A Step Past Darkness follows six classmates who form a bond over a class project. These friends start to notice strange things happening with the church and its followers. They discover through their class project the mines play a large role in all the oddities with the church and its members.

This book was really long and had a lot going on. I did enjoy it but felt the length was a bit much.

I think this book tried to hard. It wasn’t a bad read, but it was packed with so many characters. It had a ton of things going on. It just kept going and never fully sucked me in. With the Superman, cult and murder vibes nothing felt quite right.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this edge of my seat ARC!

The length was a bit daunting but once you get into you you don’t notice. I really like the timelines 1995 vs 2015 and all the main characters were awesome, not a dull one in the bunch. Entertaining story without getting too out there, and having “normal” problems too. Loved the personal experience of them all. 🩷.

4/5 ⭐️

5⭐️

*TW: religious trauma, SA*

I can’t really summarize this well without spoilers. But this is a former mining town that’s wrapped in the corruption of a Megachurch cult. Six students who were working on a project in the summer of 1995 find themselves witnesses of the death of several of their classmates while at a party in the mines. They begin to investigate the deaths themselves, but they soon learn how much the church controls. They bury their evidence and promise to never contact each other. That is until 20 years later when one of them is murdered and they realize that they are the only ones who can stop the cult.


This was another scenario where I went into this knowing the bare minimum and the story went in a completely different direction than I was expecting. But in this book it worked for me. I’m a huge Stranger Things fan and this had The Breakfast Club meets Stranger Things meets IT vibes and I absolutely loved it. This also had that super specific trope that I love where childhood friends have to reunite years after a crime because their secret might be revealed and there’s a cult!

The characters were very well developed and each of their backstories really added to the story. The religious trauma and the fine line between a religion and a cult was really well done. The scenario where a Megachurch has their hands in every aspect of a small town was both horrifying but absolutely believable.

I like how the supernatural aspects were subtly slid into the story and how it grew as the story goes on. I think I had the same phases of acceptance that the supernatural was real as some of the characters; saying it’s not possible, making excuses as to what else it could be, finally accepting it.

Thank you Netgalley and Park Row for providing this ARC to me!

BIPOC Mystery Thriller about five former classmates who after twenty years reunite in their hometown when a friend's murdered and must confront their past, which includes a mega church and small town conspiracies.

1/5 stars: This is stand alone by Kurian that's told in multiple POVs and dual timelines. Kurian's writing is well paced and the character work is well done. This book tackles some very tough topics, so take care and check CWs. This just wasn't a book for me, leading me to DNF it at 9%.

I received this eARC thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I think I expected a faster paced book after being such a fan of Vera Kurian's Never Saw Me Coming. It's hard to review this, because I think it was just not quite the genre for me - it for sure has it's mystery elements, but calling it a thriller is hard for me to wrap my mind around since the pacing plods along through all 6 perspectives. I've seen it compared to IT, and I probably wouldn't have picked it up if I saw that, because IT as well dragged too much for me, even though I understand where there's a strong emotional undercurrent to it. Mostly, I think there will be people who do love this book and the emotional depth, but since I was expecting more thrills from the beginning since it's billed as a thriller, it fell short for me.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for a chance to review this ARC.
This gripping tale follows six individuals in what initially appears to be an innocent town -Jia, Padma, Maddy, Kelly, James, and Casey. The narrative skillfully navigates between 1995 and 2015, weaving a complex story that keeps your head spinning.
In 1995, a pivotal incident unfolds at a high school party set in an abandoned mine, leaving the small religious town in shock. The six characters find themselves entangled in the aftermath of this event. For enthusiasts of mysteries with a sinister or supernatural edge, this book is a compelling choice.
While I noticed moments where the story seemed to lag, the author adeptly introduces unexpected plot twists that sent my predictions in various directions, ensuring my continued engagement. Overall, I recommend "A Step Past Darkness" for its intriguing narrative and suspenseful elements.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙎𝙞𝙭 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨. 𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝘼 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜…

This was such a good book, I absolutely devoured it. It gave off IT by Stephen King vibes with the premise and I was so eager to read this.

The story follows a group of six: Casey, James, Kelly, Padme, Tia, and Maddison. This is a misfit group forming bonds. I was honestly intrigued by each character and their backstory. The book was kind of long, but it read quickly and was engaging.

I was pulled into the book right away and I was so intrigued to see where the story was heading. I loved the small-town vibes of Wesley Falls and the creepiness it gave. The atmosphere was super tense with the secrets and cults involved.

I also loved the dual timelines with flashbacks (1995 and 2015). They were equally enjoyable and captivating. The middle was slow and it took a while to get through, but the twists and plot kept me hooked.

Engaging, entertaining, addicting, and unputdownable, A Step Past Darkness is a must-read for slow-burn supernatural thriller fans.

Thank you so much NetGalley and HTP Books for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

My patience for books that aren’t formatted correctly has reached its end. I can’t spend this much time trying to figure out what the book says.

Thank you to NetGalley, Vera Kurian, and HTP (Harlequin Trade Publishing) for early access to this story in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows 6 friends who attended an abandoned mine party where something goes very wrong. 20 years later one of the six is murdered and the remaining 5 all reconnect to figure out what happened. I went into this book blind and was shocked to discover that it was almost 500 pages long. While I didn’t feel like the story lagged at all I did feel that the pacing was off and at some points the story was slow. I think this is related to the depth that the author went with details on each character. While I appreciate character depth I think this story might’ve been better off with one or two less main characters. The story was extremely atmospheric with both the mine and the small town being run by the powerful church that gave off cultish vibes. The mystery aspect of the story was unique and nothing like I had read before. Overall this was enjoyable and I would recommend it to fans of dark, atmospheric, or cultish thrillers.

A Step Past Darkness is a thriller about six friends who witness something very bad while in high school. Twenty years later, one of them ends up dead and the others come back to their hometown to figure out if the death is related. At the center of everything is this mega church and a pastor. There is also a mine that is a central part of this story.

This book was just ok for me. I have conflicting thoughts so I will start with the good stuff. This book reminded me a lot of IT by Stephen King. A group of kids witness something and then decades past and they are back in their hometown to face their demons. I think the plot was interesting and it was a good story. The characters were well developed and this book touched on a lot of issues that many high schoolers experience. I think the writing was good as well.

Now, I usually don't like stories where there is a church or some sort of religious thing at the center of it that is evil. I'm not sure why but that doesn't usually work for me. This book has that and I did not necessarily enjoy that. That is more a preference thing for me than the actual books fault but nonetheless, it hindered my experience. If you are like me and don't enjoy that, I don't think this book is for you. However, if you do like that in your thrillers, this book is for you!

On to the stuff that made me not enjoy this book. This book is way too long. There is really no need for a thriller to be over 400 pages. I think the author had too many character point of views and too many timelines. Since the point of view and the timeline kept jumping around, it was a bit difficult to fully follow along. I think if this book had less point of views and was a bit shorter, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

This book had some good elements and some bad elements. I would still be interested in checking out this author's other work. I would suggest checking this one out still if you're interested! Thanks so much to netgalley and Harlequin for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you so much for the advanced reading copy., however this book wasn’t my Cup of tea. While the book follows six classmates from high school, there are a lot of additional characters, with good character development to keep track of.
I felt the book was a little slow, it took me a bit to get into and then I felt it was dragging on. There were some supernatural as well as church elements that had me feeling a little lost or uninterested at times.
Thank you again to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC in return of my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy.
I was really excited she. I saw this book available because I really liked the last book by this author. This book was not for me. It’s only personal preference.
The writing and character development was great. It was a good story with a good plot. There were supernatural elements and it was more YA, which is why it didn’t work for me personally.
I am rating it 3 stars, and would have no problem recommending it to the right audience. Again, not a bad book.. but not my personal preference.

The premise of A Step Past Darkness was intriguing. While the characters were interesting on paper, I had a hard time getting fully invested into what was happening with them. The story highlights the potential flaws of organized religion. It heavily focuses around this theme. At times it almost felt as if the author has been wronged by the Christian church. The book was slightly drawn out and slow at times. I enjoyed this book, but think if it was more suspenseful it would have been a quicker read for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A step past darkness is set in the late 90s and follows a group of mismatched high school kids who are grouped together for a school project. Despite protests and warnings from one of the group members they decide to base their project on the history of the town mines.

During their research they stumble upon something they never could have imagined, and their lives are changed forever. After agreeing to split up and never speak about it again the group go their separate ways, until 20 years later events force them to once again return and reunite. I absolutely love this plot type and it gives me similar vibes to the likes of stranger things, IT, I know what you did last summer etc.

This is a hefty book with lots of characters and details, multiple points of view and varying timelines where we get clips from the past and present. It is a little slow burn, but if you make it through the first 100pages, once you get absorbed into the story it becomes somewhat addictive with all the events taking place.

This is cast as a thriller but there are definitely supernatural horror elements in here. There are themes such as extreme church views, individuals abusing their authoritative power, cultish vibes, sexual abuse, race and political issues.

If you enjoy a complex plot with some heavy themes and the aforementioned book/tv series comparisons, then you will likely enjoy this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and harlequin trade publishing for an advanced copy! 🩵

I thought this book was GREAT. It's gripping, fast paced, and kept me entertained for HOURS. Honestly, it's thrillers like this one that make me love the genre and I couldn't recommend it more!

"SIX CLASSMATES. ONE TERRIFYING NIGHT. A MURDER TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING...

There's something sinister under the surface of the idyllic, suburban town of Wesley Falls, and it's not just the abandoned coal mine that lies beneath it. The summer of 1995 kicks off with a party in the mine where six high school students witness a horrifying crime that changes the course of their lives.

The six couldn't be more different.
-Maddy, a devout member of the local megachurch
-Kelly, the bookworm next door
-James, a cynical burnout
-Casey, a loveable football player
-Padma, the shy straight-A student
-Jia, who's starting to see visions she can't explain

When they realize that they can't trust anyone but each other, they begin to investigate what happened on their own. As tensions escalate in town to a breaking point, the six make a vow of silence, bury all their evidence, and promise to never contact each other again. Their plan works - almost.

Twenty years later, Jia calls them all back to Wesley Falls - Maddy has been murdered, and they are the only ones who can uncover why. But to end things, they have to return to the mine one last time."

I know it's a little weird that I'm obsessed with crimes that happened to high schoolers set when I was in high school, but there is a nostalgia factor... I'm not admitting to being a killer OK?

1995 - 6 students are grouped to work on their capstone project over the summer. A mega-church and its enigmatic leader control their town. Something doesn't quite feel right and the teens are determined to figure out the truth of their hometown. After a tragic accident, they scatter and swear to never talk about it or to each other again.

20 years later, the group are all called back to their hometown for a funeral for one of their own. Only the remaining five can solve the mystery of the violent death of their friend, and the truth.

Inspired by Centralia mine fire, I found the twin towns in this book an interesting concept. Was this book unnecessarily long? Yes. Were there one too many characters? Also, yes. That said, I was still enveloped in the story and wanted to know about the mine, the Heart, and the church. I wanted to see the good and the bad, the light and the dark.

I think once this goes through some revisions, it will be an excellent book and many people will enjoy it. It has "It" vibes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.




[While I enjoyed the overall story from Vera Kurian, I found so many typos and grammatical errors in my ARC that it was beyond distracting. ]

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of this book.

OMG I LOVED IT. I always say that I don't like magical realism, but I think I might just be lying to myself because this book was fire. There were so many genre elements in this book from historical fiction, contemporary fiction, magical realism, mystery and thriller (all rolled up into one fantastic book).

I had no idea how intense and crazy this book would be- I also think I pictured this as something that mostly occurs in the woods, rather than down a mine shaft. As someone that lived in Appalachia as a young adult, mines, caves, mountains, small towns, etc. are pretty common and at least to me, not that frightening- but woah boy, this one was.

I may be completely wrong, but I am pretty sure that the setting is loosely based on Centralia, Pennsylvania, where like the story setting had an underground coal mine fire years ago that continues to burn underground to this day, leaving a ghost town in it's wake filled with abandoned buildings, bubbled up cracks in the asphalt, and graffiti. All my urban-explorer friends, this book is for you! So- this was a big hook for me.

The main cast of characters (Jia, Padma, Casey, Maddy, Kelly and James) were all so very diverse both in social clique, race and family life, and all had different personal issues they were battling against which are so prevalent (eating disorders, abuse, pressure to be perfect, being gay). I became invested in each characters' part of the story. I truly loved them all, partially because of their flaws. Character development was on point!

Where we start is at a mine party which our six witness several students being pushed into the heart or center of the mine to their deaths. The six realize that they can't trust anyone in their small town when everyone seems linked to one another and to the prominent mega church (which seems to run the town and its police force as well). They realize this may be a secret they have to keep to keep themselves and their families safe, so they agree not to talk about it or to each other. But then, Maddy is murdered and there are too many questions that beg answers. Was Maddy murdered for what they all saw years ago? Who did it and why? These questions bring the crew back into town years later to investigate what happened to their friend.

There is so much I could say about what went on in this book that I would never do it justice. There's time-hopping flash backs, suspects and (my personal favorite) some culty behavior.

Please just do yourself a favor and read this book- it was amazing and will be pushing it into the hands of any of my thriller friends. 10 out of 10- absolutely fantastic and I can't wait to read more from this author.

I have the biggest book hangover I've had in recent memory. Brilliant. Deep. Chilling. It's left me with this nostalgic longing, as if I used to live in Wesley Falls and was part of the Capstone Six. I adored Vera's first book, and this second one in my opinion is even better--and totally different (she's got so much range!!).
I've been trying to think of what this comps to, and the best I've come up with is "The Breakfast Club" meets Kiersten White's "Hide" but with creepy mines and a cultish church.
I can't recommend it highly enough.