The Girl in the Dark is the second novel in Zoe Sharp's Blake and Byron novel series. I did not read novel one in this series, but I had no problem following the characters and their relationship. The Girl in the Dark easily functions as a stand-alone mystery. Not many novels focus on the exploitation of the homeless, which makes Sharp's mystery unique. Not all readers are interested in the fate of people who are hungry and who smell, never having considered that the homeless might not have access to water and soap. Sharp ignores this possible problem and constructs a character-driven mystery that focuses on the humanity of those, who face poverty and discrimination.

Sharp makes the point that the homeless are invisible. No one notices when they disappeare. But they are visible to the authorities, which is why the novel opens with a police raid to arrest the homeless who are encamped in an abandoned building. Using themes that show readers the dangers of homelessness, Sharp forces readers to see the homeless as people. Each person is an individual with a story to tell. I do not want to provide spoilers, but The Girl in the Dark is a novel that uses a murder mystery to shine a light on discrimination, greed, exploitation, and abuse.

I found The Girl in the Dark captivating and compelling. The mystery is solid and with twists and surprises enough to keep readers turning the page. Thank you to the author, publisher Bookouture, and NatGalley for providing this ARC. I do recommend The Girl in the Dark.

Oh my goodness what a rollercoaster of a read! It's 2:45am and I'm reeling over this one. WOW! A shocking, remarkable, wonderful thriller. Amazing story!

I'm always extremely happy when a new book from Zoe Sharp comes before me and The Girl in the Dark made me very happy indeed! The second in Sharp's intriguing Blake and Byron series, it allows further development of the two characters introduced in the earlier instalment (The Last Time She Died), both of whom I like immensely; plenty of backstory, very different in personality and yet, something between them that they themselves can't quite see at first. Excellent - something to watch as the series progresses? So, moving on six months and Blake is on a mission to discover why her former mentor from her homeless street-living days died so suddenly and in such disturbing circumstances. Discovering a link to a London homeless charity where her friend has volunteered sends her down a rabbit hole and, meanwhile, Byron's new role sees him, in effect, investigating opposing angles of the same case. Nothing is ever quite what it seems when the extremely clever plotting is in Zoe Sharp's hands and there are some very grim but essential threads running through the story - a reminder that black and white are often too hazy to recognize reality when it's staring you in the face.

This is so much more than just a conventional mystery, it's a fast-moving, character-driven and flawless thriller. After just two instalments I can easily see this becoming a long-running series, even though I know it was originally billed as a trilogy - I can live in hope!

When I learned that I had been approved for this second book in a new series by Zoe Sharp, I was so excited. I absolutely loved the first book, THE LAST TIME SHE DIED. In this thrilling series, we meet Blake Claremont, a wonderful protagonist who is fearless when it comes to protecting the people she is closest to. You can't help but admire her strength and resilience in the face of a traumatic childhood, her past experiences allowing her to grow into an avenging force to be reckoned with.

She has met many individuals over the course of her journeys to seek justice for the people she loves, but none stand out as prominently as John Byron, the enigmatic detective whom she befriended in Book 1 and with whom she continues to develop a unique bond throughout THE GIRL IN THE DARK. The two unlikely friends, separately, have lost faith in a world that has been incredibly cruel to them; but together, they learn to rely on one another in the face of dangers lurking behind every corner and in the most unlikely places.

We are introduced to some quite despicable people in this book, some hiding their contemptuous behavior in plain sight, others keeping that behavior masked well behind seemingly good intentions. Trust is not easily won nor easily given for obvious reasons throughout the course of the story. Blake sets out to discover the circumstances behind her dear friend, Shannon's death. But as Blake delves deeper into her investigation, searching for a young girl she is determined to save, nothing could prepare her for what she will find.

Strong characters, an intriguing and poignant story, and edge-of-your-seat action make this a book you will have trouble putting down. Although I did enjoy the first book more, this one still had me reading well into the night. I cannot wait to read the next installment of the Blake & Byron series, eagerly anticipating what's next for these two incredibly likable characters.

I want to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley, Zoe Sharp, and Bookouture for gifting me the ARC of this book! I appreciate you trusting me with an honest review!! It was a privilege to read THE GIRL IN THE DARK before its release in March!

The Girl In the Dark is the second book in the Byron and Blake series and it is just as good as the first one. After running away at 15 and living on the streets for several years, Blake goes back to living amongst the homeless in order to find out more about the death of her former mentor. When it is discovered that the woman died after being released from police custody, Blake asks Detective John Byron to investigate the officers involved. Together they discover several more unusual deaths and disappearances within the homeless population and they all seem to have ties to the same charity. In addition to the mystery, non-stop action, and surprising twists, my favorite part of this series is the growing relationship between Byron and Blake. I cannot wait for the next installment to find out where it goes. #NetGalley #TheGIrlInTheDark

Blake Claremont & ex detective John Byron have met up again 6 months after the first book, when Blake, who is pretending to be homeless so she can try & find out what happened to her friend Shannon, who died after being in police custody. The pace was good & the characters are likeable & with the sexual tension between Blake & Byron it will be great to see how their relationship will develop. .

Blake and John are a great team despite being polar opposites in their ways of handling things. This book starts out fast-paced and continues until the conclusion. I didn’t know this was part two of a series, but will definitely be reading and recommending this author!

A gripping story with secrets and red herrings. A talented author who kept me guessing. Dynamic characters kept the story moving. Thanks Netgalley.

The Girl in the Dark by Zoe Sharp is a fairly gripping crime thriller with some good suspense that kept me reading. This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone (I did not read the first book and don't feel I missed out on too much). I read The Girl in the Dark fairly quickly. It held my interest and had good elements (suspense, good storyline).

I really liked getting to know Blake; she is a strong character. Blake's friend Shannon dies. Shannon is someone who went out of her way to help the lost and hopeless, and she was left abandoned to die by the side of the road. So Blake is determined to find out who killed her friend and why.

Before she died, Shannon was searching for answers. She knew that people were going missing, never to be seen again. Now, with the help of Detective John Byron, Blake must take up Shannon’s investigation.

The story starts as a slow burn and builds up to some good, gripping moments. Overall, a good read.

I will check out the other books by this author to see if I continue to like her writing style. I would recommend this book.

#TheGirlintheDark #NetGalley @bookouture

This is a story about the homeless and how they are being abused, financially and physically. This is a mystery with some good characters that are relatable. The suspense builds slowly but picks up as the story moves along. There is an unexpected twist at the end of the story. The book is part of a series but could be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

It's book two in the series and I remembered how I loved the first book where the author treated me to some surprising twists and turns.

It goes without saying I was utterly looking forward to find out what this case had in store for our not so every day kind of duo.

I love Blake. She has no rules to follow but her own ones and though she can very well take care of herself, she does find herself sometimes in dangerous situations. But she delivers and she does not mind taking risks in order to help others. Of course she does have help from a few friends. :)

On he other hand there is John who has to do everything by the book which restricts his actions. Getting info from Blake does help him tremendously.

The teamwork between these two characters proves that tricks from an ex con artist can be very helpful for an ex police officer. The only thing they need is facts and maybe a little scheme here and there.

Will their relationship remain strictly professional or is there something more brewing? 

A wonderful book that can be read as a stand alone of course, but I am sure you would want to find out how the two main characters met, wouldn't you...?  stars

Thank you

THE GIRL IN THE DARK is the second book in Zoe Sharp’s ‘Blake and Byron’ suspense/thriller series. Although I miss the Charlie Fox books, I’ll always happily read anything Sharp writes. This is a continuation of the Blake/Shannon mystery from the first book, The First Time She Died, but enough background is given to pick up the story for someone who missed it. Without giving that story away, Blake is now working with Byron to pick up where Shannon left off in finding and exposing predators in the world who have ruined lives and bring them down. A noble cause, but left me occasionally wondering how and why she picked these people, other than personal vendetta.

Although this was a bit of a shaky read, it was still quite enjoyable and enough to keep me invested in continuing the series. Perhaps if the base of the investigations was broadened? Recommended.

Even though this is the second book in a series ,and I have the first one to read ,I had no problem getting lost in the story or following along, the story kept me wanting to see what happens next from start to finish .