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Daisy Darker is an all-consuming tale of psychological suspense with a spectacular twist from the internationally bestselling author Alice Feeney, inspired by Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. The ending is OTT, and in a way, it didn’t work for me, as I had to suspend my disbelief regarding both the motives and gameplay of the killer. A palm reader once told Nana that she wouldn’t live past 80 years old. Convinced this is her last birthday, she invites her estranged family members to Sea Glass to celebrate. In my opinion, the best part of this book will be the one-liners (which we never usually expect in thrillers) told by the characters in multiple parts of this book. I think there are more than fifty one-liners in this book. I found each one informative, and these pearls of wisdom are placed in correct intervals and correct areas in the most effective way by the author. I will share a few of them here.
Daisy Darker - Macmillan Daisy Darker - Macmillan
Her home on the Cornish coast was the setting for my happiest childhood memories. And my saddest. It was where my sisters and I spent every Christmas and Easter, as well as the long summer holidays after my parents got divorced. I’m not the only one with a broken heart in my family. I don’t know whether my parents, or my sisters, or even Nana’s agent take the palm reading about her imminent death seriously, but I do. Because sometimes the strangest things can predict a person’s future. Take me and my name for example. A children’s book called Daisy Darker’s Little Secret changed my family forever and was a premonition of sorts. Because I do have a secret, and I think it’s time I shared it. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.As the leaves of autumn fall, Daisy Darker arrives at her grandmother’s house for eightieth birthday celebrations. Seaglass, the Darker’s ancestral home, is a crumbling Cornish house perched upon its own tiny private island. If I were to wish upon a star, I would wish that I had written this book. Alas, I am pretty sure that doesn't work and Alice Feeney beat me to it. Perfection. The story is narrated by granddaughter, Daisy Darker, Nana’s favorite, a baby born with a heart condition which caused her to die eight times before the age of thirteen.-something she said she would be concerned about-if she were a cat. 😼 Of course, Alice Feeney has her own very distinctive style-using lots of clever metaphors such as “Secrets are like unpaid debts; they pile up and too much interest is best avoided.” to weave her suspenseful tales.
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney - Goodreads Editions of Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney - Goodreads
Not my favorite Feeney book (though it is hers)! I'm not sure what I was expecting, but something more original than this one. Just IMHO. A sinisterly satisfying play on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None...Readers will be intrigued by the setting, the action, and the question of whether or not they can trust narrator Daisy.”Final twist 1: I read And Then There Were None... I remember the ending... To compare Daisy Darker to this classic is a spoiler in the blurb! So, yes, I was expecting the culprit to be a fake victim (and my money was on Nana since the beginning). Daisy’s Nana, Beatrice Darker, illustrious children’s book author and illustrator, is turning eighty and the whole family is gathering at her mansion, “Seaglass", on the Cornish coast, to celebrate. If a palm reader’s prediction is anything to go by, this birthday will probably be Nana’s last. But Nana is prepared and makes it a point to discuss her will with her family – her orchestra musician son and his ex-wife Nancy, their children Rose, Lily, Daisy and Lily’s daughter, Trixie, and family friend, Conor. Needless to say, most of her family members aren’t too happy with the way Nana has decided to distribute her considerable wealth and assets. Someone has replaced one of the pictures on Nana’s wall with a DNA test. Conor is the father of Trixie.
Book Review | Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney - READ TO RAMBLE Book Review | Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney - READ TO RAMBLE
Alice Feeney FILLS her books with tiny details and I’m sure I won’t get them all, so PLEASE add your thoughts in comments. If I add them to the post I will credit you! Clues that I Missed in Daisy Darker Clues that Daisy Was Dead The book opens with a note from the authors’ agent said they received the manuscript of this story wrapped in brown paper, and that the author has been dead for some time. Nana decides this is the ideal time to use her celebrated author skills to poetically express her last will and testament to her gathered family, since she’s been assured by a palm reader that this birthday will be her last. These verses, and the ominous ones that appear written in chalk on the kitchen wall later, cleverly reflect the character deficits of each of the gathered members and portent certain fates for each.She reveals that although Lily and Nancy tried to drug her, she dumped the drugged tea into a potted plant. She says she didn’t kill the whole family by herself, she had help. Perhaps she is obsessed with time because a Palm Reader at Land’s End, predicted that she wouldn’t live past 80, and her Halloween birthday is fast approaching. When the Darker family assembles at the house on Halloween for Nana’s birthday, it’s an uncomfortable situation. Nana’s son is divorced from his wife, who has agreed to come to the celebration anyway. The three granddaughters Rose, Lily, and the titular Daisy, don’t get along. The great-granddaughter is sensitive. And the neighbor boy-man just kinda shows up. For those who have had awkward Thanksgivings, you can understand this might not be the most idyllic situation. And that's indeed what happens for Daisy Darker's family, assembled via Nana's wishes for the first time in years.
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney | Waterstones
Darker Family named after the color of their souls: no need to sugar coat things: they are despicable! I loved how this story was told. The set-up at the house with Nana was terrific, the use of the creepy poems to enhance the mystery, as well as the alternating timelines helped to build-out this story beautifully. And yet, it explored some of the same themes she likes: troubled, slightly twisted relationships, dark secrets, people trying to out-maneuver each other.Why is this interesting? The first murder in the book happens around high tide, meaning that the Darker family is trapped in the house, cut off from civilization, for the next six hours. A dysfunctional family meets Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None with a truly gasp-inducing twist. This is the book you've been looking for.” — Catherine Ryan Howard, bestselling author of 56 Days It’s time for Daisy Darker’s family to gather for Nana’s 80th birthday party on a remote island. At midnight, Nana is dead. Then, another family member follows. What secrets is this family keeping? And who is the killer? My life was never the same after I died a second time because that’s when everyone knew for sure what I think they already suspected: that I was broken.
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