Author and former journalist Erina Reddan delves into grief, cults, and power in her latest novel Deep in the Forest. The result is a thriller which, though not perfect, holds a deliciously tense and twisty layered mystery.
As her hometown’s resident pariah and suspected arsonist, our protagonist Charli is a young woman who spends most of her days cooped up in her home at the edge of town. She’s mourning her mother’s death and avoiding most other people, longing for an escape that can’t come soon enough. While working on a project for the controversial closed community The Sanctuary, Charli makes a gruesome discovery in the nearby woods – and when the investigations go sour, she cannot help but delve into herself.
What follows is an intense mystery, fast-paced and with a constantly thrilling atmosphere. There’s always another secret to uncover as the mystery rapidly deepens, shifting to a much more personal investigation as Charli attempts to save herself and the Sanctuary girls at the centre of the whole affair.
While I didn’t find this novel’s plot the most outstanding, and nor was it the most shockingly twisty story I’ve ever experienced, it certainly packed a punch. There were some reveals I saw a mile off, while others caught me by surprise – and even the ones I did predict were mostly executed well. Some aspects were a little messy, but I rarely found the book less than compelling. Running through it all was a tense atmosphere with menacing undertones, making for a delightfully dark read. If you’re looking for a thrilling tale, Deep in the Forest fits the bill.
Added to this terrifying plot is our main character, Charli. Battered by all sides – the townspeople who look upon her with suspicion, the police she cannot trust, and her own mind as she works through the still-raw grief and guilt over her mother’s death – she makes for a vulnerable but determined protagonist you cannot help but root for. Especially as she confronts these fears and insecurities to unravel this mystery.
A small town with a cult at its borders (because that is, undeniably, what The Sanctuary is) – it’s not an unusual setting for a murder mystery novel or a thriller, but here it works. The Sanctuary, with its kindly leaders and helpful programs to support teenagers recover from drug abuse, presents such a squeaky-clean front you can’t help but look forward to it being peeled back to reveal the darkness beneath – because with such a sinister aura surrounding it, you know it must be there.
The town and the townspeople, meanwhile, present such a hostile front it’s hard to know who Charli can trust in her quest to discover the truth. The setting is a little bare-bones at times, but all the same it serves to deepen the mystery at the heart of this novel – and to turn what seems like a simple affair into a conundrum she cannot reach the heart of.
Though Deep in the Forest may not be a completely unknowable mystery, its layered narrative full of secrets and betrayal – and its nail-biting intensity – still makes for a deeply compelling read.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Deep in the Forest by Erina Reddan is available now from Pantera Press. Grab yourself a copy from Booktopia HERE.
