Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Then Things Went Dark' by Bea Fitzgerald.

'Then Things Went Dark' isn't my usual type of book but I absolutely enjoyed it. Connecting reality competitions with dislikeable characters, the talent in Bea Fitzgerald's writing shines through massively.
The beginning starts by letting you know about the tragedy that has happened and it shows how death in fame is just so detached from reality as people watched with 0 thoughts.

this book sounded so promising. i absolutely love a reality tv thriller but the story made no sense, none of the characters were tolerable, the formatting was confusing and the ending was abrupt. a little disappointed. :(

How fun is this?? I've read a lot of reality tv thrillers, but I thought this was brilliant - managing so many characters and yet I couldn't stop turning the pages.

2.5/5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC of this book.
Unfortunately the pacing and the structure are the only positives I can think of for this title.
I realise that it was probably the point but all characters, including the (extremely useless) Interpol, were rage inducing. The general plot was fine but it was simultaneously over explained and not fleshed out enough (ain’t that a conundrum!).
Sadly nowhere near as good as Bea’s debut book.
I will be picking up her other titles though cause I’m sure there’ll be better ones at some point!

I had so much fun reading this, it’s so addictive and the premise of a reality TV show was very attuned to how people act on TV and react in real life. The multi-perspective kept it so interesting and I loved the characters straight away. Fantastic read which I’ll be recommending to everyone.

Then Things Went Dark by Bea Fitzgerald follows six individuals as they enter a reality show to see who is the most iconic. One of the contestants ends up dead and we read as they try to figure out who did it. This book gives major love island vibes with loads of LGBTQ+ representation, as someone who really enjoys that show this book felt like a must read for me. The chapters are told in order of episodes with a sneak peak into how the investigation is going at the end of each chapter that gives you just enough to be unable to stop reading. The cast of characters are expertly crafted for you to both love and hate them, they bring plenty of drama into the villa from their outside lives as they make inside. The revelations at the end of the book had me screaming and really cemented this as an amazing read for me!

This book wants to shock you, and it does so at the expense of making the story weaker.
I never mind reading sensitive topics but I draw the line at using traumatic events for shock value.

This novel would have been potentially very good .

Pacy, Immersive..
A desert island, six contestants, one prize. For these fame hungry, media obsessed reality wannabes, nothing else matters but the win. But when a murder occurs everything will come crashing down. In spectacular fashion. And with twelve million viewers watching when the murder takes place, how can any secrets stay that way? Contemporary suspense, pacy and immersive with a deftly drawn cast of, quite rightly, mostly unlikeable characters.

I was captivated by Bea Fitzgerald's "Girl, Goddess, Queen" and was thrilled to receive an ARC of her latest work. The premise was thrilling—a reality show on an exotic island reminiscent of "Love Island," featuring wholly unlikable characters, each with their own motives for participating, culminating in a death broadcasted live.
The narrative's time jumps leading up to the pivotal event and the police interviews were engaging, as they gradually revealed the story. Overall, it was a pleasurable read that explored compelling themes about the pursuit of fame in contemporary society and its moral implications.

My thanks to Netgalley and Bea's publishing team for the opportunity to read this. I eagerly anticipate acquiring a physical copy in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the advance reader copy.

The concept for this book was what drew me to request the advance copy, but unfortunately having read it I can say that it didn’t live up to expectations.

The main characters are all annoying and self centred, I didn’t care about the ‘mystery’ as no-one had any redeeming qualities.
There were parts of the book that felt like they were thrown in to extend the word count and then not really looked into.

The obliviousness of the detectives annoyed me, as it seemed they couldn’t do the basic parts of their jobs such as a background check or medical history.

There’s a bunch of trigger warnings at the beginning and honestly some of them didn’t need to be included in the book. It felt like a lot of the things were there to shock. We as the reader don’t need anymore reason to dislike the characters as they’ve already shown themselves to be vapid and disingenuous.

This book felt both too long and yet not fleshed out enough. Which is a strange way for a story to go.

Six “icons” are trapped on an island to take part in a reality show called Iconic. They include a celebrity chef, a social media influencer, an actor….. you get the idea. The winner will walk away with a large sum of money, and a higher media profile.
I really did not enjoy this book, the characters were unlikeable, bland and boring while trying to be edgy, the tacked-on police investigation added nothing to the story, and the author seemed to lose interest and write to a formula.
Not for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

Ever wondered what it’d be like to read a reality tv show? What about one that includes a murder mystery? Well, this is the book for you.

‘Then Things Went Dark’ follows five contestants on a reality show, including confession booth comments and live public commentary. But this isn’t a regular reality show, because someone died.

As you make your way through the book you uncover new motives and discover new theories a long with the police.

A fun and exciting read.

Thank you Michael Joseph for the ARC.

Then Things Went Dark by Bea Fitzgerald
Rating: 3/5
Release Date: 5 September 2024

"The Things Went Dark" follows six renowned or celebrity contestants vying for a half-million-dollar prize while attempting to revive their fading careers through a fresh public appearance. The contestants comprise a rockstar, an actor, an entrepreneur, a chef, an heiress, and a women’s activist. Though they all profess noble intentions, it soon becomes evident that each harbours dark secrets from their past.

As romantic entanglements form between two contestants, igniting jealousy in a third, tensions escalate and everyone resorts to underhanded tactics. When the competition reaches a fever pitch and results in a contestant's fatal fall, local law enforcement must review footage to determine if the death was accidental or the result of foul play.

My issue with this book, hence the low rating, isn't with the plot, characters, or writing - I find the story to be incredibly creative. However, the layout feels out of place and a little disjointed and felt as if the flow was in terrupted. I believe this book could benefit from greater continuity between its various elements or a more defined layout.

The ending is what made me give this novel a lower rating. It felt underwhelming and failed to evoke a strong reaction. Despite all the build-up and mystery, the conclusion was not particularly satisfying or memorable for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House | Michael Joseph, and the author, Bea Fitzgerald, for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This was a bit of an odd read as I could tell where the story was going and wanted to say but it was a little oddly paced. A good thriller to pass an afternoon

Couldn't really get into this at all which is a shame the problem was there was way too much going on which made any sort plot get lost. I really liked the idea of this book but it didn't stand out within the many books like it. It felt a bit like love island if love island allowed the islanders to have unlimited alcohol and as I can't stand love island that put me off what could have been a really good with some more focus on one or two stream of plot instead of too many weak ones. What I did enjoy was the structure crossing timeline into the last tv episodes and the present police investigation.
While this wasn't to my tastes I think it would make a good beach read

This was a clever book in many ways, taking the idea of a reality tv show where a death occurs on camera, but was it murder?

The characters are divisive which is always a plus and makes for a decent thriller. It's quite locked room esque as they are all trapped together on an island. The author manages to get some thought provoking themes in there too around 24/7 exposure and the vagaries of social media.

Overall a fun read, the kind you read fast whilst eating all the chocolate.

The premise is just up my street, reality show set on an island.
All the contestants were so pretentious and unlikeable, there view on
themselves and the world are as bad as it gets.
However one of them dies live on air - I was shocked it was just one - given how awful they all were!
The story is set in the present and past, with the events leading up to the death and the subsequent police involvement.
I enjoyed loathing the characters although the pretention and dialogue in some parts did put me off a bit.
Overall an good read.

Six contestants. One island. Unlimited alcohol and minimal privacy. Then Things Went Dark tells the story of six fame-hungry contestants on the newest reality TV programme. Alliances and relatio ships form, implode and shift and everyone is in it for themselves. When a contestant dies, it should be easy to find out how it happened - after all, every moment of their time on the island has been played out in front of the cameras. However, the truth, like the contestants themselves, is far from simple.

The narrative switches between previous episodes of the series and the current police investigation, giving the whole book a sense of urgency as the investigating officers race to stop the final episode being shown on TV.

Bea Fitzgerald has already shown she can write larger than life characters with her debut Girl Goddess Queen and this ability is further showcased here. The characters are far from likeable but they are compelling. She is particularly adept at highlighting the shocking way women are portrayed in the media and the way some men exploit this or simply fail to understand it. Using the social media posts throughout was a clever touch.

A fast-paced and engrossing read. Highly recommended.

Six ambitious people, having made a mark in their own fields - from entertainment to activism to technology - are to compete in the new reality show Iconic. The methods by which they have been chosen are not entirely clear - neither to the audience nor to the reader, but most of them have their own agenda.


In any case, it was not hard to persuade them to participate, because in our celebrity-obsessed age, money and success are no longer enough. Popularity, it seems is essential for happiness. So, to what extremes will the six wannabe icons go in order to stand out?


Although the format is well-worn, the producers of this show have also gone beyond the normal boundaries for a program of this kind with unlimited alcohol, cameras practically everywhere (and I do mean everywhere!) and a problematic group of individuals left largely alone for much of the day on an isolated island, with plenty of liquid sustenance. What could possibly go wrong...


Unsurprisingly, things do go wrong, leading to the death of one of the contestants on camera. Unfortunately, the peculiar circumstances make it unclear just who, if anyone, is responsible for the fatality.


This is an engaging story that does bring some new twists to the familiar formula. I did not particularly care for the love affair, which seemed annoying and less than credible despite the hothouse atmosphere of the island. But the characters are well drawn, and in the case of the musician, the activist and the tech entrepreneur in particular, their motives are nicely handled and duly revealed. Overall, an enjoyable read that gets 3.5 stars. It could have got 4 stars if the love affair had been less annoying and been given less space.