I remember adding The Dark Room to my shelves on a whim mostly because there was something about the blurb that intrigued me. I loved the sound of the main character's hobby of developing forgotten rolls of film as well as the mystery around the murder of the woman... And I fully expected to have a great time with this story. I'm not sure if it was simply the wrong time for me to read this one, but the fact is that I ended up having mixed thoughts instead.

First of all, I do have to say that I still love the premise of this story, and I really like the idea of the mystery rolls of film and the surprise of what you will find when you develop them. The mystery around the death of the woman had great potental as well, and the New York setting did make for a perfect backdrop for this story. There is also no denying that The Dark Room executes more than one successful plot twist, and there were parts about the ending that I never saw coming. BUT. There were also a couple of things that I really struggled with.

I think that one of the main issues I had with this story is that absolutely none of the main characters were likeable AT ALL. Not only did they feel a tad underdeveloped, but they also had no redeeming qualities whatsoever and I really couldn't care less about what happened to them. Leonard himself is particularly despicable, and I kept wondering how somebody would actually care about this cheating piece of garbage being framed. Martha on the other hand is basically a stalker, and I guess the two deserve each other... I can't say that I enjoyed spending time with either POV, and the fact that the story went for a multiple POV structure with even more unlikeable characters only made things worse.

I can't put my finger exactly on the why, but there was also something about the writing style and tone that simply didn't sit right with me. Apart from the blatant cheating (and the main character not even feeling guilty about it), the pace was a bit all over the place as well and there were parts that started to get repetitive. There wasn't really anything overly intriguing to keep me reading and even though the ending did provide some clever twists, I do think they came too late to fully save this story for me.

All in all The Dark Room ended up being a story with a lot of potential, but the execution ended up being a bit of a mixed bag for me. And since the writing style was part of the problem, I'm not sure if I would try this author again any time soon.

I will leave a review on Amazon and B&N on Oct. 25th

The Dark Room by Lisa Gray is filled with twists and turns, lies and revenge. Leonard's life has spiraled out of control after believing he was responsible for the death of a woman only to find out years later she wasn't dead at all. He spends his days obsessing over his hobby of developing rolls of film that no one seems to want. After developing a picture of a murdered woman, he goes in search for answers. What follows is a convoluted storyline that leads to the final conclusion of the storyline. Sadly this book wasn't what I had hoped it would be, but I am sure others probably will enjoy it much more that I do. Having said that I would suggest others read the book, because I realize not everyone enjoys the same books.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Oh this was good! Mysterious photos, bribery, surveillance, romance…There’s a big twist that just absolutely changes everything! Just loved it!

I've read Lisa Gray from her very first book, Thin Air from the Jessica Shaw series and I was hooked! She is one author that I always recommend to any and all of our patrons at our library when they can't decide what to read and just happen to love a good mystery. While this book is not a part of the Jessica Shaw series, I can say that it was just as good! I know I'm constantly saying that the twist got me, but let’s be honest, the twist is what every reader waits for and this twist, or should I say twists, did not disappoint.

Leonard is a reporter, down on his luck, who loves to buy unprocessed rolls of film. After processing a roll of film and making a discovery that shake’s his world, Leonard turns to Martha for help in cracking the mystery about what really happened and why. Leonard and Martha team up and together they’ll discover that everybody has secrets, but somebody is always watching, even when you think they’re not.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very enjoyable novel. I was drawn into the story fairly quickly and there was enough going on that I wanted to keep reading, consequently getting through the book in no time at all. Plenty of twists throughout and for the first time in a while an ending which wasn't signposted long before the conclusion.

This one will be sticking with me! The premise is completely unique and the characters are complex. I was engrossed in the unfolding of this mystery. And just when I thought I had the answers....... nope! Once the reveals started happening it was one hit after the other leaving me completely stunned. And those last couple chapters. Wow! I admit at the end I had to laugh at the genius of it all. What a read.

Hard book to get in to Characters were a bit uninspiring and the story very slow to get interesting.

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a Lisa Grey book but I am so glad to have had this opportunity. Doesn’t disappoint at all. Great story well written.
Highly recommend and now off to find more that I need catch up on of this author!

DNF at 24%

I really liked the premise of this book and thought I'd enjoy it but unfortunately I wasn't a fan of the writing style and found Leonard Blaylock to be a extremely grating. I'm sorry but I did try to read as much as I could.

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the e-copy.

Lisa Gray's The Dark Room, is a well thought out psychological thriller, that keeps you on your toe, making you think, from almost one page to the next. I have to admit, Ms. Grays' writing style is a bit slower than I usually prefer, and it took me a little longer to get into, but once I really gave the book a chance, it started to get interesting, and I am thrilled I stuck with it!

The characters like to draw the descriptions for almost everything around them out., so you know exactly where you are and what is going on. You are literally right in the middle of the story.. By the last quarter of the book, you will probably be getting attached to the main character, if not already attached, but the twists and turns will still be coming for the male protagonist. And the woman he claims to love? All I can ask is, do these people really feel love? Or is it a narcissistic need to have other people always around them and under their control that fuels their desire, and they just call it love?

This book drew me right in and once I started I didn't finish until the book was finished. Such a good read full of mystery and intrigue. Highly recommend!

Ex-crime reporter Leonard Blaylock spends his days on an unusual hobby, developing forgotten and discarded film. He loves the small mysteries the photographs reveal to him. Then Leonard finds something no one would ever expect, or want, to see captured on film - the murder of a young woman. But that's impossible, because the woman is already dead. Leonard was there when it happened five years earlier.

This is a quick and easy to read, well written book. I was quickly pulled into the storyline with its intriguing, original and gripping plotline. There's lots of twists and red herrings to keep your interest. This is a story of betrayal and revenge. The pace is slow to begin with, but it soon picks up. The story is told from multiple points of view and timelines. I wasn't keen on any of the characters. Definitely never saw that ending coming.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AmazonPublishingGroupUK #ThomasandMercer and the author #LisaGray for my ARC of #TheDarkRoom in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Gray is consistently entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where crime fic is popular.

This book was a real struggle but I perservered as thought I owed it to the author. Slow, disjointed and the premise has been done so many times before and better. Definitely not for me. I hope other readers will enjoy it more.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

So Much Trouble From An Anonymous Photo

Leonard Blaylock took up a new hobby. He would buy undeveloped exposed film that who took the pictures is unknown. He joined an online group of people with the same hobby. He receives a tip from another hobbyist where he could find some undeveloped exposed film. He purchases it and develops it. One of the pictures is of a dead woman on a bed covered in blood. There was a knife near her body. He was shocked but not just because of the picture, but because he thought that he had killed her five years earlier.

The main storyline is one thread narrated by Leonard Blaylock. As Martha Weaver becomes more than an anonymous online hobbyist, they proceed to sleuth the truth about the recently murdered woman who Leonard thought that he had murdered. After the euphoria of realizing that he had not killed the woman, he becomes afraid that someone might be framing him for her recent murder. As the main storyline develops, there are minor supporting threads narrated by other characters, but these other narrators added to the story and did not distract from its flow. Each new fact or connection uncovered and, especially, when the police become involved, increased the danger and suspense that captured and maintained my interest all the way to the end. Some well-placed literary grenades added new and interesting twists.

With flashbacks and Leonard’s discussions with Martha Weaver, the reader learns about his life before the incident and why his actions are what they are. As the relationship between Leonard and Martha deepens, the reader learns more about what makes Martha tick and, especially, the motives behind her actions. The author weaves these threads well with the main storyline. My reading enjoyment was enhanced.

For the aspects of novels that some readers object, first is that there are not any descriptions of intimate scenes, but mild starts of entrapment are included. Violence is described mostly after the fact, and the descriptions of violence as it happens are short, quick, and not graphic. There is some use of vulgar and rude language, but not to a level that should be objectionable to most readers. This is a new effort and appears to be a standalone novel, so there is not any worry about missing something from a previous novel.

Overall, this novel kept me delightfully off-kilter. I liked this constant changing of the story’s complexion as Leonard feared arrest for murder to relief and back to fear as he and Martha learn more. The literary grenades occurred much more often as the end approached, they kept my full understanding of what had happen in question until the end. The end that was quite unexpected to me also was my biggest problem, I had two issues, but you will have to read to find them as they would be spoilers. Even though this novel for me was just a little below those of her Jessica Shaw series, I did thoroughly enjoy reading this novel and do recommend reading it. The author has sustained my Must-Read rating. I do look forward to reading any further books by this author. I rate this book with five stars, up from an actual 4.5-star assessment.

I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer. My review is based only by my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank The Dark Room for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Great thriller with a interesting concept. Could be a tad slow at times, but overall a great read!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

I thought the idea behind this book was great, really original, and different. I wish the pace of the book had not been so slow, it really didn't work, for an impatient reader like me, sorry.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"The Dark Room" by Lisa Gray was an original, exciting, intriguing & addictive thriller.
It pulled me in rightaway & didn't let me go until its final page.
The ending was a jaw dropping surprise.
I will definitely be on the lookout for Miss Gray's next novel.

Intriguing concept and engaging book. Quite a few surprises as you go through. Enjoyable and recommend as a good holiday read.

A good thriller,engaging and intriguing…..wasn’t too keen on either of the main characters but the story was good enough to get past that,a final twist that didn’t expect,altogether it was an enjoyable read