I really really enjoyed this book! I went into in blind and was drawn in from the first chapter! Never read anything by this author before but I would again, lots of twists and turns that almost , almost kept me guessing! Thank you!

Extremely scary dark thriller, I finished this book in less than 24 hours because I could not put it down. When Heather’s mom commits suicide she is shocked, when she finds her mom was corresponding with a serial killer for years she is absolutely blown away. As Heather tries to piece together the details of a mother that was often distant and difficult the story she uncovers is chilling and horrifying to say the least. This book is sure to keep you up way past your bedtime. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane books for this e ARC.
A truly compelling read.
Some parts made me cringe. This was a far better story than I expected.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and would definitely read more thrillers from this Author.
I would also class it as physiological thriller.
Recommended reading.

I loved the concept of this book. The first half was so strong, I was so enthralled by the initial set up, it was intriguing and the author builds a really strong atmosphere of creepiness and the set up is so engaging. The setting was the strongest part of the book for me, the woods added to the overall vibe in a very good way. I also loved the addition of lore and almost fantastical elements.

However, over time, I found that the initial intrigue didn't pan out. There was so much to keep track of and I found that some of the elements took away from the story. I struggled with Heather as a character, I didn't always find her to be likable and a lot of her choices didn't seem to make much sense, especially because she is meant to be an intelligent investigator.

I found that the first 70% was incredibly slow, but then the last 30% felt rushed, it felt like Williams just crammed in a lot of the information in order to add in a couple of extra twists that the story could have done without. I still don't fully understand how Heather ended up at the cabin.

Overall it was a decent read, but not my favourite.

There’s a lot to like about A Dark And Secret Place, particularly if you’re a fan of the Gone Girl or The Girl On The Train brand of thriller: The mystery is twisting and engaging, the characters are flawed but relatable, and there’s a sort of Silence Of The Lambs-esque form to the whole thing that’s quite appealing. Bits of the reveal at the end felt a little as if they’d come out of left field, so to speak; even so, though, it’s a satisfying read when you’re in the mood for something that feels a little bit dangerous.

A Dark and Secret Place began intriguing. Half way through, my opinion changed. Heather, to my way of thinking, is a crass and witless person. She, and her friend Nikki, are two impotent human beings. The book grabs you and then, slowly but surely, morphs abysmal. The plot undergoes a transformation from captivating to preposterous. Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this opportunity to read this ARC.

WOW! Now THIS is a thriller.
After Heather's mother dies, she finds secret correspondence with a serial killer. I read this entire book in one day and was up half the night thinking about it.

This book was not that engaging to me, although I think it could be to others.

I enjoy a page-turning thriller type book. This was more of a slow burn - lots of atmosphere and good story telling. If you are more interested in the journey than the destination, this book could be for you. There were plot twists that i actually didn't see coming and the 2nd half was much more engaging than the first half.

It was an interesting and engaging yet slow read..

I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the advance copy, which did not impact my review.

As others have said, this book is a slow burn, but is worth it with all of the excitement at the end. It centers on Heather, who was pretty much estranged from her mother, Colleen, until Colleen commits suicide (seemingly out of nowhere) and Colleen comes home to make arrangements. She finds letters written from the infamous serial killer, Michael Reeve, in her mother's belongings, and brings the police in. At the same time, more murders start happening in the same style as Reave, and the story takes off from there. The book goes back and forth between Heather's POV as well as Michael's from before he was imprisoned.

The first part of the book gives us some background on Heather, has her talking to Michael in the presence of the police, and planning for her mother's funeral. This part of the book was less engaging for me, but laid down clues that were vital in the 2nd part of the book, and really pulled the whole thing together. The 2nd part of the book gets us more into Michael's story and teaches us more about Colleen, all while taking us along on Heather's journey to explore the woods where the murders had occurred. A lot of things happen very quickly in the last few chapters of the book, and I couldn't put it down. There were multiple twists, some that I saw coming and others than I didn't, and I walked away feeling like it checked all the boxes for a great thriller.

There were only a couple things that bothered me about the book. There were a couple entire characters I think the book just didn't need- it took the story off into other directions and there were already so many characters vital to the story. There was also a touch on a romantic twist that just wasn't necessary. Lastly, there was one major clue that Heather neglected to follow up on, (or if she did, the author didn't tell us) which drive me crazy since she was an investigative journalist by trade.

All in all, this was a unique and thrilling read in an atmospheric setting, and I'd recommend it. If you find the first part of the book a little less engaging, you will not be disappointed by continuing on. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is definitely a slow burn kind of book. It's very atmospheric and mysterious. I loved the scenes between Michael and Heather. I couldn't help but be reminded of other great serial killer/other relationships from TV/movies like in Hannibal, Silence of the Lambs, Prodigal Son, etc. Obviously the first two tend to skew romantic and this one certainly doesn't, but the push and pull the two of them have is electric. I appreciate that Heather, our protagonist, is a flawed character and no Mary Sue. I loved the snippets of Colleen and I wish we had seen more. I hated that we finally learned about her motivations just at the end of the book when I wanted more. My biggest issue with the book is that all of the action takes place in the last few chapters instead of being more spread out. It's also when almost all the information is revealed.

This one started out a little slow for me and I initially struggled to get into the character of Heather. However once Heather finds the letters that her mother had been writing serial killer Michael Reave, the pacing of the novel really picks up and we quickly get into the action. I enjoyed the story and thought that the plot was interesting. However, there were some elements of the plot that I could see coming early in the story, that I think were meant to be bigger surprises, namely the parentage of one of the characters . However, there are definitely some good plot twists, that will surprise even astute readers. I think fans of suspense and murder mysteries will enjoy A Dark and Secret Place as it is a solid entry in the genre.

Atmospheric, dark, chilling! A great thriller! Rich, dark, characters drive a twisty tale of murder and mayhem! I see a film noir with Hitchcockian themes.

I very much enjoyed this atmospheric thriller which reminded me of earlier Tana French mysteries mixed with Hannibal (the show) vibes.

The story follows Heather, a journalist in her 30s who has returned to her estranged mother's home after her mother's death. She finds a series of her mother's letters and, as a result, gets involved in a case involving a serial killer copycat.

In my opinion, the biggest strengths of this novel are its incorporation of folklore, its development of tone and setting (unsettling, autumnal, dark with moments of levity), and the character development of the lead, Heather. The folklore aspect was particularly interesting to me and set this novel apart from other thrillers in the same vein.

I appreciated the author’s use of flashbacks, but I thought they could have been incorporated more effectively at times. I also found the ending slightly abrupt - it is a major surprise that I didn't see coming. I'm sure a lot of people will like that element, but I think more could have been done to foreshadow the conclusion.

Content Warnings which INCLUDE SPOILERS:

murder, child abuse, incest, suicide, misogyny/violence against women

Such a good book it was so hard to put down and I read it 1 day it had me on the edge of my seat. Thank you for sending me a copy of this book to read.

I closely missed Halloween when I read this book. Breathtakingly dark, this book is relentless in its horror, yet you cannot put it down. That's how appealing it is. I read it in two sittings, which is saying something.

So, Heather returns to her home after her mother's suicide. There, she finds loads of letters from a serial killer - one who drags off women into the woods and cuts out their hearts! This is the stuff of nightmares, people!

I liked Heather even though I didn't think she made the correct decisions all the time. The murderer reminded me of Hannibal Lecter (even thinking about it now sends a shiver down my spine).

Completely sinister and very readable. One of my best reads this year.

Thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Jen Williams for the ARC. The review is unbiased.

Following her mother's death, Heather returns to her childhood home to take care of her mother's affairs and prepare for funeral. As she sorts through her mother's belongings, she finds letters from a man. A man who is not her father. A man her mother has been corresponding with since before Heather was born. Heather decides to investigate and finds out that this man is in prison. And has been for years convicted for several murders.

Heather decides to meet with the man, Michael, to really find out who her mother was and why in the world she would be communicating with a serial killer.

I have always been intrigued by the mind of serial killers (don't worry, I don't have any as pen pals.) I think it's my interest in psychology that piques my interest. So obviously, a book like this pulled me in immediately. It started off very eerie, a constant creepy vibe. I'm thankful I got to read it in the daylight or the creep factor would have been too much for me. This isn't an in-your-face kind of scary, but is far more subtle which I liked.

Unfortunately my interest in the story waned near the halfway point and didn't ever pick up again. I was hoping for more from the story and it didn't deliver. The characters were not developed enough and I wish the author would have continued with the air of mystery throughout, but it felt a bit lackluster after a strong start. It did pick up again in the end and I thought the ending was well written, but again I needed a little more.

There are some sections with animal cruelty, and while I understood their purpose, somewhat essential to the arc of the story, they were difficult to bear and required me to skim over.

3.5 stars rounded up. This was an engrossing read, and I enjoyed the fairy tale aspects with the hunt for a serial killer. Overall, a good thriller.

A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams is a one of a kind thriller that kept me intrigued until the last page. I cannot say enough about this author and how impeccable her writing skills are. Heather Evans returns home after the suicide of her mother and while going through some of the items in the home she finds a stack of letters that were written from a serial killer who went by Red Wolf. He has been in prison now for more than 20 years yet there was another murder carried out just as he would. The writer keeps the pace steady and the characters are very well written and blend well with each other. The plot thickens and the twists will turn in this psychological thriller.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

What could have been a great story was not to be.
Halfway through the story, I was laboring and started to lose interest in Heather, Michael, and Red Wolf. I thought the plot had flaws and once that happens it becomes hard to carry on.
An independent review thanks to NetGalley / Crocked Lane

This is the first novel by Jen Williams I've read, and I can't wait to read more! This book kept my on the edge of my seat. Somewhat of a slow build but after the first few chapters it picks up. There are plenty of plot twists and Williams does a good job with the pace of this book. Perfect for all mystery/thriller lovers!

*Thank you netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book to review*