I listened to this one on audio.

It is Daisy Darkers Nana's 80th birthday and all the family have got together to celebrate. The family aren't that close and don't see each other too often. They met at Nana's house, which at night is cut off by the tide of the sea.

But when Nana is found dead in the kitchen a weird riddle is written on the wall of the kitchen, was she killed? They can't get help, as the tide is in and have to wait until morning. But then family members start dying one by one.

I really loved this book. I did guess most things that were going to happen, but this didn't make the book any less entertaining for me. Some parts were a bit far-fetched, but most of this author's books are like this.

This is my favourite book from Alice Feeney, and I think I have read 4.
I am giving this one 4.5 stars, - which doesn't make sense as I have previously given her books 5 stars, even though this is my favourite. So I am going to have to up this one to a 5-star read or lower some of my other reviews.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I must say it was an intriguing read. It was a bit of a slow burner but the characters were an interesting bunch that keeps you reading, this is a well written story with a twist I didn’t see coming, would defiantly recommend reading, I will be seeking out other books by this author adding to my ever growing TBR pile.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

Daisy Darker’s family are all gathered together for Nana’s eightieth birthday in her crumbling Cornish house on a tidal island. It’s Halloween, there’s a storm coming and it looks like a murderer is on the island with the family. Mayhem, poetry and shocking discoveries ensue.

A rollicking read, five stars!

This was fantastic!
I read this at the same time as a friend was reading it, which really made it feel like an event was happening. It made the book seem more epic in a way.
It is pretty slow to get into, and I had to encourage my friend that she would be hooked by about 20%. It got to this point for me, and I just didn’t want to put it down. It then doesn’t let up, it is constantly moving, and you are reading faster than you ever thought possible to find out what on earth is happening.
Around the 50% mark, I had a theory, and I had to go back through the book I’d already read to see if I was right. It looked like I was until a little later when my theory was blown out of the water. However, I was shocked at the end when I found I was right after all, and it made me rethink how the events that made me doubt myself could have been played out with a different mindset. It was all brilliantly done.
The book is very sad and poignant but gripping and thrilling at the same time. I had no idea how all of Daisy’s family were winding up dead, and the big reveal was just brilliant.
This is, without a doubt, a solid five-star read, and I highly recommend it.

This is a great read with a few surprises in store.
Daisy is heading to her Nana’s house as the whole family have been invited to celebrate her 80th Birthday with her.
When she arrives she feels at home straight away and loves visiting the house.
Daisy’s Nana was told that she would not live past 80 years old so wants to read her Will to them all the night before her Birthday.
The whole family are disappointed with the Will reading but when Nana’s dead body is found at midnight, they’re all in shock.
Due to the tides they can’t get help for many hours and then another person is killed.
The body count soon rises until the big reveal of the killer, which definitely took me by surprise along with another huge twist.
This is a great mystery thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A. Feeney delivered another time!

This book is an exceptional locked room thriller. The plot is peculiar and feels like a fairytale gone bad. The characters are unique and eccentric and will totally pick your interest.

AF writing is truly amazing! Reading it felt like a breeze. Feels a bit slow at the beginning but it definitely picks up as you follow the story.

The ending was very satisfying and dramatic I’ll say, and I ached for the characters and for finishing the book.

Alice Feeney is for sure one of my go-to mystery authors!

I’d like to thank Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Daisy Darker’ written by Alice Feeney in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The Darker family, Frank, Nancy, their three daughters Daisy, Rose, Lily and Lily’s daughter Trixie, are at ‘Seaglass’ to celebrate Nana’s 80th birthday. From high tide Blacksand Bay is cut off for eight hours from the rest of Cornwall. At midnight a scream is heard and one of their party is dead on the kitchen floor, but as no-one can arrive or leave one of them must be a killer, but which one?

‘Daisy Darker’ is a dark and atmospheric story of the dysfunctional Darker family who don’t communicate with each other and haven’t been in the same room for many years. It’s a strange story, atmospheric and ghostly, and reminiscent in style to those written by Agatha Christie. Although well-written with a unique and somewhat strange plot, it’s so implausible that I’ve found it impossible to read without expecting a ludicrous twist at the end, which is what we get. It’s good to be thrown out of one’s comfort zone occasionally but I didn’t enjoy this novel as much as I’d hoped, probably my fault as it’s had a lot of positive reviews. But read it and make up your own mind as this is purely my opinion.

4,5 ⭐️

And Then There Were None is my favorite book, so one could think I would hate any retelling of that story, but nuh-uh, give them all to me! Daisy Darker is the last book inspired by the Christie classic, but oh my, it has a twist that made it stand out between all the other ones. It was the perfect locked room mystery mashed up with another hugely popular piece of work. Was it another book? A movie? You will have to read it to find out.

The Darker family is pretty disfunctional: the absent father, the detached mother, the selfish sister, the aloof sister…All of them are summoned to Sea Glass, the family home on a secluded island, to celebrate during Halloween Nana’s 80th birthday. The youngest daughter, Daisy, is the only one that wants to be there, the rest only have their inheritance in mind. When the clock strikes midnight, a scream breaks the silence and the first body is found along a creepy poem that predicts all their deaths. With no means to leave the island until the low tide and with the dead toll increasing every hour, will all of them survive the night?

What a fantastic mix of atmosphere, character study and an engaging plot. Daisy was born with a heart condition that cause her to die and be resuscitated several times before she was 13 yo. That fact alone made her such an interesting character. That Damocles sword over her head made me want to protect her from her family even more!

The setting was eerie and suited the plot perfectly, helping to build the tension throughout the story. Going back and forth between past and present we’ll learn about Daisy’s childhood and the reason for the current family dynamics.

I gotta confess I was thinking the whole time there was a weird detail I did not know what to make of, but once the twist was revealed it all made perfect sense. I love how the author pushed boundaries, bringing everything together at the end in a truly heartbreaking way.

Gripping story with great writing and some quirky and dark characters that make of Daisy Darker the perfect read for Halloween (that’s if you can wait to read it until then. I couldn’t!)

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker's entire family is assembling for Nana's 80th birthday party in Nana's crumbling gothic house on a tidal island. Finally abck together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours. The family arrives, each of them harbouring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later the next family member follows....

Daisy Darker's entire family on a small tidal island to celebrate Nana's 80th birthday party. The tide somes in and the entire family are stranded on the island. This book remined me of Agatha Christie's And Then There were None. Nana was the first person to die, and soon there was a second body. The story is told from Daisy's point of view. There's secrets and surprises. Each family member has reasons for disliking other family members. But someone among them is a killer....

I would like to thank #NetGalley #PanMacmillan and the author #AliceFeeney for my ARC of #DaisyDarker in exchange dor an honest review.

Wow another fantastic book by Alice feeney. I will admit without giving too much away I did have a slight tear at one point in the book due to losing my nan. I found it well written and wow that ending I did not see coming. I did have a vague idea of who was responsible but never did I think the twist at the end. Absolutely highly recommend giving this book a read.

Daisy Darker is a well-crafted, dark and intriguing novel – exactly what I’ve come to expect from author Alice Feeney!

Centring on the narrator, Alice, we join the Darker family as they gather at their nana’s eccentric house for her 80th birthday – a date Nana is convinced she’ll die on. It seems like the whole family feels the same, and everyone – perhaps apart from Alice – seems to be expecting a Will to be read. Like vultures, they all circle ready for their cut! But Nana seems to be alive and kicking – until she’s not, and she’s not the only one who seems in danger…

The novel is narrated by Alice in the present day and offers insights into her childhood, growing up whilst a heart condition which means she could drop dead at any moment, and therefore wasn’t allowed to have the same kind of childhood as her sisters Rose and Lily. Her sisters seem to be a curious pair – in some ways, they show glimpses of kind-heartedness (especially Rose), but in many other ways they are decidedly not the type of people you’d want to have as your sisters! In fact, almost everyone in the family seems to pose some sort of threat, each in their own way, and this gives the novel a sinister undercurrent, which I loved!

It’s definitely a deliciously dark book, with twists along the way and reminiscent of Agatha Christie. The writing is great, the plot is intriguing and I found myself completely absorbed in the story from the first page to last. Daisy Darker is a thriller with substance and style!

Ever since Rock Paper Scissors, I've been really enjoying Alice Feeney's writing. Her talent lies in writing books where you are confused, frustrated and know you are missing something for most of the book, yet you cannot help but be compelled to continue. Her ability to hold key information just out of reach is what makes reading her books so exciting, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey of reading Daisy Darker. Can't wait to see what she does next!

I’ve had mixed feelings about this authors books before and sadly this was another disappointing one. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a really well received book but for me the last part of the book was just beyond ridiculous. I don’t mind books being a little weird or slightly far fetched but the ending for me had no plausibility and it felt like a poor payoff after such a slow build up. 2/5.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I just cant seem to enjoy this authors books as others do,the writing is good but always seems to be about believability especially the last 2 books, as say I do enjoy the writing and will read the authors next book

Daisy Darker is my second book by Alice Feeney. I really loved the first I read by her, Rock Paper Scissors, and although very different, Daisy Darker lived up to my expectations! A Gothic-tinged psychological thriller, it sets up the drama immediately and then throws you a curve ball at the end to make you think back over everything you’ve just read. In the best possible way.

Set in 2004, across 30th and 31st October, Halloween is a fitting backdrop for this story. Daisy Darker is our lead character, she’s visiting her grandma, famed children’s author, Beatrice Darker, for her 80th birthday at her grandma’s epic home called Seaglass; a beautiful old, isolated building in Blacksand Bay. It is so isolated, in fact, that when the tide is high, it becomes an island.

Beatrice invites her only son and ex-daughter-in-law along with their three daughters (Daisy, Lily and Rose) and her niece, Trixie to Seaglass. Tensions are high anyway and then the arrival of Conor, a old family friend is the first in a series of events that has murderous consequences…

As I was reading this, And Then There Were None by the Queen of Crime herself sprung to mind. It was therefore a delight to see it referred to as Beatrice’s favourite book, so a purposeful reference. Daisy Darker is a great homage to this murder mystery classic.

From the way the origins of Halloween are woven through the story, to poems that reveal secrets and condemn the actions of all family members mysteriously appearing on the kitchen wall, to bodies disappearing and a brewing storm cutting off all lines of communication with the mainland, we have quite the heady mix of suspense and intrigue.

Pity fades with age, hate is lost and found, but guilt can last a lifetime.

I read Daisy Darker on holiday (on a trip to visit my grandma, ironically) and it was just perfect for that holiday read situation – pacy, twisty and oh so entertaining. You won’t see this ending coming!

Daisy Darker is a dark, immersive tale, with a cleverly written twist.

We meet The Darker family as they gather to celebrate Nana’s eightieth birthday. Nana is a wonderful quirky character, living at Seaglass - a crumbing, decrepit cottage on a island off the Cornish coast which is only accessible at low tide. She is certain that this will be her last birthday after a prediction by a palm reader at Lands End and decides that this is the perfect time, with all her family present, to read the contents of her will. To say there are a few surprises contained within is an understatement. As the evening develops, we learn more about the family and it soon becomes apparent that they far more disjointed than your regular dysfunctional family – Darker by name and most certainly darker by nature.

It’s tricky to say much more about the storyline without giving too much away, but safe to say this is a family gathering you definitely do not want to miss. With excellent, well developed characters, a classic “who done it” mystery, and just the right amount of black humour – this was a gripping read with an excellent twist. One that I would highly recommend.

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley UK for the review copy.

Alice Feeney is such a clever writer. Daisy Darker is a classic locked room thriller, in the tradition of Agatha Christie.
The Darker family are gathered at their grandmother’s house in Cornwall for her 80th birthday and Halloween. Once the tide covers the causeway they are are stuck there till the next morning. It’s a classic dysfunctional family; divorced parents, 3 grown up daughters, a granddaughter and an unexpected old family friend.
As Nana reveals the contents of her will tensions rise, and soon the bodies start piling up….
I can’t reveal more without ruining the sensational surprise which turns the book on its head. I didn’t see it coming at all, and it’s rare a book totally fools me like this. This is an excellent novel by a very accomplished writer. 5 stars from me!
Thank you to #netgalley and #panmacmillan for allowing me to review this ARC

Being a big Alice Feeney fan, I was really looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately, I though it was too long, the first half dragged too much, and the end twist was a bit stretched. I really wish I have enjoyed it more.

Alice Feeney, you are truly incredible.

For one, I was at my worst facing the blues with the pressures of the job and finding no time to relax after the grueling hours and then I began DAISY DARKER, and oh BOY, to be so immersed in reading, it was a joy that I really did missing feeling for a very long time…

Now the BLURB is out there, Daisy Darker is a tribute to the classic Then There Were None, well, I can surely say no one can beat that one but for a newer generation of readers who have not read any Agatha Christie, I guarantee that Alice Feeney is gonna be the most favorite author for many if only for the delicious twists she brings at the end. The setting is freakishly awesome, Seaglass is a house I would love to see, and the Nana with all her antique clocks and her insistence on clocking in and out of every person inside the house as eccentric as could be.

Dysfunctional families and mysteries surrounding them are dime a dozen now, and if you are a reader who thinks deeply about what you are reading, then Daisy Darker would probably fail to leave you any surprises, coz red herrings are all visible on the surface and I did catch many of it, knowing the only way how it could all go. But Alice Fenney still manages to elicit a gasp of surprise or two at many turns of the story even though, the reader needs a huge amount of suspension of disbelief when thinking back over the timeline of events occurring.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed this compelling and addictive winner from Alice Feeney if only for the kind of bliss she gave me for the few hours I got lost inside the head of Daisy Darker.

Many thanks to Net Galley, Pan Macmillan, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

This review is published on my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Book Bub, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

Another brilliantly quirky, chilling and suspenseful twisting psychological thriller from a fantastic author.

The Darker family are getting together for the first time in years on the isolated island of their grandmother's house to celebrate her 80th birthday. The house is not just remote; when the tide comes in, the house is completely cut off for hours at a time.

The unexpected announcement of her Will does nothing to ease the tense atmosphere. And before long it becomes clear that there is a killer in their midst as one by one the family members are found dead.

The author acknowledges the echoes of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, but this is a brilliant read in its own right.

Highly recommended.