Daisy Darker arrives at her grandmother's house for her 80th birthday celebrations at Halloween. Her Nana lives in a crumbling Cornish house high above the granite cliffs, on a tiny private island. Daisy arrives before the rest of her family, aware they haven't been in one place in over a decade.
There is her father, who has spent most of his life travelling the world conducting orchestras. Divorced for years, her mother, beautiful but with the coldest of hearts, is resentful of Daisy. Her sisters are quiet and clever Rose and self-absorbed Lily. There is even Conor, the young boy almost like a brother to them all, with whom each of the sisters was secretly in love. Daisy's niece is the only one who Daisy feels close to, apart from her beloved Nana.
But when all the family arrive and they are cut off from the rest of the world due to the stormy, dark weather, they are on their own for eight hours – and things will never be the same when the tide comes back as there is a killer in their midst.
Daisy Darker is a superb read. I was immediately hooked by the story of Daisy Darker, a girl born with a 'broken heart' who yearns to be accepted and loved by her family. As the events during the night get more and more frightening, we learn about Daisy's past and her family's involvement in her life. But as the hours tick by, who will be left alive at the end, and who is the killer? The ending is brilliant, and I reread part of the book again afterwards, as the plotting is so well done. A fabulous, slightly spooky read – a psychological thriller that I loved.
Reviewer: Karen McMillan
Pan Macmillan