Dark Mode (Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Ultimo)

Dark Mode opens with the graphic discovery of a woman disturbingly murdered in the same way as the infamous, unsolved case of the Black Dahlia. Also disturbing for Reagan Carsen, who discovers the body on her morning run, is the fact the woman looks near identical to her. Reagan is immediately convinced that this is connected to a stalker from her past whom she has been avoiding by having no online presence. While her best friend and true-crime author Min-lee follows the investigation into the ‘Sydney Dahlia’ murders, Reagan focuses on keeping her beloved garden centre from going bankrupt. Digital marketing, the bank tells her, will be necessary for them to loan her money. Reagan’s concession to financial solvency opens the door to further attacks against her using the arsenal of the digital world. The author of a memoir and thriller novella, Ashley Kalagian Blunt has produced a well-researched and extremely timely debut novel that conveys a deep insight into the dangers hiding out of sight online and on the dark web. The parallel between serial killers and digital crimes and their association with virulent misogyny creates a sense of horror so extreme that Dark Mode makes The Silence of the Lambs look like a fairytale. This novel is recommended for readers of crime fiction who are new to digital crimes and communities, as Reagan regularly acts as a stand-in for the reader learning about concepts such as ‘swatting’, ‘doxing’, and ‘incels’.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Ilona Urquhart is a children’s and youth services librarian on the Bellarine Peninsula and has a PhD in literary studies. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Category: Reviews