Darkness on the Edge of Town
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Darkness on the Edge of Town

Chief Jim Hopper reveals long-awaited secrets to Eleven about his old life as a police detective in New York City, confronting his past before the events of the hit show Stranger Things. Christmas, Hawkins, 1984. All Chief Jim Hopper wants is to enjoy a quiet first Christmas with Eleven, but his adopted daughter has other plans. Over Hopper's protests, she pulls a cardboard box marked "New York" out of the basement--and the tough questions begin. Why did Hopper leave Hawkins all those years ago? What does "Vietnam" mean? And why has he never talked about New York? Although he'd rather face a horde of demogorgons than talk about his own past, Hopper knows that he can't deny the truth any longer. And so begins the story of the incident in New York--the last big case before everything changed. . . . Summer, New York City, 1977. Hopper is starting over after returning home from Vietnam. A young daughter, a caring wife, and a new beat as an NYPD detective make it easy to slip back into life as a civilian. But after shadowy federal agents suddenly show up and seize the files about a series of brutal, unsolved murders, Hopper takes matters into his own hands, risking everything to discover the truth. Soon Hopper is undercover among New York's notorious street gangs. But just as he's about to crack the case, a blackout rolls across the boroughs, plunging Hopper into a darkness deeper than any he's faced before.
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Reviews

Photo of Leah Diaz
Leah Diaz @leah_diaz
5 stars
Aug 18, 2024

Hopper backstory. He is a New York City Detective after coming back from Vietnam. Great read for a Stranger things fan.

+3
Photo of Zugzug
Zugzug@zugzug
4 stars
Mar 4, 2024

While being a fan of the Netflix series this book felt like an interesting backstory with characters I would not have minded knowing more about. Hopper's character has at times a predictable story arc but that said it still felt worth the ride to see how we got to the more recent Hopper. Light references to Miskatonic University made me entertain numerous side story ideas further entangling the Lovecraft's works into this universe and would not mind if this is further explored in other works. All and all it was a good read and appreciate Christopher's work, would recommend to anyone curious to give it a read.

Photo of Mia Caven
Mia Caven@miacaven
4 stars
Oct 10, 2023

I loved this one because we were in and out of “present day” and the past of Hopper. This one was about his past prior to what we see in stranger things, the first was about Elevens real mother. So if you prefer to hear about the OG characters, this one’s for you

Photo of Elizabeth Raines
Elizabeth Raines@izzyrain729
3 stars
Nov 10, 2021

This book did not really develop Hopper's character. The show does a great job with his development through the three seasons that are currently out but this book didn't really add anything to that. I love a 1970s New York City setting, the city was corrupt and gritty, the perfect backdrop for a thriller. Let's talk about this being a thriller, if you have seen the show than this book won't be thrilling. We know what happens and know that Hopper makes it out alive. The last quarter of the book was the most exciting part. The writing was the biggest downfall, it was bland, dull, and repetitive. I did catch a few typos, words missing letters, but that is on the editors. Average read but it got me halfway to my reading goal for the year. 3/5 stars.

Photo of Heather Harrington
Heather Harrington@nerdybynatureblog
4 stars
Oct 23, 2021

**I received a copy of this via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.** Jim Hopper is one of my favorite characters on Stranger Things, so I was immediately drawn to this story. Anything about his background and life before he became the grizzly grump we all know and love is right up my alley. It was so interesting reading about his life outside of Hawkins, and I would love it if the show touched upon it as well. What I loved most though were the little snippets in between the story of Hopper and Eleven. I absolutely love these two together. Their dynamic works so well, and you can really feel the fatherly love Hopper has for her. This was such a fast paced, action packed glimpse into Hopper's backstory and a must read for any fan of the show.

Photo of Milea Webb
Milea Webb@irishgirl1613
4 stars
Jul 1, 2022
Photo of Yasmin Ceccato de Lima
Yasmin Ceccato de Lima@yas22
4 stars
Jan 2, 2024
Photo of Hala daher
Hala daher@hd
4 stars
Jan 24, 2023
Photo of Rey
Rey@rey_who_reads
4 stars
Nov 2, 2022
Photo of Dean Bray
Dean Bray@literarylycan
5 stars
Dec 20, 2021
Photo of Randy Robbins
Randy Robbins@rjrobbins2
4 stars
Sep 14, 2021

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