Darkness Within

by Steven Pajak

Reluctant psychic Susan Moore witnessed the brutal slaying of a young boy in a vision. Despite her psychic gifts, she is unable to save the boy from a brutal ending. Riddled with guilt because she was unable to save the boy, she feels her life spiraling out of control. In a small Texas town, Sheriff Steven Ames is desperate to catch a killer before tragedy strikes again. The town is on edge and demanding justice, spurred on by the father of one of the victims. And all this in an election year. When fate brings Ames and Moore together, the two join forces to stop the killer before tragedy strikes again. In the midst of chaos and danger Susan must come to terms with the limitations of her psychic abilities while Ames must battle his own feelings of inadequacy and deal with a town that no longer has faith in his abilities as a peace officer. And when a rogue reporter leaks important information about the investigation, Susan is in danger as she becomes the hunted.

252 pages, Paperback

Published October 6, 2008

About the author

Steven Pajak, a Chicago-based author, crafts stories that explore the depths of horror and the human psyche. With a pen that dances on the edges of darkness, Steven brings to life tales that challenge, terrify, and linger in the minds of readers. Drawing inspiration from the urban tapestry of Chicago, his work merges the pulse of city life with the eerie quiet of the shadows lurking within the darkest corners of our minds. Steven invites you into a world where fear meets courage, and the journey through his imagination proves as haunting as it is unforgettable.

Reviews

[Amber Massey]

A fun read. Could use some cleaner editing, suffers a little from that guy problem trying to write a female character and some awkardness describing the black town sheriff, but a decent junk food style read.

[Steph Kneeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great quick read, my first read of Steven Pajak and I will definitely read more of his work.

Though there were some editing mistakes, it was well written and the plot kept you wanting for more. Even when I wasn't reading it, it was in my head and I couldn't wait to pick it up again!

[Janelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the Kindle version of this book. It is clear that this is the author's first book, and it is unclear whether an editor actually edited the book before it was printed. It is also unclear whether the Kindle version is the final version, as there are parts of the book that still show editing marks (for example, "He showered quickly and dressed in his uniform -today he planned to meet with Mayor Filmore-but , but did not put on his gun belt"). He also makes spelling errors, like "canvas" instead of "canvass", "pass" instead of "past", things like that. It is easy to figure out what Pajak means to say, but it takes you out of the story when you hit one. Pajak has built a good storyline overall, and he clearly has potential to be a good author, but this book comes off as immature and in need of a serious editing. I would not recommend it. Perhaps his next book will be worth reading.

[Janelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the Kindle version of this book. It is clear that this is the author's first book, and it is unclear whether or not an editor actually edited the book before it was printed. It is also unclear whether the Kindle version is the final version, as there are parts of the book that still show editing marks (for example, "He showered quickly and dressed in his uniform -today he planned to meet with Mayor Filmore-but , but did not put on his gun belt"). He also makes spelling errors, like "canvas" instead of "canvass", "pass" instead of "past", things like that. It is easy to figure out what Pajak means to say, but it takes you out of the story when you hit one. Pajak has built a decent storyline overall, and he clearly has potential to be a good author, but this book comes off as immature and in need of a serious editing. I would not recommend it. Perhaps his next book will be worth reading.

[Wade Newman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book, very good read.