I absolutely loved the Lacey Flint series when I first read it and with such a big gap between this novel and the last, I was wary about reading The Dark. I didn't have to worry, it turned out to be a gripping and action-packed story.

The story centres around incel culture, who are usually men who are involuntarily celibate and blame women, good-looking men and modern culture for all their problems. This has become more and more mainstream over the years, so I've heard a lot about these types of people before, but their ideas and beliefs still angered me all the same.

Lacey is still her own worst enemy and stubborn to the core, but you see her soften a bit and begin to let people in, which was nice to read.

What I liked about this story is even though I've read all the previous books, I got a fresh perspective on Lacey and we found out a few things about her past, which had been touched upon previously but not in this detail.

I will say this is a very tense story. Sometimes I had to put it down as it was a little stressful to read, but I kept coming back as I love the characters so much and wanted to know what happened in the end.

A gritty and gripping police procedural. If you have not read this series and love police procedurals, then I would highly recommend them.

Having read a few other books from Sharon Bolton, I was excited to read this book and revisit a character I’ve met before.

Lacey Flint is full of secrets and is always on edge and this book is no different, we visit her past and see how it affects her future. With a big threat caused by the men matters movement caused early on in the book, we see how the threat grows and how Lacey ties into it and the others around her.

I really enjoyed this book with all its twists and turns, reading this book made me want to revisit Sharon Boltons previous books that I haven’t read in a while and look forward to more looks in the series involving Lacey Flint!

This book has such a creepy feel to it. This is a dark action paced story which was addictive. The plot was realistic. I loved the characters. They are well written and believable.

Lacey Flint is hiding a big secret. It's caused her to change jobs and kept her from the man she loves, but a chance encounter with a past acquaintance threatens to jeopardise everything.

Now living and working on the Thames, Lacey is perfectly placed when the unthinkable happens and a baby is left to the mercy of the unforgiving waters.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg, and soon she will have to contend with the wrath of a large group of "incels" (involuntary celibates), operating on the dark web. They blame their lack of romantic success on women and they are out for revenge.

Fast paced and exciting, with great twists and interesting well drawn characters. I started reading without realising this was book 5 in the series. By then I was already hooked and couldn't stop, but I'll definitely be taking a look at the rest of the series.

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

I can’t believe how long I’ve sat on this book!
A great police procedural!
Slightly dry but an easy book to read. I didn’t want to put it down & can’t wait to read more by the author

Unfortunately I really did not connect with this book and despite numerous attempts, I have had to mark as dnf.

Another great read by Sharon Bolton. Its hard to keep track of all the detective series, but for this book I did not have to refer to the net to find out any connections. A great book to read even if its the first time you are picking any of her books.

From the very start this had me completely hooked! It was so tense, so thrilling! I did feel a little lost in the middle but then bang! It grabs you again, a great read!

This was gripping to read and very fast paced, although I did find it to be a little predictable in places. A solid thriller though

Another glitch in NetGalley I think as I read this over a year ago, wrote a review, but has reappeared in my listing.

Loved the book if recollection serves me correct. Have always enjoyed Sharon Bolton. Great plot and you can easily read it as a standalone.

My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for allowing me to read an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

A great book by Sharon Bolton. I haven’t read any of her books but I will be looking to read her other’s starring Lacey Flint.

Absolutely loved this book!

Sharon Bolton you are amazing!

I was hooked throughout and couldn't put this book down.

Thank you for accepting my ARC request.

This is a part of the Lacey Flint series and though I couldn't remember a lot what had happened in the previous books it did not matter one bit. I was immersed in the riveting and terrifying storyline from page one.

It's skillfully crafted plot, richly drawn characters, and atmospheric setting, this novel left me breathless, turning the pages late into the night, desperate to uncover the truth.

It is about he online abuse directed at women and the misogyny found on social media, with the troubling growth of terrorism associated with the extremist incel movement and imagines the horror of where it might all end up. Flint is still a police constable on the River Thames Marine unit, fighting efforts to deploy her on the Met, despite concerns over her regular visits to Durham Prison to meet serial killer, Victoria Llewelyn. Along with Dana and Helen with their baby son, Inigo, Lacey is fortunately at the scene to prevent the nightmare death of an abducted baby on the Thames.

This is a tense, dark, harrowing and compulsive emotional rollercoaster of a psychological thriller that had me engaged from start to end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC one exchange for an honest review.

Sharon Bolton's novel The Dark is an unforgettable story filled with twists and turns that will keep readers captivated until the very end. It is a compelling and addictive read that will leave readers guessing what will happen next.

The Dark follows the story of a young woman who finds herself in an unfamiliar and dangerous world. As she struggles to survive, she discovers secrets about her family's past that could threaten her future. With each chapter, the suspense builds as more mysteries are revealed, leaving readers on the edge of their seats.

Sharon Bolton has crafted a gripping tale with enough twists and turns to keep readers hooked until the very end. The Dark is sure to be a must-read for fans of suspenseful thrillers

I thought I’d jump to this one. Oops didn’t notice this was part of a series. Lacey Flunt series book 5!

Obviously I don’t get to experience what has happened in development of this character Lacey, but that aside, I did get to go on her latest case. It was a great ride actually.

I did suspect the suspect……I gave myself a high five on that because I’m normally stupid!

Great read though.

Thank you Orion Publishing and Netgalley this was amazing and I love Sharon's books and this really didn't disappoint. Couldn't put this down.

If you haven't read a book by Sharon you really need to.

This is a thoroughly gripping thriller, and it didn’t matter that it was the fifth book in a series as it stands alone perfectly well with the background information given.

I was particularly interested in the incel storyline, as this is an aspect of human psychology that has long fascinated me, and Sharon Bolton’s exploration here was terrifyingly plausible. So much so, in fact, that I had to keep taking short breaks from reading because the fear and tension was affecting me in real life, but then I was unable to stay away for long and couldn’t stop thinking about the issues raised whether the book was in my hands or not!

There are underlying themes of power imbalance, politics and plausibility, with evil ideas masquerading under a thin veneer of civilised ‘concern’ and it was disturbing to watch how quickly the poison spread.

I had read and enjoyed The Craftsman by this author, but felt that this book was even better, and the dark, personal secret from main character Lacey’s past will definitely bring me back for more from this series… I can’t imagine how that will play out in future cases!

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy.

I love the Lacey Flint series, so I was really looking forward to this and it didn't disappoint.

Lacey is back, still policing the river and still living in her houseboat. Finally getting back on track Lacey finds herself drawn into the thick of the action again. A case of being in the right place at the right time (although it may be the wrong time) Lacey goes from drinking coffee with friends to saving a baby from an inflatable on the Thames. This is the start of the work of the incels, working on the dark web, that are ready to unleash themselves on the women of the country. Luckily Joesbury has been following them online with his undercover team which brings him back to the forefront of Lacey's life while trying to stay one step ahead of the gang.

Unfortunately, Lacey's rescue of the baby puts her in the firing line of the incels making her their number on target as an example of everything they hate. Little does Lacey know that one member knows a lot more than she thinks about her and their pasts are about to collide in the future. Has time finally run out for Lacey?

Loved, loved, loved. Bring on the next one! Fab five starts.

I love the Lacey Flint series so I was very happy to find a new book featuring her and to be back in her world. I did find this book incredibly dark due to the subject matter of incels, it felt very claustrophobic at times and it did taint my enjoyment of the book a little as it all felt too close. Having said that it's brilliantly written and the issues are explored so well. I did really enjoy finding out more about Lacey and I wonder how much longer she will be able to keep her past hidden. I very much hope there is more to come in this series.