The Essence of Darkness by Tom Clearlake

 I received The Essence of Darkness from NetGalley in return for an honest review. I rated the books 2 out of 5 pages. 

The premise of the story was what drew me to the book in the first place. Children go missing, evil forces are at play and it is up to FBI agent Eliot Cooper to figure out what is going on in this small community. However, what I wasn't expecting was the very supernatural twist this book took. It was intriguing, at first, but then I fell like it just all fell apart. 

Eliot Cooper accepts his mission and proves to be one of the best in his fields, that is until he stumbles upon a sacred ritual in the woods which leads him to transform into something no one expected. Cooper becomes unrecognizable to his colleagues and himself. He finds himself alone and battling the evil that is surrounding him, until he relies on a former lover and friend. It is through her aide, the reader is introduced to a secret society, rituals and the fight between good and evil. 

While I appreciated the beginning of the book, I felt as it progressed, the story became extremely disconnected and I found myself wondering how we got from point A to Point B. The last few chapters left me scratching my head and reading fast just to get it over with. It all just fell apart and felt as though it could've really been two stories but instead were two stories stitched into one. I felt like the original premise of the missing children and what started the story was just an afterthought. 

The characters were not relatable and had no true depth to them. Some of the situations they found themselves in seemed forced. They also were very predictable and while the author attempted to add some romance to the novel, it fell extremely short and wasn't well thought out. There was too much emphasis on it for not being a well developed thought. 

While I had a hard time getting through the story, liking the characters and basically following along, I do have to credit the author with the grisly descriptions provided. It added to the horror aspect of the book and at times, gave me goosebumps. If not for these descriptions, I probably would've given this book a lower rating, if none at all.