Where He Can’t Find You - Darcy Coates
Where He Can’t Find You is the story of a town haunted by its past, and Abby Ward is determined to escape its frightening streets and rapidly increasing death count as soon as she can. But for now, Abby and her sister, Hope, continue living in fear, following four strict rules to stay alive and out of trouble. However, when Hope suddenly disappears, snatched by a thing called the Stitcher, Abby steps outside of the rule book she so meticulously created and dedicates her life to saving her sister before the Stitcher gets to her first - down in its lair where its victim’s await their godawful fate. It’s a place where hundreds of people have been taken to die, their bodies found above ground, brutally dismembered, and nobody quite knows why.
It’s a frightening idea, full of unexpected twists that had me turning each page with fear filled curiosity until the very end.
Perhaps it started out a little slow, and took me some time to get into; but like with any book you read, every author has something to tell. And it’s up to the reader whether they want to listen or not. So, if your patience wears thin, set it down and leave its seed untold, or stick through to the end and you might just learn something:
For Darcy Coates it was teaching the importance of friendship and dedication, and the dangers that can come with fear that fuelled her first words right through to the last. Or perhaps she’s crafted a hauntingly compelling story that leaves you with nightmares, teaching you never to pick up a book like this again. Either way, you know it was a decent read because it left a mark. A mark that you’ll remember until the next novel whisks you away, taking you to a world you haven’t explored before.
And Where He Can’t Find You does just that. Coates’ use of metaphors and similes submerge her audience in countless unpleasant bouts of description, painting imagery that exude both dread and disgust. Her short and concise sentences made for a snappy, hair raising novel full of horrific twists and turns.
However, I can’t say this was the best horror fiction novel I’ve ever read. Honestly, it seemed bland at times, with passages of writing that were prolonged for no evident reason. It didn’t add anything to plot, nor did it draw me in like M.L Rio’s If We Were Villains, which had me questioning everything from the very start.
Coates, unfortunately, left it vastly uneventful and this made it quite a tedious read, with mundane scenes that were hard to get through. It felt extremely long as well, finishing at page 416, leaving most of the thrilling action to the last hundred or so pages. And for me, I need something that entices me from the very beginning. After all, an opening that hooks the reader is what sets the mood for the rest of the story. Due to the lack of a good hook, I never expected anything spectacular from Coates. She lost me in chapter two and found me again during chapter twenty-three, then lost me a few times more and found me around ten chapters later. So, if you’re looking for a book that keeps hold of your undivided attention, I’m not sure this is going to be your cup tea; though I can’t speak for everyone.
Besides, Where He Can’t Find You wasn’t so bad that I had to discard it altogether, I managed to persevere, and I give Coates a point for that. The idea is there and I think Coates’ has executed it in her own unique style which is why the story of Abby Ward is so special. It differs from others in both good and bad ways. And that’s what I think will make or break the book for people. You either love it or you hate it. It’s neither terrible nor spectacular. It’s simply a story that nobody else could tell.
So, if you enjoy the rush of a horror novel, or the intriguing plot of a supernatural mystery, then Darcy Coates’ Where He Can’t Find You is probably the book you’re looking for next. I recommend it as a 3.5-star work of art, it might seem a little dry at times but the chills are inevitable. Or maybe Stephen King is more down your street, and if that’s the case, stick around for more because I’ll be reviewing his legendary novels later in the year.
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