I want to read about Jessie Duval. Her back story is horrific and fascinating. So often I read about people making ridiculous decisions and bad choices without reason. Jessie has reasons for every time she acts out. She is trying to figure out how to live as a real person after an abusive childhood and a short incarceration for assault and stalking. She is catering for a small, new company in Nashville and trying to avoid the country music star family she is ordered to stay away from forever.

Just watching the inner workings of Jessie's mind as she tries to figure out how to maneuver through the minefield of living on her own in a city where she seems surrounded by bad memories and the opportunity to make bad choices around every corner. She just doesn't know who to trust, except her therapist and maybe the cop who put her away a year ago.

3.5 ⭐️‘s
Jessie is definitely a character worth rooting for. As a child in the foster care system she was locked in a closet in the dark for a year. In that closet the only thing she had was a discman and one cd. The cd was an album of the country duo Shelly and Owen James. In that closet Jessie became overly attached to Shelly and Owen. She dreamed about them being a family. A few years later she follows their tour from city to city and finds herself in trouble as a situation occurs at their last concert on tour. Now she is trying to put her life back in order, having her own apartment and a job with a caterer in Nashville. When she works a graduation party she has no idea that Shelly and Owen will be there and she’s now broken her restraining order. When the James’s book a party things really get interesting, especially when Shelly turns up dead. Jessie is now suspect number one and must set out to prove her innocence. Jessie is a character that tugs at your heartstrings. Someone you want to take under your wing and teach how to trust and open her heart to love. The story starts a bit slowly, but picks up along the way. It was quite easy to figure out The who, but not the why. An entertaining read with a pleasing ending.

Filled with tension and drama. Lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. Strong writing with vivid characters. It will draw you right in. Definitely check this out. Happy reading!

Jessie Duval had a rough childhood. Even for a foster kid, she had a bad time. She spent an entire year locked in a closet, with daily deliveries of food and water, and only a personal CD player with one CD to keep her company. But that disc became her whole world. Country musicians Shelly and Owen James sang songs of home, of love, of a world that burst with hope and family and life. That one CD kept Jessie alive.

Now she’s an adult. Jessie has a job working at a catering company, prepping the food for big events. She lives on her own. She sees a psychologist weekly, as part of her parole. But she’s doing well.

There was a time when she wasn’t. At first when she was on her own, she got a job, saved up her money, and followed the James on their cross-country tour. She got tickets to every concert. She knew every song. She knew how to survive cheaply on the road. And she was known by all the security officers working on that tour. At the last show, there was an incident that got out of control, and Jessie had been arrested. She had been carrying a knife for personal safety, and when the tour security found it, she was arrested and called a dangerous stalker. But she did her time and now she’s getting her life back together.

And then, one of the wait staff at the catering company quits. Jessie’s boss needs her to help at the event as well as doing the prep. And when he comes to her and asks her to sign a non-disclosure agreement for celebrities who will be at the party, Jessie knows. She knows as well as she knows anything that Shelly and Owen James will be there. She knows she shouldn’t go. The restraining order against her is a part of her parole. She can’t find the words to tell her boss that she can’t go.

But when she does cater the event with the James, Jessie finds herself in a web of deceit and danger that she struggles to understand. Will she be able to figure out what’s going on before she finds herself in a situation she can’t escape from, or will she find herself back in jail, separated from the life she was just starting to enjoy?

Nashville resident R. J. Jacobs brings the flavor of the city to his new thriller Somewhere in the Dark. A psychologist himself, he understands the type of damage that extreme childhood neglect can cause, and he gets into Jessie’s head in a sympathetic way.

I enjoyed this novel, but I also struggled. Sometimes I could feel Jessie’s pain and shame and frustration so clearly that it was hard to read. But she is a fantastic character, and a survivor, and I was so glad I got to spend some time with her. Having lived in Nashville a few years myself (many years ago, and no, I did not want to get into the country music business—although even with my limited social life, I knew an aspiring songwriter), it was lovely to get a taste of the city again. It is a wonderful place to live, and there are days I miss it still, so I loved getting a chance to run around it with Jessie was loads of fun.

Somewhere in the Dark is a powerful thriller with some dark moments, but it’s worth taking the trip if you can handle hearing about the extreme child abuse.

Egalleys for Somewhere in the Dark were provided by Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Somewhere in the Dark by R. J. Jacobs is a highly recommended psychological thriller/mystery.

Jessie Duval's life is finally on the path to recovery. She is living in Nashville, has an apartment, sees a therapist she likes, and enjoys her prep job with a catering company. After a childhood of abuse and neglect, which included a year living in the dark in a locked closet, she is learning coping skills to overcome her issues. The one rule she must legally follow is to stay away from singers Owen and Shelly James. Jessie was obsessed with them for a reason and followed their concert tour for a year, but after therapy she understands what happened and has changed. Although she is still fragile, she is now doing well for herself.

Jessie just likes prep work, but her boss convinces her she will do a fine job serving at a graduation party after his help quits. Shelly James shows up at the party with Owen and their daughter, and Jessie tries to keep out of their sight. Subsequently, when the James's hire their catering company for a party, Jessie knows she should stay away, but she is finally talked into doing the job by a surprising source. After the party, when Shelly turns up dead, Jessie is a suspect, but there is a whole lot more going on than people realize and Jessie may have the key to who did it.

The narrative starts slowly as Jessie, her problems, and her background are introduced and explained. Since Jacobs is a psychologist, he delves into her trauma, background, thought processes, anxiety, and coping mechanisms resulting in Jessie being a sympathetic character that you will trust and feel supportive of her recovery. She is very observant and, although broken, she is in many ways also stronger than people realize. Jessie is a great character to build a story on because you want her to to be safe and continue on the path to wellness.

The novel is well-written, with several strengths and a few weaknesses. Obviously, the creation of the character of Jessie is a strength. She is a captivating character and she does carry most of the plot. Some of the supporting characters are not as fully realized, but it doesn't affect the plot negatively as the action starts and keeps moving. After the slow set up the plot takes off at a brisk pace once Jessie starts searching for answers. Everything quickly reaches a breakneck speed up to the twisty, surprising climax. The conclusion is uplifting and hopeful, which is a winning way to end the narrative.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House.
The review will be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

For me this book started off sort of slow, but as the book progressed it did pick up speed. This was a new author for me, but it was one of my favorite genres and I am always in search of new authors to fall in love with. The story follows Jessie whom has had a horrible child hood, and bears the scars to prove it. This book will leave you guessing until the end. I would recommend it to others.

I received a ARC from NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author and am under no obligation to leave a good review, all opinions expressed here are my own.

I very rarely wish a book were longer, but I think this book would have been even better with another 50 pages of so of background and explanation. It is solidly done overall, and I thought the set up was absolutely fascinating, with a lot of really intriguing threads that could be pulled. I've been very much enjoying this author and will certainly read future books as well.

Jessie makes this book! She’s a character you root for like crazy and hope that she can keep her act together. After overcoming a horrible childhood bouncing from foster home to foster home, including being locked up in a closet in the dark for over a year, Jessie is finally on the right track. She’s got a job she loves at a catering company preparing food, her own apartment that she keeps tidy as a pin, and a therapist that she likes. This one is set in Nashville and I really liked that setting.

We learn more about the awful year in the closet and the fact that all she had was a discman and one CD to listen to over and over – the hit country duo of Shelly and Owen James. This CD is the only thing that helps her keep her sanity that year, so it’s not surprising that when she’s finally discovered in the closet and out on her own, she seeks out the James family following them on tour. The problem is that what she’s really doing is stalking the musicians and eventually it all falls apart at a concert.

The book’s pace and tension really pick up when Jessie ends up catering at a party where the James couple shows up, she’s required to keep her distance by court order. Things take a tragic turn and soon Jessie is suspect #1 for the police. My anxiety for Jessie was ratcheting up with every turn of events.

This one made me think about what early trauma does to a person and how hard you have to work to overcome that and find traditional success and happiness. Jessie was doing so well and had learned some great coping techniques from her therapist to help with anxiety. She had a job that really worked well for her and she was following all the rules. When something goes wrong, the system/the police seem to be very quick to forget about second chances for people. It’s also easy to target these folks and try to take advantage of them.

There’s a great relationship with a detective that develops and I’m hopeful that Jessie finds some real happiness and love. I also hope that she keeps her catering job. This character really got to me if I’m wishing to know more after the book ends!

I also enjoyed the author's first book "And Then You Were Gone."

Jessie was accused of stalking music star Shelley, who she idolizes, but she did her time, had her counseling and is trying to make a new life when she finds herself in the spotlight again. Shelley's been murdered and Jessie, who wasn't supposed to be anywhere near her, had worked at an event she was scheduled to attend. Now she's got to find out who really did it. That part isn't as hard for the reader, perhaps, as it is for Jessie. She had a horrible- truly heinous- childhood; it was a journey through foster homes. And then she spent over a year in a closet with only music from Shelley and her husband Owen. Her psychological state, starting with PTSD, figures large in this well done portrait of a young woman who must fight to keep herself stable as well as out of jail. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good characters, good atmospherics, and a nice storytelling style make this a good read.

If you want a dark, psychological, thriller this is the book for you! Jessie has a tragic and disturbing childhood that resulted in coping mechanisms that lead her to follow superstar Shelly James on tour and result in her arrest. At first you think the arrest will be another tragic incident in Jessie's life, but she manages to turn her life around with an apartment, a job and lots of therapy. But one night will derail all her hard work. As hard as she worked to put her past behind her, it might be the only thing to keep her out of jail for murder. R.J. Jacobs created an edgy, fast paced, story with layers that slowly unravel until the very end.

This was such a good read! I thought it was very well-written, especially when dealing with the main character, her past and her PTSD & anxiety. I thought that the way the case was solved & the way information came to light was unique.

Poor Jessie had a terrible childhood, when gets older she becomes obsessed with a singing duo. This gets her in a lot of trouble as she starts stalking them. Although she doesn’t consider it stalking, she is just an obsessed fan. She is ordered to stay away from them, in fact has a restraining order, and if she gets caught near them she will go to jail for up to 15 years. She gets a job at a catering company and finds herself at a party where they are. The trouble starts from here..

[4.5/5] I'm always in the mood for a unique thriller - especially one that's dark, cerebral, and twisty. So when I came across Somewhere in the Dark by R.J. Jacobs, it sounded right up my alley. I'm happy to say it really delivered for me!

A quick synopsis: the story follows a young woman trying to rebuild her life after a childhood of neglect - until she becomes a suspect in a famous singer's murder.

At a young age, Jessie Duval spent over a year of her life trapped in a pitch-black closet, with nothing for comfort but a single country CD by singer Shelly James. Years later, she decides to follow Shelly James on her tour across America. But things go very wrong, and she's arrested for stalking and endangerment during a concert.

Now, after some jail time and lots of therapy, she's working on rebuilding her life. She has a catering job she enjoys, and she even has her own apartment. But when her job brings her back into Shelly James' circle, and Shelly is found dead soon after, Jessie becomes the #1 murder suspect. How can she prove her innocence when all signs point to her looking guilty?

I’ve read quite a few thrillers in my day. I love the genre. It’s exciting to put together the pieces of a puzzle while the main character races against the clock. That’s part of why we read: to be entertained.

And while I’ve enjoyed most of the thrillers I’ve read, sometimes there’s an expectation that the plot has to be the most interesting part of the story. But when you come across a thriller whose characters are just as gripping as its plot, you know you’ve found something special. That’s how I felt about this book.

The writing flows effortlessly. It’s the kind of reading where you easily sink right into the character’s head/point of view and nothing can pull you out. Being inside Jessie’s head was like being in another world.

I understood where her extreme anxiety came from, and I was rooting for her to be innocent (and to be able to prove it against all odds). Her interactions with certain characters warmed my heart, too.

My only (small) complaint: I wanted to know more about the James family. We definitely get an interesting peek behind the scenes, but I was hoping for even more!

Overall, Somewhere in the Dark is an engrossing psychological thriller with a fresh premise that touches on childhood trauma, coping mechanisms, fame, and second chances. Highly recommended!

Thank you to Netgalley & Crooked Lane Books for the review copy!

In these times of social isolation and bad news from every angle, I needed Jessie. Although she walks into mistakes over and over again, I rooted for her every step of the way. I cheered her on. As she re-emerges into life, after an unimaginable ordeal, Jessie does the best she can. Author RJ Jacobs, a Nashville psychologist, helps us contemplate why people may do the things they do— perhaps all they can do with the hand they’ve been dealt.

I loved the opportunity to Interview RJ Jacobs and discuss books, writing, and his psychology practice.
https://whoimettoday.com/creativity/rj-jacobs-mystery-author-and-clinical-psychologist/

I really enjoyed the unique perspective and POV offered by this book. I would have preferred more insights into Jessie and her past and perhaps less into some of the other details offered in the book - like the catering etc. Overall, something a little different in this genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Childhood trauma... obsession ... celebrity stalker ... murder ...

This book started really interesting. At the beginning I really enjoyed Jessie’s POV - a young girl dealing with the abuse she suffered in foster homes and who had been arrested and is now on probation for stalking a Nashville country star ...But I actually wish that author had gone with multiple POVs for this novel, especially as the murder investigation ensued.

Book rating : 3.5 ⭐️

3.5

“This city has an invisible wind that carries ideas all around, everywhere.”

Set in Nashville, Jessie is a girl with a simple life & a complicated past. She is striving in the city, hiding herself from people and any deviation from routine is a nightmare. She has a record of assaulting a man at a concert of Shelly and Owen James who are big names in Country music. She is forever banned from meeting her idols but what she did was unintentional and purely a reflux. So, when her profession collides with the big society, she comes in the vicinity of the Jameses. But things take a worse turn when Shelly James is found dead and all fingers point at her.

All characters are solid and Jessie is particularly intriguing. A girl with such a past has come a long way and she is still struggling to adjust to society. She craves to be a normal girl with normal relationships. The journey she endures is the essence of the story. The other notable character is Shelly James and there are no other characters who are particularly focused on. Almost the entire story is Jessie centric.

There is a lot of prelude in the story than the actual events leading to the murder mystery, but that is necessary and let’s the book down a bit. It is not boring but that’s just the way the story is being told. I wouldn’t have liked the book if the writing is not as direct as it is.

Overall, the book is a murder mystery but it is only about 60-70% of the book. It’s a good book but not my usual type. But I wouldn’t pass the chance of reading his other books if given the opportunity.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the book in exchange for a honest review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3462535937
Pub date: 11 August 2020

Jessie has had a bit of a troubled past. But now she seems to have her life on track again. Until someone from that past pops up. And that someone ends up dead. This book was so good! I thought it'd be a quick psychological mystery with a slightly predictable ending but was I wrong! Such fun, a bit wild and more twists than a pretzel! Thank you so much!

TW: Child abuse, stalker, obsession, murder

First, I’d like to thank NetGalley, R. J Jacobs and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC copy I received.

Jacobs breaks your heart again and again. 12-year-old Jessie Duval had the year of her nightmares as her foster parents locked her in a cupboard with her only solace being Shelly James CD and a Discman. She becomes obsessed with Shelly and Owen James and follows them throughout the country on their tour. Jessie forms a deleterious attachment to the pair and their family, resulting in a restraining order against Jessie.

Somewhere in the Dark begins with Duval in therapy, with Mrs Parson’s talking through her progress. Everything sounds too good to be true. Her stable life, job and her own home. It implies she has hit the jackpot.

Her cooking gig leads her to come across the James’ again, defying her restraining order. When Shelly’s body turns up later that evening, all heads turn to Jessie.

She knows she didn’t do it, but the police know her chequered past and are sure she is the culprit.

R. J Jacobs is a psychologist and author, which reflects on Jessie’s personality. She is a detailed and complex person who suffers from PTSD. You can’t help but grow attached to Jessie because of her difficult circumstances, The author touches upon her PTSD with sensitivity and knowledge.

Duval’s relationship with Mrs Parsons and Shelly James’ ex-employee Detective Marion were wholesome and grounding. Whilst most characters saw the unpleasant side of her, she had several supports that were always rooting for her and trying to help her. Her psychological difficulties meant she pushed her support network away, but towards the end, she lets people in such as Detective Marion and Malik.

Skimming over her year in captivity was not enough, I craved more. A common theme in other reviews I have read of ‘Somewhere in the dark’.

Though it wasn’t action-packed, I found myself unable to tear myself away from this publication. The ending may not surprise readers, but it doesn’t lessen the impact of this harrowing read. I loved the premise of this novel and will read another R. J Jacobs novel, that hopefully has more analysis of psychology and his own experiences. Overall, a great read.

I will be doing a feature of Somewhere in the dark on my blog and instagram @snipnstuff when it's closer to the publishing date.

Twenty year old Jessie is trying to move on with her life as a caterer after spending a year in prison for stalking her favorite country singers Owen and Shelly James. It is their music which helped her get through a terrible childhood experience where her foster parents kept her locked up in a closet for over a year. As she gets older, they become an obsession and she becomes a "groupie". It is at the final concert of their tour for the year that things go horribly wrong and she hurts a few people.
The reader gets the impression she is not a bad person and she did not mean for it to happen. In fact, I felt sorry for her. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and very protective of herself for a good reason.
She avoids the James' at a party she is catering and is invited to serve at their house by their manager. It is here that Shelly gets murdered and of course, Jessie is the obvious suspect since she was invited to serve food, so now she's in the fight of her life to prove her innocence. She makes a couple of surprising allies along the way.
I really liked her counselor Ms. Parsons, who was her biggest cheerleader and never really doubted her innocence. I am also a big fan of both thriller/suspense and the Nashville country music scene, so I thoroughly enjoyed a combination of the two. I have also enjoyed my share of country music concerts and I could feel the otherwise carefree atmosphere on those pages, and I was reminded of fun times with my friends in the summertime. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read another good book!