
One of the problems I had was that I didn't know who to root for in this story. The bad guys are plenty bad, but the author turns the good guys into bad guys and then back again into good guys with no seeming residual affect; no penalty to pay. I wanted to like the main characters of this story, but in the end, I didn't care much about any of them. By the end of the book, I didn't care what happened, I just wanted to finish reading the story. And as far as the evil thing goes, I never got much of a feel as to whether it was even real or whether the bad guys just believed it was. It liked the story better at the beginning; when it seemed that magic hovered around the thing, and when anything was possible. Unfortunately, the writer's promise to the reader wasn't kept, and the story disintegrated. After all the betrayals, it seemed to me that the wrong characters surived (and for the wrong reasons). The final chapter was pointless. In the end, it didn't work for me.
May 6, 2011
This was an ARC received through GoodReads.
I read this book at a gallop, barely coming up for air, and even though I found it flawed, I can't deny that it held my attention. I didn't know anything about Sidor or the book going in, so I was a little surprised to find that it was a horror novel with strong supernatural elements, rather than simply a thriller.
The set-up for this novel is great. Vera Coffey is a young woman who's made some bad decisions in her life, but possibly none so bad as when she impulsively stole a mysterious artifact from her boyfriend, who in his turn had stolen it in return for payment from a mysterious organization known as The Pitch. Now Vera is on the run: she's not sure where she's going, she just knows she can't let The Pitch catch her.
Meanwhile, Wyatt Larkin, a motel owner in northern Minnesota, is dealing with his own personal horror. Years ago he was a police officer, until he and his wife Opal were injured in a spree shooting. Wyatt lost his eye, and Opal.. well, Opal didn't lose her baby or her life, but she has never recovered entirely, and these days her mind wanders an awful lot. Wyatt fears she's going to fall off the edge of crazy one of these days. And then there's their son, Adam, who's a good kid, but who's heading home for his first Christmas break from college, and has to break the news that he's in danger of losing his scholarship. Little do any of them know that the young woman who's about to check into the motel is bringing a whole host of horrors to their doorstep.
This was creepy and good fun, although as I said, I found it flawed. It seemed like the plot started to run out of steam about 3/4 of the way through. It had the feel of something that might have made a better film or comic book than novel -- a lot of details were blurred or glossed-over in ways that I would probably find acceptable in a more visual medium, but found annoying in a novel. Still, it's a diverting read.
I read this book at a gallop, barely coming up for air, and even though I found it flawed, I can't deny that it held my attention. I didn't know anything about Sidor or the book going in, so I was a little surprised to find that it was a horror novel with strong supernatural elements, rather than simply a thriller.
The set-up for this novel is great. Vera Coffey is a young woman who's made some bad decisions in her life, but possibly none so bad as when she impulsively stole a mysterious artifact from her boyfriend, who in his turn had stolen it in return for payment from a mysterious organization known as The Pitch. Now Vera is on the run: she's not sure where she's going, she just knows she can't let The Pitch catch her.
Meanwhile, Wyatt Larkin, a motel owner in northern Minnesota, is dealing with his own personal horror. Years ago he was a police officer, until he and his wife Opal were injured in a spree shooting. Wyatt lost his eye, and Opal.. well, Opal didn't lose her baby or her life, but she has never recovered entirely, and these days her mind wanders an awful lot. Wyatt fears she's going to fall off the edge of crazy one of these days. And then there's their son, Adam, who's a good kid, but who's heading home for his first Christmas break from college, and has to break the news that he's in danger of losing his scholarship. Little do any of them know that the young woman who's about to check into the motel is bringing a whole host of horrors to their doorstep.
This was creepy and good fun, although as I said, I found it flawed. It seemed like the plot started to run out of steam about 3/4 of the way through. It had the feel of something that might have made a better film or comic book than novel -- a lot of details were blurred or glossed-over in ways that I would probably find acceptable in a more visual medium, but found annoying in a novel. Still, it's a diverting read.
December 2, 2015
Pitch Dark is a supernatural thriller where Vera Coffey is on run with the stolen artifact that her boyfriend have stolen from Horus Whitehead and a cult called the Pitch. It is a fast paced and suspenseful novel. A good creepy read!!
May 8, 2011
In Pitch Dark by Steven Sidor it is Christmas Eve and Vera Coffey is on the run. She has stolen an artifact, an artifact that her boyfriend had stolen for Horus Whitehead and a cult called the Pitch. Now she is being pursued by unknown, murderous cult members. Just outside of a small town in northern Minnesota, Vera picks up Adam, a nineteen year old college student who has run out of gas. Adam is the son of Wyatt and Opal Larkin. The Larkins, survivors of a shooting spree that occurred almost twenty years earlier, now run a motel in American Rapids, MN. While shooting rampage left Wyatt with one eye and unanswered questions, it enabled Opal to have visions.
As a snow storm moves in, Adam directs Vera to the motel. Also staying at the motel is pulp fiction writer Max Caul. Max knows the Pitch is much more than a simple cult - or a plot device for his novels. He has encountered Horus before. The importance of Opal's visions is clear to Max, who stays at their motel every year, but not to the Larkins.
Once all the characters and backstory are in place, Pitch Dark is a fast-paced supernatural thriller and a quick read. Although Vera, for me, is not a very compelling character, the Larkins and Max are, so once they are introduced the story is more intriguing. I did note, however, that none of the other characters are given the some level of care that Max receives. We are even told very specifically what kind of soda Max drinks and microwave popcorn he likes.
There also are some elements of the plot that feel familiar, for example: all sorts of evil converging on a small town, during a snow storm and a small band of people trying to keep a relic from an evil hoard. Furthermore there are parts of the story that are never fully explained or important details are missing. I'll have to admit that I didn't care for the ending at all. For me, the novel started out very strong and then ended weak, with an opening for a sequel.
Be sure to check out Sidor's website for A Chunk of Hell, a free prequel story to Pitch Dark. Sidor writes on his blog: "The story is a pulp weird tale written by one of the characters. It triggers all the events in the book."
All in all, Pitch Dark did hold my attention. I'll recommend it. http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/
Disclosure: I received this novel through the Goodreads First Reads program.
As a snow storm moves in, Adam directs Vera to the motel. Also staying at the motel is pulp fiction writer Max Caul. Max knows the Pitch is much more than a simple cult - or a plot device for his novels. He has encountered Horus before. The importance of Opal's visions is clear to Max, who stays at their motel every year, but not to the Larkins.
Once all the characters and backstory are in place, Pitch Dark is a fast-paced supernatural thriller and a quick read. Although Vera, for me, is not a very compelling character, the Larkins and Max are, so once they are introduced the story is more intriguing. I did note, however, that none of the other characters are given the some level of care that Max receives. We are even told very specifically what kind of soda Max drinks and microwave popcorn he likes.
There also are some elements of the plot that feel familiar, for example: all sorts of evil converging on a small town, during a snow storm and a small band of people trying to keep a relic from an evil hoard. Furthermore there are parts of the story that are never fully explained or important details are missing. I'll have to admit that I didn't care for the ending at all. For me, the novel started out very strong and then ended weak, with an opening for a sequel.
Be sure to check out Sidor's website for A Chunk of Hell, a free prequel story to Pitch Dark. Sidor writes on his blog: "The story is a pulp weird tale written by one of the characters. It triggers all the events in the book."
All in all, Pitch Dark did hold my attention. I'll recommend it. http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/
Disclosure: I received this novel through the Goodreads First Reads program.
April 7, 2011
This was thrilling in places--reminiscent of King and Koontz with an eerie blend of human and supernatural horror. But the young woman introduced as the original protagnist is not very sympathetic, although later protagonists are. Moreover, there are elements that are not fully explained or fleshed out--in fact, this is the case with the main premise of the book (I don't want to give more detail and make this a "spoiler" review). The book builds up very nicely to a climax...and then just peters off. I don't know if it's meant to be the first of a series or if the author just intentionally left it open, but if it's the latter, then I've seen it done with much better effect. Still, most of it was a "good read."
April 13, 2011
This is a very fast paced and suspenseful novel. It starts with he cast of characters all on the move, either physically or emotionally, each with a varied history, motivation and needs. They all converged on Christmas Eve at the Rendezvous Motel in American Rapids, a small Minnesota town located on the Canadian border. They are isolated with a large winter storm and the "Pitch Dark" has come to town. There is an ominous sense that everything is destined to go wrong. A very intense, but very enjoyable read.
May 16, 2011
This is a book I received through Goodreads First Reads. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book. Some of my favorite authors are Stephen King and Dean Koontz, this author reminds me very much of them. The story line moves along at a good pace and the characters are people you learn some about but not to much. It is a book that is hard to put down and stop reading once you have started. I know it took me several days to read, but it was hard to put aside. The mystery leaves you hang at the end.
April 21, 2011
There's a definite crime-thriller feel to this tale of supernatural suspense. The villain is great and the pace is fast. Some of the protagonists are slightly better drawn than others. Overall I found it an entertaining read.
October 19, 2011
Enjoyable read with a few very creepy moments.
April 26, 2018
It’s a creepy and disturbing horror story about a small town visited by evil. Most of the time it was so bizarre I had no idea what to expect next. While the writing style is attention-grabbing and kept me on the edge of my seat, beware it is an open-ended story. It’s like American Horror Story meets Stephen King, scary, dark and weird.
November 14, 2024
This book was just too creepy and graphically violent for me. I love a good thriller but this was borderline horror in my opinion. I had actual nightmares while reading it and couldn’t get it out of my house fast enough when I was done.
August 5, 2019
Well that was a wild ride.
November 12, 2019
Good story, ending seemed rushed.
Good story, ending seemed rushed and was unsatisfying for what was a good story. Just my 2 cents. Worth reading though.
Good story, ending seemed rushed and was unsatisfying for what was a good story. Just my 2 cents. Worth reading though.
February 24, 2020
Dynamite
There was nothing about this book I didn't like. I am going to read more of his work.Thanks for a great read
There was nothing about this book I didn't like. I am going to read more of his work.Thanks for a great read
December 22, 2020
A pretty good short thriller
January 22, 2012
A quote on the covers reads, "Pitch Dark is a propulsive, layered, and brutal read... A reader can't hope for more than to discover a writer possessed of both true talent and true passion. Discover Steven Sidor." - Michael Koryta, author of The Cypress House.
Well, I certainly agree with the word brutal, and to be fair, talent and passion too. My first Steven Sidor novel, this was reminiscent of a Dean Koontz novel in the strangeness of the story. I wouldn't quite put him at the level of Dean Koontz but he is surely on his way.
This story is about an "artifact" that finds it's way into the hands of a young woman, Vera, who took it from her boyfriend after he stole it for an evil man. Vera is trying to escape this evil man that wants the artifact and ends up at a motel in the middle of a snow storm. That is when all the craziness begins. Towns people's minds are taken control of and they being to cause mayhem and destruction all around the motel trying to draw out the poor souls trapped there with the artifact. Should they stay put and fend off any attacks or should they try making a run for it on foot?
I enjoyed the pace of this novel and the amount of detail put into the story, there was never a dull moment. I also really enjoy a book with an ending like this one, suddenly and with mystery leaving you to wonder. This story had a bit more gore than I like, which is almost none. Ever since becoming a mom my tolerance for gore has diminished greatly. Unlike with most books, I had a hard time keeping this one in my hands and found myself taking breaks after each chapter when I can usually hold onto a book for hours at a time.
Aside from my own personal aversions to some of the content in this novel, I found the story to be imaginative, creative and well told. As far as thrillers go, this one has the potential to rank Steven Sidor on my personal list of top authors. There is certainly a talent to be seen for dark storytelling in the pages of this book. I will be looking forward for another Steven Sidor novel to find it's way into my hands.
http://thrilledbybooks.blogspot.com/
Well, I certainly agree with the word brutal, and to be fair, talent and passion too. My first Steven Sidor novel, this was reminiscent of a Dean Koontz novel in the strangeness of the story. I wouldn't quite put him at the level of Dean Koontz but he is surely on his way.
This story is about an "artifact" that finds it's way into the hands of a young woman, Vera, who took it from her boyfriend after he stole it for an evil man. Vera is trying to escape this evil man that wants the artifact and ends up at a motel in the middle of a snow storm. That is when all the craziness begins. Towns people's minds are taken control of and they being to cause mayhem and destruction all around the motel trying to draw out the poor souls trapped there with the artifact. Should they stay put and fend off any attacks or should they try making a run for it on foot?
I enjoyed the pace of this novel and the amount of detail put into the story, there was never a dull moment. I also really enjoy a book with an ending like this one, suddenly and with mystery leaving you to wonder. This story had a bit more gore than I like, which is almost none. Ever since becoming a mom my tolerance for gore has diminished greatly. Unlike with most books, I had a hard time keeping this one in my hands and found myself taking breaks after each chapter when I can usually hold onto a book for hours at a time.
Aside from my own personal aversions to some of the content in this novel, I found the story to be imaginative, creative and well told. As far as thrillers go, this one has the potential to rank Steven Sidor on my personal list of top authors. There is certainly a talent to be seen for dark storytelling in the pages of this book. I will be looking forward for another Steven Sidor novel to find it's way into my hands.
http://thrilledbybooks.blogspot.com/
November 6, 2011
It’s Christmas Eve and Vera Coffey is on the run. What she brings to the little town of American Rapids is certainly not holiday cheer. She has something with her, and the people following her will do anything to get it back.
In Pitch Dark, Steven Sidor sets an extremely creepy stage. A small town in the middle of nowhere, a blizzard, and the eve of a holiday, when no one expects bad things to happen. These are nice people — Vera, Adam, Wyatt, Opal and Max — and they have no idea what’s coming for them. Vera had a fight with her boyfriend and ran. She meets Adam on the road, heading home to see his parents for Christmas. Wyatt and Opal’s life together has already been scarred by violence; they thought running the Rendezvous Motel would give them the peace and quiet they wanted.
Pitch Dark is a quick read — mainly because you want to get through it and see what happens. The tension builds as bits and pieces of the story are revealed. There are old stories, truth and fiction, and there are connections you don’t immediately see. There is organization and method behind this, a terrible, dark intelligence. It sounds crazy at first, like the visions Opal has been having, but sometimes even crazy stories have a bit of truth in them.
This is a great little thriller – a perfect read for Halloween week. (It’s certainly not a Christmas story, no matter when it’s set!) It was easy to get caught up in the story, to start to worry about the characters and whether they’ll be okay, and to wonder about the mystery and the madman at the heart of the story.
In Pitch Dark, Steven Sidor sets an extremely creepy stage. A small town in the middle of nowhere, a blizzard, and the eve of a holiday, when no one expects bad things to happen. These are nice people — Vera, Adam, Wyatt, Opal and Max — and they have no idea what’s coming for them. Vera had a fight with her boyfriend and ran. She meets Adam on the road, heading home to see his parents for Christmas. Wyatt and Opal’s life together has already been scarred by violence; they thought running the Rendezvous Motel would give them the peace and quiet they wanted.
Pitch Dark is a quick read — mainly because you want to get through it and see what happens. The tension builds as bits and pieces of the story are revealed. There are old stories, truth and fiction, and there are connections you don’t immediately see. There is organization and method behind this, a terrible, dark intelligence. It sounds crazy at first, like the visions Opal has been having, but sometimes even crazy stories have a bit of truth in them.
This is a great little thriller – a perfect read for Halloween week. (It’s certainly not a Christmas story, no matter when it’s set!) It was easy to get caught up in the story, to start to worry about the characters and whether they’ll be okay, and to wonder about the mystery and the madman at the heart of the story.
November 11, 2011
I honestly don’t know what I think of this novel. I mean, I’m still trying to figure out what exactly happened. I think the premise for the novel was there, but I got lost somewhere between the multiple characters and the fantastical situations within the story. While I understand both the Larkins’ and Vera’s situation, the connecting force between them, the box, the man staying at the motel, and the Pitch was a bit blurry. There were so many characters and I really had a hard time connecting with them all; I would have liked them to be a little more fleshed out as I think it may have added to the suspense of the novel had I cared more about what happened to the characters.
While this novel is classified as horror, I wouldn’t say it is scary as much as it is bloody. This isn’t something I’d give my kids to read, that’s for sure, as the murders and scenes within it made me a bit ill. I think this novel might be enticing for those who enjoy gore and such, perhaps those who enjoy the Saw movies will like this novel, but it’s not for me...
To read my full review (11/19):
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
I won a copy of this novel from from Goodreads First Reads.
While this novel is classified as horror, I wouldn’t say it is scary as much as it is bloody. This isn’t something I’d give my kids to read, that’s for sure, as the murders and scenes within it made me a bit ill. I think this novel might be enticing for those who enjoy gore and such, perhaps those who enjoy the Saw movies will like this novel, but it’s not for me...
To read my full review (11/19):
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
I won a copy of this novel from from Goodreads First Reads.
March 17, 2012
I received this novel through the Goodreads First Reads program.
This is a novel described as a thriller and it certainly lives up to that description. An author once told me that the secret to writing a good novel is to tack a cliff hanger onto the end of every chapter and Sidor seems to be very talented at that.
I noticed another review that made the claim that the characters are not well developed but I disagree with that statement. The story is concise, you don't get a lot of background information starting out because Sidor is adding to the suspense of the novel but you do get everything you need. These characters have distinct personalities and the reader does acquire knowledge of the past as the novel progresses.
I thought the ending was a particularly good choice by Sidor. I'll avoid spoilers but the reader essentially gets to decide what happens. It's a final and massive cliff hanger. In my case however, I'm hoping that Sidor might write a sequel as there are so many possibilities and I would love to see which one he would choose.
If you're a fan of thrillers and horror novels and you don't mind a little blood and gore then this piece is a real page turner. It actually is a very suspenseful little piece and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This is a novel described as a thriller and it certainly lives up to that description. An author once told me that the secret to writing a good novel is to tack a cliff hanger onto the end of every chapter and Sidor seems to be very talented at that.
I noticed another review that made the claim that the characters are not well developed but I disagree with that statement. The story is concise, you don't get a lot of background information starting out because Sidor is adding to the suspense of the novel but you do get everything you need. These characters have distinct personalities and the reader does acquire knowledge of the past as the novel progresses.
I thought the ending was a particularly good choice by Sidor. I'll avoid spoilers but the reader essentially gets to decide what happens. It's a final and massive cliff hanger. In my case however, I'm hoping that Sidor might write a sequel as there are so many possibilities and I would love to see which one he would choose.
If you're a fan of thrillers and horror novels and you don't mind a little blood and gore then this piece is a real page turner. It actually is a very suspenseful little piece and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
May 10, 2011
First off, thank you GoodReads' First Reads/Giveaways for the opportunity to read this book!
I received this book for free from the publisher through the GoodReads' First Reads giveaway. This doesn't change or influence my opinion of the novel in anyway. :)
Pitch Dark was a thrilling read. The descriptions were vivid and the entire story was entertaining, fast-paced and suspenseful. I read it fast, in only a few sittings, wondering what was around the corner after each chapter finished.
My only quirks with the novel at times were that I couldn't quite connect with any of the characters. And the plot, in the beginning, was confusing, until I reached about the halfway point and finally learned more about The Pitch and The Stone- and exactly what was going on. In fact, to be honest, when I finished, I still felt some questions unanswered. Maybe it was a bit too fast-paced at times. I felt it lacked information for the reader sometimes due to this.
I still give it a solid 3.5 star rating because while I had some "quirks" and nitpicks here and there, once I got into the story, I really enjoyed the thrilling suspense it dished out.
http://the-bookaholic.blogspot.com
I received this book for free from the publisher through the GoodReads' First Reads giveaway. This doesn't change or influence my opinion of the novel in anyway. :)
Pitch Dark was a thrilling read. The descriptions were vivid and the entire story was entertaining, fast-paced and suspenseful. I read it fast, in only a few sittings, wondering what was around the corner after each chapter finished.
My only quirks with the novel at times were that I couldn't quite connect with any of the characters. And the plot, in the beginning, was confusing, until I reached about the halfway point and finally learned more about The Pitch and The Stone- and exactly what was going on. In fact, to be honest, when I finished, I still felt some questions unanswered. Maybe it was a bit too fast-paced at times. I felt it lacked information for the reader sometimes due to this.
I still give it a solid 3.5 star rating because while I had some "quirks" and nitpicks here and there, once I got into the story, I really enjoyed the thrilling suspense it dished out.
http://the-bookaholic.blogspot.com
May 20, 2011
I was really excited when I won this book from Goodreads! Even from the basic description of the plot provided on the contest page, this book had me captivated with glimpses of a mysterious stone with to worshipping the Devil.
However, on peaceful Christmas Eve, the Holidays turn to the dark side with a cult of satanic followers and their leader (Pitch) ransack the town in search of a stone that's regarded as sacred to them. This setting is great, because in small towns like that of American Rapids, no one can hear you scream.
The plot deepens when Chicagoan Vera Coffey turns up in this village. She’s running from her crazy boyfriend, who inherently joins the cult to feed his greed. But Vera doesn't know that the cult will stop at nothing to get the "Tartarus Stone," that Vera stole from her boyfriend, back. From here, the story and plot takes off.
I think that Pitch Dark was masterfully written, as it rapidly became a book I couldn't put down. Sidor has no problem keeping readers drawn in and delivering an occasional adrenaline rush (after all, this is intended to be a scary book.
I recommend Pitch Dark to all! Read it. Seriously.
However, on peaceful Christmas Eve, the Holidays turn to the dark side with a cult of satanic followers and their leader (Pitch) ransack the town in search of a stone that's regarded as sacred to them. This setting is great, because in small towns like that of American Rapids, no one can hear you scream.
The plot deepens when Chicagoan Vera Coffey turns up in this village. She’s running from her crazy boyfriend, who inherently joins the cult to feed his greed. But Vera doesn't know that the cult will stop at nothing to get the "Tartarus Stone," that Vera stole from her boyfriend, back. From here, the story and plot takes off.
I think that Pitch Dark was masterfully written, as it rapidly became a book I couldn't put down. Sidor has no problem keeping readers drawn in and delivering an occasional adrenaline rush (after all, this is intended to be a scary book.
I recommend Pitch Dark to all! Read it. Seriously.
September 28, 2011
Pitch Dark is a very atmospheric horror/thriller from Steven Sidor. Overall, I found it to be good, but not great.
Pitch Dark gets a lot of things right. The mood is set very well and creates a sense of creeping horror right from the start. It keeps you feeling unsettled. The characters are interesting as well. You meet them in the present, and learn more about them through flashbacks, which were well done and integrated into the story rather than interrupting it. The setting in Northern Minnesota also added to the sense of isolation that was crucial to the story.
The story is paced pretty well and keeps you turning the pages, but it also remains pretty constant and doesn’t seem to feel a sense of urgency even at the climax. The antagonist and the evil in this book is ultimately it’s weakness. The acts committed and the goal of the antagonist should feel more threatening than it does. There’s never a feeling that the good guys are in serious jeopardy.
The writing is very good and it’s an enjoyable read, but Pitch Dark lacks the punch of a great thriller and the dread of a great horror story.
I won an advance copy of this book through Librarything.
Pitch Dark gets a lot of things right. The mood is set very well and creates a sense of creeping horror right from the start. It keeps you feeling unsettled. The characters are interesting as well. You meet them in the present, and learn more about them through flashbacks, which were well done and integrated into the story rather than interrupting it. The setting in Northern Minnesota also added to the sense of isolation that was crucial to the story.
The story is paced pretty well and keeps you turning the pages, but it also remains pretty constant and doesn’t seem to feel a sense of urgency even at the climax. The antagonist and the evil in this book is ultimately it’s weakness. The acts committed and the goal of the antagonist should feel more threatening than it does. There’s never a feeling that the good guys are in serious jeopardy.
The writing is very good and it’s an enjoyable read, but Pitch Dark lacks the punch of a great thriller and the dread of a great horror story.
I won an advance copy of this book through Librarything.
August 17, 2011
There's no way around it: this is a very silly book. The characters are half-formed and sloppily developed (if at all). The setting is a complete afterthought - by the end of the book, I still did not have any kind of clear picture in my head of what anything looked like or where anything was. And the villain here, the scare, is like an idea the writer formed from a single photo as he went along, and then ran out of time. It's simply not scary. It's an idea that is explored a thousand times more successfully in Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons. In fact, that book is the Foucault's Pendulum to this book's The Da Vinci Code, and it's worth noting that I didn't love Carrion Comfort. By comparison, however, it is a masterpiece, and it thankfully includes none of this book's absolutely horrid monster-from-hell stupidity.
And this book has a cheesy, tacked-on, totally shameless set-up finish, as if to suggest the material in any way warrants a sequel.
If you're desperate for something scary, maybe give this a whirl, but don't say I didn't warn you. This is a very silly book.
And this book has a cheesy, tacked-on, totally shameless set-up finish, as if to suggest the material in any way warrants a sequel.
If you're desperate for something scary, maybe give this a whirl, but don't say I didn't warn you. This is a very silly book.
October 30, 2011
Pitch Dark by Steven Sidor is the perfect book for Halloween weekend. A petty thief is convinced to steal an artifact from a "coven of witches" by the Pitch, an "organization" seeking to unleash Hell on Earth through the artifact. Then it gets weird. The Pitch are merciless in their pursuit of the artifact as the thief's girlfriend takes to the road with the artifact. It all culminates in a showdown in the small town of American Rapids where the final face-off between good and evil takes on a terrifying violence.
There are plenty of surprises and twists in this wonderful thriller to keep everyone interested. It also includes some wonderful characters, although I must admit that my favorite character was a dog. The final siege of the forces of good by the forces of evil is a classic face off. All in all a great thriller well worth reading.
There are plenty of surprises and twists in this wonderful thriller to keep everyone interested. It also includes some wonderful characters, although I must admit that my favorite character was a dog. The final siege of the forces of good by the forces of evil is a classic face off. All in all a great thriller well worth reading.
February 27, 2012
Every time I travel I start more books than I can finish. No idea what that means, but I buy more books than I can read in general, so I guess it carries over from there.
I'm only on chapter three so I'll withhold judgment for now.
--Brian.
Update 1/30/2012: Two chapters of painting a hotel room in a "thriller" disqualifies it as a thriller. In the words of Stan Lee, "'Nuff said." And you might not believe it, but he's still not done painting the dang hotel room.
Move it along, Stephen. Cut the junk, Stephen. Get to the plot, Stephen. Oh, and a satanic cult? Can we be more original someday? Like, in your next novel?
2/26/10 - Finished. I made it through. There are a few plotting bumps (I find reintroducing "dead" characters a little tired. Too soap opera for me.) and the ending is a bit dissatisfying. I also found the author's penchant for words like "tainted" to describe heat from an explosion a bit tired.
--Brian.
I'm only on chapter three so I'll withhold judgment for now.
--Brian.
Update 1/30/2012: Two chapters of painting a hotel room in a "thriller" disqualifies it as a thriller. In the words of Stan Lee, "'Nuff said." And you might not believe it, but he's still not done painting the dang hotel room.
Move it along, Stephen. Cut the junk, Stephen. Get to the plot, Stephen. Oh, and a satanic cult? Can we be more original someday? Like, in your next novel?
2/26/10 - Finished. I made it through. There are a few plotting bumps (I find reintroducing "dead" characters a little tired. Too soap opera for me.) and the ending is a bit dissatisfying. I also found the author's penchant for words like "tainted" to describe heat from an explosion a bit tired.
--Brian.
July 19, 2012
Pitch Dark is the first Steven Sidor novel I have read, but it won’t be the last. The plot is nothing that far out of the ordinary. Bad guy steals item for really Bad Guys, good girl steals item from both. Really Bad Guys really want item back, and violence ensues. But it’s what Sidor does inside the margins of the plot that really make this stand out in my mind. His prose is gritty and human; with a wonderful pace. His protagonists occupy that gray area between good and bad, nobody is a coward and nobody is a hero, they all are just human. And his antagonists are delightfully evil. The supernatural element is handled very well, it drives the goals of the villains but it does not dominate the story. I like also that Sidor doesn’t really feel the need to fully explain what that aspect truly is, he just lets it play out. All in all a good, tight, fast paced, gritty thriller that doesn’t fail to take you for a ride.
November 29, 2011
Vera Coffey is fleeing towards Canada with a mysterious stone that she stole from her boyfriend, after he had also stolen it from a coven of witches on a commission to deliver the stone to an organization known as the Pitch. She stops in the small town of American Rapids where the Pitch catches up to her and goes on a violent spree to regain the stone.
This is a mediocre thriller which moves along at a nice pace and seems to have an interesting setup, but doesn't really deliver on it. The stone at the center of everything seems to have no real purpose other than as an excuse to set up the violence. The characters are fairly flat. When everything starts going crazy, they all have a very low-key reaction as if there had just been a slight disruption to their day. It's not a terrible book, but I didn't find anything memorable in it.
This is a mediocre thriller which moves along at a nice pace and seems to have an interesting setup, but doesn't really deliver on it. The stone at the center of everything seems to have no real purpose other than as an excuse to set up the violence. The characters are fairly flat. When everything starts going crazy, they all have a very low-key reaction as if there had just been a slight disruption to their day. It's not a terrible book, but I didn't find anything memorable in it.
September 29, 2011
This is a pretty good thriller that grips you with tingly fingers. It covers some old ground, well trodden in many thrillers, but also unearths some new soil that leaves the reader with the smell and lingering taste of the darkness deep in your throat. You won't be able to sleep without that nightlight for a while after reading this book. If you're looking for a story filled with thrills and action, this should fit the bill. The book is written in a style that easily draws you into it's twisted off kilter world, taking you to a white Christmas you'll never want to dream about. After all the build up and anticipation, I did feel the denouement was a little weak. Otherwise, a well written and interesting chiller of a thriller.
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