Acclaimed author, James Hankins returns following The Prettiest One (2016) with his latest edgy psychological crime thriller, with gruesome evil secrets of the past —THE INSIDE DARK. Top 20 Summer Books Coming July.

Psychologically rich, taut, fast-paced suspense, with twists around every corner, Hawkins will keep you guessing until the final conclusion.

What drives a person to kill?

Set in the Boston area, Jason Swike, is a crime, mystery, suspense novelist – married to Sophie with a six-year-old son, Max (Down syndrome and blood disease). There was a car accident leaving her in a wheelchair, and the couple (separated/estranged for two years).

As the novel opens Jason has been chained to the wall of an old horse corral in a deserted ramshackle stable. He was given no food, and only water, mixed with drugs.

When would death arrive?

Death enjoys what it does. Death likes to whistle while it works.

“Take me out to the ballgame. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack.”

Death has a name.

Headlines. The most feared in Massachusetts. The media had dubbed Death’s latest human incarnation, Crackerjack—because serial killers with catchy monikers grab more viewers and sell more papers than ordinary killers do.

Crackerjack broke bones—cracked, snapped, twisted, or crushed. Then the final death blow. Death has a humor . . .

Three strikes you’re out. Crackerjack had clearly taken his media-given nickname to heart.

Death had an odd sense of whimsy.

In addition to broken bones, all his victims had been found with their faces adorned with skillfully rendered designs, like those you pay for at an amusement park or carnival. From superheroes, fairies, wild animals, and cartoon characters.

Soon death would come whistling for him.

Jason learns he is not alone in the stable. There is another man being tortured. Ian Cobb. He hears the whistling and knew Death would come for the other man, Ian. Then he would be next. The last sound heard by his victims.

During the torture, he could hear the pleading for him to help. He had to help him. Soon the struggle stumbled into his stall. A life-and-death struggle with a serial killer, taking place literally on top of him.

With the help of Cobb, Jason takes down Crackerjack, (Wallace Barton) the sadistic serial killer who whistled as he tortured his victims. Cobb even had the similar face painted design.

Jason had killed him with the hammer (the final blow), but it was self-defense. He had struck him three times.

Soon there is much success for Jason. He is a hero. They were both lucky. Jason got away without a scratch; however, not Cobb. Why did CrackerJack keep Jason around longer?

Briggs is the homicide detective. Jason and Ian were the only ones which had escaped the serial killer. There were six bodies buried in the woods behind the serial killers stable bringing the total to sixteen. Briggs is suspicious of Jason’s story. Something does not add up.

Soon Jason enjoys the limelight and his book sales soar. In less than forty hours he had a six-figure offer in hand from a major publisher for a non-fiction book about Jason’s ordeal and his eventual escape. Then were two Hollywood producers. Life is good.

What if he stretched the truth, embellished a bit— just to get the job done. Would it be so wrong to lie a little? He had a wife in a wheelchair from a car accident (which he was to blame), and a son with expensive medical needs. Jason needed to lie a little during the TV interview. He needed book sales. His family had medical needs and he needed to win them back.

Cobb takes a backseat. Cobb takes care of his elderly father at home. He owns a plumbing business which his father had started and he had shared with his brother John until his death. Half of his income went to nursing care, doctor visits, medical supplies, and equipment.

What is Cobb hiding?

Ian gives up his part of the reward to Jason. However, Jason soon learns all this comes with strings. Both men had been taken from an empty parking lot and drugged. Both have family medical problems and a tragic past.

Then later his nightmare begins once again.

He hears the whistling again . . .

Did he kill the real killer? Was there a copycat? Is the real killer still out there?

More bodies surface.

Jason has some secrets of his own. He desperately needs the money, with his own son’s medical needs with a rare blood disease (aHUS) and the possibility of facing a future of dialysis and even kidney transplants. His care is costly.

Cobb also has a creepy disturbing past which shapes his life. Each is blaming someone else in their lives for their behavior. Both these men have some things in common (both suffered catastrophes) and Detective Lamar Briggs knows something is not right and will not stop until he gets answers.

Jason is worried about his own family. If the killer is still at large, he needs to hire his own hit man. How far will Swike go to sell books, and to resuscitate a drowning career as a crime writer? He cannot let the killer get to him and his family.

Two different car accidents trigger a dangerous chain of events. Jason is drawn into a twisted game while the psychopath killer is pulling all the strings.

Time to let The Inside Dark out . . .

From an abandoned horse stable to a motel. A nightmarish journey of madness, evil, to sadistic—a cleverly written twisty, tense, suspenseful creepy thriller!

This crackerjack suspense hits a home run!

An avid fan of talented Hawkins, from his first book to this latest, have enjoyed immensely his writing crossing many genres. Each book is unique— from mystery, suspense, crime, and psychological thrillers.

For fans of Jennifer Hillier, Lisa Unger, and Paul Cleave (other favorites). The author knows creepy, torture, revenge, and twisted minds. THE INSIDE DARK is a "must read" terrifying cat-and-mouse game. Wickedly evil for your summer reading pleasure.

If you have not read James Hankins, what are you waiting for?

Read my reviews:
The Prettiest One
Shady Cross ( Top 50 Books of 2015 )
Brothers and Bones
Drawn
Jack of Spades

A special thank you to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for an early reading copy.

JDCMustReadBooks

From the very beginning Hankins pulls you into the story with action and does not stop until the very end. The writing is clear and vivid, the characters are originals and the pace is excellent. I don't usually enjoy books with multiple perspectives but Hankins executed this very well and made it work to drive the plot forward.

James Hankins, The Prettiest One was the first novel I ever received from Kindle First, from that moment on, I fell in love with James Hankins writing. He's a captivating storyteller; from the first page, you become hooked.

At the start of The Inside Dark we discover that Jason Swike, a published author and family man, is chained to a stable wall. He's been held captive for four days without food, and barely any water... water that has been drugged to keep Jason submissive. Jason soon realizes that his captor is none other than the notorious Crackerjack; a serial killer who is known for killing his victims by breaking several of their bones and painting their faces and then leaving them in a ditch to be discovered. Jason discovers he's not alone, in the stable next to him is Ian Cobb, a local plumber. Ian and Jason strike up a conversation, but Jason can barely stay awake, the lack of food, dehydration, and drugs have left him so tired and barely able to focus. As Jason slumps to the stable floor he hears it... the whistling. He now knows that Crackerjack is back. He hears a whack and then a scream of pain and terror. He realizes, his new friend Ian is not going to survive this ordeal, and with that, neither would he. Jason soon drifts off, but he is suddenly awoken by two men who come crashing into his stable and falling on top of him. As Jason begins to regain focus on the situation he hears a man pleading for help. Jason realizes it's Ian, he's still alive, but how? A struggle ensues and Jason manages to come to the rescue by killing Crackerjack with several blows to the head with a hammer.

Jason and Ian have escaped the notorious serial killer Crackerjack. The are dubbed local heroes by the media and local residents. Ian tells the police and the media that Jason is the real hero, that he saved him. Jason on the other hand felt as though he would have never been able to stop Crackerjack if Ian hadn't gotten one up on him. Ian says their a team... they did it together. Things start to look up for Jason, he's got a book deal in the works, possibly a movie, and he was gifted 100,000, for killing Crackerjack. Make that 200,000 after Ian decides that Jason deserves his portion of the money. Yes, things are looking really good for Jason. That is, until he stands to lose it all. Jason and Ian begin another journey together, one that will show them exactly what the inside dark looks like.

From the beginning James Hankins has you hooked, that's what he does. I also know that there is always a twist. Early on I could see where things were headed, almost from the start, I was interested to see how this story was going to play out. I kept saying to myself "Okay James, where are you taking this?". The part I struggled with was how is it that Jason could never seem to get out of the mess he was facing? There were several times I kept thinking to myself... you idiot, why didn't you do this or that? (I'll spare you details as to not reveal anything). That aside, I really enjoyed this, just as I have with other James Hankins novels. It's fast paced, the characters are well developed, some may say too developed. It's twisted, captivating, and maybe even heroic.

The Inside Dark is a little different psychological thriller. Throughout the book I was constantly asking myself what I would have done in the same situation. With The Inside Dark James Hankins has given his fans another intriguing story. Some edge of your seat moments and definitely a page turner. I would like to thank Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an early copy of The Inside Dark so I could leave an honest and unbiased review.

This new book by James Hankins has one of the best beginnings I've ever read, so there was no way to keep from reading the rest of the book almost nonstop until it was finished. This is definitely Hankins best so far. A great and original story idea that had me reading so fast, that I had to keep stopping myself from skipping entire passages in my hurry to see what happened next! What a thrill ride! This is a 5 star book for sure! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy!

An easy to read thriller where everything is not as it seems. A little predictable but still a good read. The short chapters add to the suspense. There are a few twists in the plot to keep the reader on their toes.

A mesmerizing tale that explores the lengths to which a devoted husband and father will go in order to protect his family. The villain is absolutely diabolical, and the overall premise of the book is unique and chilling. If you read no other mystery / suspense novel this year, let this be the exception. Very highly recommended.