Cover Image: Dark Corners

Dark Corners

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Member Reviews

3 star read a decent storyline with an ok pace that kept me interested however I did not feel.invested in the characters, something just didn't click!

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Good idea for a thriller, quite dark at times but for some reason it didn't make me care for characters much.

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Neve left the mining village where she grew up after her best friend Chloe disappeared. Now, after the breakup of her relationship, and struggling to run a business with her friend, she returns to help in the search for another friend, and her first love, Jamie.

The story switches between the present day, and the events of twenty-one years ago. This is done very well, and there is no confusion. The plot is quite complex and there are lots of twists and turns to keep mystery fans happy, and the atmosphere is quite spooky. The writing is very good in places, particularly in the evocative descriptions of the abandoned mine, the headframe watching over everything.

But I did find it hard to really connect to the characters, which made it difficult to really feel the tension. and there were quite a few errors in the text, including a lot of unintentional switches from past to present tense in the earlier chapters.

I also found the ending a bit of a disappointment.

So, not for me, unfortunately, but the book does have a lot of really great reviews, so the author is worth checking out if you’re a fan of the mystery genre.

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Not what I was expected, too confusing, so I'm afraid I gave up. I therefore cannot recommend and hence the 2 stars - not one for me !

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Not quite the book I was expecting and so took me a few attempts to get through. Not really my style and I found it difficult to connect with.

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A psychological thriller above average but, in my opinion, too many dual timelines.
I found the story a little 'obvious' although with a twist at the end.
As I said dual timelines were overdone, and I would have preferred some more in depth characterisations, but all in all, I did enjoy this book

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This book was okay in the beginning but I didn't like the way it progressed, found it disturbing 🤷. The end was strange too.

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This is the first book I’ve read by this author and certainly won’t be my last. Oh my goodness I’ve just been on a rollercoaster of a ride reading this. What a brilliant psychological thriller that was full of suspense and intrigue. I was hooked from the first page right up until the final sentence of the book.

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Neve left her hometown 20 years ago when her friend Chloe disappeared. But another friend disappears so Neve returns home it looks like Jamie who was her first love was looking into Chloes disappearance and he’s disappeared too.That two out of the gang of seven who’ve gone missing.
Someone is keeping tabs on Neve and the secrets of the past twenty years slowly come to light .
This is a good read
Thanks NetGalley

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I really enjoyed this book. So worth the hype.

I had no idea whay was going to happen. There was so great suspense in this book ans so many twists and turns i didn't know if i was coming or going.

Brilliant. Kept me guessing right till the very end.

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Darren O'Sullivan was a new author to me, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. All I knew was I loved a good psychological thriller and hoped that this would be one for me.
I was not disappointed.

The main character for the book was Neve. I instantly warmed to her as there was something vulnerable about her. After her best friend went missing when they were young, she escaped her home town saying she'd never go back. She started a new life, and eventually became a part owner in a cafe with a friend. Her demons would not go away. Her life was becoming a mess. Strange things were happening. Then her first love Jamie went missing and she knew she had to go home.

The Author has developed some great characters in this book. Neve definitely being my favourite. I enjoyed how the relationship between Neve and her estranged Dad was written. It was very heartwarming.

The way the book went back in time and then brought us back to the present, was very well written and it helped you to connect with all the characters. There were several characters in the book, but it never got to the stage where you were confused about who was who, due to the way it was written.

There were so many twists and turns in the book, with a big one at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and recommend it to those who like psychological thrillers by Authors like Louise Jensen and Teresa Driscoll. I am now seeking out more books by this Author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in return for an honest review.

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Neve had left her hometown twenty years ago after one of her best friends, Chloe had disappeared. When another friend goes missing, Neve returns to help in the search for him. But the memories of that fateful night came flooding back. Jamie had been Neve's first love and it's looking like his disappearance is connected to Chloe's.

The chapters alternate from the past, twentyone years ago and the present day. The plotline is complex. The writing is descriptive and the characters were true to life. There's several twist and turns. I could picture the dining village and the London cafe as if I'd been to them. This is a gripping page turner. Theres lots of characters to keep track of. The story did dip a bit in the middle. A story of friendship , love, revenge, secrets and lies.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HQ and the author Darren O'Sullivan for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This dark and atmospheric thriller sent a shiver down my spine but at the same time I couldn't put it down. With flashbacks to the disappearance of her best friend 20 years ago Neve is determined to face her fears and find out once and for all who is intent on dragging up the past and picking off her former friends one by one. I found the descriptions of the insular inhabitants of the former mining village particularly vivid and I could easily understand why Neve had left as soon as she could and rarely if ever returned. This is one of those books which will see you burning the midnight oil well into the night and don't be surprised if you need to keep it lit long after you put the book down. This was my first Darren O'Sullivan book but it won't be my last.

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The synopsis on this book sold me straightaway!
I was so happy to be accepted to read this book.
I loved the book from the very first page. It was exciting, thrilling and just the kind of book I needed to lose myself in

The twist was amazing. I did not see it coming at all. The book had me on the edge of my seat throughout

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Very good. This was an excellent thriller, with the main character, Neve, believable and the plot moving along at a good pace. The description of the small mining town and the close knit community felt accurate and there were plenty of twists along the way. I would recommend reading this story.

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Dark Corners by Darren O'Sullivan is quite a masterpiece!

Compelling, dark and menacing, this exciting read was superbly plotted with an abundance of misdirections and twists. Written in the author's determinant and creepy style, I was totally absorbed and transfixed from the off and I literally couldn't put this book down. Everything about this psychological thriller was absolutely brilliant. I loved all the characters in this story, particularly Neve Chambers. The story is told in dual timelines, in flashbacks and in the present. In the flashbacks, the reader returns to the summer of 1998, when Neve and her six pals are chilling out and honouring the end of their exams, unaware that before the summer is over, one of them will disappear and the others will see their lives changed forever. These flashback sections gave Dark Corners a pleasing coming-of-age touch, as well as providing some insight as to why Neve was so anxious about returning to her hometown - a small ex-mining village.

The unraveling of this brooding story was a really gripping and addictive read and I highly recommend this book if you're looking for an atmospheric and bone-chilling experience. I am eagerly looking forward to reading more by Darren O'Sullivan.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from HQ via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

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Dark and sinister. 21 years previously a girl goes missing and life for her friends, is never quite the same. I loved the edginess of it and how the story is told from the time of the disappearance, to present day. The plot is deep and there are multiple twists along the way. We’re introduced to a sinister character but is he real or just an illusion?
As the story unfolds, you think you’ve solved the riddle and it all changes again.
This really is an excellent psychological thriller and had me gripped right up to the last paragraph.

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I’d never heard of the author before. I decided to read the book because I loved the title. I really enjoyed this and will probably check out their other books. I really enjoy books where current events are affected by things that have happened in the past. I also like books that have time shifts, non-linear narratives and twists and turns. Dark Corners ticked so many boxes for me. The plot is gripping, and I found myself getting suck into the book more and more as I read it. Neve is a fantastic character, complex and clearly traumatised by the past. What stopped me loving this book was the character motivations were questionable at times and I couldn’t get behind every choice they made. Still, I thought this was a great book.

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Dark Corners begins back in 1998 when Neve and her friends are teenagers living in a mining village, they are all very close and then Chloe goes missing, what follows this disappearance brings huge ramifications to the lives of those closest to her and things will never be the same again.

Fast forward 20 years and Neve is living in London, running her own business with her friend, Esther, when she receives news that Jamie, her first boyfriend and one of the group of friends back then, has gone missing too, the events very similar to all those years ago and all the memories of that fateful night come flooding back. Neve finds herself returning to the village she said she'd never go back to, to help search for him. This is a story of friendship, love, secrets, lies & revenge and secrets have a habit of hiding in dark corners, will Neve's return to the village reveal those secrets, someone out there is determined it will...

The story is told over two timelines, both by Neve; the first in 1998 during her childhood and the events leading up to Chloe's disappearance and the present day. It is clear from her behaviour that she's never got over what happened but, by returning to the village, she's hoping to make amends. Darren O'Sullivan knows how to create a plot that will draw you in, making it eerie and so full of suspense, that the twist will leave you gasping. I changed my mind so many times on who I thought was responsible but was gobsmacked when it was finally revealed, very cleverly crafted Mr O'Sullivan! It's a great book, which I highly recommend, I just wish real life didn't keep getting in the way of these fabulous reads!

I would like to thank HQ and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.

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I think it's fair to say that Neve thinks she has everything under control and that her life is perfect. The truth is harder to acknowledge. She likes a drink, or two or perhaps a few bottles. She is unreliable when it comes to work, which is taking its toll on her colleague.

She blames it on her crumbling relationship with her fiancee, but perhaps the turbulence in her past has a lot to do with it. Something to do with the fact her best friend disappeared into thin air when they were teenagers.

Now another one of her friends has also mysteriously disappeared and she has no choice but to return to the scene of her teenage nightmares. Perhaps this time she can actually help solve the mystery that has caused years of anxiety and dark thoughts.

It's a psychological thriller that creeps up on you and surrounds you silently.

At the end of the day it's hard to balance the right and the wrongs in this story. When you do something you categorically know is wrong, even if it is to save your own skin, then a part of you will always dwell on the fact it was wrong. How that guilt manifests itself can be different for each person. Substance abuse, inability to have stable relationships or mental health issues. Unless you have some sort of psychopathology you will probably feel your conscience in some way or other.

When you take the entirety of the plot - not giving anything away - the way certain people ease their own conscience by placing blame on others is perhaps the most interesting element of the story. Probably one that will lead to discussions about guilt and blame. The stories that sit on the boundaries are the ones that make you think.

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