Daisy Darker was born with a broken heart. The doctor’s didn’t give her long to live, and her family other than her beloved Nana treated her like a fragile piece of china. Her mother Nancy paid her little heed, and her father Frank preferred the company of his orchestra to his family. While her older sisters Rose, the smart one, and Lily, the selfish one, were able to go to boarding school and hang out with friends while home on break, Daisy was most often stuck in hospitals in London. Occasionally she got some reprieve when the family traveled to Cornwall and stayed at Seaglass, her grandmother’s home.

Across the causeway Seaglass, on a tidal island, was a true escape, and couldn’t be accessed when the tide was high. On the all Hallow’s eve, Daisy’s family gathered to celebrate Nana’s 80th birthday, but when the clock strikes midnight the Darkers start being picked off, one by one, and there’s no where to flee as Daisy and her family try desperately to figure out who amongst them can be trusted, and who wants them all dead.

Odd as it sounds to say, it was thoroughly entertaining trying to guess which Darker was going to be the next victim. Alice Feeney certainly keeps the reader guessing until the very end. Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and of course Alice Feeney for the advanced copy. Daisy Darker comes out on August 30th. All opinions are my own.

This one really held my interest in the beginning and again at the end, but the middle dragged a little bit. I was very surprised by the direction this one took, especially since I've read the author's other books. I think this will be a polarizing one - surprising, but maybe not most people's preferred direction for a thriller. Generally, I do like locked room mysteries and this one was a unique play on that trope.

This book was so good! I am usually good at figuring out the plot at least halfway through but this book left me speechless. The characters were all so flawed that you can't trust any of them. The more the book went on you learned how dark the Darker family really were. The narration was also excellent.

This was my first Alice Feeney book and I had high hopes for it. However, I was pretty disappointed. I enjoyed the beginning of the book, it started out strong but fell flat for me towards the middle/end of the book.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.</i>

On the evening of her 80th birthday, Nana invites the Darker family to her gothic house on the shore of a small, secluded island. Once the tide comes in, the Darkers, each with their own secrets to hide, will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours. After the family finds Nana dead at the stroke of midnight under mysterious circumstances, the next death is quick to follow. Being picked off one by one, can the Darkers band together to find what's going on, or will their secrets start coming out before low tide arrives?

Pros:
-short and fast-paced, engaging
-<i>And Then There Were None</i> meets <i>Knives Out</i> with a countdown element like the one in the video game <i>Until Dawn</i> (e.g., "____ hours until low tide")
-setting was fantastic; claustrophobic, locked room mystery
-main character was compelling, especially the more we got of her backstory
-story is well-balanced between the past and present timelines
-audiobook narrator's voice was perfect; dramatized but not overdone

Cons:
-cheap but entertaining main twist (prepare that suspension of disbelief!)
-too many proverbs scattered in; they took away from the plot and were cheesy/overdone
-minor twists were too predictable and the main twist was really out there, could've been balanced a little better

Overall, Alice Feeney's <i>Daisy Darker</i> was a quick read, and I couldn't put it down until I knew what was going on. This one's a fun time, albeit pretty dark and upsetting at times. I feel like if you enjoyed Sager's <i>Survive the Night</i> or Feeney's <i>Rock Paper Scissors</i>, you'll enjoy this one! All three have twists that are kind of out there (and tropes that are polarizing in the mystery/thriller community), but are short and fast reads. I was between a 3 and 4 star for this one, but I will absolutely pick up Feeney's next book. I feel like she's a consistently good author with interesting twists and compelling character dynamics. I'd recommend preordering this one and saving it for Halloween 2022!

This wasn’t a book I loved until the end. It worries me because 3/4 of the book seemed unbelievable and then boom it all comes together at the end.

**NetGalley review**

I really enjoyed this one! While not all of the characters were likable, I loved watching all of the storylines come full circle. This one has plenty of twists and will keep you guessing. This story had me feeling sorry for Daisy and wishing she had a kinder family. I'm happy with how this one was wrapped up. I think I made a good choice for my first Alice Feeney book! Thank you: NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Alice Feeney for allowing me to review Daisy Darker.

Absolutely loved this one! There has not been a book by Alice Feeney yet that I’ve rated anything below 4 stars, she is by far an all-time favorite author for me.

This book was everything I was hoping for and more and I could not seem to listen fast enough, while also not wanting it to end! It had major Clue vibes with it being heavy on the death and deception parts which I loved. So many characters but the single POV really kept everything seamless and I really loved Daisy’s character. Multiple twists near the end that I definitely did not see coming, so I couldn’t rate it any lower than 5 stars. Thank you so much NetGalley and Flat Iron Books for my review copy!

If you think you have it rough with your family at times, I guarantee Daisy Darker had it worse! When Daisy's wealth grandmother brings the family together, in order to share what she is leaving each relative in her will, you begin to realize Daisy family is not very nice. Alice Feeney spins a great tale that kept me guessing which horrible relative could be the one murdering off the Darker family. There are major twists that keep unraveling once you reach the final fourth of the novel. Prior to that, the story can drag a little bit in spots. However, I would still recommend this to any mystery loving reader!

Narrator of the audiobook, Stephanie Racine, was wonderful.

I received this ARC in audiobook format from NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All statements above are my own true opinion after fully listening to this audiobook.

My biggest question after finishing Daisy Darker is how many times has Alice Feeney seen the movie Clue?

I’m telling you, there were so many nods to the movie. Maybe it’s because it’s a locked room mystery, but there was one scene that was straight out of the movie. So basically, be sure to have the movie ready. I can promise you’ll want to watch it after you finish. And to all my Clue fans, you’ll be squealing with delight as you read it.

It’s hard to not over analyze a Feeney novel and try to figure out the twists. Most of my past attempts have been unsuccessful. It’s like throwing readers off track is her superpower. So that’s why it felt like a fluke when most of my theories were correct. I was so anxious to figure out whether or not the twist was what I thought it would be that I couldn’t put this one down. Or pause it more like as I did it on audio (the narrator was amazing 🤍)

Clue references aside, this had a cinematic feel to it throughout. From the gruesome, meticulous way the murders were carried out, to the atmospheric setting of Seaglass, it’s very easy to get lost within the story. I would absolutely love to see this get optioned for TV or a movie! I also can’t forget the utter creep factor that’s very prevalent throughout. Especially after certain events. IYKYK

After finishing, I felt a bit sad. The most I can say as to why is because most of these characters were pretty terrible people. I love a messy, villainous character so in the moment I didn’t mind it. Honestly, I spent most of the book hoping they would get what they deserved. But after figuring out everything that happened, it’s hard not to feel a sense of sadness for what was lost.

I know so many of you already have this on your #tbr or have read it already, but if you haven’t then this is your sign to go preorder it! Daisy Darker is sure to be one you’ll be thinking about for a long time.

I love a good locked room mystery. I like the atmospheric setting, the dual timelines, and the narrator was great. The plot twist took me by surprise - I initially didn't like the twist, but it tied up very well for me in the end. Alice Feeney has become a go-to author for me and I am grateful for the chance to listen to an advance copy of the audiobook.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC audiobook of Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney. This was the thriller I have come to expect from Alice Feeney. As I was listening, I realized it was similar to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" and it was revealed as a deliberate nod to the master of mystery. Even though it had elements of that book, this one had some fun twists and turns that kept me tuning in to finish the story to see how it all turned out. There was even a point when I gasped out loud to a plot point. I liked that Daisy was the narrator and main character of the story of her life and at the family gathering for her grandmother's 80th birthday party. Daisy and her sisters, Rose and Lily, had a challenging relationship, but Daisy and her grandmother got along wonderfully. The author incorporated the deaths of some characters in a way that was surprising but not gory. If you want to be entertained by a thriller, try Daisy Darker. The audiobook narrator very good and I enjoyed listening to her tell the tale.

Wow! I always look forward to Alice Feeney's books, and Daisy Darker reminded me why. The character development is fantastic, and the flashbacks helped to provide context and explain why some familial relationships have formed as they have. Daisy is a neat character, and I really liked her relationship with her niece. The setting of an island that can only receive a ferry at certain times, thereby isolating the island for stretched of time added an urgency to this locked-room mystery. I kept trying to figure out who was responsible, and didn't see the twist coming, so I had to think back through the story to see if/what clues I may have missed. Loved this one!!

I received a complementary copy and all opinions are my own.

This novel reminds me of the stories that were told around a campfire when I was a young girl. There’s a family gathering at a house that is completely cut off from the mainland each day when the tide is in, there’s a dark and stormy night, and then family members are found dead one by one. Creepy, right? It also takes place on Halloween!

I loved how Alice Feeney’s story unfolded with the aid of a dual timeline, the atmospheric setting and characters that kept me guessing until the very end.

Narrator Stephanie Racine did a fabulous job giving voice to the characters and keeping me “tuned in” to every moment of her performance.
4.5 stars

Daisy Darker was the third book this summer that I have read by Alice Feeney. I was fortunate enough to listen to it from @Netgalley. This book had all of the makings of what I have come to expect from an Alice Feeney book; creepy setting, intense storyline, multiple points of view. It was the first one of her books that I have listened too and the narration was great.

WOW - Alice Feeney says in the acknowledgments that this is her favorite book. And I must say - I loved it too.
The story had a good flow from the beginning, and kept me interested throughout. It is difficult to review this book without giving out spoilers about the twists and turns of the story. Suffice it to say, that this is such a great book. Read it!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, and the chance to review this fabulous book.

I loved this book! Doom and Gloom on an island cur off from the mainland by high tide and it is Halloween, fantastic! . It was compared to "And Then There Were None" so you went into the story already knowing the outcome, but you don't know which one. The written poem describing each character and how they did die was wonderfully composed. What a dysfunctional family which all started with the neglectful parents all the way down to not knowing who the father of Trixie was. The description of the house Sea Glass made me think of the older home in New England where all the rooms connect via secret passageways. Thank you Alice Feeney, I am looking forward to what you have in store for us next.

I have not read a thriller this good since I read Rock, Paper, Scissors, which happens to also be by Alice Feeney. I was 100% hooked and invested from the very beginning. The combination of suspense and drama had me on the edge of my seat, and extremely intrigued. This was such a page turning thriller, and I loved the mystery aspect to it. This novel is very relatable to And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie. It was filled with plot twists, family secrets, and all the spooky vibes, especially since it’s set in Halloween. The setting of it being on a tiny island in an old gothic house tied the plot in very well.

After years of being apart, Daisy Darker’s family is reunited for Nana’s 80th birthday. Mostly because she is very likely to die on her birthday, or so a fortune teller predicted that years ago. Nana hasn’t finalized her will, and since a few family members hope she dies, they willingly participate in this reunion. Exactly at midnight, Nana is found dead, and every hour after someone else dies. They are all trapped on that tiny island and have no where to run. As the bodies drop dead, tension runs high, and they are forced to face their darkest secrets.

You can expect:

* Dysfunctional Family
* Paranormal
* Based in the Cornish Coast
* “And Then There Were None” Vibes
* Plot Twists
* Lot’s of Family Secrets
* All The Spooky Vibes

1.5
Daisy Darker is attending her Nana's 80th birthday at her coastal cottage with her entire, dysfunctional family. The family arrives and enjoys the company of each other as much as they can while waiting for the main event-for Nana to reveal her will. Disappointed with the outcome of the will reading-the family is not getting along and is (somewhat) shocked to find that Nana has died, in a pretty tragic way. As the night goes on, tragedy strikes again and again, and the remaining family members are left revising the secrets of the past to try to make sense of the horror that is happening in the present.

I did not like this at all. I will say the narrator was fantastic. Same with Rock, Paper, Scissors, this way such a let down. I LOVED His & Hers, because it was creepy. There was so much tension in that story that this one lacked-primarily due to the past/present chapters. It just didn't work. Any time I was getting into the present story, it would go back to the past. The past chapters were unbelievably boring and repetitive. We get it, Daisy didn't have friends, she didn't have anything, she didn't go to school. By the end I was so done with this story because it's so unbelievable. I struggled with predicting the ending but then not expecting that other element that was added in, which was hinted throughout. The ending did answer many questions I had while reading the story, but its so unrealistic and I couldn't buy it. I don't feel the mystery or thrill in this, just like with Rock, Paper, Scissors, I was left very dissatisfied by the end. None of the characters were likeable. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

I'm blown away. I don't often give 5 stars to mystery novel but this one earned it! I wanted to reread this book before I have even finished it.

Daisy Darker knows her family has personal flaws - its a wild ride as we learn about them, too.