I've heard great things about Feeney in the past and was really excited to pick up this ARC from Netgalley. It is my first Feeney novel and I am sorry to say that I was genuinely disappointed. The writing was INCREDIBLY repetitive. The is a poem that is essential to the story, it's pretty long, and it's repeated multiple times. I feel like there must have been a better way to bring it up without typing it over and over. We are also reminded constantly of just how dysfunctional the family is in weird little snippets of lyrical prose. That style of writing is hard for me to get into because I am a very literal person so I admit that part may just be a "me" thing.

The thing that really bothered me most of all is that all of the twists and turns were completely predictable. The big reveal was something I had figured out early on, and each reveal after that were things that I had already guessed. It didn't save me from feeling the full cringe of the "why" behind it though. Thrillers just might not be my genre because they have to be near perfect for me to rate them higher than a 3.

It's so hard to put into words all the things that didn't sit right with me without revealing spoilers. Basically, the plot was flimsy, the characters were flat, and there was no real reason to be excited about the big reveals.

I had previously read “Rock, Paper, Scissors” by this author and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I did not feel the same about this book.
The story is patterned after Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None.” The setting is an old house on an island that can only be accessed during low tide. An old woman is turning eighty and summons her family to celebrate with her. Did I mention that it is also Halloween?
I just found it to be a slow story, which I could have been okay with, but then the ending took a very different turn than I wasn’t expecting, nor particularly cared for.

For their Nana's 80th birthday party, the entire Darker family reunites for the first time in years at Nana's house on a remote island. At midnight, Nana is found dead. When another body follows and the tide traps them on the island, the family realizes they must confront their darkest secrets or risk all being killed off one by one.

Feeny returns with a And Then There Were None style locked room mystery where family members trapped on an island begin dying one by one. Daisy Darker shines with Feeney's typical style in the backstory chapters. However, in the present-day narrative, Daisy made an odd protagonist and I struggled to feel committed to the book. Although I correctly guessed the twist early on, I kept discarding my theory since it didn't really make sense and I was hoping for something less cliché.

You can't help but think of Agatha Christie when making your way through "Daisy Darker."

The new novel by Alice Feeney, due out Aug. 30 from Flatiron Books, has all the hallmarks of a classic Christie mystery (minus the outdated social mores and casual racism): a group of people get stranded on an island, a murder occurs, strange clues appear, and more terror follows.

This time, the action centers around the title character, just one part of the large Darker family, whose members are a strange mix of disagreeable and odious. Their matriarch, Nana, has invited them to her weathered home, Seaglass, on a spit of land off the Cornwall coast, where the incoming tide cuts them off from the mainland for hours until the water recedes once again.

A children's book author and illustrator who based her successful series on her granddaughter, Daisy, Nana brings in her family to celebrate her cq80th birthday. She's always contended she'd die around the time of that milestone birthday, and when midnight arrives, she's found dead, and now everyone there is a suspect.

That's only the beginning of the horror that visits the family throughout the night, and Feeney delivers a truly suspenseful book as clues begin to appear and shed light on the family's hidden history. We see the trouble happening from Daisy's perspective, witnessing the fraught relationships among her family members and learning the truth behind long-held secrets. As one of the few kind people in her family, Daisy earns our sympathy, especially when compared to her sisters, whose spoiled and stiff natures make them an unpleasant pair.

Feeney's prose brings Seaglass and all its creaks and shadows to life, sending readers into a world where family members turn into murder suspects and the past becomes just as important as the present. We can practically smell the damp rooms of this seaside house and feel the spray of the water on our faces. And thanks to Feeney's careful unraveling of the mystery, we start to second-guess everyone and everything, though, including Daisy.

Feeney throws in a key twist that some might feel tempted to roll their eyes at, but after everything that has happened up to that point, it works. Mystery fans will want to add "Daisy Darker" to their "to read" list. I'll add Feeney's other books to mine.

This book pulled me out of my book slump! I loved the writing--it's atmospheric and creepy. The twist in this story was incredible and unexpected. I highly recommend this one if you're looking for a family-central thriller.

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller. Born with a broken heart Daisy Darker is Nana's favorite granddaughter. Nana is the famous author of children's books based on Daisy Darker. Nana stole this story for me with all her words of wisdom. This is a mystery, family drama, and a bit of a gothic story all set in Nana's old victorian house she calls Seaglass on an island you can only reach depending on the tide. One by one the darker family is being murdered, along with clues and clever poems this is the perfect setting for murder.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5*

Daisy Darker and her family meet at Nana’s house on a tidal island to celebrate Nana’s 80th birthday. Daisy was the name sake for one of Nana’s very successful children’s book Daisy Darker’s Little Secret. At the stroke of midnight, family members start dying. There are tons of secrets in the Darker family that are going to be discovered.

Awesome audio book with fantastic narration by Stephanie Racine. While I loved the audio book, there were some fantastic lines that if was reading I would have highlighted. Here’s one: Some people drink to drown their sorrows; others drink to swim in them.

Like a great Agatha Christie locked room or in this case island mystery, this book keeps you guessing as the bodies keep piling up. As the hours count down until the survivors can leave, the tension rises until the very last chapter.

Audiobook/Book Review
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
@AliceWriterLand
Pub date: August 30, 2022
Narrated: Stephanie Racine
Duration: 10H 54M

“𝑫𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒚 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒍𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈."

Ah, 𝙳𝚊𝚒𝚜𝚢 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚎𝚛 by the talented Alice Feeney @AliceWriterLand is indeed, dark and delicious. I gobbled this up and then I licked the spoon! Ms. Feeney is one of my favorite writers, every book captivates and I knew, without a doubt, that Daisy Darker would be no exception.

The premise is Agatha-esque, reminiscent of 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘯𝘦 but done in a wholly unique and brilliant style. An isolated gothic home on a remote island – what better setting is there?

Daisy Darker and her sisters, Lily and Rose, spent a lot of time with their Nana at her home, Seaglass, on Tidal Island on the Cornish coast but Daisy is the only one that Nana wrote a book about. A best -selling book that afforded the Darker's with a lavish lifestyle.

On Nana’s 80th birthday, the family meets to celebrate AND to hear the reading of her will – not everyone is happy with their lot. When Nana is found dead at midnight – an eerie chalk poem on the wall, everyone is a suspect because almost all of the Darker’s along with family friend, Connor, have reason to see her gone – don’t they? As the bodies pile up, the list of suspects narrows. Who could want the Darker’s dead? And in such a manner that mirrored their failings in life!

I was captivated and intrigued from the first word; Daisy narrates and it works beautifully for this dual plot line, going from present to past in a seamless manner. The poem, the largest clue of all, is brilliant and foreboding. The twists? Chefs. Fucking. Kiss! So clever and so compelling! I can’t recommend this one enough!

I am so fortunate to have both read and listened to this. The narrator, Stephanie Racine, also narrated His & Hers, Rock, Paper, Scissors and Sometimes I Lie, also by Feeney, and what a phenomenal narrator she is. Her pacing is spot on and her voice an absolute delight! Bravo!

My thanks to @Macmillan.Audio for this gifted ALC and to @Flatiron_Books for the gifted DRC.

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney, Is a WOW book you are going to love. I never saw the end coming, You must read this book.

Alice Feeney reimagines And Then There Were None. Set on a remote part of Cornwall, only accessible at low tide, the Darkers meet for their grandmother's birthday, one she fears will be her last. However, as members of the Darker family start to die one by one, Daisy and her siblings must find out who is behind it...or die trying to keep safe.

I'm a big Alice Feeney fan. This has her characteristic drama with lots of unforeseen twists and turns. Daisy Darker comes from an incredibly dysfunctional family. They all come together for a reunion at her grandmother's house on a remote and off-the grid island. Reminiscent of Christie's And Then There Were None, family members are dying one by one and the survivors are in a state of chaos. Daisy must figure out who is causing the havoc and why before she faces demise herself.

This has an abundance of suspense and was a definite page-turner. Clever twists and vivid descriptions of the remote and stormy gothic setting elevate the plot. I was completely surprised by the main twist and loved how Feeney tied everything up. The only negative for me was that it was slightly far-fetched. Still, an excellent overall read that will appeal to fans of Mary Kubica and Lisa Jewell.

"But then, I have always found fiction more attractive than real life" - Alice Feeney

I'm always a sucker for a book that tricks me. And this was that. Hauntingly atmospheric and with beautiful writing, I was immediately immersed in Daisy Darker's world as her family members are murdered one by one. Tragically, are trapped by the tide and cannot connect to the outside world (dreadful for them, but fun for the reader). The exceptional plotting throws you back in time via the world of VHS tapes from the 80s as remaining family watch old tapes and try to figure out who the killer is.

I loved the audiobook. It's extremely well done with creepy and suspenseful storytelling that leaves you feeling a bit sad and unhinged at the same time. I can't wait for my book group to talk about this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. (less)

My enjoyment of this book came from not taking it seriously. The Darker family is horrible. Knowing this was a take on And Then There Were None, I was reading to find out how they would die because they all deserved to die. No one was trustworthy. Especially our narrator.

Good thing I wasn’t taking it seriously because that ending plot twist was so stupid it should have been illegal.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

This book was great! One of my best reads of 2022. I read it mostly all in one sitting because I could not put the book down until I figured it out. The story was somehow both a fresh mystery and a great nod to Agatha Christie’s And Then There were None (which I loved). Daisy Darker’s family has been fractured since an incident that happened when Daisy was young, but her grandmother’s 80th birthday has come and she has asked everyone to come home for the event. The story is told in alternating perspectives as the mystery unfolds. Nana is found dead and the family is left mysterious clues looking back which spark memories for Daisy. The story was great and while I guessed the big twist I was a little less sure about who the culprit was.

I enjoy books with similar plots to "And Then There Were None". This book did not disappoint. I did figure out one twist early on, but the big twist at the end, I certainly didn't see coming. Alice Feeney is known for her twist endings and this one did not disappoint. The story was good and the characters were believable. This would be a great book for any thriller/mystery readers.

Wow, that was good! I love a good mystery, and this one really kept me guessing. The big twist was one I did not see coming. I truly did not put this book down, and read it all in about eight hours. I don’t remember the last book I read that kept me so engrossed. If you like Agatha Christie novels, or enjoyed the movie “Knives Out,” this book is not to be missed. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting twist on a classic set up. Amazing setting, great atmosphere and tension but was bogged down by two timelines.

The review has been sent to Library Journal. Although I adore Alice Feeney, this was not my favorite of hers. Clearly a nod to Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None, family members at a cottage begin disappearing one by one.

This mystery/thriller kept me intrigued. I loved it. The immediate family is invited to the grandmother's 80th birthday party and secrets are revealed. And then there's a murder and the race is on to find out whodunnit. It is narrated from Daisy Darker's (the youngest of the Darker sisters) point of view. Of course, the plot twists and twists again and I'll be honest. I'm not the best guesser when it comes to mysteries. I would miss the murderer if it hit me on the face, so guessing this one, was a no for me. I was off and at the end I was like, but how? This book makes me want to read more mystery thrillers. It was fun and scary all at the same time.
This is my second Alice Feeney book and I'm super looking forward to picking up her other works.