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When Darkness Falls (Darkness Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.3 out of 5 stars 37 ratings

Are serial killers mad or evil?
Follow the amazing journey of Tracy Bennett, an average, middle of the road woman working in a make-up counter in a York department store.But Tracy is not who she wants you to believe....
"I was unable to put it down as the character is so driven, ghoulishly fascinating and wickedly humorous.""Kathleen Harryman's portrayal of a mind warped horribly out of shape is a compelling plunge into the abyss."Kathleen Harryman's When Darkness Falls is a gripping account of a psychopathic killer. Written from the killer's perspective, the story's intent is perfectly compelling and holds the reader enthralled. Make assumptions, draw your own conclusions and then find your theories debunked as the story unfolds. When Darkness Falls is a book that you will not be able to put down until the last page is turned. A testament to the human fascination with the criminal mind.Get your copy!
Other Books by Kathleen Harryman:
The Promise: A World War 2 Historical Novel, The Other Side of the Looking Glass, Hidden Danger, Life's Echoes: Poems on Friendship and Family, Darkness Rising (Book 2 in the Darkness Series) Connect with the author on Twitter: @KathleenHarrym1

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 See full series
There are 2 books in this series.
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From the Publisher

When Darkness Falls (Book One) - A Psychological Thriller
The Darkness Series - When Darkness Falls (Book One ) - Suspense
The Darkness Series - When Darkness Falls - Book One

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I was unable to put it down as the character is so driven, ghoulishly fascinating and wickedly humorous."
"Dark and satisfyingly visceral!"
"Kathleen Harryman's portrayal of a mind warped horribly out of shape is a compelling plunge into the abyss."
"Extremely well written, fast-paced, perfectly descriptive, Kathleen Harryman manages to intertwine gruesome murder with sophistication brilliantly."
"All in all, an enthralling and thought provoking read."
"Full of unexpected plot twists, original characters, natural dialogue, and clean eloquent prose..."
"The narrator's voice is sarcastic and sadistic, keenly observant of every nuance in her midst as she plots her next murder..."

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08C35FTYJ
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 29, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.2 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 279 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 2 ‏ : ‎ Darkness Series
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 17 - 18 years
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 37 ratings

About the author

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Kathleen Harryman
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Kathleen Harryman is a storyteller and poet living in the historically rich city of York, North Yorkshire, England, with her husband, children and pet dog and cat.

Kathleen first published a suspense thriller in 2015, The Other Side of the Looking Glass. Since then, she has developed a unique writing style which readers have enjoyed and is now a multi-published author of suspense, psychological thrillers, poetry and historical romance.

Connect on Twitter: @KathleenHarrym1

Visit her website: www.kathleenharryman.com

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
37 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise the book's writing style, with one noting how the author weaves the tale masterfully. Moreover, the pacing receives positive feedback, with one customer highlighting how the psychology of the main character unfolds with twists and turns. Additionally, customers appreciate the book's intelligence, with one review noting the author's keenly observant approach to character development. However, the suspenseful elements receive mixed reactions from customers.

4 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with one noting how the psychology of the main character unfolds through twists and turns, while others praise the fascinating character development.

"...This story blew my mind. The psychology behind the main character just exploded with more twists and turns than I had any idea of...." Read more

"...plot kept me turning pages as I wanted to know what made this fascinating character, Tracy Bennet, tick...." Read more

"This was an engaging thriller, narrated by a psychopathic killer who gets her thrills by creating art from the blood of her victims...." Read more

"...Written in first person, I was able to enter Tracy's malevolent mind, which is filled with a desire to torture and murder her victims with a..." Read more

3 customers mention "Intelligence"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's intelligence, with one noting its keenly observant approach to every nuance, while another describes it as deep.

"...I won't write spoilers, though. Suffice it to say that the novel is deep and the one who murders has a penchant for using knives in an artistic..." Read more

"...The narrator’s voice is sarcastic and sadistic, keenly observant of every nuance in her midst as she plots her next murder, with the prowess of a..." Read more

"...Out of an unspeakable childhood trauma, a new woman was born. This intelligent, (dare I say) likable, beautiful psychopath will have you feeling..." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing style"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, with one noting how the author weaves the tale masterfully and another highlighting its perfect descriptive quality.

"...The author weaves the tale so masterfully that I actually started to feel the allure and beauty of blood when it leaves the confines of a body...." Read more

"...She is the female version of DEXTER! Written in first person, I was able to enter Tracy's malevolent mind, which is filled with a desire to torture..." Read more

"...Extremely well written, fast-paced, perfectly descriptive, Kathleen Harryman manages to intertwine gruesome murder with sophistication brilliantly...." Read more

8 customers mention "Suspenseful"5 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the suspenseful elements of the book, with some finding it an engaging thriller while others describe it as ghoulishly fascinating.

"...For a killer, the most fulfilling thing is murder...." Read more

"Murder most bloody..." Read more

"The fast paced, intriguing plot kept me turning pages as I wanted to know what made this fascinating character, Tracy Bennet, tick...." Read more

"This was an engaging thriller, narrated by a psychopathic killer who gets her thrills by creating art from the blood of her victims...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Every artist draws something special from their work. This something is unsurpassed by anything else in the artist’s life, be it a day job, relationships, joy from food or any other basic pleasure that, for non-artists, is the highest point in their lives.

    For a killer, the most fulfilling thing is murder. Obliterating another person’s life, watching a victim take the last breath, witnessing the moment when life leaves a body and death takes over – that is the ultimate fulfilment a killer craves. Without it, a killer doesn’t have a reason to live. I find a certain irony in it.

    The Yorkshire Slasher doesn’t consider themselves a killer. They think of themselves as an artist. Death, in their eyes, is beautiful and magnetic. A murder scene is a piece of art – an exquisite painting. And their knife is a brush.

    “When Darkness Falls” by Kathleen Harryman opens with a blood-chilling, horrifying scene of a brutal murder. The author takes readers on a journey through a maze of a psychopath’s warped mind. We see the act of violence from the killer’s perspective. Through Yorkshire Slasher’s eyes, we watch the victim go through the stages of disbelief, fear, and succumbing first psychologically and then physically to their inevitable demise. The author weaves the tale so masterfully that I actually started to feel the allure and beauty of blood when it leaves the confines of a body. Still, terror and sympathy for the victims remained predominant until the end of the book.

    Tracy Bennett lives an unassuming life in York, England. She works in a department store selling make-up. Her colleagues are also her best friends. Her past is tainted by trauma, but it seems she has gotten over it. But is it really so? Or have those events scarred her deeper than anyone could imagine?

    “When Darkness Falls” isn’t for the faint-hearted. It doesn’t paint a slightly disturbing picture of a romanticised murderer with a noble heart and a principle code. The story is a harsh account of how a psychopath sees life and acts in it. A psychopath doesn’t have mercy. They don’t see other people as living beings with dreams, families, aspirations for the future. For them, people are vessels carrying the key to the moments of ultimate pleasure to which psychopaths consider themselves entitled. After reading this book, I realised that the differences between ‘common’ people and psychopaths are much wider than we believe. Psychopaths can’t stop in pursuing their dark desires because they are confident the world owes them their satisfaction. While regular people, with all the sections in their brain active and functioning, besides sympathy and the ability to love and care about others, have a kind of stop lever. This stop lever automatically gets pressed when we want something we know isn’t right or can hurt others.

    The ending was intriguing, and I’ll definitely read the next book in the series.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2018
    I don't generally choose books told from the perspective of the killer, but the blurb intrigued me, and I couldn't resist. I don't want to give anything away, but if you like your stories gory and scary with a bit of mystery, this might be the book for you.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Oh, Tracy. So misunderstood. This story blew my mind. The psychology behind the main character just exploded with more twists and turns than I had any idea of. I won't write spoilers, though. Suffice it to say that the novel is deep and the one who murders has a penchant for using knives in an artistic manner as the person has the notion they create a masterpiece as they cut and design creations in the victims skin, deep or not, and they especially loved the creations of blood spatters on the walls and such. Don't get me wrong, this book is not all about gore at all. The substance of real friends and people are just as important as the one who commits the heinous acts.
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2018
    The fast paced, intriguing plot kept me turning pages as I wanted to know what made this fascinating character, Tracy Bennet, tick. The unassuming, even sweet woman is hiding a dark secret that has literally split her thoughts, actions and who she is- to the point she talks about killing Tracey Bennet. It’s When Darkness Falls she morphs into a sadistic killer, and she’s out for blood- a lot of it. She considers each murder a masterpiece and relishes in the grisly bloodbath. I must admit, at times I second guessed myself, wondering if Bennet was acting alone, or if she was even the killer. That’s a testament to the author’s deftly woven story line and intrigue supporting cast of characters.
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2023
    Format: Kindle
    When darkness falls was definitely a trippy book, told through the killers Point of view. It’s the story of Tracy Bennett and to not make assumptions until you know what is going on. It was intense for sure but definitely a page turner. This book had suspense, Thrill, haunting times, and of course murder and honestly it freaked me out a bit. I couldn’t put it down from the start. There were times I was sitting at the edge of my seat. It was my first read from Author Kathleen harryman. If Thriller is your genre this is definitely a book for you.
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2017
    This was an engaging thriller, narrated by a psychopathic killer who gets her thrills by creating art from the blood of her victims. The narrator’s voice is sarcastic and sadistic, keenly observant of every nuance in her midst as she plots her next murder, with the prowess of a hungry animal licking its lips in delightful anticipation.

    Most of the victims work at a York department store, and as more of them are savagely killed, a tight-knit group of women fear for their own lives, scrambling to keep themselves safe. But are they unwittingly moving closer to danger?

    I love books with great payoffs, and this is one of them! I don’t want to say any more. Just that it’s a really good read!
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2017
    Tracy Bennett is a seemingly "normal" gal, except she's crazy, spiteful and driven by a lust to kill. She is the female version of DEXTER! Written in first person, I was able to enter Tracy's malevolent mind, which is filled with a desire to torture and murder her victims with a passion.

    If you have an interest in the psychopathic psyche, this book will shock and unnerve you to the core. I was unable to put it down as the character is so driven, ghoulishly fascinating and wickedly humorous. What a character! Killing is an art for Tracy and she will not be stopped.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Yorkshire lass
    5.0 out of 5 stars A nail-biting read!!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 29, 2019
    Much has been written about serial killers and the stories inevitably include the methods they use to murder their victims. Some authors prefer to play down the graphic details, leaving the reader to give rein to their imagination, but Kathleen Harryman is not one of them. Rather than fight shy of the gory details, she presents us with some disturbing scenes. Beware the faint-hearted. This writer knows how to shock and does it in spades!
    Crime readers will be familiar with the profiling criteria that describes a psychopath; the patterns they follow and traits that are common to them all. This is all a continual source of intrigue. How does one traumatic event in a person’s life have such a damaging effect on their mental health that it destroys their sanity altogether? The author has researched this well and it’s interesting to observe the psychopathic mind in all its complexity – how the alter ego can dominate an individual without them even being aware of it.
    The plot has been well covered in previous reviews, so I’ll stick to other aspects of the book. It is cleverly done; told from the killer’s POV, the writer gives us an insight into the twisted reasoning at play. The killer’s identity is unclear to begin with, although this soon becomes apparent, keeping our nerves on edge and the fascination growing with each bizarre turn. Who will be next?
    The characters are well portrayed. I particularly liked Susie who appears rather shallow at first, caring more about her appearance and the impression she makes on the opposite sex. We soon see a compassionate side to her nature. Even when she discovers the horrifying truth about her friend, Tracy Bennett, the desire to protect the fragile remnants of her sanity never wavers. Abigail, too, is a likeable character and the dynamics are true to life.
    Despite its horrors, the author has managed to inject some humour into the story by way of some convincing dialogue. This is a well written book that deserves recognition. I love Kathleen Harryman’s style and I can highly recommend this gripping novel. 5*
  • Sheri McInnis
    5.0 out of 5 stars An original, engrossing thriller!
    Reviewed in Canada on May 30, 2017
    I love a great thriller and “When Darkness Falls” delivers in every way! But there’s a twist on the traditional serial killer story: the bad guy is actually a young woman.

    Tracy Bennet is a seemingly normal clerk who works at a cosmetics counter in a department store. But Tracy has a terrible secret: she’s made an “art” of murder.

    We see the story from Tracey’s POV, which is fascinating and disturbing at once. Her desire to kill, the way she describes it, fantasizes about it, then performs it, is absolutely bone-chilling. Yet there’s something about Tracy that’s hard not to relate to.

    This is where Harryman’s skill as a writer comes into play. Tracy is so self-aware, so smart, so cunning – rationalizing her behavior to herself and the reader – that I couldn’t help but like her. Even as I was repulsed by what she does! I was also fascinated by everything I learned about the psychotic mind. The author has obviously done her research!

    Full of unexpected plot twists, original characters, natural dialogue, and clean eloquent prose, the book is also believable, which is the hallmark of a great thriller. I won’t look at a cosmetic counter clerk the same way again! Kudos to Kathleen Harryman for an engrossing, disturbing thriller. I can’t wait to tread more of her work!
  • Squeaky Joe
    4.0 out of 5 stars Blood and gore in large helpings.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    In the historic city of York, a dangerous and blood-thirsty serial killer is on the loose. Unfortunately for the police, evidence is thin on the ground, the killer’s modus operandi often varies, and the choice of victims refuses to conform to any logical pattern. However, it seems one person is central to the killings – Tracy Bennett and her shop-assistant friends have no idea the link to the murders is right on their doorstep. Who will the ferocious predator pick next, and will anyone realise the truth before it’s too late?

    This is the first book I’ve read by Kathleen Harryman. Written from the point of view of the killer, it makes an interesting change from the usual police-versus-villain cat-and-mouse murder-mystery. As we learn more about the murderer, the author treats us to an exclusive view of the slayings, with lots of torturous and bloody detail – detail that might be a bit too much to take for some readers. Having said that, aside from eyewatering descriptions of the murders, the scenes in between – with Tracy and her friends – are less interesting and (I thought) slowed the pace of the story. Nevertheless, this is a great read that kept me wondering who would be next for the killer’s knife and if the carnage would ever end.

    Blood and gore in large helpings.
  • Diogenes
    5.0 out of 5 stars Dark and Satisfyingly Visceral
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2019
    Lauren Michaels is a woman bent on destruction: a woman who relishes torturing her victims, and who has earned herself the name 'The Yorkshire Slasher'.
    Kathleen Harryman's portrayal of a mind warped horribly out of shape is a compelling plunge into the abyss. Well-paced, and with occasional flashes of gallows humour, this is a dark, sinister, and exciting piece of work. If you like your crime thrillers grotesque and visceral, then 'When Darkness Falls' is for you.
    I will certainly be reading more of this author's work...
  • Tina-Marie Miller
    5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional storyline
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 1, 2018
    This is a fascinating story told through the eyes of a psychopathic killer. The attention to detail is exceptional and the characterisation is real. I found myself quickly drawn in to this fast-paced and cleverly written tale which held my attention with its many twists and turns culminating in an ending that was totally unexpected and just brilliant.

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