I loved the premise and was excited to read the book. I found parts of it to be a bit confusing, especially towards the end. The pacing was a good. I liked the plot twists. Overall, I enjoyed the story and writing.

This book was okay, it didn't hold me thrills and chills wise. I would classify it as a popcorn thriller for me. I would recommend it for new to thrillers or ones who are just looking for a good fast paced read. If you love a good mystery give this one a try it would be a great fall book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I loved the idea of the book but the plot fell flat for me and felt a bit anticlimactic.

Love a good thriller! This one kept me on the edge of my seat and did not see the plot twist coming.

Bea Fitzgerald has delivered a witty and wonderful thriller. A reality show, an island, and murder… the perfect mix of a great novel.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book early, it’s always appreciated! I unfortunately did not finish this book - it just wasn’t for me so I chose to end reading it before I finished.

I was a bit confused throughout reading with the transitions from character's perspective. The ending was a bit disappointing for me. I was hoping for a bit more of a thrill.

2.75/5 Stars! (Round up to 3) Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC of Then Things Went Dark by Bea Fitzgerald.

The description of this book got my interest and I was so happy when I got the chance to read it. However, this was really just another reality TV show thriller. There was some potential here but it just did not hit the spot for me, I felt like there were parts in the story that dragged out and just didn't do so much for me. The characters were also seen as spoiled celebrities and I just didn't click with it. Some parts picked up but then just dragged. It took me a while to get back into the book several times. This is my first novel by this author and I'd like to see what else she has written. Great cover and description of the book, again - this was just not for me.

I started this book with high hopes. It sounded so good. What could be better than a murder on a reality show set on a secluded island? Turns out, a lot of things. Sure, there were good things about this book, but there could have been more. This should have been an amazing book. The premise was great. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t live up to the expectations.

To begin with, the game was a very important part of the story; the reason why the characters were on the island. But it was not well developed and, frankly, rather uninspired. It didn’t really keep the characters, or the readers, interested. The contestants were just there, not really doing anything. I think people would soon get bored watching these six personalities doing nothing but drinking and arguing day after day with only mostly insipid little challenges to break the monotony.

The characters seemed one-dimensional. All they did was drink and argue. I’m all for unlikeable characters but these characters were not only unlikeable but also rather boring. I was expecting them to have known each other, or at least all to have known the victim, previously. There needed to be something more to explain their conflict; a more dynamic game that kept them busy or prior relationships, a hidden danger on the island, something.

There were some things about the book I did like. The first was the use of social media posts at the end of each chapter. It helped the reader have a sense of what was going on back in the real world while the contestants’ lives were falling apart on the island. The second was the police investigation of the murder. That was actually more interesting than the story on the island and I really wish more time had been devoted to it.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

It was a quick read! Loved the twists and stayed up way to late to finish it! I have not read anything from this author before and can't wait to read more!

It was a good read but I’m kind of done with the reality tv show , remote island trope . I felt it was well written but just didn’t car for the shallow characters.

Then Things Went Dark, by Be a Fitzgerald, is a locked-door mystery set on a desert island with six contestants of a reality show. Police interviews are mixed in with flashbacks from the episodes. I loved the snappy dialogue, it made for fast reading and plenty of snort laughs as I whipped through the pages. Highly recommend for all those of us who love reading books with unlikeable characters!

Loved the reality show idea but with murder. This book was twisty and a pretty fun read. I look forward to the author`s next read.

I received an advanced copy of this book from LBA books.
This book reminded me of a recent reality show I watched called the vault. Players compete and go against eachother for prize money.
In this book it starts out as the most iconic six people competing for money on an island for onw month with no outside contact. They are in their own world. Stcuk with eachother. They are watched 24/7 and anyone can view them live. The six "icons" compete for viewers popularity, daily and weekly challenges. With two standing out more than the others, Ryes Sutton and Araminta. Ryes is nothing more than a backup actor claiming to be the best where as all the other contestants can be seen as true icon status. Ryes doesn't care though. He seems to let everything roll off his shoulders and smile at life. He quickly shows his true colors and brings the majority of the house to hate him. This ultimately brings him to his demise. Everyone is so sick of him and how much of an a-hole he is, someone switches his pills for one's he is allergic to. Someone switches his cigarettes for one's laced with coke. Ryes claims he has never touched a drug in his life. Between a possible allergic reaction, being high, a punch to the face. Ryes falls to his death off a cliff. If he had been less of an ass the grasp of someone's hand wouldn't have let go on that cliff. The person who saved him in the water wouldn't have pulled him under bringing him to shore.
So who is the most iconic after all? Who wins this prize? Well I see it to be no one else but Ryes.

Overall the book seemed dragged out and needed more of an interruption between the show, tweets, and role of the cops.
The book ends with no one being nailed for the murder or Ryes, when really they all played a part, they all should feel guilty, but why should iconic people feel anything?
The last episode reveals all.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landing for the eARC.
Unfortunately I didn't like this book at all. Reality TV is not something I watch, but thought a book with spoiled celebrities and a murder on an island could be fun. It wasn't. I found the people horrible and the story too long and boring. Definitely not for me.

The writing style has been controversial in the reviews I’ve seen, but it really worked for me. I’m not sure it needed to be 400 pages, but that definitely did help build the tension.
The ending made everything make sense, I just wish it kept going a bit further into the future. I’m greedy for answers I suppose.

This was such a breath of fresh air, I didn't expect to love as much as I did. This was fast and kept me binging until th every last page

This needed more tension, for sure, but the real problem is that none of the characters have a single redeeming quality. I found myself thinking the show runners should have just stopped delivering food and let it play out...

2.5 - not gonna lie, I’m kinda bummed. The premise of this book sounded so fun, mixing a reality show with a murder mystery, but it ended up falling flat.

1. The reality show didn’t sound like one that people would actually care about in real life? The challenges were so bland and had such a frivolous point system. the show started with only 6 cast members, with no clear indication that people would be eliminated at all, and yet they were repeatedly worrying about being sent home? The entire premise just doesn’t feel strong enough to reach the Love Island, Big Brother, or insert-whatever-staple-reality-show’s status, like it’s portraying it does. Also… I just really didn’t care about *any* of the cast members. And it’s hard to feel invested when you aren’t rooting for any of the characters

2. The formatting took me out of the story every chapter. Switching from the island to the Tweets to the police station always felt kind of jarring and made me wish the story was blended better. I get why including the police investigation is important, but I really did ~not~ care about the drama subplot the police offers had. It just felt like it further pulled from the main storyline without adding any real value.

3. The ending?? That’s it?? The book felt like it was dragging on until I hit 70%, then by the time I was on the last few pages it all wrapped up and just said bye! 👋 It didn’t go back to the police investigation or anything, making me feel like the story isn’t actually resolved. Sure we find out what happened to Rhys, but the story itself somehow feels open ended (but not in an intentional way).

Overall, I think the book really had promise - I just don’t think it was executed as well as I hoped :/ nonetheless, thank you to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this arc

This was a cool premise but the writing style fell a bit flat for me. It centers on 6 young and famous/quasi-famous people who join a reality show on a remote island to win a prize. All 6 characters are truly unlikable but it's kind of neat to have a look behind the curtain of a reality show like that. We know from the beginning that one of them dies, so the story cuts between the action on the show to social media posts to the police investigation into the murder. The story flows between these 3 areas without any break, which I found jarring and somewhat distracting at times.

As mentioned, these characters were all pretty awful and though the book gave us some insight into their inner thoughts, it didn't make them any more likable. I also found the challenges they were asked to do to almost seem like an afterthought- I wish the author had put some more effort into coming up with appropriate challenges. Though I did get into the book more in the second half, I was still a little bored at so much inner narrative versus action, and I didn't think the parts about the police investigation added anything to the story. The ending was somewhat satisfying and I felt like it tied up loose ends.

Overall, I didn't love this one but it mostly held my interest and was a unique play on the island reality show trope. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.