Joe Lucchesi was an NYPD detective until a case he worked on went horribly wrong. He now lives with his wife, Anna, and son, Shaun, in Waterford -- a small town in Ireland. Joe thinks he's found the peace and quiet he needs to put the past behind him until his son's girlfriend, Katie, goes missing.

Katie's disappearance sends Joe, his family and the Waterford police force on a suspense-filled roller coaster ride to figure out what happened to her. The police don't want Joe's help, but that doesn't stop him from providing it, especially since Shaun is one of the main suspects. Matters become even more complicated when something from Joe's past in New York catches up with him in Ireland.

DARKHOUSE is Alex Barclay's first novel and with it she sets the bar high. Although the story starts out a bit slow and is somewhat hard to follow in the beginning, it quickly smoothes out and picks up the pace. The heart- racing story doesn't slow down until the nail-biting end. Barclay skillfully uses flashbacks and cut-scenes to craft a compelling and entertaining mystery/suspense. At times, I found it difficult to put this book down. I anxiously await Barclay's sophomore effort!