I was lucky to be part of the @harpercollinsuk blog tour for the latest novel by Jenny O’Brien. This is my first novel by Jenny and I’ll definitely be reading more. I do love a book series about a DC and this certainly doesn’t disappoint. I loved the fast pace of the chapters, the outline of the police work, the discoveries, frustrations and dedication of DC Gaby to find the truth. The twist and turns of this story kept me gripped to the final page and I’m looking forward to further stories about DC Gaby Darin!

Christine De Bertrand is a divorced woman and stays in most nights. She’s a teacher and homebody but on her birthday her friends manage to drag her out for a fun evening of celebration. She has a very uncharacteristic evening of excessive drinking, partying and brings home a stranger for the night.

This is a first for her and when she awakens to the seemingly sleeping body next to her, she flees the bed to get meds for the massive headache and makes coffee. She’s in for a surprise when she returns to the bedroom, hoping to gently roust the dark haired man from her pub night. There will be at least one homicide in the DC Gabriella Darin series so you can probably guess Christine will be a suspect for murder. Then the other characters are introduced and the pool of suspects gets a little larger.

We are taken to Wales via Jenny O’Brien’s latest book in the Gabriella Darin series. I am enjoying this series and happy to know there are more books planned. This is book 2 and we are following DC Gaby Darin in her personal life and career path with a Welsh police agency.

“North Wales was stunning with its stretches of golden beaches, incomparbale lush fields abd hills coated in green.”

A character I am hoping will be developed is Medical Examiner Rusty Mullholland. She’s gruff and yet appealing.

Foodie stuff:

A full English with toast and marmalade on the side.
Soup and bread
a dinner party with fillet of salmon and homemade Pavlova
Vegetable lasagna and wine
A big bowl of carb filled pasta
Sun dried tomato and basil drenched fettucine

All that pasta had me craving a bowl with sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese. Pure comfort food. Get the recipe from Food Network, check out photos of the food and links at my blog :-).

Much thanks to Netgalley for the advanced complimentary copy. I was not compensated for this review and throughly enjoyed this book. Publication date was July 17, 2020. Genre is fiction, mystery and thriller.

I really enjoyed this book and will give it a huge thumbs up. With a great story line and excellent main characters - I would highly recommend this book.

Such a page turner!

I really enjoyed this book with all its twists and turns. Even though this is book two in a series and I had not read the first one, at no point did I feel like I had to have read the previous one to follow this one.
It follows the trials and tribulations of DC Gaby Darin, both through her work, her career development and personal life.
The case she is working on takes many different leads and when you think you have it sussed, nope! something else happens that leads you away!!
All in all I would recommend this to anyone who loves crime thrillers, it was well written and I would certainly read more from this author.


Thank you to Netgallery, the publishers and most importantly the author, for the chance to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.

😊 Darkest Night features DC Gabriella (Gaby) Darin who has moved to Llandudno in Wales after the occurrence of difficult events.

Kicking things off, the reader is introduced to divorced Christine de Bertrand who, following a heavy night out celebrating her thirtieth birthday, wakes to find her flatmate, Nikki, stabbed to death in bed beside her. The finer details of the previous evening are sketchy though Christine vaguely remembers a man's presence in the flat. But with no proof or alibi she very quickly becomes the main suspect...

DC Gaby Darin and her partner-in-crime, DC Owen Bates, begin investigating the apparently straightforward case. With its fast pacing, there is always plenty going on and there is certainly never a dull moment! Jenny O'Brien knows how to write a story that is compelling and entertaining with characters that are not easy to love but fit with the story very well. I really enjoy Gaby's personality traits - particularly her brashness and astuteness, though she suffers a little from self-doubt.

The plot was brilliantly executed and I was desperate to find out what would happen next. Written with clarity, Jenny O'Brien demonstrated a mastery of misdirection that certainly kept me guessing! Complete with a fabulous ending, I am certain that Darkest Night will be well-received by all who get a buzz from a well-written police procedural or thriller/ mystery. I look forward to the third instalment, Fallen Angel, and seeing where Jenny O'Brien takes DC Gaby Darin next. A well-deserved five stars! My thanks must go to the author for writing such an gripping and awesome book! 😊

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ Digital via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is the second book in the Detective Gaby Darin series and I was keen to find out what happens next after reading and really enjoying Silent Cry.

The opening scene of Darkest Night introduces a 30-year-old woman called Christine de Bertrand, who lives in a top-floor flat along the West Shore in Llandudno. After a rare night out drinking with her friend, Kelly, she wakes up to find herself in bed with what she thinks is a man she brought home with her. After making him a coffee, Christine pulls back the duvet and is horrified to discover the blood-soaked dead body of her flatmate, Nicola (Nikki) Jones.

Detective Constable (DC) Gabriella (Gaby) Darin has recently moved to St Asaph police station from Swansea and it’s her first weekend off in three months but a knocking at the door of her cottage in Rhos-on-Sea and the appearance of her colleague, Welshman DC Owen Bates, mean her days off are cancelled, especially as half the force are ill with Norovirus! Gaby’s new boss, Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Henry Sherlock, has put her in charge of the murder case.

Christine is taken to Llandudno police station for questioning and interviewed by Gaby and DC Bates in the presence of a solicitor before being moved to the custodial suite at St Asalph’s police station. She protests her innocence, claiming she must have been drugged as she can’t remember anything, and the police can’t find a murder weapon either.

She is profoundly deaf after a riding accident as a child and wears hearing aids but her hearing loss has worsened over the years. Christine, a special needs teacher, divorced her husband, Paul, two years ago for reasons that seem to be unclear to all! He is the headmaster at St Gildas Independent Boarding School in Beddgelert. He is also asked some questions when he visits the police station to try and see his ex-wife.

The novel is mainly set over the course of six days in mid-May, with flashbacks to the University of Cambridge in 2008, where Nikki and Christine were studying classics at St Augusta’s College and Paul was one of their course lecturers.

When a person, Tracy Price, goes missing, police are convinced the two cases must be linked but can’t work out the connection between the women. Tracy, 34, is married to Barry and they have six-year-old twin boys. Police speak to various neighbours and learn that the couple’s marriage might have been in trouble but there appear to be no leads or clues.

Both investigations seem to be dragging on without any results and things take an even more sinister turn when one of the police officers goes missing and can’t be tracked down. It seems that things may be coming to a head in dramatic fashion – is the killer involved in this shocking development?

Gaby is a great protagonist and I really like her personality and the way her character is developing. It’s a shame that her love life is rather disastrous and the only man she has any feelings for is the grumpy and red-haired Irish pathologist, Dr Rusty Mulholland, who behaves very strangely towards her and is scathing of everything she does. He is rather abrupt and has bad manners.

Overall, I really enjoyed this excellent and well-written police procedural. As with Silent Cry, I liked the way we followed the investigation as it developed and were able to hear Gaby’s thought processes as she struggled to put together all the pieces of the jigsaw. The puzzling storyline was cleverly plotted and had some interesting twists and turns and the odd red herring and misdirection. There were some tense moments, lots of suspense, and I had no idea how it was all going to be resolved. I wasn’t sure who the killer was either!

The author has written another gripping, engaging and entertaining book and I’m already looking forward to the next one in the series!

This is the second book I have read by this author and I was not disappointed. I love the way Jenny O’Brien seems to divide her books into small chapters and concentrates on different characters. We follow the story of DC Gaby Darin with a new case which is by no means straight forward and also it highlights her personal life issues. . Lots of twists and turns that totally hook you in and I was so absorbed read it in 3 nights. Really enjoyed and can’t wait for book 3.

Rating: 3.5/5
“Kindness personified to the dead, less so with the living."

Jenny O’ Brien does a wonderful job of making the readers feel what the characters do throughout the book. This novel is written from different perspectives and there are different tones for each character. Paul and Christine’s separation was melancholic, Gaby and Rusty’s story was full of light-hearted banter and awkwardness, Nikki’s depressive mental state. The writing contained brevity, quite literally. Parallel to Gaby, the reader feels frustrated and impatient. There are so many unanswered questions and the mystery couldn’t be solved sooner. Nikki was the most intriguing of all the characters. She stole all the attention. Although chapters vary in length, the pacing is consistent. The romance subplots were elegantly written. All the scenarios between the couples were simply beautiful.

“...Her and Rusty?Hell would freeze over first and, with global warming, that was never going to happen.”

The climax could be developed better. The big reveal/explanation for the crimes occurred felt vague, it required more detail. If more chapters were written in Nikki’s perspective, it would’ve added depth to the story. O’Brien conveyed her nature in some of her actions but her character felt thrown aside at the end of the book.
‘Darkest Night’ is recommended to all mystery genre readers. ARC provided by HQ Digital and NetGalley. Thank you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

When Christine de Bertrand wakes up next to her dead roommate, it's up to DS Gaby Darin to discover who the killer is.

This was the second in a series, but at no time did I feel lost or as though I had missed anything, so it can be read as its own book. I thought that the characters were decently described, and the pacing was okay. there were points where it dragged a bit. I found the twists to be a bit lacking, but overall, it's not a bad book. I just don't know that it was strong enough to keep me enthralled in the narrative.

A good read with plenty of twists. This is the first book that I have read in this series and I would read more.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

When a divorce is finished, no matter if it ended good or bad, it’s always something to celebrate, but for Christine de Bertrand the anniversary celebration will not end as she was expecting. The man he went to sleep the night before has disappeared and now the body of her housemate has appeared… and the police is arresting her. She doesn’t have any memories from the previous night, so no alibi for her, but it seems that this will not be the first woman missing, now this will be a race against the clock and the bet will be Christine’s freedom. Ready?
Even if this is the second book of the Gabriella Darin series, you can read it as standalone, the connections and relations between the characters are well explained and you don’t feel lost in the story. I loved so much how the story is told that I am sure I’ll follow her adventures from now on!
The story is told between different characters, showing the different perspectives of the story but at the same time the reader doesn’t know who to trust or what to believe. Is Christine innocent as she claims or is she hiding something and the perspective of the reader is biased by the emotions? DC Gaby Darin is trying to solve two cases at the same time, they seem complicated and with no clear clues to discover the real culprit, will they find the killer before it’s too late?
I really liked this story, Gaby is a character easy to get attached to and follow her adventures, she is tenacious and intelligent, fights for her friends and family and is ready to catch the killer no matter what.
Ready for the Darkest Night?

What an incredible and exciting read! From the opening scenes to riveting final chapters, I loved every minute of it.
This is a book I wanted to curl up with all day until it was finished. When I, reluctantly, had to put it down I spent every waking moment thinking about it and yearning to get back to the story.
The characters are brilliantly written and the plot was intricately thought through and full of suspense. The twists and turns kept me guessing and hooked! The story is told from different viewpoints and I really loved seeing the events from different angles.
A fast-paced and thrilling story. I will certainly be following the rest of the series!

An excellent mystery, gripping and entertaining. It kept me hooked and guessing till the end and I loved the characters and the plot.
It's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This isn’t my usual reading type, I can’t explain why but I don’t really go in for police procedural, the ones I have read have been by authors I’ve read before when they have written books in other genre’s, and I have really enjoyed them, which is a little odd that I don’t read more from this genre. But this was completely new to me; New author, new series and a different genre, but there was something about the back blurb which shouted out to me, it intrigued me so much I threw my own rules of – only starting a new authors books at the beginning of their series’ – out of the window and accepted a place on this tour, and am I so pleased that I did as I loved every second of this gripping drama.
I absolutely loved that this is pretty much led by a female police officer, Gabby Darin is a brilliant character, in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few years time The Gabriella Darin series isn’t made into a TV drama, and we all will be talking about it in the same breath as Vera and the mighty Prime Suspect.
The story starts off with a gripping bang, with a case that will test the detective’s skills and cunning. This is a real twisty case which gets the little grey cells turning. Christine de Bertrand, after a, what should have been a simple one night stand, turned out to be a nightmare, one that she can’t explain, after all, there is no explanation to the fact that she went to bed with a man who was very much alive only to wake with a woman who is very much dead, how can you rationally explain such a weird thing?
DC Gabby Darin has this inkling that there is something more to this case then meets the eye, but when one of their own is targeted and now with so much on the line and more lives at stake can Gabby and her team find the culprit before they strike again?
I have not read any of Jenny O’Brien’s work before this, but oh, my word what an introduction to this clever and hugely talented writers work, her writing is not only suspenseful but there is real confidence in her knowledge of the world she is writing about. I can say this for a certainty though, that this will not be my last Jenny O’Brien book, I can’t to read more from DC Gabriella Darin.
Darkest Night is a thrilling, intelligent and compelling ‘who-dunnit’ which will keep you turning the pages until all pieces of the jigsaw are put into place. With multiple suspects, multiple crimes, one of their very own in dangers way which hitched up the tempo a notch or two and so many twists and red-herrings, you never knew who was behind it all not until all was revealed which kept me glued right up to the very last page.
A real edge of your seat surprising thriller, If you love Lynda La Plant then you want to snap this up, DC Travis has got some real competition in the form of marvellous DC Gabby Darin.
***

The second Detective Gaby Darin book has a well-constructed plot and excellent characters. This contemporary mix of police procedural and psychological suspense told from multi-viewpoints is absorbing. The reader gains an omniscient view of the events but is everyone a reliable narrator?

The story is pacy and intelligently plotted. The crime descriptions are graphic and add to the authenticity. Psychological suspense makes the investigation complex, which makes detecting the criminal harder.

There's an adrenaline-inducing conclusion that keeps you guessing.

I received a copy of this book from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

An easy to read police drama. DC Gaby Darin is the lead character who has had a bit of career trouble over the last few years but a move to North Wales gives her a promotion to DS and puts her in charge of her first murder case.

A young woman is found stabbed by her flatmate, Christine who can't remember what happened the night before. The plot thickens as another woman goes missing Gaby has to work fast to stop another murder.

In what follows is a good police procedural, quite plot driven with the investigation moving forward, however, we do learn a bit about some of the main characters (who I believe will continue in the series). A stubborn crime scene investigator, a chatty family liason officer and Gaby's right hand man Owen who all add depth to Gaby's character.

I enjoyed the plot, good depth and although a little abrupt, I was satisfied with the ending. The characters were believable and likeable although the culprit easy to guess. I think a little investigation would have made it more believable for those that read a bit of crime, ABO blood typing, holding witnesses without cause and police promotion interviews are just a few things that weren't quite on point.

Overall, an enjoyable police drama, 3.5* with a good plot driven story and believable characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ digital for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for an advance copy of Darkest Night. This is the second book in the Gaby Darin series, but it could easily serve as a standalone novel. It was an enjoyable, fast paced read, and I was hooked from the start! If you're looking for a murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the end, then this is the book for you. I highly recommend you check it out!

Christine de Bertrand wakes up in bed next to the man she vaguely remembers as a one night stand. When she pulls back the covers, she finds instead the dead body of her roommate Nikki. The police are quick to assume that this is a domestic situation gone wrong and Christine is taken to the station to be held for questioning.

Of course, it isn’t that simple. Christine is recently divorced yet she gives the name of her ex-husband Paul, the head of an elite private school, as her emergency contact. She also has an alibi for part of the past evening. And she has a hearing impairment which makes questioning her somewhat difficult. Chosen to lead this case is Detective Gaby Darin. She’s been transferred to the precinct in North Wales after a problem case and an unfortunate choice of a boyfriend. While she and Owen Bates, a member of her team, are investigating what they believe to be an open and shut case, another woman is reported missing. That case is also assigned to an already overworked Gaby. Racing against time to solve both cases, she is pulled into a dark web of obsession and danger.

Jenny O’Brien delivers a fast-paced, suspenseful read. It’s a well plotted combination of murder mystery and police procedural in an atmospheric setting. Although this is the second book in a series, it works well as a standalone thriller and deserves every one of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ Digital and Jenny O’Brien for this ARC.

When Christine wakes up next to the body of her housemate, the Police have no reason to suspect this is anything other than an open and shut case. All DC Gaby Darin has to do is find the evidence to prove that nobody else was involved and tie up the loose ends.

However, after another woman goes missing, Gaby and her team are forced to extend their investigation to try and work out how the two cases fit together. A task which becomes even more urgent when the life of one of her colleague’s is also put at risk.

To begin with, even though I thought the story was good and I was enjoying reading it, it didn’t have me entirely gripped. But, when I got to the halfway point, the story really picked up the pace and didn’t let up right until the end. The race against time really was a race and I felt the tension and pressure to find the killer as if I was part of the case myself.

Another thing that made this book stand out to me was the setting. The previous book, Silent Cry, was based around Swansea. In Darkest Night, after the events that took place in her previous investigation, Gaby has moved up to Llandudno and some of the investigation leads them in and around Beddgelert. Coming from Wales myself, it just added a bit of extra interest for me to read about places that I am familiar with.

Darkest Night was a really enjoyable thriller which, after a slightly slow start, quickly turned into an addictive, unusual and twisty read. I am a big fan of police procedurals with intelligent and feisty female protagonists but I also have to mention my favourite character, Rusty. I really hope he returns in the next installment and we can see their relationship develop further!

Plot

DS Gaby Darin has a puzzle on her hands, a puzzle that defies explanation.

Christine de Bertrand certainly got more than she was expecting from the casual hook-up after a night celebrating the anniversary of her divorce. Arrested at the scene she has no explanation or alibi. She also has no one on her side apart from her ex-husband. She’s as confounded as everyone else as to the unexplained presence of the dead body in her bed - the dead body of a woman when she’s positive she went to bed with a man…

Review

I really liked this!

Firstly, should point out that as a Welsh girl I am extremely bias when it comes to Welsh coastal towns because they are quite frankly superior so first off the bat the setting is the winner for me here.

Secondly the characters are very realistic including our main girl Gaby who despite being a good detective is far from perfect with her self-deprecation over her weight and her tendency not to stop at one drink when she knows she’s got work in the morning! I liked the interplay with her work partner Owen, her friendship with Amy and even the back and forth with Pathologist Rusty - something I’m looking forward to as the series goes on.

Thirdly the plot is very gripping. Seemingly two unconnected crimes which keep you guessing right until the end.

This is the second in the series but with reminders of Gaby’s beginnings you could read this perfectly as a stand alone.

On the whole this is a really good crime thriller with interesting attributes that I am excited to see developed.

Rating

4 stars

Recommend

Yes I do.