I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney Published by Flatiron Books on August 30 2022
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Clever, outrageous, emotional, shocking and just plain entertaining, Daisy Darker is this summer’s must read thriller.
“I think most murder mysteries are overrated,” Nana says. “There are much cleverer ways to end a person than killing them.”
Alice Feeney has just rocketed to the top of my favorite authors list, and I’m so happy she has a bunch of backlist books that I can read! I expected to love Daisy Darker because I’ve seen lots of stellar reviews, but I did not expect to love it as much as I did. This is a locked room mystery set on the Cornish Coast of England that centers around four generations of a quirky, dysfunctional family and what happens when they come together to celebrate their grandmother’s eightieth birthday. I’m going to try to keep this review short, because there are some epic twists and surprises that must be kept secret, but I do need to gush about this book because it is awesome.
The story is narrated by Daisy Darker, youngest daughter of Nancy and Frank and sister to Rose and Lily. The entire family, including Lily’s fifteen-year-old daughter Trixie and long time family friend Conor, have been invited to Seaglass, Beatrice “Nana” Darker’s ancestral home, a crumbling house perched on the edge of a cliff and surrounded by water when the tide rises. Nana is famous for her well known children’s book Daisy Darker’s Little Secret, named after her favorite grandchild. It’s October 30, 2004, the eve of Nana’s birthday. As the family gathers, Nana announces that she’s going to read her will, but the family members are horrified when she leaves Seaglass to Trixie and nothing but the oddities in her house to the rest of her family.
But there are more surprises in store. At the stroke of midnight, loudly announced by Nana’s eighty clocks lining the living room walls, Nana is found dead at the foot of the stairs, a piece of chalk in one hand and an ominous rhyme about the family written on the wall above her. With only the Darker family members present, trapped at Seaglass for the next six hours until the tide goes out, someone in the house must be the killer.
The ensuing murder mystery is only half the fun, and to be honest, my favorite parts of Daisy Darker were the flashbacks—cleverly revealed through family video tapes staged throughout the house by the killer. If you are looking for the dysfunctional family story of the year, then look no future. The Darker clan is one messed up group of people, and Feeney reveals each person’s true colors as the story unfolds. Since Daisy is narrating the story, each video tape sparks forgotten memories from her childhood. We learn early on that Daisy has a “broken heart” in the most literal sense of the phrase. She was born with a rare heart defect and was never allowed to participate in normal childhood activities, like going to school or playing with other children her age. Her sisters get to go to parties and boarding school, yet poor Daisy is rarely allowed to leave the house. On top of all these injustices, Rose and Lily are pretty horrible to their younger sister, but Daisy has a mean streak herself and gets back at them in some horrifying ways.
The other Darkers are just as memorable. Rose is a vet and loves animals more than people; Lily smokes and drinks and verbally abuses her daughter; Nancy and Frank have been divorced for twenty years, due to Frank’s long absences traveling the world with his orchestra; because of this, Nancy has always resented being a mother and regrets that she never became an actress; Trixie is the shining light of the bunch, a kind, happy girl who loves reading and spending time with her aunt Daisy; Conor survived life with an abusive father and the Darkers became his second family. And then there is Nana, an eccentric, reclusive woman with more money than she knows what to do with, a woman with a punch clock on the wall who insists that every visitor punch in and out. Nana only wears pink and purple, hasn’t redecorated Seaglass in fifty years, and likes to add candy sprinkles to her mashed potatoes. She’s also sharp as a tack, and through keen observation understands the true nature of each family member. Her beloved sheepdog Poppins is her constant companion, and I loved how Poppins has a small but important role in the story.
The author uses some tried and true locked room mystery tropes, which lull the reader into thinking this is just your normal, everyday murder mystery: cell phones don’t work at Seaglass; Nana has disconnected her land line because she got tired of people calling her; someone conveniently cuts the rope on Conor’s boat, their only possible way off the island. And of course, a fierce storm rages outside, making the ocean extremely dangerous for someone desperate enough to swim for help. All these elements are delivered with a wink, as if the author knew exactly what she was doing. Savvy readers will also notice that Feeney pays homage to a particularly famous Agatha Christie book, especially in the way she uses the sinister rhymes written on Nana’s kitchen wall. The alternating “past” and “present” chapters work brilliantly, as the Darkers desperately watch the clock tick down to the time they can finally leave Seaglass, while the flashback chapters become more and more ominous as Daisy reveals her big secret—what really happened that fateful Halloween night in 1988.
Feeney’s final master stroke will have readers flipping back to the beginning of the book to see what they missed the first time, and yes, I did exactly that! The author sprinkles plenty of clues throughout her story, although you have to be paying attention to pick up on them. Bottom line, I enjoyed the hell out of Daisy Darker and I’m guessing you will too. Highly recommended!
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
I was intrigued by this book just by reading the quote you shared, then reading your review I knew I must not let this novel pass me by because it has all the elements to turn it into an amazing read. Thank you so much for sharing this! 🙂
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…THE BOOK OF COLD CASES, by Simone St.James
I don’t read many mysteries but I definitely need to read more from Alice Feeney:-)
After reading this review I’m very much hooked on this story. First of all I absolutely love that quote and I can so connect to Nana disconnecting her landline because she got tired of people calling her. Same, Nana, same haha. I really wanna read this book!
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Review: The Crash by Skye Warren & Amelia Wilde
Ha ha Nana is the best, I totally got her:-)
Okay, I’m so excited for this. I haven’t fully read your review for now because I want to go into this with no real knowledge, so, I will return. Happy to see this glowing 5 star review though.
Lynn 😀
It’s best to read it blind, so many surprises:-)
Oooo I am so adding this to my fall reading list!
Yes, definitely read it!
Nana gives me chills. Oh, this book sounds fantastic. Great review, Tammy!
Priscilla Bettis recently posted…Author Scott J. Couturier, The Box
Nana is awesome!
So glad you loved this too.
It was fantastic:-)
After your review I simply have to read this one. You made it sound so intriguing! And I can’t resist a closed room mystery!!
Thanks for sharing!
Yes, you must read it!
Glad to see you loved it. It’s coming up shortly on my tbr. I’ll come back after I’ve read it.
I’ll look forward to your review:-)
Oh this sounds fun! I love the sound of that conclusion, and it does sound remarkably twisted!
Greg recently posted…Or Else
It’s so twisted, lol. Have funning reading it if you get the chance!
I can’t wait to read this one! I was crossing my fingers and toes that it would be in this month’s Book of the Month selections. (It was!) Excited to see how much you loved it.
Oh cool, enjoy, it’s a blast:-)
I can’t wait to get my copy of this one. I love a good locked door mystery.
Hope you enjoy!
I am definitely going to have to read this. I like the whole trapped on an island and someone must be the killer idea, which definitely puts me in mind of a certain Christie story (which I also really enjoyed). Great review 🙂
Pages and Tea recently posted…Book Review: Billy Summers by Stephen King
I hope you get the chance to read it, so much fun!
That Agatha Christie book has been one of my favorites of hers so far, and if this one is anywhere near as good then I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. I love seeing 5 star reviews. 🙂
You will probably love this too:-)
Okay, this sounds like an absolute gem! I am busting to know her final ‘master stroke’ that sent you back to the beginning!!!
I loved this so much, and yes I went back to the beginning after the end to see what clues I might have missed!
I can come back now and comment that I loved it too. It was so unique and yes dysfunctional family of the year! I really want to read some of her backlist and see if they are all so wickedly clever.
Anne – Books of My Heart recently posted… What She Found by Robert Dugoni