What can say the author stands on her own every time.

There shouldn't have be words to describe this book I enjoyed it that much.

My next confession will not comes as a great surprise to many of the blogs regular readers - this is the first Lacey Flint book I have read. But fluffing heck. What a place to start. Maybe I'd have got a little more out of some of Lacey and Mark Joesbury's backstory if I had read the previous books but, trust me, there is more than enough info in the book to read it as a standalone, and if this story is anything to go by, a whole host of reasons why I'll be making it my mission to go back and read the first four books which have been waiting patiently on my bookshelves for far too long.

This is one of those books where I want to say so much but I also don't want to say too much as the beauty, and the impact, of the story is better felt as you read it yourself. Especially if you are a woman, or even any kind of a decent guy. This is a story which hovers somewhere between dark and twisted fiction and a tale of frightening authenticity that could I could all too easily seeing come to reality, and not just in the more extreme reaches of society. With characters who are all too easily recognisable from modern life, and taking a very dark and shocking look into the world of the 'incel' the involuntary celibate men who lurk in the shadows of the dark web blaming women (Foids), good looking men (Chads) and modern life for their obviously inexplicable ability to get their leg over - because let's face it they are typically exactly the type of guy you want to take home to meet your family - there was so much about this book which made my blood boil but which also sent a chill down the spine.

The opening of the book seems to be somewhat of a diversion from the main story but it does soon become clear where the scene fits into the latest case that Mark and Lacey find themselves embroiled in. Although I know I'd have had a much clearer view of Lacey's past had I read the other books first, I really did get to know her well over the course of the book, and the people around her, including DI Dana Tulloch and her partner Helen Rowley, journalist Emma Winter and Lacey's 'not quite or is he' part time love interest, DCI Mark Joesbury. Sharon Bolton is so good at establishing character for new readers, without overloading fans of the series with too much of what they already know. I was really drawn to all of them, scared on their behalf as the sense of threat built and shocked by what came to pass. But I really love Lacey's determination and focus, even in the most trying and potentially career, and life, ending set of circumstances.

There is a really intense vibe to this book. That undulating and sometimes very blatant sense of threat and the often shocking and jaw-dropping actions that are taken by the antagonists in this book. That whole idea of women not being safe, of there being a target on their backs, is amplified to such a high degree that so many scenes are capable of making the skin crawl. The author touches on so many of the concerns felt by women in modern society, and the extreme and very archaic and damaging opinions of men who think like the incel community. I'd like to hope that some of the actions taken, some of the thought processes that were put forward in the battle against this very gender focused terrorist activity, were only ever to be part of a work of fiction, but I could all too easily picture the kinds of people who would cease upon such an opportunity to stop the slow progress in equality that is happening in western culture. That's what makes the story all the darker and more impactful. We know, from Twitter, Instagram or just modern media, that these people are out there. And if you cannot draw parallels between disgraced TV star turned wannabe politician Gus Lord and another, real life, infamous idiot who over shares their deluded opinions on Twitter, I'm going to assume you aren't actually on Twitter.

I loved the tension, the dark edge and the fast pacing of this book, as well as the authenticity of the characters and real sense of mystery that kept the full motivation and the guilty party hidden right to the end. Be prepared and keep your eyes open. Looking back, I guess the clues are out there, hidden but available if you really want to look. But I think you may be too incensed to pay that close an attention, and the edge of the seat plotting my keep your focus diverted just enough for the rotten seed to remain hidden in plain sight. I'm definitely moving the first books in the series up my reading list now as I absolutely loved this book. Bit of a bombshell ending to be fair, but I'm hoping it's not the last we've seen of Lacey. She's one heck of a character. Most definitely recommended.

This is the fifth Lacey Flint book. It has been a while since we spent time with Lacey, the prologue explains a lot about young Lacey and why she is a bit cagey. From there we are propelled into a very dark and, if you are a woman, terrifying story.

The dark web is bubbling with a new form of terrorism. Incels (involuntarily celibates) are rising up and striking back at femoids (female humanoids) who have done them wrong or disrespected them. It is organised and gets ugly very quickly. It starts with the snatch and grab of a baby from his pram who is then tossed onto a blow-up unicorn float in the Thames. Lacey saves the day this time by jumping into her canoe and furiously paddling after it. She manages to snatch the baby back safely before the float is swamped by river traffic. But this is just the start.

Soon women are being targeted in violent and awful ways and the results live streamed on the dark web. The ring leader seems to be someone calling themselves AryanBoy and he seems to know Lacey and he seems to be out to get her. She is really conflicted as she suspects who he might be, or have been, but if she admits it her life will collapse around her. Still she doesn’t know who he is today. I did eventually guess but it doesn’t detract from the story at all. Nevertheless she does some research and gets close to learning who AryanBoy’s lieutenants are.

This is a very dark story as you can imagine this really happening. The Men Matter movement has a series of demands that would set back women’s rights back by decades and they are promising a day of retribution. Women are no longer safe going about their normal business and Lacey and her journalist friend Emma Boston, who was also targeted, are constantly moving where they are staying yet somehow the Incels seem to know where they are and AryanBoy keeps being able to phone Lacey and threaten her.

This is tearing Lacey apart. She and DCI Mark Joesbury have rekindled their relationship but as the danger to Lacey gets closer she withdraws from Joesbury, still afraid she will blurt out the truth about her background.

I must admit I found the story extremely disturbing because it was so plausible. Anonymous online abuse and trolling is already a very real thing and many people, particularly women, feel threatened by it. Families and children are threatened and some of the abuse is so vile you wonder how these people can live with themselves. This was Sharon Bolton at her best, it really evoked some very strong emotions from me. Many thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

Lacey Flint is back, and thrown headling into a case after rescuing a baby from an abduction and being released onto the murky waters of the Thames.
Added to this is the case of the incels, involuntary celibate men who hate women and all they stand for. The abducted baby was just the girls of their planned horrific attacks.
It may take readers who haven't read the earlier books in series a while to work out who the main characters are but it is a good solid read.

A good, edgy and very contemporary plot which deals well with the complexities and sensitive nature of incels and terrorism and provides much food for thought. There is an excellent level of tension and edge of the seat action coupled with some gore. The most chilling part is the plausibility of the situations and the background feeling that this could easily be a real situation. I liked the main characters and their own personal histories. All in all a good page turner and recommended reading.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel. The Dark by Sharon Bolton is a story of two people who come together at Beachy Head, both of them looking to commit suicide but both of them failing. They go on to have very different career paths - Lacey Flint is a police officer patrolling the River Thames whilst her adversary remains mysterious. Against a background of Involuntary Celibates, Incels, a series of crimes targeting women takes place and it is down to Lacey and her team to stop this before it escalates out of control. A good read though I found the relationship between Lacey and DCI Joesbury a little unbelievable. Fast moving and tightly plotted - a good read.

I really enjoyed this book. I have read plenty of this author’s books and this one did not disappoint. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

Many thanks to netgalley and Sharon Bolton for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Feels like I’ve been waiting for a Lacey Flint story for ages and this did not disappoint. What sets Bolton miles ahead of most crime and thriller writers for me, is her attention to detail and her sense of place. This was fast paced and gripping. Gobbled it up in two sittings.

This was a fabulous book to read involving the main characters being two police officers who have some personal history. The storyline involves violent attacks on women and is lots of twists etc make this an excellent read.

The Dark is part of a series but do not let this put you off as although there are some references to previous story's generally it is quite easy to follow.
Exciting start to this book and as the title says it is very dark in places. Be prepared for this as i struggled with certain parts, having said that its a really good read.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and give an honest opinion.

4.5/5

The book follows police officer Lacey Flint and DCI Mark Joesbury and the investigation of a number of violent attacks against women. The first of the attacks, occurs right under Lacey Flints nose while off-duty.

The blurb of the book didn’t really grab me at all. However, as I am a massive fan of Sharon Bolton I requested to read this on Netgalley. I am so happy I was approved as I absolutely loved this book and it is one of my favourite of hers so far!

The beginning of the book initially reminded me of a case file podcast I listed to a few months ago! I thought it was a really unique story line for a detective novel and I hope more books are written in the future with the same characters!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book which was more than just a crime novel. The different threads keep you on tenterhooks throughout.

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. Police officer Lacey Flint works on the river Thames. She is on hand when a baby is snatched from its pram and thrown into the river. This is the first incident in a campaign against women being carried out by the Incel movement. It's a very dark story but it will keep you on the edge of your seat right to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

It’s always a pleasure to read the further exploits of Lacey and her team and this book follows on perfectly.

I received this book via NetGalley and give it my honest opinion.

I love the style of Sharon Boltons writing and this book did not disappoint!

A thriller with twists that will keep you gripped, the main characters are intriguing with history. This is part of the Lacey Flint series however reads well as a standalone too.

This book will definitely open your eyes to the darker side of Incel behaviour, resulting in a scary, jumpy in places, thriller worth reading!

This is the first book of Sharon Boltons that I have read and I was really impressed. I didn’t realise until I was already reading the book that it was part of a series, I found that it read really well as a stand-alone, there was obviously a bit of backstory that I was missing and the relationship between the main characters had already been developed but I didn’t miss any of that because the writing and the characters was just so good. The subject matter of the book was really interesting as well, I haven’t read anything that tackles the incel movement, especially linking it towards terrorism and I found it to be absolutely chilling, sometimes the best writing comes from something that you can actually picture happening. I loved the setting of London as well, I’ve never really thought much about the policing of the Thames and this was a great insight. I’ll definitely be reading more of this author!

I feel like I've been waiting for this latest Lacey Flint novel forever and it was so worth it!! Brilliant as always. I love the character of Lacey Flint and the dynamic between her and Mark and the rollercoaster that is their relationship always has me rallying for them. It was nice to find out more of her past story.
The plot had me gripped from the start. In another book, these crimes may of seemed unbelievable but the way they are written had me believing that they were possible.
Can't wait for the next installment of Lacey's story.

I always like Sharon Bolton’s books, and this one was no different. I’ve missed reading about Lacey Flint and Mark Joesbury, and it was great to be back reading the series that first got me into reading. This Lacey Flint series is some of the first books that I ever read, and it’s what got me hooked on reading crime/thrillers. It’s one of my favourite series, and it’s one that I regularly recommend to people. Lacey and Mark are great characters, I always like reading about them and also really like the side characters. Although this book wasn’t continuously fast paced, it was interesting during the slower parts. When you love the characters, you don’t mind the slower pace sometimes. I really liked the storyline, and it surprised me throughout. I was interested from the start, and couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen. I always recommend Sharon Bolton’s books, and will continue to recommend this series to people.

It was great to be with Lacey Flint again. In fact, despite the lapse in time since the last Flint novel, it was like putting on a pair of comfortable slippers and settling in for the night with a hot chocolate - except... The Dark is a disturbingly relevant, thought provking and thrilling read.
With some disturbing characters that put me in mind of some of the more despicable people in public life ATM and some of the atrocious recent happenings, I found this to be almost dystopian in nature and that was disturbing because Bolton captures the almost fragile essence of the things we take for granted and wraps it up in a way that is believably appalling.

This book will stay with me for a long time to come .