Then Things Went Dark

Author: Bea Fitzgerald 

Publisher: Penguin Books UK 

Genre: General Fiction, Thriller & Suspense 

Year of release: 2024

Release Date: 10/09/24

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TW: Abuse within a relationship, Death, murder, Suicide, Alcohol, drug abuse, violence and stalking Blood Injury and descriptions of a corpse, mental illness and mental ableism, Accusations of child abuse and paedophilia.

Synopsis 

No murder has ever had any more witnesses…

Six people land on a desert island ready to make their reality show debut. 

The contestants are hungry to prove themselves. The stakes are high and losing is not an option. But three weeks and eighteen episodes later, five of the six contestants sit in a Portuguese police station, and none of them are winners.

Because twelve million people were watching when Rhys Sutton died on camera, and someone must pay for the crime.

The best friend, the rival, the girlfriend, the lover, and the sworn enemy are left standing. And of course, no one is talking. But how do you keep secrets when the world has been watching?

Especially when, just a day before his murder, Rhys was the most hated man on television.

Review 

Six B-list celebrities arrive on a desert island just off the coast of Portugal to participate in their first reality show. In the beginning, the contestants are eager to prove themselves to the viewers, producers, and even their agents. The stakes are high, and losing is simply not an option. But three weeks in, after eighteen episodes watched by millions, five contestants find themselves sitting in a Portuguese police station. None of the contestants are winners.

Twelve million people were tuning in when actor Rhys Sutton died while the cameras were rolling, and someone must pay for the crime. His best friend, his rival, his girlfriend, his lover, and his sworn enemy are the ones left standing, but none of them are willing to talk about what happened that night on the cliff. You’d think with everyone glued to their TVs, there would be no secrets left to uncover. Just a day before the murder, Rhys Sutton was the most hated man on television, so surely someone out there seen something.

With a bold, eye-catching cover and a tagline like this, it’s hard to resist diving into the drama, intrigue, and suspense of a celebrity-studded island murder mystery. 

In the beginning, Then Things Went Dark felt like it would tick all the right boxes for a perfect mystery thriller. The desert island, the southwestern European location, and the celebrities could have made for a memorable read for me. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite turn out that way—the desert island was the only element of the story that hadn’t lost its appeal by the time the book reached its conclusion. 

The story certainly doesn’t suffer from a shortage of characters. I was really hoping to form a bond with at least one of them by the end of the book, but instead of forming a connection, I found myself trying my best not to despise them or be completely bored by them, especially given their attitudes. I will say that if the author was aiming to craft a cast of unlikeable characters, largely due to their celebrity status, then they succeeded. However, I was willing to indulge the author here and tolerate entitled celebrities for a little while. This is my reason behind the 3-star rating.

When Things Went Dark may not have been a favourite read for me, but I will say it does have a few strengths. Author Bea Fitzgerald has done well in providing readers with detailed descriptions, and although I’m not keen on the cast of unlikeable characters, it’s clear—thanks to the writing—that the author has put a great deal of time and effort into crafting them and the situations they found themselves in.

Praise to Bea Fitzgerald for including a trigger warning list, as she wants readers to feel comfortable when reading her novels. This is certainly important information to know before starting the book. I hope that more authors and publishers will include this detail in novels, when necessary, in the future.

I was rather hoping the two timelines used to tell this story would make for a gripping page-turner. However, in my opinion, neither storyline benefited positively from this technique, as the timelines weren’t clearly defined. Instead, they both felt unfinished, making it hard for me to care for the most part.

As a reader who lives for the details, I struggled with the lack of closure I would’ve liked—just a little more detail especially when it comes to the surviving characters and what happened to them once the main story ended. Then Things Went Dark is a story that seems slow in parts, but it is never stagnant I think this was a great way to emphasise the reality show element but did make kit feel like a never-ending story at times. 

I was hoping this would be the book that would excite me about celebrities portrayed in literature once again. I can see this book appealing to mature readers who enjoy the subplot drama and cheesy romances found on reality TV shows. After just a few weeks, I wished I was one of those readers. Yes, I was invested in the conflict chapters, as I did indeed need to know who killed Rhys Sutton. However, it felt like the story was trying to give off reality TV show finale vibes, but the ending felt quite predictable in the fact it feels rushed and unresolved.

If I had to describe Then Things Went Dark, I would say Big Brother Meets Love Island.

Subplots + tropes included in Then Things Went Dark: 

  • Misjudged death 
  • Everybody did it
  • Stuck together
  • The killer plays with detective 
  • Detective team up 
  • Blackmail 
  • Light bulb moment 
  • The big reveal
  • The twist ending 
  •  Rushed love
  • Celebrity
  • Secrets 
  • Lies 
  • Relationship breakdown 
  • Substance abuse/drugs/alcohol  
  • Mental illness/depression/anxiety

I recommend this book to a mature audience, particularly readers who enjoy the mystery, thriller, and suspense genres.

With continued thanks to Penguin Books Australia and author Bea Fitzgerald for sending a physical copy of this book to read and review in exchange for my honest opinion.