Title: The Darker Side of Love
Author: J. Shannell Evans
Publisher: PageTurner Press and Media
ISBN: 979-8-88622-275-3
Genre: Fiction/ Mystery/ Contemporary
Pages: 192
Reviewed by: Ella Vincent
Pacific Book Review
The Darker Side of Love is a taut and enthralling thriller about how dangerous love can be. Author J. Shanell Evans has written a novel that readers will love.
The Darker Side of Love is about Virginia, a lawyer whose seemingly idyllic world is turned upside down when her mother suddenly dies. Her grief soon turns to suspicion when the doctor who performs her mother’s autopsy said that she was poisoned. As she and her brother, Luke, and sister, Brenda, grapple with that alarming fact, other unsettling details soon emerge about their father. Virginia soon works to find out what caused her mother’s death and soon finds more trouble than she bargained for as she searches for the truth.
Virginia is a relatable and fascinating protagonist who has a combination of faith and ferocity as she searches for the real reason behind her mother’s untimely demise. She has to cope with her grief with losing her mom and dealing with a family feud as her father and sister are pitted against her and her brother.
The other characters are also compelling, with her father, Bill, as a man whose perfect façade hides more than meets the eye. Brenda is a sister who’s conflicted in being devoted to her father and wanting to remain close to Virginia. Luke is a brother who clashes with Virginia’s unshakable faith, but also wants to find the truth behind her mother’s death.
Evans has written a mystery that is a unique mixture of faith and thriller. The dialogue also is relatable as the characters confront each other about uncomfortable truths. While most mysteries just depend on evidence the protagonist has, The Darker Side of Love has spiritual overtones which add depth to the novel. Virginia’s quotation of Bible verses show that intuition and faith can help people solve crimes as much as evidence and science. The novel shows the importance of having good Christian values as Virginia tries to deal with forces of evil in her family.
The Darker Side of Love is a compelling novel for readers who want to read mysteries which also have religious undertones that drive the story. The novel would also be best for readers wanting to read thrillers which aren’t too grisly and have family issues at the core of the story. Evans has written a novel that will entertain readers as they will try to solve a complicated mystery.
