What's the book about?

Detective Harlow Durant has spent her life trying to escape the shadows of her tormented past. As the daughter of a convicted serial killer, she was determined to change her life. She's now the only female detective at the NYP Bureau of Criminal Investigation, where she is bringing killers like her father to justice.
The body of a young woman was discovered inside a melting snowbank in the upstate college town of Plattsburgh. Harlow and her partner, Detective Lucas Park, are dispatched to the scene right away to conduct an investigation. While searching around the victim's frozen body, they come across a bracelet that identifies the victim as Alyssa Trent, a college student.
Two more victims are discovered during their investigation. Harlow is clearly on the trail of a serial killer, as the body count continues to rise. With the town on edge and a murderer on the loose, Harlow receives a chilling message from someone familiar with her father's case and aware of the secret she has kept from the bureau. Is she being warned to stay away from the investigation? Will Harlow risk everything to apprehend a serial killer before they strike again, with a freak April snowstorm bearing down on the state?

My thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Good pace, good character, good plot! I especially liked the feminist angle in a boys club that only a female writer can truly capture. The only thing I wished would have been different was how quickly the serial killer was caught. It felt rushed to me but even then, the book ends with a good bang.

Detective Harlow Durant has a heavy family history, one that threatens to spill over into her career as a detective. She is in Plattsburgh, NY, investigating a murder when she realizes that there is actually a serial killer at work. Young women have been reported missing, and their plights are not taken seriously by the local police department. It's winter and the snow is falling. Bodies are discovered in snowdrifts, and Harlow knows there is something sinister at play.

This is a police procedural with an intriguing back story for Harlow, the main character. Told in the present-day with flashbacks to her childhood, it is clear this is the first in a series because much is left unsaid. There is definitely room for books to follow, and if you like police procedurals, this may be a good read for you.

I had mixed feelings about this audiobook. The story was intriguing, and I am very curious to know more about Harlow's background. The investigation had some twists and turns, and there are other dimensions to this story that make it interesting, such as Harlow's relationship and interactions with the local police force, the wisps of the tale of her background that are weaved throughout, and the relationship with her partner, Lucas. Big issues were addressed, including the challenges women face in a male-dominated occupation like law enforcement, and the treatment of women victims. The missing women's families are not taken seriously until Harlow arrives, and there is the idea that anything that happens to these victims is their own fault. Harlow is a strong persona, and she faces challenges head-on.

I was distracted by some technical issues when listening to the audiobook. It may have been my device, to be entirely honest, or the site I was using to listen, but it was distracting when the story suddenly stopped in the middle of a sentence or would not play when starting a new chapter. There was also a sentence repeated twice, with a word substitution the second time that seemed to be an error. I was not the biggest fan of the narrator, but can't put my finger on exactly why. Sometimes it was hard to tell what lines were spoken and what lines were Harlow's thoughts. I also thought the plot was unrealistic at times. Without getting into any spoilers, there was major action that took place and then things were back to normal directly after like nothing had happened. It seems like major events and plot twists would have a bigger impact than they actually did. I felt at times that the narration and dialogue were awkward, which again was distracting from the actual story unfolding. I also would have liked more back story, but I guess that means I will have to read #2 in the series!

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Find Me in the Dark is the first in a new series featuring Detective Harlow Durant. Harlow is the daughter of a serial killer, a premise familiar to me, having listened to Caroline Mitchell's Amy Winter series.

The book is set in a cold, wintery New York state and the descriptions were so good I could feel the cold in my bones as I listened. I loved the character of Harlow, who is a strong woman in a world dominated by mysoginistic men. I also liked her partner, Lucas. I found the story gripping, with lots of twists and I didn't guess who the killer was until the reveal. The book ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, making me want to read the next in the series.

Great narration by Lisa Rost-Welling.

I cannot rate this audio book highly enough it was fantastic , I just had to keep listening - my poor dog got lots of dog walks as I had to keep listening.

It was such an interesting premise - and wow the ending. I need the next one soon.

Apart from the clever writing other plus points descriptions of coffee types and serial killer history background.
What I didn't like was a bit too much on issues affecting females, that seems to be a requirement in most books lately. It just didn't sit right with the tone and felt lecturing, but that seemed to disappear in the last half of the book.

I was given an advance copy by Bookouture audio and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

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!

3.5 stars

Honestly, I’m not often a huge fan of police or legal mysteries, but I decided to give this one a shot because it sounded like an interesting thriller type. Some of the writing and characterization felt a bit awkward to me, but I found the overall story enjoyable, so that was good. I liked it but didn’t love it…no particularly strong feelings about this one, but if you enjoy police thrillers/mysteries, you’ll probably enjoy this one (and it sounds like it’s the start of a series). Happy reading!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I can’t remember the last book that left my mouth hanging open, but this one just did!

I love police procedurals/ detective series and I have been looking for a new one. I stumbled across this on Netgalley and I am so glad I did! 🙌
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Harlow is a homicide detective that has spent years hiding from her past. She is the daughter of a notorious serial killer.

She is always having to move to new places to start over every time someone finds out her true identity.

She has just started working in Upstate New York on a murder case. Soon, more dead bodies start turning up- it becomes clear there is a serial killer hunting women….. 👀
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I LOVE Harlow’s character and can not wait for the next book in the series!

Find Me in the Dark (Detective Harlow Durant #1)
by Dea Poirier, Lisa Rost-Welling (Narrator)

This dark, violent, story introduces us to Detective Harlow Durant and her new partner, Lucas, who seems to be the only decent guy that we meet. Most of what we see is through the eyes of Harlow, who has some very serious baggage, thanks to beyond dysfunctional parents. It's clear we don't have the entire story of Harlow's past, which will probably come in the next book, just as we don't know much about Lucas's troubled past either.

At times we are seeing the story through the eyes of the victims of a serial killer or through the eyes of a serial killer, but mostly, through the eyes of Harlow, both now and in her childhood. What her parents did and didn't do is embedded in the present day Harlow and she feels great guilt for the sins of her father, a serial killer who was apprehended when she was fourteen. Harlow wants to bring justice for the murders of women and closure to their families, by catching those who prey on women. She and Lucas have been partnered by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and temporarily assigned to Plattsburgh, New York.

There is a lack of balance, with all men seen as misogynistic cretins, except for sensitive, Lucas, who endures almost as much torment from the other officers as Harlow does. There is a very real sense of menace from every direction and it seems no women, unless one attached to a rich, influential man, will get the attention of the police department, if she is mistreated or goes missing. All these things lead to a tough assignment as the Plattsburgh officers not only don't help the duo with their investigation into missing women but actually hinder their work.

I enjoyed this audiobook and look forward to the next book in this series. Lisa Rost-Welling did a good job of narrating although the way the story was written, I sometimes had trouble telling Harlow's spoken words from her inner thoughts.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was fantastic. It was engaging and intriguing to try to determine what would happen next. I thought I had it figured out but that ending. Wow I did not see they coming.

Harlow is a detective and she is trying not to be identified from her past.

The story is in two time lines, current and past and it tells about Harlow as a young girl and what she is trying to hide to her present and looking for a serial killer. This was so good.

The blurb sounded interesting and I love the idea of finding a new series but it just didn’t go that way. It’s told from the point of view of the main character Harlow Durant and the storyline switches from past to present giving you an insight into her childhood. The storyline started off well but it just didn’t engage me enough or hold my attention. There wasn’t enough going on and no edge of the seat moments. I really did like Durant as a character along with her partner’s character. As for the overall plot I have the gist of it but I’m not sure I could be more specific with the finer details. Unfortunately it wasn’t for me but that’s not to say I wont give the next in the series a chance.

2.5/5 🌟🌟/🌟

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to listen to and review this ARC that will be published on the 21st of Oct.

The first in a series about a detective...... who is the daughter of a serial killer.

Admittedly, I am a bit of a true crime junky. Serial killers especially baffle me- how they can hide their urges. So I jumped at the chance to read this book.

Overall, I enjoyed it. It kept a fast pace. I liked Harlow (and Lucas!) The resolution to the major case she was working on just kind of ended, with very little resolution. That is my biggest complaint about the book. But, it ended on a cliff hanger and I eagerly await the second book!

I listened to the audiobook. I am not familiar with the narrator, however, she did a good job. My only complaint- which is partly how the book was written- is that it goes from dialogue to Harlow's thoughts then back to dialogue. It could be hard to follow- especially in the beginning. That is how it was written, but it'd have been helpful if the narrator used a different voice or at least paused.

I am looking forward to book 2!

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Distinctly average story, partly saved by good narration. Another female detective with past emotional baggage, all male characters are either creeps or chauvinists, flashbacks to the troubled past….

I really enjoyed the story itself. there is a lot of depth to the characters, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

The narration was a little lackluster for me. Tone/Infliction/Character voices just kind of ran together for me.

Thank you Net Galley for a copy of Find Me In The Dark by Dea Poirter. I really liked this! It reminded me of Kendra Elliot's work. If you love cop mysteries, try this one out!

If you like the story pace from Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot, or the Robert Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite series, then you will enjoy this book and author. There is a new partnership forming between New York Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation Detectives Harlow Durant and Lucas Park - it is fun to watch how they adapt to each other’s work dynamics. Mystery enthusiasts will quickly wonder if the killer, in this small town in upstate New York, is a member of the local police department or is the local police department covering for a killer. As Detectives Durant and Park solve one mystery it is clear they have another case to solve. Now to wait for the next installment of the partnership, what is the real back stories of the main characters, and another intriguing whodunit.

Excellent Police Procedural with a twist that the main character is working as a homicide detective and her father is a convicted serial killer. A good solid listen and the first in a new series following Harlow Durant. The ending dropped a bombshell that virtually makes it impossible to not read the next book in the series as soon as it’s released and Harlow is a relatively likable main character and her working relationship with her partner Luke is another high point of the book. The narrator did a superb job and was easy to listen to. 4 stars

Harlow Durrant’s life could have turned out very differently. As the daughter of a serial killer, she decided to distance herself from her father and his crimes an any way she could, and she became a police officer. Now a detective with the New York Bureau of Investigation, she sets her sights on hunting down the monsters who prey upon society. She and partner Lucas Park are called to the scene of a suspicious death, when a young woman’s body is found frozen in the snow. As the snow melts, two more bodies are revealed and Harlow knows she’s looking for a serial offender. The best way to ID the killer is to find a link between the victims, but time is running out and another snowstorm is on the way. WIth secrets of her own, Harlow must try to put her own devastating past behind her is she’s going to catch the killer. This is a solid police procedural with a strong protagonist, there’s a lot to like here

I was really excited to have the chance to read the first book in a brand new detective series. I'm a sucker for serial killer/detective books and I am always keen to discover new releases. I am pleased to say that I wasn't disappointed and I whizzed through this book in just a couple of days.

Find Me In The Dark follows the story of Detective Harlow Durant and her partner, trying to solve a series of murders in New York state. The book also gives us a number of flashbacks to her former life as the daughter of a serial killer. Telling the story in this way really helps to give the reader an insight into how Harlow thinks and it makes her much more likable as a character.

The story was well written and full of gritty drama as well as numerous twists and turns. The ending was pretty epic and I am now waiting with baited breath to hear when the next installment will be released! I look forward to learning more about Harlow and following her story.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for sending me an ARC in return for an honest review.

I requested this one because it might be a 2021 title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one rather than push myself to finish the digital copy on my phone only to give it a poor review.

I really enjoyed the procedural aspect of this novel, even if the premise will sound familiar to readers of Caroline Mitchell’s Amy Winter’s series. Detective Harlow Durant is the daughter of a serial killer. She became a police detective and never stays in the same place for long, to prevent her coworkers from finding out her real identity. She’s also never investigated a serial killer so, when she leads the inquiry into the deaths of a series of young women in a college town, she has much to prove. There is a large cast of suspects and the killer seems to know way too much about Harlow’s secret. The plot is intriguing and kept me interested. What I didn’t like was the combative feminist tone of the story. Yes, some men are misogynistic pigs, but every single male in this novel but one is a humongous jerk to the degree that they become caricatures. Speaking of the one guy who’s not a jerk, I loved Harlow’s partner Lucas, which makes me think that this novel would have benefited from a less extreme cast of male characters. Lisa Rost-Welling does a great job narrating the audiobook and that ending… I’m not sure it is what I think but I loved it. I’m curious as to what will happen in the next volume.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/#Bookouture Audio!