Gathering Dark was a fantastic read with a fast-paced and thrilling plot centered around a missing girl.

Dr. Blair Harbour was once a wealthy and respected surgeon until she was arrested for murder ten years ago. Released from prison one year ago, Blair has struggled to adjust to life on the outside while she works to win back custody of her son Jamie. When her former cellmate, Emily 'Sneak' Lawlor, turns to Blair for help to find her missing daughter Dayly, Blair finds she cannot refuse. As the search for Dayly becomes bigger than either of them expected, Blair finds herself turning to the very woman who locked her up ten years ago. Detective Jessica Sanchez never thought she would see Blair Harbour again after putting her away a decade ago. So when Blair turns up on her doorstep, the last thing Jessica expected was a plea for help.

The characters in this book were wonderfully done and, in my opinion, were the best part of the book. Blair spent nearly ten years in prison for murder which caused her to lose her son, who she gave birth to while in prison. But in all that time she never gave up hope and still wants to help people even if she can't do so as a doctor anymore. Jessica is an incredible detective and she truly believes in what she's doing. However after receiving a multimillion dollar inheritance connected to a case she solved, she's found herself shunned by her fellow officers. Due to the way they're treating her, her belief in the system is shaken and she's questioning her path forward despite still believing in justice. Blair and Jessica work surprisingly well together despite being on opposing sides and I liked watching them slowly learn to trust one another. The pair actually have a lot in common and I enjoyed watching them learn that they're not actually that different.

The plot in Gathering Dark was quite interesting and I quickly became invested in what was going on. The book opens with Blair being robbed at her job at a local gas station with the thief then stealing her car. Shortly after, Blair's old cellmate shows up on her doorstep needing help to find her missing daughter. The girl's disappearance is surprisingly connected to the earlier robbery and I liked how the author connected the two. Eventually Blair and Sneak acquire the assistance of a local crime boss the pair knew in prison, Ada Maverick, to search for Dayley. The search went in several directions I wasn't expecting and by the time the group brought in Jessica, I was hooked. The author does a great job keeping you guessing and the lead up to the finale was incredibly well done. There's just the right amount of suspense and action to keep things interesting and I liked the way everything was wrapped up.

Overall Gathering Dark was a very enjoyable read and I would highly recommend this if you're looking for a great female-led thriller.

I really enjoyed this book! I have read and enjoyed several books written by Candice Fox in the past so I jumped at the chance to read this book. This story grabbed my attention from the start and kept me eagerly turning pages until the very end. I am so glad that I decided to read this wonderful book.

This story is told from two points of view. Blair was a wealthy doctor at one point in her life but that was before she served time in jail for murder. Blair now works at a local convenience store and is trying to do what needs to be done so she can spend more time with the son she gave birth to in prison. Jessica is the detective that put Blair away. Jessica recently inherited a multi-million dollar mansion much to the dismay of her co-workers within the LAPD. It is apparent that she is at a difficult point in her life. When Blair's friend from prison asks for help when her daughter goes missing, these two will form an unlikely alliance to find some answers.

I really liked the characters in this book. Blair seemed like she was a good person and she was really determined not to get in trouble. She knew what she was risking to help her friend but she couldn't find it in her to say no. Jessica was at a crossroads in her life. She was a good cop and liked her job for the most part. Inheriting the house messed everything up and opened her eyes at the same time. The secondary characters were equally well done. Sneak, Blair's friend, was a vital part of the story and often kept things interesting. Blair's son played a pivotal role in the story and made connections to both Blair and Jessica.

The mystery in this book kept me guessing. I was eager to find out what really happened to Blair's friend's daughter. As things got more complicated and new people came into play, I found myself even more curious about what had really happened and what the motive might have been. I was also very curious about the crime that sent Blair to prison. I was very pleased that the details of that crime were addressed as a second, and equally interesting, mystery in this book.

I would recommend this book to others. I found this to be an incredibly entertaining and well-written mystery thriller that was filled with wonderfully unique characters. I love the fact that the book kept me guessing until the very end. I cannot wait to read more of this talented author's work.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Forge Books via NetGalley.

This was my first Candice Fox book, and I can now see why she has had so much success. Blair Harbor was once a respected surgeon. Now, she is a recently paroled felon who is trying to regain custody of her son. When Blair’s former cellmate comes asking for help in finding her daughter, Blair has to decide if helping Sneak is worth the risk. Then there is Jessica Sanchez— a cop who has a rocky relationship with the LAPD— and the very same cop who arrested Blair.

I enjoyed the unique story of an ex-con and a cop who find themselves working together, given their history. Even better that we got alternating POVs! Both characters had interesting stories that were explored throughout the book. There was a lot happening at once, but at the same time felt like a slow-burn. As someone who enjoys more fast-paced storylines, I wasn’t always fully invested in what was happening. Even though some parts were a little unbelievable, I really enjoyed how everything came together in the end. Gathering Dark has a satisfying plot with unique characters.

4.5 stars, rounded up
This is a wildly imaginative, crazy story, perfect for those who want their thrillers fast paced and character rich. There are multiple storylines here and the big question is how they’re all going to come together. Blair has been out of prison for a year, having served a 9 year sentence for murder. She’s working at a PumpNJump one night when she’s held up and her car stolen. Her ex-cellmate, light fingered Sneak, asks her to help find her daughter. The same young woman who robbed Blair the night before. Then there’s Jessica Sanchez, a detective who’s been gifted a Brentwood mansion and has earned the ire of the entire police force because of it. Jessica just happens to be the detective that arrested Blair all those years ago.
It’s an entertaining story and one that kept me on the edge of my seat. The tension is palpable. The characters are wonderful and I was totally engaged with each one of them. How would their stories play out? Credit to Fox for plotlines I never saw coming.
The book flips from character to character, leaving the reader hanging with each chapter end. The ending is pretty unbelievable but I didn’t care. It was just such fun to watch it all play out. There’s an inkling at the end that this might be the first in a series which would be fine by me.
My thanks to netgalley and MacMillan Publishers for an advance copy of this book.

What a mind bending, adventurous, exciting ride!

Too many badass, quirky, adorable heroines, one action packed, whirlwind, riveting, twisty case of missing girl and intriguing, unputdownable, fast and furious paced writing style! I don’t know what you think but I’m so sold! This is one of the best thriller reads I lately have!

Complex, realistic women characters and their intense back stories are perfectly intercepted! At the center of this compelling journey, we’re introduced to Blair Harbour: the main character, once upon a time a pediatric surgeon who finds herself behind the bars, on parole after nine years long prison time. They think she killed her neighbor. Now she’s working at the store belongs to a cartel, laying low, pushing hard to take custody of her young son Jamie who was born in prison and taken care by family friends.

She tries too hard to be perfect law abiding citizen, obeying rules of her parole but contacting with her prison cell mate Sneak Emily Lawlor who needs a big favor from her will change everything in her more dramatically than she can ever imagine.

Sneaky helped her toughen up to survive at the prison jungle and now it’s time for her to pay back to her friend who has sticky fingers which help to steal other people’s things ( that sarcastic, smart woman who likes drugs, has a dark sense of humor grows on you! You start accepting her flawed behavior, her excuses for not living at the right side of justice! )

Blair might be the last person who has seen Emily’s daughter Dayley who picked interest of very dangerous crime lord Ada Maverick.

When Blair decides to ask help of Jessica Sanchez who is the detective put her behind the bars, an action packed, thrilling adventure begins! Jessica has also her own kind of baggage, inherited $ 7 million home from former client. As you can imagine that kind of big gesture isn’t handled so well by her colleagues and her clients’ family. She is still lost what to do with her life.

I love each of the character portraits and the dysfunctional partnership of Jessica and Blair: the parts both of them review their opinions about each other. Blair sees the soft part of Jessica as she learns her custody problem about her lovely son and Jessica starts to rethink maybe Blair was an innocent she has arrested from a crime she didn’t commit.

I kept turning the pages to learn what is gonna happen and crossing my fingers for satisfying and justified conclusion for both heroines’ stories!

This was mind blowing, exciting, well written, gripping, thrilling ride that I highly recommend to the genre lovers!

I received a free ARC of Gathering Dark by Candice Fox from Macmillan in an exchange for honest review. So many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for this fascinating reading.