An audiobook wonder! Narrated by Laura Benanti in a beautiful, engaging way! She has the ability to give voice to each character in a next level way - even with different accents. This story is for those who love mysteries, thrillers, and theater. I found myself connecting to several of the characters in many different ways. I wanted to solve the mystery but appreciate the performance piece all at the same time. In parts, the story does get very dark, but redemption is right around the corner.

Another thing to note and appreciate is the author interview at the end of the audiobook with the narrator. They both provide so much background to the theater review and acting aspect of the story. Again, truly an audiobook gem!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and author Alexis Soloski for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Suspenseful, thrilling, and one of the best thrillers this year. A deep, dark dive into the world of theater with a main character that may have secrets as dark as the stage before the lights come on. A psychological thriller whodunnit that pulls us behind the curtain and shows all the gory details but slips easily between fact, fiction, and the art of acting. Fast paced, non-stop, and a truly gripping storyline that keeps us guessing even when we think we have it all worked out. The world is a stage after all.

This was the definition of a slow burn thriller. It took me about halfway to realize where things were going, and I think I was just a step ahead of the main character in figuring out what was going on. I think the narration really helped me stay on task while listening to this title, as I feel like a narrator that wasn’t as good would have more than likely gotten me lost in the story, and even as it was I had to really focus sometimes, or re listen to some passages

"I never became a person I only played one "

"We are all performers."

"I don't want what's good for me."

" ...you worry that if you actually truly feel something that the feelings won't ever stop."

We see from these quotes that Vivian, the protagonist in the dark, sometimes humorous psychological suspense thriller, Here In The Dark by debut author Alexis Soloski, is a hot mess. Her lack of self care leads to bad decisions that put her in danger.

Vivian is a NYC magazine theater critic who writes scathing reviews. She dreamed of acting but life has derailed that plan. Now, unable to overcome her grief of losing her mother unexpectedly, she spends her nights hiding in dark theaters, drinking, popping pills and sleeping around. During the day she sleeps, deals with hangovers and writes.

When she's interviewed by a college student, for a paper on the theater and reviews, her life is turned upside down. It seems he's disappeared and she's the last one to see him. She gets it in her head it's up to her to find him which leads to some crazy antics and a very twisty reveal.

The writer has written an intricate thriller but also an insightful look into grief and depression. I was reminded of the fascinating novel (and film) Looking For Mr. Goodbar by Judith Rossner, inspired by the 1973 murder of a NYC schoolteacher.

This audiobook is enhanced by the performance of Tony Award winning actress Laura Benanti. She grasps how unhinged Vivian is becoming and gives believability to all the supporting characters. As a bonus the conversation between her and the author at the end provides illumination about the creation of Vivian.

The dark hides what we can't see but also what we don't want seen. Here In The Dark is worth a look.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from #macmillanaudio via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I’m kind of a sucker for a well-executed cover, Here In The Dark has it in spades. The red lip and hand in front of her eyes gives the suggestion something dark and dangerous is about to happen…and oh boy did it! The audio production is absolutely superb! Lauren Benanti is well deserving of all the accolades. She did a fantastic job deadpanning Vivian’s dry humor.

Vivian Parry may be a junior theater critic, but she is ruthless in her review of any production that she believes is subpar. Hiding in the dark, behind her pen, she brilliantly picks apart play after play. However, the might of her pen is only a façade because underneath her words she is hiding her very identity. Unable to cope with the loss of her mother, Vivian abuses alcohol and prescription pills regularly. Running on very little food and suffering from a fainting disorder, she is barely able to hold her career together. Until she isn’t…

Vivian has been marked for a very dark and dangerous drama. She doesn’t know she has been cast as the lead role until it may be too late. Through the train wreck of her personal life and an alcohol infused haze, she needs to solve a missing person case before it is too late. Her career and life are dependent upon it.

The final third of this novel was reminiscent of The Game, the 1997 drama starring Michael Douglas. As I appreciated the movie, I also enjoyed this novel. I would highly recommend waiting for Vivian’s final act before deciding on rating this book. That scene was EVERYTHING.

Vivian has been approached by a someone for an interview. She reluctantly agrees to meet him at a coffee shop and answer his questions. Later, the interviewer comes up missing and Vivian was the last to see him. She decides to fall back on her acting skills and investigate what is going on!

Vivian is just a weird character…don’t get me wrong. I really liked her. She just is a bit unconventional in her methods and sometimes she really makes dumb decisions. But this sort of endeared me to her. I also enjoyed her snarkiness. She is a bit sneaky with it. So you have to pay attention.

This story is a bit of a wild ride. And the twist at the end, I kind of knew something was off, just not sure where the author was going to take me. So, I enjoyed the guessing game of who did what, when and where.

Need a good guessing game…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Thanks to MacMillan Audio & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wowza! It's rare that I get an audiobook that's this well acted (Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski was probably the last one), so I was very happy to get an audio ARC. Laura Bernanti does a fabulous job of creating Vivian Parry's voice: sharp, smart, edgy. Vivian is a one-time actress who suffered a psychological break that rendered her better suited for a role as a theatre critic, and she's great at what she does - maybe a little *too* great. Vivian's world is turned upside down after she is interviewed by one David Adler, a grad student working on a thesis about female critics (did I mention you have to suspend your disbelief a little in order for the tidal wave of this book to sweep you along?). Adler disappears like a puff of smoke, and Vivian finds herself embroiled in his disappearance.

Bolstered by Ativan, vodka, and the semi-unconditional love of her co-dependent best friend who's dating a doctor who gets them the good shit, Vivian stalks New York City, drinking, working, dating, and trying to figure out this mystery in the midst of the holiday season and while trying to beat out a colleague for the job of head critic.

Read this, but especially listen to this so you don't miss out on Bernanti's stellar performance.

"Here in the Dark", narrated by Laura Benanti, is a thriller of story that keeps your listening throughout. It's a moody-modern-noir story about a theatre critic, Vivian, who is trying to earn a promotion at her magazine. After accepting an invitation to an interview by a grad-student in hopes to boost her career, her wild story begins. Private investigators, a dead body, sleeping pills confusing reality, conspiracy, and a seagull! This story keeps you guessing throughout.

I enjoyed listening to "Here in the Dark". It's not a genre I normally pick-out but I was entertained from start to end. Vivian is a character who struggles with substance usage and although I didn't mind it in the story I thought there was too much focus on it. I would recommend this story to fans of women's fiction, mystery, stories set in New York City, and a story with a twist.

Thank you Macmillan Audi and Netgalley for providing listeners with this title.

It was fine. I appreciated the idea more than the execution. This had a very film noir feel which kept it from being that engaging to me. I think it could have been a solid thriller without the overly dramatic artsy theme that framed the story. Some will love it, but it wasn't for me.

This was read incredibly well! I was able to listen at 2.5 speed and understand everything clearly. The story was compelling and very different. Focusing on the theater critic aspect of the world only to have it turn around on her is something I've never read before. The only thing that irked me was the FMC drinking problem. That seems to be a trope that is overdone and only there to make them unbelievable - even if it was out of grief.

At the surface, this book was a regurgitation of a recent trend: a narrator you can’t trust due to substance abuse problems. However, once I gave it a try it proved me wrong. It was witty with a great twist. I would especially recommend for theatre nerds. But even if you aren’t familiar with stage references and jokes, it still works.

This program is read by Tony Award–winning actor Laura Benanti and it is SO SO AMAZING!
I truly cannot say enough about Laura. Her abilities are just spectacular. This particular book features a woman who takes on many personas so Laura provides a delightful reading.

Here in the Dark is a psychological suspense. Vivian is a failed actress and now theater critic. Unhappy and depressed, Vivian turns to alcohol and entertains herself utilizes different personas and facades to deal with every day situations and as she struggles to procure a promotion.

When a mysterious man she interviews turns up missing, Vivian is interested. She is intrigued further when his fiance asks for her help. Before she knows it, Vivian is impersonating a detective, can she get to the bottom of the mystery before more people disappear or die?

Absolutely lovely - a perfect pairing of theater, reader and mystery!
#Alexis Soloski’s #HereintheDark #MacMilllan #Macmllanaudio

I recently listened to this audiobook, and I found it to be both dark and witty. The author, Alexis Soloski, gives us a banger of a main character named Vivian Parry. Vivian was an actor turned critic. Soloski, being a theater critic herself, wrote what she knew and did a great job creating a sense of intrigue in the story. The narration was excellent and added to the experience.

The plot of the book revolves around Vivian finding herself in a game of cat and mouse, where she takes on the role of a detective to figure out who is trying to play against her. Although it is not full of shocking twists like some thrillers, it is a slow burn that is pleasantly surprising.

This is Soloski's debut novel, and if it's anything to go by, I can't wait to see what else she comes up with!

Thanks to @netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the chance to review Here in the Dark by Alexis Soloski. I listened to the audiobook, and this was a slow-burn psychological thriller that I could not put down. Former actress turned movie critic Vivian Parry. She agrees to an interview with a stranger, and she was the last to see him alive. Vivian is a truly interesting main character, and she relies on several self-destructive vices to get her through the day (and nights watching shows!) Happy to slink around unnoticed, Vivian is a well-written and complicated MC - I could not help but to cheer her on. I was pleasantly surprised at the dark humor, and the ending was a satisfying surprise.

Laura Benanti was absolutely stunning as the narrator. Just excellent - no suprise from a Tony Award Winner!

Unfortunately this book just didn't resonate with me. I was so intrigued by the premise and I love books that combine NYC + mystery, but I had a hard time connecting with the main character which made it hard for me to really sink into the book. The book has a dark, noir vibe and I'm sure it will find its audience.

Here in the Dark follows Vivian Parry, former actress and now a theater critic, who is asked to be interviewed by David Adler regarding the life of being a critic. Shortly after their interview, Vivian finds out that she is the last person who saw David after his fiancée calls to tell her he went missing. Coincidentally putting herself in the epicenter of the mystery, Vivian conducts her own investigation in unravelling David’s disappearance.

Not many people would enjoy reading about Vivian and her narrative, as she’s intentionally unlikeable and insufferable – indulging into drug use and alcoholism despite the warnings she received and her detached sexual encounters and emotional manipulation within her relationships (friends and romantic) in order to get what she wants. Please advise that readers will encounter a complex, female protagonist who had a damaged past as Vivian portrays such self-destructive mannerisms and narrow-minded motivations throughout the investigation. Despite that, I enjoy Soloski’s narrative style and the sardonic humor that lightened the level of suspense.

I always love how intentional Macmillan Audio are when it comes to finding the most well-suited narrator respective to the subject matter and genre of the book. With that, I can listen to Laura Benanti for days and will never get tired of her narration. Benanti went above and beyond in giving range in her performance across many characters as well as digging into the psyche of Vivian Parry as her conscience amplifies in the latter half of the story. One of this year’s best audiobooks I listened to.

While this psychological noir suspense didn’t provide the payoff as I hope for, Here in the Dark is deftly comical in the midst of dramaturgy and theatrical mystery. Highly recommend listening to the audiobook and/or picking up Benanti’s past audiobook narrations. Recommended for anyone that enjoyed Joan Is Awful (Black Mirror), If We Were Villains, and Sharp Objects.

Engaging and immersive. A recommended purchase in all formats for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

If you’re in the mood for something twisty,, suspenseful, dark, psychological, and noir with a smattering of sarcastic humor, then this book might be right up your alley. The audiobook was terrific with a perfect narration by Laura Benanti. This will be one of those books that I rarely recommend someone listen to rather than read. I think I may have missed out on some of the main characters’ wit and dark humor had I read it rather than listened. Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC! It was very much enjoyed and appreciated!

Author Alexis Soloski has some experience with being a theater critic, so it only makes sense in this debut she would use these talents to craft a mysterious and dark character with this same career. Vivian Parry is easy to hate. Making horrible choices and writing scathing reviews, she seems so full of herself and her talents. Soloski's knowledge of the theater world lends expertly to this character as you really allow yourself to be immersed in the beauty, the skill and the complexities of the New York theater scene.

As Vivian vies for the lead critic writer position she does something she ordinarily wouldn't be inclined to do, participates in a thesis interview, offering her exposure and recognition. However, her interviewer suddenly goes missing and she's the last one to see him after leaving the coffee shop. Putting on her amateur detective hat she seems to be the only one concerned with finding him. Putting herself in horrible positions, she soon threatens the meager life she's made for herself as she is determined to find him.

Maybe someone can explain to me what I just read (listened to)??

I read a lot. This one just totally confused me on so many levels…

Vivian Parry is the main character. She is a theatre critic, and is known to tell her mind, and is not well liked…

She had a recent tragedy in her life, and her life has completely gone down hill from then on.

It doesn’t help that she self-sabotages… She drinks everyday…day and night. And if that’s not enough, she also abuses drugs.
Now, if she was a kid, with zero guidance, maybe I could understand…but she’s in her 30’s…

The story pivots around the fact that she had a graduate student come and interview her…and shortly after, he disappeared.
And Vivian thinks that she needs to find him, or what happened to him.
Although the premise of the story was good, I felt it was a bit far fetched.
I also felt like a lot of the stuff they were talking about, I had no idea what it was…

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me…so, still good, but not my favorite.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which was released today!

#HereInTheDark by #AlexisSoloski with an outstanding narration by #LauraBenanti.

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Happy Reading!! 📚📖