Darker Days 🖤
- The_Secret_Bookreview
- 35 minutes ago
- 2 min read
A quiet cul-de-sac. Eleven months of peace. One month of horror.
Thomas Olde Heuvelt has created something genuinely unsettling in Darker Days. Set in the seemingly perfect community of Bird Street, this book grips you from the very beginning.
On the surface, everything is idyllic: healthy, happy families living comfortable lives.
But beneath it all is a horrifying truth. Every November, the residents must offer one person in a ritual sacrifice to preserve their fortune. It is a pact that has lasted decades. Until one year, everything begins to unravel.
I was completely hooked by the concept. It is terrifying in that subtle, creeping way that gets under your skin. What struck me most was how believable the characters are.
These are not villains or monsters. They are ordinary people caught in an extraordinary and morally disturbing situation. It made me think about community loyalty, complicity and the ways in which we justify the unacceptable for the sake of comfort.
The writing is sharp and atmospheric, and there is a quiet dread that builds with every chapter. The tension is relentless, and just when you think you know where it is heading, Olde Heuvelt twists the knife again. I found myself racing through the pages but also needing to pause to absorb the weight of it.
What I really appreciated was how it raised ethical questions without preaching. It forces you to consider what you would do in the same situation.
Would you turn away?
Would you participate?
Would you try to change the rules?
This is one of the most thought-provoking and original books. If you enjoy horror that leans into the psychological, with themes of community, sacrifice and survival, Darker Days is a must-read.
Thank you to the team at Transworld Publishers for sending me an early release copy of the book! The book is published on the 23rd October 2025 and is available for pre-order.
Buy the Kindle book here.
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