Macmillan Daisy Darker Book

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After being seriously impressed with Rock Paper Scissors, I really wanted to love this… but it just missed the mark for me.There was a lot to love:The writing was really good. From the excellent first sentence - ‘I was born with a broken heart’ - to the last page, it was poetic and accomplished. Likewise the characters were very well drawn and I felt a lot of sympathy with Daisy.The setting of a rickety old house on the Cornish coast at Halloween was perfect, and the Agatha Christie vibes were in full swing (her novel ‘And Then There Were None’ is even mentioned in the text).The story itself however just didn’t do it for me. There wasn’t enough mystery, the twist wasn’t all that great, and there was a bit of an information dump at the end to try to explain everything. The whole book dragged a bit until the last few chapters. I mean it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t anywhere near as good as Rock Paper Scissors. I know it’s a different sort of book, but it’s not my preferred sort.Alice Feeney is clearly a good writer, but after hearing that Daisy Darker is her favourite work and it took five years to write, I expected more.

Alice Feeney's Daisy Darker is a twisty turny thriller which offers more than a nod to Agatha Christie in the way that it has been structured and in terms of its plot. Set on an island in the middle of a storm and involving the Darker family, an inauspicious name if ever there was one, our narrator is Daisy who describes the night that her relatives gather to celebrate Nana's birthday, Nana being the family's matriarch. The gathering allows Daisy to reminisce and we gain a picture of the Darker family with all of their flaws and less than desirable personality traits.There are nine characters in all: Daisy, our eyes and ears; Nana, the head of the Darker family and grandmother to Rose, Lily and Daisy; Frank, Nana's son and father to the girls; Nancy, the girls' mother, divorced from Frank; Rose, Daisy's eldest sister; Lily, Daisy's middle sister; Trixie, Lily's daughter and finally, Conor, the boy desired by all the sisters; and not to be forgotten, Poppins, Nana's Old English Sheepdog.I really enjoyed this book in every way: the setting of an island home off the rugged coast of Cornwall, England, provides the perfect environment for the claustrophobic atmosphere of entrapment that Feeney is trying to create, especially as it is only accessible from the mainland at low tide. Add to that a storm and the fact that it's Halloween, the night of the year when in traditional Pagan folklore, spirits are meant to roam our world, and the shades of darkness descending are palpable as the night progresses. Throw in a dysfunctional family of self-centred and uncaring individuals and you have a novel, the dark elements of which, will combine and create a story of guesses and red herrings which, if you are a reader who loves suspense and puzzles will have you head-scratching and endeavouring to conjecture throughout.To say more about how the book progresses would be to give away its secrets and the book is full of them, the whole history of a family and its tensions and rivalries laid bare by degrees as the night progresses. If you are an Agatha Christie fan, looking for something modern that is comparable, this book is for you.All in all, a great fireside read under a blanket with hot chocolate, to contrast with the dark side of humanity that is revealed in its pages.

I really wanted to like this book and was looking forward to reading it during Halloween as it was set on Halloween in the book. I struggled through to about chapter 16 and I just couldn't bring myself to read anymore. Too much inner dialogue and profound metaphors for life etc. Wasn't particularly drawn to any of the characters. Give 2 stars mainly for the twist I skipped to the end to read that was vaguely interesting I suppose. I have to say my favourite thing about this book is the cover...

I can’t decide what to think about this book. Yes, it was a real page turner. Yes, I read it in a day. Yes, I enjoyed it. Yes, Alice Feeney has once again written a belter of a story. But that’s the trouble… she is such a fantastic author that a twist that is unforeseen is expected and because I knew that, I guessed the twist in the first 50 pages… gutted! It was pretty clear to see, and I won’t say any more than that, because I don’t like spoilers! But for this reason alone I give it 3 stars. I will still continue to read any more that Alice Feeney publishes though - she’s a fantastic author!

I admit I’m a book cover .. lover. I will look at covers before even reading a title or synopsis… loved this cover and bargain price for a beautiful hard back 🤷🏻‍♀️ I was hooked… can’t say much about the story as don’t want to give too much away but easy to read, written well with intriguing characters… I needed… not wanted, to know what was happening and how this ended. And it was well worth the journey, reminded me a film I like but what story hasn’t been done… this was done very well and got me 😊👍🏾