Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

Darlington is the first book in a series, judging by the way the story was written/ended. Overall, it was a solid read. It isn't something i'd normally choose for myself. BUT the writing was great. The storyline was unique. And the characters were interesting.

“Sometimes it was just best to shut the f*** up and let the wisdom flow over you.” – (p. 217)
Such was the approach I attempted to take when reading Darlington. This novel is a sort of Kerouac-like stream of consciousness that follows a few months in the life of Tommy Darlington – a part-time Florida cab driver and full-time hitman, who makes such an astronomical amount of money in the latter profession that I am considering a change in career. The book does not follow a traditional story arc. It leads down some blind alleys, and the chapters are more a loosely linked series of vignettes of Tommy’s violent life contrasted with his romantic one. But the gleaming pearls of wisdom that are interspersed within the deep darkness of this gritty noir are worth the brief moments of disorientation. I found myself time and again, highlighting one insightful, poignant and brilliant line after the other. Tripsy South can coin a phrase in the flick of a Florida gator’s tale, using the same seductive grace and threatening beauty as that dangerous reptile.
Unfortunately, Tommy uses some wildly offensive words to refer to Latinos in the book and in one passage blames “racial refugees” for turning a neighbourhood to “sh**” (p. 77). These types of comments are not a frequent occurrence, but enough to turn me off, although I’m sure the author was only using this type of behaviour to convey the amorality of the character. I don’t know why this should offend me more than the fact that the man kills dozens of people in cold blood for a living, but it does. If we are meant to see Tommy Darlington as one of the “warriors with a heart (p. 228),” then these types of comments are not in my image of what that means.
Despite this, I look forward to reading more from this author, and allowing her wisdom to flow over me like a warm but dark Sarasota Bay wave.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

The first part is very promising, with tough and funny language, as well as hints of action. Unfortunately, everything turns crazy and it's a meaningless mess. It is possible to read this book, but getting any logic or sense of it is very difficult.

Addictive, engaging, intense, easy-to-read.

Darlington was a super fun read, I thoroughly enjoyed the main character Tommy Darlington. The story's told from his point of view, which is addictive. I made quite a few highlights of the witty creative thought processes of Tommy. When he gets in the mood to murder someone, there's no qualms about taking that action. I would've liked more gory details, and a few more killings but overall the story was entertaining. There's drugs, murders, some violence, great descriptions, and criminals abound. I would recommend this as a to read.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle e-read ARC. This is my honest review.

They weren't kidding when they said "Killing Eve invades Old Florida" that was the reason I requested the book and I really enjoyed it. It was able to set up what it needed to for a first part in a series and I look forward to more in the series.