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Dark Drink: An Absolutely Gripping Psychological Thriller Full of Twists
Jude and Mercedez have kept deadly secrets from each other.
Jackson's suicide haunts Jude. She burned all evidence of her brother's depravity. One less monster in the world, right? Tech-savvy Mercedez is the last living witness to a teenage amateur horror film that ended with a gruesome death. She never told.
A viral video (thanks, Whiskers) brings internet fame —forcing flip-phone wielding Jude to choose between her job as the second female in the VP motorcycle motorcade or her mixologist hobby.
Global visibility brings naked vulnerability—someone has subscribed to Jude's channel.
Missing neighbors found dead in side-by-side freezers, viral drunk “I quit” videos, spammed porn magazine subscriptions, snail mail severed fingers, sabotaged cave trips, cryptic social media comments, and stalking photos push the codependent friends over the edge (literally, off the side of a bluff) when best friends find out that secrets can kill.
Jackson's suicide haunts Jude. She burned all evidence of her brother's depravity. One less monster in the world, right? Tech-savvy Mercedez is the last living witness to a teenage amateur horror film that ended with a gruesome death. She never told.
A viral video (thanks, Whiskers) brings internet fame —forcing flip-phone wielding Jude to choose between her job as the second female in the VP motorcycle motorcade or her mixologist hobby.
Global visibility brings naked vulnerability—someone has subscribed to Jude's channel.
Missing neighbors found dead in side-by-side freezers, viral drunk “I quit” videos, spammed porn magazine subscriptions, snail mail severed fingers, sabotaged cave trips, cryptic social media comments, and stalking photos push the codependent friends over the edge (literally, off the side of a bluff) when best friends find out that secrets can kill.
389 pages, Paperback
Published July 7, 2022
7 people are currently reading
729 people want to read
About the author
Tina O'Hailey
9 books55 followersTina O’Hailey is an animation professor, a caver, and an occasional mapper of grim, wet, twisty caves (if she owes a friend a favor or loses a bet), whose passion is to be secluded on a mountain and to write whilst surrounded by small, furry dogs and hot coffee. Tina was once struck by lightning.
She has served as an artistic trainer for Walt Disney Feature Animation, Dreamworks, and Electronic Arts. Any movie credit she has is minimal and usually found in the special thanks section. The meager credits do not account for the great honor it was to teach talented artists who worked on numerous feature films and games.
She has authored animation textbooks “Rig it Right”, “Hybrid Animation” published by Focal Press, and the Darkness Universe novels “Absolute Darkness”, “When Darkness Begins” published by Black Rose Writing.
Her favorite motorcycle is her BMW R1200C—mathematically perfect for her short legs, turns on a dime, and is the ugliest bike ever.
She has served as an artistic trainer for Walt Disney Feature Animation, Dreamworks, and Electronic Arts. Any movie credit she has is minimal and usually found in the special thanks section. The meager credits do not account for the great honor it was to teach talented artists who worked on numerous feature films and games.
She has authored animation textbooks “Rig it Right”, “Hybrid Animation” published by Focal Press, and the Darkness Universe novels “Absolute Darkness”, “When Darkness Begins” published by Black Rose Writing.
Her favorite motorcycle is her BMW R1200C—mathematically perfect for her short legs, turns on a dime, and is the ugliest bike ever.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 7, 2022
The cover, though! Admittedly, I judged this book by its cover like I’m not supposed to and decided to read it because of the cover before I read the blurb. The good news is, it worked out. This was an entertaining read!
Dark Drink was a unique ride. The characters take center stage here. Jude, Mercedez, and especially Whiskers (in my opinion), carried the story. A very character driven novel which allows the reader to get to know the characters over the course of the book. This is what I look for when I read, so I really liked this about Dark Drink.
The first half of the book is a bit slow as we get to know the history. As the book picks up, things get really interesting. I was never sure who could really be trusted and there were quite a few surprises along the way.
Overall, Dark Drink was a great read. I enjoyed it and look forward to more from this author.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the free review copy and tour invite. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
Dark Drink was a unique ride. The characters take center stage here. Jude, Mercedez, and especially Whiskers (in my opinion), carried the story. A very character driven novel which allows the reader to get to know the characters over the course of the book. This is what I look for when I read, so I really liked this about Dark Drink.
The first half of the book is a bit slow as we get to know the history. As the book picks up, things get really interesting. I was never sure who could really be trusted and there were quite a few surprises along the way.
Overall, Dark Drink was a great read. I enjoyed it and look forward to more from this author.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the free review copy and tour invite. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
July 28, 2022
What started out as a seemingly normal tale of intrigue quickly descends into a mad rabbit whole of repressed trauma and violent horror that is very difficult to put down. There is a sharp wit on every page, even the pages with cocktail recipes. O'Hailey has proven there is no genre she can't tackle. And I'm thankful I'm not one of her characters. Read, if you dare.
August 29, 2022
I could not put this down! Mercedez and Jude are bad ass ladies and I am THRILLED to sit and read a best friend story. I also love all their friends, and their new friends they meet along the way.
Fair warning, this book is really intense! And soon as you realize what's going on, the suspense that O'Hailey creates for the reader left me internally screaming until the very end!
This was an intense ride and will make you want a cocktail.
Fair warning, this book is really intense! And soon as you realize what's going on, the suspense that O'Hailey creates for the reader left me internally screaming until the very end!
This was an intense ride and will make you want a cocktail.
July 9, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed Tina O'Hailey's two Darkness Universe books, Absolute Darkness and When Darkness Begins and so jumped at the chance to read Dark Drink. Despite the similar sounding titles, the storyline moves away from the paranormal element of that series and is a straightforward crime thriller. However, some of the revelations here are truly disturbing and demonstrate that the real world has more than its own fair share of horrors lurking in plain sight.
The narrative follows Jude and Mercedez, and although both have kept terrible secrets from one another, their friendship is the most touching aspect of the novel. There is a lot of necessary plot-building, including several flashback scenes but because they are such an engaging pair, the character-driven first part of the book never made me feel the pacing was too slow. On the contrary, I enjoyed finding out more about both women. Jude is really the central character and I loved seeing how her character develops during the course of the novel. At first glance, it would seem that she is totally kick-ass; she rides a motorcycle in the Vice President's motorcade, goes caving to relax and is an expert mixologist. She also knows her way around a gun. However, her concern about her upcoming security clearance renewal makes it clear she isn't as confident as she might appear, and as the traumatic events of her childhood are revealed, it's easy to see why she fears certain questions being asked of her. She also suffers from face-blindness, which seems an extraordinary condition for somebody working in protection to be afflicted by. There is an explanation as to why she is still considered suitable for her role and while I have no idea how realistic the situation may be, I thought it worked brilliantly for this story.
Meanwhile, Mercedez is the sort of best friend everybody should have. As a black transgender woman, it's obvious that she hasn't always had an easy life and there are upsetting revelations about what was inflicted on her when she was a vulnerable child. Nevertheless, she is Jude's rock and does her best to help her friend understand her true potential. I don't think Mercedez' story has been fully told yet and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for more. In a book that deals with such depravity, the mutually platonic love and respect these two have is heartwarming. A word here, too, for Whiskers, whose typical cat antics give Jude the social media handle Tippsy Kitty. The dark side of having a viral internet presence is explored throughout the novel and while there is an obvious link to the storyline, Tina O'Hailey also examines the depressingly familiar, with Jude sent the usual abusive messages and unsolicited photos.
There are creepy scenes throughout which mean there's a steady drip-feeding sense of tension, especially when the murders start. Later on though, the suspense is ramped up, as it becomes obvious when the inevitable reckoning is going to occur. The opening chapter of the book has already given away some of what happens which makes the later scenes even more unnerving. The identity of the killer is never really hidden and yet I was kept guessing as I raced through the pages to discover the eventual outcome.
The sense of place is excellent, and as always with a Tina O'Hailey book, the cave scenes are especially atmospheric. Readers of her previous novels will enjoy seeing two familiar names play a part too. I also loved the cocktail recipes that are helpfully included and think I may need to try one or two! Dark Drink is a grisly, compulsive thriller that kept me gripped from start to finish, I thoroughly recommend it.
The narrative follows Jude and Mercedez, and although both have kept terrible secrets from one another, their friendship is the most touching aspect of the novel. There is a lot of necessary plot-building, including several flashback scenes but because they are such an engaging pair, the character-driven first part of the book never made me feel the pacing was too slow. On the contrary, I enjoyed finding out more about both women. Jude is really the central character and I loved seeing how her character develops during the course of the novel. At first glance, it would seem that she is totally kick-ass; she rides a motorcycle in the Vice President's motorcade, goes caving to relax and is an expert mixologist. She also knows her way around a gun. However, her concern about her upcoming security clearance renewal makes it clear she isn't as confident as she might appear, and as the traumatic events of her childhood are revealed, it's easy to see why she fears certain questions being asked of her. She also suffers from face-blindness, which seems an extraordinary condition for somebody working in protection to be afflicted by. There is an explanation as to why she is still considered suitable for her role and while I have no idea how realistic the situation may be, I thought it worked brilliantly for this story.
Meanwhile, Mercedez is the sort of best friend everybody should have. As a black transgender woman, it's obvious that she hasn't always had an easy life and there are upsetting revelations about what was inflicted on her when she was a vulnerable child. Nevertheless, she is Jude's rock and does her best to help her friend understand her true potential. I don't think Mercedez' story has been fully told yet and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for more. In a book that deals with such depravity, the mutually platonic love and respect these two have is heartwarming. A word here, too, for Whiskers, whose typical cat antics give Jude the social media handle Tippsy Kitty. The dark side of having a viral internet presence is explored throughout the novel and while there is an obvious link to the storyline, Tina O'Hailey also examines the depressingly familiar, with Jude sent the usual abusive messages and unsolicited photos.
There are creepy scenes throughout which mean there's a steady drip-feeding sense of tension, especially when the murders start. Later on though, the suspense is ramped up, as it becomes obvious when the inevitable reckoning is going to occur. The opening chapter of the book has already given away some of what happens which makes the later scenes even more unnerving. The identity of the killer is never really hidden and yet I was kept guessing as I raced through the pages to discover the eventual outcome.
The sense of place is excellent, and as always with a Tina O'Hailey book, the cave scenes are especially atmospheric. Readers of her previous novels will enjoy seeing two familiar names play a part too. I also loved the cocktail recipes that are helpfully included and think I may need to try one or two! Dark Drink is a grisly, compulsive thriller that kept me gripped from start to finish, I thoroughly recommend it.
July 6, 2022
Mercedez is now a transgender woman but was still a young boy open to bullying in the early parts of the story and works in social media promotion. Jude works as a motorcycle rider protecting the vice president, only the second woman ever in her role. In her spare time Jude makes stunning and inventive alcoholic concoctions and recently Mercedez has started filming these and putting videos online with much success. Told by both Jude and Mercedez, the story contains snippets of the past where Jude’s depraved brother Jackson killed himself aged twenty and at fifteen years old, she finally escaped his hold over her. Also during their shared childhood Mercedez feared a lad called Zack who accidentally killed a girl while Mercedez videoed it. Both ladies think these events are well and truly in the past although the memories still haunt them. Then a creepy new guy, Robert, joins the security unit and Jude’s identity, something which she has to keep guarded because of her job, is exposed on the internet. She is forced to make a decision between her growing online celebrity status and the career she loves. Awful terrifying things start to happen, including frozen dead bodies, severed fingers in the post and the threat of danger all around them, forcing the two friends to flee and confront the secrets they have kept for years. Who is watching them? Who can the friends trust? What price does fame and fortune bring?
I struggled with some aspects of this book. I couldn’t see how Jude, someone who cannot see faces, could possibly work in close protection when she cannot recognise her colleagues or the person she is protecting, and how would she quickly be able to tell a stranger from a friend? It seemed odd then to read that she can, for example, see people rolling their eyes, blinking, sneering etc. As a UK reader, there were lots of US terms and phrases which I needed to look up as they were unfamiliar – no fault of the book and I learned some new words! The first half of the book was a little slow, but importantly set out the history and background for the main plot. It took me a long time to connect with the two main characters but I felt I knew them pretty well by the end of the story. There are some really good guys in the story too and I liked that it was well written so as to make it very hard at times to know just who could be trusted. It was certainly quite creepy in places with some real shocks along the way although fairly easy to guess who the baddie was, the satisfaction coming from eventually being proved right. The descriptions of caving and the drinks recipes added an extra dimension too. And for me, the star of the story has to be Whiskers! 4*
I struggled with some aspects of this book. I couldn’t see how Jude, someone who cannot see faces, could possibly work in close protection when she cannot recognise her colleagues or the person she is protecting, and how would she quickly be able to tell a stranger from a friend? It seemed odd then to read that she can, for example, see people rolling their eyes, blinking, sneering etc. As a UK reader, there were lots of US terms and phrases which I needed to look up as they were unfamiliar – no fault of the book and I learned some new words! The first half of the book was a little slow, but importantly set out the history and background for the main plot. It took me a long time to connect with the two main characters but I felt I knew them pretty well by the end of the story. There are some really good guys in the story too and I liked that it was well written so as to make it very hard at times to know just who could be trusted. It was certainly quite creepy in places with some real shocks along the way although fairly easy to guess who the baddie was, the satisfaction coming from eventually being proved right. The descriptions of caving and the drinks recipes added an extra dimension too. And for me, the star of the story has to be Whiskers! 4*
July 12, 2022
📖BOOK TOUR REVIEW
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for introducing me to this skilled author!
This book cover caught my eye several times before I read the blurb and decided it sounded interesting. WOW…it has one of the most original and unusual premises I’ve read!
Jude’s real job is driving a motorcycle in the motorcade in charge of protecting the president. Her time-off is when things get interesting. When she’s not exploring caves, she concocts alcoholic beverages for coworkers and friends. What a combination of hobbies!
Jude also suffers from the condition commonly known as face blindness. She is a complex character with twisted secrets and is fascinating to read about. Her BFF, Mercedez, is another interesting character with her dark secrets.
This author has one wildly elaborate imagination. She knows how to hook readers and keep them on the line!
Sincere thanks to the author and Black Rose Writing for this complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
#darkdrink #tinaohailey #rachelsrandomresources #booktour #bookhost #honestreview #bookreviewer #bookstagrammer #inexchangeforreview #lovebooks #lovereading#lovereadingbooks #ireviewbooks #ilovereading #thrilleraddict #suspensefulreads #psychologicalthriller #fortheloveofbooks
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for introducing me to this skilled author!
This book cover caught my eye several times before I read the blurb and decided it sounded interesting. WOW…it has one of the most original and unusual premises I’ve read!
Jude’s real job is driving a motorcycle in the motorcade in charge of protecting the president. Her time-off is when things get interesting. When she’s not exploring caves, she concocts alcoholic beverages for coworkers and friends. What a combination of hobbies!
Jude also suffers from the condition commonly known as face blindness. She is a complex character with twisted secrets and is fascinating to read about. Her BFF, Mercedez, is another interesting character with her dark secrets.
This author has one wildly elaborate imagination. She knows how to hook readers and keep them on the line!
Sincere thanks to the author and Black Rose Writing for this complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
#darkdrink #tinaohailey #rachelsrandomresources #booktour #bookhost #honestreview #bookreviewer #bookstagrammer #inexchangeforreview #lovebooks #lovereading#lovereadingbooks #ireviewbooks #ilovereading #thrilleraddict #suspensefulreads #psychologicalthriller #fortheloveofbooks
August 1, 2022
O'Hailey's latest novel is an action-paced thriller in which we're reminded that even friends since childhood can harbor secrets from each other. Jude and Mercedes have a special relationship, linked in part by long-ago traumas. As adults, the vice presidential motorcade member, avid caver and amateur mixologist Jude; and the whip-smart, trans, social media whiz Mercedez; continue to support each other on a daily basis.
This story is a modern thriller with many twists and turns. Once I got about halfway in, I couldn't stop reading! O'Hailey does a masterful job weaving flashbacks into the present-day narrative in a way that flows well and heightens the mystery. The dialogue is snappy, insightful and very funny in spots. The drink recipes are a fun addition.
But it's the characters that hooked me. Interesting jobs and hobbies were icing on the cake that is Jude and Mercedez. I cared about the two women and would love to spend more time with them. Sequel anyone?
This story is a modern thriller with many twists and turns. Once I got about halfway in, I couldn't stop reading! O'Hailey does a masterful job weaving flashbacks into the present-day narrative in a way that flows well and heightens the mystery. The dialogue is snappy, insightful and very funny in spots. The drink recipes are a fun addition.
But it's the characters that hooked me. Interesting jobs and hobbies were icing on the cake that is Jude and Mercedez. I cared about the two women and would love to spend more time with them. Sequel anyone?
July 15, 2022
Tina O'Hailey's latest book is a gripping character driven thriller. Dark Drink’s dual protagonists, Jude and Mercedez, both have overt social stigmas that they have built strong personalities to overcome. Jude has turned her neurological disability, prosopagnosia, into a Sherlock Holmes-like super power. Mercedez has turned the social skills she was forced to develop to survive racial and gender oriented discrimination into being an expert at navigating the subtleties of social media. The narrative of Dark Drink revolves around how these two women who have turned potential negatives of their lives into their core strengths, still struggle with significant issues because they have been unable to deal with specific traumatizing events from their past. Through the story, Jude and Mercedez are forced to confront secrets they have been keeping from each other and work together to overcome childhood trauma through trust and friendship. This book is perfect for anyone looking for a thriller that centers around strong, independent women who become stronger and more independent as they rely more on each other. This book is exciting, thrilling, and empowering. A must read.
July 8, 2024
Read for my book club— was honestly not expecting to enjoy it (the cover does not do the book, it’s characters, it’s story justice I think.) warning: This is a very dark book with dark themes that can make your stomach twist in knots and make you feel a bit on edge, BUT it’s balanced with lighter themes of friendship, fun, cocktails, and cats. A pager-turner, I read this in a weekend (unusual for me— notorious for reading multiple books a chapter at a time over many many months). Nice pacing, well-written, fast-paced.
April 21, 2024
Dark Drink is a story of the ripple effects of traumatic events. With alternating first-person perspectives, the author takes us deeply into the minds of its engaging protagonists, Jude and Mercedez. Through flashbacks, we learn about past events that seem to be rearing their ugly heads in the present. This is a complex, intricately plotted mystery with a beautifully choreographed final sequence that will keep you turning the pages.
September 14, 2022
A thrilling suspense novel with fascinating characters and relationships in the vain of The Silence of the Lambs. A great spooky story for the fall.
December 24, 2022
Tense and suspenseful!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews