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Daisy Darker was born with a broken heart. The youngest of the three Darker sisters, Daisy spends a great deal of time with her eccentric Nana, a children’s book author who lives at Seaglass, a secluded old house whose only access is during low tide.

Growing up, Daisy longs for the freedom afforded of her older sisters, Rose and Lily, and the attention of the neighbor boy, Connor, who seemingly only has eyes for Rose. Living with her heart condition, Daisy is smothered by Nancy, the girls’ mother, who, resentful of Daisy’s condition, struggles to love her youngest daughter as she does her elder children. Growing up with books and Nana as her only friend, Daisy yearns for normalcy. Sneaking out on Halloween in her thirteenth year, Daisy witnesses an event with her sister that will change the course of all the Darkers’ lives.

At the request of Nana to celebrate her 80th birthday at Seaglass, the Darkers converge and learn the secrets and lies each has been holding since Daisy was 13.

Alice Feeney is a wonderful writer and her books are quite enjoyable. However, for me, Daisy Darker is a bit too far reaching for my taste and by the end become somewhat of a disappointment. ( )

I wanted to like this. The idea of a dysfunctional family cut off from the world on a tidal island the night before Halloween deserves better. I was hoping for a different take on And Then There Were None, but this didn't work for me.
I knew the twist was coming and was hoping for something good cause the buildup was okayish. However, the big twist was foreshadowed from the start and felt like an easy way out, so I was disappointed. The little twists and family secrets were predictable. None of the characters were likeable or interesting and the heaviness of what they did was too much for the superficial level of character treatment they got in the novel. It just felt all out of balance with such a heavy topic at heart.
2.5 stars. ( )

Everyone in this book sucks except for the pupper ( )

Twisty Murder Mystery Unveiled


Meet Daisy Darker, the protagonist and narrator of this extraordinary tale, who unveils her poignant truth from the very first line, confessing to be "born with a broken heart." With this intriguing opening, the book embarks on a journey into the realms of the unusual, captivating readers with each progressive chapter.

The Darker family, without a doubt, epitomizes dysfunction. Every Halloween, Daisy, her two sisters, and their divorced parents gather at Sea Glass—an isolated mansion, inaccessible during high tides—to celebrate their grandmother's birthday. This year, as "Nana" turns eighty, she chooses to reveal her will. However, the joyous occasion takes a sinister turn when Nana is discovered murdered, a cryptic poem etched in chalk nearby. As the tide engulfs Sea Glass, trapping its inhabitants within, the Darker family finds themselves cut off from the mainland.

Isolated and running out of time, the surviving family members bear witness to a series of murders, each occurring at the stroke of an hour, accompanied by a new version of the chilling chalk poem. The use of these poems becomes one of the most captivating elements of the book, sending shivers down the readers' spines.

This is a tale of sheer peculiarity, yet utterly mesmerizing. The characters, including an unexpected arrival by boat—an old friend—harbor deep-seated animosity towards one another and carry hidden secrets, making for an enticing mix. Reminiscent of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None," we are treated to a cascade of perplexing murders, with tension and suspicion escalating among the surviving family members after each death. The narrative gracefully shifts between the present and the past, with eerie clues left in the form of VHS tapes, prompting glimpses into historical events.

Typically, adept at unraveling the identity of the killer, I found myself caught off guard by the dizzying twists and turns that unfolded in the final pages of this novel. Upon reaching the end, I felt compelled to reevaluate everything I had read, revisiting earlier passages to fully appreciate the cunning intricacies of the plot. ( )