Author: Caite Dolan-Leach
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Released: May 10, 2022
Received: NetGalley
Warnings: Mentions of suicide

I’m noticing a trend here – I can’t resist thriller novels when they promise a person taking the law into their own hands via starting a podcast. I don’t know why, but this is my weakness. Enter the latest thriller to trap me with this trope: Dark Circles by Caite Dolan-Leach.

Olivia Reed is used to having her name in all the tabloids – and she hates it. So she heads off to a spiritual center to get a bit of a break from the world. Only…this center isn’t what she was promised. Not at all.

There’s something wrong with this place. But nobody will believe Liv. She keeps trying to get others to listen, but the more she fails, the more she questions her perception.

Dark Circles has a little bit of everything – drama, thrills, cults, a murder mystery, and even somebody stuck in the limelight. It’s a lot, but the balance of all these elements was pretty well done.

I loved parts about this book and parts that could have been tighter. I was pleasantly surprised by the humor that made its way into the story (courtesy of Liv’s personality/commentary). That went a long way in making me like Liv’s character, though it did admittedly take a little bit of time.

There were times when the mystery part of the plot sort of just dragged on? I won’t say that it dipped to a slow pace, but it wasn’t the speed I wanted; that much is true. Still, it didn’t stop me from reading to the end, which I appreciate!

Overall I’d have to say that this was another successful podcast/crime/stubborn character read for me. I’d recommend Dark Circles to any others that have such a specific preference for reading.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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