Book Review: The Sound of the Dark by Daniel Church

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Sound of the Dark by Daniel Church

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Angry Robot (October 28, 2025)

Length: 400 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

The Sound of the Dark is one of those books with a setup that makes you think you know exactly where it’s going…until suddenly, you don’t! This is my third Daniel Church novel, and I’m still amazed by how he can pull the rug from under you in the best way possible. What begins as a straightforward true-crime investigation gradually warps into something far stranger and darker than it first appears, and I found myself hooked even when I wasn’t sure what kind of story I was walking into.

The book follows Cally, host of a well-received but small-time true crime podcast called You Like it Darker, but life hasn’t been too kind to her lately. Dealing with depression and a failing relationship with her boyfriend, the things that used to give her joy and purpose just aren’t cutting it anymore. So, when a listener writes in with a tip suggesting she look into a lesser known 1983 case in which a mild-mannered family man suddenly snapped and murdered his wife and children in cold blood, Cally hopes this new project will spur her to get back on her feet.

Her research leads her to Warden Fell, a creepy abandoned military installation which has long since become the subject of whispers and urban legends in the area. It was reported that the man at the center of her case had gunned down his entire family after visiting this site, pointing to a possible connection. But interviews with others familiar with the investigation, including the killer’s sister and the medical examiner who remembers autopsying the bodies reveal details that are far stranger. Eventually, Cally catches a break in the form of the killer’s audio journals, discovered after visiting the old scene of the crime. However, at this point of no return, Cally begins to understand that she isn’t simply retracing the path of a man’s decent into madness. Rather, she’s quite literally becoming a part of it.

I loved the first half of this book, which reads almost like a straight mystery, following our protagonist as she dives headfirst into the nuts and bolts of investigative work. The pacing here is measured but deliberate, giving readers enough time to pick through the clues. We also get a clearer sense of who Cally is in this section: her frustrations at not being heard, the feeling of being stuck, and her struggle to find a sense of purpose. It makes her obsession with the strange aspects of the case feel that much more believable. After all, how does a husband and father who is by all accounts a gentle and nonviolent man suddenly decide to slaughter the people he loves in such a horrific way? Walden Fell is also wonderfully eerie once Cally gets there, an early sign that things are about to shift into something much darker, and indeed, this is just the beginning.

That said, the middle part of the book gets a bit shaky as we shift into the next phase. Here, the plot turns sharply into territory bordering on conspiracy theory fiction with a generous helping of supernatural and cosmic horror. At this point, I do think the author’s control slipped a little, as he tried juggling all these moving parts while still keeping Cally’s reactions true to her character and convincing. But on the flip side, the horror elements are fantastically well done, vivid and unsettling and full of grotesque body horror imagery. I had no idea Church had this talent in his writer’s toolbox.

And once the plot reaches full throttle, the book becomes hard to put down. A huge part of this is due to character work, both with Cally and the supporting cast. Stella, the eccentric actress we meet early on in the investigation, is a true standout and impossible not to like. Her scenes and dialogue with Cally are some of the best in the novel. Ellen, the young police officer who briefly becomes romantically involved with Cally also brings a steady, down-the-earth presence even if their relationship feels a bit rushed. Still, the dynamic between the three women in the final act is what makes the events of the ending both so chaotic and exciting, watching them come together to take down the big bad.

Final thoughts? The Sound of the Dark is a moody, slow-burn supernatural thriller that isn’t afraid to take its readers down some wild and twisty roads. Even though the plot gets a little tangled in places, it’s still an absorbing read that is undoubtedly memorable. And honestly, that’s what I look for in a book—something that leaves a strong lasting impression long after I’ve turned the last page.