A Review of “Into the Dark” by J.A. Schneider

Full disclosure – I was provided a copy of this book by the author; however, I have voluntarily chosen to write a review. All opinions are my own.

A thought-provoking psychological roller coaster ride

Annie Lamb is a successful art history professional happily married to a prominent psychiatrist in New York City. As the anniversary of her husband’s first wife’s suicide approaches, Annie finds herself more and more obsessed with the event. Plagued by panic attacks, bad dreams and an overall feeling of dread, Annie seeks to learn more about Susannah and what could have driven her to her devastating end. The more Annie probes into the life of her husband’s first wife, the more things don’t add up and the more agitated Ben seems to become. Are these the actions of a grieving husband or is there more to the story of Susannah’s demise than what meets the eye? After she befriends one of Susannah’s prior acquaintances, Annie is convinced that her death was murder. As she begins to gather more evidence of the truth, she finds herself walking on broken glass trying to investigate what really happened while potentially living with a murderer.
Into The Dark is a new stand-alone psychological thriller by Author J.A. Schneider and it does not disappoint. On the surface, Ben, Annie, and their children are the picture of a perfectly successful family, but there is also a sinister vibe running through their relationship that gives the reader pause. I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. Annie at times seems unhinged, seeing events that may not have happened exactly has she witnessed or remembers them. Ben seems to be supportive, but Annie cannot help but be suspicious that he is hiding something. As the story rolls on, there were times where I really couldn’t tell whose side I should be taking – the grieving husband being forced to relive painful memories or the driven, paranoid wife dead set of uncovering a murderer. Watching the two go back and forth was like watching a high stakes game of chess rather than a cat and mouse. “Cat and mouse” would indicate a predator/prey situation and for me, Annie seemed to evolve throughout the course of the story in a way that I would not quite call prey, but possibly “worthy adversary”. With Ben being a psychiatrist that really amps up the tension and for me, this was really where I had a hard time keeping the story straight in my head. Is she crazy? Or is her husband manipulating her to the point where she even isn’t sure anymore?  All in all, this is another great suspenseful read from J.A. Schneider. If you are a fan of thrillers that will keep you second-guessing the characters, get you thinking and keep you thinking long after the story ends this would be an excellent read.