Description

Shelly has been confronting the demons of her childhood with a psychiatrist for some time. From the outside, she seems to be holding it together—she’s married, she lovingly cares for her young daughter, Josie, and she manages a real estate career. But her hold on reality is not always strong. Tormented by violent scenarios presented by her imagination, Shelly constantly fears for the safety of her family; exhausted by her unrelenting panic, she has grown apart from Paul, her seemingly patient husband.

John’s mother has never been particularly maternal, or kind. Shadows of the abuse he faced during childhood cling to him, sabotaging his relationships and keeping him in the grip of fear. His buried feelings of anger simmer below the surface of his life, threatening to erupt in a vicious show of power.

Their paths collide when Shelly discovers a shocking truth about Paul and heads out on a rainy Oregon highway. A tragic accident lands her in a coma…or does it? Shelly enters a dark and transitory world, where she chases a child ghost named Red who has haunted her for decades and confronts the setting of earlier trauma. As she fights for her life, she encounters John—who has a score to settle of his own.

This gripping psychological thriller from a promising debut author will leave you pondering the enigmatic boundaries between reality and the subconscious, and the profound impact of past injuries on our quest for inner peace.

“In Rhodes’ debut thriller, two emotionally wounded people thrown together by a random accident must rely on each other to survive a strange and terrifying world.

Shelly can’t remember her past, but she knows something terrible happened, something so awful that she’s become detached from her loved ones and disassociates from her body. She loves her daughter Josie, but thinking about her fills with her with anxiety over her well-being. Her husband Paul doesn’t understand what she’s dealing with and is frustrated by Shelly never being fully present with him. Beleaguered by the growing strain of his dead marriage and his extremely stressful job as hospital operations manager, Paul makes a reckless decision. In the wake of this action, Shelly leaves—driving with Josie in the car, she loses control of the vehicle and crashes into a biker named John. He has his own tragic history with a physically abusive father and an emotionally abusive mother; John’s internal issues and anger reached a boiling point when his girlfriend left him for his best friend. In the aftermath of the crash, Shelly and John wake up on dark road and must bravely navigate a strange place—a kind of purgatory—if they hope to find the way back to their lives. An excellent thriller.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Rhodes hit the ground running with her debut novel, The Dark Road, a psychological thriller about healing from trauma and the role of connection. It is a tale of post-traumatic growth and breaking generational cycles, told through a riveting, suspenseful, and supernatural story that weaves the intersecting lives and struggles of the main characters.”

“The Dark Road is an intense psychological thriller that follows two strangers through an emotional journey to the darkest part of their subconscious. After a car accident puts both Shelly and John in a coma, they find themselves stuck together in a metaphysical world where they are confronted by the demons of their past, literally.”

“I can honestly say that I’ve never read a book like this one before. As someone who has always had a passion in psychology, I was fascinated by these characters and the author’s illustration of trauma.”

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ATTENTION BOOK CLUBS!

This riveting story offers many avenues for a meaningful discussion about family and the struggles of mental health issues. We think book clubs are so important, especially for discussing difficult topics and opening eyes to other perspectives. We’re happy to offer the following perks for your book club:

• Order 8 or more copies and receive 20% off your entire order. Just add all copies to the cart in one purchase. If you have a smaller group, send us an email and we can work out a similar discount.
• Author Kathleen Rhodes is happy to visit your book club! Either locally in the Portland, Oregon, area, or via Zoom. Send us an email to schedule.
• Download these DISCUSSION QUESTIONS to facilitate conversation.