Iris in the Dark: when it's time to stop running

Iris in the Dark by Elissa Grossell Dickey is a suspenseful story of one woman’s life in the shadows. Iris Jenkins is a single mother who spends most of her day looking over her shoulder. She knows bad things happen. She has seen bad things happen. For eight years, she has shut the door on her past and made a new life for herself and her son, Finn. But she can’t help but fear that the past isn’t truly done with her yet. When her close friend and boss entrusts her to house sit at a lodge on the South Dakota prairie, she’s ready for anything. Little does Iris know but she’s in for a few surprises. First, Sawyer Jones, the lodge’s neighbor and caretaker. He is a caring and reassuring person who helps her feel safe and even truly alive once again. Late one night, Iris hears a chilling cry for help coming from an old walkie-talkie buried in a box of toys. She tries to dismiss it as her overactive imagination but soon the voice becomes more desperate, personal and menacing. Has her past truly found her? Will she find the strength to fight back or will she run again? 

Iris in the Dark is a suspenseful and gripping story. It takes the idea of those strange night noises that would cause any of us to imagine the worst and asks what if? It is a story of domestic violence and the fight to end the cycle and survive. It is a story of finding one’s worth when the world tells you that you are worthless. I enjoyed Iris’s character and understood her need to be overprotective and overly anxious. She has spent her life afraid of her own shadow, hiding out of the spotlight, hoping not to draw attention to herself. There is a little bit of romance between Iris and Sawyer but not enough to take away from the main story. It was nice to see Iris in a safe place with a safe relationship. Once I started, I could not put it down. It was a slow build, adding elements until the final dam breaks and the action takes off. This story has all the elements of a good suspense with red herrings and misdirections. It was a surprise when the tormentor was revealed. I wasn’t expecting that! I thoroughly enjoyed Iris in the Dark and I highly recommend it! 

Iris in the Dark is available June 7, 2022 in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

The Speed of Light: how fast one's life can change

The Speed of Light by Elissa Grossel Dickey is the story of a woman's journey through intersecting timelines of a life altering year. Simone Archer is trying her best to be positive. To focus on what she has gained instead of what she has lost. One year into her diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) after years of wondering and worrying, she awaits the results of another anxiety-inducing MRI. As the Christmas holiday nears, the sights and sounds of winter only stir her memories. One December morning, gunshots ring through the office where she works, she finds a place to hide as she prepares to be rescued or fight to survive. As the events of that December morning unfold, her mind takes her to the events of the past year. Falling in love with Connor and walking away. Finding new strength in family and friendship. Planning for an uncertain future. Does it help to hope against hope? Can she find a way to face the things she can’t change and tackle the ones she can? 

The Speed of Light is the debut novel of Elissa Grossel Dickey and it certainly doesn’t read like it. With master’s strokes, Ms. Dickey paints a picture of a woman’s battles with those around her as well as within herself. I have known of individuals with MS but no one close, so I was vaguely familiar with this horrible autoimmune disease. Ms. Dickey brings to light the struggles, the doubts and the fears of someone who suffers from MS with honesty and depth. Simone goes through waves of hope and despair. One of my favorite quotes illustrates her fight. In an internal monologue, Simone says, “It hits me in a wave, a future I can no longer picture, a fear I can no longer contain.” Many of us can relate to this quote even if we haven’t been diagnosed with a life altering disease. I loved her supporting characters, especially Connor and her best friend Nikki. Nikki is unafraid to tell it like it is. I highly recommend The Speed of Light. 

The Speed of Light is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook