I loved this book! The story was captivating and kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next! I will definitely be reading more from this author!

I have read a lot of this authors books and this one was great. Fast-paced and a well thought out plot. I can’t wait for the next book.

A quick read book that is so intense you won't want to put it down. I loved the pacing and the plot was incredibly suspenseful.

Oh, I absolutely loved this amazing book. So many twists and turns - so thrilling and completely addictive. A wonderfully tense and brilliant read. One of my top reads this year!

(I already post my review on Instagram about this book before the publication date. Forgot to post here. )


The plot was interesting, killings tied to art and art tied to killings. But honestly, nothing much really grabbed my attention until the last few chapters. The pacing was slow at first, and I wanted more tension and mystery.

I liked Mona and Charlotte’s dynamic. Mona was interesting, and Charlotte had that seasoned, steady vibe. But the killer felt weak to me, and I didn’t really connect with most of the characters.

Still, it was a decent read overall.

This was an enjoyable thriller!! It has a seasoned detective working with a rookie (both of which are female), plenty of twists and character development and it's reasonably fast paced! Definitely looking forward to reading more from Alex Sigmore now.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview The Darkest Game.
This is a series book but works well as a standalone.
Female led book and is a police procedural. Deep characters with a steady plot.
Overall a good read. 3 stars

Detective Charlotte Dawes based at Chicago nearer to retirement age and has not done very well just of late, and to appease her they send her to Oak Creek to help out as they have just had a murder and not a local person, and she turns up just as the lead detective ridicules a young female detective which she has a problem with but as it turns out the sheriff gave Mona the lead with Dawes, which to Mona's surprise as she has heard excellent results about the said detective.
Pretty soon, a few more murders, but these were local and very gruesome, so their work is cut out for them, as really, Mona is also an outsider, although she has lived in Oak Creek for years.
Mona only really had one friend, and they had a falling out, so to her surprise, her friend was the first murder, and the pair needed to find the clue that put the first girl from the lake and the second together, but Mona does have a passion for puzzles, and it seems even she is stuck.
More bodies, so what is the clue that brings them all together?
I did find myself having a job to get into it a bit of a slow starter, but stick with it as it really picks up momentum and kept me reading to the end.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC copy, and I found it addictive.

After a botched undercover operation ends her career in Chicago, Detective Charlotte Dawes jumps at the chance to consult on a case in Oak Creek. When local authorities dismiss a woman's suspicious death as a fishing accident, Charlotte’s instincts tell her otherwise.

Teaming up with newly promoted detective Mona LaSalle, Charlotte digs deeper. When an artist is found murdered, her body staged like one of her paintings, the case takes a chilling turn. Even more disturbing, the artist's remaining works seem to predict future victims, each painting more gruesome than the last.

This is a smart, layered mystery with compelling female leads and an eerie artistic twist.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and author Alex Sigmore for the opportunity to review an advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Darkest Game
by Alex Sigmore
Pub Date: Jun 04 2025

The Darkest Game is my first book by the author, and as it turns out, this is book 3 in the series but can be read as a stand alone. It's a police procedural set in Los Angeles, at a perfect pace, sprinkling clues with a few twists and turns along the way. It started out slow but it picked up and was worth hanging in!

Synopsis: Bad things happen every day. No one knows this better than LAPD Detective Tully Jarsdel. He also knows that bad things often go unpunished—all it takes is a glance at his dusty stack of cold cases to see that time is kind to sinners. The Darkest Game is a story about dread, greed, and anguish; how it spreads like rot, and how one detective struggles to keep it at bay.

Many thanks to #TheDarkestGame #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for providing me an E-ARC of this book.

The concept drew me to this small-town crime thriller, and it is an intriguing read. Detective Charlotte Dawes is at the end of her career as a city detective. After a series of less-than-successful cases, she jumps at the chance to prolong her detective position by taking on an advisory role in the small town of Oak Creek, where a suspicious death has occurred. There are a few chapters of scene setting and character introduction, but this is necessary for what follows. The dynamic between Charlotte and the local detectives is noteworthy. It's a dark crime story with graphic murders that have an ominous connection with art. It's atmospheric, detailed and suspenseful.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I received a free copy of, The Darkest Game, by Alex Sigmore, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Detective Charlotte Dawes has been called to Oak Creek to solve a murder of a young women, them someone else is murdered, Can the detective solve the murders before someone else is murdered? This was an engrossing read.

I loved the originality of the premise of this book. It grabbed my attention, but unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me.

I think, personally, it was mostly down to the pacing, it was just soooo slow up until aboit 70-75% and I'm definitely a reader that has to be gripped from the off, otherwise the mind starts wandering and never quite gets back to full focus. Once the pace sped up, though, it didn't stop, and all loose ends were tied up really well.

This is very character driven, and thankfully, I liked the main character Charlotte, but I couldn't connect with Mona, and I will admit I soon tired of Adam and ended up skim reading his pages.

It was an ok read, but it wasn't a book that enthralled or excited me sadly.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.

This is the first book I’ve read by Alex and definitely won’t be the last! I was completely held hostage by my kindle the whole way til the end. The darkness, mystery, suspense, tension, twist and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. I was shocked by everything that was revealed. After being forced into early retirement, something she doesn’t want yet, detective Charlotte Dawes accepts the offer to help the local police of Oak River. Getting farther than the local cops, she realizes the newest victim was moved and slowly pieces together these victims connections. The paintings of a victim, amazingly described, depicted the horrific murders. Will charlotte and Mona crack this dark and twisted game, or will they be next?!

The Darkest Game follows Detective Charlotte Dawes who was brought in to help with a small town murder case. This was a unique premise and I really enjoyed the twists.

This book was very twisty! I enjoyed the characters and I liked this mystery/thriller very much. I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of Charlotte’s character as well.

Sometimes the smallest of communities can be hiding the biggest of secrets, and this story is one such example, as a Chicago detective discovers when she investigates a case in one such town.

After a woman's death is initially dismissed as an accident but then found to be anything but, subsequence events indicate that something truly sinister is taking place.

Charlotte needs to find out how the death of a local artist fits into this disturbing pattern. Who is using her work to make a point? And for that matter, what is the point being made?

An intriguing mystery and a crime investigation all tied together neatly in this absorbing police procedural, this one gets 3.5 stars.

The Darkest Game by Alex Sigmore is a chilling thriller that is full of mystery and suspense. If you like your thrillers dark and twisty, definitely give this a shot!

After a failed undercover investigation, Detective Charlotte Dawes is being forced into an early retirement. With 20 years on the job and a staggering number of cases solved, being a detective is all Charlotte knows. When she is given the opportunity to help her former bosses friend with a body that was found, she eagerly jumps on the case. Working with the newbie detective in town Mona LaSalle, Charlotte soon realizes that this was no accidental death. It starts as a string of murders that on the surface have nothing in common. Then when local artist Robin goes missing and is soon found murdered, the only clue is a disturbing painting done by Robin herself. As Charlotte and Mona try to find clues to unmask this vicious killer, can they manage to stay ahead of the killer or will they find that they are his next victims?

This is the first book by Alex Sigmore that I have read and I can definitely say that I will check out more of his books! This book had me on the edge of my seat and I definitely want more! The tension surrounding the paintings was well done, ramping up the suspense and anticipation. The pacing was just right in my opinion, never feeling too rushed but also not a slow burn. One tiny thing I felt detracted from this story was that it felt like I was missing a bit more emotional depth. Definitely not a deal breaker though. Hoping for a sequel out of this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Alex Sigmore, and Storm Publishing for this ARC! Publication date is June 4th 2025.

The beginning starts off slow but once the pace picks up it's non stop action and suspense. I loved Charlotte's character. It took me awhile to get invested in Mona. The mystery is full of twists and kept me guessing. I would read this author again.

First time reading this author. Great book, looking forward to reading more.
Fast paced, intriguing, couldn’t put down. Many unexpected surprises, but keeps you guessing.
I really enjoyed this book, the style of writing and the characters. This one was a page turner.
The story and the characters were very intriguing.