Into the Dark: Shortlisted for the 2023 Crime Novel of the Year

I’m a huge fan of Fiona Cummins’ novels, so I knew I had to read her latest novel, Into the Dark straight away. I’m also really pleased to see that this is the start of a new series, and I can’t wait to see what’s to come for detective, DS Saul Anguish next.Fiona Cummins throws us into an intriguing new mystery with the disappearance of the Holden family, and it’s DS Anguish who is called to the scene. But what on earth could have happened to this family, who appeared to have it all? How could they just suddenly vanish, leaving no trace behind? It appears from the outset to Saul, that there is more to what appears to have happened to this family, than what first meets the eye. And as the investigation begins, Fiona takes us back in time and builds up to the moment when the family disappeared, revealing something sinister about this seemingly tightknit family.I love the foreboding atmosphere Fiona creates in her books and she does this well through her evocative descriptions, which always bring her settings to life. Her descriptions always give me goosebumps as I read them. She creates a real sense of mystery in Into the Dark, and I wanted to find out what was going on in the Holden’s lives before they vanished. The only clue left behind after their disappearance, is a strange message left on a mirror inside the house.I liked the short chapters and I thought they drove the pace of the novel and kept me turning the pages. I liked as well, that although Saul is going to be the recurring character in this series that we got to hear from the voices of the Holden family. This added to the suspense as we get to see the inner workings of their minds in the lead up to the day they vanish.I thought the ending to this book was so chilling, and it’s why it’s made me desperate to find out more about Saul, and what is going to come next for him. I also liked the way how Fiona wrapped up the mystery into the disappearance of the Holden family. There is an utterly chilling final note to this book and I thought it was delivered really well.Into the Dark is another winner from Fiona Cummins. I really enjoyed reading it, and as is always the case whenever I finish one of her books, I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

How intriguing is that premise? An entire family … poof … gone. When Julianne arrives at her friend Piper’s house for their run, she comes across the weirdest scene. Breakfast table laid out, radio playing, school bags by the door, phones charging, cars in the garage … It all looks absolutely normal. Except for the fact that, you know, the actual people aren’t there. What happened to this family?Right from the beginning, my spidey-senses were tingling all over the place. Something felt very off. I didn’t feel like I could trust whatever was coming out of these characters’ mouths. I definitely got the sense there was a lot more going on but I couldn’t quite see the big picture. The pieces of the puzzle were scattered everywhere, just begging for someone to put them together.That someone comes in the form of DS Saul Anguish. Newly arrived in town, Saul is … well, honestly, the only word that pops up in my head when I think of him is “weird”. He’s definitely hiding a dark past and a very dark side. Mostly he just gave me the creeps. While his backstory and certain behavioural aspects sound immensely fascinating, I didn’t quite see the point of it all. Unless the intention is for him to be a central character in a future series. If not, all his anguish (see what I did there?) was just kind of thrown out there with nowhere to go. This is also true of a certain condition that a colleague is suffering from, which I felt added absolutely nothing to the story. But again, if these two characters are set for a series, then it all makes a bit more sense, I suppose.Personally, I feel there is a moment where a story just becomes too twisty. I give Fiona Cummins bonus points for keeping it all straight in her head because that can’t have been an easy task. There is no doubt ‘Into The Dark‘ has a very clever plot and there are twists a-plenty but sometimes, enough is just enough. For me, things became a bit too over the top and slightly ridiculous. There was never a point where I felt like throwing in the towel, though. Not even because of the awfully unlikeable characters. No matter how far-fetched the answers might have been, I did want to see if the theory I came up with quite early on would pan out. In case you wondered, yes. But also way not.If anything, ‘Into The Dark‘ is hugely addictive and it reads immensely fast so the pace is definitely spot-on. Not quite characters to root for, but definitely ones you hope will get their comeuppance. A tale of manipulation, of toxic relationships, of vengeance with the most delightful sting in its tail. In my most humble opinion, not as good as ‘When I Was Ten‘ but despite my nitpicking still entertaining and enjoyable.

A novel with lots of twists but to accommodate these twists parts of the story become unbelievable and the “coincidence” factor used too much suggesting the story wasn’t researched very wellIt’s a good fast paced read about two devious women for 75% of the novel then incredulity creeps in and it goes downhill from then despite the last chapter twist, wrapping everything up nicelySometimes less twists, more character development and plausibility lead to a better story. Lots of good ideas and some good writing but let down ultimately by credulity and therefore only an average “thriller” novel overall

Kept my interest all the way through but the ending seemed rushed and incomplete. I needed to know more. Overall enjoyable.

This is a good busy story. There have been mixed reviews for this. Although, I did not like any of the characters. In the main I enjoyed it. I hope you do to?A luxurious house in a coastal town. The people who live there have disappeared. Why?Have they been abducted? Have they been murdered, in another location? Have they left of their own freewill? Leaving behind a mystery of secrets and lies? Just going to have to read it, to find out.

Fiona Cummins is an author who has the knack of writing excellent books and Into The Dark is no exception. Full of twists and turns, complex characters and a gripping plot, this book will keep you guessing until the very end. Highly recommended.

This book started off full of promise and suspense. The narrative moves back and forth in time and you get insights in all the different players' thoughts, from months before the disappearance of the family until a couple of days after. Though Fiona Cummins juggles these different narratives masterfully, it is not really a style that I love.A question that I asked myself several times during reading: can you really say you like a book when you absolutely cannot relate to any one of the characters of even downright loath them?The rich and materialistic wives, the domineering and manipulative rich husbands, the pampered children, the detective with his super dark past (and present), the forensic linguist with her own darkness, ... the only person I found remotely likeable was a side character who played no actual role in the story (the widower). One star less for this.

This was such a crazy read! It did take me a long time to get into this - there’s multiple timelines surrounding the disappearance of the Holden family, and all the jumping around became tiresome. However, once I was over the halfway point, things started to come together, secrets were being revealed left, right and centre & I couldn’t keep up.It did feel forced in places, and I felt that the storyline with Detective Anguish could have been left out - there was so much going on that having a dark & interesting character with the police was too much.

Not advisable to those looking for a good thriller.vry vry vry bad chronology. Complete waste of my time to be honest

I have never read a book in which every character is dysfunctional- even the children. I am afraid I did not find it a satisfying read and would not recommend this book to anyone.