I really enjoyed this book. Police officer Lacey Flint works on the river Thames. She is on hand when a baby is snatched from its pram and thrown into the river. This is the first incident in a campaign against women being carried out by the Incel movement. It's a very dark story but it will keep you on the edge of your seat right to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

It’s always a pleasure to read the further exploits of Lacey and her team and this book follows on perfectly.

I received this book via NetGalley and give it my honest opinion.

I love the style of Sharon Boltons writing and this book did not disappoint!

A thriller with twists that will keep you gripped, the main characters are intriguing with history. This is part of the Lacey Flint series however reads well as a standalone too.

This book will definitely open your eyes to the darker side of Incel behaviour, resulting in a scary, jumpy in places, thriller worth reading!

This is the first book of Sharon Boltons that I have read and I was really impressed. I didn’t realise until I was already reading the book that it was part of a series, I found that it read really well as a stand-alone, there was obviously a bit of backstory that I was missing and the relationship between the main characters had already been developed but I didn’t miss any of that because the writing and the characters was just so good. The subject matter of the book was really interesting as well, I haven’t read anything that tackles the incel movement, especially linking it towards terrorism and I found it to be absolutely chilling, sometimes the best writing comes from something that you can actually picture happening. I loved the setting of London as well, I’ve never really thought much about the policing of the Thames and this was a great insight. I’ll definitely be reading more of this author!

I feel like I've been waiting for this latest Lacey Flint novel forever and it was so worth it!! Brilliant as always. I love the character of Lacey Flint and the dynamic between her and Mark and the rollercoaster that is their relationship always has me rallying for them. It was nice to find out more of her past story.
The plot had me gripped from the start. In another book, these crimes may of seemed unbelievable but the way they are written had me believing that they were possible.
Can't wait for the next installment of Lacey's story.

I always like Sharon Bolton’s books, and this one was no different. I’ve missed reading about Lacey Flint and Mark Joesbury, and it was great to be back reading the series that first got me into reading. This Lacey Flint series is some of the first books that I ever read, and it’s what got me hooked on reading crime/thrillers. It’s one of my favourite series, and it’s one that I regularly recommend to people. Lacey and Mark are great characters, I always like reading about them and also really like the side characters. Although this book wasn’t continuously fast paced, it was interesting during the slower parts. When you love the characters, you don’t mind the slower pace sometimes. I really liked the storyline, and it surprised me throughout. I was interested from the start, and couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen. I always recommend Sharon Bolton’s books, and will continue to recommend this series to people.

It was great to be with Lacey Flint again. In fact, despite the lapse in time since the last Flint novel, it was like putting on a pair of comfortable slippers and settling in for the night with a hot chocolate - except... The Dark is a disturbingly relevant, thought provking and thrilling read.
With some disturbing characters that put me in mind of some of the more despicable people in public life ATM and some of the atrocious recent happenings, I found this to be almost dystopian in nature and that was disturbing because Bolton captures the almost fragile essence of the things we take for granted and wraps it up in a way that is believably appalling.

This book will stay with me for a long time to come .

For me this was a good thriller, dark and twisty with believable characters. I enjoyed the pace of it and it was well written. I haven't read any of Sharon Bolton previous books but will be looking out for them. This can be read as a stand alone as the back story didn't detract from any of the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an Arc in exchange for an honest opinion

Welcome back, Lacey! After an eight-year absence, Lacey Flint has returned, along with other fabulous characters such as Joesbury, Dana and Helen - reading this book was like meeting up with old friends - and I loved it, in fact, I think it is even better than the previous four novels - and that’s saying something.

The Dark has a very chilling plot involving a newly formed group of involuntary celibates (or Incels) extremists calling themselves MenMatter. The group’s main belief is that men’s rights need to be reinstated, and this includes restricting women’s rights and liberties so that the ‘natural order’ of things can be restored. As a woman, many of the scenarios - whilst almost dystopian, made me feel fearful and uncomfortable, however, the book also includes stats around male suicide, and details poor levels of support available for men with mental health issues - this made me feel equally uncomfortable.

Along the way, Lacey discovers that her own secrets are at risk of being exposed - we are given more insights into Lacey’s previous life. This book has everything, I devoured it and it left me wanting more, oh, and that ending…

This book didn't grip me like a normal sharon bolton has done before. The characters were ok and i liked the plot but felt it could have been more.......3/5

I picked up The Dark with a big dollop of trepidation. I loved the Lucy Flint series, but eight years is a hell of a gap. But I’m thrilled to say this is a fitting addition to the Lacey Flint series, and if you haven’t read any of the previous books, don’t worry, it can easily read as a standalone. From the shocking opening chapter Sharon Bolton captures the reader's attention. She leads you down a rabbit hole that’s dark and terrifying, where hatred and violence lurk in the shadows. The plot plays on most woman’s biggest fears where a sense of malice is palatable from the start.

A baby is snatched from its pram and thrown into the Thames. Thankfully, Lacey is there and able to save the child. DCI Mark Joesbury has been monitoring a complex network of dark web sites along with his team. And they have spotted a new terrorist threat from the extremist, women-hating, group known as involuntary celibates (Incels). The pressure builds when the team learns the snatched child was just the first in a series of violent attacks designed to terrorise women. Lacey’s embodies everything the incels hate about women and becomes their prime target!

Bolton has dug deep into the Intel movement. It’s obvious she has throughly researched her subject. The story may be fictional but Intels are very real, which makes this story feel scarily plausible. Along with Lacey, this book features predominantly a strong female cast, but there’s also Joesbury who does a good job of convincing the reader that all men aren’t women hating psychopaths. Lacey is an intriguing character. There’s a big mystery surrounding her past and throughout The Dark Bolton drops exciting titbits ensuring the reader’s attention never waivers.

There were a lot of elements that made The Dark such an exciting read, but there was a downside! They were more than a few similarities to The Nurse, a book I read a few months back, so it slightly spoilt the read for me, as it didn’t feel as original as I had hoped. Never the less the writing’s excellent with an intriguing plot and it still made for a gripping read.

Lacey Flint is back - and what a come back it is.

Still a constable in the marine unit, still living on her boat, still in love with Joesbury but knowing that her secrets will destroy them so keeping her distance, Lacey is managing to keep going. But when she intervenes in a horrifying incident by the side of the Thames her past and present collide in unexpected ways. She might have a clue which can help identify the man leading a terroist group of incels intimidating women, stirring up misogynistic behaviour and threatening a day of retribution, but revealing it will mean revealing who she really is and then she'll lose everything.

Dark and twisty, there is an element of chilling dystopia to this novel. The incel movements demands reveal a dark underbelly of anti women feeling that rings all too true. Men at all levels start making noises about pacifying the terrorists, as women see their hard won rights retreating before their eyes. It's all too easy to feel that this is the status quo. To forget that forty years ago women couldn't get a mortgage, that they could be sacked for being pregnant, that even now the balance of power at political and corporate levels favours men. But just look at Texas and Afghanistan to see how quickly rights can disappear - and at all the countries where women have never had rights at all.

Clever and disturbing. Highly recommended.

When a baby is kidnapped and sent down the river, police officer Lacey races to save it. But why would anybody do this and is the case more personally linked to Lacey than she could ever imagine…
I loved this! It had a good build up and was an intricate police procedural.
I hadn’t read other books from the series but it really didn’t matter as this was a fantastic read as a standalone novel.
The characters were easy to identify with and likeable, you were instantly onside with the investigation. The criminals on the other hand were threatening and terrifying which made for an intense and shocking read. I can’t wait to read more in this series, I’m really pleased to have come across this author.

Very good book. Intense thriller from start to finish. I haven’t read the previous books in the series but I didn’t feel that I was missing out as this can be read as a stand alone novel.
I dropped one star as I don’t like bad language.

OH MY GOD THIS IS TERRIFYING! but also woah, what an insight into a world I knew nothing about before. The thing that makes it so scary, is that this community really exist and act in this way. An insight into the world of the Incel community, warts 'n' all - I stayed up way later than I should have reading this. Sharon Bolton remains a firm favourite of mine, and this is one I will definitely be recommending to customers who want something a bit different!

Wow! This is a brilliant read... dark in so many ways! The drama starts straight away with an opening scene of what might have been an attempted suicide, but might also have been murder. We then quickly switch to present day when a baby is snatched and thrown into the river Thames. Police link this to a terror organisation of 'incels' or involuntary celibate men and follows their efforts to encourage men to frighten women and remove them from positions of power in society.

This is the first book I've read featuring Lacey Flint and this story does stand alone, but I think is probably best enjoyed read in order as, although this book is action packed, but its clear there is a lot of prior history!

I zoomed through this book and couldn't put it down! The pace is incredible but its also hugely thought provoking and relevant to present times. I had heard of incels but this book made me realise how serious an organisation like this could be if the movement gains enough followers and momentum. Because if this, it didnt feel far fetched at all - it felt like this story could happen - and it is terrifying!

This book has everything - mystery, suspense, murder, terrorism, sexism, kidnap, child abduction but the pace of it prevents it being a heavy read. Its thought provoking and scary and shows how easily society as we know it could change. This book will stay with me for a long time. I'm definitely going to go back and read the others! I like Lacey Flint. She's far from perfect but is a good person. I liked her alot!

I have been lucky enough to review this book early via NetGalley.

The Dark is a Lacey Flint novel and not having read any of the previous books surrounding this character I wasn’t sure what to expect storyline wise but I have read a book by this author previously.

From the off this had me gripped. Two women in a car at a notorious suicide location. One dead and the other about to drive them both off the edge of the cliff. A young man is at the same place and he believes that they are there to stop him but he soon realises that’s not the case when he realises whilst sitting in the car that the woman is deadly serious about driving off the cliff.

It then flicks to modern day and whilst out for breakfast with her 2 friends Lacey is there when a baby is snatched from its pram and thrown into the river Thames. Thankfully Lacey is there with her kayak to prevent disaster but why was this woman and her baby targeted? 

Women then become targets in so many different ways by a group of men who call themselves incels and are working predominantly on the dark web. The leaders of the group have singled out Lacey as the type of foid that their hate is mostly aimed at.

This book had so many twists and turns and I loved it. It is part of a series but worked perfectly well as a stand-alone and I will definitely be reading the other Lacey Flint books. Brilliant!

I made the huge mistake of starting this at bedtime. From the onset my adrenaline was pumping. My heart was racing and it was a subject that I knew nothing about. This is 100% a 5 star read. Be prepared for an absolute belter of a read, totally immersive and nerve tingling.
Thank you to Netgalley, and Sharon Bolton for the advanced copy of this book. I certainly do not give 5 stars if they don’t deserve it, I hate when people give rubbish books top marks as they received an advance copy. This definitely deserves the praise! Enjoy the book.

This was the first novel I've read by Sharon Bolton and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
An interesting take on what goes on on the dark web for a start, the unusual plot was intriguing and the characters were very believable.
I do like a good police procedural thriller and this was a particularly good one.

Sharon Bolton is a talented author who has written many novels. But it is the Lacey Flint series for which she will be remembered. This is a return to that series after a long break - the fifth instalment. If, like me, you thought the series dipped in quality in the fourth book, the good news is that the fifth one is back to the high quality of the first three.

The novel begins with a memorable opening scene that fills in some of Lacey’s back story and ties her to a character at the heart of this story. Sharon Bolton has the rare talent to take a familiar idea and write it differently. She does this brilliantly in the opening scene.

The book goes on to develop the story of Lacey and Mark Dewsbury while the central story focuses on a theme that is very current: a variety of terrorism that is much more personal than the kind perpetrated in support of a religion or national cause.

As always with this author, the plot moves quickly. The strength of the writing is in making the plot both horrifying and credible at the same time. This is a world that probably does exist within our own even if we don’t see it.

For readers who appreciate powerful settings, this Thameside setting is a great example. Lacey lives on a boat and the growth of the story relies a good deal on its setting. You don’t need to know this part of London but it helps.

The familiar characters from the earlier Lacey Flint books are all there and their stories are picked up from earlier. In all honesty, I would say this is the least successful part of the novel. The presentation of Dana and Helen as paralysed by motherhood rather takes the edge off these characters who were much more interesting in the earlier novels. Equally unconvincing are the few occasions when they and the female Home Secretary suddenly throw in a swear word as if this somehow makes them more human. It makes them sound a bit childish. The presentation of the Home Secretary is a bit of a cliché in truth.

More positively, the story develops Lacey’s experiences as a prison visitor at Durham with this relationship becoming a part of the story. Thus, the writer fills in part of the puzzle of her past.

Overall, this is a worthy addition to the series, though, and a good reason to go back and re-read the others.

Many thanks to NetGalley for a pre release copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.