Due to events in her past, Reagan Carsen keeps her life completely offline. She doesn't use Instagram, she doesn’t have a website for her gardening business and she doesn't even have a smartphone. She doesn’t want to be found.
That sounds a bit paranoid, right?

But it gets worse because one morning Reagan stumbles on a shocking murder in a Sydney laneway. The victim, a young woman, looks just like her.
Is it a coincidence or is someone out there killing women that look alarmingly similar to Reagan?
And how are these murders connected to the true unsolved murder known as the Black Dahlia case?

I was gripped by the story right away and it had me guessing right until the end. There were a few twists and turns that I didn’t see coming while others were quite obvious.
The murders were shocking but what was even more scary and disturbing was the whole Dark Web stuff.
I absolutely loved the setting (Sydney) and the connection to the Black Dahlia murder case. And as a plant lover I also loved all the strange plant facts.

Dark Mode is for you if you‘re in the mood for an unputdownable, thought provoking, brilliantly written and well researched psychological thriller.

A slow start but developed some twists and turns that I did not see coming. themes surrounding the dark web, and what some people use it for, was dark and terrifying at times and I flew through the final half of the book as I had to know what was going to happen.

Exotic plant shop/nursery owner, Reagan Carsen is just like any other young woman living in the hustle and bustle of Sydney. Until one morning, while out for her morning run she stumbles across a dead body in an alley way. Instead of calling the police to report this heinous discovery, Reagan runs away, hoping not to be noticed by anyone passing by. She knows that it won’t be long before some other unfortunate person find the body and rings the police. Reagan can’t risk having her name, or her face, broadcasted in the media. Reagan barely has a digital footprint, and that’s the way she is hoping to keep it. The last time she revealed information about herself ended in disaster, and if she is not careful it will happen again.

It isn’t long before another body is discovered, and just like the first there are some eerie similarities that Reagan, and others can’t ignore.

This book definitely has some twists and turns that I did not see coming. Diving into themes surrounding the dark web, and what some people use it for, was dark and terrifying at times. I did struggle with the first half of the book, as I felt the pace was too slow. But just over halfway the pace really picked up and I binge read the final half of the book as I had to know what was going to happen. It had some great twists, one I definitely didn’t see coming.

Overall an enjoyable psychological thriller, that is based of true events, which adds to the intensity of the events. Dark, twisty and at times, uncomfortably relatable.

Dark Mode is an absorbing read, and it is a credit to its writer that Blunt has managed to write something so gripping as her very first crime novel offering.

Reagan is a woman who is struggling with life challenges - a distant and unkind mother, a tiresome stepfather and a business on the brink of failure. Her only support is her friend Min, whom she is careful to try and hide the extent of her problems from. And that's without even going into the terrifying secrets of a past that she is trying so hard to escape. But now - even though Reagan is living entirely offline - she fears that HE has somehow found her.

Constantly struggling with paranoia, Reagan is horrified when she encounters the dismembered corpse of a woman while out running. Even more disturbingly, the dead body bears a striking resemblance to her!

Is it a message? A threat? Or just a coincidence?

As more murders start taking place, two things become increasingly clear: even a city like Sydney has its dangers; and a place like the Dark Web is best avoided in all its insidious forms. Has Reagan come to those realizations too late to save herself?

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review

What a brilliant, fast-paced, and totally terrifying read this was! Ashley Kalagian Blunt has written a tightly plotted story of the dark side of social media, including the illegal behaviour - misogynistic and otherwise - hidden legally on the dark web. Add the true unsolved mystery of the “Black Dahlia” in 1947 and you have a twisty modern tale that keeps you guessing until the final reveal.
 
Reagan Carsen keeps her life offline, to avoid a man who stalked her when she was a teenager. But when she stumbles across a murdered woman, who looks just like her, it ignites a series of incidents that threaten both her privacy, her sanity and, more importantly, her life.
 
It would be easier for the reader to dismiss many of the things that happen in this book as the imagination of a skilled writer. Still, a note at the beginning confirms the truth behind the tale - “While the characters and their precise circumstances are fictitious, the crimes described in this book are drawn from real events. The attitudes that drive these crimes are also real. And they’re everywhere.” This message only makes this book even more terrifying.
 
If you love page-turning, clever & twisty thrillers then you’ll love Dark Mode. Congratulations Ashley on an addictive, thought-provoking, and shocking story, that will have you thinking about your life online long after you’ve finished reading.

Reagan has been happy living an offline life. She has no email, no mobile, no social media. But when women start getting murdered around her city, she can't help but notice that they all look like her. Is there a connection?

I absolutely loved this book. If you're a thriller fan, PICK IT UP! You won't regret it. Unputdownable, thought provoking, chilling and so entertaining - all the stars for this one.

Dark Indeed..
A dark and dismal, poignant and petrifying glimpse of the dangers of the internet, of the dark web. Inspired by true life cases, this could be raw reality in all its’ terrifying technicolour. Reagan Carsen has gone to great lengths to ensure that her life is kept offline, that her privacy is protected - that is, until she comes across a dead body, a murder victim, that looks uncannily like her. From there, her life is derailed at breakneck speed. With a compelling narrative and a plot peppered with twists, this is a dark read indeed.

From page one the action is go-go-go.

Dark Mode is a psychological thriller drawn from true events. I think I will be having nightmares for awhile. It tells a story of how scary the internet can really be.

Reagan has made herself not visible online, she does not trust the online world especially when you take in to account her past trauma. No social media presence, no smart phone and no photos. When Reagan finds a dead body that looks just like her she takes off without calling the police and hopes no one has noticed her. She gets home and googles the media releases on the murder and becomes obsessed. She quite literately crashes in to Bryce and they get talking about plants – she lets her walls down and asks him out for a drink. She puts all her energy in to the romantic relationship with Bryce. More things start happening, more bodies, more coincidences. Reagan thinks she has been found.

I just couldn’t put this one down. It was both intriguing and scary with relatable characters and twists galore. This is one book you need to go in to blind.

Thank you Netgalley and Ultimo Press for a copy of this book for my honest review.

Wow! This one took me a surprising amount of time to get into, but it really didn't disappoint.
Reagan is a well built character, who I was rooting for so hard!

Dark Mode is a truly engrossing thriller, a tale of warning, and a scathing look at the reality of the dangerous world of the internet. Online, people can truly remake themselves and this book is a well-written and wickedly clever story of how people can become warped by their online world and reality is not always what it seems.

Reagan has remained as far from social media as she can and maintained virtually zero online presence since a harmless online chat room led to a terrifying, traumatic experience. When she stumbles upon the dead body of a woman that looks just like her, she is too afraid to go to the police about it. As more lookalikes start turning up dead, she throws herself into the budding romantic relationship with Bryce, and focuses her attention on making her small business a success.

As she slowly opens up more, strange coincidences continue to plague her and, with the aid of her protective best friend, Reagan delves a little deeper into the people in her life, with horrifying consequences.

This book is very well paced, the plot moves along quickly but with enough detail to really absorb the reader. I loved the way the characters were developed, they truly felt real and I felt a lot of familiarity with people in my own life. There was just the right amount of action towards the end to bring the story to a dramatic, but not exaggerated conclusion. I think the author has done a fantastic job of taking real-life scary stories and blending them with the fictional to create a fabulous book with all-too-real warnings of the dangers of the online world.

Once you’re online, there’s nowhere to hide.

The story is about Reagan Carsen, who has purposefully kept herself off line, but when her failing business needs the boost of social media she makes the leap, with the help of Bryce. Dead bodies start turning up bearing her resemblance, Reagan starts to feel paranoid.

This is a suspenseful book, which had me hooked, it's also based on true events, which does give me the creeps.

I also feel conflicted with this book, I enjoyed it, I read it in a day, so that says something! The writing style was good. I think what I struggled with most was the main character not being quick on the uptake, especially given her past, I found it a little frustrating at times, but maybe that's the point!

Thanks also to NetGalley and Ultimo Press for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

We meet Regan Carsen owner of Voodoo Lily Garden Centre and someone who has no smart phone or online presence. During a morning run she comes across a body that seems to look a lot like herself. That’s when the story really takes off at a fast pace.

Dark Mode had me putting the book aside at 50% while I gathered myself together. Not because it was a gory read. I don’t have any issues reading that genre. No it was because this can and does happen. It made me feel all the feels. I was uncomfortable and confronted and it made you think of your own online presence. The research the author did surrounding social media and online presence is amazing.

While this book has a great thrilling story it’s what you take away from this book that is powerful. It’s a conversation starter and I was lucky enough to read and discuss with @vampchicandherbooks. I can see this book being a great book club read.

A must read for everyone! And I keep on saying it but we really do have so many wonderful Australian authors!!

Thank you to @netgalley and @ultimopress for the eARC

Dark mode left me feeling a little fragile. With some very realistic writing and scene setting that leaves an uncomfortable feeling settling over you, this was a hit as a thriller. As I'm sure was intended, Dark mode has certainly left the thought in my head about social media, and the way society in general can fail young women.

Reagan as a the main character. Whilst understandable scared from a previous experience, felt a little bit to quick to jump on the bandwagon for a guy, However with pressure from several sources, I could also see why she would take this course of action.

I feel like every teen should read this to see the dangers of the Web and to be fair so should every adult, primarily for the same reason. We need more ways to spot this radicalisation before it's gets to a stage where it's un helpable.

Overall a very well written and creepy thriller that was a very easy four stars. This is going straight to the top of my recommendation pile, thanks NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read the E ARC for this book. Which is due to be published in just a few weeks.

Absolute 5 star read for me. Loved the cat and mouse storyline and the dark web inferences. Demolished it in a day and can’t wait to see what Ashley produces next. Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC, it was great to get so involved in an Australian thriller 🙌🏻

I was drawn into this book from the first page and couldn’t put it down until I was done. As it draws you into someone who has kept their life offline as much as possible, but then is thrust back into this modern world…it really makes you think. As she watches women being killed around her that look like her, she tries to connect the dots back to herself and along the way learns how truly dark the internet can be.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

A thriller about a woman with no internet presence who stumbles across a body one morning - a body of a woman that looks suspiciously like her. This novel delves into the dangers of the internet, particularly men's rights extremists. A creepy book that is hard to put down.

Minor spoilers following:

I found the premise of this book fantastic and sped through this. However, I was detracted by the main character. I wanted to like her, and at times did, but I found her extremely frustrating. Due to circumstances in her past, Reagan was very police-avoidant, which was completely understandable. Yet as the book progressed and she had information that would be useful to the murder investigation, her withholding information became very annoying, especially as the same arguments between Reagan and her friend Min were repeated several times. I think if that section of the story had been reduced or the arguments had differed slightly or even if Reagan had found more ways to anonymously give information to the investigation I would have found her less frustrating. She did make up for it in the end, but it was because she was forced to, rather than coming to that decision on her own.

All in all, a decent thriller with a good concept, I just wanted more from the characters.

JUST FINISHED: Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt

“She shouldn’t have been wearing-“
“Did she say no?-“
“Well, why was she out at-“
“Serves her right for-“

Here’s an idea—women are not responsible for the physical, mental, and emotional violence perpetrated against them! These types of attitudes are discussed in Dark Mode, a psychological thriller exploring the shady side of the internet, stalking, and the horrifying fact that there are cohorts of men out there who thrive off hating women.

I was hooked from the beginning, as this book is packed full of simple, punchy writing that propelled me through the story. I also loved the plant-talk that was woven throughout this—it added a point of difference within the genre that felt really fresh.

The discussions of victim blaming, doxxing and incel culture (amongst other groups) was really well done, and a particular element of this reminded me of A Clockwork Orange in its writing and language style—and I loved it, in all it’s terrifying glory.

Check this one out if you haven’t already! 🪴-Mika

*Huge thanks to NetGalley and Ultimo Press for the eARC*

I was take right back to my childhood of MSN an days of useing chats like this waiting for people to come on line but who knew how much of your past can come back to haunt you on the most obscure way once it's on the internet it's forever like a stamp in time that you can never forget no matter how hard you try

I loved the way Ashley has seamlessly weaved a real life cold case into the book!! The Black Dahlia is a fascinating cold case and it just added another level to the story. It was really hard to find something that I didn't love, but if I had to pick something it would be all the scientific plant names. I'm not a gardener, so just give me the basic plant name.

Overall, this is a dark and captivating thriller that has so many twists and turns you won't know what way is up!! Make sure you clear your calendar before you start this as you won't want to stop til it's finished!! I'm really looking forward to reading Ashley's next book!!!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

I've been unable to put Dark Mode down tonight. It's nearly midnight, and having just finished it, I'm lying awake staring at the ceiling with my brain whirring through a photo montage of all the ways society fails women and girls.
I won't spoilt the plot, but in summary,the author tackles male extremist groups that scream hatred of women online. We know these extremists exist, we know they walk among us. Damn we know this is all so so realistically scary!
I don't know what else to say, I'm genuinely a bit speechless. But please read this book it's insanely good. Just don't read it before bed like me!