What Lies in the Dark

Shadow Cove #1

by Jessica Sorensen

My name is Makayla, Mak for short, and I live in Shadow Cove, a town ruled by wealth and power, and that has an alarmingly high number of deaths and disappearances. And I understand these deaths and disappearances way too well. 

Or at least I thought I did.

Turns out, Shadow Cove is even more dangerous than I thought. Danger and darkness lurks in every corner and is quickly taking over my life. Stuff I thought never existed sudden seems very real.

I’m not sure what to believe or who to trust anymore.

Deadly Games. Secret Societies. Supernatural forces. Shadow Cove is full of evil dangers. And I’m worried I might not survive.

Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Young Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Mystery Thriller

85 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 2, 2016

About the author

Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.


http://www.jessicasorensen.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica...

Reviews

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Nancy The book junkie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5/5

Review to come!

[Nancy The book junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon!

[Stacey Mcphilomy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun who done it story. So many puzzle pieces still yet to overturn. Who is involved in the mysterious happenings around shadow cove? I can't wait to see what happens next.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is extremely interesting, which originally drew me to this book. Unfortunately, the character's and their developments nearly bored me to death. This book has so much potential but unfortunately didn't meet it for me.

[Christine (Shh Moms Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

great start to a new series - mysterious, compelling - I want more!

[Mary Tatar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would describe What Lies In The Darkness as Pretty Little Liars meets Stranger both shows I love. Jessica Sorensen does what she does best and weaves a story that will keep you glued to the pages. This new series pulled me in, and the dynamic between the characters made me envious of the friendship between these teen girls. The world these girls live in is scary, confusing, and complicated, but having a great support system, and these close friends prove to have each other's back through good times and bad. This is mostly a mystery, and while you try to figure out what may happen next you fall in love with the characters. This book may be short, but it's highly entertaining.

We are introduced to Makayla who lives in the small town. She is grieving the death of her brother, and mysterious disappearance of her father. A string of deaths prompt her and her friends to investigate the reasons behind what really is going on in town. She quickly finds out. There is way more going on then she could have imagined.

The start of this series is solid. It gives you just enough answers to keep you wanting more. I caught myself sleuthing along with the characters. It was a fun book to say the least. It obviously ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger, and you can expect while reading. I am anticipating the next book just like an episode of my favorite show. Love what the author has introduced thus far. If you are like me and love a good YA mystery mixed with a little teen angst, then you should be reading this one, like yesterday.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I have now started this review about 10 times and still have no idea how to start it. Jessica Sorensen is just awesome - that is all I can say. She whips out books like clockwork and they are so damn good.

What Lies in the Darkness is an amazing YA suspense and thrilling read. I actually thought of Veronica Mars while reading this - just this has a slight paranormal vibe going on along with a tad bit more intensity to it.

Mak and her four best friends are all so different yet the same. They come from different backgrounds but none of them want to fit into the crowd - they are ok with being the outcasts. And it's because of that, they all find themselves delving deeper into a mystery they never expected.

The girls want to get revenge on the school's biggest tormentor. But what they end up doing, is walking into a very deeply rooted mystery of their down. Mak is being threatened with her life but refuses to give up. Will she up like her brother and father? Who's behind everything? Who's willing to standby and help her?

Jessica has really packed a lot into this first book. There's a lot of mystery surrounding a few characters and that just adds to the suspense of this all. How do they all fit into the story? What part do they play? The book moves at a quick pace and Jessica keeps us on our toes with the ever twisting events.

I can't wait to see what she brings us in the next book.

[Verna Loves Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

What Lies in The Darkness by Jessica Sorensen is one of the best spine chilling stories you’re going to read this year. It is a great beginning to one amazing series. I was instantly drawn into the story and couldn’t put it down till I reached the end. I cannot wait for the second book in the series to come out.

The book is filled with lots of twists and turns, suspense, and it will have you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what is going on in Shadow Cove. The ending left me hanging and even more curious than when I began. So be prepared to be blown away.

I give What Lies in The Darkness by Jessica Sorensen 4 out of 5 FEARLESS STARS!

[Andrea Heltsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the paranormal romance books this author writes. This book was a good start to a promising new series. The author depicted teens accurately and is in touch with the age group this ya book is geared toward. Some of the plot construction was a little shaky in the beginning but pulled through around 10% in. As I got to know the girls and the mystery unraveled, my interest held. I'm truly curious about the paranormal aspects. Is it really paranormal or just the characters imagination? Looking forward to book 2. Four glittery stars!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty solid read, the characters were well written the storyline had just enough intrigue to keep you interested but not too much to where the story got overly complicated. the last few chapters left me with a lot of questions and there is a cliffhanger so for those of you who hate them you might want to hold off reading until closer to the release of the next book.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small towns aren’t always what they are cracked up to be. For the residents of Shadow Cove, the wealthy dominate the locale. What most people don’t realize is nothing in this town is at it appears. Mysterious happenings are plaguing those that reside within the borders of this town that is the model of perfection.

As someone who has felt the sorrow that is hidden by the mysteries that lie within this town, Mak knows that there are secrets that have yet to be discovered. Her brother was found dead of an overdose, and her father has mysteriously disappeared. Leaving questions that only Mak seems to desire to uncover.

There is so much more to the mysterious deaths and missing persons in Shadow Cover. Secrets that threaten to bring harm to Mak and her best friends upon their inquisition. What clues were left behind from Mak’s father in his quest to uncover the truth? Can Mak uncover what is lurking behind closed doors? Only time will tell the magnitude of just how far these secrets are buried.

As a HUGE fan of Sorensen’s, I couldn’t wait to uncover the mysteries of Shadow Cove on my own. Once I started reading, I quickly discovered that What Lies in the Darkness was reminiscent of a medley of Veronica Mars crossed with a little Pretty Little Lies. So many secrets, and the level of deception is pretty twisted. Puzzle pieces that are part of a greater mystery. One that clearly brings with it danger and revelations.

While the secrets surrounding Mak are leading her towards danger, the friends that she has made stand beside her through thick and thin. The suspense is definitely one that keeps you guessing!! Readers will have their own thoughts about what happened to Sawyer and Mak’s dad, but do we really know what’s going on this early in the game? The anticipation and mystery has definitely baited me into discovering answers for myself. What will happen next….only diving into the next book will tell!!

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was trying way too hard to be Veronica Mars. It sounded like a fun read, but I was disappointed at how lacking in originality it was. That might have been fine if she had pulled it off, but this was a pale imitation of such a wonderful tv show. Makayla sees the ghost of her dead brother just like Duncan did in the show. Veronica's Mom went missing, Makayla's dad went missing. The town has no middle class, just the very rich and the very poor- Just like Neptune, CA. Makayla is despised by the rich kids because her dad was a reporter who dug up secrets about their families. Veronica was despised by the rich kids because her dad was a sheriff who accused the wrong rich person of killing Veronica's best friend. Makayla learned to investigate from her reporter dad and wants to be just like him. Veronica learned to investigate from her private eye dad and wants to follow in his footsteps. Do I need to go on? Watch Veronica Mars. This was a juvenile copy that felt like half of a book.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNING: REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!

I think that this book was good. The whole world building of Shadow Cove, the characters, the mystery and the foreshadowing were rather well done.

My only issue is that Mak seems too careless as a character. Especially when she is solving mysterious that involve life and death. I think it would be amazing if we can see her becoming more careful with her investigations. She doesn't uses any sort of VPN or Proxy to make sure that her IP address isn't being traced by that escort website she visits.

Also, during the chapter where she goes in the office to check through CCTV footage, wouldn't the cameras show her sneaking back into the office? Won't Ms. Finkleson see that she went back into the office?

Like I said, the book was good, only if the plot could have been explained a bit more. But who knows, we might discover more in the second book! Overall, the book was good and kept me wanting for more. I can't wait to read the second book!

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know how I feel about this book. I liked the characters and even the story. I found Mark a fun character and loved her inquisitive nature. I found her friend group worked well and liked the mystery of their town.

My issue though having read a few books by this author now is that it doesn’t flow. It reads like a tv program almost. Like scenes and then no in between. I hope that makes sense? Slightly disjointed.

I’ve come to enjoy Jessica’s writing style but this doesn’t work for me as much. I’ve already purchased the next book. So of course her story has drew me in enough to keep me going. But I prefer her writing style she usually uses than this. 3.5 stars but it could have been a 4. Read over 2 sittings.

[Katy Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read that this book was going to be Stranger Things meets Pretty Little Liars. I agree completely with this! Sorensen made up an incredible story with her imaginative world building and great character development! I loved each of the girls and the smaller sub stories! It made for a quick and fun read! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!

[Anna Lynn Portwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book from Jessica Sorensen. I hate having to wait for the next book :( but I'm sure I will find another amazing book of hers to read while I'm waiting.

[Beth Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good

Interesting story. Left me with a lot of questions, it isn't quite as short but does end in a cliffhanger. Good thing the second book is out.

[Sukh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent mystery 😙

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts out week, but gets better as it goes. The 4 rating is for the last half, because the first half would definitely be lower.

[Carrie Blair · Rating 1 out of 5]

First, I would like to state that I tried to contact Jessica Sorensen through FB Messenger twice, with no response. I do not like to give bad reviews unless I can tell the author my issues, if they are receptive I will up the amount of stars and will tone down my review.
So here is my problem, I read this book the first time in Jan. 2017. I loved it then. It was a cohesive and full of suspense. The characters were extremely believable and they furthered the plot line successfully.
Since book 2 was just released I though I would go back and reread this book. The very beginning which before introduced the characters quit well, now you are tossed into the story blind and don’t know many of the characters are or how they related to each other. It is like this starts off in the middle of the book. Also the tabs that allow the synopsis of the book to be read states that book one is book two.
This is infuriating, I don’t know what I read the first time was correct or if this mess now is correct. I guess I will never know,until then there is no point reading book 2

[JWinter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A interesting and compelling start to a new series!

[Witchy Richey's Booktastic Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy moly this book is so great! What in the world is going on in this town? Mystery abound, maybe a little bit of paranormal, lots and lots of questions.
Mak's world is shrouded in questions. So many unanswered. Solving the mystery's may be her end but she is determined to find the answers she seeks. 4 friends, each character is unique and they way they work together is amazing. This town holds secrets and these secrets may cost you your life. I can't wait to see where this story takes us!

[Jo Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this novel in exchange for my honest opinion and HOLY SMOKES! I've been on a reading hiatus for a while now due to being bogged down by work, but I'm happy to say that this novel put an end to that hiatus. This novel tells the story of Makayla and her three friends trying to figure out the mysteries linked to Shadow Cove, mainly what really happened to Mak's older brother, Sawyer, and Mak's father. As soon as I started reading the first chapter, I was hooked. I felt like I was in a throwback episode of Pretty Little Liars, when it first came out, and everyone was trying to figure out the secrets and A's true identity. I love the fact that even though Mak was the main character in this novel, each of the girls were very well developed. This story was short, mysterious, and incredible. I can't wait to read the rest of the stories in this series.

[Phi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book!!! Although I'm going to be honest here I don't know what to write in my review. There was just so much going on with 4 different characters, the main one being Mak. In this book the storyline has just began to unfold and more questions are raised then answered so I'm excited for the next instalment but for now this is it. There, for me, isn't a lot to say about this book since it has just begun and I feel as though the characters have just been introduced so it's hard to describe each individually since we have just touched the surface on them.

I know my review isn't the most persuasive but I would definitely recommend reading this as long as you like a good mystery/thriller and don't mind cliff hangers since the next book is yet to come.

[Kim Smiley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yet another book I gave up on. I normally enjoy books by this author, but this book fell so short I just couldn't get past the first 100 pages.

We have this girl whose Dad was a reporter but is M.I.A. Everyone says he just left his family. His son died, drowned in the river. He thought it was a cover up as the police never investigated it. They said suicide, but the Dad doesn't buy it. His son hated the water. Plus there have been more deaths or suicides in their town than anywhere else, but they've always gone uninvestigated or never reported in the paper. Now her Dad is gone.

This is as far as I've gotten because the book dragged. The main character wasn't really likable and the book constantly reiterated itself. I have better books to spend my time on.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a YA mystery about a girl named Mak and her 3 friends that are trying to find proof that her brothers death was not a suicide, and that her fathers disappearance was not a coincidence. But Mak ends up finding out that there is so much more wrong with the town then anyone realizes when she goes looking for a lost computer.
I can't wait to be able to find out what happens in the rest of this series. I love Mak's snarkiness and her determination to find the answers that her brother and father never got the chance to.
This is a series that not only I enjoy, but I am pretty sure my 13 yr old daughter would like.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't wait to see where this story is going and to find out all the secrets and the goings on in this weird little town.

Mak and her friends are still investigating the circumstances surrounding her father's disappearance and her brother's death. She's still hearing his voice in her head and things just keep getting for muddled and complicated. Her brother's voice tells her to put on the necklace she found in his closet and that seems to be some kind of warning indicator for dangerous people.

Many more questions, not so many answers, and the investigating team just doubled in size. Hopefully the next book will be out soon.

[Diz Reads 4TLOReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure if want to live in this town, no matter what side of the tracks I resided. The mystery that surrounds the disappearance and deaths that go down and the secret societies all interlinked make this YA mystery a very intriguing series.

As Always with Jessica the plot and characters are very well thought out and the story is perfectly crafted to introduce you slowly to the characters. Piquing your interest just enough as the story reaches its climax leaving you wanting more and waiting for book 2

A great read and a solid 4 stars

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in 1 sitting. I enjoyed book 2 in this Series so far more than the first book. This one was written more in the style of Jessica’s other books. It flowed a lot better too.

That aside the action really picks up in this one and I think you’ll finish it with more questions than answers. Yes you are left on a shocking event and will want to know what happened next and what is true and false. But you’ll have to wait for the next book. I’m gutted it’s not out till February but have a few books to keep me occupied till then