A haunting mystery of memory, guilt, and the dark secrets that haunt a small Maine town.
Places in the Dark is one of Thomas H. Cook’s most atmospheric and emotionally complex novels.
 
Set along the rocky shores of Maine in the late 1930s, the story follows Cal Chase, who looks back on the events surrounding his brother Billy’s death—a loss tied closely to the enigmatic Dora March.
 
In 1937, the quiet coastal village of Port Alma is shaken by the arrival of a mysterious young woman named Dora March. Her presence unsettles the Chase brothers—Cal and Billy—and sets off a chain of events that will echo through their lives for decades. When tragedy strikes, and one brother ends up dead, the truth becomes something too painful to face…until time forces the past into the light.
 
Dora’s arrival in Port Alma is at once intriguing and unsettling. She slips easily into the fabric of the town yet remains unknowable, casting a shadow over the Chase family that only deepens as the brothers’ rivalry, longing, and suspicions grow. Years later, Cal retraces the painful steps of that long-ago tragedy, confronting the guilt, silence, and misunderstandings that shaped the course of his life.
 
Lyrical, brooding, and deeply human, Cook’s novel blends psychological suspense with literary depth, exploring how memories distort, how secrets survive, and how the past refuses to stay buried.
 
💖 Why You’ll Love It
An atmospheric blend of mystery, psychology, and emotion
Beautifully written historical setting on the Maine coast
Slow-burn suspense centered on guilt, family, and truth
Compelling characters with complex inner lives
Perfect for readers who enjoy moody, literary mysteries
 
🌟 Perfect For
Fans of literary suspense and character-driven mysteries
Readers who enjoy historical settings with emotional depth
Book clubs exploring themes of memory, moral conflict, and redemption
Anyone who loves haunting small-town stories with buried secrets
 
❤️ Fans Also Liked
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson — atmospheric coastal mystery
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon — haunting secrets in a small town
The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths — character-driven suspense with mood and depth