Ive read a few Darcy Coates books and have really enjoyed them.
How Bad Things Can Get was suspenseful. I like a good horror thriller and the atmosphere was exactly what I was looking for.
Thank you NetGalley and Darcy Coates for allowing me this ARC

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read How Bad Things Can Get. I am so honored to have had the chance to read a Darcy Coates ARC.

I am a huge Darcy Coates fan. I have loved or liked all of her books. By far my favorite horror writer. I enjoy how creepy and suspenseful her books are and this one is too. It was hard to put down and all I wanted to do was find out what was going to happen next. Will definitely be buying for my Darcy Coates collection.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the chance to review How Bad Things Can Get. I feel honored whenever they allow me to review a book!

I loved this. It took a few pages to really get into it but once I did I could not put it down. I love island horror and the whole premise was so good. It truly is fyre fest meets Blair witch. My heart was racing once I hit 50% on the kindle and this is just another reason why I love Darcy Coates as a writer. Can't wait to purchase the physical copy to move my Darcy Coates collection along 😊

What starts as an exclusive island getaway quickly spirals into a nightmare.

Ruth is trying to escape her past when she agrees to attend a luxury influencer retreat on Prosperity Island. But when guests start disappearing and the island’s dark history begins to unravel, it’s clear something much more sinister is at play.
This one totally pulled me in. I love a good isolated setting, and the tropical atmosphere made everything feel even more eerie.
It’s creepy, fast paced, and unsettling. If you’re into thrillers with culty vibes and a touch of gore, this is one to add to your list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC ebook. All opinions are my own.

I am a huge fan of Darcy Coates and was absolutely thrilled to get the opportunity to read How Bad Things Can Get before its release date. As usual Darcy does not disappoint,

This is essentially a locked room mystery. Yes, we have seen many of these before but few people can manage to weave in the terror and darkness that Darcy Coates does. The story is told from many different POVs with the scenery being a creepy isolated island. Ruth, the main character, is a cult survivor who desperately wants to blend in and start a new life. Little does she know the connections that will become apparent between the island's history and her own past. A terrifying descent into a new reality where things change in a moment's notice.

I couldn't put this down and stayed up way too late to read it (and was then afraid to turn off the light). I love her books because they can elicit so many emotions. Do yourself a favor and don't miss this one!

🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2

This amazing thriller combines my love of horror with the true crime mystery feel. Once again, Darcy has crafted a riveting story that keeps you on the edge of your seat for the entire ride. They are quickly becoming one of my read anything they publish authors.

This book reminded me of so many things, of course there is fyre festival and every documentary I have ever seen about a cult, ever. It also reminded me of The Purge and SURELY Eton was based off of Mr Beast?

I really enjoyed this book and felt so sorry for Ruth, I have noticed an introduction of modern pop culture and technology references in new books lately, which I believe would really appeal to a new generation of readers which I find exciting.

This is my first book by this author I I wasn’t disappointed, I am excited to add some others to be TBR, the writing had me hooked whether it was the descriptions, the character development or the way of writing what seemed to be multiple books within the one.

The flash backs worked so well, I normally don’t like a flashback in a book because it’s so hard to do it without confusing the author but this was written so perfectly, you could tell when the switch happened and then added to this was writing about another character who was dealing with something entirely different in another part of the story.

I will say, I wish there was more of an ending, where are they now,? Who survived? Etc.

SPOILER- when they were in the water and Ruth was holding Zach at the end, major Titanic vibes.

I am a huge Darcy Coates fan. At this point, I don’t even read her book synopsis because I know I’m going to buy it regardless.

So I went into this one blind. At first, I was nervous it was going to be like Hunger Games. But as I kept going, more and more of what Coates does best came out. Though I will say I would’ve enjoyed more of the witch aspect.

While this one wasn’t my favorite, I’m very proud of the author for trying new things. I’m sure most of her fans, myself included, would happily read 100 haunted house novels. Recently, she has been trying different sub genres of horror.

If you enjoy this and want more, I suggest watching Battle Royale and Brian Keene’s Castaways has a similar vibe but even more gorey.

Thank you to NetGalley, Darcy Coates and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity. I have written this review voluntarily and honestly.

Absolutely loved it. Funny, fast-paced, twisted, dark. Pop culture references were spot on. Plot was easy to get invested in. Horror elements were chilling and grotesque. The cult background was excellent, and the twist at the end about the copycat cultist was delicious. Have sent my ravings to our rep; I think the publisher and author has them too now lol. Can’t wait for this to arrive in stock so I can make everyone buy it. So entertaining.

I. Love. Darcy. Coates.

This book was SO GOOD. It's like. Fyre festival meets Jim Jones and the combination is so creepy and addictive.

There seemed to be 3 different threads at the beginning that didn't connect but as the book progresses, Coates weaves these threads together and ties them into her signature horrific little bow. I will say, compared to some of her other books, I DID feel like this was doing too much. There were a few parts that could have been cut out and not changed the story and that left a few loose ends that weren't needed.

That being said, I ate this up and finished it in less than 24 hours. It was SO good and pulse-pounding and I will forever be a lover of Darcy Coates and her twisted brain.

An online influencer takes his fans – all 600 of them – to a remote island where a buried past erupts into present violence. High-stakes survival scenarios are played out. A sense of unease runs through the story culminating in utter carnage – a festival-turned-bloodbath of epic proportion.
I had my doubts about the whole influencers, podcasts, and online celebrity culture but the writer does a great job weaving all that into one gruesome story giving us a present-day tech-savvy twist on the isolated slaughter.
I am a fan of Darcy Coates and this is excellent work. The writing is great and I particularly loved her handling of Ruth’s cult-survivor trauma. Descriptions of the island are detailed and vivid. The picture of the influencer’s crew that she paints stays with you. There are a lot of characters to grapple with but the story more than makes up for that.

At this point Darcy is an auto buy author for me, for sure in my top 3 faves and I swear her books are just getting better and better. How Bad Things Can Get is SO GOOD - it’s got creepy cults, secluded island influencer festival vibes, games and lots of gore and blood. 30/10 recommend for anyone needing a fresh horror to read 🔪
Thanks Poisoned Pen Press & NetGalley for the copy!

DARCY COATES DOES IT AGAIN!!!! I am a huge Darcy Coates fan! Books are always amazing and intense!! This one did not disappoint!

4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy. This was my first book by Darcy Coates. It is a little different than her previous novels as it is a suspense/ thriller novel rather than a paranormal horror book. How Bad Things Can Get follows Ruth as she goes on a dream vacation to a remote island. Ruth is determined to not attract attention and keep a low profile, but it is not meant to be. I really enjoyed the storyline of How Bad Things Can Get. I liked how Ruth had to overcome her tragic past and I really enjoyed the cult storyline. I wish there were more scenes of Ruth’s past. I would have liked to learn more about Prosperity. I thought the pace was good and was on the edge of my seat.

Darcy Coates is one of my favorite authors and I have loved everything I have read of hers! This novel was no different! I absolutely loved this! This novel was disturbing, terrifying, and suspenseful all in the best ways!!! I will most definitely be recommending this! Can't wait for more by Darcy Coates!

Absolutely spectacular!

I was first exposed to Darcy Coates' works through her Gravekeeper series. This new piece far surpasses those in both her creativity and storytelling. Wow. Just WOW! I was not ready for the dark descriptions and eerie plotlines of this tale. Well done!

The reader travels to Prosperity island with Ruth, Zach, Carson, and Hayleigh as they attend a special, all-expenses-paid festival for social media influencers and lottery winners. As the story unfolds, we learn about Ruth's childhood trauma witnessing the massacre of her cult family as we simultaneously begin experiencing the murder of festival attendees. Are her friends involved, is the island cursed, or are all the terrible events just a part of the festival games and Ruth is unraveling?

This story kept me guessing from start to finish. It was so enthralling that I read it in a single day; I could not put it down!

One editing correction: at the end of Chapter 14, when they are talking about events with Dylan and Jace, I believe the sentence "Jace took a shuffling step back from it," should actually say, "Dylan took a shuffling step back...." as we have already lost Jace and we are currently sitting with Dylan in the storyline.

I now have the violent urge to read everything this author has ever written!!!! Probably the most well written horror book I’ve ever read in my life!! It’s hard to be scared sometimes as an adult, the fact this author can do that is super exciting for me!! I love thriller/ horror books and I’m always looking for more, looks like I definitely found some!!

Thank you NetGalley, Darcy Coates, and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to review the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A new Darcy Coates!!!! I cannot even begin to express my excitement when I saw this book was available to request. If Darcy writes it I’m going to read it.

It was supposed to be a party to die to for, but not literally. A five day stay on an island to play elaborate games, drink, and just have fun. But it’s soon revealed the sinister past of the island and the horrors that have happened there. Cult survivor, Ruth, just wants to keep her real identity secret and live her life under the radar. But this island is connected. Guests start going missing and are found dead. It was such an on your seat thriller of a ride. I loved it so much! 5 stars!!

4.5 stars

Fans of Dacy Coates' haunted house stories, LOOK OUT! This is nothing like any of the other books I've read from her. This is next level gore, a summer slasher that borders on extreme horror. If you are squeamish for bloody, gorey, intense on-page kills, find something else to read.

Think Mr. Beast hosts Squid Game on a secluded island with no way out. Guests are brought to the island by cruise ship and dropped off for a week in paradise which will include reality show type games with big money prizes. Among those fortunate enough to attend the festival is Ruth, the only survivor of a death cult when she was only seven years old. She has kept her identity secret as an adult, only telling her boyfriend Zach, but has Zach kept her secret?

The cast of characters includes plenty of social media influencers and critics, with host Eton and his right hand gal Petra running the show. Things heat up right away with the first contest, and guess who is a contestant? Ruth, of course. She reluctanly participates, but things go wrong right away and Ruth suspects that guest safety is not top on Eton's list of priorities.

This story builds as people go missing, reports of murder are ignored, and Ruth is increasingly suspicious that her past has come back to haunt her. The kills get more and more gruesome, with pages spent describing everyting in meticulous detail. Even for a long-time horror lover, some of the scenes were just too much for me.

This is an intense summer slasher novel that was gripping and kept my eyes glued to the page until the final word. There were twists and reveals, but the true star of this book is the gore. If you're looking for blood and guts and dismemberment, cults and social media, and edge of your seat tension to see who, if anyone, survives, this is the book for you!

We have a girl with a mysterious past, an isolated island with no easy way off, and an eccentric billionaire hosting a game.
Ruth has a past she wants nothing more than to keep hidden, only here on Prosperity Island, it seems like someone might know. There are whispers, and she's getting the same kind of feeling she did as a child in the cult. Then people start going missing, and Ruth sees some things that everyone tells her she couldn't have. The creepiness builds, and builds, then the poo hits the fan. This had a perfect amount of buildup and backstory for me before it became a fast and furious slasher, with some surprising twists, and I loved every minute.
Darcy Coates is an autobuy author for me, and I can't wait to see what she's going to write next!!