Member Reviews

I loved this very different take on a serial killer novel. Other reviewers have lamented the pace, but I found the psychological insight of this set up more than compelling enough to keep me reading long into the night. I did guess parts of the twist from very early on, but nevertheless found it deliciously satisfying.

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It looks like Sophie might finally get the answers she craves. But will the truth set her free - or bury her deeper?

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Selman has successfully crafted a haunting and thrilling novel that will keep you page-turning long into the night.

The layering of flashbacks, the present day and blog posts/articles connect and engage the reader in the story while slowly building up tension and mystery.

It is hard to say that I 'enjoyed' reading this as the subject matter is very dark, but I would definitely recommend this book to fans of true crime. Character information and hints to the plot are peppered perfectly throughout to keep you guessing to the end.

This is a slow burn read - sometimes too slow. The tension is perfect but the pace is sometimes lost and the flashbacks often become repetitive. I found myself itching for a development in the plot. That being said the last 30% was gripping and the ending was unexpected!

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus books for an advanced copy.

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Breathtakingly good, and the title is bang on the money - truly dark in all the right places. A serial killer story through the eyes of those who are affected by their actions. Matty Melgren was convicted of some horrific crimes, but is he where he deserves, or was he swept up in a huge miscarriage of justice fuelled by fear? Victoria Selman has knocked it out of the park with this one.

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I blitzed through this book over the weekend as I just could not get enough. Light and witty I enjoyed every second. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I only managed to read half of this book before I gave up. 46% in and there didn’t seem to be anything keeping me hooked to it - no twists or turns, no new developments in the plot.

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The book has been written from an original perspective. Who would think about people left to deal with the aftermath of a serial killer? It felt a tad slow to begin with but I soon found myself wanting more. Did he? Didn't he? And then a totally unexpected twist.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This is definitely unique and interesting. It was quite slow though and took a while to develop. I’m not sure that I am entirely satisfied with the ending though.

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Loved the writing style in this one; I thought the author quite talented to be able to carry the whole story from one character. It was really well-paced and I couldn't wait to find out the ending - it had me gripped and I really cared about what happened to the daughter. Well done - great writing and a great premise.

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This novel had everything I love in a thriller - an unrepentant serial killer, back and forths between the past and present with the story being gradually revealed, and a series of killer twists.

Sophie, now grown up, was raised by her beautiful single mother, Amelia-Rose. Until, that is, Amelia met handsome and charismatic Matty Melgren, and Sophie finally had a father figure in her life. The only blight on Sophie's childhood is the serial killer targeting her neighbourhood, with all the victims bearing more than a passing resemblance to her mother...

Meanwhile, adult Sophie is living as normal a life as she can when she is contacted by Matty from prison. Convicted of the serial murders all those years ago, Matty still claims he is innocent - and now he's dying and wants to see Sophie one last time...

I don't want to say too much about this one so as not to spoil anything, but I couldn't put it down. Well-written, engaging, and genuinely creepy at times, I couldn't wait to get from one chapter to the next. Highly recommend this one if you;re a fan of 'killer-thrillers' that have a bit more about them than just the murder element.

Thank you to NetGalley, and to the publisher, who granted me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Sophie had a great relationship with her mum's boyfriend, Matty. Well at least she thought he did, until Matt was arrested on supicion of murdering a number of young women. Surely it couldn't be true.

I liked the way the author framed the novel with a letter from Sophie to her childhood self. It must have been really hard for her to equate the father figure she loved as a serial killer.

The main character was well painted and I felt invested in her story. The author has an engaging writing style and I would be keen to read more of her work.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC,

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When she was twelve Sophie & her mother Amelia-Rose left Massachusetts to start a new life in the UK. Amelia meets Matty. He is good looking, good fun & Sophie falls under his spell. He is the only father she really knew & she would do anything for him. Young women looking strikingly like Amelia are being killed Sophie begs her mother to take care. When Matty is imprisoned for multiple murders & the questions it leaves behind it destroys their life. Now Matty is dying & wants to speak to Sophie.

This was a rather claustrophobic scary tale. I found it hard to like the characters but I also wanted to find answers. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

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Maybe it’s only me but I just couldn’t get into this book. I read it to the end, but even then I couldn’t really understand the point of it all. I found it a slow read with not much actually happening, and Sophie and her mum began to get on my nerves. I couldn’t understand why they put up with what was happening and didn’t take any action. It just all seemed a bit wishy washy. I appreciate that it was well written but I’m sorry, this was not for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the ARC.

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Victoria Selman’s Book Truly, Darkly, Deeply is written in a style that will keep you guessing from beginning to end. Personally, I found it extremely difficult to put down.
Amelia-Rose meets with a man, Matty Melgren when her daughter Sophie is only 12 years old.

Matty and Sophie bond like Father and daughter but later Matty is arrested and imprisoned after several murders had occurred.

But was he guilty? Sophie mulls everything over in her mind as she and her Mother traverse the views towards them of society in general. The story is told through Sophie’s eyes, and I found her character to be well rounded out and quite deeply sad whilst she looks back over 20 years. An excellent read with a delicious twist!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This really took me quite a while to get into and I really had force myself to even go back to it purely because I hate not finishing a book. It's a very different take on a serial killer type book so that's make it unique and a bit different from most of the other books out there. I just struggled with a lack of any real plot development. If you prefer a slow burn and can stick with a story through to the bitter end then yes, there is a bit of a twist in there and there is some kind of conclusion but this just wasn't for me unfortunately.

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Dark, Chilling And Unpredictable….
Dark, chilling and unpredictable serial killer chiller with an astutely observed and credible cast and with a swiftly moving storyline. Immersive but tense with an edge of darker menace throughout to the twisting, turning and unexpected denouement. A premise that delivers in droves. Read this one with the lights on and the door firmly locked.

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A really enjoyable book that is pretty dark all the way through. Definitely a unique storyline with some twisted characters. Unfortunately, I felt that the ending was just a bit too much and was left feeling rather deflated.

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This book was incredible. It was completely gripping, it snatched me into its pages and spat me put at the end and I couldnt wait for it to happen again. It was atmospheric, tense, chilling and gothic, with such a level of unopredictability that I didnt know who to trust or what to believe. I loved it

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Wow!! What a read! This book screamed at on its virtual shelf with such an amazing cover! I am glad to say, it did NOT disappoint. I was absolutely hooked & would most definitely recommend!

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This book is very dark, chilling, atmospheric, gripping, compulsive and immersive. I connected with all the characters and I loved living through Sophie's eyes, even though it gave me goose bumps and chills throughout. Sophie is a brilliant character and her relationship with her step father Matty is amazing and she doesn't want to believe the stories she hears from her Mum Amelia Rose, about Matty's strange quirks and disappearances, which turn out to be very very disturbing. I LOVED the darkness, the duplicity and the lies. This book definitely lives up to it's title. The plot is consistent and doesn't stray from the main point. It's a PHENOMENAL serial killer thriller with one hell of a WICKED, UNEXPECTED TWIST that blew my mind. This will definitely be the MUST READ of 2022. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT. Highly recommend this twisted read.

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A brilliant serial killer thriller told from the partners perspective. I really enjoyed this unique and unusual perspective. Great characters and great story. Highly recommended xx

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