'Rod Reynolds depicts the dark heart of 1940s Texas with terrific punch and authenticity, achieving the rare trick of combining fearsome grit with real heart. A seriously good debut.' (Anya Lipska
author of Where the Devil Can't Go)
A hopeful invoking of the cult TV drama True Detective on the jacket proves to be more than publisher hyperbole: The Dark Inside evokes the same shadowy, phantasmagoric atmosphere as the first series of that show. Rod Reynolds, a recent graduate from the crime-writing course at City university, London, shows that the UK is still nurturing new talent in the genre; with this fact-based tale, he takes his place among those British writers drawn to the sprawling canvas of the US. (Barry Forshaw
Financial Times)
'This is a debut novel by a young British writer but reads like an authentic piece of good old-fashioned Southern noir...There are echoes of Chandler in washed-up journalist Charlie Yates's terse, cynical narration but this is more than a mere pastiche: it's subtle, original and enthralling.' (Jake Kerridge
Sunday Express)
'I can't recommend The Dark Inside highly enough, it's a brilliantly atmospheric debut thriller. A superb detective story that is written rather beautifully in an old-style voice that is just wonderful.' (
David, @omgthatbook)
'A multiple murderer is at work in Rod Reynolds's powerful debut...The London-born Reynolds has taken a risk in telling such an archetypally American tale in his first novel, but it's one that mostly pays off.' (Nick Rennison
The Sunday Times)
'Drawn inexorably and unrelentingly into a fascinating web of intrigue and deception, readers will find there can be no turning back until the last page has turned.
Stylish, assured and perceptive, The Dark Inside is a remarkable first novel.'
(Pam Norfolk
Lancashire Evening Post)
'A gripping, dark, engrossing read and one which I found highly entertaining. I am impatiently waiting for more from Rod Reynolds.' (
fromfirstpagetolast.wordpress)
'Sometimes there is a great deal of buzz about a book, generated by the readers. This is one of those times. This book is that AMAZING. It is more than amazing. I would like to add my voice, to all of those singing its praises!' (
Northern Crime Girl)
'This book has something that definitely makes it stand out from many others I've read. I was genuinely taken with Yates' tenacity and journalistic cunning, which I found quite compelling. The setting and atmosphere were great and finally, you'd expect a small community would have some things to hide, but not what comes out at the climax of the novel - a really dark inside.' (
The Crime Warp)
'All in all an intelligent and atmospheric recreation of some very dark and brutal events indeed, and more than happy to see that a sequel is in the offing. A highly recommended debut.' (Jackie Farrant
Raven Crime Reads)
1946, Texarkana: a town on the border of Texas and Arkansas. Disgraced New York reporter Charlie Yates has been sent to cover the story of a spate of brutal murders - young couples who've been slaughtered at a local date spot. Charlie finds himself drawn into the case by the beautiful and fiery Lizzie, sister to one of the victims, Alice - the only person to have survived the attacks and seen the killer up close. But Charlie has his own demons to fight, and as he starts to dig into the murders he discovers that the people of Texarkana have secrets that they want kept hidden at all costs. Before long, Charlie discovers that powerful forces might be protecting the killer, and as he investigates further his pursuit of the truth could cost him more than his job... Loosely based on true events, The Dark Inside is a compelling and pacy thriller that heralds a new voice in the genre. It will appeal to fans of RJ Ellory, Tom Franklin, Daniel Woodrell and True Detective.