Title: THE DARK
Author: SHARON BOLTON
ISBN: 9781409198352
Publisher: Orion Books
Pages: 441
Source: Gift from Alicia
ONCE, SHE SAVED HIS LIFE… NOW, HE’LL TAKE HERS.
When a baby is snatched from its pram and cast into the river Thames, off-duty police officer Lacey Flint is there to prevent disaster. But who would want to hurt a child?
DCI Mark Joesbury has been expecting this. Monitoring a complex network of dark web sites, Joesbury and his team have spotted a new terrorist threat from the extremist, women-hating, group known as ‘incels’ or ‘involuntary celibates.’ Joesbury’s team are trying to infiltrate the ring of power at its core, but the dark web is built for anonymity, and the incel army is vast.
Pressure builds when the team learn the snatched child was just the first in a series of violent attacks designed to terrorise women. Worse, the leaders of the movement seem to have singled out Lacey as the embodiment of everything they hate, placing her in terrible danger…
Official Summary
10 September 2026
Once again, I have started a series by diving straight in with book five… Will I ever learn?
While I did feel that I was missing some of the characters’ backstories, this book is not difficult to read as a standalone. Of course, being me, I now want to go back and read the previous books in the series!
This crime thriller grabs hold of you very quickly and does not let go in a hurry.
I have mostly steered clear of the discussions and issues surrounding incel groups around the world, but for the first time, a story dealing with the subject left my blood boiling. Bolton explores an incel group called Men Matter, their beliefs, and the dangerous propaganda they spread. She brings the subject to life in a way that made the reality of these groups hit home for me—and the fact that this was fiction made it even more unsettling.
I really enjoyed the characters. Lacey Flint has an interesting backstory, and I am very keen to explore it further by going back to the earlier books in the series. Mark Joesbury is another character I would like to know more about, so I suspect I have a few books ahead of me!
The story kept me glued to the pages, and I raced through it as quickly as possible. The opening scene, involving a baby being snatched and left on an inflatable on the Thames, immediately sets the tone for the harsh and disturbing thriller that follows—and it certainly does not disappoint.
While this was not an excessively graphic read, Bolton provides more than enough detail to make your blood boil at the actions and beliefs of the incel group. There were moments when I found myself genuinely angry, particularly at the way women are viewed and treated within this world.
What I appreciated most was that beneath the fast-paced crime thriller is a story that tackles an extremely disturbing and very real subject. It made me think, it made me angry, and it certainly kept me turning the pages.
This was a brilliant read that left me wanting more. I cannot wait to go back to the beginning and discover the rest of Lacey Flint’s story. Apparently, I really do need to learn to start a series at book one!
Also By Sharon Bolton
THE TOKEN
The billionaire’s will promised them everything. But the money comes with a deadly price . . .
Seven strangers receive a mysterious note that billionaire Logan Quick is leaving them his vast fortune. All they need to do is accept the enclosed Token and wait for his death. None of them know why they’ve been chosen, but all seven desperately need the money and the chance of a fresh start.
When the group are forced to embark on a dangerous sea crossing, they discover they are connected by a dark secret from their past. As confusion turns to fear and trust to betrayal, the question is no longer who will claim the money – it’s who will make it off the boat alive . . .
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Sharon J Bolton was born and brought up in Lancashire, the eldest of three daughters. As a child, she dreamed of becoming an actress and a dancer, studying ballet, tap and jazz from a young age and reading drama at Loughborough University.
She spent her early career in marketing and PR before returning to full-time education to study for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Warwick University, where she met her husband, Andrew. They moved to London and Sharon held a number of PR posts in the City. She left the City to work freelance, to start a family and to write.
She and Andrew now live in a village in the Chiltern Hills, not far from Oxford, with their son and the latest addition to the family: Lupe, the lop-eared lurcher. Her daily life revolves around the school run, walking the dog and those ever-looming publishing deadlines.
That’s it for this week. I hope you enjoyed this weeks reviews and that you will be back for more next week. Thank you for supporting the blog, it truly means the world to me. Until next time… Happy Reading!
