Iris in the Dark by Elissa Grossell Dickey is a book I was looking forward to reading. The description sounded enticing. The opening chapters were well-written, setting up the story and I was pleased to be digging into this thriller. This is the tale of Iris and her young son Finn, who live in South Dakota and the gist is that she moved to the country to evade a brutal past. When she learns that her job at the local paper may not last, Iris moves to a lodge to find out if managing it will be a good fit. There will be the usual caretaker who quickly becomes the love interest in a most unrealistic fashion. There are indications that her past may be following her. I gave up on Iris in the Dark with forty pages left to read and I could not have cared less about the ending. Many of the characters were bland and whiny. The plot was completely without realistic scenarios. I understand this is a work of fiction but it should be at least somewhat believable. This is only my own opinion and I am sure that many will enjoy this novel. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Iris in the Dark is Elissa Grossell Dickey's second book. This book does include instances of domestic violence and human trafficking.

Iris has been trying to stay in the "dark" to protect herself and her young son from her past. She is viewed by her peers as an extremely over-protective mother and just kind of different. Well, she has good reasons for her actions. She is given the opportunity to manage a guest lodge by her long-time friend and the closest thing she has to a father. Here she meets Sawyer who cooks at the lodge and the diner in town that is one of the few places she feels comfortable taking Finn to. Sawyer is also a single parent. Sawyer and Iris feel a connection from their first meeting. Strange things start happening at the lodge and Iris wonders if she and Finn are in danger.

This book includes some intense subjects and situations but is not extremely graphic. I was interested in the story all the way through and didn't realize the connections until they were revealed. The going back and forth in time was easy to follow. I thought the relationship between Iris and Sawyer moved a little fast, but that's just me. Overall, it was a good book and I will continue to follow this author.

My sincere thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my opinion of it. ( )