In the heart of the Alaskan wilderness, where the land is as unforgiving as it is beautiful, Lilli Sutton weaves a tale of family, survival, and the harsh realities of life in a changing world. A Long Dark Night is a literary thriller that delves deep into the complexities of human relationships and the struggle to find one’s place in an ever-evolving landscape.
The story begins in the fall of 2026, as Nina Sanford returns to her fictional hometown of Whitespur, located far up the Dalton Highway along the southern flanks of the Brooks Range. Nina, a former culinary student and adventurous spirit, has spent the past nine years away from her family, living in New York City and later Maine, where she opened a thriving restaurant that was ultimately ruined by the pandemic. Broke and with nowhere else to go, she seeks refuge with her family in the place she once called home.
The Changing Landscape of Whitespur
Upon her return, Nina finds a town that is both familiar and foreign. A giant oil field has been developed near the rugged settlement, bringing an influx of Outside workers and permanently altering Whitespur’s culture and surroundings. The community is riven with resentment and gratitude, as the steady flow of money from the oil field provides jobs but also disrupts the town’s traditional way of life.
The Sanford family, too, has changed dramatically. Nina’s father, once a professional musher and Yukon Quest champion, has suffered a career-ending leg injury and spends his days silently watching television. Her mother has lost all hope in any future, while her older sister Audrey has descended into alcohol and drug abuse, ostracized by her parents. Grant, Nina’s brother, is begrudgingly employed as a mechanic by the oil company, his income the only thing keeping his parents from falling into destitution.
The Dark Secrets of Whitespur
As Nina attempts to find her way back into a family she no longer knows, she uncovers the dark secrets of Whitespur. An explosion at the oil field leaves one man dead, and Grant, who was delivering pipes at the moment, is present. Along with several roughnecks, he is ordered by Elias, the foreman, to collect the corpse and hide it beyond the development so that the post-accident investigation won’t reveal the fatality.
Ignoring his guilt, Grant drives the truck that transports the body down a long, little-used dirt road to the edge of the forest, where his coworkers carry it into the woods. There, beset by his conscience, he covertly pulls out his phone and takes video of the men as they slip into the trees. The official story Elias gives when investigators come to determine the cause of the accident is that the missing man never arrived at work that morning, that he was previously seen drunk and wandering off alone, and that his frozen body must lie somewhere far away beneath the falling snow.
The Scramble for Safety
Back in Whitespur, unable to make peace with himself, Grant tells Nina what truly occurred. Compelled by honesty and fear for her brother, she twice drives hours south to the nearest State Trooper post and tells them what she knows. The second time with a copy of Grant’s video that she surreptitiously cribbed from his phone.
The man’s disappearance becomes the center of a state investigation, and the push for a coverup commences. Sutton dexterously assembles the pieces of her plot together, slowly drawing connections between seemingly unrelated events. The tale being set in remote Alaska, there’s the obligatory scramble for safety across the wilds, where both the land and foul play threaten to cause two more disappearances.
Despite not being an Alaskan, Sutton has largely done her homework, and the story rings true. Her created town feels Alaskan, and she brings the subarctic winter landscape fully and believably to life. The one surprising error is when moose and caribou are served in restaurants, something expressly illegal. This was missed by the publisher as well. Alaskans, however, will catch it immediately. But it’s the only glaring flaw, and being incidental to the story, not one that detracts from the
What matters here is that Sutton’s tale is filled with intrigue and action, while compassionately exploring the truths of family. A Long Dark Night is a gripping literary thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats, eager to uncover the dark secrets of Whitespur and the Sanford family.
