2,5*

First thing that comes to my mind when I think of Fiona Cummins is that she likes to write unusual killers with frightening modus operandi. So, this one took me by surprise because this is the closest you will get to Cummins giving domestic thriller a go.
Bare bones: Juliane Hillier runs goes to run every day with her friend Piper, but this morning she came to find entire Holden family missing. Their personal things and identifications are still there, it's like they vanished into thin air. But the tiny spray of blood on a chandelier and sinister message on the mirror in teenage daughter's room suggest something serious happened to them. It's on DI Angus O'Neill and young constable in his charge, Saul Anguish, to investigate the disappearance of Holdens. Saul harbours secrets of his own and in forensic linguist Clover March he seems to find his other half.

-the mystery in question was not that hard to figure out and it demands from reader to stretch their imagination. Some of the steps perpetrator has planned out were so implausible, but I realized that one of their main characteristics, or perhaps signs of their psychopathy, is a disengagement from reality in certain parts because they really think they can get away with anything. The central mystery really didn't hold my attention which is why the resolution felt flat, but that's on me and the fact I read so many domestic thrillers I'm actually starting to believe all stay-at-home moms are contemplating murder between breakfast and yoga class.
-For those who are familiar with Fiona Cummins's debut [book:Rattle|27968809] and its sequel [book:The Collector|35478234] may recognize the name of Saul Anguish (very tumblr name). He was a clever boy the killer, Mr. Silver, was grooming to carry on his legacy. Saul was troubled even when he met Mr. Silver who used this to come close to him, but in this novel, we see that as much as he dedicated his life to catching killers, he is irreversibly touched by darkness. I actually like how this didn't bring a special insight into psychopaths which helps him in his line of work: Cummins actually made him more attuned to teenagers who are having issues. I really appreciated that. He falls for forensic linguist Clover March (another tumblr name) who suffers from narcolepsy. And I swear, these two characters are written like they star in some yandere anime: he is a thin guy with white hair, she has blue hair and they connected over their secrets and disregarding procedure. Honestly, the fact she brought these two damaged people together sparked an interest in me and I think I would like to read the book that explores this more deeply. But, some crucial moments that were supposed to be impactful felt rushed due to the presence of main mystery.
-But when Fiona Cummins is good, she is great. There is a scene of strangling that was written so well. It was not gory or shockingly graphic; there was tenderness and cruelty mixed and it said more about state of deranged mind than anything else. It made me realize I like Cummins the most when she is at her darkest.

All in all, an ok read from Fiona Cummins, but nothing more than that.

Piper and Gray have an abundant lifestyle, their twin teenagers are perfect and their life is fabulous. So when Piper’s friend, Julianne arrives one morning and the house is empty, mobile phones left behind and blood found the police launch an investigation.
The local police officer, Saul, has his own agenda and are his own feelings and actions clouding his thoughts. What happened to Piper and Gray?
This book was superb! It was like a game of twister bound in pages and I loved it!
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book opens with a chilling chapter. Piper, a wife and mother, has disappeared with her entire family. The family’s housekeeper and Piper’s best friend, Julienne, found the missing family’s home in disarray. It appears as if they had simply vanished in the midst of their morning routine which included breakfast still left at the table. Julianne become worried for her friend when she noticed drops of blood in the house.

This story pulled me in right away. I was curious about the missing family. Soon, it became quite clear that the mystery was way deeper than just the missing family. Piper and Julianne were living quite interesting lives filled with intrigue and secrets around their families. Each reveal filled me with more curiosity that had me turning pages even faster.

The detectives working on the case added more tension and mystery to the story. I like a good vigilante angle and this story provided me with that. There are so many unlikable characters in this narrative but they are a perfect fit. They add to the darkness, heighten the tension and feeling of foreboding that creeps through all the chapters.

I haven’t read a phycological thriller in quite a long time. I am so happy that this turned out to be a remarkable read for me. Dark, chilling and quite twisty, this is such a captivating read.

This book is one that most mystery books fans will really enjoy.
The plot had so many twists and turns I couldn’t put the book down
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery or thriller,

I never repeat the blurb. Having started promisingly, this went rapidly downhill and was a serious disappointment. Unlikable characters and an unlikely storyline.

As fans of Fiona Cummins' work have come to expect, Into the Dark begins with a sense of unease that pulls us straight into a mystery. Suburban utopia is turned on its head when the Holdens, a wealthy and successful family, disappear without a trace. When Julianne calls to the Holden's house and finds it empty, she raises the alarm and the dark mystery that ensues is deeply unsettling and full of twists. There are plenty of secretive plots and lies that demonstrate that people may not be what they appear to be and that even best friends can be anything but. Within the book, these facades extend beyond the community in question to include members of the police force. Cummins introduces a fascinating relationship between Detective Constable Saul Anguish and Dr. Clover March, or Blue as he calls her because of her hair colour, and these are arguably the most exciting characters in the book and I hope they will feature in more books. The book shows the lengths seemingly respectable people will go to get what they want in life and Cummins again demonstrates her mastery of the genre. Into the Dark features a feast of double crosses and manipulation and is utterly entertaining throughout.

I've always loved Fiona Cummins' writing and the brilliance she shows in displaying darkness in ordinary lives. 'Into The Dark' is no exception. You have to keep your wits about you though as we weave in and out of narrators and time frames. Piper Holden and Julianne Hillier are best friends and appear to have everything they need in life. But when Julianne discovers that her friend and her family have gone missing, the flaws in their lives are laid bare.

The best thing about this book though was the reintroduction of Saul Anguish. No longer the awkward teenager groomed by The Collector but a DC in Essex Police. His relationship with Dr Clover 'Blue' March is the highlight of the book for me and I do hope that Fiona is writing another story for this pairing.

'Into The Dark' is a twisty read, perfectly executed as always by Fiona Cummins.

I was blown away by the book and can honestly say I loved every bit of it. Can't wait for more.

The story line keeps u reading till the end .

A tense thriller full of revelations, Into the Dark by Fiona Cummins packs a powerful punch. Themes of family, motherhood, morality and class are just some of the undercurrents flowing throughout the novel.

In the beautiful coastal community of Midtown-on-Sea, the Holden family appear have it all. Piper and Gray are attractive and polished, Riva is the star of all her high school drama productions and Artie is a popular school athlete. Their house, the glamorous Art Deco Seawings, is the jewel of the bay.

Despite all that privilege, the Holden’s disappear. Coffee mugs still warm, the aroma of toast still lingering in the air, phones charging on the kitchen island and cars on the driveway. So, what happened to the Holden’s?

Julianne, Piper Holden’s best friend, grabbed my attention from the start. Doting and supportive, the imbalance of power between her and Piper (and Julianne’s awareness of such) signifies this as an unusual friendship. I’ve certainly never had power struggle within any of my own friendship groups! I did end up feeling sympathetic towards her, as she was ultimately a pawn to be used by those around her.

The Holden’s themselves are an unlikeable bunch, but that didn’t stop me from being desperate to find out what happened to them!

Despite the interesting family characters, I was most intrigued by the duo of Detective Saul Anguish and Dr Clover ‘Blue’ March. Saul has a darkness to him, of which Into The Dark has only skimmed the surface; I am hopeful we see more of him in a future novel. Clover is a fiesty and strong woman in a male dominated profession with a vulnerability that affects her judgment and could cost her dearly. Again, such an original character and I want to see more of her!

Seawings’ bright and polished luxury conceals the dark, greedy and selfish heart of the novel, making for an exquisite juxtaposition and addictive read.

The narrative jumps around in time from pre- and post disappearance, but crafted well so it is never confusing. As each time jump gets closer and closer to revealing the truth, I felt more on the edge of my seat! The ending was stunning yet satisfying.

With a complex plot and a jaw-dropping finale, Into The Dark is a must read for thriller fans.

A great story with a few unexpected twists and turns. There's a host of interesting and dark characters and a timeline that is anything but straight. However, these combine together superbly and lead us to a very satisfying conclusion. I found it hard to put down.

This was a def for me which is very rare as I would rather skim read than not finish I don’t like and never choose fantasy genre stories and so when the plot of what had started out as a thriller turned to a totally unrealistic plot I gave up.

I did enjoy this thriller and the story unfolded in a clever way. It was full of twists and turns and the ending was suitably unexpected!

Into The Dark is an excellent psychological thriller that I would highly recommend to readers who love crime. After reading (and loving) When I Was Ten, I vowed to read anything and everything this author wrote from then on so I was excited to get the opportunity to read her newest book via Netgalley.

My favourite thing about this book is the way the words bounce off of the page and allow the reader to easily visualise the scenes and settings that are being depicted. The story is structured and paced well and I found myself reading ‘just one more chapter’ until I finished. It’s definitely not a story for the faint hearted and there are some truly dark secrets uncovered throughout but I thought it was amazing!

Thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for my copy of this book to read and review.

I really liked the sound of this book…a family just vanishing in the middle of the night. However, I thought it was quite slow and it didn’t leave me eager to keep reading the next chapter. I didn’t really like Piper & Julianne, I didn’t feel their characters were believable and I thought it was all a bit too far-fetched.

I did really like the setting of the town though, and I always like when the chapters switch between timelines and characters.

Overall it was an ok book. I can see that it’s received a lot of 4/5 star reviews so maybe it just wasn’t for me.

Welcome to my book review of Into the Dark by Fiona Cummins. I was so excited to receive an advanced reader copy of this book as I loved her previous book, When I Was Ten. This has been on my list for a while, so I have been excited to finally get to this one. But I was, unfortunately, disappointed.

There is a lot to like about this book; it’s a dark and twisted tale about an unconventional relationship between two women and is beautifully written, as was her previous book. The first few chapters are gripping and suck me right in; Julianne Hillier arrives at her best friend Piper Holden’s house to meet her for their usual early morning run. However, when she arrives, Piper, her husband Gray, and their two children are gone, seemingly having disappeared during breakfast. More gruesome still is the message written in blood on their teenage daughter, Riva’s bedroom mirror. Make. Them. Stop.

We then follow the police investigation and know more about the characters and their lives. There are plenty of clues and red herrings, things jump around a little from events before and after the Holden’s disappearance, but it’s easy to keep track.

While the first part felt a little slow, I did enjoy it, and it held my attention. It wasn’t as engrossing as I first thought, but I was desperate to know what happened and whether it was what I had suspected. However, it didn’t manage to hold my attention so well through the rest. Then, unfortunately, there is a turning point. I’m not sure exactly where, but at that point, things got a little beyond realistic and visited a crazy plot that didn’t feel at all believable. I appreciate that this is fiction, but this isn’t fantasy, and I prefer when things at least seem like they could happen even if they are not likely.

I enjoyed the introduction of the new detective, Paul Anguish and the forensic linguist Blue. Unfortunately, the police investigation felt very insignificant, and we don’t see much of these two exciting characters, and what we see is a little flat. There are some enticing revelations about Blue and Anguish, but they don’t lead to an entire storyline which was a real shame. The whole police investigation appeared to have very little consequence to the story, aside from a tiny DNA aspect.

I didn’t connect to any of the characters and felt that they could have been more fully developed. Their friendship felt unlikely, with an underlying ‘long game’ approach, which I just couldn’t imagine in my head at all. I enjoyed the final twist, but it felt like it was too little too late and not fully developed enough.

I noticed this was written during the lockdown, and Fiona Cummins states that she struggled to write in the circumstances. I wonder if this is what has caused a book that isn’t as good as her previous one. Indeed, it was a tough time for all of us. I only hope that it doesn’t affect her going forward. I will look forward to trying a new novel from her back to her previous form.

Into the Dark by Fiona Cummins Is an intriguing, twisty story of two friendly families who live nearby in an idyllic seaside location. All seems good until one day the entire Holden family goes missing!!

Julianne calls to her lifelong friend Piper's house as they had planned to go for a run together. When she arrives however, there is no sign of the Holden family and some disturbing scenes.

Fiona Cummins has created another superbly clever thriller full of unexpected twists and dastardly dealings!! Original and entertaining, Into the Dark is a must-read!

I'm sorry but I couldn't get into this at all. Gave up at 30% read. Couldn't connect with any of the characters or the setting.

I have to admit that i found this book to be quite unsettling. The lack of feelings for anyone I felt was quite horrific.
As a story it romped long and it was an interesting one. I did find that the names were just too pretentious to be honest. Riva, Piper and worst of all Quiller!
Some of the characters were really quite unusual to say the least.
A complex story of families gone wrong, and the old adage of money being the root of all evil is certainly true in tis book.
I read it quickly as it held my interest, but as for enjoying it, not at all sure.

Great book although it took a while to get into it and to get used to all the characters however I really enjoyed it, original idea and the mystery begins from page 1.
Twists and turns keeps you wanting to read one more chapter.
Thanks for the advanced copy

Into the Dark is a fast paced, twist filled and beyond dark thriller. I enjoyed every turn the writer took to mesmerise me as a reader. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.