This was an interesting horror read! It reminded me a lot of Steven Kings older work. I loved the 80s vibes and the supernatural element. I do think certain parts of this dragged, and there were some grey areas that could have been explained or dived deeper with, but this could have been resolved if it was another 100 pages or so. But, overall, a great spooky read!

If you liked IT by Stephen King, this book is right up your ally. Matt writes beautifully spooky about how guilt affects different people with the passing of time. If you're looking for an easy spooky read, this book is for you.

I really liked this book, I'm not usually a horror/mystery/thriller (however you want to categories it) reader but I really liked this one. My only real complaint is that the flashbacks would come at such a bad time, you'd get really interesting chapters where ll you want to know is what happens next but then bang next chapter its a flashback and it would irritate me a tiny bit.
Love that it was British though idk why just so comforting to know its British with the slang popping up here n there.

I really liked the ending, I wasn't expecting it to go that way but I'm glad it did if that makes sense I really like how it surprised me.

Thank you Net Galley and Severn House for the ARC!

Wicked Jenny by Matt Hilton is a supernatural horror novel that intertwines past and present, following a group of childhood friends haunted by a traumatic event from their youth. The narrative alternates between 1988 and the present day, creating an eerie atmosphere as the characters confront their past. While the story offers a compelling premise, some readers may find the pacing uneven, with flashbacks occasionally disrupting the flow. Nonetheless, the novel delivers a chilling twist that adds depth to the tale, making it a worthwhile read for fans of spooky fairy tales with a twist.

Thank you to NetGalley, Matt Hilton, and Severn House for providing the ebook. The title, Wicked, perfectly captures the essence of the story. It's an exhilarating journey that unfolds across two distinct settings, filled with unexpected twists and turns at every corner.

I enjoyed this books writing style. It felt a little slow to me at times and did not hold my interest. Took a while to read

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this e-arc! I’m excited to look into more work from this author in the future.

A little bit paranormal with a lot of horror, Wicked Jenny is spooky, suspenseful and shocking. It had an extremely unreliable narrator, which I love and an interesting cast of characters - none of which are very good people. There was so much going on it was a bit hard to follow in the beginning, but soon it got easier and much more enjoyable. Not my favorite horror read, but a good one if you like that genre.

Three solid stars for a well written, engaging horror story/murder mystery. The story has a "Stand By Me" or "It" vibe - a group of young kids get in trouble, and fast forward to adulthood and they get to relive their traumatic childhood events. Here, five boys bullying two sisters by the frog ponds leads to the death of one of the sisters and the bludgeoning of the other - years later, the boys are being hunted down by a bog woman who may be the surviving sister, or maybe Jenny Greenteeth, or maybe just mass psychosis. Either way, the guys are having a rough time coming to terms with their past.

I enjoyed the story and thought it was a solid read. My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity.

3.75 Stars

Matt Hilton's Wicked Jenny is a thrilling and chilling novel that captivates readers with its dark and eerie atmosphere. Although the narrative structure, with its back-and-forth timeline, can be initially confusing, perseverance is rewarded as the story unfolds. The shifting perspectives of various characters add complexity and enrich the storytelling once you become accustomed to them.

A Slow Start with a Gripping Payoff
Initially, it took some time to settle into the narrative. The intertwined timelines and multiple character perspectives made it challenging to follow. However, about 50 pages in, the storyline began to gel, and by the halfway mark, the novel truly hit its stride. The suspense and horror intensified, creating a genuinely creepy and engrossing reading experience.

Wicked Jenny stands out as a cautionary tale, making it an ideal read for fans of horror and suspense. The novel's ability to evoke fear and tension is remarkable and will leave a lasting impression on those who appreciate a well-crafted horror story.

In conclusion, Matt Hilton's Wicked Jenny is a must-read for anyone who loves a good scare and a cautionary tale. Despite its initially confusing structure, the novel delivers a haunting narrative that is both thrilling and thought-provoking. I, for one, can't wait for the next instalment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for providing the e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this immensely. The back and forth timeline was a little confusing, and keeping straight what character's POV I was reading BUT the story and the scary stuff was great! All the strange occurrences and brutal murders really put me on edge. The whole egregore angle was inspired. Wicked Jenny was indeed wicked--but she had good reason. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

Wicked Jenny by Matt Hilton is a fast-paced, gritty thriller that grabs your attention from the first page and doesn’t let go. Hilton crafts a vivid, atmospheric world filled with morally complex characters, each with their own secrets and motives. The titular Jenny is an unforgettable protagonist—enigmatic, resourceful, and dangerous in all the right ways.

The story’s pacing is relentless, with tension that builds steadily as the plot unfolds. Hilton’s writing shines in his action sequences, which are cinematic and heart-pounding, and his knack for building suspense keeps you turning the pages late into the night. The setting, with its dark, almost noir-like undertones, adds an extra layer of intensity to the story.

While the book excels at delivering thrills and intrigue, some of the secondary characters felt underdeveloped, and there were moments where the plot threads felt slightly rushed. However, these minor issues don’t detract from the overall experience, as the core of the story and its central characters more than make up for it.

Wicked Jenny is a gripping read for fans of thrillers with a sharp edge and complex antiheroes. It’s a book that stays with you, and I’ll definitely be looking forward to more from Matt Hilton.

This was great! The ending was unexpected and the writing is well done and draws you in. The characters are unique and I was invested in how this was going to end. This is a great dark story and one I would recommend! Special Thank You to Matt Hilton, Severn House and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I got the same sense of mystery and supernatural when I read GHOST STORY by Peter Straub, one of those books that stay with you. The young boys saw no harm in their actions and no malice in pointing the finger at the local misfit when asked. With one sister dead, the other so damaged she's never fully recovered, the boys grow to men who are never comfortable around each other again. Together only because one of the five have been killed, in the same gruesome manner, they must decide what to believe, and so must the reader. While Matt Hilton's writing may not be as polished as Peter Straub's, I enjoyed the story of WICKED JENNY and would recommend it to anyone who loves when a book sends a sudden chill down your back.

This book was a did not finish for me. I found it hard to get into the plot - the beginning was very descriptive and drawn out, which made me bored a little bit. The plot was interesting, but the writing style was just not for me. If you prefer very descriptive and imaginative writing styles, this book may appease to you.

Wicked Jenny by Matt Hilton is a creepy and haunting story that grabbed me and kept me hooked till the last page.
From the beginning, I was hooked on this story and these characters that I was so obsessed with.
The characters are well drawn, and the story is well structured.
The plot has such amazing details that come through at just the right moment.

Thank You NetGalley and Severn House for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

1988 - a group of 5 young teenage boys (Andy, Carl, Brian, Johnny. & Gavin) are down at the local frog ponds when they become witnesses to the vicious attack on two girls. Poppy is left fighting for her life & her sister Melanie is killed - both felled by brutal blows from an object. The boys tell the police that they saw an older boy, Ian, hanging out there at the same time & he was carrying a hammer. Ian is arrested but before he can be tried, he commits suicide, & his guilt is never proven.

Now: almost 40 years later, the friend group have mainly drifted apart, but they are brought back together when Carl is murdered whilst walking home from the pub. His body is found in the same area as the girls were found. After his death, the other 4 start to experience strange occurrences. Is it local legend Ginny Greenteeth or is it a grown-up Poppy hellbent on revenge for not coming to their rescue? Whatever or whoever it is, they know that the friends have all got secrets & that they have been "very, very bad."

The storyline alternates between the past & the present so we start to see what happened back in 1988 bit by bit, & the narrative also cycles between several of the characters but the reader mainly hears from Andy. The boys were not particularly nice teens, especially to frogs. As the story progresses you get the feeling that there's something not quite right with what you are being told. No spoilers so I won't say more than that. There's a paranormal element to the story as well which works quite well, although the ending was a little strange. Overall I thought it was a solid horror tale with a creepy undertone.

TWs: (major) violence, murder, injury detail. (moderate).suicide, sexual content, animal cruelty.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Severn House, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn house for the eARC.

This book has true potential for me, but just fell short. The characters were not easy to like and that did take away from the novel for me. I was interested in resolving the mystery, but really felt the story kind of dragged along.

An atmospheric and sometimes creepy story about a group of 40 something chaps who are reunited after one of their childhood friends is murdered. Something terrible happened in 1988 and now it seems that something from that time is back to haunt and torment the friends. Silly but very entertaining with definite 'Losers' from Stephen King's IT vibes.

This books was difficult for me to get through. The potential was there, and I did enjoy some plot points and plot twists, but it took a while for me to get into the story, and I was not a fan of the writing of the characters.

Not a single character was likable, and not in an intriguing way which is common in the genre. Not all of them were horrible, but many were. Every single one, however, felt so flat. There was just no depth to the characters, so moments that should have been emotional, simply were not. Then with all the women in the book, the way they were described and the way they were written was just full of misogynistic tropes.

I’m sure there’s an audience for this. I am just not part of that intended audience it seems.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC in return for this review.