Then Things Went Dark has everything I wanted. Mystery, a great story, a great narrator. It was a winner.

This book was well on its way to being a 4 star read for me. I really enjoyed the first 65% of it. But it felt like the end just dragged on for a lot longer than I was hoping for. I get that they were first setting you up to like the characters and then setting you up to turn on them, but it felt like the turning took a little too long. In the end none of them were likable or redeemable, which was the point, but it made the very very end a little less enjoyable. Still 3 stars.

Thanks NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Six people travel to a remote island to participate in a reality tv show. All are used to fame or the limelight and are using this as an opportunity for more exposure to millions of viewers.
Two timelines are occurring as we read… one from the perspective of the show airing and one timeline of three weeks later where one contestant is dead and the remaining giving are being questioned by police.

I like the concept of this novel, but I thought the character development was slightly lacking and possibly unrealistic and not relatable.
Though I thought the story development was slow, I did like the ending!

This was such a fun who done it. I didn't see the end coming, but it made so much sense. I will definitely be recommending and possibly gifting this book to several people, who'll love it. It was so good.

Six players go on a new reality game show, "Iconic," where they attempt to resurrect fading careers and possibly re-emerge as better-known and even better-liked. The premise captured my attention as well as the writing style from the perspectives of the contestants and the social media fans. No one was especially likable and the whole show seemed quite contrived, but that seems to be the point. I just felt it got a bit bogged down with their uninteresting and superficial lives on repeat. I was hoping for more of a mystery throughout...and while that was the overall theme, it wasn't twisty or thought-provoking to me.
The narrator did a good job capturing female and male voices, as well as multiple accents. She definitely enhanced the overall story.Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this ARL. All opinions are mine.

Release day review! 🤩 I love when books have a reality show aspect to them. I thought the concept was interesting and the author did a great job of making you hate Rhys. 😂 I really enjoyed the narration as well. 🥰🎧

Are you a fan of those addictive, drama-filled reality shows? If so, "Then Things Went Dark" might be your next must-read book! The story follows six famous individuals who are dropped off on a remote island to compete for a cash prize. Their lavish accommodations hide their dark secrets, which the show aims to expose for viewers' entertainment. The tension reaches new heights when one of the contestants dies on camera, leaving the audience guessing whether it was murder or not.

As someone who isn't drawn to reality TV, I usually love the intrigue and drama in books. I was fortunate to receive the audiobook and ebook versions. I enjoy switching between the two formats; having the ebook handy for reference is a great perk. However, I didn't quite connect with the narrator this time around. The single narrator's portrayal of multiple characters didn't sit right with me, although she did an admirable job voicing them all.

Unfortunately, all of the characters fell under the "love-to-hate" category, but not in a remarkably captivating way. Despite this, I've noticed that the book has garnered many positive reviews. Take my feedback with a grain of salt, and give it a try to form your own opinion.

Thanks to Tantor Audio/Sourcebooks Landmark for providing ARCs of the ebook and audiobook through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#thenthingswentdark #beafitzgerald #netgalley #audiobook #tantoraudio #sourcebookslandmark

Then Things Went Dark by Bea Fitzgerald:

A reality show goes deadly wrong for 6 contestants looking to be 💫 ICONS💫

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this audiobook, but that was about the only thing. All of the characters are self centered/absorbed and just so cringey! My main issue is I had no one to root for. And then the ending, WHAT!

This book wasn’t for me but could work for others who enjoy reality tv

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Six pseudo celebs agree to be on 'Iconic', a reality show where they agree to be isolated on an island and participate in challenges all while being live streamed in an attempt to grow their followers. When one of the contestants turns up dead, the police are left with just a small handful of suspects.

I was so excited about this one. I absolutely love a locked room story, I loved Survivor & Big Brother when they first came out, and I enjoy a good murder mystery so this one sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately the whole thing fell really, really flat for me. Not a single one of the characters is likeable, which if you watch reality TV is never the case. Sure, some- or maybe even most- of the contestants are unlikable but there's always someone you can root for. Every single one of these characters was phony, shallow, and irritating. The whole idea of two of the characters being in love immediately and swearing they're in it for real ect is insane when they've literally both hooked up with other people on the island, and I say that as a person who absolutely adores Amber & Boston Rob from Survivor. I'm not saying real romance can't happen, but the way it happened in this book was just cringey and unrealistic. Six contestants where four of them hook up with multiple people is also just too small a pool and kind of gross. None of the romance story worked for me at all.

I do feel like this book could have gone places. The author went with a ton of different POVS and didn't really make any of them compelling. If she'd picked a person and kind of shown all of this through their eyes, there might have been enough detail withheld or misconstrued that it could have been really interesting. You also find out about the murder *and who the victim was * almost immediately. I would have withheld either the murder or at least the identity of the male contestant to keep things interesting. There was also so much that could have been done with the challenges. For example 'Influencer Island' by Kyle Rutkin is another influencers on and island book but it took a much, much darker approach which made it so much more compelling, even without super likable characters. I just wanted so much more from this cool premise.

Rounded up to a 3, Then Things Went Dark was good. Not great, but some will definitely enjoy this book based on another reality show set in a cool locale (desert island) with a cast of characters all seeking to win the prize. I'll be honest and say that as a nearly 60 year old reader who began the reality concept decades ago with the original MTV show (the first reality type show???) of The Real World, and who has now seen every derivation of this genre, I think I'm going to avoid reading any more using this narrative. It feels like right now this is the subject du jour. It is being overdone.

In brief, a group of celeb-adjacent people are dropped onto an island, they are filmed continually (think Truman's World without the charm), a murder occurs and that's your book.

I appreciate the opportunity to listen to the audio in advance and think that part of the book was very good. I am unfamiliar with narrator Zura Johnson but she did a fine job.

This multi-POV story follows a group of well known/famous people that are brought to a private island for a Big Brother-esque challenge. The island uses drones and hidden cameras to watch the interactions of the contestants as they spend a month fighting for half a million dollars. Of course it’s not THAT easy, and the production team uses mini challenges and other tactics to create tension and increase views.

As the story progresses, the tension increases as secrets come out. The group finds a single target amongst themselves to dislike … who ends up dead. So what happened? Who did it? Who’s going to take the fall? And who’s REALLY at fault?

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this ALC! I loved the narrator, the pacing of the story, and the overall concept. It definitely mirrors real life “reality” tv and the personal agendas of everyone involved.

I liked the plot idea of Then Things Went Dark, but it was just too liberal for my taste. When an author brings up Presidential candidates, it just turns me off. I just feel that the story fell a little short of my expectations. The narration was great.

I love the narrator but I guess the story couldn't really hold my attention. I kept navigating away from the story to watch my little online videos. I didn't care for any of the characters and I was not feeling the drama. However, I loved the internet parts being woven in!

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...

I loathe reality tv, but this book about a bunch of b rated actors, singers and influencers stranded on an island with the hopes of being branded Iconic by the media was impossible to stop listening to. At the beginning we know one of the participants is dead, we just don’t know who killed him. The story weaves back and forth between past and present, making it hard to like any of the characters and even harder to figure out who the killer is. Tremendous fun!

Another deserted island reality game show story - is it just me or have there been an influx of them of late? With one contestant dying on camera, all fingers point to the remaining five contestants. Who killed him and why? The story sounded good but unfortunately didn't deliver as strongly as I had hoped. The characters weren't overly likable and I found myself not caring who the culprit was in the end. Kudos to the audiobook narration though as this was well read.

This thriller had a large cast of characters, each of the contests has a major role, and at times it was hard to follow along to the audiobook. I enjoyed the remote island theme of this thriller, I always feel like that heighten the suspense aspect with limitations on who can come to the aid of those stranded. This didn't have a big reveal moment so it fell a little flat for me

If you're looking for your next binge-worthy listen, this reality show-themed audiobook is it. From the very first chapter, you're pulled into a world of mystery and intrigue that doesn’t let go. The plot twists are cleverly constructed, keeping you guessing at every turn, and the steamy undertones add just the right amount of spice. It’s a perfect blend of suspense and entertainment, making it impossible to pause. Whether you're a fan of reality TV or thrillers, this audiobook is an irresistible page-turner that’s hard to resist. Perfect for anyone in need of a captivating escape!

This was so slow and so boring. The narrator does a good job at using different voices for all the different characters, the problem here is the writing. Every character was flat and indistinguishable. The premise was intriguing but ultimately it was the writing that ruined it for me.

am thankful to have gotten the audio ALC for free from Netgalley and Tantor Audio so I can leave my voluntary review.

I had a hard time with this one as I wanted to like it. I loved the description but the execution just wasn’t there. I listened to the audiobook which I think made it harder to like.

I just didn’t enjoy the narrators voice particularly when doing male characters. What made it harder for the narrator was the names of some of the characters. They just didn’t rile off the tongue and when reciting conversations saying certain names 20 times in 2 minutes just gets annoying and takes you out of the story.

So maybe the print copy may read a little better. However the story itself was not only predictable it was boring. There was nothing exciting about it. So for me, this is a pass as far as recommending it.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again