The Darkest Corners

There are ghosts around every corner in Fayette, Pennsylvania.

Tessa left when she was nine and has been trying ever since not to think about it after what happened there that last summer. Memories of things so dark will burn themselves into your mind if you let them.
Callie never left. She moved to another house, so she doesn’t have to walk those same halls, but then Callie always was the stronger one. She can handle staring into the faces of her demons—and if she parties hard enough, maybe one day they’ll disappear for good.
Tessa and Callie have never talked about what they saw that night. After the trial, Callie drifted and Tessa moved, and childhood friends just have a way of losing touch.
But ever since she left, Tessa has had questions. Things have never quite added up. And now she has to go back to Fayette—to Wyatt Stokes, sitting on death row; to Lori Cawley, Callie’s dead cousin; and to the one other person who may be hiding the truth.
Only the closer Tessa gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer—and this time, it won’t be so easy to run away.

What People Are Saying

“Thomas carefully crafts the suspense, leaving present-tense narrator Tessa—and readers—to doubt even those she loves the most…An unsettling story of loss, lies, and violence lurking in the shadows of a small town.”

— Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“[A] cerebral mystery wrapped in heart-pounding suspense. Thomas keeps it real with a jaded heroine from the have-nots societal segment who holds onto her humanity, and a frank illustration of failure in the justice system. Hand this one to older teens who love dark mysteries or fans of Netflix’s Making a Murderer.”

— Shelf Awareness, Starred Review

“Gripping from start to finish, The Darkest Corners took me into an underbelly I didn’t know existed, with twists that left me shocked and racing forward to the end.”

— Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Queen

“As dark as Gillian Flynn and as compulsive as Serial…Kara Thomas’s mystery debut is intricate, chilling, and deeply compelling. Unforgettable!”

— Laura Salters, author of Run Away

“Expertly plotted with plenty of twists and turns—never mind a truly shocking conclusion—this gritty thriller is sure to find a wide audience among teens and adults alike. Equally concerned with a quest for the truth and the powerful motivation of guilt, this compelling novel won’t linger on the shelf.”

— Booklist, Starred Review

“Through strong character development and thrilling reveals, readers become as engrossed as Tessa as she searches for the truth and deals with the emotions of her past. VERDICT As a dark psychological thriller with a compelling story and an unexpected but satisfying ending, this novel is a sure bet.”