The Cruel Dark by Bea Northwick

A truly astonishing debut.

This tale is a perfectly balanced blend of dark intrigue, lusty romance and downright chilling horror. Millie is the perfect protagonist through which to view this twisty tale. Far from a Flapper and desperate to escape her imposed dowdiness, her personality is at once headstrong and contrite. She remains engaging and sympathetic throughout; her observations keeping us rooted in the opulent 1920s setting.

A note about the audiobook: Brilliantly produced and performed, this was an excellent way to consume the story. I liked the decision to have the male characters voiced by a different narrator to set them apart from Millie’s perspective. It made the experience all the more immersive and emphasised the realism of the dialogue.

The most successful element of this book for me is the thrilling, twisting and unpredictable journey Millie goes on. Alongside the stunning descriptions of both a lavish manor and the horrors that lurk inside, there lies a plot so devilishly serpentine that it would rival a golden age crime novel. Armed with more questions than answers, the reader is confronted with a twist ending that would surely have Agatha Christie herself slow clapping in awe (after maybe balking at the more salacious scenes).

This book is beautifully wrapped up and left me feeling slightly bereft when I finished it. There is a cinematic element to this story and, paired with it’s urgency and tension throughout, it left me having to really sit with the story afterwards.

For fans of Rebecca, please give this book a read. It’s an obvious comparison but a worthy one. They’re so different in so many ways but both left me feeling similarly awestruck.

Thank you ever so much to Netgalley and to Bea, I can’t wait to read what you write next.