Thank you William Morrow Books, #partner, for the finished copy of Darkrooms in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: William Morrow Books
Published: January 13, 2026
Summary:
Two unforgettable women investigate the disappearance of a missing girl in a small Irish town brimming with secrets—in this haunting debut from a new crime writing talent, perfect for fans of Tana French and Flynn Berry.
What secrets lurk in the Hanging Woods?
On the night of the Summer Solstice in 1999, nine-year-old Roisin O’Halloran marched into the Hanging Woods, the mysterious copse that had inspired fear in decades of children in the small Irish town of Bannakilduf. She was never seen again.
Twenty years later, two women are drawn together to discover the truth of what happened to Roisin’s older sister Deedee, a rookie cop who’s barely hanging on to the appearance of keeping it all together, and Roisin’s childhood best friend Caitlin, a petty criminal who was the last person to see the young girl before she disappeared, now returned to her hometown after her mother’s death.
Reluctantly brought together after decades of mistrust, Caitlin and Deedee must reckon with their shadowy pasts, the monsters that still haunt them, and the role they each may have played in Roisin’s disappearance.
With old wounds made fresh, the unresolved events of that summer years ago rise to the surface, and the truth threatens to reshape the small town that would prefer the past remain buried.
The siren of the Hanging Woods rings out once more. After all, nothing can stay hidden forever.
My thoughts:
Irish crime fiction is always a hit with me and so when I saw this one, a debut comped to Tana French and Flynn Berry — I knew I had to read it…and I was not disappointed. I loved this Irish Noir crime thriller!
I have to say, this cover totally sets the mood for the story. It’s moody, atmospheric and dark. I loved how the past and present came together. All along the tension mounts and when the secrets finally start unraveling, you don’t know how to process. While this story at first glance appears to be about a missing child, it goes so much deeper, really focusing on generational trauma of those who survive and how we sometimes want to do anything to escape our pasts.
There are so many secrets buried in this small town and everyone is hiding something. There is unresolved guilt and people have loyalties they might regret having.
This is not an easy read but if you like dark, unsettling books, I highly recommend this one.
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