Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Absolutely adore a good mystery and whilst this was interesting, it was really drawn out.
It needed to be edited alot more and be a tighter story overall. It didn't take me long to guess what characters were involved once they arrived in Ireland.

There was far too much focus on Caroline and her odd side story and not enough on Hunter, who was actually connected to the main plot. There was also far too much scene setting (we all know what a windswept hotel in Ireland is aiming for, without pages of description) and also far too much about Jasper the dog. I understand his point in the plot bur there was far too much focus on him.

The main mystery was good but not highly original and fairly easy to put a majority of the pieces together. Nothing surprised me but as the plot needed to be tightened up this may have helped with the element of surprise. There was also too many characters.. something else that should have been edited. Some characters could have been combined to make it a much tighter story.

A really good thriller needs something that is shocking or at least surprising and this had none because everything was spelt out. Overall was an interesting mystery but could have been much more of a page turner with better editing.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book that I have read by Sam Blake and it definitely wont be the last! Dark, mysterious and tension filled. The house and its surroundings are as much a part of this book as the characters. History and present day all come together to tell a great tale.

Interesting, intricate plot that kept you guessing until the end. A couple of the characters annoyed me a bit with their quirky character traits, which were presumably meant to be endearing but I just found frustrating (eg. one of the characters was constantly pushing her glasses up her nose - just get them tightened so they fit properly!)

The Dark Room, by Sam Blake
Published: NOW
Rating: 4/5
There is always something unsettling about crime novels set in Ireland, and the Dark Room is no exception. Blake knows how to weave a compelling and edge-of-your seat narrative, without giving away too much too soon. She understands characterization in a way that I’ve never seen before. Caroline and Rachel are both on the hunt for answers, and both experience the same characters in very different ways, which I liked. I loved delving into the mysterious happenings at Hare’s Landing, and trying to figure out how everything was linked. Honoria’s story was quite something, and I felt like I knew her myself towards the end. My only regret is that I did not read this novel sooner. I’ve already ordered her latest.

Sam has done it again, what can I say an absolutely brilliant book - Great characters, well written and brilliant story - thank you so much for the advanced copy I loved it.

Sam Blake is an author I know of and have spoken to previously so when I had the opportunity to request this book I just had to snap it up even though its not a genre I would usually read.
It took a while for me to get started due to this change in genre but once I did I couldn't stop
It kept me guessing right upto the end.
I would definitely read more of Sam's books in future

An enjoyable easy read. I did find it extremely far fetched in places so that spoiled it a bit for me but besides that a real whodunnit!

Unfortunately I just could not get into this book. It may be one for other readers, but I was unable to finish it.

I found it quite slow at the beginning but I persevered and enjoyed it.
After the first chapter is a gripping and interesting story, a bit creepy, and kept me hooked.
Good character and plot development, an interesting setting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Being Irish, I always jump on books set in my home country as I know the counties, the terrain, the landscape. I was excited to read The Dark Room, although I haven't read anything by this author before. It started off intriguing and kept me up way past my bedtime, however, it slowed significantly. I found the characters a bit of a mish mash, I really liked Caroline but Rachel I found very irritating. I did struggle to care about what happened to them and also found my attention wandering when reading it due to the slowness of the plot. I would like to read other books by this author however.

Best known for her Cat Connolly series, Sam Blake has returned with a wonderfully written standalone. Rachel Lambert works in the film industry in London and the death of a homeless man prompts her to investigate his life. She suspects he was involved in something suspicious as someone seems to be targeting her and her partner because of their links to him. This investigation brings her to Hare's Landing, a country house hotel in West Cork.

Meanwhile, Caroline Kelly, a crime reporter in New York is drawn home to Ireland to escape her stressful job. Both woman soon hit it off and their inquisitive natures draw them into a mystery that has haunted the hotel and its vicinity for decades. The hotel's former owner died under suspicious circumstances and the disappearance of a local girl all seem to be linked with the homeless man. Rachel's German Shepherd Jasper is also instrumental in the investigation.

West Cork is dark and atmospheric with its wild January weather and rural isolation. Hare's Landing is lavish and rich, reminiscent of Manderlay, the setting for Daphne du Maurier's <em>Rebecca</em>. The hotel is undergoing renovations whilst it's closed for the Winter season and there's a supernatural element as the girls try to piece together its history. Crime writers regularly discuss ways they can remove WiFi and CCTV from their contemporary stories to make the investigations more challenging and interesting. Blake has done this in a thoroughly believable way as the WiFi in West Cork is patchy even in calm weather, never mind in the depths of winter.

The book cleverly combines several historical cases with a contemporary story in a layered and well-paced thriller that demonstrates that the past can haunt the present and that choices made in the past can have very real consequences for a large number of people.

I thought this was a corker of a thriller. I liked the fact Rachel and Caroline go to Hare’s Landing for different reasons but end up not just becoming friends but realising their investigations are linked and end up working together to find out what happened to Alfie, the homeless man and a woman who’s supposed to have killed herself thirty years before. The two different story threads gradually come together, and the women and the police find more and more clues that point to links between the murder, disappearance and Rachel’s experiences in London involving her houseboat being broken into and her boyfriend being involved in a hit and run. This is the kind of thriller I love, when there’s so much happening and so many threads and you don’t quite know what’s going on, what the links are and where it will all lead. I was gripped.

I enjoyed this book but not as much as Sam Blake's others unfortunately I found it a little bit too slow, this doesn't mean that it was bad just not one of my favourites. I will still look forward to reading books by this author.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this book. I loved it. It was very well written, with likeable characters & greaf plot. I used to live in Cork & it made me miss it!

Caroline is an investigative reporter in New York, when she is threatened by a law suit & her boss does not seem to have her back she decides to take a break in her native Ireland. Rachel works in films getting locations & props. When her partner, Hunter ( a documentary maker)is knocked off his bike & their home is broken into, it seems the story of Alfie he was working on was the cause. The homeless man had links to a house in West Cork. Fearing for Rachel's safety he asks her to investigate the place, to try & find out who Alfie was whilst keeping her & Jasper the dog out of harms way. The two women hit is off straight away. They discover that Hare's Landing is a house of secrets.

This was a great story. There was a sprinkling of the supernatural, an old mystery & a not so old one. Rachel & Caroline were a great pair of characters & Jasper really was the cherry on top. I loved this one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I found this book to be quite long, but I was enjoying it so much that I didn’t mind at all. I loved the characters, especially Jasper the dog. The story was well crafted and full of twists and turns and I literally couldn’t put it down. If you like a good murder mystery with a bit of the supernatural thrown in you will not be disappointed. .

I read this book over a weekend because it seems like a quick, addictive mystery novel. I’ve never read Sam Blake before so was pleased this was a stand-alone that would give me a insight into her writing, without starting a series. She was recommended to me by other bloggers so knew I would have to give this latest book a try. The book hinges on the mystery of an old house in West Cork. There are two female protagonists who for different reasons are drawn to a house called Hare’s Landing - a country house that was a retreat for the violinist Alfie Bows. Rachel works scouting locations for film and TV. A shock event leads her to Ireland. Her partner and documentary film maker Hunter is the victim of a hit and run. On the same day his camera and other equipment are stolen from the houseboat they’ve made their home. Alfie Bows was the subject of one of his documentaries and when he also disappears, Rachel knows there’s a link between all three events. She thinks she will get answers at Hare’s Landing, now a country hotel, so sets out to West Cork to investigate,

There she meets Catherine Kelly, the only other guest in the hotel. She has retreated from NYC after a lawsuit led to her owing her job as a crime reporter. However she still can’t resist a story and when she hears about the suicide of the houses former owner Honoraria Smyth, she thinks the investigation may not be as cut and dried as it seems. The two women share the stories they are investigating, thanks to a lack of wi-Fi for entertainment and a terrifying housekeeper who could give Mrs Danvers a run for her money! Soon they realise, that someone doesn’t want them looking into either mystery. Caroline’s room is broken into and the villagers are hostile.

The story is told in alternate chapters so each of the women narrate their bit, keeping us up to date on both of their investigative experiences and findings. It read like a cosy mystery and I enjoyed their rapport with each other. Their investigations depend on them finding evidence, a letter in one case and an invoice left in one of Alfie’s bags. Rachel came across as a stronger, more developed character than Caroline. Caroline’s past in NYC didn’t need to be explored because it bore no relation to the investigation. She also brings in a supernatural element that didn’t seem convincing. Towards the end of the novel the pace picked up and events take a much darker tone. When this happened the book really did pick up and I was glued to those final pages.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atlantic Books for the advance copy.
The Dark Room is a stand-alone novel written by Sam Blake. The author's name may sound familiar: Sam has written a hugely popular series about Dublin-based Garda Cathy Connolly.
This time, the plot takes away from Dublin to the atmospheric and creepy hotel in West Cork. However, the story begins in London, with a letter. Alfie Bow, a homeless man, fearfully posts a letter that is "his only chance" and, when it's received, "everything is changed". Alfie's charm and violin skills have captured the heart of Hunter, a filmmaker making a documentary about the homeless, who made Alfie his lead character. Unfortunately, Alfie goes missing and shortly after Hunter is a victim of a hit-and-run.
Rachel, Hunter's partner and location scout, discovers that the houseboat that she and Hunter share was ransacked and all Hunter's cameras were stolen. She's expecting a visit from the police regarding the break-in. Instead, she learns about Hunter's accident. In the hospital, Hunter asks her to find out what happened to Alfie on his behalf. At this point, she starts to wonder if Alfie and Hunter's accidents were connected. Thanks to Hunter's tip, she takes and sets off to a hotel called Hare's Landing, the only place Alfie ever mentioned, hoping to avoid any potential danger and discover Alfie's past.
Meanwhile in New York, Caroline, an investigative crime reporter, faces a lawsuit and suspension. Needing some peace and quiet, she decides to retreat to the Irish countryside, and the Hare's Landing in West Cork looks like a perfect place for her to hide. Once she arrives, whether by her curiosity or force of the professional habit, Caroline finds herself drawn to the mystery surrounding the suicide of the hotel's former owner.
The paths of Rachel and Caroline intersect at the hotel. Hare's Landing and the neighbouring area were a fantastically eerie setting. The hotel's description and its gothic interiors were well written, and I relished discovering more about the house and its history. The sense of oncoming danger was palpable, especially during the events taking place at night. The most prominent feeling about Hare's Landing was isolation. Although there were people working in the hotel, the characters seemed very isolated. The fact there was barely any mobile phone reception to be found made this feature even more prominent.
As the only two guests at Hare's Landing, Rachel and Caroline are caught between a hostile housekeeper, little or no Wi-Fi or mobile reception, some prying locals, and Irish weather in January. Naturally, they gravitate to each other and share the respective mysteries searching for answers.
In the beginning, the narrative is alternating between Rachel and Caroline's perspectives. I knew that their plots would eventually join from the blurb, and I thoroughly enjoyed following their separate storylines. The story is focused on the plot more than the characters. I found neither of the two leads particularly compelling, but despite that, they have enough details and personality to make them interesting.
Rachel brings in compassion and good nature, as well as a very clever side-kick. Her dog, Jasper, brings so much to this story, and it's great to see an animal having such an impact, rather than being just a token pet.
Caroline is very inquisitive, more proactive, and her journalist senses give her that extra edge. However, her sub-plot about the lawsuit and her work relationship with her boss does not end up being particularly relevant. As much as it gives her depth and colourful background, I'd love to see more to it. The one thing that annoyed me a bit was her supernatural theories. It felt more like an attempt to bring about the atmosphere than a quirk of the character.
I've found the secondary characters are strongly developed, and I appreciated what they bring with them. Hunter's determination to help Alfie was endearing and spoke volumes about the relationship they developed in a short time. Mrs Travers unwelcoming attitude gave an impression she's hiding something, while Imogen and Bronagh were the types of people who I'm usually drawn to during my hotel escapes. As for Malachi, I've found his association with Rachel just a bit too much of a coincidence.
The Dark Room is a highly plot-driven story, with a complex and captivating mystery that transcends past and present. I found the writing engaging and enjoyed the variety of plot lines. There was rarely a time when I was able to predict what's going to happen next. However, it can be easy to get lost in the strands of events. This is most obviously visible towards the end of the book. The gradual increase in pace and suspense was satisfying, but the finish felt a bit rushed, and I found myself looking for answers to one or two holes.
When it comes to a classification - it reads more like a mixture between a cosy murder mystery and a thriller. I would certainly not classify it as a horror, and if this is what you're hoping for - you will probably end up disappointed. However, if you're into mysteries, investigations, and whodunnits - you may want to give this title a go; the writing, the setting, and the characters make it for a satisfying read, the pace is enjoyable and should keep you turning the pages, and the conclusion is decent regarding the main plot. Still, it may leave you longing for more.

A newly renovated hotel in West Cork seems like the perfect getaway for Caroline Kelly and Rachel Lambert. Caroline is an expat reporter living in New York, returning to Ireland for the first time in years. Rachel is fleeing London for safety and seeking the identity of a homeless man who was killed in London. Rachel’s trusty sidekick, her dog Jasper makes up the rest of the cast of main characters in The Dark Room.

It was lovely to escape to the coast of West Cork and Hare’s Landing in my imagination, thanks to vivid descriptions from the author. I could see myself sipping a coffee in the lounge near the fire with the sounds of the wild Atlantic outside. The hotel’s frosty and controlling manager Mrs. Travers is reminiscent of good old Danny (Mrs. Danvers) from Rebecca. This old crone knows all the secrets of Hare House and is keeping them close to her chest.

The two women form a friendship and become embroiled in the mystery of Hare’s Landing. Eerie disturbances behind to display themselves, but is a supernatural force at work or is someone out to threaten Rachel and Caroline?

I loved the creepy elements wound through this mystery. These added a shadowy undertone to the story. This was intensified by the setting of a nearly empty hotel on the wild Atlantic coast in Winter.

My favourite part of the story is the relationship between Rachel and Caroline, both women are as confident and capable as each other. Though I’m not a dog person, Jasper added a warmth to the story.

The Dark Room is an easy to read, eerie and pacy thriller that engrossed me completely. I adored the setting and it put me in the middle of the story. The Dark Room is a perfect escape from reality, which is badly needed at the moment.