The central charcter of The Dark Room is a man known by the name of Alfie Bows who lives in a tent in a car park having lived on the streets for many years following a traumatic incident during a trip away to celebrate graduation which led to him abandoning the life he knew. Whatever happened all these years ago has been kept quiet but now someone who was invloved has found him and Alfie's in great danger. He has written a letter describing the events that took place and posted it to Hunter Mackenzie, a documentary director planning a documentary based on why people end up living on the streets. Alfie fails to show up to a meeting with Hunter who is very worried about him however he has been knocked off his bicycle on his way to work and is in hospital with serious injuries. The police inform Rachel, Hunter's partner, of the accident and take her to the hospital to see him where he asks Rachel to look for Alfie. Rachel doesn't tell him that the barge they live on was broken into and ransacked that morning. Meanwhile Caroline has been suspended from her post as a crime reporter in New York having been accused of defamation by a man she has written about. She leaves New York for a couple of weeks holiday at Hare's Landing in West Cork which is reputedly haunted following an incident there some years ago. Sam Blake sets the scene brilliantly for this intriguing mystery and it's going to be very interesting to read the rest of this book and discover exactly what happened all these years ago.