Member Reviews
I want to start off by saying thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book, it was a very good read easy to follow along with storyline and characters. This was a new author for me but I very much enjoyed it, thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to reading more by this author again. I highly recommend this book to everybody.
There are many elements that I loved about this book, including the ominous atmosphere and some of the characters (the normal ones and the crazies!).
Told through the eyes of multiple narrators, Loreth Anne White smartly crafts a modern retelling of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. Combined with a reality TV Survivor-like premise, what’s not to love?! Although there are many characters and points of view, all of them were developed and easy to keep track of. I recently complained in one of my reviews about too many narrators detracting from the plot and character development, but White balances both with ease.
This book spoke to my inner armchair detective. Many of the characters are twisted and their devious nature kept me guessing! I did guess the murderer early on, but many red herrings, along with some twists had me constantly second-guessing myself. I also loved the chemistry between Callie and Mason, and hope to see them in a future book.
FYI, this includes major spoilers for And Then There Were None, so don’t read In the Dark if you plan on or want to read Christie’s book.
I highly recommend this twisty and atmospheric thriller.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. (less)
It was supposed that the characters in this book were solitary individuals, rowing against one another for their lives that the writer successfully introduced. This is an Agatha Christie method, and often, in the struggle of rowing for survival, too great a story had been invested for the readers - Hadi Atallah, author of 'Rosemary Bluebell.'
4-5 stars! While this is my first book by this author, it definitely will not be my last. I found that it was well written, with amazing character development, and absolutely fantastic atmospheric details. While I’ve not read the classic by Agatha Christy, I know this is supposed to be similar to AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, since I’ve not read it not sure if I felt it was similar, but did find the book itself to be very chilling, thrilling, with lots of twists and turns. Highly recommend to those who like survival thriller reads!
Will make sure to buzz it up on the different platforms!
A pivotal work by Loreth Anne White, “In The Dark” is a retelling of Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” the same way that “Sleepless in Seattle” is a remake of “An Affair to Remember.”
The stories for both “In The Dark” and “Sleepless in Seattle” are very different from the original. It is the atmosphere or the vibe (to use a vernacular) that has been recreated. And then of course, in both stories, “And Then There Were None” and “An Affair to Remember” were mentioned, respectively. Thus, there were no doubts in the reader’s mind that this is a retelling or re-imagining.
“In The Dark” started like an inverted Y in its storytelling. Two different tales were being told – the Lodge Party and the Search Party. It is obvious from get go that the two stories would intersect at some point. The genius in the storytelling was how we got there.
Demonstrating a mastery of her craft, Loreth Anne White cleverly introduced all the protagonists in an almost languid way. It almost felt like readers were given strings to pull, slowly at first and then it became a tug of war as we wanted more information and the plot to be revealed but the author wanted as to wait.
This was done by cleverly see-sawing between the Lodge Party and the Search Party and also by changing the POVs, distributing it among the characters so that readers will get the whole picture of what was truly happening.
Like voyeurs, readers know what was going on and had to wait for the rest of the characters to learn it. Again, this is great storytelling. No one felt cheated, be it the reader or the characters.
I don’t want to write a synopsis. The About the Book area does a good job without revealing the plotlines. I want readers to have the same feeling of discovery I had, the anticipation of what will happen next and the feeling of satisfaction of finding out.
To say that I enjoyed the book is an understatement. It was hard to put down once I started. Actually, I listened to the audiobook during my commute to work. I almost wanted to hit traffic so that I can listen more. But, work is work, so I had to wait for 8 hours to go back to listening.
Voiced by Susan Hanfield, it was an easy listen, with “easy” meaning the scary portions are like being in the Twilight Zone instead of the horror in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I believe that is the reason why I enjoyed the book so much. If it was too scary, I would have probably not able to finish it.
That said, and this is nothing against Susan Hanfield, I would like to say that a dual narration, one male and one female, would have added another dimension to the book. There are enough male characters POV to be worth it.
“In The Dark” is Rated T for Teens. Parental guidance is strongly advised due to violence.
4+ stars! Wow, this was my first book from White and I really enjoyed it. White does an amazing job of creating a spooky atmosphere that kept the reading somewhat addicting. I enjoyed the mystery portion and like many others enjoyed Mason and Callie as well. I would love to read a next book with Mason and Callie in it so we can continue to hear their story! I'm looking forward to checking out another of White's books!
This was my first time reading anything by the author, and I enjoyed this one so much I'm gonna have to check out her other novels. This book is kinda like a modern day retelling of the Agatha Christie mystery, And Then There Were None. In fact that book is actually a part of the storyline in this one. Speaking of that, there are quite a few spoilers about And Then There Were None in this book so if you haven't read that one and would like to, make sure you pass on this one until doing so.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.
I LOVED this book. I've recommended it to so many of my readers, and they've all appreciated it as well. Well thought-out, good storyline, excellent pacing, and gripping twists kept me reading late into the night. BRB, currently reading everything else by this author.
Great plot, wonderful characters and a wonderfully dark suspenseful thriller.
I will definitely be keeping my eye out for her next book.
This is a fast-paced suspense thriller that kept me thoroughly hooked from page one. Told from multiple POVs, this is a story about revenge and the lengths people will go to keep the past buried.
The story begins with eight people that have been given the opportunity of a lifetime to vacation at a remote luxury spa. However, things are not what they seem and no one can be trusted. Things go down hill pretty quickly and one by one people are dying.
I loved the nods to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. I also enjoyed the way the story played out. The way the key plot twists were revealed keep you guessing up until near the end as to who is the person behind all the murders.
I do think the ending was dragged out a bit though, and would have liked the book better if it had been cleaned up a bit. I'm not sure if this is going to be a series or not. The way the book ended it left room for more books to follow. I'd be interested to see how things develop between Callie and Mason if this does turn into a series.
Overall this was a quick and thrilling read. It does have quite a few graphic murder/crime scenes so if you are queasy please be prepared if you decide to give this one a go.
I absolutely LOVED this book! It was highly addictive and just what I needed to read during the holidays. It provided an escape into a very different world and the characters have remained with me. Read this book!
In The Dark was a great dark thriller. While the plot line has been done before this one has some interesting developments that I didn’t see coming!
I struggled with som3 of the characters but overall this is a great thriller to read curled in front of the fire on a cold winters evening.
In The Dark ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8 strangers are whisked away to a secluded island as they are promised a luxury vacation at a new wilderness spa. They soon realize that this trip isn't what they signed up for and each of them were lured there as they are all connected in a way they have not found out yet. As they are picked off one by one, everyone realizes that no one is to be trusted and they must do anything to survive.
"In The Dark" is a nod to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None." I was super into this mystery and was constantly using my inner detective to try and figure out the ending. There is a variety of characters and it was easy to keep track of who was who (story is told from multiple viewpoints) when sometimes with other books I have trouble keeping up with which character I am reading about. I highly recommend this twist thriller! Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced copy.
I thought this book was just okay. I loved the premise and the idea of the story, but I found myself kind of bored going through it. I did like some of the characters, while others were just meh. I did enjoy some of this book, but overall, it was just your run of the mill thriller.
A really good read with an intriguing plot and compelling characters!
The 8 guests invited to a remote lodge are linked by an event unbeknownst to themselves. Each has a secret and they all have something to fear. One by one they are being killed as they try to survive in the middle of nowhere.
A homicide cop and a search and rescue team brave the severe elements to find them.
Will there be any survivors?
A gripping game of cat and mouse!
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
I always go into books with an open mind but i couldn't help but draw comparisons to And Then There Were None and this story came out lacking. When the characters all have such intricate and long histories with each other it can feel like you are struggling to catch up and that's how i felt when i was reading this. It felt like i was struggling to catch up the whole time.
4.5 heart pounding, what the heck is going on stars! This was a completely atmospheric thriller. Character driven and suspenseful, I was thoroughly engaged and couldn’t put it down! The plot throws out red herring after red herring until the reader is completely twisted around until the final shocking reveal. One of my favorite authors, her newest is not one to be missed! Thank you to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.
In The Dark is a retelling of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I enjoyed the fast paced plot and the characters were interesting. This was a very good reimagining of Christie’s famous novel, but there were a few issues.
Indigenous/First Nations people’s monuments/cultural symbols/artwork items were utilized in a negative way, as warnings (calling them “freakish”, “ugly”, “god-awful”, “leering”, “garish”) without having another character point out that is a problem. Items such as totems and masks were unnecessary, wholly unrelated to the plot and characters, and included solely for suspense and in an attempt to ratchet up fear and demonstrate to the reader that something is seriously wrong and scary.
Further, I wish the book had stated that the underage prostitute (also referred to as a hooker in this book) was actually a sex trafficked minor – you can’t be a prostitute if you are underage because you cannot consent to sex. Calling a minor a prostitute/sex worker is wrong.
Content Warnings: <spoiler> rape; incest; fairly gruesome descriptions of injuries; discussions of child deaths </spoiler>
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #InTheDark #mystery
Note: An ARC was given generously in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Netgalley, the author for allowing me to review this.
So.
This novel held a promise of being great. But with unreliable and unidentifiable narrators, too many of them, slow pacing, and a cover which doesn't hold much interest, I succumbed to boredom and simply skipped on this novel after 4%.
Hence why, not a recommend. But I would still like to try this author's works in the future.
Until the next read,
TMr