Full review will be posted soonish and I'll add links to blog as well.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Highly disturbing, tense and engaging story!

I found myself taking breaks while reading because it was really intense! Loved it.

I don’t think I’ve read a book from a perspective of the daughter of a serial killer before… it definitely made it super intriguing.

Sophie doesn’t know her father, she’s been living with her mum and grandparents in the US until one day her mother decides to move to the UK. The change wasn’t easy but their lives started to get better when Matty started a relationship with her mum. He became a father she never had. And all was well… until he’s been arrested for being a serial killer.

20 years later Sophie is still struggling, until this day she’s unsure if Matty is guilty because he’s been screaming his innocence from day 1.

The story takes us through years of suspense, deceive and lies. Happiness and doubt. The trial and the aftermath.

I’ve read all Victoria’s books and this one is the best one so far!

An original storyline which had you gripped from the start. Cleverly written with a massive twist at the end

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher & Victoria for the ARC.

A fast paced thriller, difficult to tear yourself away from. Well written and expertly crafted.

Thank you Quercus books and NetGalley for this eArc.

I am a complete novice to world of suspense thrillers. So let me say, if you are like me, this is gonna freak you out. That chilling in your core, one you feel in of your bone, when they feel like lead, thats the one.
that said I really enjoyed this, foretelling is a thing with this one, it builds up, you see it coming but it doesn't diminish a thing, just gives you more of that lead in your bones :D

That said I did occasionally feel confused by our main character and her motivation, but saying anything more might spoil it all. If you like serial killer books, then give this a chance!

Sophie is an only child. Born in Massachusetts, her dad walks out when she is young to the dismay of her religious grandparents. Starting a new life in England, Sophie and her mum settle into a new existence together and are delighted when Matty arrives in their lives: finally a father figure for Sophie to love…

Their developing family relationships and fallouts are set in the 80s at a time when a dangerous serial killer is claiming lives of young women who bare a striking resemblance to Sophie’s mum. Taunting the authorities, the killer is bold and relentless. We are told early on that Matty was convicted of the murders but is still protesting his innocence. Is there a chance he is telling the truth?

Told from the POV of Sophie 25 years later, Truly Darkly Deeply is a novel that keeps you engaged. Our narrator is clearly damaged from the events of the past and is seeking answers- but at what cost? I really enjoyed the narration and flashbacks that revealed exactly what happened and why Sophie is carrying guilt from her childhood.

A real page turner of a book and just when you think it’s all wrapping up nicely, there’s a sucker punch of a final twist to leave you gobsmacked!!

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read and review this great novel.

A gripping serial killer story. Who doesn't love those? It's especially haunting since its written from the POV of a child. Imagine your stepdad is a serial killer. How do you live with that?

It is the early 1980's and a serial killer, The Shadow, is terrorising the streets of North London...a young girl has become a little obsessed with the crimes, and starts collecting newspaper articles, and information regarding The Shadow and his crimes. What devastation will be pieced together?...
A fascinating tale of of guilt and love, and what we see, and how we only see what we look for. A proper page Turner of a book.

I love a thriller with a twist. The ones where you think you’ve figured out what’s going to happen and it takes you down a rabbit hole instead. I think that was the intention with this book but it overreached. Initially Sophie mentions her guilt and it pulled me in. I came up with theories as straight forward as her having turned Matty in and as twisted as her having helped Matty. Then I started getting annoyed when she kept mentioning the guilt- it was repetitive and took away from the suspense. I didn’t see a couple of things that were revealed at the end, although it didn’t surprise me. It was bunched together and felt rushed. There was no savouring the ending. I started doubting whether she was even going to see Matty when I got through 85% of the book and it still hadn’t happened. Another point, Matty was pretty much a copy of Ted Bundy: ‘There was one of those straight-to-DVD movies made recently about his relationship with my mother. The producers got some stick for using such a handsome actor. It was all over Twitter; how they were playing up Matty’s golden good looks. How it was an affront to his victims.’ This is exactly what happened with Zac Efron when he played Ted Bundy. It was lazy to have the main character be an exact copy of a real life killer. The author could have done more research and come up with a more original character. All in all, I liked the story but it was sloppy.

An absolute masterpiece of a novel.

Sophie and her mom move from the US to the UK when she is eight. Her mother meets Matty and Sophie is over the moon to have another person in her life. Told through Sophie’s eyes growing up with Matty and her Mom and now in present day when she is going to meet him, the writing is something to luxuriate in.

Recommended to anyone that has ever read a book about serial killers and just wanted a bit … more.

Terrific.

Thank you Netgalley and Quercus Books for the opportunity to read and review this.

A gripping book told from the POV of Sophie that jumps between her childhood and her adult life.

A young Sophie and her mother move from Massachusetts to London her mother begins a relationship with Matty Melgrew. Matty seems like the perfect boyfriend and father figure, someone to whom Sophie becomes instantly attached to. It is during this family-orientated life that a string of murders occur and as the number of victims grows, Sophie can't help but notice that the dead women are of similar appearance to her mother Amelia-Rose.

In her adult life, Sophie is haunted by her childhood past, particularly her feelings of guilt. She is reluctant to visit her former father figure when he requests her visit in prison, who is now dying. Matty has always maintained his innocence. However she does ultimately visit him to not only close the door on the life she once shared with him, but to also learn the truth of what really happened, and ultimately gets more than she bargains for.

Reading this reminded me of Ted Bundy, which could've been the inspiration for this story?

A gripping tale and very much recommended.

An incredibly gripping book. I couldn't put this down, and when I did it was still in my head.
Told from the POV of a child , this gives the book an interesting take on a serial killer story.
With just a few characters in the book, you very quickly feel like you know them.
This is a fast paced, dark and very gripping read that i wont fast forget.
Highly recommend.


I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I found this book gripping, and interesting but also depressing at the same time. It is a very dark read with twists and turns.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Holy moly...what a book!! I thought it would be a 'standard' serial killer book but NO!!! Twists and turns and unexpected scenes. Never really sure where it's going to head off to next. It's like you're with Sophie trying to figure it all out. Highly recommend!

Why decide to write a book then realise you can’t make it as long as you would have liked so use repetition to fill it out. The story was ok and the characters interesting enough but just way too much filling for the whole thing to be judged as good.

After Sophie and her mother move from Massachusetts to London her mother begins a relationship with Matty. Matty seems like the perfect boyfriend and father figure but is he hiding a dark secret? As women who look eerily similar to her mother are found murdered could there be a a killer closer than anyone could have imagined?

This was a really interesting story as the it focused on the lives of the women in the case that a man has been convicted of a being a serial killer. The long lasting effects were heartbreakingly portrayed as we see Sophie as an adult and still haunted by the events of the past; particularly her feelings of guilt. A truly gripping read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

This book is Truely and Deeply Dark. It gripped me, broke me and twisted me. I had a few ideas where it was going but didn't see the biggest twist, which was good because sometimes not being able to predict what's coming is more fun!
The book is told from Sophie's perspective of all that happened. The troubles and turmoil. The only bit that puzzled me is she doesn't address one of the facts disclosed to her by Matty.
Overall I really enjoyed this book.

I was utterly gripped by this book and found it to be a refreshing take on a serial killer told from this different perspective. It felt very real, filled with emotion and ultimately the hops of recovery for Sophie. I don’t want to give any spoilers but would recommend this as one to read

I was entranced by Truly, Darkly, Deeply throughout.
The prose was very immersive and beautiful without being pretentious or flowery; the pacing was great, and the characterisation was second to none.
I enjoyed the ending, and though I partially saw it coming, it was masterfully delivered and very satisfying. I'd love to read more from this author.

5*

This had me hooked from the start and I couldn't put it down. Only a few characters that you get to know and understand really well... or so you think. It's written from an interesting perspective with one story teller who goes between the past and the present. I would definitely recommend it to others.