After Dark with Roxie Clark by Brooke Lauren Davis

Published on November 21, 2022

After Dark with Roxie Clark Book Cover. A girl in a black shirt stands in front of a field of corn. The sky is red and the text is white, matching the girl's hair.

Reviewed by Jayde Valosin

Most people would be unnerved by the idea that they may have a multi-generational family curse set upon them, resulting in the deaths of loved ones for decades. For Roxie Clark, it's kind of her whole thing. She runs a popular ghost tour in her hometown in the lead-up to Halloween, capitalizing on the Clark Curse and telling the stories of her relatives' tragic deaths. Nothing is off limits- save for the death of Colin Riley, her sister Skylar's boyfriend and brother of her best friend Tristan.

 

After an attempt to cheer up Skylar (who has fallen into a deep depression following Colin's death) goes awry, Roxie finds herself reluctantly working with Skylar to find Colin's killer. But Skylar isn't being reasonable, and soon she and Roxie are fighting against one another for answers to the mystery. After all, Tristan can't possibly have murdered his own brother in cold blood...right?

 

If you're usually too good at guessing the twists in mystery novels, After Dark with Roxie Clark might be perfect for you. The solution to the puzzle is messy, which makes it more realistic, and it shows how even the smallest event can have a domino effect in someone's life.  Roxie is a likable character, torn between supporting her sister and sticking up for her friends. Though I wish we learned more about the Clark Curse through the course of the book, as it seemed like an interesting premise and backdrop for the plot, the nonstop action will keep you interested on its own.

 

A twisty mystery with a touch of romance. If you like Karen M. McManus' books, but want something a little creepier, give this story a try.

 

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