Absolutely loved this book!
From the first page I was hooked right through to the last page. A well paced compelling story.
A serial killer at large with twists and turns. A must read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I love Victoria Selman’s writing, having recently read her gripping Ziba Mackenzie series. So I jumped at the chance to read an early copy of her new novel, Truly, Darkly, Deeply. Her new book explores a fascinating topic when it comes to true crime as well as crime fiction. Whenever a person is convicted of a heinous crime, we often look at the perpetrator’s families and friends, and wonder, how could they not know what this person in their lives was doing. It seems impossible to us.

Victoria Selman tells her novel from the point of view of Sophie, who is living with her mother and occasionally her mother’s boyfriend, Matty. Sophie and her mother recently moved to London from America and Sophie is struggling to adapt at school. Victoria Selman explores the relationship Sophie has with Matty, and it is clear to see that he does have a deep affection for her, and she for him, even though there are definitely some chilling moments as Victoria explores this. Matty comes under suspicion for being involved in a series of shocking murders across London and this shatters Sophie’s world.

I loved the tension Victoria Selman created as she takes us back to the years when Sophie is a child and living with her mum. Throughout the novel, some people doubt the claims that Matty is the person responsible for the murders. Victoria did keep me thinking about this, even though we know that Matty has already been charged for the murders. It made me wonder just what went on during Sophie’s childhood that she might not have seen, or understood, at the time. For me this was what made this book so gripping, as I wanted to know what really happened.

There are some chilling reveals as Victoria reveals to us just what went on during Sophie’s childhood and everything does make so much sense.

I raced through Truly, Darkly, Deeply. Victoria Selman’s writing has such an addictive quality to it that this is a book that you could quite easily finish in one sitting. Although this is fiction, I believe this will also appeal to fans of true crime. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it. I’m sure it’ll be one of my favourites of the year.

This was a very well written story. Great characters and a very different storyline. To get into the mind of a serial killer proved to be quite enlightening. The love that was felt for him was quite difficult to imagine, except that she was glad of somebody to love her.
I enjoyed it very much.

A cracker of a book! Well paced, well written with a great twist near the end. Overall compelling read that I found hard to put down. will be watching for this author in the future. Incorporates many elements of various true crimes and serial killers. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5!

In this Mystery book, we see the story through the eyes of a child.
12-year-old Sophie lives a normal life in London with her mother until 'The Shadow' starts murdering young women who look like her mother.
We see through her naive mind how the murders affected her and her relationship with her mother and her mother's boyfriend, Matty, who is later found guilty of those crimes.
The pace was going smoothly and the characters were well written, as well as the descriptions.
There is a plot twist that I quite liked and almost took me by surprise.
In all, it was a good book.

This is a difficult read; a bit slow to get into but at all times a sense of foreboding. I felt the Sophie’ character was a tad underwritten and I would have liked more details about what she did between Marty’s conviction and his death-bed invitation.

It was written in a quite stylised manner, and alternating between Sophie “then” and Sophie “now” made for an uncomfortable read. I suppose that the story could have been told in a more linear style and I felt that the denouement was rather lacklustre but nonetheless shocking.

All in all a good read and my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review.  I have heard so much love for this book so was excited to dig in .

I raced through this and loved it. Its deliciously dark and addictive as the truth is revealed chapter by chapter . Completely unpredictable and gripped me by the first page .

I can see this doing very well in summer 22 !

As someone who loves true crime books and documentaries as well asstudying psychology this ticked a few boxes for me. I felt the reader really got into the bones of this dysfunctional family . You would surely know if someone was a bad man as a kid …..right?? Maybe they have got it all wrong and he’s innocent?

This is a intense examination and insight into the lives of not just the victims but the family left behind to pick up the pieces when someone is sent to jail for heinous crimes. The impact it has on a child was excellently portrayed.

Incredibly clever and I wish her every success with this book .

Published 7th July

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving for this arc!

I loved this I loved the back and forth and even though I thought I know exactly what was going to happen in this book I was so wrong - which I didn’t mind for once!

The concept was fabulous and through reading between the lines the author managed to send you on an investigation for jt to take a massive turn which I adored.
MJ would recommend this book to everyone

Dark and disturbing and a truly compelling read with a final twist that I didn’t see coming.
The most macabre aspect of this book, for me, was the surprisingly normal and loving relationship a serial killer and psychopath had with his girlfriend’s young daughter. I think the thought that evil could be hidden in such plain sight it truly the most scary aspect and provides food for thought, playing on the insecurities that you don’t ever even know those who are closest to you.
The tension and uncertainty builds beautifully and stealthily and the aspects of the serial killing are chillingly plausible.
A real treat of a read and I’d thoroughly recommend.

Ooh, now I do like a good psychological crime thriller, and that’s exactly what we have here in Victoria Selman’s excellent Truly, Darkly, Deeply. I’ve read one of her books before, Snakes and Ladders and enjoyed it a lot. This, a standalone, was one that I jumped at the chance to read.

A letter to Sophie from Battlemouth Prison from convicted multiple murderer Matty Melgren reawakens old wounds from some twenty years previous, when Sophie and her mother moved to London from the US. Matty moved into their lives as a serial killer started stalking the streets of North London.

Told from the point of view of Sophie now and Sophie before, it’s a fascinating glimpse into fractured family dynamics and the possibilities of innocence and guilt. Matty, seemingly a devoted father-figure to Sophie, could he really be the killer who roamed the streets near their home? And why do all the victims look like Sophie’s mum?

Selman’s writing is engaging and the various strands of the plot are well-constructed. I had my suspicions of what might be going on, but was delighted to see the ending wasn’t quite as I thought. Selman loves to drip-feed us with morsels of information as the story progresses, and I found myself wandering down the wrong path once or twice!

I enjoyed this book a lot. Recommended.

An interesting story about truth, obsession, guilt and honesty. Was Matty ever guilty? Did he spend 20 plus years in prison for crimes he didn't commit?

Truly, Darkly, Deeply is a story you’re lured into almost immediately. Told through the point of view of Sophie, a young girl who lives with her troubled single mother, we’re introduced to the charismatic and charming Matty; a man who women find hard to resist. He starts up a relationship with Sophie’s mum and forms a father like bond with Sophie but Matty has secrets to keep and things take a dark turn. I enjoyed reading this book. I like Victoria Selman’s writing style but I did feel that her descriptions were quite bland at times. There was a definite lack of imagery, which was a shame because more could have been made of the murders with better description. Nonetheless, this book is definitely worth a read and if you like murder stories without vivid imagery, then this is the book for you.

Told from the perspective of Sophie in the present day and as a child, this is the story of a deeply troubled individual who, as a child, saw the man she looked too as a father figure arrested and charged for a series of horrific murders. He has always protested his innocence, so when a letter arrives from the prison Matty is remanded at saying that he wants to tell her the truth, Sophie has to decide whether she really wants to know the truth or not.

What follows is a story full of hints and red herrings; is Matty innocent as he still claims? should Sophie feel guilt for not voicing what she saw all those years ago? are there clues in Sophie's past that make sense to the adult reader that the child Sophie could not understand?

Moving between past and present, over a period of years, the toxic relationship that Matty and her mother shared is laid bare. The couple bring out the worst traits in each other and often Sophie finds herself picking up the pieces, or being exposed to behaviour no child should have to witness. There are hints that far worse things went on in the home they all shared than Sophie can articulate as a child. It's not a pleasant read by any means and it felt like a slog getting through some sections.

The reveal at the end was both banal and shocking; I was left with a bad taste in my mouth and glad to have finished reading.

My thanks go to the publishers and NetGalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

'Truly Darkly Deeply' by Victoria Selman draws on the pathologies of real life serial murderers, and explores the ripple effect of their actions, through fiction. In particular, Selman asks what happens to the women who loved these men? How do they cope with "The yearning, the questioning, the love that won't leave."? Anyone who has read 'The Phantom Prince' by Elizabeth Kendall (former girlfriend of Ted Bundy) will recognise some of the feelings experienced by our perpetrators partner, as she and her daughter struggle to determine what was real and what was not in their time with convicted killer, Matty Melgren.

Matty doesn't look like a monster and I think that serves as a useful reminder to all of us, that we shouldn't judge the proverbial book by its cover. I found it an interesting read, on many levels, and expect it will be a hit with fans of true crime. The book provides much in the way of food for thought and will generate some good discussion in book groups.

I’ve heard nothing but amazing reviews on this book so knew I’d just have to read it - I can’t help myself. And honestly this book did not disappoint, I feel like it was a completely new and engrossing twist on your standard serial killer novel and I loved it for that.
I found it fascinating from the point of view of what it would be like to truly love someone perceived to be evil or a monster as it’s something most of us cannot fathom. I enjoyed this one, another genuine recommendation for this book!

It must be a strange feeling, to be tarred with the brush of someone who does something really bad, especially if you’re a child and couldn’t have done anything about it. This is the starting point of Truly, Darkly, Deeply.

Sophie (the child, now adult) gets a letter from the serial killer (Matty, now dying in prison). She once thought of him as a father. Then a monster. Now she doesn’t know how she feels, other than stuck. Despite it being 20 years since he was arrested, she hasn’t moved on. Instead, it’s her, her dog, and her mom and a constant revisiting of the past.

Will meeting Matty (his dying wish) help her heal and move on? Or will it provide more questions than answers? As she decides what to do, we (the reader) are taken back to where it all began and how it all went wrong.

I can’t say I’ve read anything that has taken quite this approach to what is a crowded serial killer ‘scene’. Which is why I wanted to read it, and what I enjoyed about it. It felt fresh. Different. While there were murders, they weren’t the most important thing about the story. Rather is was how one man had impacted the lives of all those around him.

Sophie’s life is obviously the primary one. But there’s her mother as well, family friends, and her family back home (who were less than sympathetic). I enjoyed going back to the beginning and seeing as it all unfolded. And I enjoyed getting to know Sophie, who was sympathetic without being wishy-washy-weak.

I’ve noticed (and you may have too) that I am using the word enjoyed a lot. And that sums up how I felt about the book. It was enjoyable. I enjoyed it. Was it the best book I’ve ever read? No. But is was well written with characters that grabbed my attention and a story that stood out from the crowd.

Why am I not raving about it then? Simply because – as a reader – it didn’t ‘grab’ me as much as I would have liked it to. Books I love are generally loved based on a gut feeling. A wishing that there are still pages to turn. With Truly, Darkly, Deeply, I finished the book with a sense of satisfaction but not that ‘something more’ feeling I wanted.

Would I recommend it? Yes, definitely. Would I buy it for a friend? Again, yes. Will I be thinking about it months from now? Probably not. Which leaves it with a solid 3.5/5, pushing a 4 but not quite there.

My dark thriller loving heart was attracted to the cover of this title. It called to me, and I just knew I had to read it.

The opening first couple of chapters blew me away – it was dark and brilliantly written and I was hooked.

Sadly, I felt the majority of this was quite drawn out and descriptive and personally would have liked to have seen more behind the scenes moments from Matty and Amelia-Rose, especially after the twist at the end.

That said, the ending did have a great twist and I enjoyed the way in which the story was wrapped up.

If the opening of this novel is anything to go by, then this is an author to watch out for. More dark twisty writing please!

I look forward to reading more from Victoria Selman.

4 Stars – Psychological Read!

Publication Date: 7th July 2022

Thank you to #NetGalley, #VictoriaSelman, and #QuercusBooks for an ARC of #TrulyDarklyDeeply in exchange for an honest review.

There were a few things that made me want to read this book, the first being of course the whole theme of the book and the fact it was a murder novel/thriller and the second was that it is released on my birthday. I also loved the cover of this book with the rose which after reading it, I assume is a reference to the mum in the book as her name is Amelia-Rose. The book starts in the present time where it is twenty years since Matthew Melgren committed heinous murders on 9 females including a child (that’s nine that we know of). Right through, Matty has always proclaimed he is innocent and was framed. Being a charming guy and a bereavement counselor and a loving stepdad - it is easy to see why people believe he is innocent. Equally, some believe he is guilty. Now twenty years on, Matt is dying and his stepdaughter Sophie has received a letter from him asking her to visit. She is reluctant but knows deep down she needs this to move on with her life. The book then jumps to the past which shows how Matt came to be a part of Sophie and her mum Amelia-Rose's family and the ups and downs they had and then the murders happening on TV and eventually his arrest. The book also shows a huge part of the effect it had on Sophie and her mum, rather than focusing on the acts of murder itself - though we do have news coverage and newspaper articles throughout the story. I loved the surprise twist at the end which I wish they had gone into a bit more detail as it came out of the semi-left field. Overall, this was a slower-paced read but fascinating at the same time and it reminded me as a whole of a fictional version of Ted Bundy's story as Ted Bundy worked as a crisis counselor and he was charming, suave, and had a wife and daughter. Truly, Darkly, Deeply by Victoria Selman is the perfect fiction-based read for any true crime Aficionado.

Having previously enjoyed the Ziba MacKenzie series by Victoria Selman, I was keen to give Truly, Darkly, Deeply a try. It is a standalone thriller about a serial killer operating in North London in the early 1980s. It is told from the unusual viewpoint of Sophie, both when she was twelve years old at the time the killer was active, and twenty years later as she decides whether to visit him before he dies in prison. He has always professed his innocence, but she needs closure for the sake of her mental health.
Sophie and her mum, Amelia Rose, move from America to London for a new start. Her mum meets Matty Melgren and he becomes the closest thing to a father that Sophie has known. He is very charming and they have a lot of fun, but he is also secretive and prone to unexplained absences. The narrative alternates between the two timeframes, and the story is gradually revealed. It focuses on how the family of a serial killer is affected by what he has done, and how they are treated by others, especially the press, as if they were just as guilty and must have known what he was up to. There are references to real life serial killers, and the extracts from blogs, websites and newspaper articles add an extra dimension to the story. There is a strong sense of time and place, with lots of popular culture, and I could imagine it being made into a film or TV series. Thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

Truly, darkly, deeply follows Sophie as she decides whether or not to reconnect with her convicted serial killer step father who is terminally ill in prison. That's pretty much it in a nutshell as we go back and forth between now and when Sophie was a child to see both perspectives. We get to witness what Sophie was witnessing through hindsight and older eyes and we get an insight into the world Matty and Sophie enhabited.

A good read, an interesting premise, and one I would recommend to other thriller readers.