Darkness Runs Deep by Claire McNeel

Publisher's Synopsis

In the darkest hour, a blood-soaked teenager flees the rural Gerandaroo football oval.

Eight months later, Bess, a young teacher, returns home to Gerandaroo. A childhood game of dare with her former best friend forces Bess to form a women's footy team to play against Denby, a rival town. Bess reluctantly recruits players, but the team has to contend with hostile locals - including Bess's own father. Will this help the small community to come back together - or will it be the final thing that blows everything apart?

As tensions in the town boil over, so too do resentments and secrets and violence that have been previously held tight and close.

Fiercely told and breathlessly compelling, Darkness Runs Deep is a striking new Australian crime novel about the best and worst of who we are.

My Review of Darkness Runs Deep by Claire McNeel

A horrific crime provides the background motivation for the events of Darkness Runs Deep to take place. It’s something that is hinted at regularly throughout the first half of the book, but it goes maddeningly unsaid for way too long, in my opinion. Rather than act as a tantalising piece of information, the non-explanation merely served to be an annoyance and, in fact, in my mind was irrelevant to the story that was unfolding in the present. As an AFL devotee, though, I enjoyed immersing myself in the footy talk and the great sense of teamwork that developed as an unlikely women’s team was created.

Victoria’s Gerandaroo is a town in stasis following a New Year’s Eve tragedy that resulted in the local football team being banned from participating in the 1993 season along with the nearby town of Denby.

Bess has returned to her home town from Melbourne where she works as a teacher. The locals regard her move to the city as a type of betrayal, fleeing the town when things were at their darkest.

In a drunken moment in the pub while catching up with best friend Jules, Bess accepts a dare to put together a town women’s footy team. Organise and train the team in preparation for a game against the women of Denby.

After the initial awkwardness of having to explain herself to the locals about the fact that she’s back and that she’s trying to put together the team, the interest starts to grow among the local women. Gradually, the disparate group forms into a team (of sorts) with friendships building and a sort of strengthening forms that serves the purpose of healing some of the wounds that were caused by the event that drove the town into its funk.

By the way, at this stage I should point out that through a huge portion of the book, the actual event that took place is only ever hinted at in the vaguest of terms. This is clearly a story that has tremendous meaning to the locals of Gerandaroo but for us, the details are leaked in the slowest manner possible.

Darkness Runs Deep is a story that tackles a range of emotional issues that lurk in just about any town or community. Deep-seated resentment, hurt feelings, misogyny, sexual discrimination are all displayed by those opposed to the women’s team from succeeding. The time setting of the early 90s is very appropriate for the attitudes that prevailed among many of the male townsfolk. But through a combination of defiance, strength and determination as well as a process of bonding the women with diverse backgrounds succeed in pulling together to become a team.

Claire McNeel succeeds in telling a story of rebuilding through the simple act of teamwork and togetherness. The activity that was the focus of this bond could have been anything at all, but for a small Victorian country town, it was only going to be through Aussie Rules football that the passion was going to shine through.

Just one little personal note, too. As an REM fan I very much enjoyed the scene when Bess turned the car radio up loud when ‘It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)' came on. I could also relate when they all struggled to nail the lyrics of the song! This is definitely a song on high rotation on my playlist when I run and it always gets played at maximum volume. Always! (It’s time I spent some time alone.)