Publication Date: February 20, 2024
SIX CLASSMATES. ONE TERRIFYING NIGHT. A MURDER TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING…
There’s something sinister under the surface of the idyllic, suburban town of Wesley Falls, and it’s not just the abandoned coal mine that lies beneath it. The summer of 1995 kicks off with a party in the mine where six high school students witness a horrifying crime that changes the course of their lives.
The six couldn’t be more different.
- Maddy, a devout member of the local megachurch
- Kelly, the bookworm next door
- James, a cynical burnout
- Casey, a loveable football player
- Padma, the shy straight-A student
- Jia, who’s starting to see visions she can’t explain
When they realize that they can’t trust anyone but each other, they begin to investigate what happened on their own. As tensions escalate in town to a breaking point, the six make a vow of silence, bury all their evidence, and promise to never contact each other again. Their plan works – almost.
Twenty years later, Jia calls them all back to Wesley Falls—Maddy has been murdered, and they are the only ones who can uncover why. But to end things, they have to return to the mine one last time.
Twenty years have passed since a group of six teens witnessed a horrifying incident, knowledge that forced them to go their separate ways.
Now, one of the six is dead, leading the others to return to their hometown, where they must face the evil from the past.
Author Vera Kurian delivers a multi-layered tale of suspense in A Step Past Darkness. Each character’s back story meticulously unfolds in relation to the larger storyline. The diverse composition of the group guarantees fireworks.
With just the right mix of edge-of-your-seat suspense, an abandoned mine and a cult-like church serve as key elements. As the five reunite, they realize to find answers, they will have to return to where it all started.
A Step Past Darkness gets kudos for character development and an intense storyline that grabs attention and won’t let go until the last page.
Vera Kurian is a writer and scientist. Her short fiction has been published in magazines such as Glimmer Train, Day One and The Pinch. She’s lived in DC for most of her adult life and has a PhD in social psychology. Never Saw Me Coming is her first novel.
