A celebrity reality tv show set on an isolated island. What could go wrong? With every minute documented, when one of the celebrities dies it should be easy to see who did it, right?

A dark thriller set within reality tv and full of thoroughly unlikeable characters. Totally gripping.

3 Stars - Things did indeed go quite Dark

Trigger Warning: This review contains brief references to themes of death and abusive relationships in the book.

True to the author’s style, the book starts with a trigger warning list which is very much appreciated. **I highly recommend that anybody interested in reading this book looks at the trigger warnings before diving in**. That being said, I still wasn’t prepared for quite how dark this book got (though I don’t regularly read books of this genre, the author drew me to this book as I loved her first YA novel!)

*Then Things Went Dark* follows contestants of a game show stranded in a luxury house on an island. The book starts with a death and follows with the unraveling of an investigation and the events of the show as premiered live on TV.

The first 40% of this book I thoroughly enjoyed. I thought the writing style was clever and witty, exactly what I love about this author's writing. I loved the diversity of characters and wished we’d spent more time looking into their backstories, though at times I found their voices quite similar, so I had to read back to understand who was talking.

Past the 40% mark, the book became a lot darker, focusing primarily on the theme of abusive relationships, as well as other dark topics mentioned in the trigger warning section. Parts of this book made me really uncomfortable, which absolutely was the author's intention (in certain parts). Some of the twists were good (including the conclusion), while others felt less impactful; I did (partially!) guess the ending from very early on in the book, but I’m glad I wasn’t able to guess the true ending outright. Some characters seemed like they'd be really impactful, but ended up being somewhat underused (the detectives and the special guest especially). I felt at times as though everything in the book was ultimately laid bare with little ambiguity or space for the reader to infer things for themselves. The 'open book' nature of the characters links well to the setting of a reality TV show where everything is filmed (especially the testimonials), but it came at the cost of there being few sneaky and intelligent character moments that the reader didn't see coming (which in a mystery I would expect a few more of). The contestants wore their hearts on their sleeves and were very open with the game they were playing.

Overall, I like the writing style but I must admit that the second half of this book just wasn’t for me!

Thank you Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House, Bea Fitzgerald and NetGalley for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

(This review will be published on my Goodreads account a week before the publication, UK Publication being 5th September)


#ThenThingsWentDark #NetGalley

This is a book about reality TV .Six well known celebrities are competing for a prize of half a million dollars and they are on an island .Someone dies and it is shown to the nation !!! Even then the Police seem unable to find any clues .All the characters are self centred and frankly quite awful and are only intent on getting camera time !!! Everyone has a secret ,I don't like reality TV shows so no surprise I didn't really enjoy this book .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

Then Things Went Dark is addictive reading … Toxic, vain and self-obsessed characters stuck on a reality TV show on an island… I couldn’t look away! Warning: DO NOT pick this book up if you need to get anything else done, as once you start it you won’t be able to stop…!!

A great idea let down by one dimensional characters. I kept reading, hoping for some sort of conclusion or redemption for the characters, but nothing happened. I’m not at all sure interpol would have rolled over so easily either. I was left with a sense that I’d wasted good reading time.

THEN THINGS WENT DARK is a spiralling tale of image-obsessed celebrities trying to become even bigger than they are, and the disasters that unfold.

The book alternates between the post-death police investigation - interviewing the suspects and trying to contain the situation - and the episodes aired. The episodes were an interest format, rapidly jumping between characters like scene cuts and interspersed with "voice over" reactions from the characters. I liked the voice overs, the way it was both more truthful and less as people were aware they were on camera and so giving "their side".

It's a great look at reality TV - the tensions and artifices, as well as the manufactured drama brought on by the high pressure environment and all the designed challenges. It's situation designed to bring out the worst in people, all for entertainment. It's honestly surprising that this hasn't happened in real life (probably because the TV crews in real life are less negligent.)

A big part of the plot revolves around a manipulative, controlling relationship, seeing it ramp up from a guy wanting a girl to isolating her in weeks. The intense, surreal setting of the island really helps highlight the insidious horror of such behaviour as there are fewer people around to attempt an intervention - and the producers have no intention of doing anything because the public seem to like the "romance" so won't hurt their views by acting.

The answer to "who killed him?" comes up at the very end, and it was very satisfying, but not for the reasons I expected. It just all unravels, live on TV but in the dark where it's hard to work out, and then left to the public forum to decide what happened.

This book waa a real page turner! I started it on a plane journey and finished it in two sittings. I loved the fact that it read both like a reality show with chapters being split into episodes, seeing all the characters say what they would as if it was a real reality show, complete with challenged and confessionals. I also loved the fact that at parts it read like a detective show with thr questioning and lawyers and detectives post show. I enjoyed seeing how things play out post Rhys’ death as they investigate his death, and the lead up from day 1 of the show.

I thought all the characters were well thought out, each one was different, each one had different secrets, different agendas or reasons for being on the show.

I found myself not trusting any of the characters, not just because I was trying ti figure out if Rhys’ death was an accident or not, but because they all had something to hide, and I found them all to be untrustworthy, which usually in a mystery book I have one character I root for, but not in this one.


I think that When Things Went Dark was great and was a brilliant mystery debut by Bea Fitzgerald, looking forward to what she will come out with next! I am giving this book 4 stars.

This novel was so good. I love books that feature celebrities and reality shows, so a book that features both of those things is an ultimate winner for me.

This was nuts, absolutely nuts. The characters were all deplorable - proper morons who love themselves and can’t see anything but their own vanity in front of them.

There’s Rhys, an actor; Jerome, an entrepreneur ; Theo, a rockstar; Araminta, a socialite; Isko, a chef and Kalpana, an activist. All starring in new reality show Iconic for varying different reasons that all spell out: let’s become even more rich and famous. It ends in tragedy, as you might expect, and boom! This is our novel as we figure out just what happened on this deserted island.

This was an addictive, amazing novel. I didn’t like anyone, tbh, but I liked the story and I loved the idea of the show Iconic. I flew through the book very quickly and I just couldn’t get enough of the scandals, the secrets, the lengths people will go…

I’d definitely recommend this book, it was so so good!

A deserted island and a group of celebrities. One of them has just died live on TV and the police are investigating the crime.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and like the drama of the intro with a character dying live on TV. Sadly, it didn't live up to the promise.

I liked the author's voice and sharp writing style. The book felt youthful, current, and worked well as a pastiche of reality TV in free fall with a lawless descent into chaos. The idea of a group of obnoxious and unlikeable people unraveling works. I also thought that the mixed media format worked well.

Where this didn't work for me was as a thriller. The book didn't have enough suspense/twists and turns, and I found it hard to care about the characters or even about the crime. Most of the book felt like a takedown on a type of TV format and revolved around satirising a group of narcissistic contestants. It worked well on this level.

I hoped for a killer ending with a dramatic reveal but it didn't come.

The promotional information about this book sounded interesting but unfortunately the book did not live up to this description at all for me. I found all the characters annoying and one dimensional (was this intentional?). I did finish the book as I was intrigued to find out how Rhys died but the whole ending seemed to lack a purpose. Not for me I am afraid.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance copy of this book.

Someone dies live on air - Captivating and atmospheric.

Perfect for those who enjoy:
- Books based on reality shows
- Mixed media forms
- Twists and turns
- Atmospheric thrillers

With thanks to Penguin Random House, Michael Joseph and Netgalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

I loved this book. Six reality show contestants on a remote island. All have secrets. As the story twists and turns, the relationships become darker. Only 5 leave the island, one is dead. Who killed him?

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. The premise of this book sounded really interesting and definitely up my street but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me at all. I found the characters to be very annoying and I just didn’t gel with anyone. I did manage to finish the book as I was mildly curious as to what happened to Rhys but the ending fell flat if I’m honest. Unfortunately this book was not for me.

I love thrillers about reality TV or social media so this was right up my street, however. I also really hate books that are told through mixed media forms which this one was so I wasn't sure what was it'd go and whether jumping from the TV show to another form of storytelling would pull me out of the story but it was actually done really well and I never found that. The characters were amazing and everything I'd ever expect from people on a reality TV show and on the industry. There are twists and turns and I loved every second of it

4.5 ⭐️

OMG, that ending. The drama. A death on live TV, accident or murder? Who knows?

Let's start with the formatting. I love that each chapter is an episode of the show and then a bit of the police investigation. It keeps the plot moving along nicely.

The book is well written, and I think the issues we see are dealt with well. It was exceptionally difficult to read the abuse one of the characters faces as the story goes on because it was so realistic.

The plot is less about who killed Rhys and more about why someone might have done it. Honestly, everyone has motive. It's not easy to even attempt to solve the case. These are people who often put the worst parts of themselves at the forefront of their personality.

That being said, I enjoyed the conclusion.
It's quite fitting and leaves you in an odd place of struggling with your feelings over whether you feel bad or not. On the one hand, someone died. On the other he was a gaslighting, abusive asshole.

It's no secret that I love Bea's writing. This one did take a little longer for me to get into, but I would say it was a successful adult debut. If there was one thing I could change, I would make the police bits a tad more integral to the plot.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, Bea Fitzgerald, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Then Things Went Dark by Bea Fitzgerald is a gripping thriller that brilliantly intertwines the sensationalism of reality TV with a dark murder mystery. This novel expertly captures the shallow allure and inherent narcissism of the genre, making it both a critique and an engrossing page-turner.

Fitzgerald masterfully delves into the toxic dynamics and manipulative nature of reality TV, making you question the ethics of entertainment and the voyeurism it encourages.

Despite the unlikable nature of many characters, the book keeps you hooked, making you root for certain individuals while despising others and flip flopping on a few more. The narrative is packed with twists and turns, ending in a surprising twist that will leave you reeling.

For those who might not be fans of reality shows like Love Island, this book still manages to be an enthralling read, thanks to its sharp commentary and fast-paced plot. Bea Fitzgerald has crafted a clever, dark, and thought-provoking whodunnit that questions not only the nature of reality TV but also our own fascination with it. A fun beach read.

I enjoyed the layout of the book set in like episodes of a reality tv series. Some of the characters grated on me but a few I liked watching develop. I wasn’t sure how things were going to pan out so it kept guessing. I think I would have enjoyed to read it more though in hard copy format.

I have read both of Bea's mythological retellings and loved them so was really keen to read her adult debut.

It's written in a variety of ways, including police interviews, audition tapes, and episode narration.

We have 6 main players: Araminta the influencer, Isko the chef, Rhys the actor, Kalpana the activist, Jerome the entrepreneur, and Theo the singer. I think she's picked the right amount. Any more and there's too many to be invested in, but too few and the list of suspects becomes too small. Although, I didn't particularly like any of them. I don't mind unlikeable characters as long as there's a reason for them being so and as long as they're interested but they were all very flat and I didn't really care what happened.

Even by the end with the reveal, I was a bit...I don't know, I was expecting some big shock or whatever but it was a bit like "oh okay, that's that done then".

The reasoning behind the reality show didn't seem that strong, nor did the points and challenges.

It's really difficult to say this because I have Bea on Twitter and I absolutely love her, but I've got to be honest. I did enjoy some bits, it was different but with enough elements that we expect from a thriller. But the pacing was off for me and I didn't get that fast pulse, real exciting thrill from it. Perhaps if it was shorter it might have been better as it's a bit drawn out. It was an interesting read but probably won't stay with me. An interesting premise but it lacked a few key elements sadly, for me.

So this held my interest at first, but once I got to about 39%, I just turned to the back to see what happened at the end. It was ok. Too much weird sex for me. The plot is definitely overdone these days, but thought I would give it a whirl. Maybe if it were shorter, I could have gotten through all of it.

I was really excited to see Bea Fitzgerald had written a thriller book as I loved her Greek mythology reimagine with girl, goddess, queen.

The premise of the book is really good, six egotistical low level celebs get put in a house on an island all alone and chaos ensued. While I disliked all the characters, I loved their dynamic and the drama but I did find it a little hard to keep track of who was saying what, who was in a scene and who was friends with who. The challenges were a nice touch like a real reality TV show but other than the confessions on cards near the start, the rest were a bit meh

I liked the format of each character focusing on an episode and what happened then showing the investigation but I didn’t really think the police station scenes added much to the story and I was confused as to the little side plot between some of the officers, it seemed unnecessary to me

I liked the ending where a few of them all considered it their fault. While the premise was good and it was a super quick engaging read it fell a little flat for me