This book is one of those rare gems that pulls you in from the very first page and doesn’t let go until the final, jaw-dropping twist. It’s an intricate blend of suspense, nostalgia, and a touch of the supernatural that kept me hooked the entire way through.

The story alternates between two timelines: the summer of 1995 and the present day. We follow six high school friends whose lives were forever changed by a haunting event tied to an abandoned coal mine and the secrets surrounding a local megachurch, Golden Praise. What I loved most about the book was how deeply layered it felt. The characters—Maddy, Kelly, James, Casey, Padma, and Jia—are so well-developed that I felt like I knew them. Each one brings something unique to the story, and the way their past and present intertwine adds so much depth.

The atmosphere Kurian creates is incredible. Wesley Falls feels like a character in itself, with its eerie coal mines, small-town politics, and a church that seems to loom over everything. The supernatural elements are subtle but powerful, heightening the tension without overshadowing the emotional core of the story.

What struck me the most was how Kurian tackled themes like loyalty, trauma, and the power of secrets. The pacing was perfect—just when I thought I had it all figured out, there’d be another twist that left me questioning everything. The dual timelines kept me flipping pages late into the night, desperate to piece together the mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this one. While the writing was a little choppy and stilted at times, I was engaged with the story and characters the whole time. The whole "ancient horror under a small town" is also such a draw for me. Looking forward to see what's next from this author.

I went into this one blind and was absolutely blown away by the first half. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a fantastic job. I loved the multiple POVs and never had a difficult time keeping them straight. Each POV added to the story and helped with their character development.

I had no idea that there would be a supernatural element, so that caught me off guard. I typically stray away from those books. And even though I didn’t love the direction it went, it also kept me reading and wondering how it would all unfold.

I would recommend doing this one on audio because it is hefty! The audiobook helped speed along the process for me and it was done very well! 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

I really wanted to like A Step Past Darkness, but it ultimately fell short of expectations. The premise—a psychological thriller about a person grappling with their past and reality—had so much potential, but the execution left me disappointed. The protagonist starts off intriguing, but their character feels underdeveloped as the story progresses. The supporting characters, too, often feel more like plot devices than fully realized people.

Kurian’s writing creates a tense atmosphere, and the pacing picks up in the second half, but the twists, while clever, lack the punch I was hoping for.

In the end, this is a book with promise, but it didn’t quite deliver the gripping, thought-provoking thriller I was hoping for. Fans of the genre might still find it worth a read, but it left me wanting more.

I loved Kurian's first novel, Never Saw Me Coming, but this one disappointed. Too many characters and timelines to keep track of and just generally too long. I was hoping for I Know What You Did Last Summer-vibes, but instead got IT-vibes. Did not live up to expectations, sadly.

Thank you to Vera Kurian, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for an arc of A Step Past Darkness.

I absolutely LOVED Vera Kurian's first book (Never Saw Me Coming) so I had really high hopes for this one and, let me tell you, it delivered! I could not stop reading this book and I absolutely needed to get to the end to see what happened.

What grabbed my attention from the get go was the Breakfast Club like group of high schoolers. A popular girl, a jock boy, a nerdy girl, a rebel boy, a friendly girl-next-door, and the strange girl. But, we realize very quickly that as adults, this hodge podge group actually has deep feelings of love for one another, they just don't have any contact. I needed to know why.

The next thing that grabbed my attention - religious cult. We hear stories in real life and always wonder how other can miss "the signs" that there is something sketchy going on. This is the perfect example. The "pure" girls are popular and, while the boys are supposed to be "pure" too, no one bats an eye when they go off and doing something they aren't supposed to. It's the girls who get shunned and get the brunt of the punishment.

Finally - murder. I love a good thriller. Throw in a bit of historic paranormal activity and I was completely hooked.


I finished this book in about two days. I could not stop reading. I thought the plot moved quickly and the characters were all flawed but lovable. I was rooting for everyone to get out alive! 5/5 stars - Vera Kurian is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors so I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeves next!

A Step Past Darkness is one of Vera Kurian's newest novels. I absolutely loved 'Never Saw Me Coming' so I knew I had read this one the second it came out.

This book takes place in 1995, featuring a group of six high school teenagers with various different backgrounds. Twenty years after they take a vow of silence about the horrific crime they witnessed, the group gets called back to Wesley Falls, the town where everything started. Maddy, one of the six has been murdered. What will happen when everyone comes back to the place they vowed to forget?

This book follows six very different friends who witnessed something horrible in their teens. The town Wesley Falls is like no other. There is a mine underneath the town and a creepy megachurch with a disturbing past. When one of their group ends up passing away, the 5 go back to the town to try to figure out what happened to their friend. This was a very interesting book with dual timelines that were easy to follow and with likeable characters. I got a Silent Hill vibe (based on the real town of Centralia, PA) when reading about the mine.

3.5 star read for me. While I enjoyed the premise I felt like the middle was very drawn out and not much detail gained during that period. I wanted to hear more from the Maddie perspective and felt that the end wrapped up a little too neatly.

"A Step Past Darkness" by Vera Kurian is a gripping novel set in the seemingly idyllic town of Wesley Falls. In the summer of 1995, six high school students witness a horrifying crime in an abandoned coal mine, forging a bond of secrecy. Twenty years later, they reunite after one of them, Maddy, is murdered. As they delve into their dark past, they must uncover the truth behind Maddy’s death and confront their own secrets. With its intriguing characters and suspenseful twists, this novel keeps you hooked until the very end.

A step past darkness totally caught me offguard. What a fun twist between realism. And supernatural thriller. There were some twists that I totally did not see coming!

This book was phenomenal and it's most likely going to be on my top reads of the year list. That should tell you everything that you really need to know. I just hope that it finds its readers, because while I loved everything about it - it isn't your typical thriller - maybe more suspense bordering on horror if I had to label it. I thought it was absolute perfection! This is one of those books where you just need to trust the author and the ride that she is taking you on. It's a slow burn but completely worth it. I'm being deliberately vague because I don't want to spoil a single part of the reading experience. The homage to It by Stephen King, the look at the Evangelical church, the journey we go on with these characters...I loved every minute of it! I'm going to need to read everything/anything that this author writes after loving this book so much.

Readers who enjoy slow burning, suspenseful reads that completely suck you in need to give this book a try. She reminds me a bit of C.J. Tudor in the way her book straddles the lines between horror and suspense perfectly. Five stars and a book that I highly recommend!

A fabulous character-driven tale of friendship and coming-of-age, with a truly chilling villain. This was so different from Kurian's first book, NEVER SAW ME COMING, which I adored, so I was nervous going into it, but highly enjoyed this one. It reminded me so much of the 2017 It movie, in the best way, and I loved how each character was so fleshed out and we got to see pieces from all of their perspectives.

With the caveat of heavy themes of religious trauma, I would recommend for fans of sinister slower-burn, character-driven stories, with lots of povs. So grateful to Netgalley and Park Row for the arc!

Thank you, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for my ARC.
3 stars

I thought this was okay. It definitely had interesting points, but it didn't fully capture my interest.

This book was a bit different than what I would normally read and I really did enjoy it. There were a lot of supernatural elements though and at times I was a bit lost. The writing was atmospheric and you could really feel like you were in the settings. The story is told in two time periods and there were various POV’s. The main characters all had interesting lives and their connections to each other from the past really made the story connect. Overall I liked the book and the plot was interesting and multi layered.

I read another review that compared this novel to "It", and I completely agree. It had the same type of feel: be it the dual timelines, the flawed characters, or the struggle to defeat the "villain". I went into this one blind, and it did not end up being what I expected. I liked it, but didn't love it. It definitely was far too long, however, it did hold my interest throughout. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

"A Step Past Darkness" is a gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. With its intricate plot twists, well-developed characters, and intense suspense, it's a must-read for fans of the genre. The author masterfully crafts a world of mystery and intrigue, leaving readers eagerly turning pages to uncover the truth behind the darkness.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I loved this authors first book and was excited to get this one. The story started out strong but really dragged on and on. Overall and okay read.

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Similar to other reviewers, I requested this one after absolutely loving her previous book, Never Saw Me Coming. I was immediately intrigued by the premise of A Step Past Darkness and was quickly hooked with the intense first handful of chapters, but coming in at almost 500 pages this one really lost my interest after a while. I definitely think books can be that long if warranted (The Reformatory for example), but for a thriller this was so incredibly unnecessarily long. Maybe if this was 150-200 pages shorter I may have really loved this one, but instead just felt meh overall after all of the very slow lulls in the story.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my review copy!