‘Daisy Darker’: Unique take on a classic murder mystery

Set over the course of 15 hours, “Daisy Darker” by Alice Feeney follows the titular character’s past and current observations about her family as one by one they meet their ends in nasty ways reflecting their respective vices.

Marketed as an interpretation of Agatha Christie’s “And then there were none” mystery novel from 1939, “Daisy Darker” is told in first-person detailing Daisy’s experiences from birth in 1975 to Oct. 31, 2004. 

Character Analysis

Characters

Darker Family

Daisy Darker
Beatrice “Nana” Darker
Trixie Darker
Frank Darker
Nancy Darker
Rose Darker
Lily Darker

Other Characters

Conor Kennedy
Conor’s Dad, Mr. Kennedy
Nan’s agent
Rebecca

The novel is marked with witty one-liners, sage advice given by Daisy’s beloved grandmother, Nana a.k.a. Beatrice Darker. It reads like an exaggeration of a tilted fairytale as Daisy was born an unwanted third daughter to failed actress Nancy Darker and her traveling composer Frank Darker.

Daisy’s older sisters, Rose and Lily, bully, ignore and ostracize her in between their terms at boarding school. 

The youngest Darker’s days are spent reading and being poorly homeschooled by her depressed and distracted mother who dumps her on Nana so that she can spend time pursuing other interests in London.It’s these long excursions to Nana’s home, secluded Seaglass, from her lonely childhood through angsty teenage years that comprise most of the novel.

Feeney, known for her twisty psychological thrillers, uses rhyming poetry and old Darker family videos on VHS tapes to ratchet up the tension as each hour another member of the family is found dead in Seaglass. 

Any mystery or thriller reader is likely to discern who’s behind the murders, but Feeney adds a last-minute twist (or two, if you didn’t already guess) that shows the true heart of the novel is the relationship between the youngest Darker daughter and her grandmother. 

Final Thoughts

“Daisy Darker” will likely disappoint Feeney’s regular readers, but those interested in a family saga with nods to Christie and some light genre-blending are in for a haunting treat.

Rating

My rating is 3.75 stars.

Book Details

Title: “Daisy Darker”
Author: Alice Feeney
Year of Publication: 2022
Number of Pages: 338

Read the “Good Bad Girl” review for more of Alice Feeney’s work!