Lily and Safa are childhood friends though they've grown apart in recent years. Lily is a popular breakfast TV presenter while Safa, an investigative journalist, is working for a local newspaper after being fired from her last job. When Lily is seen on TV with a black eye and then bruises on her body, Safa's boss persuades her to reconnect with Lily to ascertain what's going on. Lily is adamant that the bruises were caused accidentally from tennis and riding incidents. However shortly afterwards Lily's husband is dead and she is charged with murder.. Safa is convinced that Lily acted in self defence to protect herself from her husband's violence.
Safa is also investigating the Glassman who is assaulting elderly women in the Bangladeshi community in their own homes. Embarrassed and ashamed none of the victims are willing to speak about their ordeal..
I was delighted to receive an ARC of Kia Abdullah's latest book as she is one of my favourite authors. I really enjoyed this and didn't anticipate the huge twist towards the end I would have liked to have found out more about the Glassman investigation but maybe there will be a sequel. I do hope so!

Every Kia Abdullah book I've read has been a 5 star read and What Happens in The Dark is no exception.

I don't know how she does it but Abdullah's courtroom drama thrillers are always so gripping and always keep you guessing right up to the very last page.

They also always tackle tough topics sensitively (in this case domestic violence is the main focus, with a side plot of sexual assault) and are so thought provoking. And the characters feel so real.

The story focuses on Lily and Safa who were childhood friends but have lost touch. Safa suspects Lily is being abused by her husband but then Lily is arrested when a body is found in her house. I really enjoyed the story and kept trying to figure out where it was going and what was going to happen next and I just couldn't!

Safa Saleem was a brilliant main character, her backstory was so sad but I loved her close relationship with her father. I really hope Abdullah's next book picks up where this left off and we see more from Safa Saleem!

I will never hesitate to recommend Kia Abdullah’s books. If you haven't read any yet this one is a great one to start with!

This is the third book I’ve read from Kia Abdullah and I have enjoyed all of them, she writes some brilliant characters and the plot usually covers sensitive topics. Although parts of this book were tough to read, the themes covered are very much reality and makes you wonder what you would do in a situation like this. I found the main character Safa incredibly likeable, she was a strong-minded woman and very relatable. Our main character Lily was definitely a lot less likeable! But I still enjoyed reading from her POV, I was so interested in the way she thought and behaved. My opinions of her changed frequently throughout as I learned more about her.

I really enjoyed the amount of tension that was building throughout the chapters, although there were multiple storylines, each was full of suspense and when a twist came I found myself having to continue reading to find out what happened next. The legal parts were one of my favourites, I loved the court case chapters, I was questioning everyone and everything!

The ending for me tied everything up nicely, the final twist got me! I was not expecting it at all and rushed through the remaining pages because I needed to know how it ended! I liked that the ending was left kind of open, maybe for a sequel? I would absolutely pick up the next book and will be recommending this one along with the other books from this author I have enjoyed!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Publisher (HQ) and Author for this ARC!

It is an important story that is heartbreaking and hard to read yet gripping and brave at the same time.
Kia Abdullah is an absolutely talented author she really knows how to write a hard hitting close to home story and this time we are given an extra storyline running within the main storyline which is just as powerful.I loved Saffa and really felt her pain while she tried to make sure the truth came out yet knew that what she revealed could change the people she loves lives for ever.
From the ending, I'm pleased that we'll be reading more about Saffa in the future, and I, for one, can't wait.
As always, we are left thinking just what you would do to protect and shield the ones you love.
For lovers of a powerful courtroom and hardhitting read.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the Arc

Lily and Safa were best friends growing up but now they have gone their separate ways. Lily is a well known breakfast TV presenter and Safa, a once successful journalist, has suffered a fall from grace and is working at a low level local paper. Then one day Lily appears on the news with a bruise and rumours start to fly. Safa attempts to rekindle their friendship and at the same time get a scoop but Lily insists there is nothing behind the bruise, a mere accident.
Then police are called to Lily's home. A body lies dead at her feet.
Safa starts her own investigation as to what happened to discover the truth.
Meanwhile, Safa works on a separate investigation into the Glassman, who breaks into womens home and assaults them. Women he knows won't speak about the crimes, silenced.

This one was so interesting, with the two separate issues running through them, not to mention Safa and Lily's own lives and backstories. With this author you know nothing is ever as it seems and she always keeps me hooked as I fly through the pages. Another fabulous novel! 4.5*

#WhatHappensInTheDark #NetGalley
Lily and Safa were best friends growing up. Now, Lily is the nation’s favourite breakfast TV presenter and Safa, once a renowned journalist, is reeling from a recent fall from grace. When news breaks about suspicious bruises on Lily’s body, Safa attempts to rekindle their old friendship. But Lily claims the bruises are nothing to worry about. And then one night the police are called to Lily’s home. Lily is strangely calm – and a body lies dead at her feet. Lily pleads not guilty, and then says nothing more. Driven by her desire to give a voice to all victims, Safa begins her own investigation into what happened that night. But Safa is not prepared for what her quest for justice will uncover.
I loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me an advance copy.

Lily Astor is the darling of daytime tv. She wasn't always this way as her best friend Safa knew a different Lily from school.
They haven't spoken for a few years, but when news breaks that Lily has appeared on tv with bruises, she makes contact. Lily shrugs it off as an accident playing tennis. Safa is not convinced, and as a journalist, she starts looking for a story.
Then the unthinkable happens when police are called to Lily's house and there is a dead body.
Alongside this, Safa is investigating 'glassman' who is targeting elderly, lone Bangladeshi women.
I could not put this down. I read it in two sittings. It's compulsive. gripping, and I needed to know what happened. The courtroom drama is so well written. I kept swaying between guilty and not guilty. I didn't know what to believe.
I was certainly not expecting that ending!
A thoroughly enjoyable read.
The one thing I did find slightly irritating was the author's constant need to tell us the colour of the skin of each character Totally unnecessary.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC in return for an honest review.

There are some wonderful aspects to this book. The central character is well drawn and engaging, the plots and sub plots gripping and the journalist's use of her cultural background to speak to older women in her community is sympathetically depicted and a hugely important story to tell. However inaccuracies in the journalistic procedure caused me to take away one star. I would absolutely read more of this series though.

⭐️ 4.5 ⭐️
Rounded up to 5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

What Happens in the Dark is another brilliant page-turner from Kia Abdullah.

I was pulled into the story straight away, and it held my interest right to the very end. The characterisation is excellent; the characters are well-rounded and their dialogue is fluid and believable. I particularly liked Safa (and her lovely dad). I did predict early on where the main thread of the story would lead, but it didn't spoil my enjoyment, and the ending has definitely left me wanting more.

It’s an enjoyable, tense, twisty read; I can't wait for the next one!

Kia Abdullah continues to combine gripping thrillers with sharp cultural commentary in this story of a down-on-her-luck journalist investigating the murder of a childhood friend's husband. Some dangling threads make me hope this is the first of a great new series. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book. From the very first chapter, the writing just pulled me in and didn’t let go. The pacing is effortless — one of those rare reads where you blink and you’re ten chapters deep without even noticing. The flow, the characters, the way the story unfolds — it all just works so well together.

Reading What Happens in the Dark actually gave me that dangerous thought: “Wow, writing seems easy.” That’s how smooth and natural Abdullah’s style feels. But then you remember — no, writing isn’t easy. It only feels that way because Kia Abdullah is that good. There’s a real skill in making a complex, layered story read so seamlessly, and she possesses that talent in spades.

This is the first book I’ve read by Abdullah, even though I already had a few of her others sitting on my “to be read” pile. Safe to say, those books are now heading straight to the top of that list. If What Happens in the Dark is anything to go by, I’m in for a treat.

It’s clever, compelling, and completely absorbing. I can’t recommend it enough. Please — go and buy this book. You won’t regret it.

Oh, wow, just wow. What Happens In The Dark is powerful and thought provoking and I loved it. At its heart, What Happens In The Dark is a legal thriller, with a focus on the domestic issues faced by the two female protagonists but these are not simple or throwaway issues; instead the topics of domestic violence and defense, and the right to privacy come to the fore.
In less experienced hands, this novel could be a difficult read but Kia Abdullah knows her characters and how to develop the storyline in a sensitive manner. And I particularly enjoyed the scenes with Safa's father and Imran. Both heartwarming and relatable.
I'm hoping for a followup with a further investigation of the Glassman storyline.

As with all of Kia Abdullah’s books, I was immediately hooked. She has a gift for grabbing your attention and keeping it until the very last page. This is a suspenseful and emotional domestic/ legal thriller revolving around serious and sensitive topics that are plaguing the country today.

I enjoyed the glimpses into the childhoods of Safa and Lily and seeing how early events influenced them as they grew into adults. The tense courtroom scenes make you feel like you are sitting in the gallery. What Happens In the Dark is packed with secrets, lies and some masterful twists, the last big one knocking me for a loop. The ending of this book makes me feel like we will be seeing Safa again, and I for one will be eagerly awaiting the sequel.

Abdullah’s novels are automatic reads, they have yet to disappoint. There is no doubt that I will be recommending this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Lily Astor is a tv presenter, and she shows up to work with a black eye. This is big news in the celebrity gossip world. Journalist, Safa, gets Lily's side of the story, seeing as she is Lily's childhood friend. Lily is adamant that it was accidental. But Safa is worried about her friend, and keeps a close eye as the situation develops.

This author always offers us a powerful storyline in every book. This story focuses on domestic violence. The author has written the story well, and has handled it gently, sensitively, and hard hitting. There were some twists in this story, and it was very tense and atmospheric in places. I really enjoyed this book, purely because the authors writing is so authentic and absorbing. Highly recommended.

Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for ARC.

Investigative journalist Safa is on her uppers, after being let go from her last, more prestigious job. In her new job at a local paper she has fewer resources and finds it harder to work her contacts. When a tip off comes in about the personal life of Lily, an old friend from the same estate, now a household name, she's desperate to investigate. Is she wanting to reconnect, or to get a scoop that will put her back on track to the kind of career she wanted?
Meantime, the story she really wants to tell, involving victims of crime who are already disenfranchised and vulnerable, is the story no one wants her to run with. Following that down brings her into some danger she was not expecting.
Complicated motives are behind a lot of people's actions in this novel, which explores the grey areas very well. You may 'guess' the plot twist early on, and you may occasionally think 'would [that character] do that?' but stick with it, because the journey and the end result are very satisfying in this well paced novel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars. This book started well but it slowed a bit in the middle and I did debate whether to finish it.

Unfortunately I also guessed the ‘twist’ very early on. Added to which a totally implausible plot near the end where Safa gave something to Oliver. Would never happen and was so totally at odds with the character.

The biggest disappointment though was the end - the whole story was leading to a resolution on the Glassman. However……it never came so the book felt like a waste of time unless I invest in the second book!

Not for me sorry.

3.5 stars

I’m going to start by saying that Kia Abdullah is one of my favourite authors!

However, I felt so bad that I gave this less than 4.5 stars.

In true Kia style, What happens in the dark follows political drama and court room drama, based on domestic abuse and a serial rapist.

Like any KA book, 80% is the biggest twist, with another big twist at 95%. I did guess the twist again this book (like her previous) and so it didn’t feel like a big plot twist in my eyes.

The plot was engaging, Safa, a journalist reconnects with her childhood best friend Lily, a tv personality, when news breaks that that she’s seen with a black eye. Exploring the world of domestic violence and other themes (without giving much away) was written delicately from different perspectives and handled well- much better than Colleen hoover ever could. I loved the addition of different cultures.

The glass man left me with a lot of questions - I’m hoping this means there will be a sequel further down the line? Because if not it felt kind of pointless???

Safa had me screaming at the book quite a few times, but I think that shows how good Kia is with her writing style,

I did find all the characters pretty unlikeable, but I think that’s just my personality 😂😂.

I would still recommend this book as KA is an amazing author.

Safa and Lily were once best friends but life has sent them in different directions. Safa, once a lauded journalist, is picking up the pieces from a recent fall from grace, while Lily is the queen of morning TV. A story circulates about Lily – and bruises – and while she’s quick to play them down to everyone, Safa is unsure and keen to rebuild their relationship. Fast forward to one evening where Lily is found in a sorry state, refusing to say anything, merely pleading not guilty to the crime of which she’s charged. Her former friend wonders if things are so clear cut, beginning an investigation into what really is going on. It’s certainly one to get your teeth into, and it’ll challenge how you feel about certain issues.

This is more of a 3.5, I was SO excited for Kia’s latest book because she is one of my favourite thriller authors. She blends crime, politics, and identity so well in all of her books and this one is no exception, although I felt like her other books had very distinctive political elements but this one was more nuanced and didn’t really go for it like she usually does.

Safa and Lily were both pretty difficult to like. Safa is a journalist and wants to use Lily’s story to create a political article about domestic abuse, which is great but at a certain point it felt weird that she was so into this article after all her childhood best friend had gone through, and the way she used it in the end was a bit questionable. Lily was difficult to like because it was very very hard to tell what the truth was with her, which was done intentionally. I did like Imran and I liked Safa’s relationship with him.

Unfortunately I did manage to guess the plot twist in this, which comes all the way to almost the end of the book! This makes it a bit of a slow one. I do love that her books are more courtroom thrillers, I love to see the process and it keeps the tension up. Overall, this was a good story and amazing writing as usual, but it didn’t grip me or shock me as much as some of her previous ones. So it’s not my favourite of hers, but I’ll definitely be reading her next book.

Lily and Safa have been friends since childhood but now in their adult years’ life has taken them both in a different direction. Lily is a popular daytime tv presenter and Safa once a renowned journalist is pretty much starting from scratch again.
When bruises on Lily’s body makes headlines, Safa comes back into her best friend’s life to try and find out what is going on, but Lily brushes her concerns away and says all is well. Until soon after the police are called to Lily’s home, and she is standing there next to a deceased body. Lily says she is now guilty, and we are about to uncover a whole lot of hidden secrets.

WOW WOW WOW this is why this author is one of my favourites. She is going to hit you with a taboo, sensitive dilemma and force you to keep flipping the pages right till the very end. Kia writes in that addictive way where you can picture everything described and just feel totally immersed and lost into the storytelling.
I thoroughly enjoyed the courtroom scenes and those usually are always my favourite as I love seeing the defense and prosecution go back and forth. I was reading it like ‘Oooh I don’t know what to believe anymore’. I did semi guess the twist but not fully and it bamboozled me and knocked me sideways! I was reeling afterwards but I can’t delve to much into why as it will ruin it!

SAFA
Ugh I love Safa character so much. She is such a strong, resilient woman who went through a traumatic childhood but remains confident and puts other needs before her own. I enjoyed following her personal life and relationship with her dad and her on-off again love life with Imran (although it did feel like the book left that situation incomplete) While trying to help get justice for her old friend she was also dealing with another case where there is an unknown man in her community known as ‘The Glassman’ who is breaking into elderly Indian women’s home and r*ping them. That storyline had me glued to my seat, but again I can’t say too much about it. I would love to read another book following Safa and her brilliant journalistic ways.

LILY
Sigh! Lily is one complex character that would have me one minute wanting to give her a hug to side eyeing her in serious distrust. She did come across as quite unlikeable and even though she also had a hard upbringing, some of her behaviour in her childhood would prevent you from wanting to be an ally for her. Her character development was an interesting journey to read through.

NOW Ms. Abdullah you know this would have been an easy 5 star read but that ending…. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!
A very enjoyable as well as necessary read that will hit you in the gut when all is revealed. I am ready for the next book!

*Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased honest review *