Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town
by Adam Christopher
Synopsis:
Christmas, Hawkins, 1984. All Chief Jim Hopper wants is to enjoy a quiet first Christmas with Eleven, but his adopted daughter has other plans. Over Hopper’s protests, she pulls a cardboard box marked “New York” out of the basement—and the tough questions begin. Why did Hopper leave Hawkins all those years ago? What does “Vietnam” mean? And why has he never talked about New York?
Summer, New York City, 1977. Hopper is starting over after returning home from Vietnam. A young daughter, a caring wife, and a new beat as an NYPD detective make it easy to slip back into life as a civilian. But after shadowy federal agents suddenly show up and seize the files about a series of brutal, unsolved murders, Hopper takes matters into his own hands, risking everything to discover the truth.
Review:
Darkness on the Edge of Town is a standalone, original novel from Hopper’s past. The story is told by Hopper to Eleven, with bits of conversation between the two throughout the novel. As a new police detective in New York, Hopper is given a new partner just as cagey government agents seize the case they had just started working.
As young Hopper and his partner investigate ritualistic murders, they stumble upon something bigger. And Hopper has to infiltrate a cult undercover. This story is a mix of murder mystery and thriller. Loaded with suspense and intrigue, I read this one quickly. The excitement builds to a climactic ending that doesn’t disappoint. This novel was a great way to keep me eager for this new season.