Sweetest Darkness

By: Jamie Steinberg

There is something strange about The Hotel Alvarado in Gypsum, Texas. There are rumors of supernatural events taking place inside and it is to be avoided in the evenings at all costs. However, something seems to be luring Quinn and his friends June and Selena there as they’ve been having dreams about it. Unable to keep themselves from wanting to find answers, the trio wind up – unfortunately – unlocking something dark and sinister that had remained dormant for many years. Leslie Lutz’s intriguing sci-fi story Sweetest Darkness will have you turning pages until you find out what truly lies within the doors of this iconic location and how strong the bonds of friendship can be tested.

The Hotel Alvarado has been abandoned for many years and remains a memorial of sorts to the grander days of the past when celebrities came to town for the mineral spas and films being shot in the desert. Clairvoyant teenager Quinn and his pals June and Selena continue to find themselves drawn to the hotel as they have been having dreams that call them there. Quinn’s brother Ollie arrives with a mysterious safe that he’s found in The Alvardo and upon opening it a supernatural being is released on the town and his sole mission is to consume…anything and everything. To go further into the storyline would give away too much, but Quinn, Ollie and friends find themselves the only ones with the power to put this creature back where it belongs – hidden away forever.

Lutz just fascinates with this page turner. Readers will find themselves quickly invested in Quinn’s gift for reading tea leaves and the accuracy he possesses. Reading along also provides a voyeuristic feel as though you are a fourth friend along for this chilling adventure that becomes a life-or-death mission. Then, it’s the dark being that keeps pages being turned over and over. What is it that continues to push Quinn and his friends toward The Alvarado? When you find out, the tale only becomes more riveting.

Sweetest Darkness is a fascinating sci-fi story that mesmerizes. Readers genuinely become invested and concerned for Quinn, his friends and family and the town of Gypsum. The book starts with what may seem like teenagers just out for an evening adventure, only leading to these youngsters finding themselves in a much darker web from which they may not be able to escape. Fans of supernatural stories, this one is for you.