Dark Mode

De: Ashley Kalagian-Blunt

Narrado por: Bianca Bradey

SHORTLISTED FOR THE NED KELLEY AWARD FOR BEST CRIME FICTION

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ABIA FOR GENERAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR

SHORTLISTED FOR THE DANGER AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION

Once you're online, there's nowhere to hide. Is it paranoia – or is someone watching?

For years, Reagan Carsen has kept her life offline. No socials. No internet presence. No photos. Safe.
Until the day she stumbles on a shocking murder in a Sydney laneway. The victim looks just like her.
Coincidence?

As more murders shake the city and she's increasingly drawn out from hiding, Reagan is forced to confront her greatest fear.

She's been found.

A riveting psychological thriller drawn from true events, Dark Mode delves into the terrifying reality of the dark web, and the price we pay for surrendering our privacy one click at a time.

‘Thrilling and twisty – get ready to be paranoid' J.P. Pomare, author of The Wrong Woman

‘Absolutely terrifying! I turned every page with my heart in my mouth, utterly hooked by this explosive thriller. Ashley Kalagian Blunt taps into the dangers we face online every day and the monsters in our midst. Dark Mode is a powerful and disturbing story which will keep you thinking long after you've finished reading.' Petronella McGovern, author of The Liars

©2023 Ashley Kalagian-Blunt (P)2023 W. F. Howes Ltd

Really enjoyed it

Might be biased from having once lived around where the story is set! I really enjoyed the mystery to the story though; I wasn't sure where it was going and it certainly was a surprise. Planning on getting a print copy to share with family

Kinda' preachy

In "Dark Mode" the story is so well-constructed. I wanted to know "what was going to happen next" despite the fact that some of the stuff the main character did was so annoying. For example (not a spoiler) the main character, Reagan, does things like smash her phone because she dislikes something she received on it, and she keeps huge secrets to the point of refusing to speak to police despite the fact that her silence could lead to more women dying (also not a spoiler.) Her character just seems very selfish to the point of childishness.

Then when a big discovery is made, the author really could have painted this part of the story like the terror of, say, the discovery of a coven of vampires living in a basement in what was formerly thought of as a safe neighborhood, but instead she went with the ever-popular "men bad." I'm really disappointed. I really like her writing style overall but the level of preaching after the one discovery toward the end made her good writing unlistenable.

In short - if you are a person who doesn't get much deeper than the whole "men bad" ideology you will love this book. If you think deeper than that this book will annoy you.

Narration is excellent.

Meh

I thoroughly enjoyed her other novel but this one kind of fell flat. the themes are interesting, the motifs intricate but the story is slightly predictable. overall well written, well performed. It's worth a listen but I not something I couldn't wait to read/listen to.

Okay, But No Mystery

This was a good enough book to pass the time, but not really a thriller, or a mystery. In fact the biggest mystery in this tale is: Why is MC so dumb all the time? I suppose her continuous idiocy is a plot device but it was a bit outlandish and hard to suffer such stubborn stupidity on the reader's end.
It was an interesting topic, much like her book: Like Follow Die, but not as good or compelling. This book does have some ties to the previously mentioned title, and leaves an opening for a continuation.
There are some loose ends, and I have no idea if those are left intentionally for another book, or if they were simply over-looked.
All in all not a bad read, with a good narrator, but nothing that hasn't been done better--even by the author herself.