The Barefoot Girl by Dan Lawton

TITLE INFORMATION

The Barefoot Girl

Dan Lawton

Black Rose Writing, 323 pages

9781685138127, 10-29-2026 

Overall Rating = 4.33

Storyline & Concept = 4.5

Writing & Delivery = 4.25

Editorial = 4.25

At the heart of this story is Missy, a deeply troubled patient whose repressed teenage trauma resurfaces through hypnotherapy. Her sessions with Doctor Xhaferi—known simply as Doctor X—are both unsettling and compelling. As Missy’s memories emerge in fragments, Doctor X develops a growing obsession with her case. Running parallel is the storyline of Cody and Sasha, whose attempt to start fresh by renovating an old house descends into a nightmare, made worse by the recurring dream of a barefoot girl from Cody’s past.

Lawton creates a slow-burn suspense in The Barefoot Girl, layering psychological depth with creeping dread. From its chilling opening, the novel establishes an atmosphere of unease that steadily intensifies as seemingly separate storylines begin to intertwine until they intersect about halfway through. At this point, I thought I had figured it out. But it didn’t end there. When the connections between the well-developed characters came into focus, the twists and turns followed, catching me off-guard. Past and present converge at the end as the many complex explanations are revealed. Fans of twisty, character-driven suspense will enjoy this dark and atmospheric thriller.

Sublime Line: “A gripping thriller that draws the reader into a labyrinth of memory, obsession, and long-buried secrets.”

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