Having read, and enjoyed, previous mysteries by Fiona Cummins, I was excited to read her latest and thought it had one of the best starts of any crime novel I have read. Midtown-on-Sea is a wealthy, coastal town, seen as a paradise for those families can afford to buy there, with excellent private schools, an easy commute into London and breath-taking views.

Julianne Hillier and Piper Holden have been friends since their daughters were young. Both have, what appears to be a perfect family, a successful husband, one son and one daughter each. Both attractive and financially comfortable, the two women go for a run each morning. On the morning this novel opens, Julianne jogs up to the Holdens beautiful house, Seawings, but Piper does not, as usual, open the door. The cleaner appears and opens the door, but the sight that is revealed is mystifying. There are open schoolbags by the door, phones charging on the counter, doors on the drive and in the garage, even the smell of breakfast being prepared, but no sign of Gray or Piper Holden, or their children Riva and Artie, apart from a message on a mirror and a misting of what appears to be blood on the chandelier….

This is a very clever, crime novel. It includes a new Detective Constable to the area, Saul Anguish, who brings a very definite extra element to a plot where nobody is what you expect. For, underneath the gilded veneer, things are very wrong in Midtown and nobody’s relationship is as simple, or perfect, as it seems. This novel has a sinister feel from the first page - the beginning was brilliant, the middle excellent, the ending unexpected. One of the psychological thrillers of the year, I expect this one to pick up some prizes this year. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

This book had me hooked! A fantastic read that I literally couldn't put down. It kept me guessing until the end. 5 Stars.

This book is so good it should be made into a film. Thriller, mystery and a gripping tale that kept you guessing until the very end.
I cannot comment further because I wouldn’t want to spoil it for future readers. 10/10

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 great stars

The book started a bit slow, while we got to know the characters. A few characters needed a bit more development (Saul, Blue, the kids) but then the book turns it up a notch and we have twists and turns you don’t see coming!

After a slow start, one where I thought "Oh no! just another book about rich people and their lives", everything was turned inside out, on it's head and sideways!!! No rehash of the story from me as it would take too long and may well spoil what a rollercoaster of a story filled with twists and turns this was. A great, well written, well thought out book that kept me intrigued right up to the end. 4.5 stars from me.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an advance reading copy of this wonderfully dark and exciting book.

Julianne arrives at her friend Pipers house to meet her for the daily morning run. But when she arrives, she senses something wrong when there is no answer. But in the background, she can her a faint noise of a radio. Pipers Cleaner arrives and Julianne asks her to open the door and explains why. When they come in. The place looks like the family where there but left in a hurry leaving their belongings behind. Which includes the families’ mobiles phones which are charging in the wall.
Julianne calls the Police and when they arrive, she tells them of the voicemail that Piper sent her, when they hear it. Piper is distraught. Saying she is scared that her husband Gray wants to kill her.
The Police get on the cash to find the family before it is too late.
I thank you Pan Macmillan for a copy of Into the Dark by Fiona Cummins. I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought that it has an intriguing plotline and I read in in two sittings. But found it to be a bit overwhelming how many characters that was in this book. That also left me a bit confused who was doing what. 3. 5 stars from me.

I reviewed Into the Dark by Fiona Cummins for book recommendation site LoveReading.co.uk
I have chosen the book to feature as both a LoveReading Star Book and a Liz Pick of the Month on the site, it will also appear of our newsletter and social media.

Complex and thrilling…. It certainly kept me guessing right to the end and it completely took me by surprise. If you think you can work this book out then think again. In my opinion this is Fiona's best book so far. Loved it!

Such a wild adventure! Another one I highly recommend.

One morning, a lady arrives to her friends home for their usual morning jog, only to find the place deserted. The whole Holden family, Piper, Gray and the children Riva and Artie are no where to be seen but their belongings are all still here. On the mirror in a bedroom there is writing 'Make Them Stop'.

Detectives are called in and DS Saul Anguish, new to the area, is one of the detectives on the case. As the story goes along, a cast of supporting characters are introduced, all with unique backgrounds and we get to find out more about Saul's dark past too.

This book drew me in immediately, with the eerie mystery of the missing family and as it went along the author weaved a twisted and fascinating story full of surprises. It was wild in places and could see this one being made into a movie. Such an enjoyable novel.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and PanMacmillan for this gifted advance review copy.

3.75⭐️
I am a fan of Fiona Cummins, so was excited to read this book.

The Holden’s are a prosperous family comprising of Piper, Gray and their 2 teenage children Riva and Artie. The whole family suddenly goes missing in suspicious circumstances.

There is a darkness to the story provided by the unexplained disappearance of the family and also the darkness from within the investigating officer.

The time frame flits around between the day of the disappearance and several time frames preceding it varying from a few days to 2 months. It has several POV. There seems to be a lot of threads to this story, occasionally feeling a bit disjointed, but they all come together.

It’s a slow start to this revenge crime thriller. With each chapter the reader becomes aware of more of misdeeds, and is able to slowly piece things together.

The Detective on the case is DS Saul Anguish, he has a dark side to him which I’m intrigued about. I like Dr Clover March otherwise known as Blue (due to her hair colour) a confident, sharp witty, no nonsense forensic linguist. Interesting that she suffers with Narcolepsy, I don’t think I’ve seen this topic covered in crime novels before. This pairing is what really got my interest, and I hope that we see more of this unusual couple.
I didn’t find any of the other characters likeable, they all seem to have their own self-centred agendas, so I wasn’t really invested in what had happened to the missing family, but my curiosity was piqued.

It’s a long book at 400 pages. I feel it would be better reduced to help increase the pace more.

It’s a bit of a book of 2 halves,the slower half setting the scene and then everything being shockingly revealed.
It’s a quirky crime thriller which pushes the boundaries of plausibility, so you’ve got to be able to go with the flow with this one. If you can its entertaining.

Wow! This absolutely blew me away. I read a lot of thrillers and usually there's a get elements of been there, done that type predictability but omg, this book was on a whole different level. It absolutely hooks you in any then doesn't let up until that last page. You'll have no clue what's coming next is what to believe. It's just such a captivating and engaging story. I can't wait to read more from the author!!

I loved this book from one of my favourite authors. This story had me hooked from the first page and the twists and surprises just kept coming. I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended. Five stars from me.

Many thanks to netgalley and Fiona Cummins for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

I am totally and completely gobsmacked as to just how twisted this read is and I really loved it. I had so many theories going on in my head about what was happening in the book and one by one those theories were destroyed as yet more reveals as to what was going on came about !
I think when you read a lot of thrillers your brain can get a bit stale with plot lines and so when a book like this one comes around it’s like a wake up call saying “come on now figure this one out if you can” and you think you have and bang nope you haven’t and that’s just brilliant and all down to some fabulous writing by Fiona Cummins.
Although this book is a stand-alone I was also thrilled to find that Saul Anguish was included and as he is a character from Rattle and The Collector two previous thrillers by this author which I read and loved this made the book even better.
No rehash of the plot it’s far too complex and to say more would spoil it, it’s a dark and disturbing story gripping throughout and I can guarantee once you pick it up you ain’t gonna want to put it it down well I certainly didn’t.
So a five star read that blew me away and many thanks to Fiona Cummins for one heck of a ride.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I read my first book by Fiona Cummins earlier this year (When I Was Ten) and it had a sneak peak of Into The Dark at the end. That had me immediately intrigued and I couldn’t wait to be able to keep reading! This story is absolutely phenomenal and it had me gripped!

One late autumn morning, Julianne arrives at her best friend Piper’s home, Seawings, for their usual run together. But this particular morning, all that greets Julianne is an eerie scene in the Holden home. The kettle is warm and the detritus of their morning breakfast is in the kitchen, the family’s phones are still charging and their cars are in the garage. But the house is deserted. Piper, her husband Gray, and their two teenage twins, Riva and Artie have vanished! In Riva’s bedroom however are the following words scrawled across the mirror in blood. Make them stop....

I couldn’t wait to learn what had happened to the Holden family and was gripped by the police investigation. One of the officers on the case, DS Saul Anguish was a brilliant and intriguing character and right from the beginning there were hints to his dark past which I loved! I enjoyed getting to know him better as the book progressed and he made me think of Dexter from the TV series as I was reading!

I really liked the setting of this story too and could so easily visualise the Holden’s art-deco home and smell the salt on the air in Midtown-On-Sea, thanks to Fiona Cummins beautiful descriptions. I loved the way the chapters moved back and forth between the present and the past showing various events in the days, weeks and months before the Holden family disappeared. I found myself racing through the pages to see what new details would be revealed.

However none of these details helped me to work out the direction this book took and I loved being taken by complete surprise. It was extremely clever as there was so much suspicion and intrigue throughout and I definitely didn’t guess the motivations at play! The final chapter left me open mouthed in shock. It is such a fantastic ending and one that I will never forget. I love being able to wonder what could happen in the future now as a result!

Into The Dark is an absolutely incredible book and I cannot recommend it highly enough!

I was interested to read this after being a huge fan of Fiona Cummins previous book, When I was Ten and, dare I say, she surpassed herself!
This story was creepy, enthralling, gripping, unpredictable and utterly amazing!
I could not put this down. I had to know what was going to happen next and how all these fragmented pieces of story fit together and it was a spectacular unveiling.

A chilling unnerving atmosphere permeated every page.

‘Midtown-on-Sea was the kind of place estate agents called paradise’.

When Julianne Hillier arrives at her best friend, Piper Holden’s, sprawling beach front home, for their regular morning run, she’s surprised because Piper normally opens the door as soon as she arrives.

She knocks on the door, but no one answers.

She calls Piper’s landline, but no one picks up.

She peers through the living room window, but there’s no sign of anyone.

Julianne’s contemplating what to do next, when the Holden’s housekeeper arrives.

Together, the two women enter the house.

An unzipped school bag sits by the front door.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee and burnt toast drifts through from the kitchen.

The radio is on.

On the kitchen bench are three mobile phones, plugged into their chargers, next to a set of keys, and a wallet.

A handbag sits on a chair.

Their cars are in the garage.

Piper, her husband Gray, and their two teenage children – Riva and Artie – are nowhere to be found. The house is empty.

Then they find blood on a chandelier.

It soon becomes apparent that Midtown-on-Sea ain’t no paradise.

Into the Dark dove deep into the inner depraved workings of some very damaged and dark minds. Pretty much all of these characters disturbed and creeped me out at one point or another. These were some that I had sympathy for, but others had me shaking my head in disbelief over their cold callous soulless lack of empathy.

The mystery was complex, multi-layered, well-paced, and unsettling with a multitude of shocking twists. That last 30% - wow the deception, did not see any of that coming. I feel I should point out that the descriptions of the murders were quite graphic, not Karin Slaughter intensity level, but getting up there.

Just to forewarn you, upon completion I discovered that one of the main characters – DC Saul Anguish – featured in both Rattle and The Collector (both of which I have yet to read) and this book does contain spoilers relating to his childhood and adolescence. A bit of a shame, but if anything, it has made me even more determined to get my hands on that series.

The Neighbour (my first read by Fiona Cummins) was one of my top reads two years ago, so it thrills me to pieces that Into the Dark lived up to that one. I will definitely be bumping When I Was Ten and The Collector series up my tbr.

Pre-order your copy in preparation for the release date 14th April, 2022, as Into the Dark is domestic thriller and psychological suspense at its finest.

I’d like to thank Netgalley, Pan Macmillan, and Fiona Cummins for the e-ARC.

Into the Dark is a gripping mystery from Fiona Cummins about revenge, greed, ambition and the true cost of friendship. The plot centres around the Holden family, Piper and Gray and their two teenage children who appear to have vanished from their home in what can only be described as a rushed departure, the only clues are a mist of blood on the chandelier and a cryptic message written in blood on a mirror.

Julianne and Piper are the best of friends, mothers of two children. They live in expensive homes in the affluent suburb of Midtown-on-Sea. Married to rich, workaholic husbands. Their public personae is that of two very smug women living the ‘perfect’ life, but as the author digs deeper, she reveals the disturbing group dynamics of the two families.

I really enjoy a book that’s features dysfunctional families, especially when the author explores the complexities of such relationships. There’s always a part of you that doubts each character’s credibility, which certainly adds a genuine sense of mistrust to the read. The characters have qualities that make them difficult to like or relate to, but by no means did this spoil my enjoyment of this book.

Like the title the reader feels like they are being plunged into the dark, as the story is told from multiple POV and timelines that move back and forth, this took some getting use to, but my perseverance paid off and the author has written a book that’s dark, complex and meticulously plotted.

I loved this book, the descriptive way the author writes was almost poetic and absolutely beautiful. i love the lives and the secrets of both women and felt this was an area that was completely engaging. It was told so well. There was lots of deception, double bluffs and misdirection.
This book was original , captivating with a opaque narrative.

Fiona Cummins knocked it out of the park with this amazing thriller! Dark, much as it’s name, yet so incredibly drawing the reader in! I highly recommend it!

Another great addition to Fiona Cummins crime dynasty. I only discovered this writer when I read When I Was Ten but I instantly liked the storytelling and vivid writing within so was very excited to read Into The Dark and was thankfully not disappointed.

When I say I spent my entire time reading ITD not knowing who to root for I genuinely mean I wasn’t sure how I wanted it to end. No-one is particularly likable, I’ve developed trust issues just by reading this book! Some reviews mentioned shark infested waters and I agree Midtown-on-Sea is one body of water I wouldn’t want to swim in!

An expertly crafted and wonderfully told story of betrayal, intrigue, love (or lack thereof), and criminality in many forms-now I’m off to hunt down DC Saul Anguish’s back story!

The only reason this is a four and not a five star read is my own dislike of open endings! I need closure (or at least the promise of a follow up).