Loved the book. Good plot with duel timeline, good characters with plenty of twists to keep you reading till the end.
I received this book from Quercus books and Netgalley for a review.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. Truly Darkly Deeply by Victrola Selman. It is a serial killer novel, though one with a difference - the killer is behind bars and has been for nearly twenty years. Matty Melgren is a charismatic character who had a relationship with Amelia-Rose. when her daughter Sophie was twelve. Now Sophie receives a letter from Matty in prison informing her he is dying. There has always been a doubt in Sophie's mind about his guilt and the letter spurs her to visit Matty and try to uncover the truth. A very original novel with a series of twists and turns that take you through to the satisfying conclusion - recommended.

As a lover of psychological thrillers, I could not wait to read Truly, Darkly, Deeply. I was really happy that the publisher provided an ARC copy of this title.
I really enjoyed this novel and the fact that the story is really told from a child's point of view. There are quite a few twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. Unfortunately, I identified a major plot twist fairly early on in the novel, which did slightly spoil the experience for me. Overall though, I look forward to reading more by Victoria Selman.

This was one of those books which, whilst at times a bit dark, was definitely a compelling read. From the very beginning I wanted to know more about the main protagonists - and to find out whether or not Matty really was the serial killer. I'd read that this book had a twist at the end but had forgotten that until I got to pretty much the end of the book - and yes, this book does have, a really interesting twist, one I hadn't expected! I liked looking back into the past with the author - the reflections she has of her childhood - the TV shows, music etc - are echoes of my own past. Overall I thought this was a well-written book, a perfect read for hot, sunny days.

A dark domestic drama. A story told by Sophie as a child in the 80's and current day. Matty who was a father figure to her has been in prison for 20 years charged as a serial killer protesting his innocence. As the story evolves I found my mind changing as the cleverly written story has you swinging your view from side to side. The reveal is truly a headspin. A good read.

I've just this second finished reading #TrulyDarklyDeeply and my god what a book it is! So many emotions written so perfectly you feel them yourself, characters you will love, hate and love to hate. An excellent book start to finish! @VictoriaSelman thank you!

Loved the premise, really wanted to love the book… As with some of the other reviews, I found it rather repetitive and a bit clumsy at times. I’ve read some incredible books lately so perhaps I was expecting more than this one could deliver. I have friends who rave about Truly Darkly Deeply so definitely give it a go! I did finish it, so that says something!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A bit of an unusual diversion from my regular genre, I was unsure whether I would enjoy this one.
However, it is an extraordinarily written account, told from the point of view of a young girl who desperately wants to believe that the man she loves as a father isn't capable of a string of horrific murders.
Consequently, we spend most of the book looking for clues ourselves and trying to work out the truth.
I wouldn't consider this a thriller despite the subject matter as it is more of a family saga and a beautiful exploration of a step family dynamic, a romance that illustrates how damaging unconditional love can be and how, as immigrants, the main characters are treated by society.
I'm not going to tell you there is a twist at the end in case you spend the whole novel trying to guess it like I did but it is certainly an interesting conclusion.
Many thanks.

Truly, Darkly, Deeply by Victoria Selman is a very dark psychological thriller about a man who befriends a single parent family, with a young daughter. Marty Melgren befriends Amelia-Rose and her daughter, Sophie. Then young woman are being killed in London, who resemble Sophie’s mother. When Marty is convicted of the murders Sophie still wonders whether he was innocent.
She then visits him in Battlemouth Prison twenty years later, when he is supposedly dying and then finds out more than she ever wanted to know.
A very dark story which left more questions than answers.
Highly recommended

Being a true crime fan, I loved how this book talked about serial killers. It made me think of Ted Bundy as soon as I heard Matty worked in a crisis centre.

It was briliantly written in the fact even though I predicted the twist halfway through, her writing kept me engaged and turning the pages.

It was different in that it was written from the childs point of view and not the parents. That made the book more interesting. The timeline was from 1980 to present day.

4.5* --> 5*

Matty Melgren was a charming, handsome man. Most of all, he was a father figure to Sophie. The man who encouraged her, supported her, played games with her and always made her feel safe. But Matty had a darker side and twenty years ago, he was handed a life sentence for multiple murders of women in the North London area. He always maintained his innocence. Now, Matty is dying and he wants to meet with Sophie one last time. Sophie is reluctant but maybe this visit will answer some questions and give her some closure. There are after all missing women whose bodies have never been found. Will Matty, after all this time, finally admit that he was indeed a serial killer?

‘Truly Darkly Deeply‘ is told via a first person narrative and I think that really works here, as it feels as if you’ve just sat down with a cup of coffee while Sophie is telling you her story. In doing so, Victoria Selman manages to put quite a delightful spin on the one thing that everyone is always thinking when a seemingly normal family member turns out to be anything but : how could they not have known? How did Sophie’s mother not see? Sophie herself might have been too young and even now, when she’s looking back on those years of her early childhood, how reliable are her memories?

Sophie’s story begins when her mother packs up their things and moves them from Massachusetts to London, England. It is here where Sophie’s mother first meets Matty and Amelia-Rose is smitten. Matty very quickly becomes an intrinsic part of their little family unit. Sophie looks up at him and puts him on a pedestal. After all, Matty is everything she could possibly want in a father. Even though Matty often seems to lie or hide things, or puts down Amelia-Rose and argues with her pretty often, Sophie will always choose his side. So when the bodies of young women start popping up all North London, Matty is the least likely suspect to Sophie.

Was Matty truly a serial killer or was the wrong man convicted of these brutal murders? Don’t expect any answers soon. They are slow in coming but boy, are they worth the wait. The journey to the reveal is immensely compelling, and because the story is told via Sophie herself, it often becomes quite emotive. It’s remarkably easy to put yourself in her shoes, to wonder, to think things through and maybe find the answers before they’re revealed to you.

It might not be the world’s most popular topic and everyone is always going to have an opinion on it, but the impact of being related to a murderer really shouldn’t be underestimated. Those who are left behind will see their lives changed dramatically. People will start to look at them differently, avoid and ignore them, whisper behind their backs. “They must have known.” Maybe some do. I’m sure most don’t. Could they have done something to prevent the murders? Is it fair to blame them? Should they feel guilty? Do you think you’d know if you were related to a serial killer? Do you ever really know someone? It’s all so thought-provoking.

You might remember that my first introduction to Victoria Selman a little while ago wasn’t as successful as I had expected based on reviews I’d seen. ‘Truly Darkly Deeply‘ is a whole other kettle of fish though and I’m incredibly glad I took a chance on it. The blurb intrigued me from the second I saw it and I didn’t look back. There’s a delightful true crime vibe to it, which I enjoyed immensely and once I started reading, there was no way I was putting the book back down before I knew the truth of it all. I raced through this, savoured the chilling reveals and once you get to the end and think back on everything you’ve read …. all that’s left to say is “well played, Victoria Selman!”. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend to fans of the genre.

I was hoping to love this book but, I found it slow and tedious and not very interesting. I was glad to finish this book to be honest. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Sophie is making the difficult decision over whether to visit the man who practically raised her but was found guilty of murder. She has her own guilt about those times and still isnt totally sure if he commited the horrendous murders or not. The truth will set her free she hopes.

This was a really good read. I loved all the clever references to famous serial killer cases. As a true crime fan it added to the story. As for the plot itself it jumps from the present to the past as Sophie takes us back through those dark months. The ending is cleverly done and I liked the added twist. The writing is descriptive and draws you in. A brilliant read especially if you know your serial killers.

This was a very interesting read! It is about a serial killer but told through the eyes of his Girlfriends daughter who relays the story from both the past and in the present. Seeing the murders and the events that surround them told from this perspective made this a very unique reading experience. I was gripped from the first chapters and didn't see the twist coming until the final chapters. This book definitely made you doubt yourself and I found myself asking 'was it really him?' so many times! Very enjoyable!

This book was an incredible read. It literally had everything for me that a thriller should have
I found it incredibly hard to put down.
The storyline is so compelling. It draws you in immediately as a reader and hooks you
The storyline is extremely clever and I was a huge fan of how the author put the twists in and the twists all came out in the conclusion
There were so many what ifs to be asked throughout the book
I cannot recommend this book enough if you are a fan of dark, addictive thrillers
Thank you to the publisher for having me on the tour for this book

A chilling story and full of twists and turns about a girl called Sophie and her mother Amelia-Rose who move to London. where her mother meets Matty Melgren who is found guilty of being a serial killer. Twenty years later Sophie visits him in prison to get answers.
Thanks to NetGalley & Quercus Books.

I wanted to love this book because the storyline was clever, chilling and made for compulsive reading. The narrative was well written drawing the reader in quickly and keeping their attention. A range of interesting characters but not all likeable.
But for me what let the book down slightly , was the repetitive narrative of Sophie’s feelings, which felt a bit tedious. My first book from this author but not the last. A really sick, twisted novel about a serial killer and the long lasting effects on his ‘family’.

I enjoyed the tale that Victoria Selman has to tell but I feel that she took too long to tell it. With hindsight, a book best kept for the long dark evenings.

An interesting plot which kept me reading however a duel timeline is usually my favourite but in this case I found myself confused at times, having to read abit before thinking “ah that’s now” “oh that’s when she was younger”

When a mother and daughter move to London, a new friendship ends in devastating consequences. Twenty years later they get the opportunity to find some answers. Will the answers be what she is looking for or will it further complicate her life. An intriguing thriller with lots of twists.