Date Started: 23 May 2026

Date Finished: 30 May 2026

This is the second book {the first was My Husband’s Wife} I’ve read by Alice Feeney and I can unequivocally say I am a fan. I was introduced to Feeney through the Netflix adaptation of her novel, His & Hers. The series captured my attention because it contained some of my favorite psychological thriller tropes: unreliable narrator, split timeline format, and family intrigue. Sweeney also references books/libraries in her stories, which I love.

I picked this novel up because I wanted something to distract me from life, but I also wanted something that could hold my attention. And I knew Alice Feeney would do that for me.

MY THOUGHTS

As soon as I started reading, I was hooked. It’s hard not to be when the opening line is: “I was born with a broken heart.” Was the broken heart physical, emotional, or spiritual? I needed to know. And, after finishing this book, I can confidently say, it’s all three.

The characters in this novel are, as a whole, unlikable and grow very little during the course of the novel. Still, I couldn’t help but to be absorbed in their stories and what made them become who they became. I think the lack of character growth is key to the mystery of the Darker family. Additionally, it shows how we take on roles within our family and, no matter how old we get, we easily slip back into old habits and spaces.

The story is told in a split timeline format, narrated by the title character, Daisy Darker. Even though I read her words and absorbed the little details, I still wasn’t prepared for the ending. Of course, hindsight being 20/20, I was like Oooooh, now that makes more sense. And, speaking of split timeline, I enjoyed the little pop culture references, they made me realize how universal some trends really were back in the eighties before cell phones and such. Also, I was living in Italy during much of the timeframe of this novel, and I thought we were so far behind the U.S., but we really weren’t.

As for believability of the plot, well, I think with all thrillers/mysteries, there has to be some suspension of belief. And this novel definitely calls for it. The family dynamics are believable and, honestly, the crux of the mystery is believable {especially if you’ve listened to any true crime podcast ever}, but the ending is, well, it depends upon your personal faith system. Gosh, that’s so hard to write without giving everything away. My one gripe with the ending is that it went on a bit too long. After the initial shock and explanation of the who, how, and why, the book could’ve ended. The long drawn out details and conversations felt a bit like a mandatory word count deliverable.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and it was just what I needed to take my mind off the news, personal issues, professional concerns, and such. If you’re looking for a quick read with a jaw dropping ending, I recommend you borrow Daisy Darker from your local library or purchase it from the link below.

Favorite Quote(s)

We all have bad habits, some we let the world see, some we only reveal with family, and some we’re too ashamed to share with anyone except ourselves.

The Cover Art

The cover art is beautiful and fits the story. It has a gothic vibe that harkens back to the island on which the story is set. The bright yellow is both a nod to Daisy, the main character, and the sun shining light on the truth.

Recommended For

Fans of twisty thrillers, gothic literature, psychological thrillers, mysteries, and family drama.

Trigger Warnings

Child abuse. Animal abuse. Murder. Alcoholism.

IT’S YOUR TURN

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? Let’s discuss in the comments below. If you haven’t, feel free to purchase the book using the link below.

BOOK DETAILS

Title: Daisy Darker: A Novel

Author: Alice Feeney

Cover Art:

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Publication Date: 25 July 2023

Genre: Mystery, Popular Fiction

Format: Paperback

Print Length: 352 pages

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from the book)

Alice Feeney is the New York Times bestselling author of My Husband’s Wife, Beautiful Ugly, Good Bad Girl, Daisy Darker, Rock Paper Scissors, His & Hers, I Know Who You Are, and Sometimes I Lie. Her novels have been translated into over thirty languages, and have been optioned for major screen adaptations. Alice was a BBC journalist for fifteen years, and now lives in the Devon countryside with her family.

ABOUT THE BOOK (from the book)

Daisy Darker was born with a broken heart. Now after years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday party in her crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. When the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours.

But at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows…

Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide goes out and all is revealed. As seen on the TODAY show and picked by Book of the Month, Daisy Darker’s family secrets and Alice Feeney’s trademark shocking twists will keep readers riveted.

PURCHASING OPTIONS

If you purchase any book using this link from Bookshop.org, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

BOOKISH THINGS

Bookshop.org – Shop for books selected by me, for you!

NetGalley Professional Reader – I receive free ARCs from NetGalley to review on my blog and share on Instagram.

The StoryGraph – A reading app that shares all the nerdy details of my bookish life.

THANK YOU

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new. If you like what you read, please consider sharing this post on Facebook. You can also share on Pinterest. While I pay for many of the items I share on this blog out of my own pocket, some items are gifted to me {I always disclose those items}.

Affiliate Information

As the blogger and photographer behind Living Outside the Stacks, I independently select and write about stuff I love and things I think you’ll enjoy too. Living Outside the Stacks has affiliate and advertising partnerships so I get revenue from sharing this content and from your purchase. Thank you for your support.

Shop My Online Bookstore

Reading and reviewing books brings me a great deal of happiness. If you’re a reader, I’d love for you to visit my online bookstore, Living Outside the Stacks, to make your purchase. If you purchase from my shop, I’ll receive a small commission, but you’ll also support indie bookstores. If you need help staying organized and want to keep it pretty, I invite you to give Artful Agenda a try. Artful Agenda is a digital planner inspired by paper planners. Use my code: RD1028912. To learn more, read my review here.

Happy Reading,

LET’S CONNECT

And just like that, another month is in the books! I’m not sure where this month went, but it went by so very quickly. We spent most of it slogging through rainy days and stormy nights, which was great for my garden, but traumatizing for my dogs, Bleu and Lola. They’re both incredibly scared of stormy weather. Truth be told, May is always a hectic month, between pinning ceremonies and graduation, I spent a lot of time on the road traveling between campuses and taking pictures of our students. As exhausting as it is, I always enjoy photographing them. It’s my way of showing them just how proud I am of them and all that they’ve accomplished.

ABOUT THE UNSHELVED LIFE

“The Unshelved Life” is a monthly wrap-up/sharing post of all the things that kept my attention during the month.

1. In the Library
   I finished reading Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney last night and, omg, I was not prepared for the ending. A modern take on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, this story will keep you guessing until the very twisty, turny last page.Alice Feeney is quickly becoming one of my favorite psychological thriller writers. I never see the ending coming, no matter how much I document {I keep notes while I’m reading}. You can read my review here.
2. In the Garden
   I’m excited to share that we’ve finally been able to eat some veggies from my garden, specifically, green beans and red peppers. I was also able to harvest some zucchini, which I plan to make into zucchini bread later this week. We still don’t have enough to stop buying veggies from the store, but we’re making progress.
3. In the Closet
   My most popular outfit, with over 770 likes on Threads, is this fun little dress from Zuri. Every time I wear it, I feel like a vintage Barbie doll.
   
4. On the Television
   I finished watching the first season of Hulu’s The Testaments (sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale). Y’all, I never thought at my big ol’ age I’d be so involved in the lives of teenagers, but I’m obsessed. I know fans are supposed to be cheering for Agnes, and I do adore her, but Shunnamite and Hulda are my girls.Like Daisy said, “Shunnamite will cut a b!tch.” And Hulda is just so naÏve and sweet and adorable. Like a human puppy. But I think she’s also tougher than she lets on.
5. On the Radio
   Ghetto Cowboy by Elsie has been on repeat and will be blasting from my speakers allllllll summer long.

BOOKISH THINGS

Bookshop.org – Shop for books selected by me, for you!

NetGalley Professional Reader – I receive free ARCs from NetGalley to review on my blog and share on Instagram.

The StoryGraph – A reading app that shares all the nerdy details of my bookish life.

THANK YOU

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new. If you like what you read, please consider sharing this post on Facebook or Pinterest. While I pay for many of the items I share on this blog out of my own pocket, some items are gifted to me {I always disclose those items}. If you’d like to connect on a more regular basis, I’m on Facebook and Instagram.

Come back soon,

LET’S CONNECT

Click Here to See Where I Link Up

AFFILIATE INFORMATION

As the blogger and photographer behind Living Outside the Stacks, I independently select and write about stuff I love and things I think you’ll enjoy too. Living Outside the Stacks has affiliate and advertising partnerships so I get revenue from sharing this content and from your purchase. Thank you for your support.

Reading and reviewing books brings me a great deal of happiness. If you’re a reader, I’d love for you to visit my online bookstore, Living Outside the Stacks, to make your purchase. If you purchase from my shop, I’ll receive a small commission and you’ll also support indie bookstores. If you need help staying organized, but want to keep it pretty, I invite you to give Artful Agenda a try. It’s a digital planner inspired by paper planners. Use my code: RD1191716. Artful Agenda connects effortlessly to your Google and Outlook calendars and works across devices.

Hey, Friends! How are things with you? It’s the last week of the semester and we’re prepping for graduation – life is busy. I’ve spent the last four days taking, editing, and posting photos of our soon-to-be graduates. I love this time of year, but ohmygosh is it exhausting. I have one more set of pictures to take on Monday and then I’m finished until next semester. This is the first year since I started working at the college that I won’t be taking the graduation photos… It’s gonna be weird, but I’m happy for the break. Trust me, I love taking the pictures, but editing and posting can take hours. Sometimes I don’t finish the graduation photos until 1 or 2 in the morning. I know I don’t have to get them posted immediately, but I know the graduates are waiting so I like to get everything posted ASAP. Anyway, the point is I’m not taking the pictures and I plan to rest and reset the day after graduation.

WHAT I WORE

A cardigan is a librarian’s lab coat.

I’m not sure who said that or where I read it, but that is one of my favorite quotes. I love a good cardigan; make it animal print, and it’s a winner in my book. I wear this cardigan with just about everything because animal print is a neutral. I thought it’d look cute with the shirt because the white is a neutral and the blue is a color pop. The prints are just this side of clashy, so it works. And the dark denim jeans and brown flats ground the whole look.

WHERE I WORE IT

I wore this to work at the library. I think, on this particular day, I had a several online meetings in a row and wanted something with a little visual interest at the top. Do you do that? Dress up your top for online meetings?

GET MY LOOK

Earrings: Similar | Animal Print Cardi: Similar | Blue Toile Blouse: Similar  | Dark Denim Jeans: Similar | Shoes: Similar

Sizing: I’m 5’4″ and a dress size 12 to 14 {L, XL}. I wear a size 8.5 shoe.

Side note wherever you see words in bold italics and a different color, those are clickable links. Those links will either take you to related posts or links for purchase. If you decide to purchase something using those links, I’ll earn a commission at no extra charge to you.

THANK YOU

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new. If you like what you read, please consider sharing this post on Facebook or Pinterest. While I pay for many of the items I share on this blog out of my own pocket, some items are gifted to me {I always disclose those items}.

Come back soon,

AFFILIATE INFORMATION

As the blogger and photographer behind Living Outside the Stacks, I independently select and write about stuff I love and things I think you’ll enjoy too. Living Outside the Stacks has affiliate and advertising partnerships so I get revenue from sharing this content and from your purchase. Thank you for your support.