Review: There Are No Saints

There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There Are No Saints is a story set in the San Francisco art scene. Focusing primarily on acclaimed artists and notorious rivals Alastor Shaw and Cole Blackwell, along with the hardscrabble creative, Mara Eldritch.

Catching the eye of Cole, his interest puts Mara in the crosshairs of the infamous Beast of the Bay serial killer.

Walking home alone late one night, Mara is attacked and abducted. When she wakes, she’s been hogtied and beaten, left for dead miles from the San Francisco populace. Having lived a life filled with hardship, she wars with giving in to the comfort death would bring and fighting to live.

Choosing life, her drive and determination intrigue Cole to the point of obsession.

“I realize… she’s everything I dreamed of and more. More vengeful. More strategic. More effective. More fu¢ked up.”

What follows is a story that perfectly weaves the excitement of a thriller with a slow burn romance. I, admittedly, don’t typically enjoy the slow burn. However, Sophie Lark has expertly progressed this story and created a world filled with clever characters who will have you questioning your morality. Further, she’s developed the quintessential anti-hero who will pull you into his shadow and leave you craving the dark.

“I don’t want to run from Cole. I want to stand still while he comes to me, and then I want to reach up and touch his face. I want to pull off the masks, one by one, until there isn’t any left. And then, whatever is underneath it… I want to see it.”

⚠️ Safety Squad: Brief OM drama, violence, and past abuse (mostly off page).

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