I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters, I thought the plot was clever and kept you guessing. I thoroughly enjoyed how it unfolded. Highly recommend.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
"The Darkest Game" Is a Brilliantly Twisted Ride Through the Shadows of Crime and Deception

The Darkest Game is everything I crave in a crime thriller—dark, intelligent, and absolutely relentless. From the first chilling chapter, the story pulls you into a dangerous web of lies, betrayal, and secrets that refuse to stay buried. The tension is thick, the atmosphere ominous, and the twists… genuinely shocking.

The pacing is masterful. Every chapter dangles a clue or a red herring, keeping you second-guessing until the final, stunning reveal. The protagonist is complex and deeply human, carrying both grit and vulnerability, and the antagonist is chillingly elusive. It’s a game of cat and mouse where the rules keep changing, and no one is ever truly safe.

What sets this book apart is its ability to blend gritty realism with emotional depth. The stakes are high not just on a physical level, but psychologically, too. You’re not just turning pages to see what happens—you need to know.

If you’re a fan of smart, atmospheric crime thrillers that don’t play fair with your expectations, The Darkest Game is a must-read. It’s not just a story—it’s a trap you’ll willingly walk into.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm publishing for this ARC!

4.5☆

A body is found by a river in the small town of Oak Creek, where murders are as rare as 2-3 a year. Presumed a fishing accident, out of town detective, Charlotte Dawes rocks the town on discovering it is murder.
Arriving to assist, Dawes is on her last case. Once a brilliant cop, she's out to prove herself again.
Local artist Robin goes missing and is soon found brutally murdered, the only clue an incredibly disturbing painting by the artist herself.
Paired with newly promoted Detective, Mona LaSalle, the pair are in a race to get ahead of the killer, but can they solve the clues in time?

I loved this book. It kept the reader on their toes over who and what the links between the killer and the victims could be. Teasing options for who the killer could be. Just when the reader is convinced they've worked it out, along comes a dead end and another twist in the tale! I enjoyed seeing the relationship between the two detectives develop. Dawes, the older officer, takes LaSalle under her wing after experiencing for herself the disgusting behaviour her current partner displays to her.
I'm hoping that this might be the start of another series by the author as although this is my first time reading their work, I really enjoyed it, and I'd like to see how LaSalle's career progress.

**Rounded up from 4.5 stars **

thrillers with a psychological edge, this one is a must-read.

Detective Charlotte Dawes is exactly the kind of lead I love in a crime novel—smart, relentless, and just damaged enough to make her feel real. Her arrival in Oak Creek shakes up the small-town dynamic in all the right ways, especially as she quickly sees what the local police don't (or won’t) admit: this is no accident. There’s a killer in town, and they’re playing a terrifyingly calculated game.

The use of artwork to foreshadow the murders was absolutely chilling and one of the most original elements in the story. It added a surreal, almost gothic tone to the investigation, and the tension kept climbing as each new painting hinted at another death. The pacing was tight, the twists were well-placed, and just when I thought I had it figured out—bam, another layer was revealed.

What kept this from being a full five stars for me? A couple of the secondary characters felt a little underdeveloped, especially given the complexity of the plot. I would have loved just a bit more emotional depth from the townspeople affected by the killings.

Still, this was a dark, immersive, and gripping read. Charlotte Dawes is a character I definitely want more of, and Oak Creek’s secrets were juicy enough to leave me hoping for a sequel.

This is a new series for this author. It is a well written book that will keep you reading into the night and begging for more. I anxiously await to read more of this series.

This is my first read by the author but it won't be my last. A very good, character driven thriller, filled with mystery and drama. I really liked Charlotte, the main character, she is easy to like with all her flaws and the plotting was quite original. The pacing is fast and the small town setting worked very well. It is light reading, definitely worth a read and one I would recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Murder, turned into a twisted game.
The first body was thought to be an accident, but the second one…. The second one was gruesome and the clue was left. This was just the beginning.


I read this in two evenings and I had to force myself to put it down and go to bed the first night.

Thank you to Storm Publishing, NetGalley and Alex Signore for the early read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | A Suspenseful Ride with Just Enough Twists

The Darkest Game by Alex Sigmore is a solid, edge-of-your-seat thriller. Right from the beginning, it pulls you into a dark, intense atmosphere where secrets and lies are around every corner. The plot kept me guessing, and just when I thought I had it figured out, something unexpected happened.

The main character was relatable and well-written, and I liked how the tension built steadily throughout the story. There were a few parts where I wished for a bit more detail or depth, especially with some of the side characters, but it didn’t take away from the overall experience.

If you're into psychological thrillers with a shadowy vibe and lots of suspense, this one’s definitely worth a read.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

Who is killing seemingly unconnected members of a small community and leaving clues? Detective Mona LaSalle and Charlottes Dawes team up to find out.

This book was absolutely phenomenal! The character development of the two main protagonists throughout the book was an amazing addition to the wonderful twists and clues throughout the book. While I was able to guess who the main perpetrator was near the end of the book, I was still intrigued and enthralled by the ending. I absolutely recommend picking up this book next week (June 4th) when it is released and will be looking for more by this author in the future.

I loved this thriller, unexpected surprise

It was well written and easy read but slow at the beginning and then gets fast paced. The 2 female detectives worked really well together and helped each other to heal through a difficult and challenging serial case murder.

Wow I didn’t expect the ending to be xxxxxxx and made it all the better for me as I found it was unputdownable towards the end. Winner for me

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing

A compelling murder mystery, The Darkest Game (2025) by Alex Sigmore features Chicago detective, Charlotte Dawes. In trouble for ruining an ongoing investigation, Charolette is sent to assist, when a woman’s body is found in Oak Creek. Partnered with newly minted detective, Mona LaSalle, an engrossing investigation is begun with no forensic evidence or apparent motive. Then a local artist is murdered and the body is posed as one of her paintings, setting off panic amongst the town who fear it may be a serial killer. As the body count mounts, the detectives try to get ahead of the killer, leading to a bloody confrontation and surprising climax reveal. A quality police procedural and gripping tale that is a four and a half star crime read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Storm Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

Although Alex Sigmore is a well established author this is the first book he has written that I have read. The story of loss, loneliness and connection is well told and as with many authors has chosen the world of art to utilise in his story. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

This book sounded great, but unfortunately, it wasn't for me. It's so slow paced to start with. I've seen a lot of reviews that say it picks up around the 70% mark and is worth it, but it was a struggle to keep my attention so I DNF'd.

I want to start off by saying I liked the book overall and will read more of Alex's work in the future. The last 25% is way better than the first 50%, which I found fairly slow, especially for a thriller novel. The last 25% makes up for it though so I encourage you all to hang with it!

Ok, so i enjoyed the story, I loved the writing, the emotions, mostly most of the things in the story. The only thing I felt was the name of the culprit was just conveyed too directly, May be its just me but I needed more intense and tension filled story.
For the first half of the story it felt like nothing is happening, may be something more about the background of the other younger detective should have been written to feel some connection with her character. So, overall it was a 3.5 stars for me.
Thank you

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

I'm getting to the point in my reading career that nothing much surprises me any more. I've read a lot of books, mostly thrillers and suspense stories, and things start to get repetitive after awhile. I'm honestly tired of reading about serial killers, and I probably should stop.

This was a moderately interesting small town serial killer tale, and I won't ruin the twist. The relationship between Mona and Charlotte (the two detectives) was a little different, and added to the story. The writer can write a good story, and this will appeal to a broad market.

Unspectacular but solid.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

Okay, wow! This book was just… whoosh! Mind blown.

From the start, the story had a hold on me and didn’t let go. The pacing was tight, the tension building with every turn of the page. I thought I had it figured out but I couldn’t have been more wrong. That one twist? I never saw it coming, and it changed everything.

The characters were richly developed, full of depth and complexity, making them feel incredibly real and relatable. I quickly found myself deeply invested in their lives, emotions, and choices. The storyline was intricate and expertly woven, drawing me in until I was fully immersed.

This wasn't just a good thriller, it was a masterclass in suspense. Gripping, intelligent, and so compelling I reread it the moment I finished. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since.

First novel I have read from this author and it didn’t disappoint. Enjoyable from the first to last page. Plenty of twists and turns to keep me enthralled. Well rounded characters and very well written. Look forward to her next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Read in 2 hours and 20 minutes.
4.5 ⭐️

This book was short and punchy- a good example of how less can mean more, and I’d like to read more from this author.

Detective Charlotte Dawes is limping back from her worst case yet; a drug bust failure after a string of similar endings, and she’s desperate to save her job.

It’s all she has left.

When her sheriff friend of her boss needs a hand with a relatively tame case in his small town, Charlotte steals one last case- one last chance- to end her career with dignity.

There, she meets chirpy young Mona- just promoted and eager to impress on her first murder job, despite being bullied by her superiors.

Nothing is as it seems when a serial killer emerges from the shadows, taunting the police with his chosen victims in graphic settings.

Why does this case feel personal?

It’s easy to feel for both women as they battle their own demons whilst pushing back on the misogyny shown by the local cops, little by little.

They each have something to hide- and few to trust in this town- especially when the pile of bodies leads to resentment and scorn from the locals.

Can Charlotte rise to the challenge one last time?
Will Mona be able to prove her worth?

The authors note at the end of this story is also oddly sweet; I’m never not fascinated by the idea that writers can conjure up darkness and then pen a heartfelt message to readers.

Case closed- I’m in.