Content levels
Trigger warnings
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
Paul Wood is a modern vagabond, a man who chooses to leave the comforts of San Francisco to spend months backpacking through some of the world's most challenging terrain. While hiking in the Himalayas, Paul gets more of a rush than he bargained for when he finds the body of a murdered hiker - mutilated in a way he has witnessed once before, in Africa, years ago and thousands of miles away. The police in Nepal, anxious to quell a scandal, close the case and declare the victim a suicide. Only Paul is left to search for answers. He reaches out to his farflung tribe of fellow backpackers for help, and his discoveries lead him to a terrible conclusion: a killer is stalking the international backpacker trail, preying on victims in wild places far beyond the reach of any authorities. A killer whom Paul may already know. Finding the murderer becomes an obsession that leads Paul from Himalayan peaks, through the jungles of Indonesia, across the bleak Sahara desert -- and into some of the darkest places imaginable...
Dark Places: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
This dark thriller features a serial killer stalking backpackers across remote international locations, with multiple murders and mutilated bodies described. The protagonist's obsessive hunt takes him through isolated, dangerous terrain.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, no sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include graphic violence, murder, and death (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Adult readers who enjoy dark mysteries with international settings and psychological suspense will be gripped by this chase across continents.