A Friend in the Dark

By: Samantha M. Bailey

Narrated by: Alex Picard, Libby McKnight

A digital romance turns deadly in this sensual domestic thriller from USA Today bestselling author Samantha M. Bailey.

Eden Miller’s world is crumbling. Her husband blindsided her with divorce, and her daughter barely speaks to her. In an impulsive decision to escape her present and revisit the past, she sends a friend request to her college crush, Justin Ward.

One night twenty-three years ago changed the course of her life. It closed the door on Justin and opened the door to her husband, Dave. But what if Eden could have a do-over?

Eden begins an online relationship with Justin that awakens her in ways she never thought possible, and his voice and words make her take bold risks. But something’s off. He knows too much about her and her family…he’s been following her.

Eden is forced to awaken from her fantasy and look for answers—who really is the man on the other line? The truth about Justin—and about what happened that fateful night two decades ago—puts her and her family in a fight for their lives.

©2024 Samantha M. Bailey (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Suspenseful, twisty, and addictive. A Friend in the Dark is smartly written and deliciously chilling. I couldn’t put it down. This is Bailey at her best! I paused an episode of Below Deck: Down Under to finish this book. That’s how invested I was.”—Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage

“Wow! Chilling, riveting…and page-turningly edgy. The oh-so-talented Samantha M. Bailey has created a twisted (and steamy!) world of power, passion, and vulnerability. This seductive thriller with its deep understanding of psychological trauma and the heavy secrets of the past is brave, original, and haunting. Fans of Gillian Flynn and Lisa Unger will cheer this must-read author.”—Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of The House Guest

“Samantha M. Bailey never disappoints! A Friend in the Dark is one of the most intriguing and surprising books I’ve read in a while. You think you know where it’s headed…but you don’t. This thriller shocked me to the very end.”—Samantha Downing, internationally bestselling author of My Lovely Wife

A mediocre experience

I enjoyed most of the story. The narrator for Olivia‘s voice was difficult as she went from speaking loudly to whispering. I was unable to understand much of what she whispered.

This is quite a read!

On the positive side, the narrator does a great job, the plot is good and the characters are as well, and I managed to read this in two days because it went so fast and was so exciting on the negative side, this was a bit gruesome for anyone who has a familybut that does not mean that I would not recommend it.

Eden deserved so much more!

Good book, but my heart goes out to Eden. No one truly appreciates her, the person, or anything she does. The only ones who truly deserve her are her two best friends who were concerned about her when no one else was, because they knew what she would and wouldn't do under certain circumstances. Her husband and daughter were selfish, and Justin was, well, you'll find out when you read. Enjoy!

the twist in the plot near the end

the way the story started out, the plot twists and characters and the ending was perfect

Quality talent

A Friend in the Dark is about Eden a mother and wife whose world just fell apart after her husband Dave announced he wants a divorce and her daughter Ava blames Eden. Feeling inadequate and a failure Eden wounds her broken heart by reconnecting with Justin a guy she was infatuated with in college. They begin texting each other which turns into sexting.
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Meanwhile, Eden makes a new friend at one of her open houses. Eden unloads all her marital and daughter problems onto her.
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Ava becomes reckless while away at school which requires both Eden and Dave to jump into action. Ava’s plans to reconnect her parents don’t go unnoticed by them. It opens Eden’s eyes to the way she sees herself in the eyes of her daughter.
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This book had a steady pace of activity that brought a buzzing energy to the story. I was blown away by all the twists and turns. Samantha M. Bailey impressed me with her writing talent. She pulled off a fantastic read. The process was flawless using three parts to create the storyline was brilliant.
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Alex Picard and Libby McKnight were the two narrators performing this stunning psychological thriller. I’m an eyes and ears person who benefits by having both ebook and audiobook versions to enhance my book experience. I’m pleased and proud of the work and talent that went into producing a fantastic book and audiobook.

WEIRD AND DISAPPOINTING

Story was weird and not very entertaining. I managed to finish the story, but I don’t recommend.

Not What I Had Hoped For

The story started out good and the build up had me excited for what was going to come next and I was very disappointed where the story went. It had such potential.

A Good One!

A very good psychological/domestic thriller just the way I like them.

With A Friend In The Dark, Samantha M. Bailey has put her on my radar as a writer I need to watch.

Catfishing, betrayal, classic narcissism
WTF moments with an ample amount of twists and turns; this one had it all. It was well done and enjoyable.

Rate this a C+

Rated it a 3/5 stars. I got it free through kindle app & listened to it here. Pros - unique storyline, lots of twist, easy to listen to & do multiple tasks bc somewhat slow moving, nice narration. Cons - unique yet fairly predictable, main character makes the WORST choices 😂 but a part of all her red flags was somewhat relatable & funny

Great book

Wonderful characters. I love their drive, creative, thinking and developing relationship.

Assassin willing to go through anything for his prey.
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Big twist at the end who hired the assassin