Daisy’s family gather for her grandmother’s 80th birthday. Possibly her last birthday as a fortuneteller once told her she would die at 80. Family tensions are high amid personality clashes and then Nanna’s body is found...
Daisy Darker is a murder mystery thriller.
Goodness, families are tricky! Daisy and her family have got together to celebrate Nanna's possibly final birthday. They need to negotiate their relationships with each other but then murders are thrown into the mix!
There are two timelines to reveal the plot developments through Daisy's first person narration. I listened to the audio version of the book and liked the whimsical narration style with the ends of sentences tailing off.
There was a great mystery at the heart of this book with a huge twist that I didn’t see coming. There are LOTS of murders and I wanted to read it again straightaway to try to pick up the clues that I'd missed!
Daisy Darker is an excellent book that I could easily read many times.

My first experience of this author, and I thought this was a fantastic, well thought out and thoroughly fun read - looking forward to the next titles!

Daisy Darker was never supposed to live long. Born with a broken heart that has almost killed her four times. The youngest of three sisters Rose and Lily clearly resent her. She's so much younger than them and her condition meant homeschooling of a sort for her and boarding school for them. Their parents are divorced, their mother finds them an inconvenience and their father loves his orchestra more. All are struggling financially.

That's where Grandma Beatrice comes in. A wealthy author with a sizable inheritance and a hunch that she's going to die soon. Beatrice calls the family to a get together at her seaside house. The tide comes in, the house is cut off and things start to get weird.

I read this in a single day, partly because I was waiting for someone but partly because it was mysterious and engaging and the suspense kept me reading.

My only big criticism is that some of the chapters were overly short and were split for no good reason.

Alice Feeney does it again! Alice Feeney's Daisy Darker is a masterfully crafted, gothic-inspired thriller that pays homage to Agatha Christie's classic *And Then There Were None.* Set in an isolated family mansion, the Darker family reunites for Nana's 80th birthday, only to find themselves trapped on a tidal island as members of the family begin to die, one by one.

Like Christie’s novel, Daisy Darker thrives on the suspense of a closed-circle mystery, where trust erodes as the body count rises. However, Feeney takes the formula and makes it her own, expertly weaving in her signature dark twists. Just when you think you’ve figured things out, Feeney flips the narrative on its head, delivering a jaw-dropping reveal that feels fresh yet deeply unsettling.

I appreciate her knack for psychological depth and the unexpected. Daisy Darker isn't just a mystery; it's a chilling exploration of family secrets, guilt, and betrayal that lingers long after the final page.

Okay, I’m not sure what to write about this book because it’s surprised me!. For the majority of the book, I was getting so frustrated at the lack of emotion given what was happening, but the twist kind of explained it. I did not see it coming at all! The reason I’ve given it 3 stars is because I found all the story telling from Daisy a bit too much, and I wanted a bit more interaction or present day descriptions. Even though I somewhat understand the lack of character emotions, it was still frustrating. Worth a read!

A great book from Alice, I really enjoyed the plot and the characters and I found myself hooked. Thank you netgalley for the review copy!

I read this book *almost* two years ago, but I still think about it. It has set the standard for the kind of thrillers I prefer to read, and I've been searching for something similar ever since.

The narrative revolves around the Darker family, who become trapped in Nana's secluded and dilapidated house until the tide goes down. The house itself takes on a character of its own, with numerous books and mismatched clocks adorning its every surface. The Darker family is a captivating yet dysfunctional subject to read about, somewhat reminiscent of the Thrombeys from Knives Out.

Well, the Darkers, gather at Nana’s to celebrate her 80th birthday. However, what should be a seemingly joyous occasion takes a sinister turn when they start dying one after the other, in a manner reminiscent of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None”. What I found particularly intriguing about this game of whodunit were the clues, which were rhymes written in chalk, leaving wondering over the identity of the next victim.

However, what really set the blueprint for the rest of the thrillers I would read was the atmosphere, the eerie house, and the older woman figure. These three elements combined, I noticed, make the perfect thriller-mystery for me. The only books I found with these elements are Julia Bartz's “The Writing Retreat”, Riley Sager's “The Only One Left”and if you're looking for a more paranormal twist on the story, Alexis Henderson's “House of Hunger”.

(I received an ARC of this book a while ago, but I was inactive so I’m now posting all my ARC reviews!)

*many thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me an ARC!!*

Thank You to NetGalley, Alice Feeney and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review. This however is definitely a late review but I am pleased to have eventually read this.

Alice Feeney is an author whose books I have seen everywhere. And whilst I have a fair few on my TBR, they have never taken precedence and just sit there. Along with many. I liked the name of this book though and figured it would probably be good - given the hype of all the other books. Daisy Darker didn't disappoint. I read that AF is the Queen of Twists - and this was definitely true. HUGE PLOT TWISTS (not even just one).

I liked Daisy. I liked the Darker family. They all had a quirk and were interesting in their own little way. AF does well to give the characters depth - even when they are all trapped on one little island over the space of 10 hours or so. A great tribute to Agatha Christie's "And then there were none" - and a great little wink to it in the plot too.

The only thing for me...the end! Too far-fetched! Which dropped this from a 4 star to a 3 star for me.

This is a fun fast paced thriller. I didn’t warm to all of the characters. The plot was good. An enjoyable read

Daisy Darker's entire family have gotten together in the one place for the first time in a number of years. In Nana's gothic house on a remote tidal Island (where all bad things happen). When the tide comes in they are cut off from civilization for up to 8 hours until the tide recedes again. In those eight hours a lot can happen, including finding Nana dead. However she is not the only one as each hour somebody else ticked off one by one until the mystery is solved.

Daisy Darker is a suspenseful, atmospheric story with mysterious elements.
A very engaging story with a big twist at the end. Don't want to say too much for fear of spoilers. Another very well written story from Alice Feeney

I adore Alice Feeney, I was so looking forward to reading her new novel and am so grateful to have access. The characters always feel so relatable and the sense of loss and great hope are always balanced in the end. Thank you.

Wild ride as usual with an Alice Feeney book, but unlike the other two novels I have read, this one didn't quit hit it for me.


I was really engaged with the narrative and the weirdness between the characters for the majority of the book, until about 50 pages from the end... the 'and then there were none' esque story set on a deserted island with a complicated family history was brilliant and at points, made me feel genuinely quite frightened. But then we find out that Daisy is actually a ghost and her niece Trixie is the only one that can see her and the plot just got a bit silly from there.

The family was being killed off one by one by nana and Trixie in revenge for the two older sisters and Connor (the love interest) who killed Daisy at a Halloween party. The relationship between the family members was interesting in a way that I think anyone could relate to in at least some way. The fact that our principal POV was being told by a ghost wasn't an issue and once the reveal was made, actually did make sense, for example how she is being ignored by everyone.

It was the interaction at the end between Trixie, Nana and Daisy that just didn't work for me. I thought this took it too far. Upon reflecting on this, I would give it a 4 star and will continue to pick up Feeney's books in the future because, more than anything, they are just a wild ride!

Compulsive, twisty and moody.

I really enjoyed reading Daisy Darker. It was a really great homage to an Agatha Christie style mystery, especially And Then There Were None.

Although I predicted the twist, I still found it so unique and interesting and really enjoyed the atmosphere and mood of this book especially. I love Alice Feeney’s writing and will continue to pick up everything she writes

The Darker family gather in Cornwall for a reunion to celebrate Nana’s 80th birthday. Last time the family got together was ten years ago.

They all arrive at Seaglass, Nana’s house, situated on a tidal island linked to the mainland by a walkway.

Frank Darker is Nana’s son and a struggling composer, who now mostly conducts.

Nancy is his ex-wife and she’s never had a full-time job in her life.

Together they’ve had three daughters: Rose, a quiet woman working as a vet; Lily, who is vain and spoilt just like mother, and Daisy who was born with a heart defect, or as she puts it: she was born with a broken heart.

Also present is Trixie, Lily’s 15-year-old daughter, who is the total opposite of her mother.

When the tide rises, the family are stuck together for eight hours. It doesn’t sound like a lot, however, the resentments are high, and it isn’t long before one of them ends up dead…

I loved this book! My only regret is that I haven’t read it sooner, I’ve had it on my Kindle for ages. I adored the setting of the story, it very much reminded me of Christie’s And Then There Were None.

The ending blew my away. I was gobsmacked, totally unexpected.

This was my first book by the author, but it certainly won’t be my last.

Huge thanks to Pan Macmillan for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the arc of this book by Alice Feeney.

5 STARS- If you loved Alice's other books like rock, paper scissors or sometimes i lie, you'll love this book. SENSATIONAL just like her other books, so gripping and thrilling enjoyed every page.

Really enjoyed this - will definitely be recommending and looking forward to the next one by this author!

Great little mystery read - although I’d guessed the twist pretty early on - there were still a few surprises lurking !!

Thankyou NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review

Daisy Darker and her family assemble to celebrate Nana's 80th birthday party in a crumbling gothic house on a tiny island. When the tide comes in they are cut off from the rest of the world for 8 hours.

Nana explains the reason why they are all invited, she wants to read her will that night.

As the clock strikes midnight Nana's crumbled body is discovered on the floor of the kitchen. Was it an accident or something more sinister? Then another family member mysteriously dies. What secrets are the family keeping and who is the killer?

I loved this book. A cleverly written mystery thriller that kept me hooked and the location on an island where you cannot escape from was sure brilliance!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

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• Daisy Darker
I'd had this book on my kindle since last year and kept forgetting to read it. I was determined to read it this month and I'm so glad I did!
The Darker family are assembled at the family home, one that is cut of from the mainland by the tide each day. They believe they are there to celebrate Nana's 80th birthday but a celebration turns to terror when one by one the family members are murdered ... how many (if any!) will be left when the tide goes back out?
1 found this a fun, mystery and a perfect homage to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. I did guess 'who done it' but that didn't affect my enjovment and there was still a nice little twist at the end.
I think this is perfect for any AC fans and a highly enjoyable read!

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Alice Feeney is fast becoming a favourite author of mine!

The book is set at Halloween in a house on the Cornish coast which gets cut off from the world for eight hours every day when the tide comes in.

The house belongs to Daisy Darker’s Nana. Daisy and the rest of the family visit to celebrate Nana’s 80th birthday. It’s the first time the family have all been together for 10 years. Will it also be the last?

This book felt like a real life game of Cluedo! I love a good locked room mystery and it definitely gave me Agatha Christie vibes.

I did predict one of the twists but not until about 3/4 of the way through and it didn’t take away from the story for me.

I was drawn in straight away and the intrigue didn’t let up. I loved the atmospheric setting and the flashbacks to Daisy’s childhood.

I will say it’s not realistic. You do just have to go with it and accept that it’s all a bit cheesy and you’d probably act very differently in the same circumstances but I loved that it was all quirky and a bit silly.

I wouldn’t say it’s an edge of your seat, lump in your throat kind of thriller. But it is the perfect cosy mystery to curl up with on a rainy afternoon.