Fiona Cummins has done it again! This book is a corker of a read!
This book is full of twists and turns, it is from multiple perspectives and also different time frames , but this isn’t confusing due to the expert writing of Fiona Cummins.
Piper and all of her family are missing , where are they? Who has taken them and is all as it first appears?
The characters all have something to hide , even the investigation team !
The story is multi faceted and the threads are all pulled together in a compelling way , with a satisfying conclusion.
I recommend you sit in your comfy chair , turn off your phone and get reading , you won’t be disappointed!
Thanks to NetGalley and PanMacmillan.

EXCERPT: Fear, a slippery coil of it, tightened in Julianne's stomach. She forced herself to look upwards.

The Holdens had bought the original art deco light fitting from a specialist dealer when the hotel had closed down a couple of years ago. With dozens of antique icicle droplets, it had cost tens of thousands of pounds.

Piper was always complaining that the bottom tier of the chandelier hung too low, especially as she was so tall. But Julianne wasn't thinking about that now.

All she could see was the fine mist of blood that coated the delicate pendalogues.

ABOUT 'INTO THE DARK': THE PLACE: Seawings, a beautiful Art Deco home overlooking the sweep of the bay in Midtown-on-Sea.

THE CRIME: The gilded Holden family - Piper and Gray and their two teenage children, Riva and Artie - has vanished from the house without a trace.

THE DETECTIVE: DS Saul Anguish, brilliant but with a dark past, treads the narrow line between light and shade.

One late autumn morning, Piper’s best friend arrives at Seawings to discover an eerie scene – the kettle is still warm, all the family’s phones are charging on the worktop, the cars are in the garage. But the house is deserted.

In fifteen-year-old Riva Holden’s bedroom, scrawled across the mirror in blood, are three words:

Make
Them
Stop.

What happens next?

MY THOUGHTS: Buckle up your seat belt and hold on tight, for here the evil hides within plain sight.

Think the Marie Celeste in a suburban home. The coffee's hot, the toast is made, the phones are plugged in and charging, keys and wallets waiting to be picked up on the way out the door, but no one's home . . .

My heart is still pounding, my mind reeling. I want to jump up and run around fist pumping, yelling 'hell, yes!'

Into the Dark starts off quite innocuously. It's like, 'there's nothing to see here folks that you haven't already seen in a hundred other domestic dramas/psychological thrillers' until it's not. The shift is infinitesimal. There's a change in the feel to the writing, it's subtly darker. Then the worms start crawling out of the woodwork, and all hell breaks loose.

The characters are cleverly and deviously constructed. What you see isn't what you get. There is so much more to every character than you could ever imagine when you begin reading. There are decades old secrets and lies. There are a number of people manipulating each other, but amongst it all is one person intent on the ultimate revenge and willing to play the long game to get it; a master manipulator at work, pulling strings, blackmailing, calling in favours owed and setting events in motion that will leave many lives shattered.

A one sitting read. Bump this one up to the top of your TBR list.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#IntotheDark #NetGalley

I: @fionacumminsauthor @panmacmillan

T: @FionaAnnCummins @panmacmillan

#fivestarread #contemporaryfiction #crime #domesticdrama #policeprocedural #psychologicalthriller #suspense

THE AUTHOR: Fiona Cummins is an award-winning former Daily Mirror showbusiness journalist and a graduate of the Faber Academy Writing A Novel course. She lives in Essex with her family.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Pan Macmillan via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Into the Dark by Fiona Cummins for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Fiona is one of the writers that have the brilliance of writing plots with amazing characters and fantastic twists in her storylines.
Julieanne goes to her friends house Piper as arranged for their morning run but when she arrives there is no answer which is very strange to say the least.
When her housekeeper arrives she let's Julieanne inside and all seems at first glance normal, half eaten breakfast warm coffee but there is no sign of Piper,her husband Gray or her two children Riva and Archie.
The police are called and as this is the first case for DC Saul Anguish, it's a complicated one to say the least.
When there is a message left on Riva's dressing table mirror written in blood saying "MAKE THEM STOP"
Who is Riva referring too, her family or maybe the people that have taken them?
Brilliantly written characters and a fantastic read.

Once I started Into The Dark, I couldn't put it down and I think that's the best way to read this book. There is just so much happening from start to finish! The main characters all have their own individual plot lines, each with their own twists and turns that the reader won't see coming and that's on top of the main plot line of the Holden family.
The short punchy chapters flip between the hours, days, months and sometimes years before and after the Holden family's disappearance, and are brilliantly structured to set the pace of a story that ramps up with every passing page.
With so much going on, it can't have been easy to plot out a suitable ending for each but Fiona Cummins does it expertly, right down to the very last paragraph!
Hugely enjoyable and well written, I'd definitely recommend!
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Thank you to NetGalley, Fiona Cummins and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fiona Cummins is the queen of dark and twisted thrillers! No one writes quite like she does.

Into the dark is written from multiple perspectives and jumps back and forth in time so you need to keep your wits about you to understand what happens when. As I have come to expect from this author none of the characters are particularly likeable, all are flawed and have dubious motives, and none of them should be trusted!!

The story is dark and twisty, it held me gripped from start to finish, and I was never sure where the plot would take me next.

Deeply disturbing but a must read.

Such a amazing author I love her writing style you in the story with her. Such a compelling read that dark and suspense with full of mystery you love. Every character is unique and interesting keep you on you toes a perfect thriller you love.

Into the Dark has a very intriguing synopsis, and I’m glad I didn’t know anything else about the story other than what is provided there. This book is full of unlikeable, flawed characters and the more awful they are, the more I gleefully raced through its pages – you don’t need to like them, you just need to let yourself be drawn into this chilling story. It took me a little while to get into, I have to admit – the start felt a bit slow despite lots happening – but then suddenly I found myself intrigued! There are so many puzzling parts to the plot and I just wanted to keep reading and reading to work out what happened to the Holden family.

No one and nothing in Into the Dark is quite as they seem, and I loved that about this book. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you’re thrown sideways again with a twist or a curveball that keeps you guessing. I also liked the fact that the police officer in this novel, Saul, is dark and very creepy himself – he, along with some of his colleagues, is not your usual fictional detective and this adds an extra edge to the story.

All topped off with a satisfying ending! Recommended.

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

I've only read one Fiona Cummins book, "Rattle" , that I absolutely loved for it deliciously dark nature that set it apart from the rest. And it seems she has continued her "collector" theme in INTO THE DARK as well as her dark writing style. To be honest, I still have mixed feelings upon finishing this very twisted thriller that I still not entirely sure how I feel about it.

Julianne Hillier and Piper Holden have been close friends since their children were very young. Their daughters - Emelie and Riva - are best friends while their sons, Henry and Artie, are more indifferent to each other. The two women both appear to have the perfect family on the surface with successful husbands, beautiful homes and financially comfortable. But all to often things are never what they seem.

One morning Julianne arrives at Seawings, the Holdens exclusive palatial beachfront home, for their regular morning run. But upon arrival, Piper fails to appear. She knocks but no one answers. She calls her friend's landline which only rings out. Peering through the large living room window there is no sign of life inside. Then the Holden's cleaner arrives and the two women enter the house together. What they discover there seems to be no explanation for.

An unzipped schoolbag dumped hastily in the hall. The radio plays from the kitchen where the smell of coffee and burnt toast lingers. The coffee pot is still warm. Half eaten cereal bowls and milk splashed about the counter. Piper's handbag sits half opened. Three mobile phones are plugged into their chargers alongside a set of keys. Gray's car is on the drive. Piper's car and Gray's collection of cars are in the garage.

The house is empty.

Piper, Gray and their children, Riva and Artie, are nowhere to be found.

And then they find blood on the chandelier and a bloody message on Riva's bedroom mirror - the words "Make them stop".

Enter DC Saul Anguish, newly seconded to Essex's Major Crime Unit, as his team is tasked with the investigation into the missing family. He takes a keen interest in Dr Clover March, whom he nicknames Blue - for the colour of her hair - and who, along with him, appears to be hiding a secret as well. Maybe this is what has drawn him to her. Kindred spirits maybe. But as they dig deeper into the mystery of the Holdens, they soon discover that nothing is as it seems.

Filled with horrible characters who do equally horrible things, INTO THE DARK is a dark and disturbing tale that is twisted in more ways than one. Who is the real monster here? Because they are all equally weird. I still don't know what to think of it all though I did find it engrossing and page-turning it was definitely one twisted and somewhat weird ride. But then Ms Cummins' first thriller "Rattle" was very dark with a major twist although I read that many years ago I don't remember it clearly. But I was surprised to learn that DC Saul Anguish (an unfortunate name, I admit) featured in that debut and it's sequel "The Collector" (which I have yet to read). I honestly don't remember him though...it was that long ago. But maybe that is where the "collector" theme stems from...those two books. Although INTO THE DARK is not marketed as a connected story to those first two books despite the same character featuring in them.

The story unfolds through various characters' perspectives and jumps back and forth between "Before" and "After" the Holden's disappearance. It can get a little confusing with the to-ing and fro-ing and whose narrative we are following at any given time. There is a method to that madness as readers are drip-fed tidbits throughout gradually revealing the bigger picture. And it ends up to be one big tangled twisted mess. By the end my head was spinning.

There is little more I can say about this twisted tale without revealing too much. Let's just say, read it yourself and you'll see what I mean. And trust no one...and I mean NO ONE!

A multi-layered complex and twisted tale, INTO THE DARK is a very dark and sometimes disturbing read with a multitude of shocking twists and deception. If you like your thrillers dark, disturbing and twisted, then you will surely enjoy INTO THE DARK. Perfect for fans of Katerina Diamond and Val McDermid.

I would like to thank #FionaCummins, #Netgalley, #PanMacmillan for an ARC of #IntoTheDark in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Another enthralling psychological thriller from the excellent Fiona Cummins. Dark and menacing, this fascinating tale grips from the start and never lets go. It starts with the disappearance of a family and the revelations, intrigues and twists come thick and fast. The writing is very good, the characters beautifully portrayed and the denouement a real revelation. I loved it!

Into the Dark was a slow burner of a book which had plenty of twists and turns but unfortunately did not live up to my expectations from the description. It just did not work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my ARC.

A dark story based on a strong friendship between two women that turns fatal.

A very slow burner, this book had so much potential but sadly it didn't live up to the premises. While I really enjoyed the build-up to the disappearance and the investigation, I found the actual resolution a bit far-fetched and I waited so long for something to happen that I almost lost interest at that point.

I actually warmed up more to the story of the rivalry between the daughters, and the very shady relationships between the DC and Blue. I felt like those were not explored to their potential, and they could have been brilliant stories.

Thank you netgallery and Pan Macmillan for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to PanMacMillan for an ARC of this book.
This is another gripping, twisted psychologically challenging thriller from Fiona Cummins, following the lives of adults who are avenging events from childhood. The characters Anguish and Blue are not necessarily very likeable, but they fit this darkly vengeful plot extremely well. Just when I thought I'd started to understand Piper and Julianne, another layer of deception was revealed and another rethink was in order! And again! And again! Absolutely amazing characterisation, plot and attention to detail! An absolute cracker, just as good as, if not better than, When I was Ten.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Holden family, Gray, Piper and their two children, Riva and Artie, have disappeared without a trace. Their keys, phones, wallets and even cars are still at the house along with half eaten breakfast cereal! There are no clues as to what has happened except a small blood splatter on the chandelier followed by a message upstairs on a mirror. Does this mean murder? But who and why?

Julianne, Piper's best friend discovers the family missing and alerts the police along with the Holden's cleaner.

Gray runs an Investment business which involves theft.

The daughters of both Piper and Julianne have been best friends forever until just recently.

Saul, who is part of the investigation team is harbouring a dark secret.

'Blue', the forensic expert, has a secret illness which she dare not disclose.
 
Chapters are written in current time and then going back to several days before the family disappeared. All in several points of view but very easy to follow.

As the story goes back and forth between timelines we discover more about the characters and more secrets emerge. It appears everyone has something to hide and nobody, and I mean nobody, can be trusted!

Just when I thought I knew what was going on it all changed. What a twisted lot of characters there are in this book! I'd love to see this as a TV drama as it would have me on the edge of my seat in several places.

This is the second book I have read by this author and this is another truly twisted thriller which I will remember for a while.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and author for an ARC. Really enjoyed this one.

Another great read from Fiona Cummins.
Julianne arrives at her best friend and neighbours house to meet for their weekly run, but finds the house empty.
Their cleaner arrives and lets her in and they discover all the family’s belongings set out as if they have just got up and left, but then they notice the blood.
Julianne calls the Police and when they arrive they arrange an urgent investigation into the missing family.
This book is multi layered and there’s lots going on with many of the characters.
We have chapters from before the disappearance so you get a feel for what’s happened beforehand but it’s definitely not straightforward.
This is a complex thriller that will lead you one way and then twist it around, so be prepared to get caught out.
A great read that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Although I found this book tense and somewhat gripping in places I struggled with the like-ability of the characters and therefore found myself disconnected from them and the story. I’m sure this is just a matter of taste and this book simply wasn’t for me

"One late autumn morning, Piper’s best friend arrives at Seawings to discover an eerie scene – the kettle is still warm, all the family’s phones are charging on the worktop, the cars are in the garage. But the house is deserted.

In fifteen-year-old Riva Holden’s bedroom, scrawled across the mirror in blood, are three words: Make them stop

What happens next?"

I couldn't help but be intrigued based on that blurb, and the opening scenes of Into The Dark more than live up to it, with a fast pace and plenty of questions raised for the reader. Unfortunately, though, once I got further in I found this a disappointment for a variety of reasons.

First, let's talk names. I will admit that I can be inordinately bothered by names in books (take, for example, the brilliant thriller series by MR Craven which I almost didn't read because the lead detective - a northern Englishman in his 40s - goes by the ludicrous moniker of Washington Poe). But the naming in this book made it almost impossible for me to suspend my sense of disbelief. A British couple in, I assume from other plot points, their late 40s named Gray and Piper? Toddlers, maybe, and at a push I'd believe it of a book set in the US. But given that the most popular names for my generation in England & Wales were Sarah and Louise for girls and Christopher and Richard for boys (yes, I looked it up), it just doesn't ring true. Another character, also in his 40s, had the first name Quiller. Meanwhile, there's a detective going by the name Saul Anguish (conveniently, and honouring Dickensian naming traditions, he is of course anguished). And the action all takes place in the coastal Essex town of Midtown-On-Sea which, again, sounded to my ears like forcing an Americanism into a British setting. I know complaining about names sounds petty, but it had the effect of jerking me out of the narrative every time the place or character names were mentioned.

Then there's the fact that everyone in this book is truly awful. Like, not a single redeeming feature for any of them. And while I enjoy a deliberately unlikeable character as much as the next reader, there generally needs to be some glint of humour or relatability to at least one character. As it was, I just didn't care what happened to any of them. I think we're meant to be on the side of forensic linguist, Blue (not actually her real name, but how she's referred to throughout), but after a scene in which she chooses to drive a motorbike - with a passenger no less - while knowingly being incapable of driving (sorry if this sounds cryptic, I'm trying not to give spoilers) I couldn't find a shred of sympathy.

Finally, there's just too much going on. Anguish has a complicated backstory, because of course he does. Blue also has a complicated backstory. Julianne has a comp.... well, you get the picture. While some of the knotty threads are relevant to the plot, a lot just aren't and seemed to muddy the waters, making the central mystery less effective because if everyone is up to something, then why does it matter?

WOW, WOW, WOW. This is helluva rollercoaster read, with twists turns every which way you go. How the author kept the characters together I don’t know. The plot is complex. The narrators are all unreliable. Whether it’s the missing family, DC Saul Anguish, Dr March. Julianne Hollier they all seem to have something to hide, some have darker things than others.

This one isn’t easy to review because I don’t want to give anything away.it’s a normal day as Julianne jogs to her friend Piper Holdens house which is the usual routine, the difference is Piper normally comes out of the front door as Julianne arrives, but this morning there is no sign of anyone, except the cars are still parked outside both Pipers and her husbands, Grady. So where is everyone. Piper and Julianne have been friends for years. When the housekeeper comes along Julianne explains, both ladies enter the house, breakfast things are on the table coffee is still slightly warm, the beds look like they have been slept in, but the family are nowhere, the odd thing as well is that the phones are charging on the side, the two childrens school bags are sat there along with their school shoes. What has happened? Julieanne had received a call from Piper in the night saying she was worried Grady was going to kill her. Also written the daughter Riva’s bedroom mirror are the words Make Them Stop which looks like it’s written in blood. The cleaner also notices what looks like specks of blood on the chandelier. It’s time to call the police.

DC Saul Anguish has just arrived in Midtown-on-sea an upmarket seaside town, he is joining the major crimes unit, although he hasn’t got off to the best start with his boss DI Angus O’Neill. But he does take a shine to Forensic linguist Dr Clover March, who Saul nicknames blue. But what is the darkness that surrounds Saul?

The narrative switches between seeks and days before the Holdens disappear and the present as the police investigate. The thing is this story is so complex just wen you think you know what is happening, another curveball is thrown and you are back to square one.

The characters are so well written, but I have to say they are all not nice, the story is all about greed, obsession, lies, jealousy, murder. Some of the things we learn about Piper I did wonder if it was the nature/nurture thing, as we know early on she had lost her sister, the family were poor and her sister needed treatment for ill health. Piper had wanted to act, she had had the opportunity but her parents had said no. Now she is obsessed with money.

If you like your psychological thrillers dark and twisty then look no further, I don’t think you could anymore twisty than this, the tension will grab you and force you to keep reading just the next chapter and then the next. It is gripping, engrossing, twisted, and complex. I do wonder if Saul is a character from The Collector.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #PanMacmillan for an eARC of this in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

Really enjoyed this and I hope it becomes a series!

It’s a tense thriller and without giving spoilers, the good guys are complex and so intriguing.

I loved Saul and Blue and really enjoyed this book.

A curious thriller about revenge, greed, and ambition, Into The Dark is a slow-build read centred around a strong female friendship.

There was so much that I enjoyed about this book. I really liked the characters, I was excited by what the story was building up to, and I was really intrigued by the truths that started to be revealed, so I found the overall concept really interesting.

But my intrigue didn't really go anywhere. I don't feel like there were enough big events to have me completely gripped, so it felt like it kind of trudged along towards the end. I'm not even sure that it really even made sense, either, so I'm left more baffled than blown away.

My favourite part of the book was the subplot which featured the detective, Saul, and his colleague, Blue. I feel like they could have had a whole book on their own. But here, their story felt really misplaced and irrelevant so it didn't really work, which is a massive shame.

Overall, I found Into The Dark to be a well-written and enjoyable story that initially gripped my attention, but that undeniably left me wanting more. Still, I'm so excited to read When I Was Ten, so I'm hoping that one has some bigger shocks for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow-dark and delightful, beautifully written and wonderfully scary. Recommended