Darkness, My Old Friend

A Novel

By: Lisa Unger

Narrated by: Nancy Linari

The New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Lies and Fragile returns to The Hollows in a thriller that explores matters of faith, memory, and sacrifice.

“Will have you racing to the last page.”—Michael Connelly

After giving up his post at the Hollows Police Department, Jones Cooper is at loose ends. He is having trouble facing a horrible event from his past and finding a second act. He’s in therapy. Then, on a brisk October morning, he has a visitor. Eloise Montgomery, the psychic who plays a key role in Fragile, comes to him with predictions about his future, some of them dire.

Michael Holt, a young man who grew up in The Hollows, has returned looking for answers about his mother, who went missing many years earlier. He has hired local PI Ray Muldune and psychic Eloise Montgomery to help him solve the mystery that has haunted him. What he finds might be his undoing.

Fifteen-year-old Willow Graves is exiled to The Hollows from Manhattan when six months earlier she moved to the quiet town with her novelist mother after a bitter divorce. Willow is acting out, spending time with kids that bring out the worst in her. And when things get hard, she has a tendency to run away—a predilection that might lead her to dark places.

Set in The Hollows, the backdrop for Fragile, this is the riveting story of lives set on a collision course with devastating consequences.

Critic reviews

“Darkness, My Old Friend is deeply plotted and complex and carries an undeniable momentum. Lisa Unger’s enthralling cast of characters pulled me right in and locked me down tight. This is one book that will have you racing to the last page, only to have you wishing the ride wasn’t over.”—Michael Connelly

“Lisa Unger is one of my favorite authors. She gets better and better with each book.”—Karin Slaughter, New York Times Bestselling author of Fallen

“A satisfying story with an eclectic and interesting cast of characters and believable dialogue. Unger shows her usual deftness at intricate plotting and explores the mother-child relationship from multiple angles. . . . Sure to be another hit with Unger fans.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The beauty of this unconventional crime novel is that focus is not on whodunit but the darkness that drives us.”—Family Circle

“One of Unger’s best thrillers yet.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Good reading, canny characterizations.”—The Plain Dealer

“Unger skillfully pulls together various stories in an exciting and logical way. Darkness, My Old Friend moves at a brisk pace as Unger makes us desperately want to know what drives these various characters.”—South Florida Sun Sentinel

Great!

I loved this book! It had some of the main characters that were in Fragile, which I also enjoyed. These two books give one a lot to think about in your own lives. The narrator has a soft, pleasant voice that keeps you calm, but doesn’t bore you.

The way everything tied together

I love all of it, I plan to recommend this book to everyone I know. I think what made it even more special is that I read Fragile first and loved it so I was able to sink even deeper into the characters. This book also shows another, more likeable side to Jones. Now I am going to listen to Ink and Bone and I am sure I will not be disappointed.

Great Title

I enjoyed this novel which tells the beginning of Jones Cooper and the local psychic’s relationship. Nancy Linari did a great job of capturing each character’s essence and perspective. I appreciated the strong female characters. There was a little redundancy in some of the discriminations which I felt wasn’t necessary. Overall though it was a good thriller/mystery.

Well, written, and great character development

I enjoyed this book. I see this part of a series so I will likely read the other books in the series. I had never heard of this offer, but she’s very good.

Lisa Unger "gets" people.

I love Lisa Unger's books. This one was no different. The way she draws her characters so deeply is quite amazing. Her descriptiveness and the way in which she delves into a character's thoughts and feelings is second to none. You listen to the book and you care about them and more importantly, you understand them not in spite of their inner turmoil but because of it. The reader can relate to her characters, I imagine because we have had some of the very same thoughts and feelings and because of the masterful way in which she tells the story. Along with the beautiful and in depth descriptions (but never to the point of tedium like some authors) there are several mysteries and stories woven together. The narrator, Nancy Linari, does a lovely job and has a soothing voice that is never stilted as though you are "being read to".