Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

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🎃 DAISY DARKER by Alice Feeney: A Ghostly Whodunit with an Agatha Christie Twist

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Gothic Fiction
→ Buy on Amazon (affiliate link)

Have you ever read a book where you thought you had things figured out, and you kinda did… but then it still smacks you in the face with a twist so wild, you blink three times and say, “Wait—WHAT?”

That was me reading Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney.

⚠️ Spoiler Alert!

Full spoilers ahead, including the entire ending. You’ve been warned!

🧁 Premise: Dysfunctional Family, Isolated Island, Creepy Grandma... What Could Go Wrong?

Daisy Darker and her wildly dysfunctional family reunite at Seaglass, Nana’s creepy mansion on a remote island in Cornwall, to celebrate Nana’s 80th birthday. Of course, this happens on Halloween because why not lean all the way into the gothic vibes?

Once the tide rolls in, they’re trapped on the island. One by one, family members start dying, and a creepy chalkboard poem ticks off the victims. Think And Then There Were None meets The Sixth Sense, with a little Knives Out sass.

📖 Full Plot Summary (With All the Twists)

Daisy, our narrator, is the family’s black sheep. She has a rare heart condition, was literally declared dead eight times before age 15, and still no one likes her except her Nana and niece Trixie. The family’s basically made up of emotionally constipated weirdos who are counting the seconds until Nana croaks and they can inherit her sweet Seaglass estate.

At dinner, Nana reads her will and shocks everyone—everything is going to Trixie and charities. Then she drops dead at midnight. Spooky chalkboard poems predict further deaths. And wouldn’t you know it, they start happening—exactly as foretold.

People die in symbolic, poetic ways: poisoned drinks, missing insulin kits, floral bouquets, and mirrors. Old VHS tapes start popping up with “WATCH ME” and “NOTICE ME” scribbled across them. We’re talking creepy AF flashbacks from Daisy’s childhood, including major family secrets, abuse, and the long-buried trauma from Halloween night in 1988.

Eventually, Daisy starts to piece things together… but there’s one big piece she missed:

Daisy’s been dead this whole time.

YUP. She died back in 1988 when Conor accidentally hit her with a car and her sisters helped cover it up by tossing her body off a cliff. (Just family things.)

Trixie, who could see Daisy because she once “died” and came back, is the one avenging her death—with help from Nana, who faked her death for maximum dramatic flair and poisoned herself at the end just to say goodbye to Daisy one last time.

The only survivors? Trixie, who walks back to the mainland, and ghost-Daisy, who finally starts writing her story.

🔮 What I Loved (and Suspected)

  • I totally guessed Trixie had something to do with it—and that Nana wasn’t really dead—but the Daisy twist?? Did NOT see that coming.

  • I went back through the book to check, and it actually tracks really well. Feeney was careful with her clues, and it’s super clever.

  • The creepy island setting and locked-room mystery vibes are chef’s kiss.

  • It’s SO Agatha Christie, but with a modern gothic twist and ghost story subversion. Loved that combo.

🤔 Final Thoughts

If you’re into murder mysteries with a twist, dysfunctional families, ghosty vibes, and dark poetic justice—Daisy Darker is your book. Alice Feeney nailed the spooky atmosphere, layered characters, and pulled off a twist that shouldn’t work—but totally does.

Also, it’s weirdly satisfying watching horrible people get what they deserve. Sorry not sorry.

⚠️ Trigger Warnings

  • Suicide

  • Sexual assault (implied/attempted on a minor)

  • Child abuse

  • Substance use

  • Death of a child

  • Emotional abuse

  • Poisoning

📚 If You Liked Daisy Darker, Try These:

  • And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (obviously)

  • The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell

  • The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

  • Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

  • The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward (for even more surreal twists)

💬 What did you think of the twist? Did you see it coming or were you as bamboozled as I was?

Drop your thoughts in the comments!

📖 → Grab Your Copy of Daisy Darker Here (affiliate link)

Happy reading,
Your resident plot-twist junkie

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