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Reviewed by Mimie Odigwe for Readers' Favorite
Dawn Hemmings’ My Dark Secret explores the depths of darkness within the human psyche. Isla is a librarian who lives in a small town. The residents of this town are unaware that within the quiet librarian lies a dark fascination with murder and a criminal mind that borders on obsession. Isla tries to satisfy this curiosity with the knowledge she has gathered from books and television shows. However, the line between curiosity and practicality begins to blur. What begins as a harmless hobby evolves into a dark desire to commit a terrible and masterfully executed act that would not be traced to her. She does this while losing pieces of herself to her madness.
Throughout the novel, I struggled to pick my jaw up from the floor. My Dark Secrets was everything and nothing I expected to read: bone-chilling, nerve-racking, and horrifying. Author Dawn Hemmings began subtly and then plunged into a narrative that is too dark and cruel to imagine being carried out by any person. Isla’s patience over the years, the meticulous planning, and the preparation put in place to commit such heinous acts are disturbing and, at the same time, too engaging to put down. For triggers, there are off-page deaths of family members and an on-page murder scene, but this book is a must-read for those who enjoy psychological thrillers. Fast-paced with a compelling plot, captivating cover, and well-written antihero, My Dark Secret will remain in the reader’s mind long after they have flipped the last page.
