Book review: The Dark Inside by Rod Reynolds - It really is dark in Texarkana

When Charlie Yates arrives in Texarkana to cover the murder of young couples at a local make out spot, he knows he’s been well and truly sidelined from his job as a crime reporter for a New York newspaper.  Yates has a volatile and violent temper, a flawed character as you’d expect, but he’s also a true journalist – he knows the stories that sell newspapers and isn’t afraid to dig up the truth to get the story.  He’s quick to talk and meet with people, pick up clues and relentlessly follow them up, even if his methods are sometimes a tad…well let’s say what do you expect of a journalist?  As the novel develops, Yates also starts to mix personal and professional – not a good idea, but you can see why he’s attracted to Lizzie, and not just because she’s the latest victim’s sister!  

 

  As he digs, the clues lead Yates to Calloway, the local rich businessman who is looking to take over the contract to run Red River Arsenal.  There are also some questions about Calloway’s son Jefferson, a strange, withdrawn young man who never seems to leave Calloway’s mansion.  When it comes to the local cops Bailey and Sherman, well, they certainly don’t like reporters questioning police methods or their handling of the murders.  Not much protect and defend from these two! The sense of menace in the book builds chapter by chapter and the dangers Yates faces heighten to what I’d say is an excellent climax in the final chapters of the novel.

   

So, what did I think?  This book has something that definitely makes it stand out from many others I’ve read.  I was genuinely taken with Yates’ tenacity and journalistic cunning, which I found quite compelling.  The setting and atmosphere were great and finally, you’d expect a small community would have some things to hide, but not what comes out at the climax of the novel – a really dark inside.

    

One other thing - I was quite surprised to find this was Reynold’s first novel and I do hope he finds a way to bring Charlie Yates back again in another book, it would be a real shame if this were the only Charlie Yates story.

    

Final verdict – strongly recommended.

    

Romancrimeblogger