Just couldn't get into this one. It might be other people's cup of tea, but not mine unfortunately. I may look into the author's books in the future though.

Although I have several of her books on my TBR shelf, this is my actual first read by Candice Fox and let me tell you folks, I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!!!!

At first I thought I was going to have a hard time getting into the story, but it quickly picked up and caught my attention and never dropped it after that! I really liked that the story went back and forth between the two main characters, Jessica and Blaire, who were both total kick-butt strong, independent female characters that I appreciated! I am a sucker for a story with strong female protagonists! In some ways, Blair comes across very submissive in her quest to keep her nose clean, but man does it take GUTS to go to the officer that you believe wrongfully arrested you for murder, which in turn made you spend FIVE YEARS IN PRISON, for help! And she does just that!

There were several twists and turns that I totally didn't see coming! This is one of those books that you better just hold on for the ride because it's one that you're going to enjoy! The only thing that I am disappointed about is I have had this book for quite awhile and just now got around to it! Now I feel like I want to run out and read everything by Candice Fox and I REALLY can't wait to hear about more books in the Jessica Sanchez story, of which I surely hope we will hear more from Blair and Jaime!

Overall, this was an excellent story that knocked my socks off from beginning to end!

I would like to offer a HUGE THANK YOU to Netgalley, Candice Fox, and Forge Books for providing me with a copy of Gathering Dark which has allowed me to provide you with this honest and unbiased review.

Great story, fabulous author with brilliant writing and plot. Highly recommend to others, and cannot wait for more by this author.

Good crime fiction story the characters were nicely developed and good story the story centers around Blair a one time surgeon who was convicted of killing her neighbor

I've struggled with Candice fox in the past but thought I would give this one a chance. I just could not get into it. It was hard for me to read.

Overall, I felt kinda meh about this book. Not necessarily bad, but not particularly memorable either. Giving it 2.5/5 Stars.

I was excited going in to this story as I've read great things about this author's books, but this was not the thriller I was hoping and looking for unfortunately. Good, easy to follow writing and POV's that were done well, but just not the story I was wanting to hold my interest.

This is really a crime story not so much a thriller that will keep you guessing. I could not relate to Sneak or Ada and at times the things Blair and Jessica did seemed too unbelievable. As this is a new series I’m hoping the character of Jessica develops more. Why is she the way she is would make me want to read more in this series.

Before reading Gathering Dark, the only Candice Fox books I had read were the Harriet Blue series she co-writes with James Patterson which I love. Gathering Dark is the first book in Fox’s new Jessica Sanchez series, and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series. Great read. #GatheringDark #NetGalley

I saw Candice Fox name and I knew I had to read it. I've been a fan, and without actually reading a lot of the synopsis I missed that this is a completely new series. But guess what! I loved this one! So so good. The story was wild, dark, and oh so thrilling.

The story follows two women whose lives have connected through a crime. The first is of a Dr. Blair Harbour, who killed her neighbor and went to prison. After she gets out, trouble seems to keep following her, and she gets involved in a search of her fellow prisoner's daughter. The second POV is of the detective Jessica Sanchez, who put Blair away. A Latinx detective is going through her own issues - misogyny, racism, and overall disrespect at her work of place. While debating about her own future, she meets Blair's kid, and somehow gets involved in Blair's search of the missing woman, and at the same time Jessica starts to wonder if Blair was innocent after all in her own case years ago.

The plot is a lot! But it all weaves seamlessly. There are connections that you don't see at first, but all make sense and make this story that much better. The drugs, ex cons, bad cops, oh and a gopher - what a set of characters that you loathe, but at the same time want to come on top of. I can't wait to see what Jessica will get up to in the next book. And if you're not a fan of Candice Fox (YET), trust me - read this and join the fan club.

I must admit this is my first Candice Fox book, but it won't be my last! What a whirlwind! So many quirky (but amazing characters) adorn this novel: a surgeon ex-con, a policewoman who's been targeted by male superiors, a 10-year-old abandoned when his mother gave birth to him in prison, dirty cops, death row inmates...what's not to love? It's pointless to even attempt explaining the plot as it's convoluted and moves at a breakneck pace! Just know this group of flawed characters and unlikely heroes will keep you on your toes and have you put off adulting until you are finished!

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

3.5/5 stars!

A convicted killer. A gifted thief. A vicious ganglord. A disillusioned cop. What do they all have in common? They might just be the only hope for one missing girl. Dr. Blair Harbour was once a wealthy, respected pediatric surgeon before her acts one night landed her in jail. The ex-con is trying to keep herself out of trouble in order to regain custody of her son when her former cellmate shows up on her doorstep needing her help to find her missing daughter. Detective Jessica Sanchez has never quite found her place within the LAPD and now on the heels of an inheritance linked to a case she worked, she has never felt more alone. It’s been ten years since Jessica arrested Blair and the last thing she ever expects is for her to reach out to her for help.

When I first read the tagline for this one I instantly was drawn in by the motley crew joining forces. I love reading stories where unlikely characters are forced to team up in order to accomplish things. Candice Fox took that premise within GATHERING DARK and executed a fascinating story.

From the start I was intrigued by our main characters, Blair and Jessica. I love that Fox chose to alternate narratives between the two in order to give the reader a viewpoint from both of them and then lead their paths to cross. The reader is able to get to know them both individually, feel for their situations, and learn what makes them tick. The cast of secondary characters in this story were well detailed and truly helped to drive the story forward.

The pacing of GATHERING DARK is on the slower side for the majority of the story, which is common in the police procedural sub-genre. The pacing is very methodical and well detailed in order to reveal small hits for the characters and the reader on the search for this missing girl.

I’m excited that this is the first in a series and look forward to finding out what Jessica Sanchez gets into next!

A huge thank you to Forge Books for my gifted copy!

I started reading Candice Fox last year when I found her Crimson Lake books. They’re a series of atmospheric thrillers set in Australia, highly reminiscent of Jane Harper. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I found out she was writing a novel set in LA, but as a fan, I wanted to support her. I’m so glad I did!!! Let me tell you, this lady can write a mystery!

There are multiple storylines throughout the book, which keeps things interesting. There’s a feeling of slowly building danger, or “gathering dark” if you will, when the mysteries begin to converge, that make the book unputdownable. There are plenty of twists, turns, and surprises, most of which I didn’t expect. It’s so well-plotted that I finished it and wanted to just start again right away to experience it a second time. The character development is also quite rich. The wide cast includes many quirky and complex characters (very on-brand for this author)! I’m definitely hoping for a sequel at minimum and hopefully a full series with these characters.

I can’t think of anything I didn’t love about this book. It really hits the spot when you need a captivating mystery with fun characters and a plot that won’t let you down. Highly recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley, Forge Books, and Candice Fox for the eARC in exchange for this honest review.

This book definitely has a dark feel to it Like all of Candice's books it takes of from almost the first page and while you may think you have it all worked out Candace will always throw twists that has you thinking what the hell. This is a story about redemption and finding your place in society the characters aren't always likeable in fact in a few places I detested them but they did grow on me as the storyline went on The story centres around former surgeon Dr. Blair Harbour who is sent to prison convicted of murder and the police officer who was responsible is the other main character LAPD detective Jessica Sanchez not only do her fellow detectives not respect her they don't even like her Now Blair is out of prison trying to keep her nose clean and get custody of her son But her and Jessica end up working together to try to find a missing girl Can they solve the case you need to read to see

Candace Fox continues her fabulous writing with this new series. Highly recommended!
Full review at MurderinCommon:
https://murderincommon.com/2021/03/14/candace-fox-gathering-dark/

A convicted killer. A gifted thief. A vicious ganglord. A disillusioned cop. Together they’re a missing girl’s only hope.

With a tag line like 👆🏻I knew this one was a must read for me, I mean how good does this one sound?! Bonus that all the main characters are women 💪🏻 and you have all the ingredients for one hell of a wild ride.

While I would say that all of the women in this one were badass in their own way, they’re definitely not all likable. Totally fine by me, I like rooting for the antihero sometimes and even if you didn’t like some of them, they were super complex and interesting. This one was dark, gritty, and raw with enough tension for me to stay engaged. At times it felt a tiny bit slow, but as it read like a procedural that’s to be expected. Overall I really liked it and found it entertaining, the great characters made it worthwhile for me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gathering Dark by Candice Fox is the first book in the new Jessica Sanchez series. Dr. Blair Harbour used to be a respected doctor until she was convicted of murder and sent to prison. Now, she's out of prison, trying to do everything right, so that she can win custody of her son. But, a former cellmate needs her help. Jessica Sanchez is a not-very-repected LAPD detective. She also happens to be the officer that arrested Blair for murder ten years ago. Through a strange but exciting turn of events, Blair and Jessica end up working together. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I can't wait to read the next book in this new series! Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

I've been a Candice Fox fan for a few years now, having stumbled on copies of her Archer and Bennett books in my favorite local used bookstore back in 2018. Since then, I've made a point of reading all of her books. Her writing is descriptive, her characters sharp but also human and messy, and her plots never predictable without resorting to being gimmicky.

Gathering Dark, though, was a whole new level. This book was absolutely WILD. Every time you think you know where it's going, Fox pulls a bait and switch and you end up in an entirely different mess altogether. Blair the bleeding heart / convicted murderer vs Jessica the vengeful but determined homicide detective. Between the two of them and a cast of colorful side characters (gangsters, dirty cops, suburbanites, drug addicts, and more and more and more) you never know what to expect with each passing page. Fox just throws everything at you.

One of the things she does really well, though, is taking a moment to acknowledge the fear and darkness in the minds of characters in moments of peril. One thinking she's about to be sexually assaulted digging into what that means based on her situation, another after a moment of humiliation doing something dangerous and wrong just to feel some semblance of control or power over someone else. Every moment when we see the expected on the horizon, Fox breaks down what that would mean before spinning us away into the alternative. It's honestly brilliant.

I am so excited to see this series continue and, of course, I'm absolutely still a Fox fan

Former pediatric surgeon Blair Harbour is out of prison and hoping to regain custody of her young son, Jamie. NYPD Detective Jessica Sanchez had been the one to arrest Blair for murder, but after closing a recent case no longer feels as if she has the backing of her department or fellow officers. I did not enjoy this book and found the story disjointed as it switched back and forth from Blair to Jessica. It was difficult to finish and review as I felt that more explanation to previous events (i.e., Blair’s arrest, etc.) was needed in the very beginning rather than starting with Blair being robbed and her car stolen. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)