Under a Dark Sky: A Novel

Ever since her husband died, Eden has become afraid of the dark. It’s been nine months since he died and she found out he wasn’t the man she thought he was. As she is going through his things, she finds a reservation for a stay at a dark sky park. Despite her phobia, she decides to go, hoping she might get over it there as well as begin to move on. When she arrives, she discovers there is a mix-up and there are six other people signed up to stay in the cabin. These old friends from college have their own secrets, and are clearly not happy for Eden to be staying with them. Since she can’t face driving home in the dark, she decides to spend just one night there. But by morning, one of the six will be dead, and everyone is a suspect. Under a Dark Sky is where the truth will be revealed, if only Eden will have the courage to face it.

This was a really fun, entertaining read. Eden is almost a curmudgeon, but given what she went through, it is easy to forgive her. I had never heard of dark sky parks before, and despite a fictional murder occurring there, I would now like to visit one. The plot, while maybe not original, was still enjoyable to watch play out. Everyone looked guilty and everyone looked innocent all at the same time, actually making it more difficult to discern who the perpetrator was. I was starting to question whether certain characters were really dead just to solve it.

I have read another of Ms. Rader-Day’s books, The Day I Died. I found Under a Dark Sky to be fairly similar, if not a little better. There is nothing deeply profound about these books, but I think they make great reads to add to your list this summer.