The first book in the Detective Harlow Durant series, Find Me in the Dark, follows Detective Harlow Durant, a homicide detective, who is new to the Plattsburgh area of New York. She arrives as a young woman's body is found in a snowbank and it is unknown how long this body has been hidden by the snow for. This results in Harlow spending hours upon hours scouring missing person's reports and finds the victims, a college student. However, through this search, there are differing reports about the girl's life between home and college life. Harlow knows this secret life all too well, having to constantly hide her past and her true identity as the daughter of a convicted serial killer. As time continues on, more young women's bodies are found and now Harlow is hunting another serial killer, but how are the victims linked and why would the killer kill these young women?

I'm slowly getting into more crime and thriller books, but I'm still trying to figure out the books that I know will be a successful read for myself, so I saw this book as a chance to to figure out if the classic crime serial killer kind of book was for me. This one definitely was a hit with myself. I did find myself either struggling to read this or absolutely flying through it. But I think when I did struggle to read this, it was more due to the fact that this book is relatively heavy in certain parts. Even being heavy in certain parts, it was a fast read and it got you hooked early on.

Detective Harlow is partnered with Lucas, who we find out is the only decent male character in the book, with the other male police officers in Plattsburgh to be absolute trash humans and incredibly misogynistic and disgusting towards Harlow and also Lucas. This is a relatively strong theme of the book, with the women in the area only being treated as worthy if they are rich or married to a rich man, then they are worthy, otherwise no women are taken seriously, as shown by the missing person's reports and the way that the police officers talk to some of the college students, off page. This leads to the other police officers not being any help whatsoever during the serial killer cases, rather being a hinderance at every possible chance.

Throughout the story, another major aspect was Harlow using her past experiences with an incredibly dysfunctional family and how her father was arrested for his crimes when she was fourteen. The book follows the narrative of Harlow, but also goes back into the past to begin to delve into the background story of Harlow and her relationship with and between her parents. This story line doesn't go into great detail, but hopefully with future books, we continue to learn more about Harlow's past as I loved this time jump into the past.

Dea Poirier's writing style is definitely a style I love reading, as I just love books and writing styles that go into so much depth and visual imagery of the scenes that make the reader feel the scenes of the book so vividly. I have again found a new author that I will continue to read and seek out their books in the future, and can't wait for the next book in the series so I can return to reading more about Detective Harlow and hopefully learning more about her past and also I want more Lucas and hopefully his background and past too.

Thank you very much to Bookouture for providing me with a copy of this novel and allowing me to participate in the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.

Here I am today, chatting about this new suspenseful novel Find Me in the Dark by Dea Poirier. This was a mystery with a different twist – the serial killer is not just from the protagonist’s past, or an encounter long ago, he is her father!

Book Description:



She’d been running for so long, it felt like her legs were on fire. Her heart was pounding so hard, she was sure it would give out. Around her, the snow was falling, casting an eerie silence over the town. A crack behind her, a foot snapping a branch, it warned her that he was still coming. She whipped around and saw the knife gleaming in his hand…

As the snow begins to melt across Plattsburgh, New York, the body of a young woman is found buried in a snowbank. When Detective Harlow Durant arrives at the scene she discovers that the victim has lain there for months: her arresting beauty, brightly-coloured nails and a distinctive gold bracelet perfectly preserved in the ice.

Searching missing person reports, Harlow soon identifies the victim as college student Alyssa Trent. Her grieving family describe her as someone who had no enemies and was a dedicated student. But Alyssa’s tutor has a different view: they claim Alyssa had another life that she kept hidden. But who would want her dead?

Harlow knows all about secret lives. She has spent years running from her past and from her father, a convicted serial killer. As the only female detective at the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Harlow has vowed to bring killers to justice. Now she needs to find justice for Alyssa.

When another female student is found in the thawing snow, Harlow knows that she is hunting a twisted killer. The victims knew each other but what dark secret connects them? With the small-town reeling in shock and more snow coming, Harlow knows she needs to stop a killer dead in their tracks before another innocent life is lost.

From the bestselling author of Next Girl To Die comes an addictive crime thriller perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot and Robert Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite series.

Author Bio:



Author Dea (D.H) Poirier is the author of NEXT GIRL TO DIE, which hit #1 in the Amazon charts. She was raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she got her start writing in creative writing courses. She attended The University of Central Oklahoma for Computer Science and Political Science. Later, she spent time living on both coasts, and traveling the United States, before finally putting down roots in Central Florida. She now resides somewhere between Disney and the swamp. She spends her days at her day job as a President of Digital Marketing, and her nights writing manuscripts.

https://www.dhpoirier.com/
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https://www.instagram.com/deapoirier/
https://twitter.com/deapoirierbooks

Buy Link:Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ax5vki (not affiliated with BBNB)

Thanks for letting me be part of the tour and for this great book! I enjoyed it and am glad to see that it is the start of a series.

Harlow starts over in a new city - again. Together with her new partner Lucas Park, she investigates the murder of a young girl found buried under the snow. Simultaneously Harlow tries to keep her true identity hidden. Nobody needs to know she’s the daughter of a serial killer.
Great start to a new detective series. Can’t wait for book two.

The author pulled me straight into this riveting tale with the excellent opening chapter and I could not get enough. In this dark police procedural with a strong backstory for the protagonist, a body has been found in a snowbank in Plattsburgh, upstate New York. Detective Harlow Durant is asked to attend the scene, then more bodies appear and Harlow starts receiving messages instructing her to leave. This is a chilling and intense read and I was certainly kept on edge. Dea Poirier's Detective Durant is well crafted and definitely has a busy life and colourful past. This reader will be very interested in where the author takes her in future instalments. Very highly recommended.

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

This is a new series and it's a great start.

I love finding new detective/police proceduals books especially if it's a new series.

It's gripping and thrilling and will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole book.

Looking forward to the other books in the series

This a slow burner with lots of interesting character development.

Harlow Durant is a strong female lead with the potential to really develop. Childhood trauma and a notorious killer for a father has made her fiercely independent and slow to trust her colleagues. She is focused on her work and determined to get results.

The writer creates a police force that is full of toxic masculinity. The officers are homophobic and misogynistic. Crime against women are not always taken seriously and despite a series of missing young women all connected to the local college, no one is looking into the cases.

When a body is uncovered in a roadside snow pile, Durant is called in to investigate. Looking into the victim’s life begins to reveal some strange secrets when another body is found and it quickly becomes clear that the murders are connected.

Dyrant own story is revealed throughout the cause of the narrative and with that out if the way I think the second book in the series will probably have more pace.

The ending sets up the sequel perfectly.

A terrifying serial killer chiller with twists and turns that will barely let readers catch their breaths, Karen Rose and Melinda Leigh fans will lap up Dea Poirier’s Find Me in the Dark.

In Pittsburgh, New York, the body of a beautiful young woman has been found buried in a snowbank. When Detective Harlow Durant arrives at the scene, she is shocked when she discovers that the victim has lain there for months. Determined to bring her killer to justice, Harlow identifies the victim as college student Alyssa Trent. When she informs her parents, they are naturally distraught. Alyssa was a popular and dedicated student with a busy social life and no enemies. Who could possibly want to kill her? Harlow is positive that there is more to this story than meets the eye – a suspicion that is confirmed by one of the victim’s tutors who informs her that Alyssa had a secret life she wanted to keep hidden at all costs. Could Alyssa’s secrets have got her killed?

When another body is found in similar circumstances, Harlow realises that she is on the hunt of a ruthless predator. As Harlow digs into this second murder, she uncovers the shocking fact that the two victims knew each other. What dark secrets connected them? Harlow is sure that these murders were perpetrated by the same ruthless killer and with time not on her side, she needs to move fast, keep her eyes and ears open and put this dangerous criminal behind bars – before more lives are lost…

Find Me in the Dark is a compulsive and creepy chiller that keeps readers guessing and glued to its pages from beginning to end. Dea Poirier knows how to bring readers’ darkest fears to life and has penned a fast-moving, utterly chilling and brilliantly twisted crime novel with a complex and nuanced detective, a great cast of supporting characters, villainous adversaries and plenty of shocks and surprises.

A must-read for crime thriller fans everywhere, readers will be counting down the days for the next title in Dea Poirier’s Detective Harlow Durant series.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Gripping me from the start, this held my attention from beginning to end with twists and turns, solid interesting characters and good writing. What more do you need! My first book by this author but I will seek out more. Well worth a read.

An excellent police procedural with a good plot and suspense. The past episodes of Harley is left incomplete, probably to be continued in the subsequent books. The work place harassment and the characterisation are real. The last chapter could have been avoided. 4.5 stars

As Detective Harlow Durant is working on her newest case, that of a young woman's body found lying in the snow, she discovered some interesting facts. Not only was it clear that the woman had been there for quite some time, facts proved that the woman had been living a secret life. On the one hand she was a hard-working student, someone who got along with everyone. On the other hand, her tutor says the victim was a different woman than others saw.

Leading a secret life is something that is not new to Harlow. As her father is currently imprisoned as a convicted serial killer, Harlow herself kept a lot hidden. As she pushes through the current investigation, she remembers snippets of her past, and the story goes between past and present. Then, another student is found and Harlow is certain that there is a connection between the two women. Can Harlow find the killer before there is another victim? And, how much of Harlow's past impacts what is going on in her life now?

What a riveting story! Whether sensing the danger the victims were about to face or reading of Harlow's violent past, the impact was huge. Chilling. It helped that Harlow has a wonderful new partner named Lucas Park and it was interesting to watch them strike a balance in their new working relationship. What made this already fabulous book even better was the excellent audiobook narration. I could not put this book down, leaving me excited for this first book in a new series. I love Harlow and cannot wait to see her face future cases.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This is the first in the Harlow Durant series and my first book by Dea Poirier, but it certainly won't be my last.

What an utterly compelling read Find Me In The Dark was!

Harlow is a complex character. Raised by a serial killer and abusive mother, she'd used to people letting her down and moving from place to place, never feeling at home. She's a bit standoffish, understandably, and doesn't suffer fools gladly, which I enjoyed, especially when faced with the vile local officers she had to deal with.

Lucas made a nice foil for Harlow. New to the homicide department, he's still a little inexperienced, but he's loyal and determined. He also carries his own hurt from the past. It was also nice to see that there was any romance between him and Harlow, which made a pleasant change.

With all the buildup and tension in the story, I found the murderer reveal a little lacklustre, although at the end there is a little surprise that will lead nicely onto the next book.

Find Me In The Dark is a gripping serial killer thriller packed with action from the very beginning.

An enjoyable read that had me gripped and breathless for most of it. It was tense, suspenseful and twisty with dark undertones. The story was good, the characters were good. I really liked it

*4.5 Stars*

ARC kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

This book was very interesting and had good characters. Highlights how dangerous police work can be, and all the research they need to put into cases. I liked the ending, and it surprised me. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. Would recommend.

Detective Harlow Durant is new to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, & is sent to Plattsburgh to work on the case of a murder victim found in a snow drift. The victim, student Alyssa Trent, had been reported missing by her mother, but the local police seem less than interested. Harlow has a gut feeling there is more to this case than meets the eye, especially when she sees posters for other missing women from the area. Could this be her first serial killer case? This would be grimly ironic as Harlow is the daughter of a convicted serial killer, & despite her best efforts, the past keeps catching up with her. Can she solve this case before she has to run once again?

I wasn't sure about this one before reading it, but it turned out to be an excellent read.. Durant is a great main character, she has her issues & she has to be tough for the work she does, but she's not overly acerbic. I found myself warming to both Durant & new partner, Lucas Park, who is a great complement for Durant. Park is gay so there is no chance of the partnership developing into romance which means the friendship & working relationship can go in a different direction. I like that as so many authors fall into the 'man and woman working together must develop feelings' cliché. If I had to pick one fault, it was that the guilty party was easy to spot for me when they first appeared in the case, but it may be due to the fact that I read a lot of crime fiction, so I know what I'm looking for in a suspect. I would definitely read more books in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Bookouture, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an advance copy of #FindMeInTheDark by #DeaPoirier

Overall I enjoyed this book the story of Harlow the daughter of a convicted serial killer trying to find her own way in life as a detective.
You learn early on that she keeps moving from job to job as people discover who her father was and refuse to accept her.
She is now working with a new partner searching for a missing person, when that person winds up dead in a snowdrift and others follow they are in a race against time to catch the killer. I found it a bit unnerving that every other officer on the force hated her just because she was a woman. I know there are misogynists but everyone ?
I will read the next book as I hope the series will turn out well.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a good book. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I would definitely recommend this book!

Chilling serial killer, police procedural set in wintry northern US
'Find me in the Dark' is a police procedural set in Plattsburgh, a small, insular town in upstate New York. Told in the past tense, the third-person POV, the story is immediate and realistic. Mostly set in the present following the main character, Detective Harlow Durant's policework, there are brief flashbacks of her childhood. Occasionally, the reader also gets the antagonist's perspective in short, sharp bursts. The author sure sets a chill wind blowing through the novel, with snow and sleet adding layers to the mystique. However, our heroine, Detective Harlow Durant, prefers the cold to the hotter southern states.

Harlow carries a terrible backstory like a hunchback carries their back, feeling responsible for her childhood. But thank goodness there's no paedophilia or traumatic child abuse here. In fact, Harlow's father, a psychologist, was a convicted serial killer. Now, finding herself investigating a series of murders of young women in their late teens to early twenties, Detective Durant carries this burden of her childhood even more heavily, in her first serial murder case. Harlow chose to become a detective as a form of atonement for her father's crimes. Her 'voice' is weathered and resigned, well beyond her mid-thirties. Like many detective stories at present, her emotional baggage forms part of the narrative.

She's escaped from each police station she's worked for within 18 months, when her peers find out about her father. Having worked through various cities in the US, Harlow doesn't feel she'll last long at Plattsburgh either. The misogynistic cops at Plattsburgh make her feel most unwelcome, though they are in the dark about her background. The Sergeant, her boss, has to know. Though, he needs to wear man pants to lead from the front. The only light in the department is Detective Lucas Park, half-Korean, gay and another straight shooter, like Harlow herself. Thus, builds a nice collegial partnership.

While investigating the deaths of the college students or women specialising in STEM, Harlow finds herself being stalked, the target of an attentive adversary. I really enjoyed the police procedural aspect of the story – the crime scene investigations, the medical examiner's study, the visits to the victims' families and the interviews with witnesses or suspects. None of it felt like a lesson, or a technical PowerPoint presentation, like in some crime novels. 'Find me in the Dark' reads like a seasoned crime writer's novel, involving and page-turning.

There weren't really clues as to whodunnit, like in Agatha Christie; though, there was the claustrophobic feel to it, due to the close-knit college community, where everyone knew everyone else. What I really liked were – the latte flavours. Yes! Bring them to me! Seriously though, good to warm your hands, spike the adrenaline and smooth the palate on those cold winter days and longer winter nights. The partnership with Lucas Park was warming and engaging too, with their sparring only indicating their increasing kinship towards each other.

I could have done with less of the repetitive backstory, the flashbacks or the murderer's accounts. Less of the guilt trips. I prefer my murder, police procedural, straight: a Mount Everest climb by the plodding detective getting to the top via – or despite – the obstacles. Then there's the ending – not quite a twist, but certainly raises a question or two. Like, will the secret be shared in the next book of the series? Recommended. Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC of Find Me in the Dark in exchange for a fair review. #FindMeintheDark #NetGalley

This review also appears in NetGalley, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4278010249, https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/2021/10/find-me-in-dark-by-dea-poirier-4.html and Amazon.com.

I just loved this book it was so easy to read but also gave background information on serial killers and coffee which I loved.

What I didnt like so much was the lecturing on female issues, could have done without that - as a mother of a teenagers (inc a girl) I am fully aware of them and didnt need it but that was only in the first half.

I was given an advance copy by Bookoutre and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

What a great start to a new series! Harlow is shaped by her past and her serial killer father. She has never trusts others, especially men, and this causes her to make her life a little harder than it needs to. She is paired with a detective that is new to homicide. While they start out as adversaries, it was nice to watch the bond develop between the two of them.

In addition to our pair working to solve a murder, there are chapters from Harlow’s childhood and from the killer. I enjoyed the additional information and break from the case. Dark in the title is appropriate as the story is gritty and the interactions are quite contentious. I really wish there would have been a little less men are misogynist jerks and women needing protecting, but that is the only thing I’d change.

While I was on the fence about how much I liked Harlow, I found her intriguing and really connected with her motives for being a cop. Although the story is really told through Harlow’s eyes, I liked Lucas the most and I appreciated that the male - female partnership didn't hint at romance.

I think anyone that likes a gritty crime procedure, will like this one and with that ending, you’ll be all in for the series.

This is a brilliant start to a new series.
A young woman’s body is found deep in the snow and Detective Harlow Durant is asked to investigate.
Working with her new partner, Lucas, they identify the young woman but can’t understand the motive for her murder.
Soon another student is found dead in the snow and Harlow recognises her from the missing persons posters.
Harlow’s father is a serial killer and she has moved around a lot when this is found out by her colleagues.
There’s one in particular at this station that really has it in for her but it’s good to see that Lucas has her back.
This is a great start to a new series and I look forward to finding out what’s in store for Harlow and Lucas.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.