Seven Years of Darkness

When Choi Sowon, the narrator of this riveting novel from Jeong (The Good Son), was 11 years old in 2004, Sowon’s father, Choi Hyonsu, the head of security at Seryong Dam, was arrested for killing his wife and an 11-year-old girl and her father—and for causing more deaths after opening the dam floodgates above Seryong Village. Hyonsu was convicted of mass murder and sent to prison, and an uncle in Seoul adopted Sowon. Seven years later, when Sowon receives a mysterious manuscript in the mail purporting to tell what really happened in 2004, Sowon realizes he faces a serious threat. Readers may think they know the full story, but the atmospheric plot unfolds in unexpected directions. Jeong does a good job making the unlikable Hyonsu deserving of sympathy, though some may wish she focused less on the past and more on Sowon’s current predicament. A rushed ending also disappoints. But these are minor flaws. This twisty tale reinforces Jeong’s place as the queen of South Korean thrillers. [em]Agent: Barbara Zitwer, Barbara J. Zitwer Agency. (June) [/em]