4.5 stars from me. It was gripping from the very first page to the last. I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller which was unique and different to other books out there. Would definitely recommend this book.

Very enjoyable book and a plot that's very different from any I've read before. Well written and would recommend. I look forward to future novels from this author.

Excellent book. Great storyline and characters. A real page turner. I would recommend this book.

wow !!! this book was brilliant, i found it hard to put down once i got into it, it did appear to be a slow to start , so i restarted as i was sure that id missed something ,the story really takes off after the 1st chapter it was brilliant , i hope you decide to write more crime books , you are a talented writer i wasn't sure how your book would turn out especially after your other books under a different genre but you did brilliant

Thank you net galley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Jacob needs a heart transplant and receives one which saves his life but changes it for the worst. Can anyone save him?

Having read books before, mainly romance, which cover character traits changing after a transplant this explored the dark side and was so gripping. I couldn't read this fast enough !

Oh dear. I will begin by saying how much I LOVE Cathy Glass' books, so when I heard she was writing fiction under a new pseudonym? (I assume it wouldn't be her real name to protect her fostering identity) I was really excited to read her first novel.
Sadly, I am pleased that I didn't pay for the book and that I am reviewing it for Netgalley for free. There is so much wrong with this book I hardly know where to start.
Ok, the beginning. We meet Rosie and her abusive partner Shane. This is good as it gives us a frame of reference for who Shane is and who Rosie is.
Then we meet Andrew and Elizabeth, a village rector and his wife whose son Jacob is waiting for a heart transplant.
A donor has been found and as Shane has roared off in Rosie's car drunk... well you do the math. So Jacob will receive Shane's heart.
Now I had thought that whether people would like this book or not would come down to whether they believed that cellular memory was a thing and that transplantees can take on likes, dislikes and even personality traits from their donor. It is widely described as pseudoscience but I was happy to suspend disbelief.
Sadly that was not the problem. The problem was a mix of very poor research and command of subject matter and also some frankly ludicrous things happening.
My biggest gripe in this regard is Ms Stone's ridiculous portrayal of someone smoking weed. If the author is to be believed, grass is bought from shady, gangsters on industrial sites late at night rather than from some bloke in the pub, person living and selling from a narrow boat, colleague at work.
If that isn't stupid enough, the furtive handing over of money with threats not to check the produce until you were safely away etc... then one morning Jacob awakes and, and this really is hilarious "begins to feel the symptoms of withdrawal, nausea and...." ooooh kay then. Marajuiana isn't physically addictive unless opiated (which is both rare and very expensive) it can be psychologically addictive but there certainly aren't any physical side effects as there are with heroin. I could belabour the point but suffice it to say Ms Stone knows nothing about dope and tries to make it into a big scary drug, mixed with big scary dealers and with scary problems attached. This lack of research and or anti drug scaremongering is just a turn off for me. Others may not know better, or mind but I do and it bothers me.
I can't say It ruined an otherwise great book because I'd be lying. Without spoilers, the author suggests that CM can cause a recipient to develop their donors finger prints. Such total bunkum is totally unnecessary when there are many cases where a recipients blood type has changed and even alleged cases where a recipients DNA has changed post transplant. This is explainable if you consider donor cells creating blood cells and bone marrow but finger prints? Skin whorls that have existed since before birth?? How on Earth can anyone try and explain that out.
Add to that the police questioning people without cautioning them or separating them from the person they harbour suspicions about and there's a whole lot of teeth grinding to be done if you are reader who likes realism.
Had I enjoyed the book, the one thing I would mention is that while we are introduced to all other characters before the transplant, we don't meet Jacob. While Eloise and his parents may know what he is really like, we don't so it was hard to see Jacob as a lovely man who was acting out of character rather than just a character who was deeply unpleasant. The author points out the difference regularly but this is no subject for the reader knowing it and seeing the differences for themselves and I reallly wish she'd included a page or two where his parents interact with him pre transplant.
The last thing? A totally, utterly implausible ending. Completely implausible and the chance to try and in some way redeem the book, disappears in a puff of smoke.

This is gripping. I had to get to the end. Exceedingly well written, the concept behind the story is original and fascinating. Could a transplant really do this to someone? In this book, it transforms lives. The way in which one woman becomes the unexpected central figure to the story is very well conceived and delivered. This is a must!

This story doesn't start with Jacob who is dying and needs an heart transplant.

This story starts with Shane, who lives with Rosie, who has a history of violence, and has spent time in prison. This is an explosive start to the story, which made you feel as if you couldn't put this fictional story down!!!

I have liked Cathy Glass books but this is on another level and would highly recommend the very graphic and distressing story (in parts), but gives you a non stop rollercoaster of a story that is unstoppable read!!!

I finished this book in a day, it was a book that flowed very well. I enjoyed the characters and the story was strangely believable. A good read.

How anyone can write such a terrific a story about a heart transplant deserves so much credit. The book is fast paced with brilliant characters who range from vicars to abusive men, all of whom are believable but at the same time made me uncomfortable. Loved it!

My first exposure to the "evil after a transplant" idea was on a soap opera many years ago. I thought it was just the coolest idea and felt like so much more could be done with that as a storytelling device. And here we are, with "The Darkness Within"-- This book was everything I was hoping it'd be based on the blurb and I found it so exciting and well written. Fast paced with interesting characters and believable dialogue. 5 stars!

This story focusses on an interesting topic - do recipients of donor organs take on the personality of the donor. I found myself reading this with scepticism. I find it difficult to believe and the coincidences which occur through out the story add to that. Additionally, the behaviours which develop into crimes remain unrecognised by police investigating, it is too convenient. The ending is so tidy that it is even less believable. I don't feel able to recommend it.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read books by Cathy Glass so was not sure what to expect from this thriller under her alternative name of Lisa stone. Definitely not disappointed this story is told around a transplant and does make you think. I am sure this book will be a great success

Our ancestors used to believe the heart, not the brain was the seat of all our emotions….Jacob Wilson’s life is saved when he receives a heart transplant. His family and girlfriend, Rosie are over the moon. But as Jacob recovers, something about him sees different. He becomes moody and even violent, harming Rosie, who tries to hide his abuse from others. Then, in the wake of a terrible crime, Rosie begins to wonder if the man she loves could possibly be involved. Just where did Jacob’s donor heart come from? This isn’t a new theme, people have long wondered if recipients of donor organs might carry a trace of the original “owner” within them. Still, Stone writes a riveting, heart racing read