Books/The Dark Place
The Dark Place
A historical suspense thriller set in the murky world of fugitive war criminals, vengeful Nazi hunters and spies
- Thriller
- Historical Fiction
Spain, 1970. Some men escaped justice in 1945. But the past has not finished with them.
Captain Jesús Garcia of the Guardia Civil is days from retirement.
After surviving the brutality of the Spanish Civil War and three decades of policing the worst of humanity, he has learned one rule above all others:
Keep your head down. Ask only the questions you are told to ask. Survive.
Then a boy disappears from a remote town in Málaga province.
The child is the son of one of the town’s most powerful German residents — part of a secretive community built on money, silence, and old sins.
Garcia is ordered to find the boy and blame a convenient suspect: a recently arrived British businessman and decorated veteran of the Second World War.
With Franco’s feared secret police on their way from Madrid, the pressure is simple.
Find a culprit.
Any culprit.
But Garcia has seen too much darkness to mistake obedience for justice. As he digs into the disappearance, he uncovers a web of fugitive war criminals, vengeful Nazi hunters, spies, buried identities, and secrets powerful men have spent decades keeping hidden.
To save the boy, Garcia must confront not only the evil hiding in his town, but the ghosts of his own past — and the bloody history of a nation still afraid to speak the truth.
Atmospheric, tense, and deeply human, The Dark Place is a historical suspense thriller set in Franco-era Spain, where old crimes refuse to stay buried and justice comes at a dangerous price.
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Reader reviews
A brilliant read
B. D. Arnell
The Dark Place is a complete departure from the other two Damian Vargas books I have read. It was gripping, well written, utterly believable and had me hooked from start to finish!.
Very good read
Fazerneil
Found this book by accident and glad I did. Well written gripping story especially for anyone interested in what happened to many nazis after 2nd world war, fictional maybe, but likely covering some truths. Highly recommend.
A good story that reminds you of Spain and moves quickly along. A gentle hint of humour.
DMcV
I liked the fact there was no "superhero" and really felt I s back in rural Spain. A good read.
Excellent paced crime thriller
Rob James
Excellent new novel from Mr Vargas. Slightly different from the last 2 Costa del crime novels, this one is a historical crime thriller . It is a lot more factual than the previous novels and feels really well researched. I won't give too much of the plot away but it was really well written with lots of twists and great ending.
Vargas delivers yet again with a story you don’t want to put down.
Lagoon
The boltholes for senior Nazi figures when the dust settled after WW2 are myriad and well documented. That plays a large part in this novel; but with a tantalising new twist. Set in Spain, the chapters alternate between WW2 and the 70s. A young boy is missing. A man has been murdered. Tongues are wagging. More than anything else, Damian Vargas knows how to tell a story. Impeccably researched and told with heart. A really satisfying read.
A great story
Amazon customer
eally enjoyed this book, the second book I’ve read from the author. Very interesting mix of location, history and fiction. I would recommend this. I look forward to his next book.
Utterly breathtaking
Martin Hussingtree
I confess that it took me a couple of chapters to understand how the story was constructed: Time-hopping between different scenes in space and time. Once I had managed to sequence the scenes in my own mind, the storyline accelerated like an F35 on full reheat! Wow, I literally couldn't put it down. There are twists and turns aplenty and nothing is quite what it at first appears. Read it before bedtime and I challenge you to put it down before either sleep overcomes you, or dawn breaks...
There's more to the Costa Del sol than sunburnt Brits
Joe Lyon
This is the 3rd book from Damian Vargas and probably my favourite so far. Dealing with the subject of Nazis living in Europe after WWII it feels completely believable and not at all like a conspiracy theory. The author paints such a graphic picture of the characters and locations that it is easy to visualize the story, almost as if it's a film. The story draws you in to it's main character, Inspector Jesus Garcia, who, even though he has his own chequered (and also dark) past, I found myself unable to put the book down, turning page after page to see what would happen next or if Jesus would ever get his cigarettes! I have no idea how much of the book is based upon fact, if any of it, but it feels like it could almost be a true story. I'd like to put here what I messaged the author after I'd finished the book, but that would spoil it! Looking forward to more work from Mr Vargas.
Outstanding
Drew Johnson
This is the third book I’ve read from this author, and this one takes us back further into a very dark period in Europe’s history. The plot lines are expertly constructed and intertwined and it keeps the reader engaged throughout. There is an instant empathy for Inspector Garcia and the impossible choices he has had to make in life in Franco era Spain, and being a resident of the same local area the book covers just added to the intrigue for me. The Spanish don’t like to talk about the civil war as it divided not just the country but families, and there are lots of local rumours about this part of Spain around which Damian Vargas has constructed his tightly woven plot, bringing those rumours to life for me in a magical way. I feel both thrilled to have read the book and enlightened by what it has revealed to me about this enchanting corner of Andalucía I now have the privilege to call home.
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