I always love it whenever authors I’ve enjoyed jump genres, and Jen Williams has proven she can navigate the stormy waters of mystery and thriller just as effectively as she does fantasy.

A Dark and Secret Place follows Heather Evans, who returns to her hometown after getting the distressing news that her estranged mother had committed suicide. It was unexpected, and even more puzzling in light of the note she left behind. Still, the most shocking moment comes as Heather, when going through her mother’s belongings, comes across a stack of old letters from Michael Reave, also known as the “Red Wolf”, a notorious serial killer who is currently serving a life sentence. As Reave as has been in prison for over twenty years, their correspondence goes back a long way, but the contents of the letters also seem to hint at a relationship that goes back even further than that.

Then, a body of a young woman is found, dismembered and posed inside the trunk of a tree, with flowers meticulously planted and placed around her corpse—the same thing the Red Wolf used to do. But with Reave in prison, who is committing these murders now? Of course, Reave has always insisted on his innocence, despite all the damning evidence against him. It’s possible they may be dealing with a copycat, or someone with intimate knowledge of the Red Wolf’s murders. Then there’s the third option, that’s too disturbing to contemplate. Shaken by the discovery of the letters, Heather decides to take them to the police to see if they can provide any insight into the case. Seeing a possible lead, the detectives arrange for her to speak with Michael Reave to see if she can use his relationship with her mother as a way to extract information about his past. Heather agrees, but secretly, she has her own personal agenda. Coming back home has made her realize how little she knew her mother, and it is her hope that an interview with the Red Wolf will reveal some answers into why she might have killed herself.

Does Williams bring anything all that new to the genre? Maybe not, but A Dark and Secret Place is nonetheless a perfectly serviceable thriller, and I loved that there was also a hint or horror and an element involving dark folklore and fairy tales. The main premise is intriguing, and the details behind the Red Wolf murders are disturbing and chilling. Right away, the author establishes a hook and a reason for readers to want to keep reading and find out what happens next. While it’s true that some of the more usual tropes were being employed, they were dependable and effective. The first half of this book had me completely riveted.

That said, it’s hard to say how long this momentum lasted. I think part of the reason for this slight drag is the split in attention, with one thread focusing on Heather’s own investigation into her mother’s past, while the other (in my opinion, the more neglected) thread focused on solving the resumed murders. The hunt for the new killer struck me as lackadaisical and hardly urgent, as Heather returns to the prison to speak with Michael Reave again and again without making much headway, and bizarrely the detectives on the case seemed just perfectly fine with this questionable use of time and resources. To be fair though, this mystery is probably just as much about Heather’s mother as it is about the Red Wolf killings, and ultimately these two plotlines do converge. Still, with so much going on, I just wish everything had been better balanced.

Nothing confirmed this more for me more than the ending, which was, in a word, overwhelming. In most thrillers this is usually the point where everything starts coming together, but in this case, Williams introduces even more details and clues. Like a burst dam, all the information held back suddenly came in a flood, and while it wasn’t a dealbreaker by any means, the overload still felt jarring. However, I did enjoy the late addition of Heather’s good friend Nicki as her sleuthing partner towards the end, so there were some positives and high points. I just wish the two women had teamed up sooner!

All told, I had a good time with A Dark and Secret Place. Balancing the different plot threads as well the overall pacing seemed to be Jen Williams’ biggest struggle. However, hould she continue to explore the mystery thriller genre, I would definitely keep reading.

A Dark and Secret Place, by Jen Williams, is a horrifying story about a serial killer. But it’s more than that. It’s about evil people and horrendous acts. However, it’s more than just a horror story. It is also a fascinating examination of family dynamics and how people are shaped by their environment.

Ms. Williams explores the degree to which family history affects self-perception. What happens when everything you believe about yourself, is untrue. What impact does that have on you? Does that change who you are?

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Jen Williams for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️️

A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams

A chilling psychological suspense about a woman how discovers her late mother had a decades-long secret correspondence with a serial killer.

This was a well written, scary, mystery thriller. I couldn’t put it down. Many interesting characters.
I enjoyed this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

Heather Evans loses her mom under suspicious circumstances. They were not on the best of terms at the time of her death. As Heather is cleaning out her mother's house she finds out her mother has been secretly writing to a notorious serial killer. Heather goes to visit him in prison to try and get some insight into his relationship with her mother.

New murders start to occur. The book was fast-paced surrounding the murders but it moved painfully slow for 70% of the book to me. I was so confused and I couldn't really put the pieces of the story together. By the time the shocking revelations were revealed, I had lost interest and just wanted to be done. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was not at all quite what I expected but I still really enjoyed it. I appreciated the different looks at family dynamics. As well as peopled darker sides that you would not have known about until it was all revealed. Loved the main character, although at times I questioned whether she was doing the right thing.

When I came across A Dark and Secret Place on Netgalley, I thought it must be by a different Jen Williams than I was thinking of. But low and behold, it was the same author! And that certainly got my attention, because I enjoyed The Copper Promise and I also love Mysteries. So I was excited to read this one.

The story is about a failed journalist who returns home after her estranged mother commits suicide. Despite the severed relationship, Heather is at a loss as to why her mother killed herself. But things become even more mystifying when Heather finds a tin full of letters that show her mother was corresponding with a sadistic serial killer Michael Reave for decades. And that killer’s name just happens to be back in the news because someone appears to be copying his crimes despite Reave having been incarcerated for years. Soon Heather finds herself embroiled in the ongoing case as she tries to find out what really happened to her mother.

Obviously, this story is drastically different from Williams’ Fantasy stories both in content and tone. It’s a fairly bleak story – though that was done in an atmospheric way that added to the creepiness of the story. There was mid-level gore, and sensitive readers will want to look into the content warnings. But this was a really solid story and quite a page turner. It might require some suspension of belief, but don’t all books in this genre?

Most of the story followed Heather’s investigation into her mother’s past. But there were also interludes about the killer’s past. Although I normally prefer more streamlined narratives, the flashback sections were fascinating, so it really worked in A Dark and Secret Place.

On a side note, I always find it odd when a character has my name. Of course, I have nothing in common with Heather’s mother, so it felt odd to see my name pop up.

I’ll admit, I never cared for the characters. At least they weren’t all nihilistic as they are in many thrillers. But they were mostly morally grey and definitely flawed. But that never detracted from my enjoyment of the story. I had to keep turning the pages and find out what happened next. And although I had lots of guesses along the way, the plot did keep me guessing. This was exactly the sort of pacey yet suspenseful story that I was in the mood for! I hope Williams writes more in this genre in the future. I recommend if you like stories about family drama, cults, and serial killers.

This is a super slow-moving thriller. I really enjoyed the middle, but I did not like the last part of the book. This was just not a book for me.

This book is a must read! Thanks to Net Galley for letting me read it early. This book was hard to put down. It was thrilling, suspenseful and psychological all in one. The lead character has to go back to her childhood home after her mother’s death and that’s when everything changes in her life.

https://lynns-books.com/2021/07/12/a-dark-and-secret-place-by-jen-williams/
3.5 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR Review : A Little Slow to Start

A Dark and Secret Place is the first foray into thriller/mystery by an author whose body of fantasy work I love and as such this was also an impressive book although I didn’t love it quite as much as the author’s other books.

As the book begins we make the gruesome discovery of a dead woman, the body mutilated and staged in the horrific style used previously by the notorious serial killer Michael Reeve, known as The Red Wolf, except Reeve was caught and has been in prison since.

At the same time we meet Heather Evans. Heather is returning to her family home. A home she left as a teenager and hasn’t visited since. Heather and her mother shared a strained relationship and Heather’s return has been brought about by the sad news that her mother has commited suicide. Heather struggles to understand why her mother would take her own life, the suicide note itself is puzzling, but when she discovers a stack of letters between her mother and the serial killer the plot thickens.

Heather takes the letters to the police and becomes caught up in the hunt for a copycat killer – involving visits to the Red Wolf himself to try and discover if he is involved.

The story is told in two timelines. We have Heather’s current timeline and we jump back to a young version of Michael.

This one does get off to a fairly slow start but I didn’t have a problem with the pace to be honest. It slowly becomes obvious that Heather is the centre of something very odd. She finds strange things in the house, there’s a creepy vibe to the place and sightings of a stranger lurking in the rear garden. To be honest I don’t think I could have stayed there so Heather was certainly a lot braver than I would have been. Clearly somebody was leaving these ‘mysterious’ things for her and there was a tension about this element to the tale that was decidedly spooky.

The flashbacks to Michael were also a bit unnerving and dark in nature but I’m not going to discuss those here.

We also have the visits to prison where Heather visits with Michael in a desperate bid by the police to uncover anything about the new murderer. The visits don’t turn out to be terribly helpful with Michael often behaving rather obtuse, spouting stories that resemble gruesome fairytales. Michael has a very strange intensity to him that was a little unnerving and I couldn’t help having this odd ‘Silence of the Lambs’ vibe.

The story escalates when Heather decides to take matters into her own hands and the final revelations become a little frantic.

I liked this one, there are some good ideas here and the story is well delivered. However, I didn’t love this one and I’m not sure that I can put my finger on why that is. I think on the face of it I struggled to connect with Heather. She could be a little bit prickly and in spite of her obvious intelligence she made some very dubious and risky decisions. I was mystified by one of her decisions in particular but,again, I won’t elaborate.

I think my slight hesitation in falling for this was a slight disparity between the first half of the book and the second They didn’t seem to gel as well as I would have liked. The ending had an almost chaotic feel with all sorts of elements being woven into the storyline. And the really odd thing is that now, reflecting on the story itself to write this review I struggle to recall some of the final revelations which is a really strange experience for me.

Overall, though, I did like this, it was a very easy read, gripping in fact, and I would love to see what the author comes up with next.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Thank you to crookedlanes and netgalley for the gifted copy.

This book is 5 stars for me. It's a slow burn thriller with lots of horror in it. This book is full of dark and disturbing secrets. I really enjoyed the authors writing style made it a real page turner.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. This book took me a while to finish. I was struggling sticking with the story. The beginning was slow starting, but the second half was definitely more thrilling. I love reading about serial killers, so that is why I decided to read the book. I found the story intriguing. If it had not picked up in the middle, I would have not been able to finish it. #ADarkandSecretPlace #NetGalley

I really enjoyed this dark, atmospheric thriller set in England. There was so much packed into less than 300 pages. It took me a little longer than usual to get through the story, and I’m so glad I didn’t give up halfway through! Although I did guess the ending midway through the book, that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of it at all. If you like creepy serial killer mysteries, look no further. This one is guaranteed to thrill!

Parents are a puzzle rarely seen as people no more complex than the lives they allow you to see. Heather Evans has come back to her mother’s home only to discover a bond with a man dubbed the Red Wolf. A man notorious, methodical, diabolical. A man who has long claimed himself innocent. Going through the letters and trying to piece together the chain of events Heather finds herself appealing to deaf police ears. It’s when another murder done in Red Wolf style that things begin to change. Still the reasons of her mother’s suicide remain to haunt her reason.

After Heather's mother dies by suicide, Heather returns home to handle funeral arrangements and to settle the estate. While going through items in the attic, she discovers a box of letters written to her mother over the course of many years. Her shock comes with the realization that the letters are from a notorious serial killer, The Red Fox, who is in prison. Heather is trying to figure out why her mother had secret correspondence with this evil man and takes the letters to the police to see if she can meet him. The police are hoping that by meeting the killer, Michael Reave, Heather can help them to capture a copycat killer that has recently turned up.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat! You don't really know what to think of any of the characters, everyone possibly a killer. A Dark and Secret Place would make a great horror film. There are many times throughout the book when I wanted to yell at Heather for the choices she made. Although the twists didn't shock me, they were very well done.

Thank you to #Goodreads and #CrookedLaneBooks for an ARC of #ADarkandSecretPlace by #JenWilliams in exchange for an honest review. This is my first book by this author, but it won't be my last. 4 stars

4.5/5

I have to say that I am pretty disappointed with all the low reviews I have seen for A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams. I didn't let that deter me and I'm glad I didn't because I LOVED this book! Cultish books are so hit or miss for me, and they have to be done just the right way or I really don't like them. This was the perfect dose of it for me and added just enough to the story that it intrigued me more instead of turning me off. The descriptions of the bodies were completely disturbing, and I wouldn't say this is a book for the squeamish reader. I loved the parts where our creepy serial killer Michael is telling dark and creepy fairy tales, and there is a great paranormal aspect that really kept me guessing. I had no idea if there was actually something supernatural going on, or if it was all made up, and that was just another part I really enjoyed. I liked Heather's present viewpoint as she digs to find out what her mom knew, but also that we end up with a couple of other viewpoints as well. Not really sure if it's a spoiler so I won't say who, but the combination kept me glued to the pages and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.

The audiobook is narrated by Lorna Bennett, and I thought she did such a great job upping the creep factor to the novel. She might actually be a huge part of why I enjoyed it so much, and there is nothing I like more than when a narrator adds to the story. She is also a narrator for The Lost Apothecary which I loved on audio, and if possible, I think she did an even BETTER job with A Dark and Secret Place. I am still trying to decide if I was super shocked at the end, but there was definitely a major piece I wasn't expecting. This is a very dark and atmospheric book, but it also went deeper than I expected it to, which I really liked. It did leave me with a couple of unanswered questions that I would have preferred to know the answers to, but that definitely makes it all the more mysterious that way. I would honestly love it if this would be turned into a series somehow since I don't think I got quite enough of the Red Wolf. I'm sure this isn't happening, but a girl can dream, right? I loved basically everything about A Dark and Secret Place and it has added Williams to my list of autobuy authors!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Dark and Secret Place had a lot of creepy moments but overall it missed the mark for me. It moved slow and then felt too rushed at the end. I just never felt like it came together.

What I liked about it: The scenes at Heather's mother's house were definitely creepy and I was intrigued to find out how the book played out so I never felt like not finishing it. I also enjoyed final chapters where Heather is exploring the woods and definitely got a few chills from that scene.

What didn't work for me: The book moved too slowly and the relationship with the police officer felt unnecessary.

Overall I'd give this one a 2.5-3 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this books in exchange for my honest review.

Reading Between the Wines book review #77/115 for 2021:
Rating: 2.5 🍷 🍷 🍷-rounded up to 3
Book 🎧: A Dark and Secret Place
Author: Jen Williams
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
RELEASED on June 8, 2021!!!
Recommended to readers who like a dark, serial killer books.

Sipping thoughts: Definitely an interesting concept- a serial killer who tells his stories using the Brothers Grimm. It was a very dark book which I also typically like. However, it was very hard to follow in the beginning. I enjoy switching timelines but this one was hard to follow. It became clearer over halfway through and more interesting but by that time I had pretty much gave up on the book. I was going to give it 2 stars, but the ending really was done well so I gave I am rounding it up to 3 stars.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @CrookedLaneBooks for an advanced copy of @ADarkAndSecretPlace

#ADarkAndSecretPlace #CrookedLaneBooks #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThriller

This is a twisted story about a serial killer. The story begins with Heather finding out her mother Colleen has committed suicide. She returns to Balesford and learns that her mother had been writing to a convicted serial killer. Heather meets Michael Reave, the convicted serial killer hoping to find answers to her questions about Colleen. With a copy cat serial killer committing murders, Heather is confronted with an urgency to help the Police stop the crimes and also to understand the bizarre notes left in her home. Though the plot is interesting and had a few twists, I felt like the suspense element was missing. The characters were well developed. This was a page turner. It had a lot of mention of the grimm fairytales which I found interesting. Overall, it was a good thriller but nothing to make it a standout. I liked the writing style which was very descriptive.

Thought the description of the book was really interesting and the book was that, creepy and dark as the investigation ramps up. But it was just a bit too slow paced for me and I wasn't the biggest fan of the main character.

Following an extended absence, Heather Evans returns to her family home after her mother commits suicide. Not only is Heather plagued by the regular grief you experience after the death of a loved one, but she's genuinely dumbfounded as to why her mother would have chosen to end her own life.

Reading the note her mother left, Heather is even more confused. It seemed her mother felt extremely guilty over something, but what? Also, the note is written in a way that leads Heather to believe it wasn't intended just for her. The context makes it seem like she is apologizing to someone else as well, but who?

It's apparent her mother had secrets and Heather feels like she needs to discover them if she is ever going to make sense of her death and put it behind her. Then she finds the letters. Her mother had been corresponding for years with the Red Wold, a infamous serial killer, Michael Reave, who has been in prison for 20-years for his crimes.

Heather teams up with an old friend and the two begin to look into her mother's past. Meanwhile, a copy cat killer has begun kidnapping and murdering women in their area, reopening the case of the Red Wolf for police and citizens alike.

This was interesting. There was a lot going on, a lot of threads to follow. Various perspectives were given and occassionally I would forget where I was in the timeline and with who. We get Michael's past perspective, which was interesting and his past with Heather's mother is unveiled over the course of the story. I will admit to feeling my mind wander at times and I never felt super compelled to pick it up once I stopped reading. Always a sign to me that I'm just not that invested in the characters, or their outcome.

With this being said, this is a good book. It's a solid story that I think a lot of people will enjoy. While I won't be including it on any of my favorites lists, there wasn't anything inherently wrong with it. It appears that this author has written a lot of Fantasy novels, so this may be her Thriller debut. If that is the case, it definitely shows her skill and I would pick up future novels from her in this genre.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always appreciate the opportunity to provide my feedback!