Dark Objects

A Novel

By: Simon Toyne

Narrated by: Shazia Nicholls

Forensics expert Laughton Rees hunts an unusually clever killer who appears to be staging murder scenes just for her in this twisty new psychological thriller by the bestselling author of the Sanctus trilogy.

How do you catch a killer if the victim doesn’t exist?

A glamorous woman is murdered in her ultra-luxurious London mansion and her husband goes missing. But according to public records, neither of them exists.

The only leads police have are several objects arranged around the woman’s body, including a set of keys and a book called How to Process a Murder by Laughton Rees—a book that appears to have helped the killer forensically cleanse the crime scene.

Laughton Rees is an academic who doesn’t usually work live cases after the brutal murder of her mother as a teen left her traumatized and emotionally scarred. But the presence of her book at this scene draws her unwillingly into the high-profile investigation and media circus that springs up around it. As the dark objects found beside the body lead her closer to the victim’s identity, a dangerous threat to Laughton and her daughter emerges, as well as painful memories of her past related to the man she has always blamed for her mother’s death: John Rees, Laughton’s father, the current Metropolitan Chief Commissioner and a man she has not spoken to in twenty years.

Laughton’s family was destroyed once and she built herself a new one. Now, she has to face her darkest fears and help catch a killer before this one is destroyed too.

©2022 Simon Toyne (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Really good

Found this book by accident but really enjoyed listening to it. Looking forward to the rest of the series

Couldn't Stop Listening!

This was a great book. Cleverly plotted. Great characters. I've never read this author before, but I hope he writes a dozen more in this genre! I will be one-clicking if he does.

Audictive! Complexellent! I want more!

After reading my five-star review from two years ago, I decided to give this another listen. I’ve done so a lot and it’s like a first-time experience. Simon Toyne pens an elaborate and audictive novel. He is expertly paired with talented narrator, Shazia Nicholls, whose soothing and rich vocals are reminiscent of the legendary actress Joan Fontaine. Shazia’s narration brings depth and warmth to the story, perfectly complementing the author’s writing style. Her voice is like a gentle breeze on a summer day, calming and reassuring, making the listening experience a true delight. I was immersed in this intricate tale that turns into a rollercoaster ride with non-ending mystery. No multitasking during “Dark Objects: A Novel.” I found myself going back a chapter here and there, a lesson learned. There’s a wide variety of odd and devious characters brought vividly to life by Nicholls. And I thought I had the ending figured out early on. Wrong! I can relate to character Laughton Rees’ compulsion of counting by threes, an obsession I’ve had for years. I’ve just added “The Clearing,” Book 2 in the Laughton Rees series. Worth a cherished credit. Recommended? Indeed! Epic, I say!

💥✍️🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟✍️💥

Captivating

The story line was interesting. I couldn’t stop listening to it.
Narrator was fantastic, I will look for other books read by her. All and all it was well worth listening to.

Nasty, unsympathetic characters

This book is unlike his previous novels. Premise is trite, characters uninteresting, unpleasant, and mean spirited .