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Lacey Flint #5
The Dark
ONCE, SHE SAVED HIS LIFE...
NOW, HE'LL TAKE HERS.
When a baby is snatched from its pram and cast into the river Thames, off-duty police officer Lacey Flint is there to prevent disaster. But who would want to hurt a child?
DCI Mark Joesbury has been expecting this. Monitoring a complex network of dark web sites, Joesbury and his team have spotted a new terrorist threat from the extremist, women-hating, group known as 'incels' or 'involuntary celibates.' Joesbury's team are trying to infiltrate the ring of power at its core, but the dark web is built for anonymity, and the incel army is vast.
Pressure builds when the team learn the snatched child was just the first in a series of violent attacks designed to terrorise women. Worse, the leaders of the movement seem to have singled out Lacey as the embodiment of everything they hate, placing her in terrible danger...
NOW, HE'LL TAKE HERS.
When a baby is snatched from its pram and cast into the river Thames, off-duty police officer Lacey Flint is there to prevent disaster. But who would want to hurt a child?
DCI Mark Joesbury has been expecting this. Monitoring a complex network of dark web sites, Joesbury and his team have spotted a new terrorist threat from the extremist, women-hating, group known as 'incels' or 'involuntary celibates.' Joesbury's team are trying to infiltrate the ring of power at its core, but the dark web is built for anonymity, and the incel army is vast.
Pressure builds when the team learn the snatched child was just the first in a series of violent attacks designed to terrorise women. Worse, the leaders of the movement seem to have singled out Lacey as the embodiment of everything they hate, placing her in terrible danger...
464 pages, ebook
First published May 26, 2022
About the author
Sharon J. Bolton
42 books4,346 followersSharon's newest book The Split is now available in both hardback and paperback in the UK!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Split-grippi...
Sharon J Bolton was born and brought up in Lancashire, the eldest of three daughters. As a child, she dreamed of becoming an actress and a dancer, studying ballet, tap and jazz from a young age and reading drama at Loughborough University.
She spent her early career in marketing and PR before returning to full-time education to study for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Warwick University, where she met her husband, Andrew. They moved to London and Sharon held a number of PR posts in the City. She left the City to work freelance, to start a family and to write.
She and Andrew now live in a village in the Chiltern Hills, not far from Oxford, with their son and the latest addition to the family: Lupe, the lop-eared lurcher. Her daily life revolves around the school run, walking the dog and those ever-looming publishing deadlines.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Split-grippi...
Sharon J Bolton was born and brought up in Lancashire, the eldest of three daughters. As a child, she dreamed of becoming an actress and a dancer, studying ballet, tap and jazz from a young age and reading drama at Loughborough University.
She spent her early career in marketing and PR before returning to full-time education to study for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Warwick University, where she met her husband, Andrew. They moved to London and Sharon held a number of PR posts in the City. She left the City to work freelance, to start a family and to write.
She and Andrew now live in a village in the Chiltern Hills, not far from Oxford, with their son and the latest addition to the family: Lupe, the lop-eared lurcher. Her daily life revolves around the school run, walking the dog and those ever-looming publishing deadlines.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 393 reviews
June 20, 2022
I always get so excited when I open up a Sharon Bolton book! This book was so clever and brilliant. This book gave me a book hangover. I kept flipping the pages to find out what was going to happen next. It kept me up all night long and gave me a five star high!
This is an awesome crime thriller which is exceptionally plotted out and kept me on the edge of my seat. It is very dark and disturbing. I was holding my breath and at times a bit scared to read on. It was fantastic.
The twists had my jaw drop to the floor. It was so crazy, and I mean CRAZY! JUST MY KIND OF CRAZY!
I also loved the character development.
If you haven't read any books by this author, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? You really don't know what you are missing! She is my all time favorite author. All of her books have been WINNERS for me. This one is a memorable read.
I thought I had this book all figured out but I was so wrong!!! It is an unpredictable read.
This is an awesome crime thriller which is exceptionally plotted out and kept me on the edge of my seat. It is very dark and disturbing. I was holding my breath and at times a bit scared to read on. It was fantastic.
The twists had my jaw drop to the floor. It was so crazy, and I mean CRAZY! JUST MY KIND OF CRAZY!
I also loved the character development.
If you haven't read any books by this author, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? You really don't know what you are missing! She is my all time favorite author. All of her books have been WINNERS for me. This one is a memorable read.
I thought I had this book all figured out but I was so wrong!!! It is an unpredictable read.
March 31, 2022
*4.5 stars*
Police officer Lacey Flint is back!
Lacey is off duty when a baby is snatched from its pram and mercilessly thrown into the River Thames - by coincidence though, Lacey is nearby, and manages to save the baby, but who on earth would do something so wicked?
DCI Mark Joesbury isn’t surprised however, he and his team have been monitoring the dark web looking at a group of women hating ‘incels’ (members of an online community of young men who consider themselves unable to attract women sexually, typically associated with views that are not only hostile towards women, but also men who are sexually active), and what better way to hurt a woman than by abducting and killing her child!
It’s clear that Joesbury has his hands full here, and things are about to get a whole lot worse, especially when he discovers that Lacey embodies everything the incels hate about women, and becomes their prime target!
Goodness me! This was a real roller coaster of twists and turns. I did guess who the perpetrator was pretty early on, but it didn’t really spoil my enjoyment of it, particularly as the author is so adept in her use of smoke and mirrors!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
Police officer Lacey Flint is back!
Lacey is off duty when a baby is snatched from its pram and mercilessly thrown into the River Thames - by coincidence though, Lacey is nearby, and manages to save the baby, but who on earth would do something so wicked?
DCI Mark Joesbury isn’t surprised however, he and his team have been monitoring the dark web looking at a group of women hating ‘incels’ (members of an online community of young men who consider themselves unable to attract women sexually, typically associated with views that are not only hostile towards women, but also men who are sexually active), and what better way to hurt a woman than by abducting and killing her child!
It’s clear that Joesbury has his hands full here, and things are about to get a whole lot worse, especially when he discovers that Lacey embodies everything the incels hate about women, and becomes their prime target!
Goodness me! This was a real roller coaster of twists and turns. I did guess who the perpetrator was pretty early on, but it didn’t really spoil my enjoyment of it, particularly as the author is so adept in her use of smoke and mirrors!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
February 26, 2022
To be honest, I had thought Sharon Bolton had completed her brilliant London based Lacey Flint series since she has been focusing on her standalone psychological thrillers for a considerable number of years. Since it's been so long since I read this series, I admit my memory was not so good in remembering it, but once I started, it wasn't long before I was immersed in the riveting and terrifying storyline. Bolton picks up scary threads from our contemporary world, the online abuse directed at women and the misogyny found on social media, with the troubling growth of terrorism associated with the extremist incel movement and imagines the horror of where it might all end up. Flint is still a police constable on the River Thames Marine unit, fighting efforts to deploy her on the Met, despite concerns over her regular visits to Durham Prison to meet serial killer, Victoria Llewelyn. Along with Dana and Helen with their baby son, Inigo, Lacey is fortunately at the scene to prevent the nightmare death of a abducted baby on the Thames.
DCI Mark Joesbury has been expected such an act after the police, MI5, and CounterTerrorism's monitoring of the dark web and the gathering of intel on the MenMatter website Rage, picking up chatter within the incel community, with men being subtly radicalised through the Alt-Right pipeline. Lacey's bravery is to make her target for foiling the start of what is a deadly strategic campaign to control and push women back into the home, whilst removing their voting and other rights. Men are incited online in huge numbers to intimidate and stalk women (femoids) at night, humiliate them through catfishing, deploying violence, filming it all to maximise the level of fear and distress amongst women. Some men, cannon fodder, are being groomed to carry out deadly attacks, and whilst they may be being arrested, the police are struggling to identify the men organising the terror. There are spectacular action heroics in the novel, such as that involving a crane, as the police race against time to stop the Day of Retribution.
Lacey and Joesbury's relationship develops, although Lacey cannot see it going anywhere, hampered as she is by the past and her deeply buried secrets, secrets the incels are aware of, and which they think they can use to manipulate her. What is frightening about Bolton's storyline is that it does not feel all that far fetched in our world of fake news and the targeting of women, there is even a character here inspired by the actor Laurence Fox. This is a tense, dark, harrowing and compulsive emotional rollercoaster of a psychological thriller that had me on tenterhooks throughout, full of twists and turns, with a conclusion that suggests this just might be the last book in this moreish crime series. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
DCI Mark Joesbury has been expected such an act after the police, MI5, and CounterTerrorism's monitoring of the dark web and the gathering of intel on the MenMatter website Rage, picking up chatter within the incel community, with men being subtly radicalised through the Alt-Right pipeline. Lacey's bravery is to make her target for foiling the start of what is a deadly strategic campaign to control and push women back into the home, whilst removing their voting and other rights. Men are incited online in huge numbers to intimidate and stalk women (femoids) at night, humiliate them through catfishing, deploying violence, filming it all to maximise the level of fear and distress amongst women. Some men, cannon fodder, are being groomed to carry out deadly attacks, and whilst they may be being arrested, the police are struggling to identify the men organising the terror. There are spectacular action heroics in the novel, such as that involving a crane, as the police race against time to stop the Day of Retribution.
Lacey and Joesbury's relationship develops, although Lacey cannot see it going anywhere, hampered as she is by the past and her deeply buried secrets, secrets the incels are aware of, and which they think they can use to manipulate her. What is frightening about Bolton's storyline is that it does not feel all that far fetched in our world of fake news and the targeting of women, there is even a character here inspired by the actor Laurence Fox. This is a tense, dark, harrowing and compulsive emotional rollercoaster of a psychological thriller that had me on tenterhooks throughout, full of twists and turns, with a conclusion that suggests this just might be the last book in this moreish crime series. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
May 28, 2022
3.5 rounded up to a 4
Writing: 3.5/5 | Plot: 4/5 | Ending: I SCREAMED/5
THE PLOT
A baby is snatched and yeeted into the water, kicking off an investigation into incels who promise a Day of Retribrution for all the down and out mans out there... Unless Lacey, Joesbury, and the gang can stop them first.
MY OPINION
#BoltonBish reporting for duty!!!! OMFG I SCREAMED LOUDER THAN I'VE EVER SCRUMMED BEFORE AT THE LAST LINE!!!!!!! WHERE IS BOOK 6??? SHARON I HOPE YOU'RE WRITING YOUR ASS OFF RIGHT NOW. IMA NEED THAT ASAP.
Tbh I'd like a case that doesn't have a direct connection with Lacey; homegirl can't be part of an investigation that doesn't center around the baddie tryna ruin her life. She needs a vacay lol... or to steal another identity and try again, because this shit is exhausting.
I liked that this case focused on incels and served as a light intro in cyber attacks. I work in cybersecurity so reading about these tings is always interesting bc... ya'll it's coming lol. Also I'm morbidly fascinated with the minds of incels/conspiracy theorists so this was right up my alley. I did have to toss Bolton a lil side eye when she wrote that Ben Shapiro's views weren't unreasonable... gurl. lmao.
Overall this book didn't wow me. I'm no Nancy Drew but I sussed out the baddie early-on. Lacey had her dummy moments as usual... going outside and leaving the door wedged open with the keys right there. Sweet. The book was giving me Honda Civic reliable but nothing extra. The last line though pushed it past 3 stars and I will be picking up #6 once it drops.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: cool premise, ending had me shooketh
Cons: just missing that je ne sais quoi that pushes a book from good to bangerlicious
Writing: 3.5/5 | Plot: 4/5 | Ending: I SCREAMED/5
THE PLOT
A baby is snatched and yeeted into the water, kicking off an investigation into incels who promise a Day of Retribrution for all the down and out mans out there... Unless Lacey, Joesbury, and the gang can stop them first.
MY OPINION
#BoltonBish reporting for duty!!!! OMFG I SCREAMED LOUDER THAN I'VE EVER SCRUMMED BEFORE AT THE LAST LINE!!!!!!! WHERE IS BOOK 6??? SHARON I HOPE YOU'RE WRITING YOUR ASS OFF RIGHT NOW. IMA NEED THAT ASAP.
Tbh I'd like a case that doesn't have a direct connection with Lacey; homegirl can't be part of an investigation that doesn't center around the baddie tryna ruin her life. She needs a vacay lol... or to steal another identity and try again, because this shit is exhausting.
I liked that this case focused on incels and served as a light intro in cyber attacks. I work in cybersecurity so reading about these tings is always interesting bc... ya'll it's coming lol. Also I'm morbidly fascinated with the minds of incels/conspiracy theorists so this was right up my alley. I did have to toss Bolton a lil side eye when she wrote that Ben Shapiro's views weren't unreasonable... gurl. lmao.
Overall this book didn't wow me. I'm no Nancy Drew but I sussed out the baddie early-on. Lacey had her dummy moments as usual... going outside and leaving the door wedged open with the keys right there. Sweet. The book was giving me Honda Civic reliable but nothing extra. The last line though pushed it past 3 stars and I will be picking up #6 once it drops.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: cool premise, ending had me shooketh
Cons: just missing that je ne sais quoi that pushes a book from good to bangerlicious
September 1, 2022
3.5 stars.
My apologies to the many readers who enjoy the Lacey Flint books. I have long considered Sharon J. Bolton one of my favourite writers for her stand-alone mysteries. When I purchased this book, I had forgotten that I had previously given low ratings to the few Lacey Flint books I had read in contrast to loving Bolton's stand-alone novels. I stated in a last review that 'I was so done with the Lacy Flint character' but cannot remember my reasons. I realize that I have missed some important events and background by skipping books #3 and 4. I have read some of the shorter novellas and believe The Dark works as a stand-alone as it refers to facts I had missed.
I find that Lacy Flint has progressed as an intriguing character with a secret that would demolish her standing as a police officer were it to be exposed. She is in love with Officer Joesbury, and the relationship is growing, but Lacey fears her secret will ruin their relationship. Meanwhile, Joesbury and team are monitoring the Dark Web in search of the identity of 4 incels
grooming misogynist males who identify as incels into committing acts of terrorism meant to frighten women. The threat from the growing incel movement has led to acts of terrorism in other countries, and the Men Matter movement intends to strip away women's voting rights and prominent positions in the workplace. Women would be placed on a curfew; their place would be the home under the domination of males. Men would control decisions in child-raising and have custody of the offspring.
The four incels making anti-feminist remarks on the web have resulted in some of their followers performing frightening and sometimes deadly attacks against women and a baby. Their hatred is also directed towards good-looking and wealthy men who have had success with women and are the object of their jealousy. Lacy becomes their main target after bravely rescuing a baby launched into the Thames River. This was the first incident in acts meant to terrorize women. As their actions against women continue, there are suggestions on the Dark Web that a Day of Retribution is coming and will result in massive deaths. As Joesbury and the team attempt to infiltrate the Dark Web and arrest those responsible for their propaganda, this was a prolonged process that detracted from the book's flow. Some followers influenced to commit attacks have been arrested, but they have no idea of the identity of those who have urged them on. One of the incels had met Lacey years before, gathered much evidence of her past, and threatened to expose her secrets publicly.
As the team races towards a deadline and cannot prevent the Day of Retribution, they learn how much they believed was based on fraud. This was a tale full of suspense and unforeseen twists and identified a minor but genuine threat to the progress of modern women in our society.
My apologies to the many readers who enjoy the Lacey Flint books. I have long considered Sharon J. Bolton one of my favourite writers for her stand-alone mysteries. When I purchased this book, I had forgotten that I had previously given low ratings to the few Lacey Flint books I had read in contrast to loving Bolton's stand-alone novels. I stated in a last review that 'I was so done with the Lacy Flint character' but cannot remember my reasons. I realize that I have missed some important events and background by skipping books #3 and 4. I have read some of the shorter novellas and believe The Dark works as a stand-alone as it refers to facts I had missed.
I find that Lacy Flint has progressed as an intriguing character with a secret that would demolish her standing as a police officer were it to be exposed. She is in love with Officer Joesbury, and the relationship is growing, but Lacey fears her secret will ruin their relationship. Meanwhile, Joesbury and team are monitoring the Dark Web in search of the identity of 4 incels
grooming misogynist males who identify as incels into committing acts of terrorism meant to frighten women. The threat from the growing incel movement has led to acts of terrorism in other countries, and the Men Matter movement intends to strip away women's voting rights and prominent positions in the workplace. Women would be placed on a curfew; their place would be the home under the domination of males. Men would control decisions in child-raising and have custody of the offspring.
The four incels making anti-feminist remarks on the web have resulted in some of their followers performing frightening and sometimes deadly attacks against women and a baby. Their hatred is also directed towards good-looking and wealthy men who have had success with women and are the object of their jealousy. Lacy becomes their main target after bravely rescuing a baby launched into the Thames River. This was the first incident in acts meant to terrorize women. As their actions against women continue, there are suggestions on the Dark Web that a Day of Retribution is coming and will result in massive deaths. As Joesbury and the team attempt to infiltrate the Dark Web and arrest those responsible for their propaganda, this was a prolonged process that detracted from the book's flow. Some followers influenced to commit attacks have been arrested, but they have no idea of the identity of those who have urged them on. One of the incels had met Lacey years before, gathered much evidence of her past, and threatened to expose her secrets publicly.
As the team races towards a deadline and cannot prevent the Day of Retribution, they learn how much they believed was based on fraud. This was a tale full of suspense and unforeseen twists and identified a minor but genuine threat to the progress of modern women in our society.
March 18, 2022
It’s been a while since I’ve read Lacey Flint novel, it’s been a while since the author wrote one! Welcome back Lacey! The novel starts with a tense and dramatic Beachy Head clifftop encounter. Fast forward a few years to Lacey’s police career and the shocking abduction of a baby on the Thames embankment near Tower Bridge. A pram is then thrown into the river and some Hollywood worthy scenes ensue. I guess if you’re going to attract readers full attention, that would do it!
It’s an incredibly tense, exciting and fast paced read right from the start. You hold your breath (at times I don’t even realise I’m holding mine) then exhale in shock at the callousness and then in relief. However, it’s just a brief respite so you can catch your breath and ground yourself.
The plot gets way murkier than the Thames, which does play an important role, indeed it feels like a character exuding a lot of atmosphere. We take a deep dive into gender equality and plumb the depths of the Incel movement and this is very well researched. I learn a lot even if I’m not entirely sure I want to know (!) but being better informed is always a plus. It’s clever, unsettling especially as a female, it’s dark (Tor dark) and at times it’s incredibly scary. What unfolds seems to be about power, leadership and control and the perpetrators ignite one heck of a fire. Their demands are bonkers, it’s to be a horrific “fight back“ with a day of retribution! It’s a twisty, twisty, twisty mystery that escalates, it’s insidious, horrendous, unsavoury and extreme and there’s a very personal and potentially ruinous angle for Lacey.
It’s exciting from start to finish, it doesn’t quite end where you expect it to but that’s a plus. Sadly, what unfolds feels all too believable especially when you read some filth that’s spouted in the anonymity of social media. I do guess who the perpetrator is, it kind of had to be but it doesn’t spoil it.
I have a slight issue with one plot contrivance at the very start which resonates throughout but it’s not enough to stop a five star rating.
I really like the character of Lacey, she’s absolutely fascinating, a complete one off and I enjoy the relationship with DCI Mark Joesbury too.
I do hope there’s a number 6 to come!
With thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
It’s an incredibly tense, exciting and fast paced read right from the start. You hold your breath (at times I don’t even realise I’m holding mine) then exhale in shock at the callousness and then in relief. However, it’s just a brief respite so you can catch your breath and ground yourself.
The plot gets way murkier than the Thames, which does play an important role, indeed it feels like a character exuding a lot of atmosphere. We take a deep dive into gender equality and plumb the depths of the Incel movement and this is very well researched. I learn a lot even if I’m not entirely sure I want to know (!) but being better informed is always a plus. It’s clever, unsettling especially as a female, it’s dark (Tor dark) and at times it’s incredibly scary. What unfolds seems to be about power, leadership and control and the perpetrators ignite one heck of a fire. Their demands are bonkers, it’s to be a horrific “fight back“ with a day of retribution! It’s a twisty, twisty, twisty mystery that escalates, it’s insidious, horrendous, unsavoury and extreme and there’s a very personal and potentially ruinous angle for Lacey.
It’s exciting from start to finish, it doesn’t quite end where you expect it to but that’s a plus. Sadly, what unfolds feels all too believable especially when you read some filth that’s spouted in the anonymity of social media. I do guess who the perpetrator is, it kind of had to be but it doesn’t spoil it.
I have a slight issue with one plot contrivance at the very start which resonates throughout but it’s not enough to stop a five star rating.
I really like the character of Lacey, she’s absolutely fascinating, a complete one off and I enjoy the relationship with DCI Mark Joesbury too.
I do hope there’s a number 6 to come!
With thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
April 24, 2022
This is the fifth Lacey Flint book. It has been a while since we spent time with Lacey, the prologue explains a lot about young Lacey and why she is a bit cagey. From there we are propelled into a very dark and, if you are a woman, terrifying story.
The dark web is bubbling with a new form of terrorism. Incels (involuntarily celibates) are rising up and striking back at femoids (female humanoids) who have done them wrong or disrespected them. It is organised and gets ugly very quickly. It starts with the snatch and grab of a baby from his pram who is then tossed onto a blow-up unicorn float in the Thames. Lacey saves the day this time by jumping into her canoe and furiously paddling after it. She manages to snatch the baby back safely before the float is swamped by river traffic. But this is just the start.
Soon women are being targeted in violent and awful ways and the results live streamed on the dark web. The ring leader seems to be someone calling themselves AryanBoy and he seems to know Lacey and he seems to be out to get her. She is really conflicted as she suspects who he might be, or have been, but if she admits it her life will collapse around her. Still she doesn’t know who he is today. I did eventually guess but it doesn’t detract from the story at all. Nevertheless she does some research and gets close to learning who AryanBoy’s lieutenants are.
This is a very dark story as you can imagine this really happening. The Men Matter movement has a series of demands that would set back women’s rights back by decades and they are promising a day of retribution. Women are no longer safe going about their normal business and Lacey and her journalist friend Emma Boston, who was also targeted, are constantly moving where they are staying yet somehow the Incels seem to know where they are and AryanBoy keeps being able to phone Lacey and threaten her.
This is tearing Lacey apart. She and DCI Mark Joesbury have rekindled their relationship but as the danger to Lacey gets closer she withdraws from Joesbury, still afraid she will blurt out the truth about her background.
I must admit I found the story extremely disturbing because it was so plausible. Anonymous online abuse and trolling is already a very real thing and many people, particularly women, feel threatened by it. Families and children are threatened and some of the abuse is so vile you wonder how these people can live with themselves. This was Sharon Bolton at her best, it really evoked some very strong emotions from me. Many thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
The dark web is bubbling with a new form of terrorism. Incels (involuntarily celibates) are rising up and striking back at femoids (female humanoids) who have done them wrong or disrespected them. It is organised and gets ugly very quickly. It starts with the snatch and grab of a baby from his pram who is then tossed onto a blow-up unicorn float in the Thames. Lacey saves the day this time by jumping into her canoe and furiously paddling after it. She manages to snatch the baby back safely before the float is swamped by river traffic. But this is just the start.
Soon women are being targeted in violent and awful ways and the results live streamed on the dark web. The ring leader seems to be someone calling themselves AryanBoy and he seems to know Lacey and he seems to be out to get her. She is really conflicted as she suspects who he might be, or have been, but if she admits it her life will collapse around her. Still she doesn’t know who he is today. I did eventually guess but it doesn’t detract from the story at all. Nevertheless she does some research and gets close to learning who AryanBoy’s lieutenants are.
This is a very dark story as you can imagine this really happening. The Men Matter movement has a series of demands that would set back women’s rights back by decades and they are promising a day of retribution. Women are no longer safe going about their normal business and Lacey and her journalist friend Emma Boston, who was also targeted, are constantly moving where they are staying yet somehow the Incels seem to know where they are and AryanBoy keeps being able to phone Lacey and threaten her.
This is tearing Lacey apart. She and DCI Mark Joesbury have rekindled their relationship but as the danger to Lacey gets closer she withdraws from Joesbury, still afraid she will blurt out the truth about her background.
I must admit I found the story extremely disturbing because it was so plausible. Anonymous online abuse and trolling is already a very real thing and many people, particularly women, feel threatened by it. Families and children are threatened and some of the abuse is so vile you wonder how these people can live with themselves. This was Sharon Bolton at her best, it really evoked some very strong emotions from me. Many thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
July 30, 2022
Short and sweet review:
This is my first Sharon Bolton book and I can identify why other people like her so much . Very easily and quickly read, I enjoyed the main character Lacey and learning about the dangerous incel movement.
While I read this as a stand alone, I didn't feel that I was behind because of not reading the previous books in the series. Recommend to lovers of police procedurals!
Purchased at the Book Depository.
This is my first Sharon Bolton book and I can identify why other people like her so much . Very easily and quickly read, I enjoyed the main character Lacey and learning about the dangerous incel movement.
While I read this as a stand alone, I didn't feel that I was behind because of not reading the previous books in the series. Recommend to lovers of police procedurals!
Purchased at the Book Depository.
June 11, 2022
Lacey Flint is back!! This is a brilliant series and when I heard that book 5 was finally coming out I could not be happier. If you haven't read it you really do need to fix that ASAP. It is a dark and gritty police procedural series, set in London around the character of Lacey, she is a tough and determined cop with a shady past and alot of secrets.
The opening chapter sees a part of Lacey's past that we have not been privy to before, but a moment in her life that will come back to haunt her in The Dark. In the present day, it starts with a baby being abducted and a pram being thrown into the Thames. Lacey and her fellow off duty police officers are on the spot when it happens. Their instincts are to chase, save the baby. Lacey knows the river like the back of her hand, now a member of the marine team for the MET.
This is just the beginning of months of terror on women in London. A group of men have decided that they want men's rights and women need to be put back in their place. These INCELS are growing stronger and stronger by the day, their followers on the dark web getting more brazen with each attack. And now Lacey is in the spotlight.
I devoured and savored this book at the same time. I was desperate to know what was going to happen but I didn't want it to be over. I know there are are alot of Lacey fans out there, just dying to read this new installment. I am so grateful to Hachette Australia for sending me an advanced copy to read. It was brilliant as Sharon Bolton always is.
The opening chapter sees a part of Lacey's past that we have not been privy to before, but a moment in her life that will come back to haunt her in The Dark. In the present day, it starts with a baby being abducted and a pram being thrown into the Thames. Lacey and her fellow off duty police officers are on the spot when it happens. Their instincts are to chase, save the baby. Lacey knows the river like the back of her hand, now a member of the marine team for the MET.
This is just the beginning of months of terror on women in London. A group of men have decided that they want men's rights and women need to be put back in their place. These INCELS are growing stronger and stronger by the day, their followers on the dark web getting more brazen with each attack. And now Lacey is in the spotlight.
I devoured and savored this book at the same time. I was desperate to know what was going to happen but I didn't want it to be over. I know there are are alot of Lacey fans out there, just dying to read this new installment. I am so grateful to Hachette Australia for sending me an advanced copy to read. It was brilliant as Sharon Bolton always is.
May 3, 2022
Lacy Flint #5
When a baby is snatched from its pram and cast into the river Thames, off-duty police officer, Lacy Flint is there to prevent disaster. But who would want to hurt a child? DCI Mark Joesbury has been expecting this. Monitoring a complex network of dark web sites, Joesbury and his team have spotted a new terrorist threat from extremist, woman-hating, group known as 'incels' or 'involuntary celibates'. Joesbury's team are trying to infiltrate the ring of power at its core, but the dark web is built for anonymity, and the incel army is vast.
The Dark is a newly found group of involuntary celibates, or Incel extremists calling themselves MenMatter. They intimidate women and threaten a day of retribution. There's some disturbing and shocking moments. I was pulled into the story straight away. This is a well written book with a believable plotline. It's tense, action packed, and thrilling. This book can be read as a standalone.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #OrionPublishingGroup and the author #SharonBolton for my ARC of #TheDark in exchange for an honest review.
When a baby is snatched from its pram and cast into the river Thames, off-duty police officer, Lacy Flint is there to prevent disaster. But who would want to hurt a child? DCI Mark Joesbury has been expecting this. Monitoring a complex network of dark web sites, Joesbury and his team have spotted a new terrorist threat from extremist, woman-hating, group known as 'incels' or 'involuntary celibates'. Joesbury's team are trying to infiltrate the ring of power at its core, but the dark web is built for anonymity, and the incel army is vast.
The Dark is a newly found group of involuntary celibates, or Incel extremists calling themselves MenMatter. They intimidate women and threaten a day of retribution. There's some disturbing and shocking moments. I was pulled into the story straight away. This is a well written book with a believable plotline. It's tense, action packed, and thrilling. This book can be read as a standalone.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #OrionPublishingGroup and the author #SharonBolton for my ARC of #TheDark in exchange for an honest review.
June 24, 2022
I was looking forward to this; Bolton is a great crime author, and I loved Lacey Flint´s earlier books.
Unfortunately, this one is awful;the plot´s thin, ridiculous, it got boring quickly and it gets more unbelievable by the page. Bolton can do much,much better than this.
Unfortunately, this one is awful;the plot´s thin, ridiculous, it got boring quickly and it gets more unbelievable by the page. Bolton can do much,much better than this.
July 29, 2023
All this pining for 3 books 😮💨 and all we get when Mark & Lacey get it on is a fade to black??!!! How rude! That being said, this was hell of a banger. And the storyline was so scary and real in many parts of the world we live in.
April 2, 2022
This is the fifth novel in the Lacey Flint series by author Sharon J. Bolton.
Lacey Flint is a little bit of a mystery with a secret past that she very much wants to remain secret. A very strong character who enjoys the company of men, which often leads to potential trouble for Detective Lacey Flint. She is a risk taker and adopts a no nonsense approach to both work and life.
Off duty police officer Lacey Flint is reluctantly involved in a crime when a baby is snatched from its pram and thrown into the river Thames. Her natural instinct is to get involved and try to save the child.
Meanwhile DCI Mark Joesbury had feared the worse when on monitoring some dark web sites had witnessed a new terrorist threat from the extremist, women-hating, group known as ‘incels’ or ‘involuntary celibates.’. The pressure is on to put a stop to this group before further crimes are committed but first they must deal with the snatching of a child, the first in a series of violent attacks designed to terrorise women. The case becomes very personal when the leaders of the group appear to focus on Lacey and make her a figure of hate for the sect which obviously makes her very vulnerable.
These books have good plots and are well written but the the character Lacey Flint is very much the star of the show. Exciting character who is multi faceted and never far from the action. A very enjoyable read that would work as a stand alone.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Orion for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Lacey Flint is a little bit of a mystery with a secret past that she very much wants to remain secret. A very strong character who enjoys the company of men, which often leads to potential trouble for Detective Lacey Flint. She is a risk taker and adopts a no nonsense approach to both work and life.
Off duty police officer Lacey Flint is reluctantly involved in a crime when a baby is snatched from its pram and thrown into the river Thames. Her natural instinct is to get involved and try to save the child.
Meanwhile DCI Mark Joesbury had feared the worse when on monitoring some dark web sites had witnessed a new terrorist threat from the extremist, women-hating, group known as ‘incels’ or ‘involuntary celibates.’. The pressure is on to put a stop to this group before further crimes are committed but first they must deal with the snatching of a child, the first in a series of violent attacks designed to terrorise women. The case becomes very personal when the leaders of the group appear to focus on Lacey and make her a figure of hate for the sect which obviously makes her very vulnerable.
These books have good plots and are well written but the the character Lacey Flint is very much the star of the show. Exciting character who is multi faceted and never far from the action. A very enjoyable read that would work as a stand alone.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Orion for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
July 15, 2022
I cannot tell you how much I love this series - it's a police procedural with great characters, social commentary and a myriad of shenanigans - all the books are absorbing and full-on.
I really would recommend starting from book one because the character-building is important.
I hope I don't have to wait too long for the next one!!!
I really would recommend starting from book one because the character-building is important.
I hope I don't have to wait too long for the next one!!!
July 6, 2022
After a series of standalone novels of increasingly diminishing quality, Sharon Bolton has wisely returned to what she does best – the brilliant Lacey Flint series.
Since it’s been several years since A Dark And Twisted Tide, the first few chapters here helpfully remind us of the basic backstory – most importantly, that Lacey isn’t who she claims to be; a secret she is determined will never be discovered. A secret that, if revealed, would end her career and, possibly more importantly, her relationship with DCI Mark Joesbury.
However, it appears there’s someone out there who knows the secret and is holding it as a threat over Lacey’s head. Styling himself as “AryanBoy” and heading an “incel” terrorist group called #MenMatter. Although Joesbury’s team of IT experts have been monitoring them for some while, the terrorists always seem to be one step ahead of the police.
This is modern crime writing of the highest order; almost presciently dealing with the rise in misogynist far-right groups and murky dealings on the “dark web”. One feels totally drawn in from the first page and the grip never loosens. Welcome back Lacey Flint. I can hardly wait for the sixth adventure.
Since it’s been several years since A Dark And Twisted Tide, the first few chapters here helpfully remind us of the basic backstory – most importantly, that Lacey isn’t who she claims to be; a secret she is determined will never be discovered. A secret that, if revealed, would end her career and, possibly more importantly, her relationship with DCI Mark Joesbury.
However, it appears there’s someone out there who knows the secret and is holding it as a threat over Lacey’s head. Styling himself as “AryanBoy” and heading an “incel” terrorist group called #MenMatter. Although Joesbury’s team of IT experts have been monitoring them for some while, the terrorists always seem to be one step ahead of the police.
This is modern crime writing of the highest order; almost presciently dealing with the rise in misogynist far-right groups and murky dealings on the “dark web”. One feels totally drawn in from the first page and the grip never loosens. Welcome back Lacey Flint. I can hardly wait for the sixth adventure.
September 18, 2022
Possible Triggers: Child abuse and child murder, abortion isues
Let's hope and pray to whatever deity that will listen, that society never actually reaches this level of total insanity. This was one of the most horrifying and disturbing stories I think I have ever read. It's not only a frightening account of the assault on women's rights but it is actually entirely plausible. A band of terrorists claiming to be "scorned" men want to change things and one of the ways they intend to do this is by taking women out of positions of power. Mark Joesbury and the rest of the men on their team find that they not only have to try to stop this radical group, but they also have to keep the women on their team, including Lacey and her reporter friend, safe. This book was 8 years in the making to take its place as the 5th book in the Lacey Flint series. This series as always been a bit on the dark side, sometimes dealing with controversial issues, but I believe Ms. Bolton has outdone herself with this one.
Let's hope and pray to whatever deity that will listen, that society never actually reaches this level of total insanity. This was one of the most horrifying and disturbing stories I think I have ever read. It's not only a frightening account of the assault on women's rights but it is actually entirely plausible. A band of terrorists claiming to be "scorned" men want to change things and one of the ways they intend to do this is by taking women out of positions of power. Mark Joesbury and the rest of the men on their team find that they not only have to try to stop this radical group, but they also have to keep the women on their team, including Lacey and her reporter friend, safe. This book was 8 years in the making to take its place as the 5th book in the Lacey Flint series. This series as always been a bit on the dark side, sometimes dealing with controversial issues, but I believe Ms. Bolton has outdone herself with this one.
May 18, 2022
The return of Lacey Flint was something I'd been anticipating for a while, in the interim Sharon Bolton has written several incredible standalone thrillers so the wait wasn't too bad at all.
The Dark is pitch perfect- a perfect title given the scarily authentic feeling plot that is perceptive and addictive. A better central story to allow Laceys comeback I can't even imagine. Genuinely compelling as a ghost from her past comes back to haunt an uncertain future
I could not put this down. I resented the heck out of anything taking me away from it, grumpily I went to work and made sure the kids didn't starve, by the time I was at the point where the denouement was approaching I was literally sat on the edge of every seat I could find, devouring the words.
A brilliant book with quality writing, unpredictable and unnerving plotting and a story that really could be ripped from the headlines given just a slight shift in our society.
I hope this isn't the last we'll see of Lacey but let's see. In the meantime I'm going to go back and reread the others whilst highly anticipating whatever this author does next.
Highly Recommended. A shoe in for my top ten of 22.
The Dark is pitch perfect- a perfect title given the scarily authentic feeling plot that is perceptive and addictive. A better central story to allow Laceys comeback I can't even imagine. Genuinely compelling as a ghost from her past comes back to haunt an uncertain future
I could not put this down. I resented the heck out of anything taking me away from it, grumpily I went to work and made sure the kids didn't starve, by the time I was at the point where the denouement was approaching I was literally sat on the edge of every seat I could find, devouring the words.
A brilliant book with quality writing, unpredictable and unnerving plotting and a story that really could be ripped from the headlines given just a slight shift in our society.
I hope this isn't the last we'll see of Lacey but let's see. In the meantime I'm going to go back and reread the others whilst highly anticipating whatever this author does next.
Highly Recommended. A shoe in for my top ten of 22.
July 3, 2022
Publishing date May 26th 2022
EDIIT: I actually reconsidered after thinking more about this novel. It deserves a higher rating for the lack of excessive sleaze, regardless of my little frustrations here and there. So it goes five stars.
Blurb:
ONCE, SHE SAVED HIS LIFE...
NOW, HE'LL TAKE HERS.
When a baby is snatched from its pram and cast into the river Thames, off-duty police officer Lacey Flint is there to prevent disaster. But who would want to hurt a child?
What a dramatic opening to a book. At least, the current (Now) part of the plot. The much earlier event (Then), which is the actual opening of the book, was equally horrific and darkly creepy as hell. Breathtakingly so.
This was a dark, detective drama / thriller with many onion layers to peel off. I haven't read the series, so cannot compare it with the previous ones.
If you want to just read another version of the million you already read in this genre, this will be as entertaining and riveting as always. This time around a suspense thriller was built around a strong political message to women.
I surely learnt something new. My word. Have you ever heard about the 'incels' or 'involuntary celibates'? Well, that surprised me. It really did.
I checked on the internet. These subgroups actually do exist, destroying the serious challenges of #Menmatters groups who deal with serious issues, such as:
parental alienation;
job-, and race discrimination (anti-white male propoganda);
extreme spousal abuse( women abusing men);
jail time for non-payment of child support, especially refusal to pay for non-biological children;
boys who grew up without father figures - there are 24 million of these boys in America alone, and so on.
These male 'incels' groups are as bad to an honest Men movement as women trying to cash in on the #metoo movement by lying in court, thus damaging the real victims of women abuse.
Most of these groups, male and female, started as a result of bad things happening to people on a collective scale. They have valid reasons to exist.
In this novel, International Women's Day is so okay. International Men's Day is not. And... I was wondering... what will the opposite of male 'incels' be called? There certainly are female counterparts for sure. Imagine if 'they' decide to organize.
From the blurb: DCI Mark Joesbury has been expecting this. Monitoring a complex network of dark web sites, Joesbury and his team have spotted a new terrorist threat from the extremist, women-hating, group known as 'incels' or 'involuntary celibates.' Joesbury's team are trying to infiltrate the ring of power at its core, but the dark web is built for anonymity, and the incel army is vast.
So the mix is on.
Sadly, I was inspired by the first half of the book, and then my enthusiasm faded out. Perhaps it was the written-for-women, as well as probably the misandry nature of the underlying propaganda. Misandry revenge on misogyny, sort of. The irony... Hopefully it will make you smile. There's nothing to smile about this outlandish inflated, overblown drama otherwise.
It was unconvincing and meh-ish. The denouement just dragged on over several chapters, in an abyss of side-tracks, to confuse the reader.
But. It's a great thriller for women who prefer all the heroes to be women, and all the bad villains to be either beastly, weak, loser men.
Despite the gripes, the author ticked off a few positive boxes that should be rewarded.
EDIIT: I actually reconsidered after thinking more about this novel. It deserves a higher rating for the lack of excessive sleaze, regardless of my little frustrations here and there. So it goes five stars.
Blurb:
ONCE, SHE SAVED HIS LIFE...
NOW, HE'LL TAKE HERS.
When a baby is snatched from its pram and cast into the river Thames, off-duty police officer Lacey Flint is there to prevent disaster. But who would want to hurt a child?
What a dramatic opening to a book. At least, the current (Now) part of the plot. The much earlier event (Then), which is the actual opening of the book, was equally horrific and darkly creepy as hell. Breathtakingly so.
This was a dark, detective drama / thriller with many onion layers to peel off. I haven't read the series, so cannot compare it with the previous ones.
If you want to just read another version of the million you already read in this genre, this will be as entertaining and riveting as always. This time around a suspense thriller was built around a strong political message to women.
I surely learnt something new. My word. Have you ever heard about the 'incels' or 'involuntary celibates'? Well, that surprised me. It really did.
I checked on the internet. These subgroups actually do exist, destroying the serious challenges of #Menmatters groups who deal with serious issues, such as:
parental alienation;
job-, and race discrimination (anti-white male propoganda);
extreme spousal abuse( women abusing men);
jail time for non-payment of child support, especially refusal to pay for non-biological children;
boys who grew up without father figures - there are 24 million of these boys in America alone, and so on.
These male 'incels' groups are as bad to an honest Men movement as women trying to cash in on the #metoo movement by lying in court, thus damaging the real victims of women abuse.
Most of these groups, male and female, started as a result of bad things happening to people on a collective scale. They have valid reasons to exist.
In this novel, International Women's Day is so okay. International Men's Day is not. And... I was wondering... what will the opposite of male 'incels' be called? There certainly are female counterparts for sure. Imagine if 'they' decide to organize.
From the blurb: DCI Mark Joesbury has been expecting this. Monitoring a complex network of dark web sites, Joesbury and his team have spotted a new terrorist threat from the extremist, women-hating, group known as 'incels' or 'involuntary celibates.' Joesbury's team are trying to infiltrate the ring of power at its core, but the dark web is built for anonymity, and the incel army is vast.
So the mix is on.
Sadly, I was inspired by the first half of the book, and then my enthusiasm faded out. Perhaps it was the written-for-women, as well as probably the misandry nature of the underlying propaganda. Misandry revenge on misogyny, sort of. The irony... Hopefully it will make you smile. There's nothing to smile about this outlandish inflated, overblown drama otherwise.
It was unconvincing and meh-ish. The denouement just dragged on over several chapters, in an abyss of side-tracks, to confuse the reader.
But. It's a great thriller for women who prefer all the heroes to be women, and all the bad villains to be either beastly, weak, loser men.
Despite the gripes, the author ticked off a few positive boxes that should be rewarded.
September 29, 2024
I am a big fan of Sharon Bolton, and her Lacey Flint series is easily my favourite when it comes to the author’s work. Thus, it should come as no surprise to know I was desperate to dive into The Dark after finding out there would be more in the Lacey Flint world.
As with all Bolton books, The Dark had me hooked from the start. Once I started to read, I found the book impossible to put down. It moved with speed, keeping me invested, ensuring I was eager to see what came next. While I did enjoy the story, I will be completely honest and say that it is my least favourite in the Lacey Flint series. That is not to say it is a bad book, simply that I did not enjoy it quite as much as the others. Part of it is because of how easily I worked things out. Another part is because I felt like there were a few too many characters followed in this one. While I love the cast in this world and adore seeing how everything develops for them, I miss the deeper insight into Lacey that was given in the earlier books. In this one, I did not feel as strongly for her as I had previously, which meant I was not as deeply in love with the story. Still a great addition to the series and I remain eager for more, but not my favourite.
All in all, if you’re a fan of the Lacey Flint series, The Dark is certainly worth the read. If nothing else, it will leave you desperate to see what comes next.
As with all Bolton books, The Dark had me hooked from the start. Once I started to read, I found the book impossible to put down. It moved with speed, keeping me invested, ensuring I was eager to see what came next. While I did enjoy the story, I will be completely honest and say that it is my least favourite in the Lacey Flint series. That is not to say it is a bad book, simply that I did not enjoy it quite as much as the others. Part of it is because of how easily I worked things out. Another part is because I felt like there were a few too many characters followed in this one. While I love the cast in this world and adore seeing how everything develops for them, I miss the deeper insight into Lacey that was given in the earlier books. In this one, I did not feel as strongly for her as I had previously, which meant I was not as deeply in love with the story. Still a great addition to the series and I remain eager for more, but not my favourite.
All in all, if you’re a fan of the Lacey Flint series, The Dark is certainly worth the read. If nothing else, it will leave you desperate to see what comes next.
December 9, 2023
My Rating: 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the best so far, I loved it!!
She once saved his life…. Now he will take hers!!!
When a baby is snatched from a pram and thrown into the Thames of course Lacey Flint is there to witness and prevent an untimely end… but who would do that to a baby?
DCI Mark Joesbury, Lacey’s big man crush, has been monitoring the wavelengths and has been expecting something like this to happen. Joesbury’s team of IT experts have been on the dark web sites and picked up a new terrorist threat from women hating incels.
While trying to infiltrate this group of psychos the pressure builds and the team learn that the child being taken was just the first of many more serious violent attacks on women. But worse news for Lacey the leader of the has singled her out (of course) as the embodiment of everything they hate… placing her dead centre in danger yet again!!!
Well, as you can see (if you read all my reviews) I loved this series but this is my first 5 stars. I was so into this one that I don’t have any complaints. The usual stuff happens though right… Lacey is detective dumb dumb at times and she is ALWAYS at the heart of every case and by now I am just expecting it so it doesn’t bother me.
BUT OOOOOOIE the sexual tension is off the charts with Josebury and FINALLY we get some action between the two. There is no spice for all of you that love that sort of thing (it’s not for me… prude alert over here) so I was super happy with how this was handled. But finally!!!
Of course its not without its complications and that little sub-plot was enough to have me gobbling up the pages to see where this one would end. Will Lacey reveal her big secret to Mark… will he finally tell her why she visits the infamous serial killer in prison… oooh is all to be revealed…. Well read it to find out please.
Meanwhile incels are cutting loose being out of control psychos declaring war on women everywhere. Dana and her partner have had their kid and this is a really nice couple with a great dynamic but Dana is frightened of life as a mother anyway so the prospect of going back to work when people are piffing babies into the river is not one she is into… so shes on edge and rightly so.
The tensions are high in this book… I personally think this was the best written of all 5 (not including the shorties I read in-between) so far. I really had to clench my cheeks and hope for the best… I loved the prologue that got it going right from the jump and the story did not slow down.
The scary thing is that these f*ckers exist and it is a terrifying thought that they can whip up a frenzy with some online support… so many people live their whole lives online that it would not surprise me if something like this kicked off or already has (I don’t do news ok… I read fiction for a reason don’t judge me please… my husband tells me what I need to know and reads me the weather for my washing requirements I am all good… ). But incels… nope thats terrifying… some of the attacks they were doing on the ladies… eeek I would be so scared.
Bolton did a great job of making me feel the fear and the anxiety that these women were feeling so kudos for that.
I am going to keep this fairly short and sweet because overall I loved it. I recommend it… I think you should read the whole series cause the Lacey and Mark saga is best read as a drawn out thing… it makes it worthwhile then BAM THAT ENDING… Noooooooooo Sharon Bolton why did you do me like that!!! There is no new book on the horizon… that was unkind and unfair… we all need the new book stat!!!
Needless to say I am a Bolton Bish (thank you Lit with Leigh for this term) after all these books!!!
She once saved his life…. Now he will take hers!!!
When a baby is snatched from a pram and thrown into the Thames of course Lacey Flint is there to witness and prevent an untimely end… but who would do that to a baby?
DCI Mark Joesbury, Lacey’s big man crush, has been monitoring the wavelengths and has been expecting something like this to happen. Joesbury’s team of IT experts have been on the dark web sites and picked up a new terrorist threat from women hating incels.
While trying to infiltrate this group of psychos the pressure builds and the team learn that the child being taken was just the first of many more serious violent attacks on women. But worse news for Lacey the leader of the has singled her out (of course) as the embodiment of everything they hate… placing her dead centre in danger yet again!!!
Well, as you can see (if you read all my reviews) I loved this series but this is my first 5 stars. I was so into this one that I don’t have any complaints. The usual stuff happens though right… Lacey is detective dumb dumb at times and she is ALWAYS at the heart of every case and by now I am just expecting it so it doesn’t bother me.
BUT OOOOOOIE the sexual tension is off the charts with Josebury and FINALLY we get some action between the two. There is no spice for all of you that love that sort of thing (it’s not for me… prude alert over here) so I was super happy with how this was handled. But finally!!!
Of course its not without its complications and that little sub-plot was enough to have me gobbling up the pages to see where this one would end. Will Lacey reveal her big secret to Mark… will he finally tell her why she visits the infamous serial killer in prison… oooh is all to be revealed…. Well read it to find out please.
Meanwhile incels are cutting loose being out of control psychos declaring war on women everywhere. Dana and her partner have had their kid and this is a really nice couple with a great dynamic but Dana is frightened of life as a mother anyway so the prospect of going back to work when people are piffing babies into the river is not one she is into… so shes on edge and rightly so.
The tensions are high in this book… I personally think this was the best written of all 5 (not including the shorties I read in-between) so far. I really had to clench my cheeks and hope for the best… I loved the prologue that got it going right from the jump and the story did not slow down.
The scary thing is that these f*ckers exist and it is a terrifying thought that they can whip up a frenzy with some online support… so many people live their whole lives online that it would not surprise me if something like this kicked off or already has (I don’t do news ok… I read fiction for a reason don’t judge me please… my husband tells me what I need to know and reads me the weather for my washing requirements I am all good… ). But incels… nope thats terrifying… some of the attacks they were doing on the ladies… eeek I would be so scared.
Bolton did a great job of making me feel the fear and the anxiety that these women were feeling so kudos for that.
I am going to keep this fairly short and sweet because overall I loved it. I recommend it… I think you should read the whole series cause the Lacey and Mark saga is best read as a drawn out thing… it makes it worthwhile then BAM THAT ENDING… Noooooooooo Sharon Bolton why did you do me like that!!! There is no new book on the horizon… that was unkind and unfair… we all need the new book stat!!!
Needless to say I am a Bolton Bish (thank you Lit with Leigh for this term) after all these books!!!
August 15, 2022
Since her first outing in Now You See Me, DC Lacey Flint has been my favourite amongst police detectives, unrivaled since Tana French retired Cassie Maddox from the Dublin murder squad. We’ve followed Lacey on further adventures in Dead Scared, which I loved for its Cambridge setting, Like This Forever, and onto a new home on a boat moored in Deptford Creek in A Dark and Twisted Tide. She has also left the Met for the river police (which is, I believe, England’s oldest police force, founded in the 1790s). It’s not necesdary to have read all the previous books in the series to enjoy this one, but you definitely should read Now You See Me before tackling The Dark to grasp the backstories of Lacey Flint and Victoria Llewelyn. Followers of the series should be pleased with the progress of Lacey’s relationship with DCI Mark Joesbury – I’m delighted it includes Lacey’s learning to sail. Sharon Bolton inserts a new villain into Lacey’s previous history in a prologue set some dozen years previously at a cliff’s edge at Beachy Head. Which strangely requires a jarring chronological leap, because that event must have taken place ten years before the events in NYSM (see p. 389), which was published in 2011; the setting of The Dark is clearly contemporary. Such problems are endemic in a series, and I’d rather swallow a chronologic camel than accept a Lacey already fading into middle age. (And respectability too, compared her hook-up manuoevres in Camden in NYSM.) I had mixed feelings about the villain. The “incel” phenomenon would be unbelievable in fiction were it not all-too-much a fact – a terrorist organisation of serial killers composed of self-identifying amatory failures, not something you would think many men would flaunt. Experienced readers of detective fiction will probably spot this one for starters as a possible and I kicked myself for missing the most obvious clue, especially as I well recall a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. But leaving aside some creaks in the plot (how did the villain read the ID cards in the back seat of the Lexus in the dark?), I found The Dark a beautifully constructed puzzler with some nice surprises and was thoroughly delighted with Lacey’s return. I hope when Sharon Bolton sends her on another outing, she and Mark will be either a champion dinghy sailors or cruising their yacht offshore.
May 28, 2022
Finally a new Lacey Flint, and it lives up to my high expectations. It’s darks, creepy and misty, like the river Thames in November. The river plays a part in this book too, that starts off with the kidnapping of a baby. It’s done by a group of men - incels - that want their rights back, and are willing to do it by intimidating women.
The head of the group is one that Lacey Flint met, years ago. He knows her darkest secrets and is willing to expose her, unless she does his bidding.
It’s tightly plotted with characters you know and love. I don’t think the author could have known how timely the book would be, now that the country that’s supposed to be the pillar of Western democracy wants to drag women’s rights back 50 years.
Highly recommended! You will get more out of this if you at least read the first book of the series before this one.
The head of the group is one that Lacey Flint met, years ago. He knows her darkest secrets and is willing to expose her, unless she does his bidding.
It’s tightly plotted with characters you know and love. I don’t think the author could have known how timely the book would be, now that the country that’s supposed to be the pillar of Western democracy wants to drag women’s rights back 50 years.
Highly recommended! You will get more out of this if you at least read the first book of the series before this one.
May 2, 2022
This is the fifth book in the Lacey Flint series.
I had not read the previous books in this series and I was missing the back story.
I enjoyed parts of this book and I thought that Lacey was a very interesting character.
A fast paced thriller with twist and turns.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
I had not read the previous books in this series and I was missing the back story.
I enjoyed parts of this book and I thought that Lacey was a very interesting character.
A fast paced thriller with twist and turns.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2023
Als een baby vanuit een kinderwagen de Theems in wordt gegooid is politieagent Lacey Flint precies op tijd om een tragedie te voorkomen. Maar wie wil er een kind iets aandoen?
Inspecteur Mark Joesbury vreesde al dat er iets ging gebeuren. Bij onderzoek op het darkweb heeft zijn team een reële dreiging vastgesteld vanuit de vrouwen hatende groepering die bekendstaat als ‘incels’. Joesbury’s team probeert de kern van de groep binnen te dringen, maar op de websites is iedereen anoniem, en het incel-leger is eindeloos groot.
De aanval op de baby is slechts het begin van een hele reeks aanvallen op vrouwen, met als enige doel om hen te terroriseren. En de leiders van de incels lijken Lacey Flint inmiddels te zien als de belichaming van alles wat zij haten – iets wat haar in groot gevaar brengt…
'In het duister' begint met een pakkende en mysterieuze proloog. Daarna maak je een sprong in de tijd en lees je over de baby die in de Theems wordt gegooid. Er is dus al snel volop actie. Je leest dan ook over Lacey Flint en haar collega's. Ze onderzoeken deze vreemde zaak en al gauw wordt duidelijk dat er een groepering op het darkweb zit.
Deze groep heeft het op vrouwen voorzien en meer vreselijke gebeurtenissen vinden plaats. De één nog spannender dan de ander. Ik vond sommige stukken dan ook echt goed, maar ik merkte dat niet alles mij even voldoende kon interesseren. De verschillende aanslagen waren voor mij het boeiendste.
'In het duister' is het vijfde deel van de serie met Lacey Flint. Ik had de voorgaande delen niet gelezen, dus ik was even bang dat dat een probleem zou zijn. Gelukkig was dat dus niet zo.
Over het algemeen is dit verhaal van Sharon Bolton zeker niet onaardig en ik denk dat veel lezers dit kunnen waarderen. Ook ik vond het leuk, maar als ik eerlijk ben vind ik ander werk van haar toch net even wat beter.
Ik wil @awbruna heel erg bedanken voor dit recensie-exemplaar!
Beoordeling: 3,5 ⭐️
Inspecteur Mark Joesbury vreesde al dat er iets ging gebeuren. Bij onderzoek op het darkweb heeft zijn team een reële dreiging vastgesteld vanuit de vrouwen hatende groepering die bekendstaat als ‘incels’. Joesbury’s team probeert de kern van de groep binnen te dringen, maar op de websites is iedereen anoniem, en het incel-leger is eindeloos groot.
De aanval op de baby is slechts het begin van een hele reeks aanvallen op vrouwen, met als enige doel om hen te terroriseren. En de leiders van de incels lijken Lacey Flint inmiddels te zien als de belichaming van alles wat zij haten – iets wat haar in groot gevaar brengt…
'In het duister' begint met een pakkende en mysterieuze proloog. Daarna maak je een sprong in de tijd en lees je over de baby die in de Theems wordt gegooid. Er is dus al snel volop actie. Je leest dan ook over Lacey Flint en haar collega's. Ze onderzoeken deze vreemde zaak en al gauw wordt duidelijk dat er een groepering op het darkweb zit.
Deze groep heeft het op vrouwen voorzien en meer vreselijke gebeurtenissen vinden plaats. De één nog spannender dan de ander. Ik vond sommige stukken dan ook echt goed, maar ik merkte dat niet alles mij even voldoende kon interesseren. De verschillende aanslagen waren voor mij het boeiendste.
'In het duister' is het vijfde deel van de serie met Lacey Flint. Ik had de voorgaande delen niet gelezen, dus ik was even bang dat dat een probleem zou zijn. Gelukkig was dat dus niet zo.
Over het algemeen is dit verhaal van Sharon Bolton zeker niet onaardig en ik denk dat veel lezers dit kunnen waarderen. Ook ik vond het leuk, maar als ik eerlijk ben vind ik ander werk van haar toch net even wat beter.
Ik wil @awbruna heel erg bedanken voor dit recensie-exemplaar!
Beoordeling: 3,5 ⭐️
May 3, 2022
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author Sharon Bolton for my ARC of TheDark in exchange for an honest review.
I have read many great standalone books by Sharon Bolton, but the first 4 books in the series have somehow slipped by. Despite this I didn’t feel at too much of a disadvantage with the back story. Although the first chapter, felt like it should have been in the first book, so it was a little bit confusing.
But having said that it was a great start that continued throughout the book. Lacey Flint is a strong character with a dark and mysterious back story, a risk taker, with a no-nonsense approach to life and work. This is a well-constructed novel with several plot twists, fast paced, with tension by the bucket load.
Looks like I have some catching up to do!
I have read many great standalone books by Sharon Bolton, but the first 4 books in the series have somehow slipped by. Despite this I didn’t feel at too much of a disadvantage with the back story. Although the first chapter, felt like it should have been in the first book, so it was a little bit confusing.
But having said that it was a great start that continued throughout the book. Lacey Flint is a strong character with a dark and mysterious back story, a risk taker, with a no-nonsense approach to life and work. This is a well-constructed novel with several plot twists, fast paced, with tension by the bucket load.
Looks like I have some catching up to do!
June 9, 2022
Set in London, this latest story featuring marine detective Lacey Flint and her colleagues is possibly the most disturbing yet and a frightening prospect, not least because although this is fiction, given the right set of circumstances in society it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that such extremist views could take hold. The story focuses on incels and their hatred towards women – and the misogyny and incitement to violence that ensued actually gave me chills.
Following a shocking incident on the Thames, Lacey appears to have become the focus of a terrorist group calling themselves ‘MenMatter’ but all is not what it seems. Her life becomes even more complicated when events from her past have dangerous consequences.
The dark web is something alien to me but this is where these men recruit their army and promote their campaign of violence and extreme demands for male domination – if they had their way women would be stripped of all rights and major roles in society and would become subservient to men. Joesbury and his team have to try and infiltrate their world in an attempt to stop these atrocious attacks.
There are times when Lacey seems to be her own worst enemy by going it alone however it is this stubborn character trait which I’ve always enjoyed and which adds to the tension, there were times when I really resented having to put the book down to do life things!
Lacey is back – with a bang. The Dark is a superb tense and chilling fast paced story with a thought provoking premise. Pushing the themes to one side, the various characters are expertly drawn, complete with their vulnerabilities and obsessions. Lacey has always been a complex and somewhat troubled character and her on/off relationship with the Met’s DCI Mark Joesbury is still an issue whilst DI Dana Tulloch and her wife Helen return together with their new addition and re-evaluated priorities.
If you haven’t read the previous books, no matter. This can very much be enjoyed without prior knowledge but for new readers it is a great series to begin from scratch. I loved it, and definitely one to recommend.
Following a shocking incident on the Thames, Lacey appears to have become the focus of a terrorist group calling themselves ‘MenMatter’ but all is not what it seems. Her life becomes even more complicated when events from her past have dangerous consequences.
The dark web is something alien to me but this is where these men recruit their army and promote their campaign of violence and extreme demands for male domination – if they had their way women would be stripped of all rights and major roles in society and would become subservient to men. Joesbury and his team have to try and infiltrate their world in an attempt to stop these atrocious attacks.
There are times when Lacey seems to be her own worst enemy by going it alone however it is this stubborn character trait which I’ve always enjoyed and which adds to the tension, there were times when I really resented having to put the book down to do life things!
Lacey is back – with a bang. The Dark is a superb tense and chilling fast paced story with a thought provoking premise. Pushing the themes to one side, the various characters are expertly drawn, complete with their vulnerabilities and obsessions. Lacey has always been a complex and somewhat troubled character and her on/off relationship with the Met’s DCI Mark Joesbury is still an issue whilst DI Dana Tulloch and her wife Helen return together with their new addition and re-evaluated priorities.
If you haven’t read the previous books, no matter. This can very much be enjoyed without prior knowledge but for new readers it is a great series to begin from scratch. I loved it, and definitely one to recommend.
June 6, 2022
I would label myself a feminist. I truly want equality for women in every way.
This book looks at the dark underbelly of misogyny, making me distinctly uncomfortable…like having lunch with a friend and finding out they are a rabid Nazi.
Bolton continues her string of brilliant books. Long live Lacey Flint!
This book looks at the dark underbelly of misogyny, making me distinctly uncomfortable…like having lunch with a friend and finding out they are a rabid Nazi.
Bolton continues her string of brilliant books. Long live Lacey Flint!
June 20, 2022
A gripping and frightening 5-star page-turner... all the way through to 90% when the whole premise just collapses in on itself.
Nevertheless, the concept of incels turning to active and co-ordinated misogynist violence via the dark net has a horrible could-happen sense about it. In patches, there's an almost Handmaid's Tale feel, recalling Atwood's flashbacks that show us how Gilead society comes about with the gradual withdrawal of civil liberties for women, and the way so much misogyny exists just barely beneath the surface. Not that Bolton really pursues this in the way that more 'literary' novels do, but the book makes good crime capital out of young, white men defining themselves as an oppressed minority.
Shame, then, that the plot forgets some of its own highpoints and turns on massive coincidences.
Still, a couldn't-put-it-down read for me, with some fine descriptions of the Thames - and wonderful to be back in the edgy company of Lacey Flint and lovely Mark Joesbury.
Nevertheless, the concept of incels turning to active and co-ordinated misogynist violence via the dark net has a horrible could-happen sense about it. In patches, there's an almost Handmaid's Tale feel, recalling Atwood's flashbacks that show us how Gilead society comes about with the gradual withdrawal of civil liberties for women, and the way so much misogyny exists just barely beneath the surface. Not that Bolton really pursues this in the way that more 'literary' novels do, but the book makes good crime capital out of young, white men defining themselves as an oppressed minority.
Shame, then, that the plot forgets some of its own highpoints and turns on massive coincidences.
Still, a couldn't-put-it-down read for me, with some fine descriptions of the Thames - and wonderful to be back in the edgy company of Lacey Flint and lovely Mark Joesbury.
March 15, 2022
She’s back! After an eight year absence – during which time Sharon Bolton has written several excellent standalone crime novels – Lacey Flint has returned in possibly her darkest and most dangerous case yet. It’s the fifth book in the series and after such a long wait, I’m pleased to report that I think it’s as good, maybe even better, than the previous four.
In The Dark, Lacey is still working as a police constable for the Metropolitan Police Marine Unit, not yet ready to consider going back to her old role as a detective. When a baby is snatched from its parents and thrown into the River Thames, Lacey is there to prevent a tragedy, but the incident leaves the police and the public shocked and confused. Who would want to harm an innocent baby? They don’t have to wait long for an answer; it soon emerges that the attack was carried out by a newly formed terrorist group calling themselves MenMatter. The group believe that men’s rights are being pushed aside and that women’s freedoms need to be restricted so that ‘natural order’ can be restored. The abduction of the baby was just the first of several terrorist attacks aimed at gaining publicity for their cause.
As DCI Mark Joesbury and his team at the London Met race against time to discover who is behind MenMatter, on the streets of London tensions between men and women begin to grow. It seems the terrorists are succeeding at creating fear and division; nobody is safe, but with her heroics on the river Lacey appears to have made herself a particular target. As she and Joesburys’ team try to identify the leaders of the group, Lacey discovers that her own secrets are at risk of being exposed. Can she help bring the criminals to justice while also ensuring that Joesbury never learns the truth about her past?
The Dark has a very topical plot; I’m sure it must have been inspired by the debate surrounding the murder of Sarah Everard in the UK last year, when questions were raised over the safety of women on the streets, as well as other 21st century policing problems such as the use of the dark web to plan and launch terrorist attacks and the growing online community of ‘incels’ (involuntary celibates). The scenarios Bolton describes seem almost dystopian but also frighteningly believable and possible. However, she doesn’t try to paint all men as misogynistic or violent and fans of the series will be pleased to know that Mark Joesbury is as wonderful as ever!
As well as some heart-stopping dramatic sequences which really made me fear for some of the characters’ lives, the novel also has a mystery element, with the police trying to uncover the identity of the incel leader behind the attacks. I had my suspicions and was proved to be correct, but that didn’t take away any of the tension as I waited to see when Lacey and the others would come to the same conclusion! It was particularly fascinating to watch Georgie, one of Joesbury’s team, use her knowledge of psychology and language patterns to form theories about online identities.
Of course, one of the highlights of the Lacey Flint series is Lacey Flint herself! In this book, Lacey’s secretive nature makes her particularly vulnerable and leads her to make some decisions that at first seem stupid and reckless but are actually the result of her desperation to conceal the truth about her troubled past. I wonder if this really is the last book in the series this time; it has quite a satisfying ending but there are still plenty of loose ends that haven’t been tied up and I would love to read more. On the other hand, I also love Sharon Bolton’s standalones so will be very happy to read whatever she writes next!
In The Dark, Lacey is still working as a police constable for the Metropolitan Police Marine Unit, not yet ready to consider going back to her old role as a detective. When a baby is snatched from its parents and thrown into the River Thames, Lacey is there to prevent a tragedy, but the incident leaves the police and the public shocked and confused. Who would want to harm an innocent baby? They don’t have to wait long for an answer; it soon emerges that the attack was carried out by a newly formed terrorist group calling themselves MenMatter. The group believe that men’s rights are being pushed aside and that women’s freedoms need to be restricted so that ‘natural order’ can be restored. The abduction of the baby was just the first of several terrorist attacks aimed at gaining publicity for their cause.
As DCI Mark Joesbury and his team at the London Met race against time to discover who is behind MenMatter, on the streets of London tensions between men and women begin to grow. It seems the terrorists are succeeding at creating fear and division; nobody is safe, but with her heroics on the river Lacey appears to have made herself a particular target. As she and Joesburys’ team try to identify the leaders of the group, Lacey discovers that her own secrets are at risk of being exposed. Can she help bring the criminals to justice while also ensuring that Joesbury never learns the truth about her past?
The Dark has a very topical plot; I’m sure it must have been inspired by the debate surrounding the murder of Sarah Everard in the UK last year, when questions were raised over the safety of women on the streets, as well as other 21st century policing problems such as the use of the dark web to plan and launch terrorist attacks and the growing online community of ‘incels’ (involuntary celibates). The scenarios Bolton describes seem almost dystopian but also frighteningly believable and possible. However, she doesn’t try to paint all men as misogynistic or violent and fans of the series will be pleased to know that Mark Joesbury is as wonderful as ever!
As well as some heart-stopping dramatic sequences which really made me fear for some of the characters’ lives, the novel also has a mystery element, with the police trying to uncover the identity of the incel leader behind the attacks. I had my suspicions and was proved to be correct, but that didn’t take away any of the tension as I waited to see when Lacey and the others would come to the same conclusion! It was particularly fascinating to watch Georgie, one of Joesbury’s team, use her knowledge of psychology and language patterns to form theories about online identities.
Of course, one of the highlights of the Lacey Flint series is Lacey Flint herself! In this book, Lacey’s secretive nature makes her particularly vulnerable and leads her to make some decisions that at first seem stupid and reckless but are actually the result of her desperation to conceal the truth about her troubled past. I wonder if this really is the last book in the series this time; it has quite a satisfying ending but there are still plenty of loose ends that haven’t been tied up and I would love to read more. On the other hand, I also love Sharon Bolton’s standalones so will be very happy to read whatever she writes next!
July 11, 2022
1 star
This book was hard to read because the initial chapters (up to about half way) are full of despicable things. The whole concept, the malicious acts against women and the explicit hatred against all females it's just too much.
I do not understand what is the point of writing such a book, giving a voice to express such terrible feelings and actions. It's like feeling the need to describe in excruciating detail a rape. I feel like this book is helping deranged people formulate their deranged thoughts in a sentence.
Passed the disturbing subject, the book itself is beyond weak and Lacey is portrayed to be some sort of wonder woman getting away from every dangerous situation and figuring out all the issues.
I do not recommend this book to anyone.
This book was hard to read because the initial chapters (up to about half way) are full of despicable things. The whole concept, the malicious acts against women and the explicit hatred against all females it's just too much.
I do not understand what is the point of writing such a book, giving a voice to express such terrible feelings and actions. It's like feeling the need to describe in excruciating detail a rape. I feel like this book is helping deranged people formulate their deranged thoughts in a sentence.
Passed the disturbing subject, the book itself is beyond weak and Lacey is portrayed to be some sort of wonder woman getting away from every dangerous situation and figuring out all the issues.
I do not recommend this book to anyone.
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