The mind can be the most dangerous place to hide.
Shelly has been confronting the demons of her childhood with a psychiatrist for some time. From the outside, she seems to be holding it together—she’s married, she lovingly cares for her young daughter, Josie, and she manages a real estate career. But her hold on reality is not always strong. Tormented by violent scenarios presented by her imagination, Shelly constantly fears for the safety of her family; exhausted by her unrelenting panic, she has grown apart from Paul, her seemingly patient husband.
John’s mother has never been particularly maternal, or kind. Shadows of the abuse he faced during childhood cling to him, sabotaging his relationships and keeping him in the grip of fear. His buried feelings of anger simmer below the surface of his life, threatening to erupt in a vicious show of power.
Their paths collide when Shelly discovers a shocking truth about Paul and heads out on a rainy Oregon highway. A tragic accident lands her in a coma…or does it? Shelly enters a dark and transitory world, where she chases a child ghost named Red who has haunted her for decades and confronts the setting of earlier trauma. As she fights for her life, she encounters John—who has a score to settle of his own.
This gripping psychological thriller from a promising debut author will leave you pondering the enigmatic boundaries between reality and the subconscious, and the profound impact of past injuries on our quest for inner peace.
"In Rhodes’ debut thriller, two emotionally wounded people thrown together by a random accident must rely on each other to survive a strange and terrifying world... In the aftermath of the crash, Shelly and John wake up on dark road and must bravely navigate a strange place—a kind of purgatory—if they hope to find the way back to their lives. An excellent thriller."—Kirkus Reviews
"Rhodes hit the ground running with her debut novel, The Dark Road, a psychological thriller about healing from trauma and the role of connection. It is a tale of post-traumatic growth and breaking generational cycles, told through a riveting, suspenseful, and supernatural story that weaves the intersecting lives and struggles of the main characters."—Goodreads Reviewer
"What a unique premise in this captivating thriller! It's a must-read."—M.M. Desch, Goodreads Reviewer
"I can honestly say that I’ve never read a book like this one before. As someone who has always had a passion in psychology, I was fascinated by these characters and the author's illustration of trauma."—Goodreads Reviewer
