Alone In The Darkness

by Matthew Buza

A routine night in an ordinary city becomes a race against time to save an innocent girl from the underbelly of society. Low level drug dealer Steven Pfeffer is in trouble. He's desperate to pay off a debt and he's out of options. Bartender Jennifer Lang is looking for a fresh start in a new city. A chance encounter brings them together and starts a cataclysmic chain of events that uncovers the horror beneath the surface. Steven's decisions lead them both down a path that neither may return from. Will they survive the night or will the darkness consume them?

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 13, 2016

About the author

Part-time author and full-time stay at home dad. I'm a Podcast Junkie and addicted to storytelling and radio dramas. I have been known to dabble in the Belgian Trappist Beers.

Visit my web site to get a free book!

https://www.matthewbuza.com/

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buza is a master of ratcheting up tension from scene to scene, page to page. Right at the start I felt a scary threat and, not knowing what the situation with Steven was, I made sure the pages turned fast to find out. When Steven snatched Jennifer, the fear factor went higher—especially with the car chase! The whole underworld of amateur drug dealers in out-of-the-way areas was described so well I had my eyes opened. The plot thickened but all the characters and happenings stayed clear so it was a good read all the way through. Danger got closer and darker with each chapter and having Jennifer the innocent center of the violence made it even more threatening. An enjoyably scary fast read! I love the beautiful little poem that is the epigraph.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy that I took a chance and decided to read some books by this author. This is the first one that I read, and I enjoyed the author’s style in telling a story. He gradually builds the suspense as he took me through his story, making it impossible to stop reading, I needed to know what was going to happen to these characters! This is a wonderful read that you don’t want to miss out on!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[BP34 · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the different narratives it was a little confusing at first but once I got going the book was fast going and compelling. A venture into the underbelly of society and the world of drug dealers and the underworld. A fight for survival. Well written with an interesting combination of characters. I voluntarily chose to review this book after receiving an arc copy.

[TE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about a night in the life of an ordinary woman who's path tragically collides with those in the drug trade. This one isn't really my speed but it's suspenseful, well written and fast paced so I'm sure others will enjoy it.

For those who want to know: This one has language and violence.

[Andy Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth 5 stars, good story good action and very exciting ending.

[The Endless Unread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat. A nice read.

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was dark, twisted, exciting, and nerve-wracking all at one. I loved it!

[L.K. Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what an exciting read. I was glued to this book as I followed Steven's night from hell- his attempts to desperately scrape some money together by an impossibly tight deadline, and innocent bystander Jennifer's terrifying ordeal as she gets dragged (literally at times!) into the chaos. The descriptions of the scary, grimy locations were really effective and atmospheric, and although violent and unpleasant things happen it was just at the right level of detail for me- making me feel scared for the characters but not to the point of becoming disturbed or upset by what I'd read.

The only slightly negative thing I can say is that there are some spelling and grammatical errors in this book, but I really did enjoy it a lot, and I can't think of the last time I read a book so quickly.

If you want a non-stop, gritty, heart-pounding thriller then this is the book for you. Really brilliant.

[Rachel Barnard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steven owes a debt he cannot repay by himself and he only has a few hours to come up with the money. The only solution is to take it, but the person Steven decides to rob becomes entangled in his problems. Now it’s a fight to survive.

This story was short and gritty. It reminded me of Breaking Bad with its in depth details on drug production, but within the low end of society. I was shocked at some of these details – like the druggie house. I felt like I learned a lot about drugs, drug runners, drug houses, etc. The story did get weighed down at times with these details, but they were fairly fascinating.

This short novel kept me in suspense and I had mild anxiety throughout the entire story as I waited to find out how the kidnapping would resolve. Would she make it out? Would she get the help she needed in time or would she figure a way out on her own? There were just enough obstacles to keep the plot realistic and moving forward.

[Toni Kief · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book started full speed and only sped up afterwards. It was an exciting read and when I was approaching end I read well into the night. One bad decision after another, and Jennifer had to deal. When I finished my son took it to read, and I don't think he has read a book since 1995.