AMAZING!
Ah, I don’t know where to start. I read this in just over two days, it has so much pace! A proper psychological thriller. The premise was original and exciting: a murder at an Antarctic science station in the middle of winter, when it is dark 24 hours a day - a locked room scenario with no possible escape and 12 suspects, in a hostile environment. The protagonist is Kate, a former A&E doctor who needed a fresh start after some personal tragedies left her reeling - and literally escapes to the end of the earth. She’s also been left with some psychological scars that make her an unreliable narrator, and untrustworthy to the other characters when they figure some of this out. The tense atmosphere just kept ratcheting up, and the mystery aspect was satisfying - I was kept second guessing until almost the big reveal. This is a seriously strong debut, and it’s going straight into my favourite mystery novels from the past year. Read it!

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Hodder and Stoughton for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another thriller set in the freezing cold but very enjoyable nonetheless. Well written the story is told mostly from the POV of A+E Dr Kate North, She is replacing the previous Dr who died in an apparent accident or was it? As Kate starts to try to find out what really happened things start to go badly wrong.
Using Rule number 1 of TV crime dramas the murderer is easy to guess but in a sense that doesn't really matter. It's more how it will all pan out in the end. How will they all escape? What is behind it all?
Kate's addiction to opioid analgesia I'm sure would have been spotted sooner especially as she was writing the prescriptions for herself and whilst going to numerous pharmacies might help the PPA would likely have spotted it. It also didn't seem to occur to her that her headaches were rebound headaches. A few other questions raised their heads too but I let them go. Possibly a case of less detail is more. The other problem with Kate is that she is not very likeable and after finishing the book I like her even less once the truth of the accident was known. There are other characters in the book who are not as well developed and I do think a better balance would have made the book better. Having said all this most things won't matter to people and they will enjoy the book , as I did. A good one to take on hols with you whilst you relax around the pool. A good 3.5/5 I will give 4

he story centres around Kate North who has left the UK and taken up the post as doctor at a base in the Antarctic. She's hoping it will be a fresh start and an opportunity to leave the past behind. As the daylight fades to nothingness (perfect setting for murder!) tensions at the base ramp up. The doctor Kate replaced died during a team excursion and not all of those at the base believe it was an accident. Soon there’s another death and Kate starts her own investigation into the death as well as the alleged accident which killed the previous doctor. She soon realises that both believed that someone on the base was a danger to everyone else. A really good read with the tension ramping up in each chapter as Kate struggles with her own issues while trying to determine who among her colleagues is a murderer. Classic locked room murder.

I love a closed circle mystery where characters are isolated and trapped together and this certainly delivered on atmosphere. I loved the setting, along with all its problems. The main character was interesting, but the drug addiction didn’t really work for me considering the shed load of tests these people are given prior to being shipped out to these far off places. It was sometimes hard to keep track of who was who, but I liked the pacing in this book. The climax was good, but I wish a few loose ends had been tied up - still thinking about Jean-Luc and the fact he was still out there somewhere. Also kind of wondered when the plane finally arrived, the rest of the survivors didn’t stampede it to get out of there!
PS preferred the previous cover

A psychological thriller that had me  hooked. Set in the Antartic at a research centre, this gives you a chilling insight into being cut off from the world.

A remote snowy location which evokes feelings of isolation, loneliness and instability within the characters mindsets.

A classic whodunnit that has me guessing until the final chapters.

I do like a book set in the beautiful,yet bleak conditions.
Endless snow,and endless night. And absolutely deadly freezing.
Kate arrives as the new Dr with problems of her own,and it's a very slow build of tension as she settles in and realises something just isn't right.
From there,as things escalate,you're left with a classic scenario... there's only so many people to suspect,so you suspect them all.
Entertaining,but possibly a bit rushed at the end.

Dr Kate North arrives in Antarctica to provide replacement medical care to a small cluster of scientists and technicians who will keep the base ticking over until the influx of summer workers. She's hoping for a clean break and something completely absorbing. As the days get shorter and darkness falls, she begins to realise that the previous base doctor's tragic death may not have been accidental, and at least one of her colleagues has dark secrets.
This is a superb concept, a spin on a country house mystery, where unease develops into suspicion and paranoia, the backdrop of harsh conditions and eternal night heightening the stakes, even before the source of danger is identified. It's tightly plotted, breathlessly paced to keep you turning those pages to find out what on earth will happen next - and to whom.
I struggled slightly with some of the plot aspects centring on Kate's backstory and the clinic set up, but that's a niggle only in a very fine suspense thriller.











Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It grabbed my attention and built the tension well. The setting added to the feel of the book and plot. Recommend it as a good read!

I liked the sound of the description of this, and quickly finished it. Different to the books I've read recently and a breathe of fresh air. Kate is an A&E doctor and wants a fresh start to she takes a job as the site doctor in a remote research station in Antarctica. The last doctor died in a tragic accident, but the longer Kate spends there the more she wonders if it was an accident after all.

This was full of tension and suspense, I didn't know what was going to happen. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend reading it.

A good premise but Kate as the main character was too introspective rather than the story folding through interaction. This made it difficult for me to read and enjoy. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

A gripping & exciting read. It's very different but it adds to the tension & atmosphere of the story Not to be missed!

When your looking to escape your tragedies, it's probably not advisable to join a winter crew on a UN Antarctica mission for 8 months with people you don't know, while battling your own internal doubts and demons. The Dark could represent the constant nocturnal environment, in such a place or indeed the Dark that prevails over people who are isolated, suspicious, and cooped up together with no means of escape for months.
The Dark is a cracking read, and had me guessing throughout what would happen next, with a real talent for building tension between people, inner anxiety and doubt, Emma has produced a great thriller. Thank you for letting me read it.

Oh, my soul! What a crazy, reckless thing to do, go to the cold - extremely cold - places of the world. I've always known this, but The Dark has reaffirmed it, with a vengeance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite finding Kate, for the most part, a pain in the backside. The endless pills and allowing Sandrine to be so, well, awful, got on my nerves, she could have done with someone standing up to her rather dictatorial behaviour. Nevertheless, she rallied, gave up the pills, and grew on me in the end. I also loved the imagery of the Fox, and found her a comfort, though I suspect that wasn't the point. I was never sure who the killer was, but I suspected almost everyone on and off, including the actual killer.

I chose The Dark because I love locked room mysteries, and the synopsis reminded me of And Then There Were None (a favourite), and my goodness, it didn't disappoint. The real beauty of it though was the way the author brings to life the world out there, the dark, the reliance on the machines around you to stay alive, the close confines, the isolation.... and most of all, the cold. I'm not mad about extreme temperatures, and the bone-aching, crippling, terrifying cold described in this book is out of this world, you can feel it, it suffocates and almost strangles you.

A well-deserved 4 stars, which is high praise indeed. Thanks to Emma Haughton, Hodder & Staughton, and Net Galley for this thoroughly engrossing read!

On the whole, "The Dark" has everything to send a chill down your spine, in more ways than one!

There’s the unforgiving territory from which there s no escape, a small unit of random personalities claustrophobically coping with challenging circumstances, and the unpredictability and risk of their situation, to name but a few.

Although the residents attempt to make the best of their sleep deprived days with ‘themed’ cuisine days and activities, the creeping seasonal darkness bought a shift in the atmosphere that could gnaw its way into your frozen core.

By this point you just know it’s not gong to be fun and games forever. Especially for the new doctor, whose appointment provided ample opportunities to sample the station’s precious medical resources. And for an educated gal she has the unfortunate gift of putting her foot in it, which churns up so many unknowns that experience, instinct, and even cold hard evidence combined couldn’t bail her out of.

I couldn’t tell if it was pure guts, bad timing, or just a tragic lack of judgement that caused her to start verbalising theories about a murderer, considering the potential culprit could still be sharing the remotest facilities on earth with them.

An icy and thrilling 'whodunit' whose flawed characters stumble onto a slippery slope, where facts are way more lethal than the frostbitten elements around them. The Doc’s behaviour could be distracting at times, but largely I appreciated the suspense right ‘til the end.

book that’s right up there with some of our favourite reads this year… The Dark By Emma Haughton , which we’ve been able to read prior to publication thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton … so a big Thankyou to them.

We would describe The Dark As perfect for those of you who like us really enjoyed Shiver, The Sanatorium and The Castaways. Its one of those glorious books that you just sink into, it’s easy to read, easy to follow yet compelling and exciting. Think of And then there were none, but set in sun zero temperatures… Someone is not who they seems and the characters are being picked off one by one…

Here’s a little bit of the book blurb …

In the most inhospitable environment – cut off from the rest of the world – there’s a killer on the loose.

A&E doctor Kate North has been knocked out of her orbit by a personal tragedy. So when she’s offered the opportunity to be an emergency replacement at the UN research station in Antarctica, she jumps at the chance. The previous doctor, Jean-Luc, died in a tragic accident while out on the ice.

The move seems an ideal solution for Kate: no one knows about her past; no one is checking up on her. But as total darkness descends for the winter, she begins to suspect that Jean-Luc’s death wasn’t accidental at all.

And the more questions she asks, the more dangerous it becomes . . .

This book is Dark and atmospheric, we loved the remote and beautiful setting- Which is perfect for a locked room thriller! Genius!! Think of no-one able to come in or out so you’re completely cut off and 8 months of 24 hour darkness!!!

This is a pacy, it’s tense and thrilling and beautifully written in a way that keeps you enthralled by the plot, invested in the characters and riveted. It’s unpredictable, deliciously twisty We really enjoyed the claustrophobic feelings of paranoia, everyone suspicious of everyone and a murderer in their midst – We absolutely loved it and feel it’s one of those books you do want to tell all your friends about!

We highly recommend this to our fellow thriller/ mystery/ crime book lovers- But beware, arm yourselves with snacks and wine/ tea as once you dive into this story you will want to stay with it until it reaches its jaw dropping, shocking conclusion!

This titles release on August 19 th 2021 and is definately worth the wait, so add this to your wish list or get it pre ordered… It’s brilliant!!

This book was an interesting thriller mystery set in a lonely corner of the world but didn't quite pull me in as much as I wanted it to.

Kate, an A&E doctor, takes up residence on a research station in Antarctica however she is afraid of the dark and has an addiction to opiates. This part of the story annoyed me. It was unnecessary and I didn't think particularly believable considering the assessments that would've been untaken in order to get onto the station and look after the health of the 12 other residents.

Kate was on the research station following the death of the previous doctor. When Kate arrived she found that he had died under suspicious circumstances and sets about trying to uncover exactly what happened. It was interesting to follow but only really came into its own in the last 15% or so.

ONE DEAD BODY
TWELVE SUSPECTS
TWENTY-FOUR-HOUR DARKNESS

In the most inhospitable environment - cut off from the rest of the world - there's a killer on the loose. A&E doctor Kate North has been knocked out of her orbit by a personal tragedy. So when she's offered the chance to be an emergency replacement at the UN research station in Antarctica, she jumps at the chance. The previous doctor, Jean-Luc, died in a tragic accident while out on the ice. The move seems an ideal solution for Kate: no one knows about her past; no one is checking up on her. But as total darkness descends for the winter, she begins to suspect that Jean-Luc's death wasn't accidental at all. And the more questions she asks, the more dangerous it becomes for them all.

I loved the diverse cast of characters and didn't guess who the killer was. They all seemed suspicious, with lots of dark secrets gradually being revealed, so I kept changing my mind. This was one totally chilling read! I think it's going to be a huge hit.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Loved the concept, loved the book! Perfect for anyone who enjoyed The Sanatorium or The Hunting Party.

Kate North has left the UK and taken up the post as doctor at a base in the Antarctic. She's hoping it will be a fresh start for her and an opportunity to leave the past behind. As the amount of daylight the base receives each day diminishes the tensions at the base ramp up. The doctor Kate replaced died during a team excursion and not all of those at the base believe it was an accident. When a team member is found dead Kate starts her own investigation in to the death as well as the alleged accident which killed the previous doctor. She soon realises that both believed that someone on the base was a danger to everyone else.

A really good read with the tension ramping up in each chapter as Kate struggles with her own issues while trying to determine who among her colleagues is a murderer.

Thanks to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Emma Haughton for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

From the firstFrom the first line of this book I was completely gripped. Each and every character have you wondering what else is going in their lives. An original story line set in 24 hours of darkness in the Antarctic where help from the outside is impossible. Highly recommend and worthy of 5 stars.