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.

This was an enjoyable but ultimately, pretty forgettable story focusing on a dysfunctional family as they gather at their Grandmother's for her 80th birthday on Halloween. A homage to Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None', I enjoyed the various different murders and thought they were quite creative. The reveals were all a bit lackluster for me and overall, I found this to be quite generic but a fun time nonetheless.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC copy.

Daisy and the rest of the Darker family gather at Seaglass, the Darker family home, to celebrate nanna Darkers eightieth birthday. The trouble with Seaglass is it is set on an island so once the tide comes in they are cut off from the mainland which would be fine if there wasn't a killer in the house.

This was great story of a troubled family each with their own secrets and complex relationships. Eccentric nanna, separated parents, quarrelling siblings, introverted niece and 'adopted' family friend. Which one has a secret to kill for?

I really enjoyed this and the more I read I realised the twist which carried on all the way to the end. Each character had good points and other times they all needed a good shake. My only fault would be the ending seemed to just finish. I would have liked a more but that's just personal choice and it didn't stop me enjoying the book.

A great thriller which I listened to on holiday, only to stop to cool off in the sea! I challenge you to read this and not imagine yourself on an island, with no access for hours with a killer on the loose and how you'd deal with it! Would you try and swim away from harm or would you try and find the killer! An ending I didn't see coming, I loved it!

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

There are some books when you start reading them, you know you are going to fall in love. Daisy Darker was one of them.

The tone of this book is much more gothic than thriller. Daisy has been summoned to her grandmother's house for her 80th birthday. Her grandmother was told she was destined to die at the age of 80, and so she has gathered the entire Darker family for a reading of her will. Her grandmother lives on a remote island which gets cut off by the tide periodically, so once the family arrive they are immediately trapped there. After the will reading goes badly, terror strikes when one of the family members is found dead. And it doesn't end there...

This book has incredible atmosphere. It really reminds of What Remains of Edith Finch, both in tone and plot. I was completely sucked into the sleepy, subtly creepy story being woven. From the offset it is very clear there is something deeply wrong with the family, but there is also this fantastic unwillingness to address the abnormality. There are hints of Agatha Christie with the huge, isolated house and the unhappy family residing inside.

I don't want to say too much about this book, but it does have a certain plot element which I think makes it a bit like Marmite. It's actually the kind of thing I usually hate, but I think it is executed well here and I personally enjoyed it a lot. I think it did knock it down from a 5 star read and I understand why people aren't a fan, but for me personally it wasn't enough to spoil the book.

Overall, I strongly recommend this book if you enjoy creepy, gothic horror/murder mystery vibes. It absolutely delivers on that front and manages to have a unique identity of its own whilst evoking other work in a welcome way. I know I will remember this book for a long time and it has definitely become one of my favourites

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Alice Feeney's writing is always fantastically dark and Daisy Darker is yet another book which lives up to both its name and Alice's usual gripping twisted style.

The book follows the Darker family as they reunite at the family home for their Grandmother's 80th birthday, for any normal family this would be a pleasant and joyous occasion. However, it's quite clear from the offset that the Darker family are no ordinary family and all is not as it seems. Indeed, this family is bursting with characters that you just love to hate and it's almost fun to see their panic and demise as the body count rises.

The story is told in alternate timelines with plenty of atmospheric gems to keep you suitably uneasy throughout. Those 80 ticking clocks really gave me the shivers and also can we take a moment for that eerie repetitive nursery rhyme!

There's no doubt that Feeney is a master of the plot twist and she sure does land one hell of a twist in Daisy Darker. Unfortunately for me, it was the twist in this book that I just didn't love. Maybe it's an 'it's me, not you' moment as it's a trope I can't stand but it dropped the book from a 4 star to a 3 star for me. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed this book and would still recommend it as a good read, I just didn’t love it as much as her others!

What I Loved
• Dark, atmospheric writing style
• The setting of the quirky Sea Glass House on the remote island was perfect
• Some great jaw dropping moments
• Audiobook narration was fantastic and really amplified the sinister feel

What I Didn’t Enjoy
• The plot twist
• Middle section lagged a little

Read If You Like
• Locked room mysteries
• Unreliable and unlikable characters
• Spooky reads
• Big twists

For Fans Of
• Sarah Pinborough
• Riley Sager
• JP Delaney

Favourite Quote
“Books saved me, and I ran away inside the stories I read as a child. They were the only place where I could run, and swim, and dance without fear of falling and not being able to get back up. Books were full of friends and adventures, whereas my real childhood was cold, and dark, and horribly lonely.”