Daisy Darker is a wonderfully crafted novel.
The story begins with beautiful visuals of the Cornish landscape and is immersed throughout with heartfelt and wise words, that spell out deep understanding of the human condition.

As a sister myself, I feel Alice Feeney really understands the dynamics and hang-ups of siblings, so well.
Her characters are very strong, damaged, contrary, lovable and detestable, as great characters should me. And as for Nana’s recipes, they were adorable and strangely tempting.

Alice Feeney provides us with some real little gold nuggets of heartfelt prose, much like getting sound advice from a loved one, when you least expected it. I found myself stopping in my tracks and reading those lines over and over; so honest and meaningful.
This story, though a dark ‘who-done-it’ type of tale that keeps you guessing throughout, also celebrates in being a love letter to a dysfunctional family.

This book was really great fun, I loved the Agatha Christie vibes. However, I can’t lie that I totally guessed the major plot twist really early on - there were some huge clues. But once it was revealed I felt pretty satisfied that I’d worked it out!
These characters got what they deserved overall and I found the book left me happy with how it ended.

Another brilliant page turner from Alice Feeney. She always does such a great job moving between the past and present timelines. I was hooked from the start and I had ideas about where it was going but couldn't have been more wrong !
Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

We meet Daisy Darker, a girl with a broken heart and became famous from her Nana using her name in a worldwide bestselling book. But Daisy doesn’t have the best family surrounding her when she gets unwell. Except her Nana. Her Nana is her best friend and knows Daisy better than she knows herself.

This was another great read from this author. The writing was great, and I really enjoyed getting to know Daisy. There was a huge twist when I worked out about 75% in, and made the whole story better and make sense. The characters were all great, but majority were completely awful, but that made the story what it was - a page turner. An excellent read that I devoured in two sittings!!

I was really excited to receive this book as I am a big fan of Alice Feeneys work. I love how the author created a real sense of doom and dread in the writing. I'd describe this as a classic thriller, lots of twists, a dark premise and a complex, intriguing antagonist.

This was one of my most anticipated novels being published in 2022. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an early copy. This is my honest and unbiased review.

I cannot wait for others to read this because there are just so many things to discuss. I truly hope the twist doesn’t leak out to readers before they have a chance to find out for themselves. There was a point where I considered it, but disregarded it and then, she went there. Brilliant! You got me.

Everything here is what I love in a mystery/thriller. The dark, cold and stormy setting of Seaglass mansion. The rather disagreeable characters with loads of family secrets and drama and an Agatha Christie type of story. And then a murder where one of the guests has to be responsible.

Alice Feeney writes so beautifully and I’ve always enjoyed her sense of humor. In the acknowledgements, she indicated Daisy Darker is her favorite of the books she’s written. It’s mine too!

The premise and setting of the book is a great idea, all characters cut off from the mainland for a period of time really builds the feeling of isolation they feel.
The red herrings worked and I did not guess the twist at the end!
Great characterisation - some people you live to hate is always a great addition to a novel.
I enjoy a book that dips from current day I to the past and this book did this well.
Alas I found what was happening in current day a bit over the top to be believable which spoiled the read for me.

I love this author I’ve read the majority of her books and none have disappointed. This one wasn’t my favourite of hers but it was still an enjoyable read.

The concept of the story was rather unique and fresh. The whole done it trope is also one of my favourites so I was pleased to find that this book featured that trope. The ending wasn’t great in my opinion but I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. 3.5.

Doom and danger at every turn this book is one of mystery and intrigue set around a dysfunctional family, this minds blowing journey of twists and secrets revealed will have you reading into the dead of night, with a great gothic mansion backdrop this book exceeded my expectations I loved it

Family saga at a family gathering, not a bad read but not for me I am afraid but yet could be someone else’s cup of tea..

A dysfunctional family gathers to celebrate an 0th birthday on an island off the Cornish coast. However, as each family member arrives tensions slowly rise and come to a head when their grandmother details her will as she believes her death is imminent. However, when she is found dead with a strange poem left on the wall things start to fall apart in a deadly way; which family member will be next...

From the start I was intrigued by the family dynamics and then as the murders began I was absolutely gripped; the characters were so well written that I had to finish the book as quickly as possible to find out what happened (mostly about how Daisy fared) and the ending blew me away. I read a lot of thrillers and crime/murder stories so it's rare that I'm blindsided but this book was a 5 star read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

After reading and loving Rock Paper Scissors last year I was excited and grateful to be approved to read Daisy Darker, the latest novel by Alice Feeney

“I was born with a broken heart”

From that opening line I was hooked. Feeney tells us the story of the Darker family. Head of the family, Beatrice Darker (Nana to most), children’s book writer and illustrator, has invited the family to eightieth birthday party on Halloween at her isolated island home of Seaglass.

Daisy, her sisters and divorced parents, along with longtime friend of the family Conor, descend on to Seaglass prepared to spend the night, as once the tide comes in, there is no driving off the island until dawn. They are trapped…

The story is told from Daisy’s perspective, and she seems a sympathetic and quiet soul. She rarely gets any attention, but never fights to be heard either. She is much more at home in the Seaglass library than enjoying the dinner party. However she sees more than they know, and seems to have a secret to share..

The pacing is great; each chapter break left me wanting to read more. The narrative switches between past and present (early 2000s) with the clever method of home movies used to transport both the characters and us back in time.

Sinister poems about the family embellish the story in an exquisitely dark manner, striking me as a ghoulish, subverted version of childlike nursery rhymes. Atmosphere exudes from the pages, with the crumbling old house reflecting the crumbling family within its walls.

Daisy Darker raises questions of family; what they mean to us and whether we love them out of duty or a true familial bond.

Morality is another theme brought to mind:

“Life is only ever a series of choices; we all have them and make them and regret them every single day. The ability to choose between right and wrong is a fundamental part of right and wrong.”

I won’t say much about the ending to avoid giving too much away, but what I will say is, despite guessing a small part, it still completely blew me away. One I will remember for a long time yet!

Creepy and chilling, with a warped family at its heart, Daisy Darker is a must read for any fans of thrillers, locked room style mysteries and Agatha Christie.

Well this wasn't anything like I thought it would be but I still loved it. A modern Agatha Christie style who dunnit nut with lots of twists. If I'm honest I had worked parts of it out bu it's didn't spoil it at all. I absolutely loved the characters especially Daisy and her Nanna. Nice short chapters that keep you engrossed. A very good book that kept me engaged from beginning to end

I love Alice Feeney as an author, she has written some absolute corkers that stand out in my mind so I was buzzing to be approved to read her newest book on Netgalley however Daisy Darker didn’t quite hit the mark for me unfortunately. While I thought the characters were great and the overall feeling of tension throughout the story was palpable, the actual twists were rather predictable and I felt a little underwhelmed more than once.

There were certain moments that had potential but I didn’t enjoy the repetitive nature of the storyline. I think the ending was interesting but felt quite rushed so didn’t have the impact it could have had on me.

Overall it was a quick read that I don’t regret reading and I’m sure will appeal to many but for me it won’t be as memorable as some of the author’s other books.

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

This was an intriguing read by Alice Feeney. I’ve really enjoyed her previous books so I was looking forward to reading this one.

My advice would be to never read this in the dark like I did, and make sure you are not alone! This creepy thriller was full of suspense and very much along the Agatha Christie vibe, where a family of fairly unpleasant people were trapped on an island and one by one met their maker…

Suspicion, fear and anger follow… as Daisy Darker continues to narrate events as they reach their conclusion.

I didn’t guess the twist at the end, and to be honest I didn’t feel as if it was the ending for me. I won’t go into any more detail as I don’t want to spoil it for others.

But although I wasn’t a fan of the ending, all in all it was a good read and one that I enjoyed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Having thoroughly enjoyed Alice Feeney's other books, I was delighted to receive an advance copy of 'Daisy Darker.'

The book opens with the powerful sentence 'I was born with a broken heart''. Daisy Darker was born with a heart condition that caused her to 'die' on more than one occasion.

The whole family returns to Seaglass to celebrate Nana's eightieth birthday. Daisy, along with her parents Frank and Nancy (who are separated) and her sisters, Rose, who is a vet and Lily, with her 15 yr old daughter, Trixie. A close family friend, Conor, is also with them, Seaglass is on an island, so once the tide comes in, no one can leave.

I thought Poppins was a fabulous name for the sheepdog! The idea of a roast dinner mixed with sweets made me smile. I also liked the fact that Nana had a collection of 80 clocks, like a reminder of how precious time is. This was especially true for Nana herself, as a palm reader informed her she wouldn't live past eighty.

As predicted, Nana dies on her 80th birthday, with her last words written on her chalkboard. Her poem features each family member and their undesirable traits. As the events of the night unfold, it becomes clear that one family member is a killer, but which one?

Alice Feeney is my favourite author. All her novels have a clever twist and Daisy Darker didn't disappoint.
Her unique writing style keeps the reader engaged throughout. Some of the phrases are simply beautiful. There are far too many to choose from, but here are a couple I especially liked.

'The ocean continued to serenade my thoughts.'
' The soundtrack of her life is little more than a series of moans stitched together into a symphony of negativity.'

I love the way Feeney's narrative is interspersed with thoughts. A variety of quotes which will undoubtedly stay with the reader.
'Families are like fingerprints; no two are the same and they tend to leave their mark.'
'Doesn't everyone wonder who they might have been if they weren't who they were?'
'I've spent a lot of my life in love's waiting room, not being noticed by those I want to see me.'

I liked the idea of the poem which was central to the book and referred to often. My only criticism is that while it rhymed well, there were a couple of places where the rhythm seemed off.

This is a well-plotted psychological thriller by a very talented author and I look forward to her next release.

I had to read it as soon as I saw it had themes similar to “And then there were none”. I loved this book right until the last few chapters when it skipped into another (lazy) genre.

The atmosphere is perfect and the book very creepy and well written. I suppose the fact that the genre swap made me frustrated speaks to how well written it was. I can’t decide.

If you have read an Alice Feeney’s His & Hers or Rock, Paper, Scissors, you know she is a very talented psychological thriller author who can come up with pretty crazy twists that catche you off guard and make you jump out of your sofa to go “WHAT??!!”. Rock, Paper, Scissors in particular is my all-time favourite thriller now. It was shocking and wonderful at the same time. It’s very rare for a thriller books to linger on my mind, but that book did. So when I heard that she is releasing a new book, I thought it was going to be another wonderfully twisty psychological thriller.

Well. This new release is very different from the previous books I mentioned.

Single POV.
Feeney’s books usually have three POVs. But in this book, it is only one narrator.

Much, much more slow-paced.
Not necessarily a bad thing. Feeney swapped her thrilling writing with more quietly beautiful descriptive writing with deeper character development.

Deeper character development.

High quality moody writing.
I always loved her writing. It was always thrilling and compelling. But her writing style definitely changed in this one. It’s slower and quieter with more beautiful descriptive writing. She adds some humour here and there to back the slow pace, so she didn’t forget to entertain the readers, but the writing in this book felt so different that I wondered if it really was by the same author! But once again, it is not a bad thing, and I appreciate writers who choose to evolve.

How have I missed this authors work before ? This was an excellent read probably one on my list of favourite books of the year. Deliciously dark and gothic. It lulls you into thinking that you know what is going on but let me reassure you - you don't .....
The new Agatha Christie - I will track down more from Alice Feeney.

5 Stars from me

Oh the tension! Oh the darkness! Oh the awkwardness!

Alice Feeney has created an deeply compelling and darkly suspenseful tale - I absolutely loved it!

Nana and Seaglass sound captivating perfect to me and I found it so easy to imagine visiting them, my heart may have a yearned a little for a Nana like that in my life.

The carefully crafted imagery was an absolute delight, everything was so beautifully described that I felt like I knew Seaglass intimately. 

The dysfunctional family members, with all their many faults, and truly despicable ways, were clear and distinct within the story. Each of them felt fully formed and it was easy to gain opinions about each of them. In my case, some of which were right from the beginning and some of which changed as the story unfolded.

Then there is the poetry. So clever, dark and beautiful. I loved this peppered throughout the book.

If you are a fan of suspense, of psychological thrillers, of locked room mystery novels, or just love a good old fashioned whodunnit - I am sure you will love this book.  It would make for a great little TV mini-series!