What do you think?
Rate this book
Into the Darkness
A socially awkward mall cop forges an unlikely alliance with a teenage delinquent as a last resort in his desperate search for a kidnapped young woman. The pair must venture onto an eerie abandoned psychiatric hospital campus in pursuit of her captors, battling the darkness of the night and their own demons in an attempt to save the woman before it is too late.
- GenresHorror
60 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 2013
521 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 4, 2013
I received this book free from the author in a Goodreads "first- reads" giveaway.
This is a short story that packed a big punch. Reading this book was like watching an episode of "Crimminal Minds" just with a mall cop and a rebellious teenager instead of FBI agents. This novella had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I feel that despite the lack of pages, Maureen Nicholl got the story across. She used a lot of details and and didn't leave any unanswered questions. Well she did leave one but I don't want to spoil anything. I feel like the reader falls for the two Amin characters because they are the underdogs and they come out on top in the end. Plus they have a rather unconventional friendship. I would recommend this novella to readers who like a quick story that gets right to the point and doesn't mess around. Also to readers who are big on crime and/ or who like seeing the underdogs win.
This is a short story that packed a big punch. Reading this book was like watching an episode of "Crimminal Minds" just with a mall cop and a rebellious teenager instead of FBI agents. This novella had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I feel that despite the lack of pages, Maureen Nicholl got the story across. She used a lot of details and and didn't leave any unanswered questions. Well she did leave one but I don't want to spoil anything. I feel like the reader falls for the two Amin characters because they are the underdogs and they come out on top in the end. Plus they have a rather unconventional friendship. I would recommend this novella to readers who like a quick story that gets right to the point and doesn't mess around. Also to readers who are big on crime and/ or who like seeing the underdogs win.
March 5, 2013
Quick, exciting read w/ interesting characters
June 13, 2013
(First reads copy)
da www.sognipensieriparole.com
Although this is a short story of sixty pages, I recommend the reading of this novel because it is really well written, with an intriguing plot and a very intense rhythm.
Through few but well-aimed descriptions, the author outlines the three main characters: Ashley, the young woman who makes the mistake of getting lost on a lonely road and a further serious error opening the window slightly to ask questions to a stranger; Duncan, the neighborhood officer, fat but honest, who has always wanted to be a real cop and realizes the danger before the police; Calvin, the bad-boy, enemy of Duncan, who is not so bad when it comes to helping young women in difficulty.
A very original story, where any chapter is dedicated to one of three characters, letting us see the continuation of the story from their different point of view.
Overall, in this story there is a great potential to make a real novel, because the end is still very open (and I would say that the author winks to such hypothesis...).
Benché sia un racconto di appena sessanta pagine, consiglio la lettura di questa novella perché è scritta davvero bene, con una trama intrigante e un ritmo davvero intenso.
Con descrizioni brevi ma azzeccate, vengono delineati i tre principali personaggi della storia: Ashley, la giovane donna che fa l’errore di perdersi su una strada isolata e l’errore ancor più grave di aprire lievemente il finestrino per chiedere informazioni ad uno sconosciuto; Duncan, il vigilante di quartiere, grasso ma onesto, che ha sempre desiderato essere un vero poliziotto e intuisce il percolo prima della polizia; Calvin, il bad-boy nemico di Duncan, che non è poi così malvagio quando si tratta di aiutare giovani donne in difficoltà.
Un aspetto molto originale del racconto è che i capitoli vengono dedicati ogni volta a uno dei tre, facendoci vedere il proseguo della storia dal loro punto di vista.
Nel complesso, in questo racconto ci sono tutte le potenzialità per farne un vero e proprio romanzo, anche perché il finale rimane comunque molto aperto (e direi che anche l’autrice strizza l’occhiolino a questa ipotesi… ).
da www.sognipensieriparole.com
Although this is a short story of sixty pages, I recommend the reading of this novel because it is really well written, with an intriguing plot and a very intense rhythm.
Through few but well-aimed descriptions, the author outlines the three main characters: Ashley, the young woman who makes the mistake of getting lost on a lonely road and a further serious error opening the window slightly to ask questions to a stranger; Duncan, the neighborhood officer, fat but honest, who has always wanted to be a real cop and realizes the danger before the police; Calvin, the bad-boy, enemy of Duncan, who is not so bad when it comes to helping young women in difficulty.
A very original story, where any chapter is dedicated to one of three characters, letting us see the continuation of the story from their different point of view.
Overall, in this story there is a great potential to make a real novel, because the end is still very open (and I would say that the author winks to such hypothesis...).
Benché sia un racconto di appena sessanta pagine, consiglio la lettura di questa novella perché è scritta davvero bene, con una trama intrigante e un ritmo davvero intenso.
Con descrizioni brevi ma azzeccate, vengono delineati i tre principali personaggi della storia: Ashley, la giovane donna che fa l’errore di perdersi su una strada isolata e l’errore ancor più grave di aprire lievemente il finestrino per chiedere informazioni ad uno sconosciuto; Duncan, il vigilante di quartiere, grasso ma onesto, che ha sempre desiderato essere un vero poliziotto e intuisce il percolo prima della polizia; Calvin, il bad-boy nemico di Duncan, che non è poi così malvagio quando si tratta di aiutare giovani donne in difficoltà.
Un aspetto molto originale del racconto è che i capitoli vengono dedicati ogni volta a uno dei tre, facendoci vedere il proseguo della storia dal loro punto di vista.
Nel complesso, in questo racconto ci sono tutte le potenzialità per farne un vero e proprio romanzo, anche perché il finale rimane comunque molto aperto (e direi che anche l’autrice strizza l’occhiolino a questa ipotesi… ).
May 12, 2013
A copy of this novella was provided to me by the author and Goodreads in exchange for a review. Before starting this review, I should also admit that before Into the Darkness, I had never picked up a novella. This review is going to be a little bit shorter than my usual, simply because it's a shorter piece of reading and therefore, there's less to say.
While simple and straightforward, Into the Darkness has a lot of really great potential. One thing that really stood out to me was the character development. In only 60 pages, Maureen Nicholl managed to convince me that both the socially awkward mall cop and his unlikely pal were worth my time. I found myself sympathizing with both of these characters, feeling sorry for Duncan because he wanted to succeed so badly, and relating to Calvin's experiences with peer pressure. This is especially impressive, because sometimes I can't even be convinced of this in books that are two or three times the length of Into the Darkness.
As for the plot, I was left a little disappointed. I was expecting a gripping, suspenseful who-dun-it mystery with a great setting. I might be a little biased in my hopes for the setting, because the bare mention of an insane asylum makes my expectations grow exponentially. The setting wan't very developed at all, and this may have been because so much of the story was put into character development. The story itself was very good, however it just wasn't what I expected. I also found the dialogue to be a little awkward at times, but it is hardly a major downfall. There is very little mystery, as we know where the victim is and who has taken her, but Maureen Nicholl still does an excellent job of keeping the story going with her excellent characters and great storytelling.
While simple and straightforward, Into the Darkness has a lot of really great potential. One thing that really stood out to me was the character development. In only 60 pages, Maureen Nicholl managed to convince me that both the socially awkward mall cop and his unlikely pal were worth my time. I found myself sympathizing with both of these characters, feeling sorry for Duncan because he wanted to succeed so badly, and relating to Calvin's experiences with peer pressure. This is especially impressive, because sometimes I can't even be convinced of this in books that are two or three times the length of Into the Darkness.
As for the plot, I was left a little disappointed. I was expecting a gripping, suspenseful who-dun-it mystery with a great setting. I might be a little biased in my hopes for the setting, because the bare mention of an insane asylum makes my expectations grow exponentially. The setting wan't very developed at all, and this may have been because so much of the story was put into character development. The story itself was very good, however it just wasn't what I expected. I also found the dialogue to be a little awkward at times, but it is hardly a major downfall. There is very little mystery, as we know where the victim is and who has taken her, but Maureen Nicholl still does an excellent job of keeping the story going with her excellent characters and great storytelling.
April 18, 2013
This book really took me by surprise! It is excellently written with a clever and engaging story. I admit to not usually being a fan of Novellas. Typically, with a story so short there is not adequate time for character development. Nicholl, however, does an excellent job portraying the characters in the story and creates a bond between characters and the reader. As a reader, you feel for the overweight mall cop with a full heart but an empty social life. He makes an unlikely pair with a teenager from the mall whose expertise he uses when he suspects that a young woman has gone missing in an abandoned asylum. The story is fast paced and exciting, the characters are well developed, and the writing is excellent. This book had be laughing out loud at parts from the clever dialogue and the book built real suspense in finding the missing girl. I absolutely hope this author writes more books!
disclosure: I received the book free from goodreads, but the reviews are my true opinion of the book.
disclosure: I received the book free from goodreads, but the reviews are my true opinion of the book.
April 21, 2013
Despite the fact that Into The Darkness has a really simple plot (don't read it if you're looking for a detective story, there is no real investigation job in it.), it was rather pleasant to read. The protagnistes might be a little bit stereotypical but they are attaching. though I have to admit that it was pretty hard for me to get a precise picture of Calvin and Duncan since there is not so much physical descriptions of them. It is the only bad thing about this book and even if it was disturbing i have to say that i could have heard the footsteps in the wood, the loud breathing of Calvin and the sobbing of Ashley while I was reading. Maureen Nicholl got me into the characters' darkness so I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a breath-taking and scaring short story. Read it at night, alone at home! :)
April 19, 2013
A security officer enlists the help of a teenage boy to find a possible missing person in an abandoned medical facility. The characters in this short story felt a little to stereotypical for me. The overweight "mall cop", the delinquent yet caring teenage boy, the girl that needs to be rescued, and the "mad men" who take her. While the plot was interesting enough there was not much substance to the story. Overall the writing was ok. It was very short and I read it in under an hour. I also didn't like the open ended ending. For a story that didn't really go anywhere the open ending left you feeling like you only read half the story and the other half was ripped out. I would rate this a two and a half.
July 1, 2013
in a bizzare twist of fate, an overweight mall cop and a teenaged delinquent are brought together to rescue a young woman who may or may not have been kidnaped after breaking down on the side of the road, as far as they know. after breaking into an abandoned insane asylum and fighting of psychotic druggie abductors, the unlikely pair succeed in rescuing the woman, Ashley, and killing one of the kidnapers, while only receiving minor injuries. meanwhile, the second kidnaper is still at large....
short, fast-paced and detailed (yet not boring), Into the Darkness is an excellent, short, easy and enjoyable read.
short, fast-paced and detailed (yet not boring), Into the Darkness is an excellent, short, easy and enjoyable read.
April 24, 2013
After receiving this little novella from the goodreads giveaway program, I made sure to take my time and read it a couple more times.
It was a short story of a an unlikely duo who happened upon a potential crime, forcing them to work together to avoid the worst. As short and mundane it may seem to be to a potential reader, the depth of the characters combined with powerful descriptive writing give rise to a surprisingly welcome read.
Reading in in a couple hours was not enough for me, prompting me to pick it up again and again to take the breadth of the novel. I'm sure others will enjoy reading this little book on a nice afternoon.
It was a short story of a an unlikely duo who happened upon a potential crime, forcing them to work together to avoid the worst. As short and mundane it may seem to be to a potential reader, the depth of the characters combined with powerful descriptive writing give rise to a surprisingly welcome read.
Reading in in a couple hours was not enough for me, prompting me to pick it up again and again to take the breadth of the novel. I'm sure others will enjoy reading this little book on a nice afternoon.
December 30, 2014
Into the Darkness is a short read and I think that does the story a favour. The investigative work of Duncan the mall cop and Calvin the teenaged delinquent is impressive and intriguing, but does seem too easy for such inexperienced people.
The story is fast paced and flows nicely, but there were too many typo errors for my liking (usually these things don't bother me too much, but for a finished, published piece, it was distracting).
I'd recommend this if you're looking for a quick read and like Crime fiction.
The story is fast paced and flows nicely, but there were too many typo errors for my liking (usually these things don't bother me too much, but for a finished, published piece, it was distracting).
I'd recommend this if you're looking for a quick read and like Crime fiction.
May 10, 2013
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. I am new to reading novellas, and as I had assumed due to the size, the character development was lacking. I would have liked more development of Ashley specifically. Also, I wanted to know more about the motivation of her captors- I think that would have made it more suspenseful. That being said, I really did enjoy the story. It was short enough that I could read it completely in a few hours, and it kept me engaged the whole way through. I hope to see Duncan and Calvin in more adventures in the future!
April 18, 2013
Excellently written!
Duncan is an overweight mall cop with a penchant for helping others. When he stumbles across an abandoned car, he has a feeling something is not right. He teams up with an unlikely partner - a teenager he recently busted for drinking - to save a missing girl who may be located in an abandoned asylum.
The story is exciting, the characters are remarkably well developed, and the writing is excellent! I really enjoyed this novella and hope that the author continues to write more.
Duncan is an overweight mall cop with a penchant for helping others. When he stumbles across an abandoned car, he has a feeling something is not right. He teams up with an unlikely partner - a teenager he recently busted for drinking - to save a missing girl who may be located in an abandoned asylum.
The story is exciting, the characters are remarkably well developed, and the writing is excellent! I really enjoyed this novella and hope that the author continues to write more.
May 18, 2013
This book is a novella - just 60 pages long - but it is written well and allows you to get into the story. I like that the story is written from Ashley's (a mid twenties woman), Duncan's (a mallcop), and Calvin's (a teen who is far from being perfect) observations. Duncan and Calvin become unlikely partners to rescue Ashley (a girl they have never met before). I would have given the book a higher rating as it is well written - but the end of the story is very predictable - definitely a good read though!
May 20, 2013
This was an okay book. It had quite a few exciting parts in it, but I found myself skimming over the description a lot. It was very short, which I didn't like, and there were also major curse words. My advice to the author (if she ever reads this review): Try making your stories longer, and try to not have so much description.
A good book other than that; I'm hoping to read more from this author soon. :)
A good book other than that; I'm hoping to read more from this author soon. :)
April 2, 2013
I won this boook as a goodreads first-read giveaway. I thouroughly enjoyed this novella. Each chapter is written from the perspective of one of the 3 main characters so you see what they are all thinking. The characterization was well done and the writing was excellent. My only negative comment was that it was a novella and therefore too short. I would love to see this expanded to a full novel!
May 16, 2013
OKAY, CALVIN ,DUNCAN AND ASHLEY,, I THINK DUNCAN AND CALVIN BECOME FRIENDS IN THEIR SEARCH FOR ANSWERS, I WILL FIND OUT SO FAR IN ENJOY THIS ADVENTURE!
THESE 2 MEN ARE PHSYCHO IF YOU READ YOU'LL KNOW WHO IM REFERING TOO!
OH MY GOSH DUNCAN!!!
IM GLAD TO SEE THE REALIZATION OF ACTIONS HAVE CHANGED FOR BOTH MEN HERE,, THIS IS A GREAT LESSON IN HUMANITY AND HOW ONE'S ACTIONS CAN HURT OTHERS,,, GREAT STORY & GOOD READ!
THANKS SO MUCH
PAM
THESE 2 MEN ARE PHSYCHO IF YOU READ YOU'LL KNOW WHO IM REFERING TOO!
OH MY GOSH DUNCAN!!!
IM GLAD TO SEE THE REALIZATION OF ACTIONS HAVE CHANGED FOR BOTH MEN HERE,, THIS IS A GREAT LESSON IN HUMANITY AND HOW ONE'S ACTIONS CAN HURT OTHERS,,, GREAT STORY & GOOD READ!
THANKS SO MUCH
PAM
May 10, 2013
I'm not overly keen on novella as such but I enjoyed this a lot. It's well written fast paced and I loved the characters. I would love to see Duncan and Calvin ride again in a full length novel as there is plenty of scope to let the characters grow and develop. I would of given it 5 stars but the only fault I have is it's too short!!! Roll on the next book Maureen !!!
I received this book free from the author in a Goodreads "first- reads" giveaway.
I received this book free from the author in a Goodreads "first- reads" giveaway.
April 2, 2013
While this story was indeed suspenseful, I enjoyed the human interest side of it as well. The main characters were complex and relatable, and the chemistry between the "mall cop" and the teenage delinquent made for entertaining dialogue. Plus, it's pretty short and reads fast. I read it from front to back on a Saturday, and still had time to watch some golf that afternoon.
April 23, 2013
This was a very short novella. The story kept my attention, but was lacking in depth and character development. The missing girl, Ashley, was barely developed at all. I would have liked to have seen more interactions between her and her captors. I also would have liked to have seen more detail and plot development when the main characters arrived at the abandoned insane asylum.
June 5, 2013
Very good short crime story. The characters are very well developed for such a short story, and a neat and ironic friendship takes place because of a similarity in personalities where you would least expect it. I would love to read a long novel from this Maureen, her writing style would be great in a longer story full of suspense and loveable characters.
April 30, 2013
I received this in a Goodreads giveaway and I am glad I got the chance to read. This is an excellent written novella that keeps you intrigued from beginning to end. I could not put this down once I started reading it. Wonderful read, short but sweet. I look forward to reading more from Maureen Nicholl.
August 3, 2013
This was my first Goodreads novella, well to be honest this is the first novella that I have read. I liked the story and it was well written. But, I found it lacking. I feel like there could have been more to the story. The ending was kind of there. I wish the story went further. It was a good quick read.
July 7, 2013
Into the Darkness, a Novella, shows how peer pressure can cause people to do things that make them feel uncomfortable doing. Teenager Calvin went along with his friends when they teased mall cop,Duncan, but then Duncan, came to him for help... This is a quick easy read about 2 people who form a relationship while having to deal with some personal issues.
July 28, 2013
I am one of those people that loves a great love story but.... with this story this is no love story at all but a wonderful story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I really enjoyed this story and would most likely read it again in the future
April 24, 2013
I'm not a big fan of short stories/Novellas,but decided to try one out.
I was amazed at how much could be packed into 59 pages.
I enjoyed the story, and think that this could make a great full length novel.
Nice quick read.
I was amazed at how much could be packed into 59 pages.
I enjoyed the story, and think that this could make a great full length novel.
Nice quick read.
October 8, 2013
I have won this book in a recent giveaway. What a great little novella! The story is simple, yet gripping. I had to finish it in one sitting.
The characters are surplisingly well developed for such a short book.
I enjoyed it very much! 4 out of 5 stars!
The characters are surplisingly well developed for such a short book.
I enjoyed it very much! 4 out of 5 stars!
May 1, 2013
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I enjoyed the book and thought the premise was good, with the unlikely friendship, but I thought it was rushed and good easily have been a lot longer. On the upside, it would make a great series!
I enjoyed the book and thought the premise was good, with the unlikely friendship, but I thought it was rushed and good easily have been a lot longer. On the upside, it would make a great series!
April 24, 2013
I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway. To read my full review follow the link http://jazminjade.wordpress.com/2013/...
April 23, 2013
I really liked this novella. It would have made an amazing book.
January 20, 2014
I received this book from Goodreads First Reads.
I loved this novella. It is full of action and mystery. The only downfall is that is was too short and I want more.
I loved this novella. It is full of action and mystery. The only downfall is that is was too short and I want more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews