“You can’t handle the truth” ~A Few Good Men.

Sophie and her mom cross the pond from Massachusetts to London. Just the two of them, leaving everyone and everything far behind. Then a gentleman named Matty waltzes into their lives. Sophie’s mom desperately hopes he’ll propose to her. Sophie herself is also fond of Marty. He’s the father figure she never had.

Not so fast ladies…there’s a darker side to Matty.

Matty is currently sitting in prison convicted of multiple murders. Is he truly guilty? Do they have the wrong man? Now 20 years later he reaches out to Sophie. He has a few things he needs to get off his chest. Only Sophie isn’t sure she’s ready to hear it!

This was a very slow-burn of a mystery, with 90% of the book as backstory. With the title, book cover and premise I was expecting a bit more. The blurb promises a ‘wicked twist.’ Umm no. My reaction was a bit more of “oh alright, well that’s a bit random”. Wish I could say I loved it, but it fell into a midrange average read.

3.5🌟

On the plus side I love the cover!🤩

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co.

I wanted to love this book but I didn't. I did however, like it. The writing was very good and the characters were well developed. I was expecting more of a thriller and this felt more drama-ish, if that makes sense. I kept putting it down and picking it back up.

It may be more of a drama/character study than a thriller.

How much do you really know about your those you love? For Sophie, Matty has been in her life for years and is like her father. But, there are multiple murders near their flat and suspicions start to rise. He has been denying any involvement and has requested for Sophie to visit jail now that he is dying. She will now finally learn the truth.

The synopsis and cover had me excited to read this book. I felt annoyed with the MC as an adult the constant back and forth about her step fathers guilt becomes tedious.

I can see how others would enjoy this book but just needed some more twists for my personal enjoyment.

I was really looking forward to reading this, not only for the title and plot but also because so many of my friends enjoyed it. It was very slow moving to me and more of a character study. That’s not really my jam.

You think you know someone. You think you know everything there is, but something in the back of your mind sparks questions. Something is off but you can’t tell what.

Follow Sophie, the daughter who moves with her mother whom gets a new boyfriend. Sophie begins to see this man as a father figure. This story will take you through the past and present, and uncovering the hidden truth that the man she adores is a killer.

If you are a fan of true crime, thrillers, crime dramas you will definitely enjoy this unique story through a perspective that captures the heartbreak, and perspective of the family who is left to come to unveiling the truth about the man they thought they knew.

I adored this one! The story was on key. The plot was so well done. To have a believable character that is both hero and villain takes a talent beyond measure. This played with my emotions because of that. You wanted to both like and hate the character. The characters felt so real, like a real family traumatized. So many twists and turns and a finale that you don’t see coming. This was an amazing read! 5 stars

The tone set in this was dark, disturbing and depressing but it suited the story, capturing the atmosphere perfectly. Told from the point of view of Sophie, a little girl who moves from America to London with her mother. She becomes close to her mother's boyfriend, seeking a father figure, not knowing that he may be a serial killer. I really liked this one, seeing the side of the family and friends of a killer, what they go through and how they can be blinded by their love of them, not wanting to believe your role model or significant other is not who you think they are. For those who like a good mystery/drama, you will love this one. This is not a thriller, it isn't necessarily slow paced, it's just someone's story telling what is was like in their shoes. This was a brilliant read. Four Stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Union Square and Co. - a subsidiary of Sterling Publishing for this ARC.

4.5 ⭐️

This was a really unique spin on a serial killer story - it was told from the daughter’s perspective. Sophie idolizes her step-father and has a wonderful relationship with him, and yet she is not completely blindsided when she finds out he is the main suspect in a serial murder case.

I couldn’t put this down. This is the fastest I’ve read a novel so far in 2023. The author used inspiration from a mix of real serial killers to write this main character. I noticed a lot of similarities to Ted Bundy.

If you are a true crime fan, you will really enjoy this book!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own.

This is SUCH a fantastic and unique take on the serial killer trope. A story that is built around a convicted serial killer but from the past/present view of the daughter of his girlfriend and her memories of the man she knew, vs. the killer that he was hiding all along.

I would definitely say this reads more like a character drama/fiction vs. a thriller but the thriller intensity is there without question. As the story unfolds with flashbacks to Sophie's childhood and her relationship with Matty, you are utterly glued to the page knowing that Matty is indeed, in the present day, a convicted serial killer and the many (in retrospect) red flags that were setting off warning bells & denials in Sophie's mother were in fact as bad as she knew deep down they might be.

I loved the story of a serial killer from this totally other perspective. It serves as a very good reminder just how manipulative and normal these killers can be, and how their victims not only include those they kill, but those whose lives were intertwined with their own.

Highly recommend getting this one on your summer reading list, it's not to be missed!

I love a good serial killer thriller and Truly, Darkly, Deeply by Victoria Selman was a good read with a crazy twist.
I have never heard of the author but gave this story a shot and really enjoyed it, the plot, characters, all of it.
I wished the pacing was a tad bit faster. It is more of a slow-burn. Which of course is more of a personal preference. But other than that I enjoyed it.

Rating: 3.5

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

Thank You NetGalley and Union Square for your generosity and approving this eARC!

1.25/5 stars! This is my first book by Victoria Selman and I was excited to read this mystery thriller based on its premise. There were a lot of grammatical in this story, which is really offputting. I didn't mind the plot itself, but the pacing was really slow. It was a drag to get through this story. I think the story had potential and with some structure edits and basic spelling/grammar edits, the author could weave a good tale.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

How many books do you read at once?

I will usually listen to one, and be reading either one e-book or one physical book.

Publisher blurb:

Matty is a convicted serial killer serving life without parole for the murders of several women in London in the 1980s. He has consistently protested his innocence, and the evidence against him was largely circumstantial. At the time of his arrest, Matty’s girlfriend was Amelia-Rose, a single mother to 12-year-old Sophie. Matty’s handsome, funny, respectable— and Sophie could never suspect him of the brutal killings in the headlines. Then a police sketch of a suspect is released that looks a lot like Matty. Was it him? Sophie is consumed with doubt and guilt, causing her to act impulsively, ripping her family apart. Years later, she is still haunted by her actions. Was she wrong to have done what she did all those years ago? Then Sophie receives a letter from Matty—he’s dying and asks her to visit him in prison. Will she finally get the answers she needs to be able to reclaim her future?

Review:

There was a lot of back and forth and it just made me dislike Sophie so much. Sophie just wanted to love Matty so much she overlooked so many things, and this book explores why she was willing to overlook so much. I found the pacing of this book rather slow, and struggled with feeling invested with the characters – especially Sophie. She was just so unreliable that it frustrated me. I did enjoy how this one wrapped up, I think that it was done nicely and left me satisfied.

Check this out June 27th.

Thank you to the publisher Union Square & Co, @unionsqandco, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was as stunning as the cover. I loved everything about it. Loved the characters, would highly recommend!

This book was just okay. I am not sure if there are any other words to describe it. It was not awful, but it also was not that intriguing. It was just meh.