I am trying to come up with things to say for this review. I didn’t like this book at all. It was way to dark, the characters were all awful and I didn’t like how everyone seemed nuts. There was a ton of things going on throughout and I struggled keeping things straight and then the ending was ridiculous. I just didn’t like it.

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on June 8th

A Dark and Secret Place, wow this book was really out there not in a bad way just a scary spooky sort of way. This was my first book read by this author and I have to say it most likely won't be my last. This book had me leery about what would happen next every time Heather walked through the door. When your whole life has been a lie, how will that change you? Only time will tell for Heather. I would definitely recommend this book to those that enjoy this genre.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, and all opinions expressed here are my own.

This was so much better than I was expecting. A wickedly shocking journey into her mothers past relationship. Heather finds a woman linked to a serial killer and investigates her suicide in her grief. I really wasn’t expecting to be Inthralled yet I couldn’t wait to pick it up at the end of a busy workday. Heather discovers a trove of letters between her mother and Micheal Reeves, a convicted killer, just as there are seemingly either copycat killings or the original killer striking again. Teaming up with Ben, a local detective , Heather is driven to meet the imprisioned killer nicknamed the Red Wolf.in order to stop the current killings. Creepy, clever and calculated.

I really wanted to like this one, but it just fell totally flat for me in the end.

The good:
It is very atmospheric and creepy. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator is fantastic. She kept me interested and invested even through the more gory parts.
The premise is phenomenal--Heather's mother commits suicide and Heather discovers that her mother has been writing letters to a convicted serial killer for years. He's behind bars, yet now crimes identical to his are occurring again.
I also loved the Little Red Riding Hood nods and themes. It gave an even more creepy vibe.

The not-so-good:
If you ever read my reviews, you'll know that I rarely like armchair detectives. Ugh with Heather thinking she can solve these crimes when the police couldn't. She takes stupid and nonsensical risks that NO ONE would do. It was like watching a bad horror movie on the page where you just want to scream at the characters to stop doing dumb things.
And when all is said and done the ending really makes no sense. There's not a huge amount of explanation about WHY these things happened and there are just so many plot holes for rationale along the way that I couldn't wrap my brain around. Nobody called the police about bad things, they were just all evil and trying to cover everything up? Not buying it.

Overall, I think this writer has potential with suspense, just with a tighter an more believable plots. Or stick with fantasy, that's ok too.

So I enjoyed this book for what it was but the writing just wasn't for me. It felt very choppy and all over the place. I was confused about the introduction of some of the characters as well.

I found this to be a bit too scary, so as a result, I decided not to finish it. It's too bad, because the plot sounded intriguing.

It has been a while since a book has really creeped me out. I felt anxious reading it and devoured every page. The story follows Heather who has just returned home after her estranged mother commits suicide. She plans the funeral and goes through her mother's things when strange things start to happen. Enter the creep factor. Someone leaving things for her to find in the house, moving her toothbrush, noises in the attic, shadows outside, a nosy neighbor her mother never mentioned and stack of letters from a serial killer.

Heather, a former journalist, begins her own investigation into her mother's past. Simultaneously, a copycat killer emerges on the scene. There was so much to this story that adds a sense of dread and foreboding it had me on edge. I loved the addition of the Grimms fairytales and history of the commune where things got very dark.

Many triggers in this one: suicide, animal abuse, incest, murder, gore (but not too gory), stalking, you get the picture. Overall, I enjoyed this one, I was glued to it and can't wait to see more thrillers from Jen Williams.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀?

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Heather heads home after her mom’s mysterious suicide only to discover her mom has been writing to an infamous serial killer for years. Why? This question leads Heather to explore her mom’s veiled past while suddenly more bodies appear in the same manner as Reave’s murders. And Heather feels like she is being followed. Is this a copycat? Is Reave innocent? And how is Heather’s family tied into this craziness?

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: Serial killers. Sign me up. (What does that say about me 🤔)! I mean, I’m watching the new Son of Sam doc on Netflix and here I am reading about fictional ones. Yikes. (Therapy?) I was impressed with the length of suspense in this one - it pulls and pulls like a taut wire, chapter by chapter. Some might find that “slow burn” tedious, but I enjoyed the pace.

I have a weird fascination with people fascinated by serial killers (so yes I’m fascinated with myself). What’s the attraction? (NO I’m not ATTRACTED in that way). Why do people write letters to them? (NO I wouldn’t do that). But psychologically there is a draw to the macabre otherwise Poe would have never become a legend (Phew, ok I’m normal).

I figured out a bit (but not all) of the story from some too obvious clues and the characters were adequate. I’d call this a nice summer read to give you a few heebie jeebies.

All my reviews available at scrappymags.com around time of publication.

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Mystery, not as “psychological” as billed, about a 3/10 on the heebie jeebies for when Heather actually meets Michael Reave in prison - very “Clarisse Starling.”

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨: Slow burn mystery fans who love lots of drawn out suspense.

𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: “quick and dirty” mystery reader

ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ, ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʀᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ʟᴀɴᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍʏ ᴀᴅᴠᴀɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴄᴏᴘʏ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍʏ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ-ʜᴏɴᴇꜱᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴍᴏꜱᴛʟʏ ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍʏ ꜱᴇʀɪᴀʟ ᴋɪʟʟᴇʀ ꜰᴀꜱᴄɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.

4.5 stars

This was a really unique and gripping story that makes you wonder what kind of monsters are really out there.

Heather returns to her childhood home after her estranged mother takes her own life, and she soon discovers there is so much she never knew about her past. She finds letters written between her mother and an imprisoned serial killer and, after sharing this information with the police, she has a chance to speak with Red Wolf himself. At the same time, there appears to be a copycat killer in the midst of all of this, and the police hope that Heather’s meetings with Red Wolf will help uncover the identity of this new killer. Will she get the answers and closure she’s looking for or will she forever wonder what truly made her mother commit suicide?

I really enjoyed this book and loved all of the mystery behind it. Michael Reave (Red Wolf) was not very forthcoming, at least not in the traditional sense. He liked to explain things through fairytales and while it left Heather and the police even more perplexed, she was able to find a way to dig deeper and forge her own path into the unknown. I was so surprised by the ending and didn’t see it coming, but that’s what made this such a great book. Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4009560786

Overall, I felt kinda meh about this book. Not necessarily bad, but not particularly memorable either. Giving it 2.5/5 Stars.

2 1/2 ⭐️‘s
Intriguing to begin with, this book takes a turn into some very dark and disturbing material. While creepy in nature, this book took the dark and creepiness a bit too far to make it an enjoyable read.

Thank you Netgalley for a chance to read and review this title.

I struggled with this one. It is very dark and disturbing. I like thrillers. But this one was too much for me. I thought the premise was engaging and I did finish it, because I was hooked by the “why did she do it” mystery. But for me it didn’t get better. The disturbing parts just got worse. Less psychological and more shock value.

I don't know what it was, but I just couldn't get into this one - there were a lot of moving parts and a lot of characters, but it seemed to be a bit slow moving. I enjoyed the suspense of the scenes located at the MC's house, particularly with the feathers and the birds, but otherwise was just trying to get through it.

I think people that like a slower paced thriller will enjoy this one more.

Also, at the end, I don't think the whole commune/potential cult situation was well explained, and it left me with more questions - but not in a dramatic, what did I just read kind of way.

The woods are a dark and secret place. Family history can also be a dark and secret place. I'm here with a book review for A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams. Typically a Fantasy writer, this is her first Mystery Thriller. I read a digital arc from Netgalley.
Title: A Dark and Secret Place

Author: Jen Williams

Publication Date: June 8, 2021

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Suggested Reader Age: Adult

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Suspense

Triggers: abuse, alcohol, animal cruelty, graphic injuries, death, suicide, loss of a loved one, sex, cult, trauma, violence.
› Michael Reave, "The Red Wolf" is a serial killer that's been imprisoned for the past twenty years after murdering numerous women. Heather Evans returns home after her mother, Colleen, died by suicide. While looking around her mother's home, Heather finds a box of letters Reave wrote to Colleen. These letters show that Colleen knew Michael when he was killing women. Did she know he was doing it? Why has she been secretly writing him letters for twenty years? When another body turns up violated in the same way "The Red Wolf" would leave his victims, Heather convinces DI Ben Parker to let her speak with Reaves about the letters, hoping to find out why she killed herself. The police are hoping Reaves will reveal some clues to lead them to the new suspect. Reaves has always claimed he was innocent. Did he kill the women? Did he have an accomplice? Is there a copy-cat? With the help of DI Ben Parker, her friend Nikki, and her mother's neighbour Lillian, Heather discovers her family's dark secrets.
› Characters: 4
Was Heather supposed to be unlikable? Because she annoyed me the entire time. She's incredibly selfish and self-centered. The characters felt flat and boring.

› Atmosphere: 6

› Writing Style: 4
She talks to herself A LOT. "Heather yawned hugely." (Really?)

› Plot: 5

› Intrigue: 6

› Logic: 4
Flush feathers down the toilet? Drink lemonade to settle the stomach? Using Wikipedia as a source? Doesn't everyone know that Wikipedia isn't a reliable source?

› Enjoyment: 5

Average 4.9

1.1-2.2 = ★
2.3-4.5 = ★★
4.6-6.9 = ★★★
7-8.9 = ★★★★
9-10 = ★★★★★

My Rating ★★★

› Final Thoughts
• A Dark and Secret Place is a good first suspense novel. The beginning had me hooked, but the middle and end felt a little blah. I didn't feel scared or creeped out at any point - however - I watch A LOT of true crime and one of my favourite authors is Stephen King, so I may be a little desensitized. I recommend this to Mystery/Suspense fans looking for a twisty story set in darks houses and dark woods.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was so good and creepy! I enjoyed this dark mystery that I just couldn’t put down. I gave this a 4.5/5 stars because the ending was really unrealistic but I just can’t get over how good the rest of the book is. Looking for a dark mystery? Then you MUST check this one out.

Absolutely splendid! This book is so creepy and suspenseful that it's hard to put it down.
I was drawn in right from the start and I was very curious to know what was gonna happen-- and trust me, I loved every moment of this book!
The story is very creepy and can literally make you shiver while reading. Also it contains the reference of fairytales and folklores which made it so much more engrossing!
I felt as if I was a child again- reading spooky, dark tales of fairies and witches. The characters were really complex and dubious, but even that added to the sense of unease. The story keeps you engaged, the "whodunnit" part making you flip the pages constantly.

And what better way to freak the readers out than providing an atmosphere of dense, dark woods, with mysterious happenings? Oh, what a combination! 🙈
Seriously guys, this book has the perfect serial killer vibes and the author has incredibly crafted the story that doesn't lose its pace even for a moment. The ending is a bit rushed as compared to the story, but I was really happy with how everything turned out at the last.

To sum this book up:
Creepy+ Crazy serial killer(s)+ Haunting atmosphere+ Suspenseful+ Page Turner 🔎

Highly recommended!

A Dark and Secret Place is extremely creepy and disturbing that kept me on the edge of my seat.

With an intriguing plot that gets darker and spookier... I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. A twisted, unique thriller. Highly recommend.

This was a slow burn type of psychological thriller in which Heather, a journalist, searches for answers as to why her estranged mother committed suicide. As she goes through the mother’s possessions she finds a stack of letters from an infamous serial killer and is puzzled by the fact that her mother would be in contact with a killer.

There have been several recent copycat killings, so Heather contacts the police with the letters in hopes of finding answers about her mother and who may be doing the recent killings. The search leads Heather to some very unexpected revelations and an intense ending to the story.

This was a creepy and atmospheric tale, but it moved a bit too slow except for the final pages.
Readers should know that the story refers to some gory crimes, but they are not given in any great detail.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review.

Most of the time I’ll read a mystery-suspense thriller and it’s engaging, pushing me further into the edge of my seat. Making me want to put my whole life on hold so I can finish it. And this story had that!
It was well told with all the right things being told. Very mysterious circumstances with secrets coming out only years later. I really enjoyed it.
But I’m only giving this a 3 because of the ending. Why, why, why? You were doing so well. It wasn’t horrible it just didn’t live up to the start.
Having said that, I feel sure the author will do an even better job next time.
Thanks Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley.

This was such an enjoyable read! I had a hard time putting it down. Very haunting, creepy, and dark, and unsettling throughout. Cults, communes, ritualistic killings, and folklore references, what’s not to like? Right?! There is so much going on in this one, I just loved how much there is, there are references to so many Grimm folk tales, esp. the Red Riding Hood, there’s true crime aspect, horror, and psychological thriller, all in one! It does get a bit unrealistic towards the end, almost like a fever dream, but it fits very well with the overall vibe of the story. Loved it! Very much recommended!

thanks to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.