Some Choose Darkness by Charlie Donlea is outstanding! Rory Moore is 40 and lives in Chicago. She reconstructs crime scenes for cold cases to help solve them. When her father, an attorney, dies she is tasked with cleaning out his caseload and his office. Rory is also a lawyer but she does not practice. One of her dad’s cases is that of The Thief, an infamous killer from 1979. He’s been in prison ever since, charged with killing his wife. However, he is suspected in the disappearance and murders of many other women in Chicago during the summer of 1979. He’s about to get out on parole and Rory has to represent him.
The story also follows Angela, a housewife from 1979. She is autistic and has OCD. She is very interested in the killings and disappearance of these women. She is on the trail of the killer. Angela and Rory‘s lives are connected by this case. I don’t want to say too much more because I don’t want to give anything away. This book, like all of Charlie Donlea’s other books, is fascinating. You definitely want to read this one! Thank you to Kensington and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

t some point in very killer's existence, choice is made. Some choose darkness, others are chosen by it.

I may get a little gushy but I am a big fan of Charlie Donlea. He starts each novel with a shocking event and ends with a building climax. This is no different but I have to say it only gets better.

A serial killer is on the loose in 1979 in Chicago. He is known as the thief as he takes women and their bodies are never recovered. A killer that has been able to allude the police and has the Chicago area terrified. Angela Mitchell becomes obsessed as the news stations reports another theft. Angela is different in the way she processes things that grab her attention. And this reporting has done more than grab her attention. She feels a connection to these women and must find out what happened to them. Angela's husband has been kind to the differences of his wife has and is worried that she may go into another relapse that had her hospitalized when she was a teenager. However, Angela is determined to know everything she can know about each victim, looks into every story, researches and sees patterns that nobody else sees. She begins to look at suspects and what she finds is terrifying ...and then she disappears without a trace.

40 years later in Chicago, Rory Moore works on cold cases reconstructing the case. Finding details that others miss and honing on those details to where the evidence lies. Her boyfriend and her work together Murder Accountability Project. Putting this project together Rory's boyfriend wrote a thesis on serial killers titled "Some Choose Darkness. Lane is one of the few people that Rory has any physical contact with and that includes her eyes. She protects herself by wearing eye glasses, a beanie and army boots. Her boss at the police department is use to Rory's quirks so when he sets up a meeting with her, he uses the one thing that is close to her heart. A hobby of sorts that calms and helps her refocus. The art of reconstructing dolls. A hobby that she obtained from her aunt Greta. At her aunt Greta's farm, she would go there to calm her anxieties and the nightmares that plagued her. Her bosses ploy was for her to find what happened to the doll's owner. A young woman found in a Chicago park. Her family needs closure and with the reconstruction of the their daughter's doll, they have some type peace. In the chaos of this case, her father an attorney has passed away. In closing his small firm down, she is given a case by the judge of a client that is up for parole. The client being suspected for the killing of Angela Mitchell.

The narration goes back from Angela, the killer who later is identified, and Rory. The character building is a genius. Angela though she appears weak, is strong minded and methodical in her thinking, the killer is all about the Rush, his next victim, and how he will make Angela pay. Rory is the most complex ed as she is known for her work to see things that no one else sees but is blinded by the connection with her father, Angela and the Thief. About 1/2 way thru the book, the chapter titled Chicago, May 1982, I knew and it was like BOOM and at the end of that chapter I didn't see it coming and another BOOM. And by the end of the book, the chapters are short but nail biting, tension building as Rory finally sees what has been in front of her all this time.

Highly recommend for all thrill lovers.

A Special Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I remember the first time I read about Asperger Syndrome, and I've been intrigued by the variation in individuals, in both the variety of symptoms and the severity, ever since. The Autism spectrum is wide, but on the higher end of the scale, those with Asperger Syndrome may be extremely intelligent and capable of handling many of the debilitating symptoms by developing coping mechanisms to help them through daily challenges.

Rory Moore, a forensic reconstructionalist, has difficulty in social situations, struggles to make eye contact, and has intensely focused interests, but Rory has also had a childhood that supported her--both her parents and her great-aunt Greta have given her a sense of stability. Her long-term partner Lane Philips understands her, and his career dovetails with Rory's so that they have a shared interest.

So...on to the plot. Rory works with the police and with her partner's Murder Accountability Project, both of which allow her to work on her own. After her father's death, Rory finds herself in a difficult situation when a judge requires her to become involved with the prison release hearing of a murderer her father defended decades ago. The murderer known as The Thief (because the bodies were never recovered) was convicted of only one murder, even without the evidence of a body, but is suspected of the disappearances of the other women as well.

Rory has a law degree, but has never practiced, partly because of her difficulty dealing with people, but the judge gives her no choice. As she prepares for the hearing, she is puzzled by some of her father's notes and continues digging.

Told in two time-lines, the book shifts from Rory in the present to Angela Mitchell, a young married woman in 1979, when women in Chicago were going missing. Rory becomes fascinated with her father's involvement with the case and with Angela Mitchell, who suffered from some of the same symptoms Rory has. Rory recognizes that Angela was on the Autism spectrum, which was not widely recognized at the time. Angela had developed a hyper-focused interest in the missing women and was doing research on her own when she disappeared shortly before The Thief was arrested.

Some Choose Darkness is compelling and has a few twists that kept me engrossed throughout. I'm hoping Donlea is considering a series with Rory Moore.

NetGalley/Kensington Books
Crime/Suspense. May 28, 2019. Print length: 304 pages.

Unbelievable story. Such suspense and intrigue that has you gripped until the end. First time for this fabulous writer. Definitely not the last.

A solid gripping murder mystery that held my attention till the very end.

We have two parallel stories a murder mystery in 1979 Chicago and a current one where a forensic re-constructionist takes over her father's work after his sudden death.

The way the author weaves those seemingly unrelated stories together is very clever and I really enjoyed the build up and all the revelations leading to the final outcome. An entertaining and suspenseful read that I highly recommend.

Thanks Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This is a cracking read. Lean and certainly mean, its a beast of a book, a real page turner.

Our main protagonist Rory is a forensic re-constructionist. She usually works on legacy cases, sifting through the clues and seeing what others have missed. Socially awkward, she keeps herself to herself and has few friends.

When her father dies suddenly, she is left to look after his estate, which includes his one man law firm. She passes all but one of his cases on to other firms but a judge insists that she take over the case of one man, who the judge and her father had been working on his release after 40 years incarcerated. Known as The Thief, he is a serial killer from the late 70s and for some reason her father has been his legal council from the off set.

The story is told in two timelines, the present day and the late 70s when the Thief was active.
It has a real epic feel about it, cinematic in many ways. I can easily imagine this story being adapted to the big screen.

There is great tension throughout and we are drip fed pieces of the story as it goes off on some mad tangents.

I really loved this book. It did have quite a darkness to it but the writing is so confident and assured that it makes compulsive reading. The story is quite clever and is fleshed out perfectly. At a little over 300 pages it doesnt overstay its welcome. Like a 90 minute film its the perfect run time.

Highly recommened.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Kensington Books and Charlie Donlea for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first read of a Charlie Donlea book and I was so impressed by his scintillating abilities in creating and developing his characters that drive this fabulous piece of dark and disturbing crime fiction. Here, unusually, he gives us two brilliant female protagonists, both of whom are on the autism spectrum. The truth can be staring at us, right in front of our faces, but we can be blind to it. The offbeat Rory Moore is a gifted forensic reconstructionist, working on cold cases, able to see what others miss. Her lawyer father has recently died, and Rory is picking up the pieces, dealing with his workload and reallocating it. Chicago Detective Ron Davidson has Rory looking at a case where a body was discovered in Grant Park, a case with features that emulate those of a serial killer called The Thief back in 1979. At that time, five women disappeared, within a terror struck city, their bodies have never been recovered.

It turns out that Rory's father represented The Thief, who has served 40 years behind bars, and he is now up for parole, Rory is to now find herself having to represent him. In 1979, Angela Mitchell lived in a time where autism is little understood, and she is perceived to be suffering from mental illnesses. Angela takes a rather close interest in the murders, engaging in detailed research focusing on patterns, coming at the case from directions that are to surprise the police but which is to put Angela in severe danger. She disappears, and it was for this that The Thief was convicted. In a narrative that goes back and forth in time, Rory is surprised by her father's role, becomes interested in Angela, seeing aspects of her own traits replicated in the remarkable woman, as the past and present connect.

Donlea engages in complex, dark, disturbing and highly suspenseful storytelling that draws the reader in with ease. He does a stellar job in providing an authentic portrayal of autism with the wonderful characters of Rory and Angela, a condition that equips both to see what is beyond the capacity of the police to discern. It is this that differentiates this crime read from others and makes this such an exciting and worthy read that I recommend to other fans of crime fiction. Many thanks to Kensington Books for an ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars.

I have read all of Charlie Donlea’s books and I have never been disappointed. This was another really good one. It alternated between the search for a serial killer in 1979 and current day where Rory, a forensic reconstructionist, has had to take over her father’s law practice after his sudden death.

The way that the two stories were weaved together made for an interesting and entertaining read and even though I saw some of the reveals coming before they were actually revealed, it was still a very solid book. There was a lot of suspense and I was holding my breath waiting to see what would happen next. Looking forward to Donlea’s next thriller.

Another superb read by Charlie Donlea. Some Choose Darkness will keep you reading until the final page!

Rory is a forensic re-constructionist. When her father passes suddenly, she’s tasked with over-seeing his estate, which among other things, includes his one-man law firm.
Fortunately for Rory, she’s able to hand off nearly every file for review. All but one.

A man dubbed “The Thief” is up for parole and the judge won’t let Rory out of taking charge, insisting she personally see it through to the end.
The further Rory digs into the case, the extent of her father’s involvement with this case comes to the surface.
Told in two timelines, 1979 and the present, with the story-line traversing in directions you could never imagine!

Charlie Donlea is a masterful storyteller, drawing you in and holding you like a vice-grip to the very last page.
A thoroughly marvelous ride, so hold on tightly! "It's going to be a bumpy ride.” And chances are good you won’t see the twists coming!

This is the third book I’ve read of Charlie Donlea and once again, as with his previous books, I’m handing out five well deserved stars! My toes are tapping impatiently and I CANNOT wait for his next release!

Thank you to Kensington Books via NetGalley and Charlie Donlea for an ARC to read and review.

The story flicks between present day with Rory and back to 1979 with Angela who has growing concerns over the disappearance of young women.

I enjoyed that this wasn’t your stereo typical detective thriller. Rory is far from one for a start, but her choice of career means that she is still very much in the thick of it and even though she is taking a break, her interest is piqued enough the more she discovers about Angela and the disappearance of the women.

I really had no clue where the author was taking me with this story. Nothing is straight forward with the path we are taken down, getting darker and more sinister with each page turned. It really makes for a compelling read that will have you racing towards the end.

Some Choose Darkness is one dark and twisted read that gave me goosebumps. Will certainly be interested to see if the author intends on making this into a series or leaving it as a stand alone as I think Rory has great potential. A sinister, page turner of a read.

3.75 stars

I was Invited by the THIEF himself to read his story (well, actually by Kensington Publishing, in a very clever letter)..and could not pass up the the chance at reading this ARC, having loved “Don’t Believe It” by Charlie Donlea, a 5 star read for me...

This story is about five women who went missing from the streets of Chicago in 1979, and the man suspected of killing them, dubbed The Thief, by the press. He was incarcerated for the death of only one, as the others could not be positively tied to him.

Told in two timelines, 1979, and 2019, the year that the thief is being released from prison after being in jail for 40 years....

The Thief has one mission...find the woman who put him in jail...an autistic woman, Angela, misunderstood In the year 1979, who managed to figure out patterns, that the police could not, identifying him as the killer.

But, there is another woman, Rory, who works on the murder Accountability Project, in 2019, a project that has created an algorithm that finds similarities between homocides that might point to trends and serial killers..twelve so far, who becomes involved with the upcoming release of this man...

Sharing many of the same characteristics as the woman who came before her, she may finally be the one to link him to the other murders, with the help of computers and the internet, being used at the project.

If I was asked to describe this book in one word, I would choose the word : DISTURBING

As I read on, to find out if what appeared to be the INEVITABLE, would happen...I was really bothered.
This is a DARK book, and what the women endured is NOT pretty. Hard to read before going to bed....

Not as highly rated for me, as my previous read from the author, because I was not surprised by MUCH...I actually could figure out how the two narratives would tie together. But, I still enjoy the author’s writing and I WAS satisfied with the ending, which is not always the case for me with thrillers....I need to buy into the ending of a book. I can not suspend disbelief just for the sake of a shocking conclusion.

This I could believe.

Some Choose Darkness..(Others are Chosen By It) is available May 28, 2019 and can be pre-ordered now!

4.5 stars

SO GOOD!!

"Some choose darkness, others are chosen by it."

Some Choose Darkness is an intriguing psychological thriller about a serial killer and two women who get drawn into his dark and twisted world.

Rory Moore, a forensic reconstructionist on the autism spectrum, finds herself involved in a complicated case when she learns that her recently deceased father, a lawyer, was representing a notorious serial killer known as “The Thief.” Determined to know why her father was representing “The Thief,” Rory uses her forensic skills to piece together what others do not see. The more she learns about “The Thief” the more she finds herself drawn to Angela Miller, a woman who was involved in “The Thief” case over 40 years ago.

Flashback to 1979--Angela Miller is a woman obsessed with “The Thief.” Similar to Rory, Angela is on the spectrum, but it is the 1970’s and autism is not understood. Also like Rory, Angela has a unique ability to put together what others do not see. As her obsession with “The Thief” grows, she finds herself in grave danger.

There were so many things I loved about Some Choose Darkness, but Rory’s character is what stood out the most to me. She is intelligent, original, tough, and, at the same time, extremely vulnerable. All in all, she is fascinating! A series could be built around her character.

I also loved the way the mystery unfolded. Donlea writes in a way where he doesn’t create any unnecessary red herrings, twists, or distractions. At the same time, I was oblivious to what was happening. I am not sure if it was because I was so invested in Rory's and Angela’s stories or if just wasn’t being a sharp reader! There were many blatant clues given and I read right past them. “The truth is easy to miss, even when it is right in front of us.”

This is a fast-paced, gripping read that is filled with darkness and some surprising twists and turns. The characters are captivating and I was engrossed in the mystery. Be warned, the tone is dark and sinister with some flashes of light and love. There are some scenes from the murderer’s POV and these are quite disturbing. Rory and Angela’s characters offer an original take on forensic investigations. I have read all of Charlie Donlea’s novels, and I have to say Some Choose Darkness is my favorite so far! I highly recommend!!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review.

A really good thriller - engaging from page 1. Lots of chills and “oh sh*t” moments as the story all came together (mostly in the second half). Also appreciated the closure in the end - don’t always get that with these type of stories!! My only complaint would be that the character narratives switched a little too often, but overall a very enjoyable and well-written read!!

Some Choose Darkness is the latest novel by Charlie Donlea. Mr. Donlea tells us the story by going back and forth in time, from today to 1979 and eventually 1981. Fair warning with this one, it soon becomes impossible to put down. Some Choose Darkness is the first book I've read by Donlea and I'm looking forward to reading more of his work. I was given an early copy to review.

Wow this is a first class thriller I was drawn in immediately so many twists turns and shocks.I love thrillers that hold my attention and that I just can’t put down.Highly rec this book this author. #netgalley #kennsingtonbooks.

Charlie Donlea scores another 5 stars, just like I knew he would!

Another intricately woven story going back and forth through time, with multiple possible suspects and a wide web of mystery to solve. We also have an incredible new personality, Rory Moore, who we can add to the list of Donlea characters we want to see in future books!

Some Choose Darkness stars not one but TWO high functioning autistic characters in two different time periods so we can see how differently autism was treated from the 1970s to today. We get a little glimpse into how certain autistic minds work, and we see how much intelligence can be lurking in the brains of those who appear to behave differently to an outsider. I want to clarify that I do not know a lot about autism, so I cannot vouch for how accurate the descriptions are, but both characters do appear to be somewhere on the spectrum.

I don’t like to give any story details away when I review Donlea’s books, they are best enjoyed knowing nothing in advance. There is murder involved but only a couple of very scary scenes. Most of the book is spent getting to know the well-developed characters and trying to solve the mystery. It is creepy and immensely satisfying, and you aren’t left wondering about plot holes when it’s over. In fact, Donlea weaves some of the most intricate stories but can deliver an ending all folded nicely together with a perfect bow on top. This feels so satisfying after reading other books with only a few characters and a complete mess of a plot.

The only issue I have is that so much attention is given to a certain beer: Dark Lord Imperial Stout. It is an actual brand and made to sound so delicious, yet it will be almost impossible for me to ever try one. It's now on my bucket list!

Charlie Donlea is one of the most solidly dependable writers of thrillers and mysteries, and he remains my favorite with Some Choose Darkness. I’m going to say it again: More books with Rory Moore!!

This was a thrilling novel, yes. But the character development was outstanding. I really felt as if I got inside their motivations and emotions throughout the novel. I read the whole first half without break. But alas, I needed sleep. Second half was read between the demands of the day because I didn't want to put this down til I'd read every word.

This is my second Charlie Donlea book and it most definitely will not be my last!

On the surface Some Choose Darkness may seem like your typical formulaic mystery/thriller, but with a blend of past and present narration and an in-depth focus on several characters, it is so much more than that.

This book has an engaging storyline, well-developed characters and one heck of an emotional punch.

But the best part, my favourite part, is the normalisation of Autism. ASD gets a bad rap, mostly because it’s widely misunderstood, the easiest way to describe it, is that an autistic person’s brain works a little different from a neuro typical person’s one. And Donlea masterfully portrayed this.

Many thanks to Charlie Donlea, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the invitation to read an arc of this book.

I wasn’t quite sure as to what Rory Moore, a forensic reconstructionist, was but discovered she was masterful at taking on cold-case homicides by piecing together crime scene details others failed to see. Rory was very picky about what cases she would take on because of the intensity of the work and reconstructing a victims life. However, after cleaning out her deceased 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 – one she couldn’t refuse to work on.

In the summer of 1979, five Chicago women went missing no clues - no bodies. The villain was nicknamed The Thief . Finally the 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, details which had been buried for forty years!

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 this reader sped thru the pages, even she was surprised for the for the full, terrifying truth that emerged!