Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for granting me an E-ARC for this book.

What do you get when a bunch of 'celebrities ' are alone on an island filming reality tv. When one of them dies live on air?

Unfortunately this book is one of those where the premise is better than the execution, and it would be much easier to follow visually as sometimes it was hard to follow along with what what happening and whose POV we were with.

And the show they were filming was called 'Iconic' yet it was all D list celebrities, and ALL of them were unlikeable. Like insufferable characters who had zero redeeming features.

The only reason I kept reading this was to find out how this character died. And honestly all my predictions were true.

So I was left underwhelmed

Z-List celebrities, out for money on a TV show... So far, so normal, until the untimely passing of a contestant, and the subsequent investigation of what actually happened. With everyone about as unlikeable as the next you'll struggle to find someone to believe in, though you'll stay entertained while you decide

Firstly a big thank you to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Net Galley for the ARC.

This was a 3.5/4 star read for me. The concept of this is really good - a thriller/murder mystery set to the backdrop of a reality tv show with a lot of drama and wildly different people.

The opening chapter didn’t really grip me so it did take a minute to get into the book, especially as some chapters just felt a bit long. Some characters faded into the background to begin with, but they did come into their own eventually. This tends to happen a lot on reality shows as the spotlight sticks to a core few, so I think this played into that, whether intentionally or not.

I really loved the layout of the chapters. Each chapter is one day on the show. Chapters are split into three - we get to read what goes on during the day, then we get social media reactions to the ‘episode’, and then we see the police investigation as they’re rewatching the episodes. This worked really well, and definitely amped up the drama and made it really feel like a reality show. I like that we get ‘voiceovers’ and confession booth chats included too - this author has really nailed making it really feel like a reality show. This makes it really immersive and engaging.

I’m still not 100% sure how I feel about the ending. I think it can be seen, on one hand, as quite clever, but on the other hand, it also kind of felt like it was just too easy. And the fact that the police never actually really solved it made it a slightly abrupt ending.

We had a very toxic, manipulative, and emotionally abusive man in a relationship with one of the girls in the cast and I think the situation was portrayed and handled sensitively and in a very eye opening, honest way. It was,of course, hard to read and was scary to see how varied responses to these situations can be.

Ultimately, I did enjoy this book. Yes, it wasn’t perfect, but it was filled with lots of drama, had a wonderfully immersive layout, and had me hooked. I would recommend reading this one if you enjoy reality shows, whodunnits, and thrillers.

6 iconic stars take part in a reality tv series: by the end of it, one of them is dead. Police are investigating what happened but no one’s saying anything.
There’s backstabbing, romance, clashes of personality and much more
Entertaining read

Bea Fitzgerald s an auto buy author for me after falling in love with so many of her stories, and in Then Things Went Dark - her first in the adult fiction sphere, she has done it again. This is completed edge of your seat reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Michael Joseph for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

I had huge hopes for this book because I so love Bea Fitzgerald's Greek mythology retellings but unfortunately this wasn't for me, all the characters were unlikeable and I had no one to root for.

This would make such a good holiday read, I found the reality show premise fairly unique and enjoyed the use of two timelines. All the characters were unpleasant, which is to be expected and the plot twists were solid although, I did guess some of them.

🏝️🎞️Then Things Went Dark by Bea Fitzgerald🎞️🏝️
⭐️⭐️

Six people land on a desert island ready to make their reality show debut.
The contestants are hungry to prove themselves. The stakes are high and losing is not an option. But three weeks and eighteen episodes later, five of the six contestants sit in a Portuguese police station, and none of them are winners.
Because twelve million people were watching when Rhys Sutton died on camera, and someone must pay for the crime.

This book sounded so intriguing, but for me it just didn’t play out. None of the characters were likeable and I found it really slow paced. I had to force myself to finish it.

I don’t normally read the mystery/crime genres but having loved similar books by Holly Jackson, and being absolutely obsessed with Bea Fitzgerald’s writing, I knew I was in for a treat here. I loved the concept of a reality show and thought the online reaction posts throughout made it really interesting. I had absolutely no idea who the killer was and was really surprised by the end! Such a well-written mystery which keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat. Absolutely amazing book!

I read Bea's debut YA book "Girl, Goddess, Queen" so was thrilled to discover that she has been writing more since. This book was a great deviation from the YA, though I can see why it's been off to a bit of a tricky start. I loved the location out in the relentless Atlantic ocean, juxtaposed with this tropical island vibe. The characters were both the strength and the greatest weakness of this very character-driven book. I really liked how different the voices were and was interested in seeing into the minds of the different characters. However, pretty much none of the characters were good people. In fact, they were quite awful and vapid, which made it really difficult to root for anyone in particular. The ending did leave me questioning some things and I was left thinking about some of the events for a while after.

There’s content that some readers may want to be aware of - check out at the end for more information. What I like about Fitzgerald’s books is that she takes the time and care to share content warning at the start, so her readers are fully aware going in.

Ok, back to the book. This is Fitzgerald’s first foray into adult fiction, whose previous Greek mythology retellings (particularly Girl, Goddess, Queen) are what pulled me in. I loved the premise of a whodunnit mystery thriller following an unexpected death (possibly murder?) on the latest and hottest reality tv show ‘Iconic’.

I’m not going to lie I struggle a bit with the pacing on this one and the reality tv element of this didn’t really appeal to me (I’ll admit - I’m not a fan). But Fitzgerald manages to weave in so many themes to her story and layers to her characters

Thanks to NetGalley, the team at Penguin, and the author for the opportunity to read this review copy.




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⚠️Content warning/potential spoilers: there’s reference to drug use, coercive control.

I was surprised by this book, I was initially unsure if I was going to like the format, but I actually really enjoyed how instead of the usual chapters it was set up as if watching each episode of the reality show in which the story is set. It let you get to know all of the characters, get insight to them without having to jump to a different POV all the time, which I personally find makes it hard to get into a book. But the way this story was written, the setting, it let you see little bits of each of them every 'episode' including their confessional private moments, as well as what they wanted to portray to the world in order to not only win, but in the context of the story, sow doubt in people's minds. The murder investigation was actually only really quite a small part of the story, it was definitely more about the reader wondering than anyone ever being found guilty and I liked that. I was quite surprised by the outcome and how it was done. You spend the whole book looking for clues to try and work out for yourself who the guilty party is, which makes the ending even more interesting in my opinion. Definitely a good read, one that draws you in and keeps you reading because you want to know how it ends.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and Bea Fitzgerald for the ARC. Hmm... how to convey my feelings for this book. It started off SO strong, the premise was exciting and it sounded different from the many other social media/locked island/room/game books out there currently. Then it just got... weird. Things stopped making sense, activities became pointless, the characters all unlikeable and the plot just all over the place. I wouldn't recommend this book to friends and family. It wasn't an enjoyable read.

In Then Things Went Dark, six contestants—each a notable figure in their respective fields—are thrown together on a remote island for a 3.5-week competition. The lineup includes a celebrity chef, a social media influencer, a musician, an entrepreneur, an activist, and an actor, Rhys Sutton. From the outset, it’s clear that Rhys is the central figure in a chilling murder mystery when he is found dead, casting a shadow over the competition.

As the narrative unfolds across two timelines—one depicting the ongoing police investigation and the other detailing the contestants’ time on the island—the story delves deep into the complex relationships and simmering tensions among the group. Each contestant has a reason to dislike Rhys, who is portrayed as arrogant and manipulative, leaving little room for sympathy.

The investigation reveals that Rhys was killed through foul play—poisoning, a subtle nod to the toxic dynamics at play. With a hefty prize pot dangling before them, tensions escalate, and the interactions are recorded through omnipresent cameras, capturing the drama and deceit as the contestants vie for victory.

The story skillfully navigates the characters’ flaws and moral ambiguities, providing a rich understanding of how far individuals will go when greed and jealousy come into play. As secrets unravel and motives are laid bare, readers are treated to a gripping climax with a twist that redefines the very nature of trust and betrayal among the contestants. The ending leaves a lasting impression, providing a satisfying resolution to the web of intrigue and deception that has been spun throughout the narrative.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

I really enjoyed this book. Can definitely see it as an ITV drama. Anyone who is a fan of any reality tv show is going to enjoy it. Characters you love to hate, mystery to keep you reading to the end to find out what happened and why. I recommend this book. Thank you #netgalley

Someone needs to make this book into a limited tv series ASAP! It’s everything people love about tv addicted too trashy realty show, PLUS who done it type back and forth show similar to big little lies, perfect couple, basically anything with Nicole Kidman! I wonder if Nicole Kidman could play the host. Add in seriously hot ‘famous’ people netflix would chew their own arm off for this script.

Brilliant, witty, insightful commentary of fame and the industry. Also as usual with this fantastic author, amazing queer representation that is meaningful and not tokenistic.

Honestly only sad thing about this book is it’s release date being so late in august cause this should have been THE summer beach read this summer.

I was expecting to get really caught up in this book in a way you can be drawn into watching programmes like Big Brother but the flow of the action wasn’t quite right. I’m not sure if it was the police investigation bits or when the reader is expected to interrogate the participants but whichever it spoiled the overall experience.

I first met Bea through her two Greek myth retellings. This is quite a different beast; a murder mystery set during a reality show on an island, right up to date with drones and Big Brother style challenges. Viewers can watch live feeds from any camera during the day and the edited version in the evening, so - in theory - nothing is off limits. Even in areas without cameras, the microphones will still be working.

The producers have, of course, picked the most controversial people they can and supplied plenty of alcohol - seriously, everyone seems to be drinking all the time - and apart from the challenges, there's nothing to do but talk to each other. This quickly leads to bickering, manipulation and anger. But which of them killed Rhys? Despite being filmed from every angle, it's still unclear.

I liked the insertion of confession room 'footage' as things were happening; it mimics the sense of watching a show. We don't get quite as much of how producers edit and control the footage here, apart from a few comments that this or that will be dropped for various reasons. However it's incredibly clear that all the contestants are playing games - we're constantly seeing them plan how to respond to things, manipulating in the moment and on the go. They're all pretty skilled at it, in a terrifying way.

This is so different from Bea's other books that I almost felt I was reading a different author - except, when you look deeper, there are threads in those books as well about people manipulating others, trying to rise to the top. It's a funny thing for them to meet over, but it is there. This book won't necessarily have the same fans, but it definitely will have fans - and perhaps a TV adaptation? Would that be ironic?

A tense, exciting read, I think it'll do very well.

I could not put this down, if you like reality tv and can envision the set up and the premise in your imagination then you will love how this book reads and bitching galore.

Six celebrity contestants have entered a house on a remote island off the coast of Portugal for a new show called ‘Iconic’ with the aim of the show is being an icon and bagging the prize money. Four weeks, four men, two women and multiple challenges that cause uproar. The chapters are set out in episodes as the show aired, each one ending with an update on the police investigation. The story starts with the murder of one of the contestants which was filmed live on air, and then we are thrown back to the beginning to follow the breadcrumbs.

This is a storyline I will not forget, there is so many layers to it involving each contestants past, it would make a great Netflix series or movie. I really liked all the characters, each had depth, secrets and gameplay!

Many thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for my gifted eARC.

THEN THINGS WENT DARK -
BEA FITZGERALD - ARC
I thoroughly enjoyed Bea's first adult novel, it was fast paced based on that classic reality car crash tv and couldn't put it down!
Literally read it all in a couple of hours.
Six "celebs" are on an island as part of a reality tv show but when one of them ends up dead, who did it? Each of them has things to hide but at what lengths will they go to keep their secrets? Will one of them take things too far?
Kept me guessing right till the end although I did click onto things pretty quick I didn't guess the full ending!
@rachaelmcreads