The Secret of the Dark

by Barbara Steiner

A city girl moves to Arkansas, where she discovers that the locals are not as welcoming as they appear

When Valerie Wreyford’s parents travel to the Middle East to do research for a new book, Valerie leaves the busy streets of New York City for the country quiet of Catalpa Ridge, Arkansas. While her parents are away, Valerie has volunteered to look after Granny deShan, whom she’s never met. Granny’s mind seems stuck in the past, and taking care of her full time is even harder than Valerie imagined. But when two local boys start showing an interest in Valerie, she decides that coming to live with Granny might not have been such a bad idea after all.
 
Just as Valerie is settling into her new life in Arkansas, she begins receiving threatening messages and ominous late-night phone calls. Someone doesn’t want her to stick around Catalpa Ridge. And this person is willing to do whatever it takes to make her leave—no matter who gets hurt in the process. 

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery

190 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Also writes under the name Barbara A. Steiner.

Reviews

[Grace Chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

COURTNEY COX, GIRL. Your flashlight on the book cover isn't going to do you much good if it's not turned on 😂🔦

So this book was pleasant enough. But that's just it....it was PLEASANT. ENOUGH. Lots of bucolic scenes of rolling hills and meadows and mountains and a cozy cabin that Courtney Cox moves into for the Summer, to look after her slightly batty grandma. There's a cleaning montage where she goes to work spiffying up the place, while grandma hollers for her to make cornbread. And there are 2 cute guys in them thar hills that are vying for her attention....one is a sexy clog dancer (hahaha) and the other owns a CAVE.

Here's the thing though, there's not much mystery or thrills to this story. And the cover LIES. The tagline on the cover reads "It was a Summer of new loves...and old murders." SPOILER ALERT...THERE ARE NO SUCH MURDERS. AT ALL!! Someone is trying to scare Courtney out of town but...that's it?

3 out of 5 sad twang-twang songs by the "hill people" and you listen politely until you just get bored and put on your Van Halen 1984 cassette instead.

[Erica Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this because 1) I love Windswepts, and 2) look how cute the cover is with a young Courtney Cox. But it fell a little flat.

Steiner is great at setting the mood and making this small town full of “hill people” feel extremely foreign and isolated, but the story itself lacks the tension and mystery I’ve come to expect from these.

Sure, there’s a light love triangle among Courtney Cox, a clog dancer, and a guy who owns a cave, and the outfit descriptions are pretty stellar, but the rest is…quite boring.

I wanted an Ozark murder mystery with some soap opera-worthy betrayal, and all I got were twangy sad folk songs and a few bats.

[Mell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in junior high, but never realized back then who the model on the book's cover was. Courtney Cox! We all swapped and lent these books to each other.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this story but it could of done with a few more twists for me

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This COVER though. This book was atmospheric, fun and slightly creepy. The perfect nostalgic read.

[lucie · Rating 2 out of 5]

the cover really says it all