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For the last few years, Dr. Rhianna Summers has been mourning the death of her husband and their young son. She has shunned going back to academia and prefers to live a lonely existence. She is given the opportunity to get back into the world by working on a special research project at her university. On a small English peninsula live Molly and Alice Webb, two nonagenarian sisters who have lived there their entire life and are willing to share a verbal history of the Swifford region, four villages that almost share the same name: Swifford Lea, Swifford Holt, Swifford Fen and Swifford Maisey. The school is interested in gaining their knowledge and Rhianna reluctantly agrees to work on it before her nemesis manages to scoop it from under her. Shortly before Dr. Summers arrive, there are two murders and weird happenings in the Swifford villages. There appears to be a cult worshipping in town and talk of a two-hundred-year-old curse making a comeback. Rhianna is unaware of these events at first, but just makes herself comfortable in town before interviewing the Webb sisters. While doing her work, Rhianna reinvents herself and starts to enjoy the company she keeps and the work she is doing. Nobody knows who she is, so they are unaware of the loss she has suffered. When one of the locals comes to her with the diary of one of the murder victims her life will be in jeopardy. There are those who want to keep the town secrets buried and will do everything under their power to stop Dr. Summers. They cannot risk being exposed. Killing her is always an option. In Susan Hepburn's latest novel, the suspense is taut, character development is well established, and the small village life is present always inviting readers to come over for a visit. The story's main weakness is in the third-person narrative used in the book limiting its scope. The plot might have benefited had the story been told through the eyes of Dr. Summers. She is the newcomer in town and her first impressions are important. Having her tell the story might have helped make the story more appealing by going into the psyche of the character and see how her life has changed for her experiences in the Swiffords. There are times that the story drags out and the reader is left wondering if they are reading something suited for THE X FILES or THE TWILIGHT ZONE. VOICES IN DARKNESS is a worthwhile read with room for improvement. If you like mystery in your mystery novel, this is a good book to try out.
Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, April 2003
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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