Then Things Went Dark

Six people land on a desert island ready to make their reality show debut.

The contestants are hungry to prove themselves. The stakes are high and losing is not an option. But three weeks and eighteen episodes later, five of the six contestants sit in a Portuguese police station, and none of them are winners.

Because twelve million people were watching when Rhys Sutton died on camera, and someone must pay for the crime.

The best friend, the rival, the girlfriend, the lover, and the sworn enemy are left standing. And of course, no-one is talking. But how do you keep secrets when the world has been watching?

Especially when, just a day before his murder, Rhys was the most hated man on television.

Review

A delicious, murderous thriller that feels like you're watching a live episode of reality TV unfold in your living room. Fast-paced and addicting, I was gripped from the first page until the jaw-dropping conclusion. ― Lucinda Berry, bestselling author of If You Tell a Lie

True crime meets juicy reality TV as six well-known contestants compete in the ultimate quest for glory, where the stakes are death. Was it murder? An accident? Nothing is as it seems in this smartly plotted whodunnit, a complex game of scandals and scheming, alliances and betrayals that pops off the page. ― Kimberly Belle, internationally bestselling author of The Paris Widow

Fitzgerald plays a scathing, thrilling game of worst case scenario, poking fun and critiquing dystopian reality TV tropes while also forcing the reader to take a look at themselves and ask, ‘Why am I still watching?' ― Iman Hariri-Kia, author of A Hundred Other Girls and The Most Famous Girl in the World

What if a murder happened on a reality show like Love Island? That's the premise of Bea Fitzgerald's masterful debut thriller. A page-turner that’s as addictive as the reality shows it satirizes, Then Things Went Dark is a clever, queer whydunit that will grip readers until the final page. With her pitch-perfect commentary on fame, social media, and reality TV, Bea has written a novel that's as thoughtful as it is entertaining. A true delight. ― Rebecca McKanna, author of Don’t Forget the Girl

Sharp, gripping, fun, and utterly brilliant. ― Beth Reekles, author of The Kissing Booth

Shocking, addictive and utterly exquisite! Fitzgerald delves into the ugly side of our obsession with reality tv and fame, and does so in a gripping page turner. With characters you’ll love to hate, it feels like a tv series in itself. ― L.C. North, author of Clickbait

Sensational and unsettling, a masterful blend of 'whodunnit' mystery and modern day satire. With each shocking revelation I was drawn deeper and deeper into the addictive world of celebrity reality TV drama and couldn't get enough of these brilliantly vile characters. THEN THINGS WENT DARK is the perfect holiday thriller! ― Natali Simmonds, author of Good Girls Die Last

Deliciously dark and moreish; Fitzgerald has created a cast you love to hate, and I could not put it down. Reality TV fans will be all over this! ― Lizzie Huxley Jones

About the Author

Bea Fitzgerald is an author and content creator. She has worked in publishing for a number of years and has a degree in English Literature from the University of Reading, where she also studied several classes in Ancient History. Bea is passionate about stories and fascinated by the way they endure and resonate through centuries and generations. When she's not writing, she's entertaining her followers on TikTok and Instagram with her mythology-themed comedy account @chaosonolympus. Girl, Goddess, Queen is her debut novel.