Having read Next of Kin I knew that it would not be the last book by Kia Abdullah that I would read and her latest book What Happens in the Dark confirmed to me that she knows how to take her readers on one hell of a rollercoaster ride. The book centres around Lily and Safa, two schoolfriends who have drifted apart in adulthood but find their paths crossing once again when
Lily becomes the subject of media speculation when bruises appear on her face. Lily is the face of breakfast tv, so this is big news, and Safa is sent to get to the bottom of it and hopefully resurrect her career at the same time. Lily immediately denies that there is any kind of domestic abuse taking place, but something is not right. When Lily is arrested for the murder of her husband. Safa is determined to get to the truth and reconnect with her one-time best friend, after all the person she grew up with was not capable of murder, or was she?
Safa has trust issues and does not get close to people easily. She thought Lily was her best friend until she was effectively dumped when their lives and careers went in different directions. Then there was the way in which she lost her previous job after being thrown under the bus by her colleague who also happened to be the boss’s son. Despite this she is still determined to get to the truth of what is going on. She struggles with the need to report on the case and prove her friend’s innocence without betraying the fragile trust she is building between herself and Lily. I like Safa, she is close to her father and also wants to help her community have a voice which is no easy task when the very people she wants to help won’t talk to her.
I found it harder to take to Lily. Whilst I can understand her need to escape her childhood and reinvent herself. There is something about her that has you thinking that she may just be capable of murder. To protect herself and her image she clearly becomes a master of hiding the truth and you wonder what if anything she says can be believed. As the story unfolds you find that convincing people of an alternative truth is not new to her.
At the heart of this book is a story of domestic abuse but with so many people telling their own versions of the state of Lilys marriage to Richard it is hard to work out just who is the instigator. Just when you think you know what happened in the run up to the murder Kia Abdullah throws a big curve ball that you don’t expect testing loyalties to their limit. There is one more twist to this story that hopefully means we will see more of Safa in the future and I for one cant wait.

My thanks to H.Q and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘What Happens In The Dark’ written by Kia Abdullah in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Safa Saleem first became friends with Lily Astor when they met at school, only parting when Lily won a place at Oxford. Safa is now a journalist with the East London Echo while Lily is a popular TV breakfast show presenter. Late one night Lily’s husband Richard is found dead on their kitchen floor and Lily admits stabbing him with a knife after suffering years of physical abuse. Although Safa persuades Lily to talk to her as a friend while she’s on remand in prison, she’s promised her editor to do a story on Lily and domestic violence.

‘What Happens In The Dark’ is a gripping courtroom drama that has totally consumed me from the first page to the last, leaving me unable to do anything except sit and devour the story of Safa Saleem and Lily Astor. The main character is Safa who’s determined to print the truth about Lily and her life with Richard and their son Harry, but she’s also following up on a report of a serial predator known as The Glassman who’s targeting elderly Asian women knowing they’ll be too ashamed to report him to the police. To say this novel is great is an understatement as it’s exceptionally brilliant with suspense, tension, and a trial that had me constantly changing my mind as to Lily’s guilt or innocence. The final twist is beautifully written but so shocking I had to read it twice, and the final pages have concluded with a massive cliffhanger that I hope means there’ll be another novel with Safa.

I absolutely love Kia Abdullahs work and this was no exception. I was constantly switching between whether Lily was guilty or not and it kept me guessing right up until the end! The ending left Abdullah open to a sequel and I would 100% be up for reading that too!

Absolutely loved it, did not see some of the twists coming. please tell me there will be a sequel!

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

Thank you to the author, publisher and netGalley for an early read of 'What Happens in the Dark'.
Once again Kia Abdullah has written a brilliant bang-up-to date hard hitting novel. I absolutely devoured it. The main characters Safa and Lily were school friends growing up and have now gone their separate ways. When Safa's editor asks her to investigate tv presenter Lily's black eye she uncovers a gritty storyline. There are many threads and thought provoking big issues dealt with in this gripping and powerful book which the author deals with in a sensitive and empathetic manner. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, well worth its 5 star rating. Hopefully, fingers crossed, another book soon.

Lily and Safa took different paths in life but have in common their childhood spent on a hardscrabble council estate. Now, Lily is famous and popular as a TV personality Safa is a disgraced journalist. Nevertheless, when a story breaks about suspicious bruises on Lily, and she denies any cause for concern, Safa does reach out to her.

In addition to this plot element involving Lily's domestic situation and the subsequent death of her husband, which leads to a murder case, there is another investigation that Safa is looking into, regarding disturbing attacks on older Asian women.

A skilled writer who effortlessly holds the reader's attention, Kia Abdullah really delivers with this one. This is suspenseful, reflective and insightful story telling, not to be missed.

I am a big fan of this authors writing and twisty thrillers. What I love most is how she brings us such real and relatable characters and stories, while telling such powerful and important stories. Things are ever what they seem to be and after reading her previous books I feel that I caught the clues this time. This in no way took away my enjoyment of this book it was another fantastic read.

I particularly enjoyed the courtroom scenes, with such strong cases in both sides of the coin. Safa was a great character, her determination to help her friend and not cave in to get the story for her paper and possibly an award was refreshing. I feel we will be hearing g more from her with that open ended final chapter.

Thanks so much to HQ on NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on June 19th.

🤍Book review 🤍


What Happens in the Dark
by Kia Abdullah

What Happens in the Dark is a gripping and emotional thriller that follows journalist Safa as she reconnects with her childhood best friend, Lily, now a famous TV presenter. When Lily is found standing over her husband's dead body, Safa can't believe she's guilty and starts digging for the truth. At the same time, Safa investigates a terrifying case involving the "Glassman," a predator targeting elderly Asian women.
The story moves at a fast pace and blends mystery, social issues, and emotional depth really well. Safa is a relatable, strong character, and I enjoyed seeing how her past shaped her actions.
The book covers serious topics like domestic abuse, racism, and women’s silence around violence, but handles them with care. Some twists were a bit predictable, but the tension kept me engaged throughout the book.
This story it’s powerful, thought-provoking, and definitely worth reading and if you haven’t read any by the author so far , why not? I love her books and will always recommend them.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

Overall I enjoyed this one! I will admit though that to begin with I struggled to get into the story and visualising the characters was a struggle for me at times. The pace was fairly slow in the first part of the book, and paired with the long chapters, it was a bit of a slog to keep going. I’m glad I did though because parts 2 and 3 were so much better! I loved the gripping courtroom scenes, and the mystery surrounding the truth about Lily kept me hooked throughout. There was an unexpected twist too which I didn’t see coming!

The ending felt open for a sequel, and left me wanting more! I’d definitely love to see a certain plot line explored and explained further. There wasn’t enough of this plot line in this book in my opinion, so a sequel would be great! 😍

Recommend this one if you’re after an intriguing mystery/legal thriller.

Yet another brilliant read from Kia Abdullah , this author never disappoints, always delivers a gripping tension filled read with a legal thriller aspect. Safar Saleem is a journalist following 2 investigations. One is closer to home, one involves a friend, the other is attacks on elderly women in the community. Without a doubt another 5 star read . Looking forward to the next book.

Oh wow, this is fantastic!

Journalist Safa is an old childhood friend of TV’s golden girl, Lily Astor. They grew up on the same working class estate, and both worked hard to leave it behind them.

When rumours start spreading that Lily is the victim of domestic violence from wealthy husband Richard, Safa gets in touch to both offer support and see if there’s a story. Safa is extremely fond of the couple’s 13 year old boy Harry and is concerned that he may be witnessing something that he shouldn’t.

When events escalate and Lily is charged with Richard’s death, their private family life is blown wide open.

Simultaneously Safa is investigating a truly horrific criminal known as the Glass Man, who breaks into the houses of vulnerable Asian women and brutally attacks them. The victims do not want to speak out and Safa is desperate to help them before he strikes again.

I have read and enjoyed everything that Kia Abdullah has written but this is another level. Fantastically tense and nerve wracking, the pace does not let up from start to finish

I always look forward to a new Kia Abdullah book and this one is as well written and engaging as ever. The author manages to combine two twisty narratives and a courtroom drama involving believable characters and a contemporary plot. However, I didn't feel it was one of her best as, while the issues raised are really important,
there were times when I felt the author was unnecessarily repetitive and I think most readers will have understood the points she is making earlier in the book.
Looking forward to the next one though!
Thank you to netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of this book.

Yet another thought provoking and page turning psychological thriller by a wonderful author.

The relationship between Lily and Safa is forensically explored and the dynamics change frequently as the roller coaster of a story develops.

There is an unexpected twist near the end and a major unresolved issue which leads me to believe that there will be a sequel.

The east end of London and the immigrant experience are also brilliantly depicted in a book that will remain with me for quite a while.

Kia Abdullah’s What Happens in the Dark is an absolutely gripping read that kept me guessing right up until the very end. The story follows Safa and Lily, two childhood best friends whose lives have taken dramatically different turns. When bruises appear on Lily’s body, Safa tries to reconnect, but what follows is a deeply unsettling crime story that forces both characters into extreme circumstances.

What made this book stand out for me was how authentic the characters felt. Safa and Lily were so well written, and even as the story took some shocking turns, their reactions remained believable. Kia Abdullah has a way of making readers question everything. We see what we expect to see, rather than what’s truly there, and this novel plays on that idea brilliantly. It is also a story very much of our times, there are references to how the pandemic affected people, toxic masculinity and the ease of cancelling those who voice unpopular opinions.

I also really appreciated the setting and atmosphere, which added to the tension. I have loved the author's previous books, Take It Back and Next of Kin ,which were equally powerful with both dealing with intense moral dilemmas and deeply emotional narratives. age.

If you enjoy thrillers that challenge your assumptions and keep you hooked, What Happens in the Dark is an absolute must-read.

Novel #5 for an author who, with her second and third books, produced contemporary crime classics as far as I am concerned. There are few UK crime writers that I would rather read than Kia Abdullah so a new book is for me a big deal. Her last novel “Those People Next Door” (2023) established her amongst the big sellers but the theme of nasty neighbours always jars with me and it wasn’t quite as impactful as her other works, although everything was handled strongly. The legal proceedings where she so excels at was perhaps less prevalent than in some of the predecessors. It did feel very commercial and I did really enjoy it but in my review I urged new fans to explore her back catalogue.
This feels more like a tweak back to the first three novels in terms of structure. Safa Saleem is a journalist whose career is back-pedalling due to an error of judgement. When old school friend Lily Astor, a morning TV presenter, has her own news story blowing up around her Safa gets back in touch but is she doing this as a friend or as an investigative reporter who wants to get her own career back on track? Meanwhile, old concerns are escalating as a rapist is targeting elderly Asian women in their homes, a case hampered by the victims’ unwillingness or inability to speak out. Once again, everything feels very relevant to our 2025 lives encapsulating issues regarding women speaking out against toxic masculinity.
And again the build-up is terrific, although I must admit on this occasion the twists seem quite heavily signposted but that may be because five novels on I’m more attuned to how the author manipulates her plots. A more unresolved ending could suggest a sequel is planned. Perhaps for me, lacking in the jaw-dropping surprises of her very best work but this is a strong legal thriller which will continue to enhance her admirable reputation.

What Happens In The Dark is published on 19th June by HQ. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

Every book I've read by Kia Abdullah has been a 5 star read and this, What Happens in The Dark, is no exception.
From the very first line you are drawn into the lives of the characters and totally invested in them.
A brilliantly written thriller, with gripping courtroom scenes and a sobering look at domestic violence in ALL its forms.
The twist when it comes will knock you sideways!
While Kia’s books are normally stand-alone reads I really hope she makes an exception this time as we need to know what happens next to Safa and her nemesis, whom, in the interests of not spoiling the plot for others, will remain nameless.

One of my favourite authors and this one is no different, my only complaint is that I wanted more and to keep reading and following the incredible characters through their lives! Suspense, twists, morality and much more, loved it!

i mean did oone else see Lisa Jewell give her praises on this book? well, if you have that written anywhere then im in. but it didnt even need it to make me love this! wow. what a fabulous, grab me in and not let me go book. great plot. great tension. great thinking thinking thinking over this book for me. in all the best ways this book was just so good.
there is so much more to this book than a story. we are ALL brought in to this book with our harts in our mouths and throats. we are feeling all things throughout. its bring the people and the tragedy to their stories to life. so you cant help but feel so much for the subject and victims involved.
this book gives is Lily and Safa.they were best friends going up but Lily soon stops being in communication. and as things often do Safa just stepped away.
now Lily is a famous TV star. and Safa is a journalist. Safa as had a tough time at work recently so knows she needs to get herself some golden girl points and up her game.
but when Lily gets herself talked about by everyone about some bruises that are on her face, rumours continue to mount. suspicious fall on all sorts. worried about her old friends Safa tries to get involved and talk to Lily. but Lily quickly brushes her off. but weve all seen and hear that before. and this doesnt sit well with Safa and her gut either. Safas story and past brought this right up to the front. because he will and determination to see right by someone she felt was being wronged in this way really made her brave, made her courage grow to see this through. but what she uncovers was far deeper than she imagined.
we are left with so many questions. we want to question and be suspicious of a few people. and at some points i was even wondering about Lily. her own back story was such a complex web. you could see it,like Safa effecting her and have ripple effects. and it certainly had that for me.i was slipping and sliding over Lily more than i wanted to be, ha! and i wondered was it Lily or Kia trying to make me so confused hehe.
because it doesnt stop there and one night the police are called and find Lily standing over a dead body.
plus there is also a horrible other story weaving its way for us alongside the one with Lily. the story of the GLassman.(no no no not good at all) but once again is important because its giving us more of what Safa is. and we see her bravery and determination to give the woman involved their voices back.
this book hits on all the hard subjects you think it might as the story involves. and it felt so heartbreaking and sucker punching at times. but it needed to be said as raw and honest as KIa managed to. but she also used her obvious talent so we would be totalled by it or overwhelmed.
there is gorgeous plot moments in this book. i cannot wait for others to read this too. just excellent.

3.5 stars

Firstly, I’d like to say thank you to netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I don’t read many legal/courtroom drama thrillers but I really enjoyed that setting so would definitely read another one, and another book by Kia Abdullah too. it was so interesting to see the different arguments the defence and prosecution had and the way that stories were changed and different per side so that you had no idea what had actually happened and didn’t know who to trust. I felt that was vital in keeping me interested.

I did not see the twist coming whatsoever, it didn’t even cross my mind but I think it was done very cleverly and definitely carried the shock factor!

I liked the second mystery we had alongside the main one, with the “glassman” and it feels like there’s potential for this to be explored further which I would definitely be up for reading. it was one of my favourite parts of this book.

I did feel at parts it was a bit repetitive with the courtroom sections but as mentioned before, the sense of not knowing who to trust helps keep you engaged with it anyway.

I did enjoy this overall and would recommend! especially if you’re already a fan of courtroom thrillers!

Words simply cannot describe how utterly brilliant this book is!
It literally grabs you by the throat and makes you gasp for air.
From beginning to end you are kept guessing, which is an impossible feat due to the constant twists and turns and the ENDING…. The ENDING had me shouting out in pure, unadulterated shock.
I can only say that if you want an INCREDIBLE thriller THIS is EXACTLY what you are looking for.
I must say that it deals with some very topical elements, so very important in todays world, that serve as a warning too.
An intricately, cleverly crafted tale that packs an utterly thrilling and chilling punch.
I can’t wait for the next one, actually I am impatiently pacing for the next one!
Highly recommended and one of the BEST of the year so far.
Kia does NOT disappoint, once again excelling herself.
Five Stars,