A Cry in the Dark: a dark mystery with secrets and hidden agendas

A Cry in the Dark by Denise Grover Swank is the first book in the Carly Moore series. Carly Moore is a woman on the run. Trusting no one and the ink barely dry on her new identity, she wants to simply disappear. When her car breaks down and with no money, Carly finds herself stuck in Drum, a smalltown in the Smoky Mountains. Drum is a town with secrets of its own and the residents keep a distrusting eye on any outsiders. Since she is stuck in town, she takes a temporary waitressing job at a local bar. It isn’t long before she witnesses a cold-blooded murder in a darkened parking lot. Carly soon realizes that she left behind one nightmare for another. The clock is ticking and bodies are piling up. Not knowing who to trust, Carly senses that if the killers aren’t stopped, she will be next. 

A Cry in the Dark is the second book by Denise Grover Swank I have read. The first was a romance that I didn’t care for. I hoped that her darker mystery books would be better. Unfortunately, it was not the case. I was bored. The book started great with an eerie, auspicious situation. However, Carly was a hard character to like and root for. While the residents of Drum were certainly distrusting and even when the murders started happening, I was bored. The events seemed far-fetched and the drama a bit overdrawn. How can you be jealous of a relationship that happened years before you met the individuals? A relationship that had run its course and there was no lingering feelings? I have a feeling that Denise Grover Swank is not the author for me. However, if you enjoy dark, gritty mysteries, you may enjoy A Cry in the Dark. 

A Cry in the Dark is available in eBook and audiobook