4.0 (1 rating)
Darke Deeds: Darke Deeds Mystery Thrillers Book 1
Careful what you wish for. You might get it and regret it.
True-crime podcasters and relatives, Angie and Violet Darke, are bored. Instead of covering small crimes, they want a huge case to solve.
It lands, literally, on their doorstep.
During renovation, a grave is discovered in Angie’s pub garden. When the identity of the body is revealed it means only one thing: murder.
As the investigation unfolds, loved ones can no longer be trusted. Devastating truths are uncovered. The Darke Deeds duo’s lives are at risk.
The present is bleak. The future seems uncertain. The past is never dead and buried.
With tension and twists throughout, this first book in the Darke Deeds series is a must-read for mystery thriller lovers.
* 'A great twisty crime read, full of dark humour'
* 'If you love true crime, gripping mysteries and unexpected twists, this is must-read'
* 'Fast paced with lots of twists and turns, and also some surprises along the way'
True-crime podcasters and relatives, Angie and Violet Darke, are bored. Instead of covering small crimes, they want a huge case to solve.
It lands, literally, on their doorstep.
During renovation, a grave is discovered in Angie’s pub garden. When the identity of the body is revealed it means only one thing: murder.
As the investigation unfolds, loved ones can no longer be trusted. Devastating truths are uncovered. The Darke Deeds duo’s lives are at risk.
The present is bleak. The future seems uncertain. The past is never dead and buried.
With tension and twists throughout, this first book in the Darke Deeds series is a must-read for mystery thriller lovers.
* 'A great twisty crime read, full of dark humour'
* 'If you love true crime, gripping mysteries and unexpected twists, this is must-read'
* 'Fast paced with lots of twists and turns, and also some surprises along the way'
Published: February 2, 2025
Pages: 265
ISBN: 9798306082677
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Available in: Paperback
See all editions (2)Reader Reviews
4.0
1 rating
Cheyenne Joy .
Feb 8, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ARC Review
Darke Deeds by Lisa Sell
Let me be honest, because that’s kind of my brand.
At first? I struggled. Hard.
Not because the book was bad, but because my brain was doing that fun foggy thing where it feels like it’s buffering at 3% and refuses to load names, podcast dialogue, or basic human comprehension. Entirely a me problem. Not the book’s fault. My mind just chose chaos.
Still—I pushed through. Because I’m a reading junkie and also because I had faith. The quiet, annoying kind that whispers just keep going. And damn, I’m glad I listened.
This story doesn’t grab you by the throat immediately. It seeps in. Slowly. Patiently. Like it knows you’ll resist at first but you won’t win. It absorbs you and then refuses to let go. Suddenly you’re neck-deep in desperation, ambition, career panic, and that constant internal screaming of who did it? who are you? why are you lying?
And yes—when I thought I had it figured out (one part, early on, I’ll give myself that tiny victory), I got absolutely blindsided anyway. Smashed. Shoved. Politely betrayed by twist after twist. Not too many though—thankfully. I am not a plot-twist-marathon kind of woman. I don’t need narrative whiplash every five pages to feel alive.
The darkness creeps in fast toward the end. No warning signs. No gentle easing. Just oh, we’re here now. And it works. The suspense builds just right, the dialogue doesn’t overstay its welcome, and the investigation feels immersive without turning into a tangled mess of voices and filler.
I wanted to finish.
I needed to know.
I wanted to feel like part of the investigation—messy thoughts, suspicions, wrong turns and all.
Did I feel for everyone? No. Absolutely not. Some of them can sit with their choices. But that’s part of what made it work. Nothing felt overdone. Nothing felt too weird, too much, or trying too hard.
Just enough darkness.
Just enough twisted.
Just enough discomfort.
Honestly? My kind of comfort read.
Darke Deeds by Lisa Sell
Let me be honest, because that’s kind of my brand.
At first? I struggled. Hard.
Not because the book was bad, but because my brain was doing that fun foggy thing where it feels like it’s buffering at 3% and refuses to load names, podcast dialogue, or basic human comprehension. Entirely a me problem. Not the book’s fault. My mind just chose chaos.
Still—I pushed through. Because I’m a reading junkie and also because I had faith. The quiet, annoying kind that whispers just keep going. And damn, I’m glad I listened.
This story doesn’t grab you by the throat immediately. It seeps in. Slowly. Patiently. Like it knows you’ll resist at first but you won’t win. It absorbs you and then refuses to let go. Suddenly you’re neck-deep in desperation, ambition, career panic, and that constant internal screaming of who did it? who are you? why are you lying?
And yes—when I thought I had it figured out (one part, early on, I’ll give myself that tiny victory), I got absolutely blindsided anyway. Smashed. Shoved. Politely betrayed by twist after twist. Not too many though—thankfully. I am not a plot-twist-marathon kind of woman. I don’t need narrative whiplash every five pages to feel alive.
The darkness creeps in fast toward the end. No warning signs. No gentle easing. Just oh, we’re here now. And it works. The suspense builds just right, the dialogue doesn’t overstay its welcome, and the investigation feels immersive without turning into a tangled mess of voices and filler.
I wanted to finish.
I needed to know.
I wanted to feel like part of the investigation—messy thoughts, suspicions, wrong turns and all.
Did I feel for everyone? No. Absolutely not. Some of them can sit with their choices. But that’s part of what made it work. Nothing felt overdone. Nothing felt too weird, too much, or trying too hard.
Just enough darkness.
Just enough twisted.
Just enough discomfort.
Honestly? My kind of comfort read.