One of Us

Welcome to the dark side of town in Tawni O'Dell's latest thriller, One of Us. For Lost Creek, a small mining town in Pennsylvania, it had been haunted by a grisly history. More than fifty years ago, eight rebellious Irish miners were once hanged by the gallows from Walker Dawes. Residents of the town believed it was haunted from ghosts, especially from their descendants. This tale was told in present-day by two people who have been affected by the town's hidden secrets, past and present, with flashbacks of their former lives. It all started when Sheridan "Danny" Doyle, Prosperity McNab's great-great grandson, a prestigious forensic psychologist from Philadelphia, who came home to visit his 94-year-old grandfather. He also hailed from a dysfunctional family and a lot of heartache. When he visited the gallows near the mine, he came across a dead body. For Danny and his mentor, Rafferty "Rafe" Malloy, it was up to them to find out who's behind the recent spree in their neighborhood. On the flip side of the coin was Scarlet Dawes, the grand-daughter of Walker Dawes the first, the richest family in the small town who had an agenda of her own and stirring up a lot of trouble. When the past collided with the present, a whole lot of mayhem and family secrets were unearthed to shake this town up. When Danny figured it out the disturbing truth, his life was at stake. There's a shocking twist you didn't see coming in the end!

For starters, you really do care for Danny and his family in a small mining town. We become shocked on how he overcame obstacles to make a life for himself. I felt bad for his mom and didn't care much for his worthless father. As for Scarlet Dawes, I didn't like them either. Even when she revealed her true intentions, it sent chills down my spine and left me on edge. I knew she was nothing but trouble. I loved the scene in Ireland at the end and the small mining town itself, except for the gallows.  This is as dark as it can be.

Ready to take on a difficult case? Give this one a quick read!