4.5 stars - Charlie Donlea is a masterful storyteller.! This is only the second book I’ve read by this author but I definitely want to read more. Highly recommend Some Choose Darkness if you enjoy crime novels!

*thank you to the publisher for providing an e-ARC through NetGalley

This was a gripping thriller that intricately weaves together dual timelines to explore the dark undercurrents of crime and the psychological complexities of its characters. The novel follows Rory Moore, a forensic re-constructionist, as she delves into a decades-old cold case involving a serial killer known as "the Thief," who terrorized Chicago in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Rory prefers working behind the scenes rather than interacting with people, taking over her deceased father's unfinished cases. One of those involves the Thief, a murderer responsible for the disappearance of several women. The case grows more complicated when new evidence comes to light, linking the past to the present in disturbing ways. The Thief's most recent parole hearing coincides with Rory's deep dive into the case, creating a tense, time-sensitive investigation.

For those readers who enjoy reading about neurodiverse characters, this novel will appeal as it has not one, but two such characters.

Rory Moore is a quirky woman who dislikes direct eye contact, has an uncanny ability to remember what she has read, and works as a forensic reconstructionist who investigates cold murder cases in conjunction with the Chicago Police Department. She has passed the bar exam (on her first try), yet has no wish to practice law. In her spare time she reconstructs damaged porcelain dolls. Rory lives with a brilliant man named Lane Phillips. Lane has developed an algorithm to help recognize and identify trends in homicide. Lane is the only person in her life that she really trusts, with the exception of an elderly aunt who is suffering from dementia.

When Rory's father passes away, she is left to close down his law practice. She is quickly successful in doing this with one exception... Her father represented a convicted murderer who is now due to be released for parole after four decades behind bars. Against her wishes, she is coerced by the judge on the case to continue her father's relationship with this murderer. Thus, she begins to investigate his past crime(s) to discover WHY her father took this case.

In an earlier timeline, forty years previously, we meet Angela Mitchell. Like Rory, Angela seems to be on the 'spectrum' and is an obsessive compulsive with strong analytical skills. There is a man who is preying on young women in Chicago, and Angela does meticulous research that the police overlooked - revealing the identity of the killer. Then Angela goes missing and is presumed dead. Her husband is convicted of her murder. Yes, you guessed it, her husband is the murderer that Rory inherited from her late father's law practice...

Overall, I found "Some Choose Darkness" to be a well-plotted novel with interesting, quirky characters. An intelligent thriller that has some disturbing scenes that might bother some readers, it was a gripping and well-paced book with plot twists and tension abundant.

I have loved all of Charlie Donlea books that I have read. For some reason, this one didn't click with me. The plot was complex and intricate, and I loved Rory so I cannot pinpoint my hesitancy about this one. I do look forward to more Donlea books in the future though..

Another great novel by Charlie Donlea. Kept me hooked throughout as the mysteries were unraveled. Thanks for the opportunity to read.

A couldn't put down suspenseful thriller. With great characters and plot twists! This was definitely a well rounded thriller I will recommend.

Suspenseful, Some Choose Darkness was engrossing. Great well-crafted characters and easy to follow storyline made this a must read.

I really enjoyed this book! It was my first Charlie Donlea book and it exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed the dual timeline and how the past and present fit together. It had some twists that I did not see coming. I also love how the main characters were on the autism spectrum and showed them in a positive and powerful light.

I have wanted to read a Charlie Donlea book for awhile, and this one, being the first in a series was a perfect pick. Rory Moore is a quirky forensic reconstructionist who investigates cold murder cases. She works alone and is often asked to look into a case that has the local police force stumped. She has an ability to pick up hidden details that have been overlooked by the police. She is also a lawyer, but does not practice, although she has helped her father on occasion. When her father passes away, she is left to close down his law practice. While she is going through his papers to do this, she comes across a case that she needs to find out about. It seems that a convicted murderer is about to be released on parole after 40 years in prison and her father has been working with a local judge to prepare for his release and conditions for parole. Rory is coerced into taking on this case, but she can't stop at that. She begins her own investigation to find out what her father had been researching.

This story is told in two timelines, Angela from 40 years earlier and now Rory. Both of these characters appear to be on the autism spectrum with the ability to see small pieces of a puzzle and arrange them to find an answer that eludes others. I loved them both, especially as my grandson is on the spectrum and has some of these traits as well. Charlie Donlea does a wonderful job with these two characters, developing their personalities and showing their quirks and foibles in a positive light. The story was engrossing and hooked me right from the beginning. I thought I had things figured out, then found out that I was wrong. There were clues dropped throughout the story that lead this reader on a wonderful ride. There is darkness in this book where the crimes are concerned, so if you do not want to read about rather sadistic criminal rituals, you might want to give this one a pass. Overall this is a well plotted story with great characters and heart-pounding action and a huge twist/reveal at the end. I am definitely going to be looking for more books by this talented author.

RATING: 3 STARS
2019; Kensington Books

After two great Charlie Donlea novels, The Girl Who Was Taken and Don't Believe It, I thought why not try a third. I should have stopped at two, why did I push it? I was excited to start this one knowing that it would be a series, and book two was out this month. Having a flawed female lead was music to my ears, but from about 15% in, I knew this would be a tougher read. The story did not flow as quickly as the other two did, for me. I really had to push myself forward to get through it. I had set up a buddy read for the newest book with a friend, and I had to let her down as I just couldn't motivate myself to pick up the second book. I have put the audio on hold as I think I will need it to get through it. Reading other reviews and hearing feedback from my friend it seems like the next book doesn't get better. While others had the same views on Some Choose Darkness, I did wonder if I also found it hard to read as the first two were so well done. Either way I am still in it with this author. I was hoping that if anyone had a series it would be Livia. Maybe in the future?

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

This was a hard one for me to get into. For a year I'd pick it up every now and then and read a few pages. I got to about a quarter of the way through when things clicked into place for me. Overall this was a solid book. The characters are flawed but they're real. I liked the fact that Rory has social anxiety because that's something I struggle with. Rory is very competent at her job. I felt for Angela Mitchell. Both women are strong in their own way despite their idiosyncrasies. I'm glad I never gave up on this one! It's a great read and I'm already onto book number two!

Charlie Donlea erupted from the publishing gate an accomplished author, so no surprise what a riveting novel is SOME CHOOSE DARKNESS, the first in an electrifying new series, starring an unusual protagonist, forensic reconstructionist Rory Moore and partner Lane Phillips, founder of the Murder Accountability Project and inventor of an algorithm to recognize and identify homicide trends. Rory has a rather unique mind-set, in some ways akin to Asperger's Syndrome, so her work is almost all mental, psychological, intuitive, or research. Herein is where the novel becomes really complicated and also profoundly disturbing. Without spoiling, I'll just say that Rory is suddenly and unexpectedly thrust into a case from 1979, and author Donlea so capably delineates the autistic genius housewife who different mental organization identified the killer plus a pattern reaching back a decade, at least. It is following her and learning how she had bern treated all her life and watching as unwittingly the noose of danger tightens around her, that I found so incredibly perturbing, unsettling, painful--and tremendously engrossing.


SOME CHOOSE DARKNESS was released in May 2019; Book Two, THE SUICIDE HOUSE, will be released in July 2020.

5 stars!

Another outstanding fast-paced, gripping thriller by Charlie Donela! I loved everything about this book!

Rory Moore is a quirky forensic reconstructionist who investigates cold murder cases. She insists on working alone and has an unexplained ability to pick up hidden details that have been overlooked by the police force, making her a valuable asset to local detectives. Rory’s father passes away, leaving her to close down his law practice. Through this process, Rory is introduced to a case that she can’t shake. A convicted murderer who has been in prison for the last forty years is set to be released on parole and her father was his attorney. While she dreads having to face the courtroom and public eye on such an infamous case, she is deeply drawn into the clients’ history and solving the many unanswered questions.

I have read and loved all of Charlie Donlea’s books and this is no exception! He has the magical writing formula that makes his novels undeniably captivating, addictively suspenseful and heart-poundingly unforgettable. He creates vivid and fascinating characters that engross and wrap you up in the story from page one. He consistently provides an absolutely fantastic read leaving me itching to read his next work!

I absolutely adored the main characters in this book! They were strong, flawed, unique females who I was fully invested in from start to finish. Donlea included characters on the autism spectrum within the story, leaving an impactful impression. I truly felt for these characters, immersed in their world, getting a serious glimpse into their minds and struggles. It was eye-opening, engrossing and heart wrenching.

Warning: the crimes involved within the plot are very dark, creepy and disturbing. Though they made me uncomfortable while reading them, it heightened the suspense and fueled my fascination to find out how things would come together in the end.

This was a Traveling Sister read that we all loved! To find our reviews, please visit our blog at:

https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/2...

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books and Charlie Donlea for providing me with an ARC to read and review!

Someone needs to make a movie if this book ASAP. I enjoyed every page, and instantly wanted more.

This is a must read!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Title: Some Choose Darkness

Author : Charlie Donlea

Genre: mystery

Rating:3

The truth is easy to miss, even when it’s right in front of us. As a forensic reconstructionist, Rory Moore sheds light on cold-case homicides by piecing together crime scene details others fail to see. Cleaning out her late father’s law office a week after his burial, she receives a call that plunges her into a decades-old case come to life once more. In the summer of 1979, five Chicago women went missing. The predator, nicknamed The Thief, left no bodies and no clues behind—until police received a package from a mysterious woman named Angela Mitchell, whose unorthodox investigation skills appear to have led to his identity. But before they could question her, Angela disappeared. Forty years later, The Thief is about to be paroled for Angela’s murder—the only crime the DA could pin on him. But the cryptic file Rory finds in her father’s law office suggests there is more to the case, and Angela Mitchell, than what was fed to the public, the details of which have been buried for four decades. Rory’s talents are tested as she begins reconstructing Angela’s last days. Making one startling discovery after another, Rory becomes helplessly entangled in the enigma of Angela Mitchell and what happened to her. Drawing connections between the past and present, Rory uncovers dark truths about the reclusive victim, her father, and the man called The Thief that send her down a twisting trail where things may not be as they appear. As she continues to dig, even Rory can’t be prepared for the full, terrifying truth that is emerging . . .

My thoughts

Would I recommend it? Yes

Would I read anything else by this author? Yes

This was my first time reading anything by this author and while I did like it and enjoyed reading it , there was times I want to put it down because of how slow it seemed to go , I did love however the way the author told the story from both the present and the past , and the way she brings to live Angela and how people treated others who was on the autism spectrum. But one thing I wish it went into a little more bit details àbout was Roy's job as

forensic reconstructionist,but over all it was still good ,with that said I want to thank NetGalley for letting me read and review it .

What a page turner this book was! I picked this book up because I was in the mood for a thriller and had been hearing good things about this book. It definitely didn't disappoint! One of the things that I enjoyed about this book was the short chapters that kept me unable to set this book down. The book was fast paced to begin with - then you add in the short chapters and I just couldn't stop reading. I also really liked Rory's character. She was unique in ways that I didn't expect but it left me so intrigued by her character. The book is told in two parts - one is Rory's current investigation into what happened to Angela Mitchell and the other part is told from Angela Mitchell's viewpoint so many years ago. The author went between the two storylines seamlessly and in a way that just added to the overall level of suspense. I remember thinking when I finished this book (which is sadly a few months ago now) that this is what a good suspenseful mystery/thriller should be like. It was just that kind of book! I didn't want to stop reading, couldn't wait to see what happened next, and was completely invested in how everything was going to turn out. What more could you really ask for?

I don't want to give anything away so I'm going to leave my thoughts on this one short and sweet. It's an author that I cannot wait to read more of though and a book that made it on my top reads list for 2019. I'm excited that I have backlist books of his to look forward to plus I believe he has a new one releasing in 2020. I'll definitely be keeping that book high on my radar after enjoying this one so much! Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: A top ten read for me in 2019 - I feel like that says it best!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I ended up reading a copy courtesy of my local library. Honest thoughts are my own.

Some choose darkness, others are chosen by it.

What a brilliant book! Charlie Donlea’s spellbinding storytelling had me completely riveted. Pulse pounding, dark, engrossing, disturbing, intelligent, twisted, compulsive, thrilling. I truly don’t think I could ask for much more from a thriller.

Rory works on cold cases reenacting the crime scenes. When her father passes away she is tasked with cleaning up his law offices. She is able to pawn off all of his cases but one. The case is over 40 years old and it involves a criminal dubbed The Thief convicted of killing his wife and currently up for parole. Rory is intrigued by what drew her father to this case involving a possible serial killer. The story jumps around between 1979 and the present. I was completely captivated by this addictive tale that kept me on the edge of my seat. Rory was a unique character so strong, so smart, and yet still so exposed. She is also on the autism spectrum. This was something she had in common with the 1979 victim Angela and I believe it was something handled extremely well in the story. This is a dark gritty thriller that will appeal to anyone who enjoys darker thrillers, cold cases, and remarkable storytelling.

This book in emojis. 📦 🖤 🗄 🤍 📁 💓

*** Big thanks to Kensington for my copy of this book ***

Some Choose Darkness is a creepy serial killer mystery that is captivating and suspenseful. This book explores the mindset of serial killers as it weaves the stories of the main character Rory with a string of murders that took place in the 70's. The characterization is great, plotting is excellent and the creepy suspense is outstanding! It is thrilling and held my interest throughout. I highly recommend this book. I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of this book.
#SomeChooseDarkness #NetGalley

Some Choose Darkness by Charlie Donlea is a twisted psychological thriller. I found the main character Rory and her quest fascinating. Her childhood memories are more than a little disturbing and the quest she takes on, well it is full of unexpected twists and turns. I enjoy this genre and found this book to be one of the best that I've read in the genre in quite a while. Readers of psychological thrillers will adore this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

*5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Whoaaaaa! This book was so amazing. It had me hooked right from the very start, and as I slowly started forming my own opinions and wondering who did what, who was the suspect, and how everyone else linked in together, I was thrown even more things to think about.

I found that whilst I was on point for some, other parts of this story really surprised me, and others not so much.

I really liked our main present day character Rory, and I also felt it easy to like our main character from the past, Angela, as well. It's also interesting to have main characters who have their own personal quirks and issues, particularly with Autism being one of them. I found it very interesting to read the level of intelligence of people with Autism, as a main character of a novel, and think it's a wonderful thing that Donlea has done to highlight certain aspects of this. Particularly with the time difference in this one, with the case spanning from the past to present over such a long time frame, and how social aspects play into this as well.

This novel has layers upon layers, and characters upon characters that all fit together in the end (some you will see coming), and it had me hanging on to the edge of my seat with every word. I stayed up as late as I could possibly bring myself to on a work night, and I was disappointed each time my work breaks would be over and I had to stop reading. Such was the need I had to finish this book and find out all the answers.

An unputdownable read, I highly recommend, and truly look forward to more from Charlie Donlea.