Cover Image: Find Me in the Dark (Detective Harlow Durant Book 1)

Find Me in the Dark (Detective Harlow Durant Book 1)

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There were some things I really enjoyed about this book The main detective, Detective Harlow, and her partner were both very likeable, and I enjoyed that her partner seemed to be the yin to her yang. I found Detective Harlow's thoughts and feelings as she performed specific job functions were a really nice touch, as they made me consider what her job must be like. But as I got further into the book, some of my initial interest dropped off a little. There was a little too much "drama" directed at Detective Harlow, and I didn't find her superhuman abilities entirely believable. And something about the resolution of the case, just wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped... it felt choppy in scenes that could have been filled with details and depth. While the book was a good read, it fell short for me.

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Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I was lucky enough to get an audio ARC of this book as well as an ebook. I had a day of essentially data entry at work so the audio was the perfect thing to stop me from falling asleep.

Detective Harlow Durant has been through so much. she has spent her life dealing with the consequences of her father's actions. I was disappointed that so many officers were determined to ruin Harlow's life. Harlow is trying to right her father's wrongs by hunting killers and so many officers seem to think that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Some people are so small-minded. I really liked Harlow. She knows how to stand up for herself and doesn't take crap from anyone! At times I did think she was a little harsh on her partner but I think she is just o used to having to be defensive that she's forgotten how to have someone on her side. Dea also perfectly wove in Harlow's past. I can't wait for more of that to be unravelled as the series progresses.

I really liked Harlow's partner Lucas. I know he's a bit green but I think he has good instincts and that will help him go far. He's also got a good heart. He came into the police for good reasons. I do hope Harlow decides to stay put this time as I'd like to see her relationship with Lucas develop. The rest of the cops in this book were either useless, creeps or both. I don't know how Harlow puts up with them. If they aren't making lewd comments about her then they are bullying poor Lucas.

The case was quite a strange one with so many dead ends. I felt so frustrated for Harlow and Lucas. I had absolutely no idea who the killer was. Dea did an excellent job of hiding it from me.

Lisa made a really great narrator for this book too. I thought she did an excellent job of building the suspense and tension through the book.

I really enjoyed this book. I blitzed through this in pretty much one day I was loathed to stop listening for a meeting I had at the end of the day with only 30 minutes left! This was an excellent start to what I hope will be a thrilling series!

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Detective Harlow Durant is the daughter of the Seattle Sleeper. Her father was a psychologist turned serial killer. When Harlow was fourteen he went to prison for his crimes, and her mother abandoned her. Harlow spent her time in and out of foster care. She’s had a tough life, but felt a strong pull towards helping people, and became a detective. She’s bounced around to many places, and has found temporary solstice in Plattsburgh, NY. Working with her partner, Lucas, one missing woman’s murder turns into three, and soon they find themselves on the hunt for a serial killer.

Ahhh this book was good! Find Me in the Dark is a fast-paced crime thriller and both tense and terrifying at times. It was full of suspense, conflict between Harlow and the Plattsburgh police force, and a crazy twist at the end that I definitely didn’t see coming! If I tell too much I will give some parts away, but I will say that the ending of this book reminds me of one of my all-time favorite crime thrillers on Showtime. I loved how the chapters went back and forth between Harlow in the present and Harlow’s past just so that the reader could learn about her Dad and her childhood. I also thoroughly enjoyed reading about Harlow’s coffee addiction. This is a definite must read thriller for 2021! Brilliant debut, Dea Poirier! I’m impatiently waiting for book 2!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My review will be posted @thrillersandcoffee on IG.

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Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

2.75 Hearts This book was just not for me. The cop part of it was fine. The main characters are fine. The story is not really original but written fine. So the story should be “fine” right? Not really.

First off, the story is very dark and violent. So many details that seem to have been written in just to shock the reader. And the other thing I didn’t like much was the “man hating” attitude. It seems that Harlow believes most men have abused women or deep down hate women in some way. She is written to hate men but blames it on men hating women.

This book was just too much. Too much detail, too much man bashing and too much violence.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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A good start to a new police procedural series.  Harlow is an interesting MC with a lot of emotional baggage being the daughter of a serial killer. She has a strong desire to overcome her father's sins by bringing the men who hurt woman to  justice.  We learn bits about her past through her thoughts and flashbacks to her childhood. I assume we will learn more as the series continues.
While readers are familiar with the resentment of small town police forces when another department swoops in and takes over, this one takes it too far.  They are a despicable bunch of misogynists and bullies.  I hope going forward there will be less of "all men are dicks" in the story.
I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

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What career would you choose if your father was a serial killer? A detective, of course, at least that is what Detective Harlow Durant has chosen. She is a strong woman and very good at what she does. She has had to be strong as each time her father’s reputation as the “Seattle Sleeper” serial killer is mentioned, she has moved to a new town, a new department. A young woman is found stabbed to death in a snowbank. Harlow, along with her new partner Lucas Park, catch the case. When a second woman is found murdered in the same way, they fear that a serial killer has chosen Plattsburgh as their hunting ground. Tensions are high at the department and one of her coworkers is determined to get her fired. Is it because she is a woman or because she is the daughter of a killer? When she believes that the killer may be stalking her, will a previously unknown connection between the murdered women lead them to the killer? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

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I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Find Me in the Dark, the first novel to feature Detective Harlow Durant of the New York State Police.

Harlow is in upper New York State to investigate a body found in a snowbank. She and her new partner, Detective Lucas Park, have to uncover Alyssa Trent’s secrets to find a motive and a perpetrator, but before they can dig too deeply more bodies are found and they are hunting a serial killer.

I enjoyed Find Me in the Dark, which is a tense read with a few twists and turns. Much of the tension comes from Harlow and her attitude to life as she has a large chip on her shoulder and a simmering anger in almost everything she does. She is the daughter of a serial killer, not the first one in fiction or probably the last, and she doesn’t handle it well. She pursues a nomadic existence, moving from job to job and state to state to keep one step ahead of her secret getting out. I can’t say I connected with her, in fact I found her unpleasant and would hate to live with the conflict and confrontation she seems to thrive on. It’s wearing. The novel is told from her point of view, both in the present and in flashbacks to her dysfunctional childhood.

I liked the plot itself, which kept me reading from first to last page. It has reveals and discoveries throughout, whetting the reader’s appetite for the solution and allowing constant forward motion. I think part of the motive is novel and unusual but the other part is the same old, well I’m not going to say which old standard.

The novel has one good guy, Lucas Park, the rest are a potent mix of toxic masculinity in its various forms or hardly mentioned. It’s all a bit stereotypical.

I think the novel is a good read, despite Harlow being a very wearing character.

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Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity!

Gave this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

Since I'm a psychology major, I would say that I am interested and invested with these kind of books. Curiosity really hits me with this book and their is a part of me where I felt like I am also the main character hahaha. Glad that I could read the first book in advance and I'm looking forward to read the book 2 ❤️

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Find Me in the Dark is a very methodical police procedural that features an interesting lead character in Detective Harlow Durant who has an intriguing background as her father is a serial killer and so she's never been able to settle in one place or job for too long. And now she has been assigned to hunt for a serial killer in Plattsburgh, NY and with a storyline that kept me guessing and a hostile local police force that don't see violence and threats against woman as an issue this was an engaging read. And I particularly liked the flashbacks to Harlows childhood that were mixed in, not to mention the cliffhanger at the end.

Would recommend.

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Well I hugely enjoyed this one with one little caveat.

The story of Harlow Durant, a detective that never spends long with one force as she hides her identity and secret past. You see Harlow is the daughter of very dysfunctional parents, so much so in fact that her father is a convicted serial killer.

The story is told mostly through Harlows eyes as she finds herself new on the job in a small town in upstate New York.

She gets her first assignment to a murder and has a new partner Lucas. As more bodies of young women turn up they both know they have a serial killer on their hands but can they find him before he kills again and indeed before Harlows cover is finally blown(which it always is).

As I said this was hugely enjoyable overall with one caveat(which I will get to in a minute). Harlow is a great central character and her back story is teased at in bits and pieces here, leaving plenty of room for developments in future books. The writing here is nice and zippy and the serial killer story keeps you intrigued the whole way though.

Now for that caveat. Every male character here bar Lucas is a nasty piece of work and most are women haters. We also have Harlow tell us on numerous occasions throughout the book how its terrible the amount of violence men commit on women and that none of them are safe. Like it really took me out of the story when it happened repeatedly. I had to check I hadnt lost my place in the book and was rereading a chapter by mistake. It just felt so preachy from the author and about as subtle as a brick. It did really take away from the story.

I probably would have marked this 5 starts but for the "all men are nasty" trope but I had to dock it a star for its sledgehammer approach with this message.

Having said all that I really enjoyed this overall and I would hate the above comments to put anyone off reading this as this really is an excellent start to a very promising series.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

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I do enjoy a crime novel with a strong female lead. Detective Harlow Durant is certainly that. She has plenty of baggage to deal with too and I'm sure that's what has led her to be so strong and capable. As the story unfolds and we learn more about the crime that she and partner Lucas are dealing with, we also learn more about Harlow's past. Some chapters are dedicated entirely to Harlow's past and what happened with her father.
This wasn't a mystery that could really be solved by the reader. We are given some clues and more information about everything, but there wasn't an obvious trail to follow and when we did find out who was behind it all, I wasn't completely sure who this person was. That didn't matter though. It was still a gripping read, following the characters as they attempted to get to the bottom of what had happened.
It's clear that there is much more to come for Harlow and I also wonder if we are going to get more of Lucas' back story as things unfold. They both have a past that still affects them and is something that they might want to address. As it is, the book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, although the mystery that makes up most of this book does seem to have been addressed. I'm looking forward to seeing where everything is going to go.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

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As the snow begins to melt across Plattsburgh, New York, the body of a young woman is found buried in a snowbank. When Detective Harlow Durant arrives at the scene she discovers that the victim has lain there for months. Searching missing person reports, Harlow soon identifies the victim as a college student. Her family describe her as someone who had no enemies and was a dedicated student. But her tutor has a different view: they claim the victim had another life that she kept hidden. But who would want her dead?

Harlow knows all about secret lives. She has spent years running from her past and from her father, a convicted serial killer. As the only female detective at the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Harlow has vowed to bring killers to justice. When another female student is found in the thawing snow, Harlow knows that she is hunting a serial killer. With more snow coming, Harlow knows she needs to stop a killer dead in their tracks before another innocent life is lost.

Find Me in the Dark is all about finding a killer. Told from the perspective of Harlow, the story had my heart racing. I felt so caught up in the emotions and memories of Harlow, that I kept glancing over my shoulder, as if I was searching for a killer myself. The story has a great pace and if I could have stayed up all night to finish it, I would have. But when I yelled when one of my cats made an unexpected sound I thought better of it. I'd better finish this book in the morning... I'm such a sissy!
Sissy or not, I definitely wanted to finish this story. I needed to know who the killer was and if they would strike again. Author Dea Poirier definitely did not let me down. I was glued to the book's digital pages from beginning to end. Knowing that it's the first of a series, the Detective Harlow Durant series, I am surely looking forward to the next book. Note to self: don't read it at night, home alone...

Only two points of critique. The first is that sometimes emotions seem to fall a little flat. This is especially the case with the parents of the missing girls. I find it hard to believe that parents losing a daughter can stay so calm when news of their deaths reaches them. The total opposite of the slightly unfazed parents is the ever flaring temper of the detective herself. Although I did not especially like Harlow's character, she does make up for the lacking emotional responses of the relatives.
The other point of critique is about the end. While the book certainly doesn't lack a rapid pace or a terrifying tension, near the end it feels a little rushed. I would have liked to know a little more about, for example, motives. But don't worry about it, because the last sentence of the book will one more time blow you away.

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WAIT WHAT?!?! Come back here! I need more! Holy smokes! I finished this book in a day. I legit got zero done because I was so invested. I’m so glad I saw this is going to be a series because these characters are amazing. This author is amazing I was right there beside each character as they were at the crime scene or in the bullpen. I can’t rave about this book enough! I’m ready for the next book now!

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My thanks to Bookoutre, Dea Poirer and Netgalley.
First of all, I just need to give a top of the hat to Bookoutre. They have been incredibly consistent in go to authors!
I am happy that I lucked into this first book of a series.
But, I must also be consistent and honest in my reviews! Uh oh! Actually, it's not that awful!
It's just that I have scant memory of this story. I knew I liked it, because I have it 4 stars on my note pad! It's been awhile since I read it. I wasn't sick, but my man had the corona. I got vaccinated, so that was great. He was sick, and it was awful! So, time has passed.
I know I'd read more from this author. If you think I'm l full of it, then I'd direct you to my low rates reviews.

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This is a brand new detective series out this month. It introduces us to Detective Harlow Durant who, as the daughter of a convicted serial killer. offers a unique insight into a string of murders which are terrorising the small college town of Plattsburgh.

Paired with new partner Lucas Park the two must learn to trust one another if they have hope of catching the killer before they strike again, something that Harlow finds difficult to do after a lifetime of trying to out run her past.

This is a new perspective in the detective genre and is one that I enjoyed. A few of the characters are a little 2 dimensional and the story gets a little thin in places but overall this is good solid read. Find Me in the Dark does a great job of laying the ground work for what I think will become a good addition. I’m looking forward to finding out where Poirier takes Harlow and Lucas next.

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Incredible. When I read the description, I knew that I had to read this book! And it did not disappoint. You've got the daughter of a serial killer working on tracking one down...? That makes for an interesting read. I look forward to future installments in series.

Strong characterization + fast pacing + solid investigating = one great page-turner!

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced copy of the book.

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Wow what a great start to a new Detective drama. I loved the story of Harlow and the murder of a young girl she is called to investigate all whilst desperately trying to keep her own secrets about her childhood and who her father is. As more young women are found in the snow it’s a race against time to find the killer and for Harlow is looks like she is also in danger. Really looking forward to book two.

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Detective Harlow Durant has been assigned to solve a murder in a small town. She is hiding her own secrets while trying to uncover who has killed a young woman in a small college town. Things start getting complicated when more bodies start being found and Harlow starts receiving threats. It’s a suspenseful interesting story. There are flashback chapters that show her childhood with her serial killer dad intermixed with the current day investigation and how Harlow deals with the fallout of a notorious parent while trying to live her life and catch criminals. I zoomed through this book as I NEEDED to know what happened next.

This is the third book I’ve read by this author and she has complex, strong women who’ve been through things as her main characters. This book is my favourite of hers and I look forward to reading the next one in the series. I was able to read this ARC thanks to her publisher, Bookouture

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Wow ! Absolutely loved Harlow and Lucas! These two characters made this book so amazing. Harlow is on the hunt for a serial killer with her new partner Lucas . There are so many twists in this book and your never sure who is the serial killer. Love a mystery I can't figure out it makes the book so much more intriguing!. This book just flowed and the thrills didn't stop. Loved it . I would give this book more stars if I could. Loved the story line, characters, and the mystery. Did I say I loved it that is an understatement! Great book!! READ you will enjoy this thrilling mystery as much as I did!!!

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Dee Poirier has created such a fabulous heroine in Harlow Durant... the daughter of a serial killer, she's changed her name and moves around a lot when the attention becomes to great. She's working in New York at a very unfriendly local police department to help solve the case of a missing girl found in a snow bank. It's a fantastic mystery and I love to see how Harlow's thinking helps with this case. Her relationship with her partner, Lucas, is definitely something I hope Ms. Poirier explores more. AND.... just wait until the ending... Your jaw will be on the floor! An excellent start to what I hope is a long series!

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