This is a great novel about a reality show gone wrong. Told from multiple points of view including police reports we learn about the brand new reality game that was set on a small island...

What the contestants didn't know was that the reality show was live streamed at different times of the day. Millions watched and participated in popular votes. When the most popular of them all, Rhys, is murdered, there should be millions of witnesses, but it is a mystery unsovled!

Who is running the show? who is behind the scenes? Can anyone win? And who killed Rhys?
Pure fun, diabolically addictive - Then Things Went Dark

Then Things Went Dark ~ a standalone

By ~ Bea Fitzgerald ~ new to me author

Genre ~ Adult Fic, Mystery, Suspense/Thriller

Setting ~ Portugal (deserted island)

Publication date ~ August 27, 2024, Read~ August 31, 2024

Est Page Count ~ 432

POV ~multiple, 1st person

Tropes ~ rivals, celebrity romance, closed door, cheating, competition, forced proximity, secrets, LGBTQIA+ rep, love triangle, wealthy

⚠️TW ~ physical abuse, pedophilia (mentioned, no details), suicide, murder, alcohol and drug abuse, mental illness

Six people on a desert island playing on a reality TV show competition "Iconic." Who will win half a million dollars and be remembered in pop culture forever?

Araminta seemed to be the focal point and everyone else lived in her orbit. She was the disinherited, sex pot claiming to be an artist/sculptor. Kalpana was a lesbian activist, Isko was a bisexual, celebrity chef, Jerome was the tech entrepreneur, Theo a handsome rockstar, and Rhys Sutton- the actor. They all had secrets about their pasts, careers, or finances. When Araminta and Rhys started a "showmance" things became more volatile and desperate to win the money and fame. There's plenty of backstabbing, cheating, and a murder mystery that ends too abruptly.

I enjoyed the POVs from each character and discovering what they hid from the world. They wanted to be immortalized instead of doing the right thing when no one was watching.

🙏🏽Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this ARC 💚! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are mine alone.

Rating ~ 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

A fantastic, modern whodunnit—the “Love Island” meets “Traitors” narrative framework kept me capitvated until the very last page. Bravo!

A bunch of "celebrities" get a spot on a new reality TV show called Iconic. They will be isolated on an island, participating in challenges and winning points to see who comes out on top. I really liked the setup for this book. it reads very much like watching a reality show showing the contestants arriving with a bit of a snippet about who they are, and confessional-style entries that give the audience an even deeper look into the contestants. the things going on behind the scenes, and how they really feel about each other.

When the death of one of them is streamed live, the police are brought in, was it an accident, or was it murder? Everyone had motive to want Rhys gone, and even I was happy to see him go. He is definitely not a likable character, although the other contestants weren't really all that likable either. I did like a couple of them more than the others, but they were all hard to root for, or even connect to.
The story is broken up into days and episodes, throughout we are getting POV's from not only each of the contestants but also the police which does help break the story up nicely, but some parts did drag a bit.
The explanation for what really happened to Rhy's was satisfying and I enjoyed the ending.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

Reality TV meets murder mystery in this twisty tale of terrible humans. Six sort of famous people meet on an island to complete in the reality show, Iconic. But *gasp* one of them winds up dead.

The chapters are broken into episodes and each have three parts: first we follow the contestants from their varying POVs in an episode of the show, then we get an interlude of clips of social media posts in response to the episode, and then we get a look at the murder investigation which is under way.

Fans of reality TV shows such as Big Brother and Love Island might find this one entertaining. And while it was a concept with much potential, overall it just fell flat for me. The book was entirely too long, and therefore dragged at points. The characters were absolutely awful human beings. There was only one who I found likeable really at all. The reveal of what really happened the night of the death in question was pretty satisfying for me. But for a book this long I just wanted more all around.

Then things went dark is a drama about a reality tv show gone bad.
6 celebrities are on an island competing for attention and prize money. Most of them have dwindling careers, and are taking full advantage of the limelight of the show. When two of the characters dive into a relationship together, the drama escalates more then anyone saw coming.
This book was interesting and different. I like the reality tv vibes of this books, and it kept my attention.
Some parts of it felt repetitive, but it’s based on the circulating drama of 6 people stuck on an island together, so what can you expect.
All in all I enjoyed it.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

12.4 million views. No murder had ever had more witnesses.

Read if you like:
🏝️ trigger warnings
🏝️ dual timelines
🏝️ reality show competition shows
🏝️ lots of characters
🏝️ LGBTQ+ representation

I love a book that includes more than one story-telling format, as it makes the book that much more interesting and hard to put down. This book include regular story-telling, as well as confessionals from each contestant of a reality tv show; it almost made it like a multi point-of-view story being able to see a little bit into the lives of each of the characters.
This dual timeline was pretty exciting because it kept switching back-and-forth between a present day murder investigation, and then the past reality show competition when the murder occurred. It built up so much tension doing it like this because just went you get close to the action it would switch timelines, making you want to race through to get to that next part and find out what happens.
I got a liiiiiittle bit worried when they started introducing the characters… but I think there were maybe 6 characters so it was easy to keep them all straight. The characters all sucked 🤪🤪 which made for a great story and some funny banter between characters.

This book is set up in an interesting way. Each chapter is an episode transcript with forum posts at the end. Then the chapters switch to present day and the investigation.

I appreciate how we can the side comments along with the live action in the transcript.

The reality TV show concept is not clear to me as there are challenges and some audience input.

I enjoyed the different characters and their personalities. The author captured the alliances and manipulation that happens a lot in reality TV shows. The contestants are not reliable as expected. The mystery seems to be and after thought and the focus is the relationships.

If you are a fan of reality TV shows, then add this book to your list.

Thanks to @netgalley and @bookmarked for providing the ARC.

#thenthingswentdark #beafitzgerald

This book is a murder mystery set in a celebrity reality show. It moves back and forth between the show and the investigation into the murder.
I really liked the story. It was very well written and I kept trying to figure out how it happened. I was not successful . Unfortunately, the cast of players are not very nice people and everyone was a suspect.
I received this book as a free ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this. I don’t read thrillers or mysteries at all anymore as they all started to feel stale so this was a fun re introduction into the genre after more than a decade away.

The premise was interesting but how it was laid out was amazing. I loved feeling like I was watching the episodes like any viewer, but also I was there like a contestant, and part of the police interviews.

I was super invested in all the characters and their motivations throughout, except Jerome, eww. The most impressive was the romance and the complicated mess that a controlling relationship can be. We got to view it from all angles at once and having been in a relationship like that it was incredibly uncomfortable in a good way.

Six strangers partake in a new reality show called 'Iconic.' A few of the strangers include a rock star, a chef to the stars, and an influencer. Each is trying to promote their own brand and garner favor with the audience. But all their positive intentions are set aside with their first challenge.

Given five notecards, each of the six are instructed to write down a secret no one knows or the worst things they've ever done. As if acknowledging the worst of yourself isn't bad enough, they're then told to nail their notecards into the walls of the set, secrets facing down. The host tells the contestants they will lose points if temptation or curiousity takes hold and they remove a card from someone else. Let the toxicity begin! As suspected....that first night, someone removes a card and reveals a secret. Things only get worse from there leading to the death of one of the participants bringing Interpol to their doors.

What additional secrets will be brought to life? And whose star will shine bright from the show and whose will crash and burn?

I'm always a sucker for people's dirty laundry being aired in a public way. While I don't watch reality TV (or TV, in general) it's fun to indulge in such trickery, selfishness, and nastiness in fictional books!

This was a solid three star read for me meaning, while it wasn’t a huge favorite of mine, I acknowledge the ingredients are there to be someone else’s favorite!

The Things went Dark by Bea Fitzgerald is not as exciting as a novel as I hoped it would be. Six celebrities are isolated island off the coast of Portugal, with cameras following their every move think reality TV. Since I am not a big fan of reality TV maybe this was not a book for me. All six characters are truly unlikable, it is interesting to see the behind the curtain of a reality show like that. Each have their own reason to be there. They are placed on an island for 3 1/2 weeks, and one ends up dead. Here come the big questions… Why and how was he killed? What was the motive?

The book alternates between the days the cast spends on the island, the aftermath, and when they are being interviewed by Interpol.

Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Then Things Went Dark is the story of six people who are competing for money and fame. They are not only competing against each other but also for the attention of the audience. The twist is that they are all stranded on a deserted island. The question is whether these six people will work with each other or against each other, and where do the boundaries start and end?

The setting and the atmosphere of this book on a deserted island are perfect for the story. That's the part I really liked. I had a little tough time getting into the story, though. It could be because of the style this book was written. The inner thoughts, the back story, and the present all collide with each other, which makes it hard to follow the progression. It also hindered the mystery element for me personally.

Having said that, the readers who like reality shows will probably like this book.

This is a story that grips you and pulls you in- especially if you love a good mystery and reality shows! It took me a minute to get all the characters straight but then I was hooked!

Six semi-famous people, all with something to prove, arrive on a desert island to film a reality show where they compete to see which of them is most “Iconic.” Three weeks in, one of them winds up dead.

This was like watching a reality show full of drama. It was set up so each chapter was an episode of the show. There was a lot of lying, back-stabbing, and all around despicable behavior. At some point, each contestant seems to have had a problem with the victim, but who has the motive for murder? I felt like the isolated island setting held untapped potential and the plot never became suspenseful or gripping until the end. It was still an entertaining read though and I recommend it for fans of reality tv!

Rating 3.5⭐️

It took me a while to get into the format of the audio, so I think this is better as a novel; the screenplay aspect of the audio made it confusing to keep track of the timeline between taping and airing. The text version was much easier to follow.

📚 PUBLICATION WEEK BOOK REVIEW 📚

Then Things Went Dark By Bea Fitzgerald
Publication Date: August 27, 2024
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚MY REVIEW:

Oh my gosh, did I love this book!!

Then Things Went Dark is a dark and twisted thriller that is sure to be a favorite amongst fans of celebrity reality TV...like me.

This is the story of six famous people, all trying to redeem themselves or their reputations in some way, who sign up to compete in "Iconic," a live-streaming reality TV show. "Iconic" pits these contestants against one another in daily and weekly challenges for a chance to win a quarter of a million dollars, while they live together in a luxury villa on an isolated island off the coast of Portugal. The show is a mix of everything that makes can't-stop-watching reality TV so damn successful, and this whodunnit murder mystery makes the story even more riveting!

The reader learns early on in the book about the death of one of the stars of the show, whose death was streamed live online as it happened...And while the reader doesn't know exactly what happened, the details slowly eke out as the story is told through mixed media across multiple timelines. The chapters are divided into two timelines that read almost like they're shared from multiple POVs. Each chapter gives a detailed account of each episode of the show, laid out just like watching it unfold online in real time, complete with characters' confessionals and voice-overs of their perspectives...and then cuts to police interviews with each of the characters in which the detectives obtain details about the events and what happened leading up to the character's death.

I very much felt like I was reading a salacious, behind-the-scenes tell-all that could have just as easily been the latest Netflix limited series. All of the characters were extremely unlikeable - some to the point of even being vile and narcissistic - but this was like a reality show train wreck from which I simply couldn't look away. This book was a fast read, so well-written I could picture everything unfolding minute by minute. I loved the way Fitzgerald used the mixed media concept to cleverly combine modern technology and our societal obsession with reality TV in a way that felt somehow both vapid and poignantly tongue-in-cheek. And good luck trying to figure out the ending of this one -- I don't think you'll see it coming!

I couldn't put this one down and really enjoyed it from start to finish!! I highly recommend this fun whodunnit thriller, especially if you're a fan of reality TV. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

#ThenThingsWentDark #BeaFitzgerald #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #fivestarreads #greatreads #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

Out now! Big thanks to the publisher for the early copy to read and review <3

I thought this was a big hot mess, train wreck, and I couldn't get enough. From time to time you (read: me) just need some mind-numbing, trashy reality TV and that's what we get here. Six contestants are sent to an island for a competition reality series. These characters all have secrets, big issues and WOW are they self-centered. Like I already said - this was a hot mess. I have some reasons below for why this is a 3.5 star for me and not a 4 but overall, I liked this and couldn't get enough! My biggest reason to binge so fast was to see if Araminta ever got her head out of her a** regarding her relationship with Rhys. (insert major eye roll). I also like that there is enough doubt on each character that we truly could see a reason for ANY of them doing the thing.

3.5 stars (not 4) because:
1. the police investigation felt lacking, like they were really just interviewing the contestants/ suspects and they know everyone is lying to their faces but there's never any description of any investigative work. I guesssss that is due to the crime happening when literally no one else was around and the lack of evidence available? Idk, just felt like those parts could have been more fleshed out (or, dare I say, even left out).
2. we don't get any resolution for all the characters issues/ lives/ situations. Not a huge deal but the entire book lays out all these stories and situations they are all dealing with in regular degular life then we get zero info as to what happens after the show.
3/ Side note: I don't understand why there was an extra storyline thrown in for the cops. That felt super unnecessary and distracted from their "investigation".

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark for the eARC.

I have, without meaning to, been reading a lot of books set on a reality TV show. I think that this one was good, but its proximity to others that I have read made it feel like it did not stand out. I still enjoyed it, but personally should have spaced it out.

Then Things Went Dark is a locked-room mystery set on a remote island with a group of quasi-strangers who are being filmed 24/7 as part of a reality show competition. Only one of them turns up dead on day 17 and seemingly the entire world watched live. Except somehow no one really knows what happens, because mixed in with the accounting of what happened on a day by day basis are interviews of each contestant with the police post-incident. Was it an accident? Was it murder? As alliances shift, and people’s dark secrets begin to reveal themselves, the reader is left wondering not who killed Rhys, but who didn’t want to kill him? The suspense is gradually built day by day, until the incident occurs and the who and why is finally revealed. The characters are deeply unlikable, and at times the writing felt either too slow or too rushed, but overall the mystery and resolution were satisfying.