Title: DAISY DARKER
Author: Alice Feeney
ISBN: 978 1529 0898 13
Publisher: Pan MacMillan
Pages: 338
Source: Private Copy
After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday party in Nana’s crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally, back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours.
The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows…
Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide comes in and all is revealed.
With a wicked wink to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Daisy Darker’s unforgettable twists will leave readers reeling.
Official Summary
24 February 2023
I have only read one of Alice Feeney’s other books. This author always gets a lot of attention on social media and I keep promising myself to add more of her books to my TBR. Walking into a bookstore recently to buy a gift for a friend, I saw a copy of Daisy Darker and could not resist the daisies on the cover. What a stunning-looking book! When you open this book you join a family reunion, which should be a happy situation. However, the Darker family is not any family and the darkness that consumes these people soon oozes off the pages as Alice Feeney twists and turns through this gripping tale.
The author questions family relationships and how well you know the people that are the closest to you. This story is a brilliant read that delivers a surprising ending. The author wraps you up in a secluded house during a storm and as you turn the pages it is easy to imagine being stuck in the house with the characters. The suspense in this book s marvellous because you question each character as you are never sure who is behind the murders.
A fortunate teller predicted that Beatrix Darker will not live beyond her 80th birthday. This is no secret to the members of the Darker family. When Beatrix / Nana plans her birthday party, the family all accept an invitation to join her at her secluded house. But the Darker family have not all been together for a long time.
What should be a happy reunion, turns into a horrific night trapped in a spooky house while the members of the Darker family start dying one after the other.
The author questions how well you know the people in your family or if you only see what you want, but digging a little deeper you see that there is the question of what responsibility you have for your children and their actions. Nana accepted that she was responsible for her family, and she blamed herself for the people they become. She saw that she enabled a lot of their bad choices and decided to keep doing that.
The women in this book are brilliant. Beatrix Darker or Nana is an eccentric writer and illustrator that lives a secluded life in the island house she grew up. Nana has loads of little quirks and the family all know better than to fight against them. It is not difficult to picture this woman as you turn the pages. I loved this character and could see myself visiting her in her creepy old house.
This was a brilliant, edge-of-your-seat whodunnit mystery. I loved the characters and the creepy house. There is no doubt that this title has sailed onto my loved list for 2023. I cannot wait to read more of this author’s work.
If you enjoy a gripping whodunnit then you do not want to miss out on this book. This story is dark and full of surprises and you will not be able to predict the ending that awaits you. I highly recommend that you add this book to your TBR pile. It is brilliantly written and will keep you reading late into the night as you try to figure out who is responsible for the murders.
Also By Alice Feeney
Sometimes I Lie
Amber wakes up in a hospital. She can’t move. She can’t speak. She can’t open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea. Amber doesn’t remember what happened, but she has a suspicion her husband had something to do with it. Alternating between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from twenty years ago, this brilliant psychological thriller asks: Is something really a lie if you believe it’s the truth?
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Alice Feeney is a New York Times million-copy bestselling author. Her books have been translated into over twenty-five languages and have been optioned for major screen adaptations. Including Rock Paper Scissors, which is being made into a TV series by the producer of The Crown. Alice was a BBC journalist for fifteen years and now lives in Devon with her family. Daisy Darker is her fifth novel.
Thank you to everyone who posted on social media about this book. After seeing all the great reviews, I had to add this pretty book to my TBR. What a brilliant read I loved it. Thank you for visiting the blog and reading my review. I do not doubt that you will be adding this one to your TBR – it is brilliant. Remember to leave a comment below telling us what you thought of Daisy Darker.
