Darkness on the Edge of Town is a pretty good effort for a first novel, but it's little more than that. Cole's central character Vinnie is a 40 year old living in the hills above a small town. One night, Vinnie encounters Rachel, a young woman after an accident in which her baby has died. Vinnie's protective instincts kick in, which leads him into a host of trouble with his teenage step-daughter, his current flame and the townsfolk.

Cole seems to be trying to write a disturbing psychological thriller but can't carry it off. The book has more accounts of leaking breasts than anyone could want to read, making one suspect that Cole may have had some life-changing issues in that area herself. The chemistry between Vinnie and Rachel is not really believable given their age difference, and some of Cole's plot developments and resolutions are just a bit too pat. I was disappointed in the ending, which I thought was a bit forced and silly. ( )

A solid Australian novel about the appearance of a young woman in a small town and the subtle (and not so subtle) shockwaves that reverberate through the town. Nicely written and tightly plotted, but not hugely surprising. ( )

Darkness on the Edge of Town is a haunting tale of loss, tenderness and violence set in an isolated Australian valley. On the road outside the hilltop home Vincent shares with his teenage daughter Gemma, he finds an upturned car and a young woman cradling the lifeless body of her baby son. A collector of broken things and broken people, when the woman reappears just days later, barefoot, bruised and distraught, Vincent takes her into his home, and his heart.

Despite the differences in age and gender, Cole has given both Vincent and Gemma an authentic voice which each resonate with me in a way that is difficult to articulate. Though grounded in simple first person narrative, the prose creates a haunting melody of loneliness, grief and desire.
I developed such genuine compassion for the protagonists of the novel, Vincent's kindness, Gemma's confusion and Rachel's grief are deeply affecting as they they vacillate between hope and despair.
Violence, compassion, love, responsibility and abuse entwine to create ambiguous relationships complicated by grief, jealousy and loneliness. Darkness on the Edge of Town explores the dynamics of intimacy with a rare sensitivity and truthfulness.
While the ending is perhaps more abrupt than I liked, it also creates a pleasing, if sad, symmetry.

Darkness on the Edge of Town is a compelling novel whose essence is powerful and honest. There are simply some stories that echo somewhere deep within, and for me, this was one of them. ( )

A quick read. A stranger with a history crashes her car outside Vincent's house and her baby dies in the crash. Vincent and his daughter Gemma become drawn into this womans life as they try to learn more about her and help her. ( )

4* ( )