“Two girls went into the Hanging Woods. Only one returned.

Twenty years ago Caitlin vowed never to return to her small Irish hometown. Now she drifts from temporary jobs to temporary men, trying to escape memories of the Hanging Woods. Of what happened to Roisin there.

But with news of her estranged mother’s sudden death, Caitlin is forced to return home, back to the town where everyone knows each other’s business and old resentments run deep.

Roisin’s sister Deedee, now a Garda, has never given up on finding the truth of what happened in those woods.

And Caitlin’s return makes old wounds fresh, threatening to exhume secrets that have lain buried for two decades – while the Hanging Woods begin their siren call to Caitlin and Deedee once more . . .”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of Darkrooms by Rebecca Hannigan. Darkrooms is published by Sphere Books today (that’s Thursday 15th January 2026) and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free eARC of Darkrooms but that has in no way influenced my review.

Darkrooms is a haunting exploration of grief and the ties that bind. Caitlin moved away from Bannakilduff, the small Irish town she grew up in, following a tragedy that still defines her today. She swore blind she would never return. That was until her mother died suddenly, and the only course of action she could comprehend was returning. But Bannakilduff has a dark shadow looming over it: the disappearance of nine-year-old Roisin twenty years earlier. Roisin and Caitlin entered the notorious Hanging Woods together, but only Caitlin made it home again. Roisin’s older sister, Deedee, now a Garda, is intent on discovering what happened that day. Deedee believes Caitlin has never fully revealed the truth. That there’s more to tell. And with her return to Bannakilduff, now is the perfect time to find out exactly what happened in the Hanging Woods…

Darkrooms is an unsettling crime mystery from a debut author to watch. The atmosphere in this novel is off the scale. The small town ‘everyone knows your business’ vibes are beautifully handled, and the entire novel emits a palpable, unavoidable sense of dread and unease. It’s an uncomfortable read. But Hannigan draws you into the story and holds your attention throughout. The characters are mostly unlikable, so I was surprised to find myself liking Caitlin. I’m not sure I was supposed to. She has very few redeeming qualities; she’s not a nice person in any way, shape or form, but that just made me like her more! Deedee is an interesting one. The reader watches as she falls apart at the seams. How she easily convinces herself that a quick drink will sharpen her wits, bring everything into focus, when we all know that that won’t be the case. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. For the horrible blows life had dealt, for the trauma and the heartache. This is a book that is packed full of emotion and that is always something I appreciate. You may not find yourself liking any of the characters by the end of the book but I think you’ll have a much better understanding of them.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Darkrooms is a sinister debut mystery with a dark heart. What happened to Roisin that day in the Hanging Woods? You may have a fair idea as you progress through the book but I can promise you you won’t have it all worked out. I did find certain aspects of the story fairly obvious but it didn’t take anything away from my overall reading experience. The pace of the story was a little more sedate than other books I’ve read recently, but I enjoyed the slower feel of the narrative. It gave me a chance to focus on the characters a little more and really get to know what makes them tick. I found the characters were well-written and I believed in both them and everything that had gone before. I look forward to seeing what Hannigan has in store for us readers next. All in all, a dark, intense, slower-paced mystery with a great setting and superb characterisation. Atmospheric, sinister and really gets under your skin. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Darkrooms. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Darkrooms by Rebecca Hannigan was published in the UK by Sphere Books on 15th January 2026 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Rebecca Hannigan has an MA in Creative Writing Crime Fiction from UEA, graduating in 2023. She won the UEA/Little Brown Crime Prize for her dissertation. She has also been shortlisted for Virago/The Pool’s Best New Crime Writer.

Her first novel, Darkrooms, is available for pre-order now from your retailer of choice.

She is currently working on her second novel.

Born in England to Irish parents, she now resides in Essex with her husband, cat, and a variety of increasingly cat-battered houseplants.