Then Things Went Dark
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Bea FItzgerald

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, Sourcebooks and Tantor Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Six people land on a desert island ready to make their reality show debut. The contestants are suitably glamorous and dramatic—and also hungry to prove themselves. The stakes are high, and with millions of viewers watching, losing is not an option. But three weeks and eighteen episodes later, five of the six contestants sit in a Portuguese police station, none of them winners.

Twelve million people were watching when Rhys Sutton died on camera, and someone must pay for the crime. The best friend, the rival, the girlfriend, the lover, and the sworn enemy are left standing. And of course, no one is talking. But how do you keep secrets when the world has been watching? Especially when, just a day before his murder, Rhys was the most hated man on television.

My Thoughts: A realty show debut where the contestants are very hungry and eager to win, at all costs. You have an actor, an influencer (but of course), a chef, an activist, an entrepreneur, and a musician all striving towards the end of the reality show and all want to win. All of the characters have unique personalities with the corresponding bad behavior. However, the actor, Rhys Sutton, stands out the most and is just pure evil. It is no surprise he ends up dead, however, there are at least 5 suspects with many more behind the scenes. There are cameras everywhere within in and outside the house capturing their every moment. How are secrets kept when millions of people are watching? Will the others turn on one another to oust the murderer?

The story is narrated by multiple characters in two timelines. One timeline being the present with the police investigation unfolding and the other timelines starts 3.5 weeks ago when the contestants arrived at the house on the island. The characters were well fleshed out and developed, they had depth, they were mysterious, secretive, flawed, and absolutely creative. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, suspenseful, twisty, and kept me invested from cover to cover. The characters are built up with their backstories, even filled with a little drama. The plot is delivered in twisty layers, like an onion layers. Then the conclusion was perfectly imperfect with one last twist.

I had both the digital and audio ARCs of this title. I preferred the audio version. The narrator, Zura Johnson was fantastic, the voice variation matched the character distinction, especially when there were so many main characters. The pitch and flow were spot on, allowing me to listen at 2x speed with no issues keeping up. This was the perfect psychological thriller that was gripping, captivating, compelling, twisty, and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last word. This is a first read from Fitzgerald for me and it will not be my last. It was both satisfying to read and the conclusion was fitting. I highly recommend picking up today.

This definitely had an intriguing plot! A murder on a reality tv show!! Yessss. I loved the twists and the alternating chapters. The police interviews. Interesting! Some bits were a little predictable tho and some far fetched but I was entertained.

Fun thriller with lots of twists and turns. I loved the setting and concept of it being a reality tv show. The chapters alternating between police interviews and show footage kept the pace up.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy of this book. I wasn't a huge fan, despite liking the concept. You win some, you lose some.

I started this audiobook but decided the subject just wasn’t for me. I’m sure some people will enjoy it though, so if the synopsis sounds interesting to you then definitely give it a try!

I was hooked on the premise right from the get-go! A murder on a reality TV show? Sign me up! This book was definitely entertaining, there were parts that were predictable, and parts that were a bit far-fetched. But overall, I truly enjoyed the storyline and the characters, and I would definitely recommend this book for a lighter and faster read if you head out on vacation!

Thank you NetGalley and RBMedia for the advanced lesson copy of this book!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

While this book did keep me entertained, I was not dying to get back to it. I found it difficult to keep track of the jumping timeline between the present day crime investigation and the actual reality show. I would have preferred if the chapters were split, to provide clarity between the timeframes. The challenges were all quite silly too and felt a bit pointless to the overall reality show competition

I didn’t love this book, but the fact that I wasn’t able to guess how the book ended definitely earns some points!

Wow, these people are pieces of work! This was a wild ride and I didn't see all the twists and turns coming! This was my 1st book by Bea Fitzgerald but will not be my last.

#ThenThingsWentDark
#NetGalle

Big thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC copy!

Unfortunately this one fell a bit flat for me. I was hooked on the idea of this, but the execution just didn't do it.
It seemed as though some bigger pieces that would have connected the story better may have been missing?
I also think that this may have worked better had it been in a different person so we got different POVs to go along with the story.

It was just meh for me. Sorry!!
Lukcily the audio did help me get through this fully, so I am thankful for that!

I really enjoyed this. I don’t read thrillers or mysteries at all anymore as they all started to feel stale so this was a fun re introduction into the genre after more than a decade away.

The premise was interesting but how it was laid out was amazing. I loved feeling like I was watching the episodes like any viewer, but also I was there like a contestant, and part of the police interviews.

I was super invested in all the characters and their motivations throughout, except Jerome, eww. The most impressive was the romance and the complicated mess that a controlling relationship can be. We got to view it from all angles at once and having been in a relationship like that it was incredibly uncomfortable in a good way.

If you like murder mysteries, with a bit of dark humor you need to read this one.
A reality show, a deserted island and six greedy contestants. What could go wrong? Well everything.
Funny thing I didn’t like the characters, but I couldn’t stop listening.
This is one of those stories that you won’t be able to put down. Simply addictive.

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this complimentary audiobook.

I requested this based off the premise, as I love a whodunnit mystery and coupled with a reality show, I was very intrigued. The narrator did a great job capturing the characters and bringing them to life. Unfortunately as the story went on, I didn’t really find any of the characters redeeming and while I think they were supposed to be, they were so unlikable I just wasn’t as invested in the outcome as I wished to be. I found myself confused by everyone’s connections and motivations for Rhys’ death.
Thank you Tantor Audio for the copy through NetGalley.

A really enjoyed this novel. A locked room mystery on a remote island. Great character development and enough intrigue to keep the reader engaged. Very enjoyable and entertaining!

⭐️

I did not finish this book. There were too many characters and voices for me to keep track of on the audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and Bea Fitzgerald for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I could not put this down, if you like reality tv and can envision the set up and the premise in your imagination then you will love how this book reads and bitching galore.

Then Things Went Dark is an intriguing thriller surrounding the set of a reality TV show based on influencers and an investigation surrounding events that occurred during the show. This is a locked room thriller, with the reality TV show contestants being isolated on a tropical island.

The creativity of this story is unique, with a well-developed plot and intriguing character details. The perspective is omniscient, which works well in this story, as the story is captured as if being filmed, or being observed by viewers of a show. However, there are also glimpses into exactly what each character is thinking while the perspective is focused on them, which is fulfilling as a reader.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, which was well done by a single narrator. The narrator was able to embody the different nuances of the characters in the story. I listened at 1.75x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75-2x speed).

Thank you NetGalley and RBMedia for this advanced audiobook copy. I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced preview audio book. I just love getting advance copies! This one lives up to the hype!

I struggled with this book so much. I did not think there was anything redeeming about these characters. The names were confusing and they all seemed to meld together. It felt a little similar to The Perfect One. It is def one you can pass on. Will not get the hours back I spent listening.

I had to DNF this book a couple of chapters in. I was trying to listen as an audiobook but found myself bored and could not continue.

I'm not a fan of reality shows like Survivor, Big Brother etc. and have never watched more than an episode or two so I'm probably not the best audience for this book. I found the characters shallow and unlikeable - I didn't really care who was the killer - or who got killed. Perhaps fans of this genre would find this book more appealing. For me, the book was just 'ok'.