Gone by Dark 

Carolina Moon # 2

Paperback, ebook 

April 12, 2015

by Christy Barritt

• Series: Carolina Moon
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 
• ISBN-13: 978-1511704120

Charity White can’t forget the horrific crime that happened ten years ago when she and her best friend, Andrea, spontaneously cut through the woods on their way home from high school. In the middle of their trek, a man abducted Andrea, who hasn’t been seen since. 

Since that fateful day, Charity has tried to outrun the memories and guilt of that one hasty decision. What if she and her friend hadn’t taken that shortcut? Why wasn’t Charity taken instead of Andrea? And why weren’t the police ever able to track down the bad guy?

When Charity receives a mysterious letter that promises answers, she decides to face her worst nightmare. She returns home to North Carolina in search of closure and a touch of the peace that has eluded her for the past decade. With the help of her new neighbor, Police Officer Joshua Haven, Charity begins to track down mysterious clues. They soon discover that they must work together or both of them will be swallowed by the looming darkness.

My thoughts: HOME BY DARK is rather creepy. It starts out rather Anne of Green Gable-ish with two girls hanging onto each other walking through the scary woods. But then it really does get scary as one of the girls, Andrea is abducted. Charity runs off to get help, but ten years later, Andrea hasn't been found and a cryptic message has Charity returning to the town that she thinks liked Andrea better than herself and blamed her for the disappearance.  It soon becomes apparent that someone is watching Charity and that she is actually in danger.  

I didn't relate to the characters, they were rather one dimensional, not real, but the crime and the scariness factors are top-notch.  This book is guaranteed to give nightmares long after you close it - and not because the ending is scary, but because of what transpires before you get there. If you like scary, creepy, nightmare inducing stories, this is your read.  3 stars.