This book can be read as part of the Lacey Flint series or as a standalone novel. The story had me hooked from the beginning. There are tense moments when I was holding my breath awaiting the outcome. I was vaguely aware of 'incels' and this book explored the feelings and thoughts of males who align with this stream of thought in a sensitive manner.

This was fantastic read, but boy did it scare me!
I was hooked straight away, thrown back into Lacey’s world on the river Thames where she works with the River Police and where the action for this book takes off! And take off it did and it didn’t really stop. It was so realistic, sometimes too much for my liking, that I had to put it down at times because it was freaking me out! Just like Dead Scared, the only other Lacey Flint book I’ve dared to read!
The group of ‘incels’ in this book felt very real, in fact it felt like Sharon Bolton had taken her plot line from the media as some of the ideas this group had were terrifying! That’s how realistic her books are. The writing was superb and definitely made me want to read her back catalogue as long as it’s not too scary.
Highly recommended if you enjoy psychological thrillers.

I have read a couple of Sharon Bolton’s novels, but none from her Lacey Flint series until this one, The Dark.

The book opens with a flashback to an event that will have repercussions in the future. Currently, Lacey is working as part of the Metropolitan Police marine unit and is off duty when, whilst kayaking home, a baby is abducted and placed in an inflatable unicorn on the Thames. Lacey jumps to full alert when a pram and baby are tossed from the bridge high above the riverbank.

This story delves into the dark web and the story of “incels”. Disturbing, some of the shocking scenes made me gasp but I also wanted to read on to see what else would transpire. Riveting and terrifying but definitely worth it!

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

DC Lacey Flint returns after a long absence in a new book in this excellent series by the wonderful author, Sharon Bolton. It took a while for me to recall details from the earlier stories but it didn’t really matter as “The Dark” could easily be read as a stand-alone novel.
DI Joesbury and his cyber team are investigating a group of terrorists called Incels- they are men who hate women and are Instigating violence against them using online platforms on the dark web.
Lacey is working on the Thames with the River Police and keeping up with her friends on the force, Dana and Helen. When a baby is snatched from its mother and set adrift on the river, Lacey manages to rescue the child which draws the Incels’ attention onto her.
It soon becomes clear that the group have a lot of atrocities planned and that one of them knows a dark secret from Lacey’s past which could destroy both her career and her personal life.
This is an exciting and compelling read which was full of twists and turns as Lacey and Joesbury try to find out who the ringleaders are.
Lacey’s on off relationship with Joesbury is explored in more detail and some of her character traits and history are explained. It becomes clear why she fears making her relationship more formal after his marriage proposal.
I like Lacey’s sense of justice and fearlessness in difficult situations- she is definitely a force to be reckoned with. The last page of the book left me desperate to know more and I just hope the author doesn’t wait as long before writing the next instalment in the series.
I definitely recommend this as a five star read and would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for my arc.

I was at a disadvantage with this book as I didn’t realise it was the 5th in a series. I honestly couldn’t really get into the story, as I found the subject matter just awful - too awful to contemplate, in fact.
As a result this was a DNF for me, but I must make clear that this was down to my particular aversion to the subject of the storyline, Other readers will undoubtedly enjoy it, so read it for yourself.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.

I really enjoyed this book, I've not read the other books in the series however this did not impact on my enjoyment . The writer is very good at keeping the reader informed of the background of the characters without it being to heavy and you wishing you had read the others first. That said it made it very intrigued to read from the start. I loved the plot and think it was very unique, the twist kept me hooked and the characters were likeable.

The dark - Sharon Bolton

Not bad. I’d recommend to everyone. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read

This was my first book in the series but I still enjoyed it. I didn’t need to know any backstory. The plot was gripping.

Lacey Flint is back for another gripping story but don't worry if you haven't read any of the series before, it doesn't matter too much as Sharon Bolton does a great job of getting you up to speed with the characters without you getting bogged down in the back story.

Lacey is a complex character with secrets some of which are highlighted in the prologue. She is strong yet vulnerable, fearless and yet fearful as the opening chapter shows when a baby is snatched and set adrift on the River Thames and a pram is thrown off a bridge. What? Why? Who would do such a despicable thing?

The dark web is buzzing with the story and threatening of more to come; the incels (involuntary celibates) have had enough and want to make sure that every woman, no matter their age, knows it. The pressure to catch those behind the terrorist movement ramps up as the attacks become ever more commonplace and when it becomes clear that Lacey herself is a target, the tension becomes palpable but who are the people behind this and how can they be stopped when every man is a potential threat?

An absolutely gripping read with a scary concept that is all too frighteningly plausible that had me swiping my screen desperate to see what happened next but not wanting it to end ... and that ending ... I hope Sharon Bolton doesn't leave it as long for the next instalment is all I can say!

Thank you to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for enabling me to read The Dark and to share my thoughts.

A gripping page-turner that I couldn’t put down!

This was the first book in the series I have read so felt I missed some of Lacey’s back story, but I was still able to enjoy the storyline.

Wow, this was a real thriller. A terrifying one, as the underlying theme of the story could well happen. A case involving the frightening world of 'incels' and the lengths they will go to in order to get attention. It's the first Lacey Flint book I've read, there was clearly a background to the character development I'd missed out on but I was sitll able to follow the story. I will be going back to read the other Lacey Flint books though.

Thoughts: There were things about this book that I thought were excellent for a twisty, thriller and I thought the angle of incels was really unique and scarily fitting for some of the news stories we’ve seen in the last year. I think that was one of the things that made this book feel real in many places as well as creepy and distributing in the way you want the genre to be. I think my main sticking point was that I didn’t like Lacey (our protagonist) very much and I thought that some of her relationships, with her colleagues and her sister a bit confusing and not that authentic which was a shame as the rest of the book was right up my street. Not as good as The Split but still a good twisty thriller that I would recommend for a quick read!

When a baby is snatched from its pram and cast into the river Thames, off-duty police officer Lacey Flint is there to prevent disaster. But who would want to hurt a child?
DCI Mark Joesbury has been expecting this. Monitoring a complex network of dark web sites, Joesbury and his team have spotted a new terrorist threat from the extremist, women-hating, group known as 'incels' or 'involuntary celibates.' Joesbury's team are trying to infiltrate the ring of power at its core, but the dark web is built for anonymity, and the incel army is vast.
Pressure builds when the team learn the snatched child was just the first in a series of violent attacks designed to terrorise women. Worse, the leaders of the movement seem to have singled out Lacey as the embodiment of everything they hate, placing her in terrible danger...

This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary

When a baby is thrown in the Thames, off duty Lacey rescues it. The case is linked to a dark web group who hate women. This is the start of a series of incidents. The book is sinister and fast moving, leaving you screaming by the end. I wish I had read the previous 4 books to get the background to Lacey.

What a dark and twisted tale. With so much in the news about vulnerable women being attacked while out for a jog or walking home, it makes this storyline so believable and so much more disturbing! This is the 5th in the series of Lacey Flint books, but the books can be read as standalones. The book opens with a tense and disturbing attempted double suicide scene then jumps on to some years later in London. A baby is snatched and thrown into the Thames. It soon becomes apparent that it isn't a one off incident, but rather a targeted one planned by a dark web "incel" group (involuntary celibates) - a group of men filled with intense hatred of women and wishing them violence and fear. They arrange to target lone women and mothers across London to frighten en masse. Some post the most horrificly violent posts and wish to turn their dark desires into reality. Lacey Flint comes to their attention and soon she becomes an intended target. It is her most dangerous case yet. This is such a fast paced and chilling read. #thedark #sharonbolton #netgalley

Although I have not previously read other books by this author I was able to thoroughly enjoy this book. The back story of the main character was made quite clear without going into too much detail and the plot was very well thought out making it easy to read this book as a standalone. I would happily read other books by this author if they are of the same standard.

Goodness me! Sharon Bolton has made a welcome return to the Lacey Flint series with The Dark, which was published this week, and what a return it is!

I have been a firm fan of this series, since winning the first book, Now You See Me, in a Twitter competition some years ago and after an extended break – in which Sharon Bolton didn’t actually take a break, as she wrote several excellent standalone novels – Lacey is back with all of the ingredients that make these novels so compelling.

In The Dark, we delve a bit further into some of the details of Lacey’s life that we already know from previous novels, but then are bang up to date with terrorist activity from a group of incels who are terrorising London’s women. Using the quick connection methods of social media, they are gathering to disrupt a landmark event taking place in the capital – with Flint, and Mark Joesbury trying to stop them.

In this novel, as in all her other books, Sharon Bolton is expert at leading the reader up the garden path – like a good magician, you won’t notice the misdirection until she’s ready, but the payoff is just brilliant!

I think what makes Sharon Bolton’s novels so terrifying is that some of the crimes and plots she describes are perfectly believeable. Groups similar to that in this novel are in the news, we know they exist online, if you spend any time at all on social media, you see their hateful comments towards women, so it’s not a huge leap to consider that the events in this novel could happen.

Alongside this immediate threat, there is a direct threat to Lacey, which is tied to her early life – but could it explain some of what is happening to the rest of London’s women?

I can’t heap enough praise on this book, and this series. Sharon Bolton shows that there is plenty of life left in Lacey’s story and so many more threads that could be picked up in future and, if you’d like to, you could read this book in isolation, but you really would be missing a treat! I can’t recommend them enough.

The book starts with Lacey, before her police days, when she was troubled. Many years later a group of males start a group on the dark web, hating women. Lacey and her team race to stop these dangerous men, whilst her past comes into play.
Excellent book, well planned and interesting plot and characters. I found the views fascinating and couldn't guess how it would end. Brilliant read!

This was my first Sharon Bolton book, although I do have several on my shelf which I will now be moving up the TBR!

This book was brilliant! We start off on a beachy cliff where decisions are made. 12 years later we are in London, where a baby is snatched and put in the Thames. This is the beginning of a shocking new movement.

I hadn't heard the term Incel before so this was all new to me but it was so well done, I managed to keep up.

This story builds as the danger increases. Are the 'men only' followers really about to bring terror to the UK and demand that male superiority is restored at the expense of females, or will the females in this story combine to bring about law and order and normality?
Lacey Flint isn't Lacy Flint. You'll soon find out why after reading the opening chapter. She has a secret to hide. However, someone else knows her secret. Who will win the outcome and what are the consequences for those people that surrounds these two? Lacey's love life confuses matters which brings different elements to the confusion. You wouldn't want the story too easy to solve.
A child being taken is always going to stir feelings and the writer manages this well as the tension increases. I'm not so sure about her close work colleagues and I'm not sure I trust the journalist, but sometimes you must trust those close to you, but who do you let into your tight circle?
I have read Sharon Bolton before and was very pleased with that book and this. A free copy was nice to receive and doesn't change my review. I enjoyed this story which made me read until the end, hoping the pages would turn quicker on the kindle. I will definitely read more by this writer after this excellent novel.