Member Reviews

Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've just recently become a fan of Fiona Cummins. As usual, this was a thrilling and well plotted read. I will continue to read her work. However, I guessed a lot of this early on and was mainly reading to she if I was correct. But, there was still a surprise or two towards the end that kept me in suspense. Thriller fans will enjoy this one

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Feedback on goodness done on 6th May 2022 was as follows:
My goodness this WAS unobtainable! Perfect life's in perfect houses.....lives some dark devious characters. Nobody knows what really goes on behind closed doors.
I don't do spoilers just buy this book!
Thank you to Netgalley and pan macmillan for an early copy for an honest review.

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This was a fantastic thriller, fast paced, exciting and engaging throughout. A must read for any thriller lovers

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Unfortunately, I have been locked out of my netgalley account for a few months and was not able to see which books I had on my list, in order to properly read and review. I do apologize and am doing a 3 for neutral. Will update once I’m able to obtain a copy and read!

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Rounded down from around 3.5 stars ⭐️ I absolutely loved the first book I read by this author, it’s one of my favourite thrillers ever. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

Into the Dark follows the aftermath of the Holden family going missing. DS Saul Anguish has just moved to the area and has some secrets of his own. What happened to the family? Where are they?

Ever since I started studying Forensic Psychology academically with the hopes of going into it as a career, I’ve really struggled with thrillers (which used to be my favourite genre). Often I notice small issues, like within this book, of things that don’t ring true in real life. I want to make it very clear that it is not a specific issue with this book, I see it in many books and TV shows. But it does affect my enjoyment a little. There was also a word thrown in that was completely misused. I know I am being nit-picky, but it felt like it was thrown in for kudos without actually researching what the word means, which did really bug me.

That being said, I absolutely loved the setting of this one and some of the twists were definitely able to blow me away. I struggled to follow the jumping timeline occasionally and didn’t connect with any of the characters. I couldn’t see anything special in DS Anguish, if anything he gives me really bad vibes. However, if another book was published with his character I would definitely read it to see if I could gather more insight. It feels like this story isn’t over and it definitely left me wanting more! I think the authors previous book just left such a high bar for me that it would never have been met!

I would recommend this book to any thriller fans, as long as you don’t mind jumping timelines! I want to thank Netgalley, Pan Macmillan and Fiona Cummins for allowing me to read this and give my personal thoughts.

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I am a massive fan of Fiona Cummins, i was invited to read this after reading her other book on NetGalley which I loved! I really like Fiona’s writing styles, I love her plots and the twists and turns that her books have which take me on a rollercoaster every time I read them!
This one had an amazing premise so.i was intrigued from the get go - it did not disappoint!
The ending of this was chilling and tense and I loved it, didn’t guess where it was going at all either which is great for me.

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My thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for a copy of “ Into The Dark “ for an honest review.

I found this to be a well written,and suspenseful book. I was gripped from the beginning , and I think it was a really cleverly thought out plot.
As with Fiona Cummin’s previous books ,the storyline is rather dark and unsettling , but this makes for a perfect psychological thriller.
Highly recommended

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‘Into the dark’ really felt like a book of two halves for me; the first outlays the suspicious disappearance of a whole family and although a little slow it is definitely detailed and draws you in. The latter half is where my intrigue and the pace really peaked though, so please persevere with it if you love a great thriller with plenty of deceptive twists.
The overall concept of a family’s disappearance is something I don’t think I’ve read before and the way in which their individual backstories and rivalries really added to the complex motives behind the crime. I found all of the characters really interesting, not to say they were very likeable, and as with Cummins’ previous novel I think the way she develops her characters across the book is one of her real talents.
I was drawn in and I liked the darker undercurrent within the plotline and although the viewpoints did switch around it worked well to create a palpable tension whilst reading. Overall I think Cummins is fast becoming a go-to author within the thriller genre and I’m excited to see what she does next!

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Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book by Fiona Cummins.

I absolutely LOVED this book from the middle onwards and wanted to know what was going to happen next, however I did struggle with the first half of the book. I very rarely give up on books and I am glad I didn't with this.

There are so many twists to this book, most of the time I didn't know what the next twist was going to be, which is great, I would much rather be surprised. The ending was especially good, and I would love to see another book after this, to see what actually happened to Piper.

When I got into this book, I couldn't put it down. I have read a few other books by Fiona Cummins and I have always enjoyed them.

A great read!!!

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Into the Dark is one of the creepiest and unsettling reads but is so compulsive you cannot put it down as you have to know what happened. Fiona Cummins is a genius, it's a novel full of tension and intrigue that keeps you hooked from the first page to the very last.

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Holden family have a luxurious home by the sea that most people can only dream of. Then one morning their neighbour finds it mysteriously abandoned and a cryptic message in blood. This pulse-pounding thriller will keep you guessing with it's twists and turns.

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Fantastic thriller which is suspenseful and well written. The main police officer Saul is complex but endearing and would definitely love to read more stories with his character. Brilliant

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I actually don’t know where to start with this one. It started off well but just went downhill from there. I found it really didn’t hold my attention and I couldn’t connect with any of the characters except for Saul and Blue and even that was a weird connection. The timeline didn’t work and jumped around so much it became confusing. It was like moving forward 2 steps and then back 10. It had potential as a storyline when you set aside the unbelievable but how it was delivered just didn’t work. There was a lot going on but just didn’t work with all the jumping around and I think that really added to not connecting with the characters. Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read #IntoTheDark

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*Many thanks to Fiona Cummins, Pan Macmillan, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I kept rolling my eyes too often while reading about complicated relations between two families and every time the author pushed forward another golden secret hidden deep in the closet which in my opinion did not add to the plausibility of the story. It may be me, not the book, but I will have to stay away from 'neighbour secrets and drama.'

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Love all Fiona’s work and this was no exception, fantastic storyline and characters and I devoured it whole as per usual….lots of twists and fast paced it’s perfect for me! A must buy for 2022

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Her best book yet, I reckon. Gripping, dark and delicious. I can't wait to see what Fiona Cummins does next.

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𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙗𝙮 𝙁𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖 𝘾𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙨

I loved WHEN I WAS TEN by Cummins so of course had to request this when I saw it on Netgalley. A gripping story of obsession, greed and revenge, we follow several POV’s in both past (before the Holden family disappear) and present (the police investigation).

This was a plot full to the brim of secrets and deception and I couldn’t figure any of the characters out. I didn’t particularly warm to anyone aside from Saul and Blue, whose quirky relationship and dark pasts drew me in. The aspect of Blue’s narcolepsy was interesting and something I’ve never seen included in a book before.

This wasn’t a hugely lengthy book, at 331 pages, but it felt like a long read: I think because of how quickly we flicked between past and present, with none of the major twists coming until much later in the book. This was a tangled web of a plot, but one that came together in the finale and I did enjoy.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (3/5)

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 + 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂!

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When Julienne goes to meet her friend Piper for their early morning run there is nothing to indicate that this day is different from any other morning. However Piper is not waiting for her & looking through the window all seems normal. The cleaner lets her in & all seems to indicate that the household was going along its usual path except their is no sign of Piper, her husband & two children. The only clue appears to be written in blood on the daughter's mirror-Make Them Stop!

The story is told from various times before & after the family's disappearance. It is told from various points of view & it also involves a rather unusual detective Saul Anguish! It is difficult to say much more without revealing too much so I'll just leave it at that & recommend you read it- twisty & dark doesn't do it justice! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

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Fast paced read that left hairs on my arm stand up! One for anyone who loves being just a little bit on edge

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Atmospheric novel with an intriguing mystery. I couldn't stop thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it. The descriptions of the location were so evocative that I could imagine the setting perfectly.

The short chapters kept me reading on long after I should have gone to sleep as I JUST HAD TO KNOW what had happened!

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