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Darkroom

About The Book

A thrilling suspense novel about a man’s dark past, his daughter’s mysterious visions, and a psychopath who wants to kill them both.

YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE . . .

After scattering her mother’s ashes in Vietnam, photojournalist Xandra Carrick comes home to New York to rebuild her life and career. When she experiences, in her darkroom, supernatural visions that reveal atrocities perpetrated by American soldiers during the Vietnam War, she finds herself entangled in a forty-year-old conspiracy that could bring the nation into political turmoil.

Launching headlong into a quest to learn the truth from her father, Peter Carrick, a Pulitzer Prize laureate who served as an embedded photographer during the war, she confronts him about a dark secret he has kept—a secret that has devastated their family.

Her investigations lead her to her departed mother’s journal, which tells of love, spiritual awakening, and surviving the fall of Saigon.

Pursued across the continent, Xandra comes face-to-face with powerful forces that will stop at nothing to prevent her from revealing the truth. But not before government agencies arrest her for murder, domestic terrorism, and an assassination attempt on the newly elected president of the United States.

Darkroom is a riveting tale of suspense that tears the cover off the human struggle for truth in a world imprisoned by lies.

Excerpt

Prologue

IAN MORTIMER

Making people disappear isn’t quite as easy as I remember. Of course, I’m not as young as I used to be. Rigor mortis will soon set in, and I’ve got to dispose of this poor lass’s body straightaway. How can I possibly be doing this again?

Thankfully, no one’s around this time of night. And with her limbs properly weighed down, she’ll stay under until … Bugger! Only three bags in the trunk. I shall have to improvise.

Right. Everything is ready. I cross myself and pull her ever-stiffening body from the trunk. She’s slight—just shy of forty-five kilos, I’d venture—but quite muscular in the limbs.

A heavy duvet of clouds obscures the moon. It’s beastly cold out. Here on the remote side of the pond, far off the path, the rowboat is hidden behind the thicket of reeds, exactly where I left it last night. My headlights are off and I’m parked close enough to lower the body into the boat and row out.

As I lower her into the inky water, I’m careful not to splash. Her sweatshirt balloons, and bubbles surround her. A mane of flaxen hair spreads on the water’s surface.

Bollocks, she’s not sinking!

With my oar, I nudge her down. Even though her hands and feet have submerged, her hair still floats. A halo around the back of her head.

In the distance, a pair of headlights looms. It’s a blooming patrol car. No choice, I’ve got to row back and get away from here. But look at her—the back of her sweatshirt and her head are still bobbing at the surface.

Back in my car now. Slowly making my way back to the main road, I steal another glimpse. She’s still just beneath the surface, her blond hair a clear marker.

The patrol car’s headlights vanish behind a bunch of trees. If they turn left, they’ll be here in less than a minute.

I’m about to crawl clear out of my skin.

And then it happens.

Two large bubbles pop out from under the sweatshirt, just at the nape of her neck, and the weights do their trick. The lass’s body sinks to the bottom of the pond.

That was too close.

With all lights off, I drive off. A minute later, I can see in my rearview mirror that the squad car has just passed the pond. Didn’t even slow down. I’m well on my way home now. Into the warmth of Nicole’s embrace, and to kiss Bobby as he dreams of ponies and puppies.

Good Lord, what have I done?

1

XANDRA CARRICK

Binh Son, Vietnam: October 2008

This was her wish. Dad kept saying that from the moment we boarded our flight at JFK to our first step onto the fertile soil of Bình Son, which in English means “peaceful mountain.”

En route to our penultimate destination, Tran, our middle-aged guide, tells us all about the scenery through lively gesticulations and nasal broken English.

“This place all rice field now.” He lifts both hands and spreads them wide. Enthralled by the verdant fronds and the sound of exotic fauna, I hardly notice the weight of my backpack. “But during war, Vi?t Nam C?ng S?n come here in Bình Son.”

Perhaps it’s because I appear more Vietnamese than American that he breaks into the native tongue. Ironically, Dad, an American, knows more about this country than I do. He’s quiet and has been holding the urn under his arm, staring out at the hills.

Out in the lush green paddy fields, a boy prods his water buffalo with a bamboo stick, distracting me from Tran’s narrative. “Viet … what?” I’ve had enough years in weekend Vietnamese language classes to read and write. But this term escapes me.

“Vi?t Nam C?ng S?n. V.C.” Tran laughs. “You know, Vietcong? Charlie?”

I glance over to Dad, to whom this would hold more meaning.

He shrugs.

That same emptiness in his eyes, which have grown darker and more profound since I was a child, evokes a blunt pang. It's been over a year. Rather than drawing closer, he's grown more distant.

Of course, Tran has no idea that he’s hiking with Peter Carrick, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist who earned coveted accolades for his on-the-spot photos of the massacre at Hu?. Nor does Tran realize that his daughter, Xandra Carrick, is a respected photojournalist in her own right. I may not have won a Pulitzer—not yet, anyway—but at twenty-seven, working for the New York Times is not too shabby.

“Vietcong fight American soldier here,” Tran explains, stopping to catch his breath.

I can take some pictures, which I do more out of responsibility to my craft than anything. “Now just rice farm family and water buffalo. Even water buffalo part of family. You know, Ch?ng c?y, v? c?y, con trâu di b?a.” Which means, The husband plows, the wife sows, water buffalos draw the rake. A proverb Mom taught me years ago, but it’s lost on Dad, who keeps staring at the hills.

“You okay, Dad?”

“I’m fine.”

The boy driving the long-horned beast is at most twelve years old. His loose pants are rolled up past his calves and his feet are submerged in ankle-deep water.

Narrow, peaked hills stand over the horizon, Titans guarding this remote village nestled in the manifold waterways of the Mekong. Palms sway in the earthy breeze blowing through the window and brushing through my now unruly hair.

I reach for Dad’s hand. One can only speculate on the reason for his reluctance to make this trip. As for me, this is my first time in Vietnam and I’m taken by its overwhelming beauty. “Was it like this when—?”

“Xandra, please. Don’t.”

“But there’s so much I want to know about this place, about you and Mom.”

“You know my answer.” The same for years, from the moment I first developed an interest in his career and experiences during the war.

“Even now?”

“Your mother would understand.” Dad’s gaze returns to the hills. “She knew how I felt about coming back here, but …” His gaze wanders off, draws him away to a time, a place, far off and forbidden. I know that look.

“Never mind, then.” I kiss his hand, lean into his chest.

For the next fifteen minutes, we continue quietly along the trail. Finally, Tran turns around and smiles, a gold tooth glinting in the setting sun. “Okay, we here.”

Still in awe of the breathtaking landscape, I set my pack down, and stretch. The ground is soft and moist, but at the same time it’s as solid as the sidewalk outside my apartment on Central Park West.

Beyond the hilltops, the sun falls to rest in a poignant wash of amber. The chrink-chrink of Rain Quails rings out invisibly behind an emerald veil of bamboo in the distance. Every thought arrested, every word, no one speaks.

The light is perfect, though it won’t last much longer. And despite the somber occasion, I simply cannot forsake the scenery. These shots will help me to remember.

The shutter sounds from my Nikon ripple the silence like a stone tossed into a glassy pond. Still transfixed on that same spot up in the hills, Dad lets out a pointed breath. “Probably not the best time.”

“Just a couple more. For Mom.” A twinge works its way up and lodges in my throat. As Charles Kuralt so aptly put it: “There is melancholy in the wind and sorrow in the grass.”

“Make it quick, will you?” He pads over to Tran and hands him a roll of greenbacks. “Cám ?n nhiêu l âm.

With both hands, Tran receives his payment and bows. He waves and returns to the trail from whence we came.

All is tranquil as the sun passes her mantle to the rising moon. We are serenaded not only by the Rain Quails’ ditty but by a chorus of frogs and crickets as well. Farmers and their water buffalo slosh back to their huts about half a mile downstream of us. Yet they can be heard as though a mere stone’s throw away.

For the first time in this journey, Dad puts his arm around my shoulders, warming my heart as nothing else can. He points to a vacant hut, with a kerosene lamp glowing in the window. Leaning into the security of his strong shoulder, I nod and take a moment to consider the significance of this place. Both to him and Mom.

“We start at daybreak.” He takes our bags and approaches the hut. “Let’s settle in.”

As I follow him into the hut, an unexpected irony arises: I’ve never traveled so far just to say good-bye. But I am glad to have made the trip. Mom would be pleased.

This was her wish.

2

GRACE TH’AM AI LE

Thirty-Five Years Ago
Binh Son, Vietnam: January 7, 1973

I always knew the war would come to the South. Before the Communists sent the Vietcong back down the Ho Chi Minh trail, before the Spring Festival attacks during T?t Nguyên Ðán, I knew. I had seen it all in my dreams. I even foresaw my parents’ deaths, which left me and my brother orphans, forcing us to flee to the village of my aunt and uncle.

Some of the boys in Bình Son, on this side of the Mekong Delta, had expressed interest in joining the Vietcong, my brother included. Everyone else feared this would eventually draw a confrontation to our otherwise untouched hamlets.

And so it had.

The trip back from Saigon was only 120 kilometers, but it was like going from one world to another. At first glance, you would not imagine a war was taking place. Abundant green mountains, flowing waters of the Mekong, all resting under cotton clouds and sunlit skies.

Amongst the countless generations of farming families, I was the first girl, if not the first person, to leave and go to university. Now, upon my return, my entire life had changed.

At the bottom of the dusty road, where the foot of Bình Son touches the water, all that remained of the huts in the neighboring village were charred embers. Not a soul stirred. I could only hope that everyone had escaped.

Higher up, I looked to the hills where once I lived. Where Huynh Tho still lived. Perhaps, because it was hidden behind bamboo and palms, it had been spared. So quiet were the mountains. But for the whispering wind, nothing stirred. Not even a bird.

Off the road’s side, I walked under the shade of the trees. I had to find my brother and quietly bring him back to Saigon before it was too late.

Quietly. How do you take an angry young idealist who espouses the goals of the Vietcong away from his village quietly? The thought of an argument with Huynh Tho made me as anxious as did the war itself.

I stepped toward the path leading to our village. Each snap of a twig jolted me, as if it were a gunshot. But there was no one in sight. The utter quiet unsettled me.

Without warning, less than ten meters from the path, a terrifying explosion threw me to the ground. Through the ringing in my ears and the clouds of dust and smoke, I could tell. A battle had just erupted all around me.

“Huynh Tho!” Disembodied and hollow, my voice sounded as though I were underwater. Flashes of light, thumping explosions reverberating in my chest, the tat-tat-tat-tat of gunfire. Too frightened was I to lift my face from the dirt.

But that is what I had to do. For if I remained, I would surely die. And Huynh Tho, who was only sixteen, would be left alone with nowhere to go. Disregarding the fear that clutched my heart, I crawled to the most remote part of the woods.

This proved a terrible mistake.

In hopes of hiding behind the trunk of a tree, I got up to run. Someone began shouting. My English was not so good at the time, but the little I had learned at university sufficed.

“Get down!” cried the American, from somewhere I could not see. “Lady, get down!”

I spun around, seeking the direction from which the desperate voice called. In that instant, a whisking sound rushed toward me. A sharp twinge knocked me back, as if struck by a stone.

Then came the searing sensation below my collarbone, which I shall never forget. A spot of blood spread on my shirt. My head grew faint. My body became too heavy for my legs. Down I went.

The world around me blurred.

I began to shake.

So cold …

3

SUZANNE COLBERT-COLSON

Colbert Estate
Napa Valley, California: October 2008

Until recently, I had never cared for his line of work, or his career aspirations. Politics was never my cup of tea. But one thing I’ll say for my husband: if there’s anyone who can do the job right and get this country back on track, it’s him.

In his first term as one of California’s senators, Rick had been widely acclaimed as a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is legislator who produces results, not just talk. It’s a testament to his worthiness of the US presidency.

And, yes, he’s an independent. How about that? Not since Ross Perot has the nation perked up its ears and listened like this. When my husband looks the nation in the eye and promises change, they believe him.

And they ought to.

I know better than anyone that Rick is a man who never accepts defeat, who always keeps his word. Just look at his service record. He doesn’t like my bragging on him like I do, but I am proud of him. He’s a decorated hero who saved many lives during the Vietnam War.

I’m sure whatever shred of privacy we’ve enjoyed will soon be obliterated when Rick wins the election. But that loss of privacy doesn’t frighten me in the least. We’ve lived a very open life for the whole world to see. No secrets, unlike our opponents whose pasts keep coming back to haunt them.

Despite the efforts of those slimy politicians to defame him—both Republicans and Democrats—no one has ever been able to dig up any dirt on Rick. You know why? Because there isn’t any. So what will the public find when they scrutinize the life of President Colson?

They’ll find a loving father who never missed a game his star quarterback son played before going off to Princeton. They’ll find a devoted husband who stood by me for three decades, even after I became wheelchair bound with MS. I can count on the fingers of one hand how many times he couldn’t come with me to doctors’ visits and PT sessions. He always kept family a priority, wasn’t afraid to say no to his career. I think it’s his integrity and unwavering principles that have garnered him the reputation and respect he now enjoys.

I’ll never forget the day I found out I had MS. Jack was eight months old and learning to walk. The news caught me by surprise. Besides fatigue, which all new mothers experience, I thought I was fine. But when I got the call to see my doctor as soon as possible, Rick made the appointment. You see, he had noticed the symptoms before I ever did. From the day I got pregnant, he always had his nose in medical books and journals, researching and monitoring my health.

When we got the news, I broke down and cried. It was supposed to be the happiest time of our lives. Jack was our pride and joy, Rick had just been elected deputy district attorney, and his political career was taking off like a rocket.

Rick took me in his arms and just held me for the longest time. When I calmed down, he said, “We’re going to beat this, Suzie. Don’t you worry. I promise, I will do everything in my power.”

I wanted to say, “Who are you? God?” But he was so sincere, I didn’t have the heart to suggest he was just saying things to make me feel better. Well, I was wrong. He wasn’t just saying it. Did I mention that one of Rick’s greatest strengths is that he can look tough decisions in the eye and face them down?

He took a sabbatical to take care of me and Jack. A year out of his career at its height. And whatever free time he had, he spent talking to medical experts, going to the library, you name it.

Sure, there were some rough days where I wished I could just curl up and die. But I have to say, because of the love of this beautiful man, every day of my life has been worth living. None of the billions of dollars I’ve inherited could ever make me feel this way. Because in the end, what do you take with you? Not the money, the houses, or yachts; not the fame of being the heiress of the Colbert Media empire. Judging by the way Rick’s lived, he never cared for those things anyway. No, what you take with you into eternity is the love of those who’ve sacrificed themselves for you.

We now have two beautiful boys, Jack and Gary. I call them boys, but they’re really fine young men, both attending Ivy League schools on full scholarships. Rick is on his way to the White House, and I, though frail, am the luckiest, most blessed woman on the face of this planet.

Lest you roll your eyes or gag from the sweetness of it all, I’ll confess Rick isn’t perfect. In fact, he’d be the first to admit it. There are times he gets so involved with his responsibilities that he’ll allow himself to get overwhelmed. And those are the times he just sort of vanishes for a few hours. Okay, sometimes it’s a day or two. But when he comes home, he’s left it all at the office and it’s as if nothing’s happened. He’s able to give us his full attention again.

Sure, I’m biased. I haven’t got even a fraction of the knowledge of pundits. But no one knows this man as I do. And I’ll put whatever days I have left into supporting him.

I believe in him.

Reading Group Guide

This reading group guide for Darkroom includes discussion questions and a Q&A with author Joshua Graham. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.

 
Topics & Questions for Discussion

1.  In Darkroom Peter Carrick withholds the truth in order to protect his family—a lie of omission. Do you think it’s ever moral or acceptable to lie? Why or why not?

2.  Xandra Carrick is a strong individual but vulnerable when it comes to her relationship with her father. How much does your relationship with your father (or other paternal figure) affect your view of yourself?

3.  Xandra’s visions bring her knowledge that put a burden of responsibility on her shoulders. Have you ever become privy to something that you struggled with, wondering whether you should turn a blind eye or bring it out into the open? How difficult was that decision?

4.  Peter Carrick was not a religious person, yet he was married to Grace, a deeply spiritual woman from a different culture and ethnicity. How do you think their differences affected their marriage and life? Have you ever had to overcome such vast differences?

5.  How were the following characters imprisoned by the lies and secrets they kept? Peter Carrick, Ian Mortimer, Richard Colson. 

6.  Have you ever kept a secret that ate away at you? How did it feel when you finally came clean with it, if you did so?

7.  When Pastor Jake speaks to Xandra about faith and his views on life, he says: “Nothing just happens. Everything’s connected. By a divine plan. What we humans perceive as infinite possibilities of events doesn’t even come close to the infinite from God’s point of view.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain.

8.  When Kyle explains why he never questioned Xandra’s ability to see visions, he cites Pascal’s Wager, which states: “Though the existence of God cannot be determined through reason, a person should wager as though God exists, because living life accordingly has everything to gain, and nothing to lose.” What do you think of this?

9.  Xandra actually pulled the trigger when pointing the gun at President-elect Colson. Was this from vengeance, self-protection, or to rid the world of an evil man who abused power? If you were in Xandra’s position, would you have done the same?

10.  John Morgenstern, Xandra’s defense attorney, said, “I think we atheists have to have the strongest faith of all. Because if we’re wrong . . .” Do you think it takes faith to believe there is no God? Explain.

11.  After testifying and confessing his own lies, Peter Carrick goes to prison where he says: “ ‘There’s no prison wall that can ever take the freedom I’ve gained.’ For the first time, I can look my daughter in the eye, unashamed.” Can you think of a time when a lie has imprisoned you? And a time that the truth set you free?

 
A Conversation with Joshua Graham

1. You mention in the acknowledgments of Darkroom that you began pursuing your passion for writing after losing your previous job of nine years. What kind of work were you involved in before? How does it affect what you write about today?

In the past I worked as a professional musician (I’m a cellist) and professor of music. I hold a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Juilliard and a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. I performed internationally and in the United States as a cello soloist and as principal cellist of various professional orchestras and taught on several music faculties including Shepherd College, Western Maryland College, Columbia Union College, and Brooklyn College. My most recent prior line of work was information technology. When my entire department was outsourced in 2008, I found myself facing some very difficult decisions especially in the face of the economic downturn. But it was the greatest thing that ever happened to me in many ways. I believe it was a God-ordained plan to use a bad situation to pave the way for me to become a full-time writer.

My past experiences help add some flavor (seasoning, if you will) to my books. Because I have so much of it in me, it is natural to incorporate classical music (Xandra Carrick is a cellist—coincidence?), computers, and my faith into the books I write. Write what you know, as the saying goes. 

2. What role does your personal faith play in writing novels? What kind of messages are you trying to convey to readers?

I cannot begin to express how important a role my faith in Jesus Christ plays in my novel writing. Without reservation, I always tell people that all of my success has come through divine inspiration. I know that might sound cliché, but it’s completely true. Before Darkroom, my book Beyond Justice hit #1 on three different Barnes & Noble Bestseller lists and #3 on Amazon.com. It also won the 2011 International Book Award. But that book came as a result of deep soul searching and prayer. The message I am trying to convey in all of my books is not one that preaches and/or tells a reader what to think or believe. I want to show my readers a side of Christianity that is rarely portrayed in the media and to present controversial issues with fairness. To that end, I don’t portray nonbelievers in a bad light, nor do I portray believers as perfect. And as for the questions about God and faith, I present both sides as unbiased as I can and let the reader draw their own conclusions. I am grateful that, based on all the positive feedback for Beyond Justice, many readers who are not “religious” appreciated my approach and were given a chance to glimpse this faith in a way they might not otherwise have done. As for the message, it varies from book to book and I try to write what I feel God has given me to write. That’s not as lofty as it sounds. After all, we all have divine purposes and assignments (according to Ephesians 2:10) and it is God’s plan that we should walk in those callings.

3. How did you develop Xandra’s character?

It was just a few months after my mother-in-law had passed away. I began to ask my wife (an avid reader) what she felt made a great novel. We started brainstorming about Xandra and to make a long story short, I borrowed many ideas and character traits, and angst, from my wife. Some of them were her suggestions; others just grew as I wrote. I wanted to write Xandra as a real person with whom everyone can identify. She’s smart, she’s capable, but she knows she’s flawed. She has identity issues that are very common with women that resonate well, so I’m told.

4. What did you enjoy most about the writing of Darkroom?

The research was one of the highlights. I learned a lot writing this book, not just the historical facts, but the spirit of the time/place. Much of my research came from the firsthand accounts of Vietnam War photojournalists and correspondents.

I also enjoyed weaving in the twists and turns, as well as the character interactions. My favorites are the tension between Xandra and Kyle. But I also loved it when Peter Carrick confronted Mark Collinsworth.

5. How and why did you choose not to include Jake as one of the narrators in Darkroom?

None of the scenes featured him as the person with the most at stake. That is how I decide in whose point of view I will write a scene; the one to whom the most significant things happen.

6. It’s very interesting that Colson took his own life—an act that feels more complex than just an “easy way out.” What were you trying to illustrate with his choice to commit suicide?

Ah, yes. Definitely not an easy way out. Colson firmly believed that what he did was right. To the very end he kept that “You can’t handle the truth!” attitude (to borrow from the Tom Cruise/Jack Nicholson movie, A Few Good Men), even as he lost everything. But deep down, I see Colson as analogous to Lucifer. He deluded himself to believe that he has the right to take Machiavellian actions, that he is above the law because of his power. But at the heart of his actions and attitudes is the sin God hates most (according to Scriptures): pride.

So to the very end, unrepentant, Colson shakes an angry fist at eternity, at God even. He will not let anyone punish him for his crimes. He would rather take his own life than allow anyone to bring him to “justice.”

7. Colson is clearly an advocate of “the end justifies the means,” but this is clearly a flawed philosophy. Did you intend for this story to serve as an allusion to current governmental practices? What can readers take away from Colson’s demise?

I had no designs on drawing an allegory to our current government. Regardless of my agreement or disagreement with my authorities, I honor and respect them. The Scriptures say that all authority is given by God. Colson’s practices are fictional, and while similar actions may have occurred in our world, I was not drawing any known parallels. That said, I’ve always been a conspiracy theorist when it comes to writing fiction, be it a national cover-up, or a murder mystery.

Colson’s demise will hopefully resonate with those most difficult parts of our human nature: pride and self-righteousness. Pride masks fear, but manifests itself in many ways, from outright rebellion or arrogance to passive-aggressiveness. But as humans, we all have to deal with it. We all have a little bit of Colson in us, though we don’t want to admit it. Colson dealt with it by using all his resources, drive, and passion to do things his way, unrepentant to the bitter end. My hope is that as I recognize my own pride and self-righteousness, I will turn from it, repent, and be set free like Peter Carrick at the end of this book.

8. How did you imagine the process through which Xandra has visions? Have you ever known anyone who experiences similar visions the way Xandra does?

When I was a teenager, my older brother studied photography. Someone gave him all the equipment needed to set up a darkroom at home and I developed many photos with my brother. It always gave me the chills as the ghostly images came up under the developing solution. So when I imagined Xandra’s capabilities, these experiences were very prominent in my memory. 

I have known several people who have experienced visions, though not exactly as Xandra did. But these visions were ones which told of the future (a spiritual gift called “Word of Wisdom”) as well as visions of past/present things (“Word of Knowledge”) which the person experiencing the vision could have no way of knowing outside of the vision. One thing they have had in common was that they benefit, edify, and encourage those whom the visions were about. While some consider such things esoteric and “supernatural,” for those who believe in the power of the Holy Spirit, they are quite common and familiar, though life-altering.

9. How does Darkroom compare to Beyond Justice?

I wrote Darkroom shortly after I completed Beyond Justice. There are similarities, such as the supernatural visions, the Christian undertones, and the legal drama, but Darkroom’s stakes are global, whereas the stakes in Beyond Justice are deeply personal. Darkroom takes on multiple time lines and delves into a moment in history, whereas Beyond Justice is a huge journey of faith and redemption. While both books incorporate multiple points of view, Darkroom’s main protagonist is female, while Beyond Justice’s is male. Neither books are heavily gender-weighted in content, and there’s plenty of action and suspense, as well as some romance intertwined in both books.

10. Xandra Carrick’s character had a wide-open ending. Are you considering including her in an upcoming story? Are you currently working or planning on another novel?

This book was meant to be the first in a long series of Xandra Carrick books. I plan to write more Xandra Carrick books and stories in the near future.

11. If you weren’t writing, what else would you be doing? What else are you passionate about?

It’s amazing how much time this writer spends on things other than writing. I love spending time with my family, traveling, and going to activities. I am passionate about my church, The City Church, and the small group that I and my wife lead (the members of which are mentioned in the acknowledgments). 

I also enjoy playing the cello, reading, watching movies, dining, and playing Texas Hold ’em with my good friends. I am so blessed with friends and loved ones. Truly, my cup runneth over.

About The Author

Photograph courtesy of the author

Joshua Graham earned his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University, and a master's degree from Juilliard. He has performed as a soloist and principal cellist domestically and internationally. Today he lives with his wife and children in San Diego. Graham has served on the faculties of Columbia Union College, Western Maryland College, Shepherd College, and Brooklyn College.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Howard Books (May 1, 2012)
  • Length: 384 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781451654691

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Raves and Reviews

“Darkroom comes complete with a great mystery, unearthed secrets, and beguiling adventure. Joshua Graham mines an emotional landscape through an entourage of fascinating characters. Read this one—and take a walk on the perilous side.” —Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Jefferson Key

– Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Jefferson Key

"Darkroom is a fascinating, fast-paced, beautifully written story of love and war, murder, terrorism, and a dark conspiracy.” —Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Cold Vengeance and The Monster of Florence

– Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Cold Vengeance and The Monster of Florence

"Crossing time and continents, this thrillers puts one of the most divisive eras in recent American history—the Vietnam War—into the public eye via a 40-year-old conspiracy that can no longer remain buried. Xandra must discern between truth and lies, love and hate, protection and danger in this taut tale sure to engage readers and challenge their understanding of God's truth and love." —Christian Retailing (top pick)

– Christian Retailing (top pick)

"This gripping novel has it all: faith, hope, conspiracy, legal thrills, heart-pounding scenes of action, political intrigue and well-rounded characters. Graham has created a novel that thriller fans will devour." —Associated Press

– Associated Press

“Mixing the end of the Vietnam War with a young woman’s paranormal visions of a murder in today’s New York, Graham has created a modern political thriller wrapped in a historical puzzle inside a tale of redemption. The short chapters, told from the point of view of the various characters, give it a cinematic feel and a breakneck pace.” —Author Magazine

– Author Magazine

“Bravo! Graham takes characters and puts them inside each other’s lives in such a way that it’s impossible to put his book down until the last word is read. . . . [His] power with words is absolutely incredible and paints one of the most powerful pictures I’ve ever seen, anywhere.” —Suspense Magazine

– Suspense Magazine

“A vivid retelling of historic events [that] bring the Vietnam War to life in alarming detail. If you like thrillers . . . then grab this book when it’s released. You’ll enjoy every minute of it.” —Rhodes Review

– Rhodes Review

“A spellbinding and riveting tale of suspense with international flavor . . . Wrapped in authentic history, but woven into a tale of mystery and intrigue . . . full of twists and turns . . . this riveting tale will keep readers on edge. A book that I highly recommend.” —East County Magazine

– East County Magazine

"Graham takes us on a ride full of twists and turns in this emotionally charged quest to find the truth. . . . I actually found myself holding my breath at times and sympathizing with the characters, feeling outrage when they were wronged, hating the villains or even forgiving them. When it was all said and done, I didn’t feel like I had finished a book; I felt like I had been on a journey." —The Top Shelf Book Reviews

– The Top Shelf Book Reviews

“The intensity and heart pounding thrills you'll feel as you read each page [of Darkroom] will leave you breathless. Blending history with current events, Mr. Graham is a talented author who can wrap the reader in a cocoon of emotions, from bitterness to redemption, and leave the reader feeling as if they were in the story, as if they were the ones plotted against. A fantastic job!” —Partners in Crime Book Reviews

– Partners in Crime Book Reviews

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