A gripping and intriguing storyline that kept me hooked throughout. Intense relationships and great character development

So gripping and hard to put down. If I remember rightly, Candice Fox has often teamed up with James Patterson (who I am a huge fan of) so I knew her standalone work would be great.

The gathering by Candice Fox.
Jessica Sanchez 1.
Blair Harbour’s life as Hollywood’s top paediatric surgeon was perfect, until the night she was jailed for a murder she says she didn’t commit.
A really good read with good characters. I did like Jessica. I'm looking forward to the next book. 3*.

This is the first book I’ve read by Candice Fox and it certainly won’t be the last! I haven’t been enjoying reading lately but this has got me back into the swing of it - I couldn’t put it down. If, like me, you’re a fan of James Patterson, you’ll enjoy this book! Short, sharp chapters with plenty of twists and turns. 4 stars ****

Having heard so many good things about this author, I had very high expectations. I couldnt wait to have time to read it. It moved with a great flow with great characters. Some parts were unbelievable but it still held my attention.

i have read other books by Candice Fox and really enjoyed them .This one had a good story line but i felt it was
more of a slow burner compared to her books.It took me a few days to read as i struggled with it and didn't grip me like her others

Thanks to Random House, Cornerstone and Netgalley for the opportunity to read Gathering Dark. . I've read most of Candice Fox's books so was expecting to enjoy this one and I was not disappointed, The thriller was exciting, unusual storyline and always kept me guessing what would happen next. The characters, as always with Candice Fox's books are well researched and quirky.

Unlike most of Fox's books this was not based in Australia, but based in Los Angeles. Blair Harbour has only been out of prison for a year, when her former cell mate, Sneak turns up and ask Blair to help her find her missing daughter, Dayly. Meanwhile, Jessica Sanchez, the LAPD detective who put Blair away is having her own issues at work and begins to wonder if she did the right thing over ten years ago.

The book was written from two perspectives, Blair and Jessica and was a really good approach for this book and takes you on a wild adventure, not to be missed.

I'm not sure if this is a one off or the start of another incredible series, but hoping its the latter as I'd be really excited to know what happens next..

I have read some books that the author wrote with James Patterson, so thought that since I'd enjoyed them I would see what her solo efforts were like. And if I'm being honest, I thought the book was great.

What starts off as two separate stories involving a cop and an ex-convict, ends up being entwined in a story that flips on its head how the book starts.

Well written and sufficiently detailed to give readers an idea of the prison life and underworld of LA.

If you like American crime thrillers, then I would highly recommend this book to you.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in return for a honest review.

Another great book by Candice Fox. Great story, lots of twists and turns. Would definitely recommend

This is a book I have had on my "to-be-read" pile since August 2020 and given I had a few days off work over the festive season, I decided to try and catch up a bit ... one down and loads more to go!

I have read and enjoyed a couple of Candice Fox's books before so was looking forward to reading this new story set in America and although I wasn't blown away, I did enjoy the ride.

Set in Los Angeles, the story centres around two main characters and from whose perspective the book is written - Blair and Jessica. Blair, as the blurb says, is restarting her life after being released from prison for murdering her neighbour. Jessica is a Police Officer who put her there and who has just inherited a very expensive and exclusive property.

The blurb makes the plot sound simple however, it is far from it. Throw in Blair's ex cell-mate's daughter going missing, a gang leader, very disgruntled colleagues of Jessica, the legend of missing millions and then a gopher and what you have is a very complex story which is a bit OTT and unbelievable in parts with one too many coincidences but it keeps you hooked as you just need to find out how all these threads fit together and they do very satisfyingly and at a good pace. I did find there were one or two chapters that just seemed to be thrown in for the sake of it rather than them adding to the story and it was a bit wordy in parts but overall, it kept my interest.

The ending leaves the door open for other stories to follow and I for one would like to see where Blair and Jessica go in both their personal lives and their potential partnership.

Thank you to Random House UK / Cornerstone and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

I wanted to give this author a go after reading some co-written books with James Patterson and really enjoying them. This book has a good storyline, a couple of main likeable characters that are followed throughout the story along with various others along the way. I enjoyed the book and was happy with the conclusion. #GatheringDark #NetGalley

This was a great book.

I've been a fan of Candice Fox since I read her Crimson Lake series and loved it.

She has a way of making the landscape and setting become another character in her books and that is such a skill I admire. You immediately feel immersed in any environment she is describing and this adds such a great layer to the reading experience.

Gathering dark was no exception, I believed I was in LA chasing down the bad guys with Jessica.

We follow LAPD detective Jessica Sanchez after she's recently received a massive windfall inheritance - this doesn't sit right with pretty much everyone around her. And we also meet a bunch of other women who are incredibly well written. The characterisations are all so on point and detailed, I felt as though I knew them by the end of the book. There are disappearances, redemptions, dodgy underworld crimes, you name it!

If you want hard hitting, gritty crime, then look no further. Loved this. Can't wait for the next!

Another enjoyable book from Candice Fox. Set in LA, this book keeps you on the edge of your seat as you will on the good guys, and some of the bad guys, but not the really bad guys! Lots of competing factions keep this story moving forward as Fox brings to life the best and worst of humanity, while throwing in a bit of crazy for good measure. An easy read so thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy.

Blair Harbour, Sneak and Ada Maverick are all ex cons who should have no contact with each other as part of their parole conditions. Jessica Sanchez is the detective who put Blair away and has had dealings with the other two. Normally they wouldn’t have been in the same circles, but these aren’t normal times - Sneaks daughter is missing and it seems she is running scared. Soon all four are trying to find her, each for their own, very different reasons.

This is told from Blair and Jessica’s points of view, but also in the form of letters between a killer on death row and the missing girl, Dayly . The characters are a nice mix, although Blair is still incredibly naive for someone who spent 9 years in jail for murder. However, this works to her advantage and she gets away with things that normally wouldn’t work. It’s quite a complex tale, with numerous threads being run through the main theme. This is a fast paced story that sets your pulse racing at times and once started, you really need to see how this tricky tale ends. I would certainly read any follow up to this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This bookthrows 4 very different women together to search for the missing daughter of one of their number. Conspiracies abound and both of the narrators are dealing with a lot more than just this one thing. Really gripping and fast paced.

This is another good read by Candice Fox. Unlike her previous Crimson Lake series this one is set in Los Angeles rather than Australia. The characters are quirky and interesting and the story goes at a good pace. The plot is complex, but the real genius of the story is the way that the characters are drawn. This is a good one for lovers of crime fiction and it will hopefully be the start of another series. Thanks to Random House UK and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

I love love loved this book. Candice has taken the concept of investigator and quirky sidekick to LA from the Aussie rainforest and it translates perfectly. It's an all female cast, all searching for redemption in one way or another and I loved every page. More please!

A diverse cast of characters in this complex thriller,some good,some bad most a mix.
Fast paced and exciting,never a dull moment.

Blair Harbour, einst bewunderte Kinderchirurgin in Los Angeles, kämpft sich nun 11 Jahre nach der Tat, als Ex-Knacki durch ein trostloses Leben mit harten Bewährungsauflagen. Sie hat ihre Zulassung und ihren Sohn verloren, der von Freunden aufgezogen wird. Nach einem nächtlichen Überfall der Tankstelle, in der sie arbeitet, wendet sich die frühere Mitinsassin Sneak an Blair. Sie benötigt Hilfe, um ihre geflüchtete Tochter Dayly zu finden. Blair dürfte nicht mal mit Sneak sprechen. Soll sie ihr Ziel, die Vormundschaft für ihren Sohn zurück zu gewinnen, aufs Spiel setzen, um der vermissten jungen Frau zu helfen?
Detective Jessica Sanchez, die Blair vor 11 Jahren überführt hat dagegen ist zur Zeit am Tiefpunkt ihrer Karriere angekommen. Sie wird von ihren Kollegen gemobbt und im Stich gelassen, weil sie im Rahmen einer Mordermittlung ein wertvolles Haus vererbt bekommen hat.
Man wird unmittelbar in die Handlung geworfen, manches bleibt zunächst bruchstückhaft und gibt dem Leser Rätsel auf. Die Emotionen der Beteiligten, die unter enormem Druck stehen, nehmen einen mit. Wie soll das weitergehen? Die Lage scheint von Anfang an recht aussichtslos. Die Geschichte entwickelt sich spannend und mitreißend. Langsam fügen sich die Hintergrundgeschichten und vergangenen Ereignisse wie Puzzlestücke ineinander.
Dieser Thriller bietet interessante, aussagestarke Charaktere, mit reichlich Ecken und Kanten. Weiter wird der Roman um eine Taschenratte und einen exzentrischen Pathologen bereichert. Große Teile der Erzählung schlittern Personen und Handlung am Rande des Wahnsinns entlang. Das Tempo ist rasant und die Ereignisse zum Teil irrwitzig. Man fühlt sich vielleicht so etwa wie auf den Drogen, die im Buch reichlich Erwähnung finden.
Ein toller Start in die neue Serie um Detective Jessica Sanchez.

Blair Harbour is one year out of prison when her former cell mate, Sneak, asks for help in finding her missing daughter, Dayly. Meanwhile, Jessica Sanchez, the detective who put Blair away is second guessing herself on the charge and conviction, especially when Blair comes asking for her help in finding Dayly.

I thoroughly enjoyed Gathering Dark which is an exciting thriller with quirky, memorable characters, not least Hugh Jackman, the gopher. The novel alternates its narrative between Blair and Jessica. I’m not always a fan of this approach, often finding it distracting but it works really well here. Both women are strong characters with both interesting back stories and attitudes. Jessica’s difficulties with the department are imaginative and extremely funny and Blair’s story would break your heart, especially as she’s still refreshingly naïve about people after serving a 10 year sentence. I liked the way this narrative style lets the reader see each character from two very different perspectives as it adds a certain something to the read. All the characters are good with telling details bringing them to identifiable life. The author has a real eye for this.

The plot is great. Not to be taken too seriously it widens from a simple missing person enquiry into something much bigger with sociopathic criminals and dirty cops added in to the mix. It has me glued to the pages as I wondered what was coming next. I would never have guessed at the outset how it would finish or how it would get to that finish. It’s smart and inventive.

Gathering Dark is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.