The Dark

The unputdownable and pulse-raising Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month

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Pub Date 19 Aug 2021 | Archive Date 19 Aug 2021

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Description

ONE DEAD BODY. TWELVE SUSPECTS. TWENTY-FOUR-HOUR DARKNESS.

'Outstanding ... Haughton writes vividly about a claustrophobic community ... her novel really is a superlative locked-room mystery' Sunday Times (Crime Book of the Month)

'Haughton has created a fantastically atmospheric setting ... it's a chilling race to the finish to discover whodunnit' Observer

In the most inhospitable environment - cut off from the rest of the world - there's a killer on the loose.

A&E doctor Kate North has been knocked out of her orbit by a personal tragedy. So when she's offered the opportunity to be an emergency replacement at the UN research station in Antarctica, she jumps at the chance. The previous doctor, Jean-Luc, died in a tragic accident while out on the ice.

The move seems an ideal solution for Kate: no one knows about her past; no one is checking up on her. But as total darkness descends for the winter, she begins to suspect that Jean-Luc's death wasn't accidental at all.

And the more questions she asks, the more dangerous it becomes . . .

'A sense of growing menace pervades ... the freezing wasteland and claustrophobic workings of the research station are finely rendered' Financial Times
'The kind of heart-pounding, sleep-stealing read that you want to recommend to everyone you meet. An absolutely thrilling book' CASS GREEN
'Chilling and atmospheric . . . had me turning the pages late into the night' MARK EDWARDS
'Tense, thrilling and unpredictable, with one of the most unique and dangerous settings imaginable' ALLIE REYNOLDS
'Set against the dangerous sub-zero temperatures and endless night of the Antarctic... Brilliantly atmospheric and terrifying' CATHERINE COOPER
'Tense, twisted and quite literally chilling - a locked room mystery in a unique setting where no one can be trusted' SUSI HOLLIDAY
'Atmospheric, original and full of tension' AMANDA JENNINGS
'A real edge-of-the-seat plot. I loved it. Original and accomplished' J.A. CORRIGAN

ONE DEAD BODY. TWELVE SUSPECTS. TWENTY-FOUR-HOUR DARKNESS.

'Outstanding ... Haughton writes vividly about a claustrophobic community ... her novel really is a superlative locked-room mystery' Sunday...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781529356601
PRICE £12.99 (GBP)
PAGES 384

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Average rating from 168 members


Featured Reviews

A spin on the classic whodunnit. This book literally gave me heart palpitations. I kept wondering what would happen. This is a great mystery. I highly recommend it.

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Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder&Stoughton for the arc of The Dark by Emma Haughton.

4 star read- This thriller is set within a remote location, in the snow and darkness, this involves a lot of secret and traumatic events.. not going to spoil with what but you must read for yourself you won't be disappointed, such a thrilling, gripping and hooking page turning thriller which I totally recommend all whom love dark thrillers to read this!

Highly Recommend
4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Absolutely brilliant suspense thriller. This book tells the story of Kate, a doctor, posted to the Antarctic for the winter. Keeps you guessing right to the end and describes the wild Antarctic very vividly. Not sure I want to visit!

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This book takes place on a station in the artic, cut off from the world for several months.
There are 12 people on the base, everyone of them seems friendly when welcoming the new Dr to the research station. But is someone hiding a deadly secret ? Or was the death of the previous Dr really just an unfortunate accident?
When Kate joins the base as a last minute step in Dr for the winter she thinks it will be a way for her to start over after a recent accident left her world turned upside down, but what she didn't count on was what lurks in the dark.
This is a book that slowly pulls you in and then turns everything you thought you knew on its head. Keeping you guessing right up until the last page, this is a thriller that will deliver so many twists and turns you honestly don't know where you'll end up. A great read and I really would recommend it.

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I am more of an outright horror than thriller fan, but if more thrillers are more like this one, then I could easily be swayed. The writing was perfect, easy to follow, with no condescending tone or hard rhythm to it. I liked how the author explained things (that may not be obvious to anyone who hasn't been to the Antarctic) and yet I was not left feeling dumb for not knowing them. The Characters were brilliant, you could feel each one was different, had a different personality, and they were not just all side pieces for the main character, who is beautiful and flawed and broken and mending (all my favourite tropes.) And as for the story, it got me a couples of times, and while I guessed who it was, I did not get why entirely. Brilliant read, highly fun.

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Loved the concept, loved the book! Perfect for anyone who enjoyed The Sanatorium or The Hunting Party.

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From the firstFrom the first line of this book I was completely gripped. Each and every character have you wondering what else is going in their lives. An original story line set in 24 hours of darkness in the Antarctic where help from the outside is impossible. Highly recommend and worthy of 5 stars.

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gripping, tense and a true page turner. this book has everything I loved in a crime thriller. The atmosphere the author created was so real, I felt broken from reality and truly immersed into this book, the characters and environment. The pace was just right, it kept me gripped from the first page, and didn't go too fast or too slow. a great read!

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A great read - twisty and turning. I couldn't put this book down!
Emma Haughton is an expert at pacy, gripping reads and this is no exception. Highly recommended.

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book that’s right up there with some of our favourite reads this year… The Dark By Emma Haughton , which we’ve been able to read prior to publication thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton … so a big Thankyou to them.

We would describe The Dark As perfect for those of you who like us really enjoyed Shiver, The Sanatorium and The Castaways. Its one of those glorious books that you just sink into, it’s easy to read, easy to follow yet compelling and exciting. Think of And then there were none, but set in sun zero temperatures… Someone is not who they seems and the characters are being picked off one by one…

Here’s a little bit of the book blurb …

In the most inhospitable environment – cut off from the rest of the world – there’s a killer on the loose.

A&E doctor Kate North has been knocked out of her orbit by a personal tragedy. So when she’s offered the opportunity to be an emergency replacement at the UN research station in Antarctica, she jumps at the chance. The previous doctor, Jean-Luc, died in a tragic accident while out on the ice.

The move seems an ideal solution for Kate: no one knows about her past; no one is checking up on her. But as total darkness descends for the winter, she begins to suspect that Jean-Luc’s death wasn’t accidental at all.

And the more questions she asks, the more dangerous it becomes . . .

This book is Dark and atmospheric, we loved the remote and beautiful setting- Which is perfect for a locked room thriller! Genius!! Think of no-one able to come in or out so you’re completely cut off and 8 months of 24 hour darkness!!!

This is a pacy, it’s tense and thrilling and beautifully written in a way that keeps you enthralled by the plot, invested in the characters and riveted. It’s unpredictable, deliciously twisty We really enjoyed the claustrophobic feelings of paranoia, everyone suspicious of everyone and a murderer in their midst – We absolutely loved it and feel it’s one of those books you do want to tell all your friends about!

We highly recommend this to our fellow thriller/ mystery/ crime book lovers- But beware, arm yourselves with snacks and wine/ tea as once you dive into this story you will want to stay with it until it reaches its jaw dropping, shocking conclusion!

This titles release on August 19 th 2021 and is definately worth the wait, so add this to your wish list or get it pre ordered… It’s brilliant!!

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A gripping & exciting read. It's very different but it adds to the tension & atmosphere of the story Not to be missed!

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I do not have spoilers in this review.

This book of fiction is a CHILLING story of an Ice Station in Antarctica at the South Pole about thirteen people, living & working for one year through summer and winter. The main character, Dr Kate North, is a fractured lady, who leaves Bristol, England to work as station doctor to take care of the health & welfare of the remaining workers at the Ice Station. Kate has her own personal problems, which escalate & affect her work. This edgy, compelling storyline keeps the reader wondering to the end.

I found the writing witty, engrossing, sad and funny. I would really recommend this novel, please read and make your own mind up.

I give a 4 star rating.

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REPLY

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I absolutely loved this book and it pulled me out of a huge book slump! The story is packed full of mystery and deeply unsettling characters. All stuck together in a research lab in Antarctica. An amazing, suspensful story with a story that continues to unravel and shock. I loved the cold snowy setting, perfect for a cosy evening. A dark and incredibly interesting story. Highly recommended xx

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The Dark tells the story of Kate, an A&E doctor who has taken a posting to a United Nations research station in Antartica.

Kate has many demons and a sometimes shaky grip on reality. She is suspicious about what happened to her predecessor and starts piecing things together, only to discover that someone is destroying vital information and blocking her at every turn. Kate's own past makes her question the reality of what she finds, and a prescription medication addiction adds to her turmoil.

This is a clever thriller. Claustrophobic, descriptive and atmospheric. You can feel the tension at the base and the various characters are challenging to untangle.

I was thoroughly engaged throughout.

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Would you cope? I’m not sure I would when faced with the reality of this chilling novel (chilling in more ways than one). I gobbled it up in one go and I feel it needs to be read as a whole to get the idea of the claustrophic, scary environment. It’s almost like a locked room mystery, though set in the UN research station in Antartica. A&E doctor Kate North readily agrees to become the emergency replacement at the location after the previous doctor died in an accident. It could be argued that it’s not the best time or place for Kate but once she’s made the decision, there’s no going back – especially when, after a few months there, the community is faced with 24 hours of darkness every day. As Kate looks after the welfare of those working there – with more medical issues than she could have predicted – she begins to think the previous doctor’s death wasn’t so accidental. The location is inhospitable, the company isn’t always friendly and someone is determined to purge the community as they see fit. Beautifully and effectively written, you get a real sense of the complete darkness that envelops the station. Highly recommended.

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Amazing book. I thought I had seen a few red herrings but I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. Looking forward to more from this author

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AMAZING!
Ah, I don’t know where to start. I read this in just over two days, it has so much pace! A proper psychological thriller. The premise was original and exciting: a murder at an Antarctic science station in the middle of winter, when it is dark 24 hours a day - a locked room scenario with no possible escape and 12 suspects, in a hostile environment. The protagonist is Kate, a former A&E doctor who needed a fresh start after some personal tragedies left her reeling - and literally escapes to the end of the earth. She’s also been left with some psychological scars that make her an unreliable narrator, and untrustworthy to the other characters when they figure some of this out. The tense atmosphere just kept ratcheting up, and the mystery aspect was satisfying - I was kept second guessing until almost the big reveal. This is a seriously strong debut, and it’s going straight into my favourite mystery novels from the past year. Read it!

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Hodder and Stoughton for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

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he story centres around Kate North who has left the UK and taken up the post as doctor at a base in the Antarctic. She's hoping it will be a fresh start and an opportunity to leave the past behind. As the daylight fades to nothingness (perfect setting for murder!) tensions at the base ramp up. The doctor Kate replaced died during a team excursion and not all of those at the base believe it was an accident. Soon there’s another death and Kate starts her own investigation into the death as well as the alleged accident which killed the previous doctor. She soon realises that both believed that someone on the base was a danger to everyone else. A really good read with the tension ramping up in each chapter as Kate struggles with her own issues while trying to determine who among her colleagues is a murderer. Classic locked room murder.

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I liked the sound of the description of this, and quickly finished it. Different to the books I've read recently and a breathe of fresh air. Kate is an A&E doctor and wants a fresh start to she takes a job as the site doctor in a remote research station in Antarctica. The last doctor died in a tragic accident, but the longer Kate spends there the more she wonders if it was an accident after all.

This was full of tension and suspense, I didn't know what was going to happen. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend reading it.

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