Monstrous Souls

I just finished reading Monstrous Souls by Rebecca Kelly. A very good book about a very touchy subject but written in a way that leads up to a surprise ending you won't see coming. The last chapter tugged at my heart strings, saddened me because I was cheering for a different ending. I don't know how it could have ended any other way, not really, because the alternative is to horrible to imagine. I did not want it to end I was so caught up in the story and the characters.

A very impressive debut novel.

This story is well-written, fast-paced and gritty. Told partly in flashback and from different characters’ perspectives, there are many twists and turns throughout.

Very enjoyable to read, and definitely an author to look out for.

Rebecca Kelly had me with the first sentence. This was a pacy thriller eloquently written I could not put down. Truly delving into a subject that wants to remain hidden in society as well as by Heidi, who cannot remember what happened to her and her friends so many years ago.
Peppered with forensic science and mystery. A must read!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3284574609

The novel didn't start off as the page-turner it morphed into. Patience is required at the start, with a slower pace as the scene is set between 2001 and 2016. But the further you get, the urgency begins to burn and you won't put this down without finishing the second half of this taut, disturbing, and quite excellently written debut thriller.

Rebecca Kelly eventually creates the right narrative to keep you hooked until the final chapters, and forces so many emotions on the reader of sadness, horror, shock, and an element of satisfaction.

A highly recommended read. Bravo Ms Kelly.

From the dissociative mindscape of its opening chapter to the heartbreaking image of its last line, Monstrous Souls is as much a contemplation on Freedom as it is a compelling psychological thriller. Given its dark and intense subject matter, however, it should come as no surprise that Freedom is a relative term; a hard-fought compromise rather than a happy resolution.

No one epitomises this more than the novel’s central character Heidi Bevan who, after suffering a terrifying childhood attack that leaves her best friend Nina dead and her sister Anna missing, is further punished by the loss of her memory. Fifteen years later, Denise Gilzeen, now a senior police officer who cut her teeth on the case, is driven to re-open the investigation when Heidi begins to recover fragments of the attack, prompting a mutual quest for closure.

It’s a tantalising if not ultimately original premise, but what elevates Rebecca Kelly’s debut novel from the usual police procedurals, is her skill in exploring the relationships contained therein. The 2001 timeline - which charts Nina and Heidi’s peri-adolescent friendship - is especially good in this respect, capturing the nuances of teenage angst in all its painful glory: the scrabble for popularity; the fear of rejection or usurpation that gives rise to secrets and complicity. In this regard I was at times reminded of Bella Bathurst’s extraordinary novel “Special”. I particularly enjoyed Heidi’s inner tension at this age; torn between the safety of her loving, supportive home and her desire to sympathise with the circumstances of Nina’s less than ideal upbringing. The dynamic is ripe for conflict, which Kelly mines with great skill and sensitivity to catastrophic effect.

There is a definite assuredness about the writing; an accumulation of detail that creates a very vivid mise-en-scene without ever compromising pace. Her set pieces are both beautiful and immersive with one in particular - where a pursued Heidi is forced to conceal herself overnight in a forest - a masterclass in tension that really gets the reader’s heart pumping.

This is a quick and easy read; the chapter breaks mined for full effect to keep the reader turning the pages late into the night. Yet in spite, and perhaps because of this, I did occasionally find myself at one remove from the characters, rooting for their success yet almost from a distance. The unrelenting pace of the plot contributes to this, sometimes at the expense of more contemplative moments that would have benefited my investment in Heidi and Nina’s respective plights. As a habitual reader of literary fiction I claim these tics as my own, but given the quality of the writing here, it was for me, a notable omission.

Strangely, the closest Kelly comes to fulfilling this desire is through one of the other characters - ironically, the unnamed narrator of several chapters - whose sinister opening motivations become clearer and more sympathetic as the story unfolds. Though neither their identity nor their denouement came as a surprise, I found the gradual revelation of their narrative both satisfying and highly persuasive in its inner logic adding, as it did, to the overall theme of freedom versus psychological imprisonment and the idea that sometimes in life there are actually fates worse than death.

The novel in general is very good at avoiding cliches, with Denise especially, suffering none of the alcoholism-induced neuroses of similar characters in the genre. Despite this, it would have been nice to have seen her obvious selection as both female and a person of colour to have had some impact on the narrative, either via her professional interactions or, indeed, as a woman dealing with such a devastating caseload. It’s a shame that her seeming detachment, whilst an equally valid response in itself, was never quite explored enough for me to quite come across as a deliberate choice.

These are minor flaws, however, in a thoroughly compelling and well-written novel that absolutely marks Kelly out as an author to watch. Highly recommended to readers of psychological suspense and crime. Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers, Agora, for the ARC in return for a fair review.

Content warnings for references to child torture, paedophilia and murder.

Beautifully written, slow burn, building to a explosive finale. Kept my interest all the way through. Heidi, the main character, is hugely sympathetic, and the friendship between her and Nina rings so true.
Enjoyed reading this immensely. Will be looking out for future books by Rebecca Kelly.

This is a fantastic novel. It's a gritty psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. I read through this book so fast, I just needed to know the truth.

It covers some touchy subjects but does so in a respectful way.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

Disclaimer: Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book. I have been sent a copy of this book for review purposes. This has not influenced or affected my opinions in this review.

Monstrous Souls is a well-written and fact paced novel that I think any thriller fan will want to sink their teeth into. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I was hooked from the first sentence right up until the surprise ending with a final twist you won’t see coming. So many emotions were conjured with this read. If you’re a fan of thrillers and crime, you will enjoy this book!

*4 stars*

A really impressive debut novel. I never read the blurb, just saw the cover and I am so glad I did. A very gritty psychological thriller dealing with a subject matter that is distasteful. Set in two time periods 2001 and 2016. How a girl tries to remember what happened on that fateful day and someone who needs to silence her for good. As I said before the subject matter is very dark but this author treats it with dignity and respect. A powerful and emotive read which broke my heart in the last chapter. I have never read a book quite like this before and Heidi, Nina and Anna will stay in my thoughts long after I have turned the last page. I can't wait to read what this author does next. A well deserved five stars and so Highly Recommended.
Thanks to Agora Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

A fantastic debut from Rebecca Kelly. This novel is fast paced and gripping, I flew through it. Set across two time lines we follow Heidi as she starts to recover her memory after a horrific attack that leaves her best friend dead and her little sister missing. The story handles some quite dark material with care and the sense of distaste is implied without the need for gratuitous imagery which, I think, shows how skilled this writer is.

Although I worked out a few of the twists and turns quite early on it didn't detract from the story as it really captures you. If you're a fan of a thriller this one is for you.

Thank you to Agora books and @netgalley for this ARC. This is due for publication 25/06/2020


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Monstrous souls by Rebecca Kelly was a surprise as I was expecting a murder mystery (I really should remember to recheck the synopsis of the books before reading them.) This was fantastic! An extremely well crafted storyline with characters I felt were well rounded and credible. Tense, hopeful and devastating! I think Rebecca’s success is evidenced in the understanding I had of why no one would risk telling what was going on (usually I’m so frustrated at the fairly weak reasons outlined in such storylines). Rebecca is definitely an author whose work I’ll be watching out for.

Monstrous Souls is a fast-paced, gritty and captivating read with an ending many will not predict. If you like to be constantly surprised as you read, then this is one to add to your reading list.

What an accomplished debut novel and I am already looking forward to more from this author. This really is a gripping and monstrous thriller. This book is really sympathetically written despite the challenging subject of the book which is what makes it such a good read.

Heidi was the victim of a viscous attack which left her with no memory of the attack or events leading up to it. When she comes around her sister is missing and her best friend is dead.. Over 10 years later she still has very little memory of the events but maybe now some of her memories are starting to come back. Will these memories be enough to uncover what really did happen that day? And will Heidi be able to live with the feelings that these new memories bring back?

This story is told through a series of flashbacks and real time events.

This book had me gripped from the first few pages.....
Heidi is brutally attacked as a teenager, her best friend is murdered and her sister is taken.
The story jumps between before the attack and 15 years after the attack, when her memory starts to return, it also switches between characters - this is all really well done and it is easy to keep track of the story which has many interesting twists and turns.
Child abuse is mentioned within the story but this is handled very well, nothing is graphic and a lot is left to the readers imagination.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone.

A fantastic debut novel. Thanks to Netgalley for a copy on return for an honest review.
This was a step away from my normal genre, I tend to read YA and fantasy, but this was a very pleasant break from the norm. The pace of this psychological thriller was fast and there was plenty of action. The story is not only told from different perspectives but also across different time frames. As the protagonist, Heidi begins to remember the traffic events if that day, we too travel back in time and see what happened from a 13 year old Heidi. The relationship between the two girls is believable and at times gut wrenching. The topic is a difficult topic but it's handled with sensitivity and just the right amount of detail. Much is left to the imagination again echoing Heidi's own situation and her returning memories.

This was a quick read and left me satisfied at the end. There were some twists and turns which did take a little figuring out and things draw together nicely at the end. It's not the ending some might want but I think it was the right ending. It felt real. There is no dwelling on the Afters, and what ifs and I like that, the reader is left to imagine for themselves what happens to the characters, to sum up their lives would not have done them justice. A recommended summer read and an author to watch out for.

A very twisted mystery going on but who is to blame. Rebecca Kelly keeps you guessing to the bitter end, and when I thought I had a grasp I was wrong...

This book really surprised me and spooked me out in places. It's got a brilliant plot with relatable characters, who you really feel for. I love the main character Heidi and I was rooting for her the whole way through. It's a gripping, unputdownable read with twists you won't see coming. Highly recommend Rebecca Kelly, she's a great author.

Review will go live on 25th June at the link below.

Despite the absolute garbage fire that is the UK at the moment, one thing that does not seem to be suffering is the excellent supply of new books. One such is Monstrous Souls, a tense and twisty thriller by Rebecca Kelly.

To say I enjoyed this book is, perhaps, the wrong word as it has some quite disturbing content once the mystery behind Heidi’s attack is slowly revealed – more like I was riveted by it. There is the central plot of the murder of one girl, a near-fatal attack on another and the abduction of a third, but there is also a hugely intricate plot surrounding organised child abuse and trafficking which is sometimes hard to read, but is handled in such a away as to emphasise the despicable nature of it without it being too horrifying for the reader – most of the horror is filled in by your own imagination anyway.

Although this delicate subject provides the backbone of the novel, the friendship between Nina and Heidi, in contrast, is intimate and beautifully captured. It provokes memories of younger days, secret hideouts, long summer days and silly in-jokes and makes what happens to these girls all the more tragic.

I really liked Heidi as a character – although her tendency is to live quietly due to her experiences, she has been able to overcome horrific circumstances in her own way. The descriptions of her life crashing down as she begins to remember some of the details of her ordeal are saddening to read.

Heidi’s voice is interwoven in the book with that of an anonymous person who is watching her, someone who has a vested interest in seeing that she doesn’t remember too much. This is a great device and these passages help us to see more fully what is going on – but still, the final moments are a complete shock.

This book is an excellent and gripping debut novel and I would be thrilled to read more from Rebecca Kelly.

What a fantastic book!. A sad story about murder,abuse and betrayal. So well written and engrossing that I could not put it down and finished it very quickly.
An amazing author who has written a story of murder and abuse and all that goes with it sympathetically . Brilliant read

Monstrous Souls is a fast-paced, gritty and captivating read with an ending many will not predict.
Heidi, having lost her memory 15 years ago in an attack that left her best friend dead, and younger sister missing, is now starting to put the pieces back together as memories emerge.

If you like to be constantly surprised as you read, then this is one to add to your reading list.

I’m proudly announcing that we have a brilliant debut author on the board and I’m looking forward to read more works of her!

This is dark, intense, gripping, heart wrenching, impactful, emotional story includes sensitive and disturbing issues. Some parts of the book are truly moving but they were also hard to absorb but the pure realistic story telling mixed with the emotional depth of friendship bound serves so well. The well-crafted characterization helps you to root for the narrators’ stories.

Especially the sad, heartbreaking, poignant side of Heidi’s story who is a trauma survivor, brutally attacked and left to death fifteen years ago, her bottled up guilt feelings because of being the only survivor after her best friend Nina has been killed and her little sister Anna has been kidnapped and she loses the fragments of her memories to help the officers find the perpetrator. She still tries too hard but nothing comes out: just a big blank!

After the striking and earth shattering incident on 2001, detective Denise Gilzeen still remains in touch with Heidi and after 15 years later the case reopens because the parts Heidi blocked starts to resurface. Her memories keep coming back and she starts to assist to the officers to solve the case. Of course as the secrets come out, Heidi finds herself in a dilemma: what if remembering the details about night bring out something so dangerous that may ruin her life forever. What if her involvement escalated a violent situation? What if some doors opens to the realities may be remained closed for everyone’s sake?
Story is told by detective and Heidi’s narrations, going back and forth between 2001 and 2016. I mostly loved 2001 parts: Heidi and best friend Nina’s friendship. Both Heidi’s mud pie, adorable sister Anna and quirky and angsty Nina were likable and remarkable characters. It was so hard to read their parts and impossible not truly care for them.

Of course there was a twist waiting for us with open hands and I must say: it captured by my spidey spider senses. It was a little predictable. But when you find out how the story concluded you may realize: it was the best ending you may get. It was really challenging, intense, provocative and depressing story. But it was genuinely talks to your heart and the pacing, progression keep your interest intact. It was riveting, intriguing and well-written.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for sharing this remarkably unputdownable ARC with me in exchange my honest review. I also have to congratulate Rebecca Kelly for her skillful, captivating writing.

I could not put this down ! wonderful characterisation of the girls, Poor Heidi with half forgotten memories of her childhood friend and her sister, truly scary book. The plot was tight with little room to escape what was happening. Good characters in the police force who I hope we meet again.

A real all nighter and a must read for fans of this genre

Monstrous souls had me from page one! What happened to Heidi, Nina and Anna all those years ago is a mystery until Heidi’s memories start to return and that’s when you can’t stop reading! As Heidi finds out the truth of why Nina died and why Anna was taken you cling to hope she’s out there somewhere. The mystery soon unravels to be far more terrifying than you realised and you just want to know who, how far this thing stretches and will Heidi get any answers!!

A must read!!!!!

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

This is a very good book. It is set in two time lines - in 2001 when the main character Heidi is a teenager, and then 15 years later.

When she was a teenager Heidi was attacked and left for dead. Her best friend, Nina, is lying dead beside her, and her little sister, Anna, has disappeared. As a result of the attack she has no recollection of what happened to her, her friend or her sister. However, as time passes her memory slowly returns, and after 15 years, she is forced to revisit what happened that day.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this book, and the subject matter is very disturbing. The author conveys the horror of it very well - it felt very realistic . As a result my overriding feeling after reading the book was of extreme sadness - both for Heidi’s and Nina’s lives before the attack, and also Heidi’s life as it is now, all as a consequence of what happened that day.

Well worth reading.

Monstrous Souls by Rebecca Kelly should come with a warning. First, once you start this book, you won’t be able to stop reading. And second, after you finish you will have a book hangover. This novel is dark, gritty, memorable, nerve-wracking. You might want to cry. You will be nervous and anxious for the main character, Heidi.

Fifteen years ago, a brutal crime was committed and Heidi was left for dead. She remembers only bits and pieces of that awful day when her best friend was killed and her sister was abducted. Its what leads up to that day which holds the clues and secrets. Monstrous Souls switches between 2016 as Heidi starts remembering everything and 2001, as it happens.

Synopsis:

Over a decade ago, Heidi was the victim of a brutal attack that left her hospitalised, her younger sister missing, and her best friend dead. But Heidi doesn’t remember any of that. She’s lived her life since then with little memory of her friends and family and no recollection of the crime.

But lately, it’s all starting to come back.

As Heidi begins retracing the events that lead to the assault, she is forced to confront the pain and guilt she’s long kept buried. But Heidi isn’t the only one digging up the past, and the closer she gets to remembering the truth, the more danger she’s in.

When the truth is worse than fiction, is the past worth reliving?

I began this novel late last night and finished it first thing in the morning; I was hooked. It’s hard to believe that this brilliantly written, pitch-perfect thriller is a debut novel. I rarely give five stars on Goodreads, but this one is definitely a five-star read. The writing, pacing, story, characters, plot are all done as if written by a seasoned pro.

This is available on NetGalley if you are a reviewer or librarian. If not, this will be out on June 25 and is available for pre-order now. Only 99 cents for the kindle version, how can you not get it?

I have to give this a 5 star rating as I did not want the book to end...I kept delaying reading the final section, wanting to know, yet not wanting to know.
Kelly''s prose works its way under the skin, under the fingernails and into that place we hold our fear.
I guess I would call it "pre-emptive". If the sunset is streaked with red, there is blood to come; the chill in the air warns us to beware. And it is done beautifully.
Heidi has lost her memory of a brutal attack 15 years before in which her best friend died and her little sister ,Anna, disappeared. But her memories start to return in glimpses and waves. The case is reopened and the ugliness of the past makes the present murky and dangerous.
What starts as an idyllic friendship, summer and a secret hide-out becomes more and more sinister as Kelly alterates 2001 and 2016 in crisp chapters.
She tells us enough but never too much.
What could be over wrought prose and a cliched story never threatens in this beautifully wrought and thrilling, but chilling, story.

Monstrous Souls grips from the very first page, an atmospheric and ultimately very emotional read that is both thought provoking and very timely.

A violent crime echoes down the years for Heidi who has little memory of that terrible day..as flashes of the truth start to return a journey of discovery begins but danger lurks in the most unexpected places.

I loved this because it really allows the characters to inform the plot, a twisty mystery that has many layers, exploring both memory and consequence with a central theme that is sometimes difficult to absorb, dark truths about human nature that haunts..

Overall a tense, atmospheric and hugely addictive novel where the overall feel of it will stay with you long after you get to the emotionally resonant resolution. 

Recommended.

The blurb really jumped out at me as dark and sinister is right up my street, and what was on the inside certainly did not disappoint. There are some tense moments and Rebecca writes in such a way that grips and sucks you into the thick of it all. Add to your TBR immediately!

A difficult read, not because of the writing, but because of the content. It’s always hard to say you ‘enjoyed’ reading books of this nature!
I was very emotionally invested in this story as a friend was raped as a teenager and I didn’t really know how to deal with it at the time. As an adult I was mentally screaming at Hannah to tell her mother, her teacher, anyone, but I also recognised my teenage self in the decisions she made not wanting to betray her friends trust.
For me, a believable and realistic story which, while dealing with harrowing issues, was absorbing and emotive, and I didn’t see the twist coming until right before it happened!

This dark, pacy thriller kept me guessing almost all the way to the end, and the final twist worked beautifully - it wasn't just a twist for twists' sake as with so many books in this genre. The difficult subject matter was handled with skill and sensitivity and the sense of trapped hopelessness felt by the victims was truly heartbreaking.

Heidi’s memory is beginning to return.

I can’t in all honesty say I enjoyed reading Monstrous Souls because it has such dark themes that are so authentically and convincingly conveyed by Rebecca Kelly that I feel highly disturbed and affected by my reading. Monstrous Souls is an important book that transcends entertainment into an incisive and uncomfortable commentary on life for so many children.

The plot of Monstrous Souls is an absolute cracker because the reader is able to uncover the truth at the same time as Heidi, making it a very personal narrative. There’s a brilliantly depicted sense of menace and threat so that I felt quite tense as I read. This darkness and atmosphere is enhanced further by the very vivid descriptions of setting, particularly the beautiful natural images that contrast so well with the more restrained descriptions of violence and abuse. What Rebecca Kelly does so well is to suggest rather than provide all the darker details so that the reader’s imagination runs riot. I thought this technique was excellent.

The cover image represents the themes of the book perfectly. People, places and events are altered by refracted memory and duplicity. Characters have their lives and their identities reassembled by others more powerful in the same way the photograph of the cover appears sliced and manipulated. The themes of Monstrous Souls are not easy ones. Emotional and sexual abuse, control, loyalty, friendship and corruption weave like poison ivy through the plot and they are particularly unsettling because Rebecca Kelly presents then so convincingly. I have finished Monstrous Souls feeling real grief for many of the characters because their stories felt so genuine to me.

I may have felt uncomfortable with the content and themes of Monstrous Souls but I am so glad I have read it. It is, one one level, a cracking crime thriller, but I feel Rebecca Kelly has provided such an understanding of the human psyche too that it is more important a book than an entertaining story. I will be thinking about it for a very long time.

A real emotional ride in a fantastically written thriller. This is a book to be read in one sitting - it hooks you in from the very first page. Be prepared to be psychologically tested as you are taken from innocent childhood friendships into some dark places. There are twists and turns to keep you guessing and you will not be disappointed if you are looking to read a cracker of a psychological thriller.

What a brilliant debut!

A dark and atmospheric read that had me hooked from the start

This is a really intense and emotional read that at times will wrench your heart with its emotional story. Be warned it does involve disturbing and quite sensitive issues throughout.

This is a real "feel every emotion" book, you'll feel wrung out by the end, its definitely an impactful storyline.

I loved the deep rooted friendships which are written so well, the characterisation is fantastic, you can picture them so well which brings the story to life even more so.

The ending was quite predictable (to me) but that doesn't take away from the brilliance of Rebecca Kelly's writing, captivating is the best word to sum it up!

Solid 4*

Huge thanks to netgalley and Agora Books for the ARC.

I loved this book from the first chapter. The depth of guilt and torment manifested by Heidi bled out from the pages. The two POV helped the story coalesce and feel relevant to the reader, i was invested all the way in her journey to the truth as difficult and hard as it was. Her struggle to remember and the gradual flicker of memories that emerged built up the tension page after page. Dark, tense and twisted the book was devoured in a day as i wanted to know if Heidi ever found out what exactly happened to both herself and her lost sister. A wicked twist towards the end was so spectacular it left me stunned.

A dark and twisty thriller with characters you are truly invested in from the start. You desperately want justice to be served.

Pacy but not rushed... Horrific abuse dealt with brilliantly. I felt exhausted at the end of it but thoroughly brilliant storytelling.

Thank you for the ARC :)

The word, “page turner” is used too often when describing books, but for this book it’s true! Keeps you guessing all the way through. I was happy with the ending as all my questions were answered and it left me satisfied that everything was finished off nicely.
A great read by a great author who knows what she is doing.

Imagine waking up after a terrible incident and finding you have no memory of what happened and little more of your life. Surely that must be one of your worst nightmares. For Heidi though, the nightmare begins when she starts to remember.

Monstrous Souls is told with three different points of view and in two timeframes - 2001 and 2016. Cleverly, Rebecca Kelly often shows us the actual events in 2001 and then we see how Heidi remembers and handles the memories in 2016. Heidi would prefer to push the rising images away but she knows she has to find justice for her friend Nina and discover what happened to her younger sister, Anna.

One thing I liked in particular in this story was the contrast between the hot summer of 2001 and the cold early winter of 2016. The heat gave the sense of brewing tensions until they reached boiling point. The cold created a chilling atmosphere where a stranger plays 'cat and mouse' with Heidi, ever creeping nearer.

This wasn't always an easy read. As the title suggests, we're dealing with some awful people here. However, Rebecca Kelly has written this with great sensitivity. I had to read on to discover the truth with Heidi. A compelling debut novel.

This is such an amazing debut novel! I went through an array of emotions whilst reading it!

I absolutely loved Heidi and her relationship with Nina and Anna were so well depicted! the characters are so well built and the emotions are so raw that I found myself really emotional at some points.

The story itself is dark and approaches really hard themes but it was a really great and thrilling read with a lot of shock, drama, sadness and palpable tension.

Although there were plenty of twists throughout I kind of guessed the ending. but in no way had this made the reading less enjoyable. I would have liked to know a little bit more about some characters at the end but overall I really enjoyed this book!


I’m really impressed that this is a debut novel for the author as it was so impressive and a such a great and dark thriller. I’ll look forward to reading more by Rebecca Kelly in the future.


I would like to thank Netgalley and Agora Books for an advanced copy of this great novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very dark story, heartbreaking in the sense that Heidi was so lost and struggling to remember the terrible things that happened to her. The reveal was shocking, I did not suspect the character who was revealed to her stalker/anothervictim at all.

I devoured this book in a day, it is that breathtakingly good.
When Heidi is viciously attacked and left for dead and her best friend murdered her younger sister taken,
Heidi has no idea why as she as not only lost her memory of that day but everything that happened before that.
Now over a decade later Heidi is starting to remember, what she uncovers will never leave her the same again.

5⭐s. Wow, wow, wow, what a book! This is the best book I've read in 2020 without a doubt. Told from Heidi's current and historic recollections we are taken into a dark and malevolent world that few of us want to imagine, let alone experience; a world of teenage friendship, secret cigarettes, and hope that is turned on its head when Nina reveals that she is suffering at the hands of her stepfather and his friends. Best friend Heidi only wants to save Nina, but her misplaced faith soon has both girls looking over their shoulders, desperately trying to cling to their last moments of innocence. 

The prose is beautifully crafted, creating a fully-developed fictional world, and dragging the reader along on this nightmarish roller coaster until we reach the breathtaking climax. Dealing with a sensitive subject in a delicate manner, I can only tip my hat to Rebecca Kelly. She is one to watch.

Heart break. Dread. Twisted.

This book took me a short while to get into. Once I had got the essence of the story I was hooked. All these different shady characters with underlying common interests - and you only fully realise how dark these people are until the very end.

Heidi is a highly likeable character. She has gone through extremely hard times and memories of the worst of these times are starting to re-surface. The shocking nature of these memories makes you think her brain was burying them for her own sake. The memories drip feed throughout the book, with slithers of dread waiting for the next to make itself known.

The thing is the people behind these shocking events which Heidi is remembering are still about and they don't want her to remember - and they definitely don't want her finding any evidence of what went on back then. In this sense, the book is like a cat and mouse tale, with Heidi constantly feeling and being watched. She is the prey and they are the hunters. 

A dark read with creeping unease, which is well told and leaves you seeping sadness in the final pages.

Why have I never heard of this author before now? This book literally knocked me off my feet and as I finished the last page I was instantly searching for more of her work to purchase. I will certainly be first in the queue for the next book she releases but for now I’d better get back to the amazing book I have just read.

This book is sinister, fast-paced, creepy and so very very dark. The subject of paedophiles is a subject matter that is not for the faint hearted but the author covered this subject in a sensitive and touching way. I have to confess there were times that I had to put the book aside for an hour just to gather my thoughts but I was soon diving back in.

We start the book at the scene of a brutal attack. 13 year olds Nina and Heidi often escape to their bunker, a secret place where they can hang out and share secrets but one fateful day Nina is found brutally murdered and her body left next to a savagely beaten Heidi. Despite the odds Heidi manages to survive but she is so badle traumatised that she is left mute and mentally blocks out the attack and the events leading up to it. Her younger sister, Anna is abducted from the scene and is still missing.

Now, 15 years later memories are starting to re-surface. Diana was an officer that had been involved with the case from the start and she has become a close friend to Heidi and as the floodgates open, Diana manages to get the case reopened.

The story flips from the current day back to the time just before the attack and we really get to know and warm to the 2 friends. Their family lives are gently revealed and the characters really come to life.

I don’t want to give too much of the storyline away but as the plot thickens it’s clear that there is more to he murder then meets the eye, This is a group of men that are all involved in the awful world of child abuse and we have no idea who the killer is until the very last moments. Each of the men are guilty in my eyes and each needs to be punished. They are running scared that the truth is about to be revealed but they have friends in high places and believe that the law cannot touch them. They will stop at nothing to evade capture. They got away with it the first time but Diana is determined to uncover the truth.

This was a book that I couldn’t relax with and rather then relaxing into my sofa I spent most of the time sat on the edge of my seat, totally engrossed in this gripping read. I would highly, highly recommend this book to anyone that loves gritty, dark storylines.

Monstrous Souls is a dark, intense, emotional and gripping debut by Rebecca Kelly. It is disturbing and terrorizing and unputdownable in equal measures.

The plot alternates between two timelines (2001 and 2016) and three PoVs. From the very first page, there was palpable tension and fear in the plot, a knowledge that something horrific has taken place. As expected, the major plot twists surface in the second half of the book, but the first half is equally addictive owing to clever writing that beautifully recreates the horror and fear that Heidi feels.

It is quite commendable that Kelly has managed to create such strong characters and relationships even in a mystery/thriller, where the characters are usually secondary to the plot. The friendship of Nina and Heidi and the way it evolved with the knowledge of secret too dark and heavy for any 13-year olds made me heart break a little. The character of Denise (the detective who investigates the case) is very relatable as she is trying hard to keep her emotions of horror and pain under check and striving on to uncover the truth. Even the unknown stalker of Heidi is given a deep and dark layer of personality, one that makes you feel revolted and sympathetic towards him at the same time.

The plot is tightly written and maintains its pace and tension throughout. Even at times when there are no major plot twists, the emotional aspect of the story is played up to keep the reader interested. The sensitive topics of child abuse and neglect are handled maturely and evoke a deep sadness in the reader. The writing is just the right amount of descriptive without the extra “padding”, which made me actually feel the pain, horror, sadness, guilt, fear and angst of the characters.

The only thing that bugged me slightly was that the PoV of Heidi is written in first person, whereas the other two are written in third person. I’m not sure if this was intended or an oversight, but it did confuse me at times and made me do a double take to understand whom was the chapter talking about.

A Top Class Debut Novel
​
In general I read and review books by tried and trusted authors, however occasionally it is refreshing to read a debut novel by a new author. My favourite book of 2019 came into this description being the wonderful debut work by Alex Michaelides entitled “The Silent Patient”. In my humble opinion Rebecca Kelly’s “Monstrous Souls” is something of a similar ilk and is nothing short of a triumph. Indeed it has already climbed its way to the top of my current favourites for 2020.

Back in 2001, teenager Heidi underwent a brutal attack being left for dead while at the same time her best friend Nina was killed and her younger sister Anna went missing. 15 years later Heidi remembers none of this having no recollection whatsoever of the crime, but this is beginning to change as her memory is starting to return. But there is someone who does not want Heidi to remember and is quite prepared to kill if need be to keep the truth hidden.

“Monstrous Souls” is as disturbing as it is gripping, as emotional as it is dark and the characters and dialogue are totally believable. The author deserves a commendation for tackling a subject as sensitive as child abuse with such dignity and respect. I am generally not over keen on books with numerous flashbacks, but in this case the way it moves effortlessly from 2001 to 2016 and back is pivotal to Heidi’s memory slowly returning and the story growing.

Fast paced, exquisitely written and highly descriptive, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Apparently the author is not averse to accepting writing tips from her trusty black Labrador. It is a true page-turner which will have many readers up late into the night awaiting its pulsating climax.

My great thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for supplying me with an advance copy for review.

Monstrous Souls by Rebecca Kelly is an accomplished and assured debut novel. Set in both 2016 and 2001 it examines the long lasting repercussions of a brutal attack on two young girls and delves into increasingly dark territory.

As a young teen, Heidi and her best friend Nina were inseparable. Next door neighbours they were in and out of each other’s houses and their younger sisters were also best friends. They had found an abandoned bunker in some woodland near their houses and retreated there often to do what teenage girls do; talk about boys and share secrets. One day they were attacked there, an event which Nina didn’t survive. Heidi has no recollection of the attack and doesn’t know who the perpetrator was, why they were attacked, or what happened to her little sister Anna, who hasn’t been seen since. Her memory is a blank, her brush with near death a gaping void.

In the present day, the police re-open the cold case hoping to find something that was overlooked in the original investigation. One of the original police officers, Denise, feels a personal attachment to the case and the failure to find the missing Anna haunts her. When snippets of memories start to come back to Heidi it seems that the missing pieces of the jigsaw may finally be found.

This is a brave book which deals with some of the darkest crimes imaginable. The violence is hinted at rather than explicitly described and I think this made it all the more chilling, there were certainly times when I was moved by the implications written between the lines. It isn’t gratuitious nor is it written for shock value, it is sensitivly handled and communicates an important message.

If I am being a bit cryptic about this it’s because I don’t want to spoil the brilliantly executed plot. Rebecca Kelly’s writing is engaging and compelling and the time jumps are handled with aplomb. I love a time jump especially when they are as well-written as this because each chapter brings a new angle and complements the one which went before.

Throw in great characterisation, especially with a young Heidi and Nina, and you have a great crime thriller. Teenagers are often difficult to write and I sometimes cringe at the way they speak to one another, and their behaviour but this is pitch perfect. Rebecca Kelly very cleverly uses Heidi’s innocence and later her memory loss to keep the reader in the dark and she slowly, slowly unveils the horror of the past.

As much an exploration of memory and what it means to belong as much as it is a searing damnation of the crimes committed within its pages, this is a book with many layers. I read it in two gulps and even now a day or so after finishing it I keep thinking about – always the sign of a good book.

Heidi and Nina are 13 years old when they are subjected to an horrific attack. Nina is killer and Heidi is left with serious head injuries and no memory of the events leading up to the attack. 15 years later, she starts to remember things, but can she recall enough to finally catch Nina’s killer?

Monstrous Souls is a really gripping story, even though the storyline is very dark and disturbing. It has many twists and turns as it moves between events in the present and in the days and weeks leading up to the attack on the girls. On several occasions I thought I’d worked out what had happened, only for new revelations to change my thoughts. The last few chapters were gripping as the mystery is solved in a very shocking way!

I would definitely recommend this book. It was a brilliant read.

In 2001 Heidi and her friend Nina had been attacked, only Heidi survived and her younger sister, Anna went missing.

Heidi’s injuries were severe but she recovered except she had lost all memories of that time.

Detective Denise Gilzeen had kept in contact with Heidi and now 15 years later her memory is starting to return. As a result of information she had given to Denise, the case is reopened.

Will they find who killed Nina? And what happened to Anna and other missing girls?

Monstrous Souls is an utterly gripping read, it’s dark, gritty and full of emotion. There are great characters, some likeable and some truly reprehensible and evil. The subject matter is horrific but Rebecca Kelly tells you all you need to know without being graphic or gratuitous. It’s full of an incredible tension and is a tale of horrific events, tragedy, guilt and is anger inducing at times too. A dark thriller that you really cannot put down.

Thank you to Peyton at Agora Books and NetGalley for an eARC of Monstrous Souls. This is my honest and unbiased review.

Wow,

This is another one of those rare books where you chuck whatever food you can at your family/delegate meals to someone else as long as you can keep one hand free to change pages on your kindle. Food becomes secondary when you are racing through a story as heartbreaking, soul destroying and determinedly plotted as this one.

Heidi and Nina become irretrevably linked in your minds, you make connections between their shared pasts even as Heidi tries to recover the worst thing which ever happened to her. The girls are first introduced as children-Nina's last moments and Heidi's first are seared into this reader's mind as unbelievably tragic and awful. This is because of the lack of details which do not linger on the physical attacks, rather as someone going through this, it's the small things that are noticed. Like the ash and rain drops, the position of fingers, what can be seen through bandages. It gives the victim a dignity in death, which, as you read on, she never had in life.

Nina, dead, Heidi's little sister Anna missing, the only witness so badly injured that she has blocked all knowledge from her mind. Her 13 year old self's defence to the horrific near death experience is to shut down and build walls of protection allowing her to recover.

Years later, as she goes about her business resembling a fully functioning adult yet simulataneously being so far removed from this state as it is possible to be, things begin to resurface.

It starts with a red buckle shoe, and a detective unwilling to let go of a case which has haunted her for 15 years.

From there it takes the darkest of turns, because as Heidi begins to piece together what happened the day Nina died, and turns to the police for help, someone seems to be one step ahead of them. And someone is lurking in the shadows, watching Heidi as the darkest of secrets are dragged out into the sunlight for all to see.

This is a hard read-the topics are so painful, the desperate attempts of a child thrust into adulthood way too soon to search for justice reminds you just how disposable children are when they are at their most vulnerable, And when those who are the ones who should be there to help you are turn out to be worst of all humans, how do you keep your soul in the absence of all hope?

The bravery and fragility of Heidi and Nina is heartbreaking and all too believable, a story echoed in daily headlines of missing children. The missing pieces are not easily slotted together, this is a book to concentrate on, and when the answers eventually come, they are somehow worse than not knowing.

This is so much more than a whodunnit, yes there is a central mystery but it also takes a look into the darkest side of child abuse. The characters are fully fleshed and do not resemble caricatures, the subject is dealt with empathically and sensitively. The victims are the focus , not the criminals. There is nothing straight forward and banal about 'Monstrous Souls', it is so well crafted it seems astounding that it is a debut. I loved the main detective, Denise Gilzeen from the moment she was introduced-a Detective Inspector of colour who takes zero nonsense from anyone and always, always remains focussed . She is a breath of fresh air and I genuinely hope she returns.

'Monstrous Souls' is currently available as a Kindle Unlimited title so if you have this, I would 100% recommend downloading it. If not, it is 99p so again, please get it if you enjoy a gripping mystery, humanity explored at its worst(and its best) and characters who linger.

The title of this novel says it all. If there was another, even more appalling word for monstrous, I would probably use it. What kind of person would abuse children and threaten them, if not someone with a 'monstrous soul'?

The book, however, is beautifully written. I loved how it gripped me and stirred every single emotion within me. Some of the descriptions were so amazing, that they filled me with dread and made me wish I could close my eyes and wish I were asleep until the action passed, in order to avoid facing what the character was going through and what was going to happen to them. It could be used to raise awareness about what kind of people we could be associate with, without knowing.

It is definitely a must-read! I am looking forward to the paperback copy so I can share with my students.

Thanks to @agorabooks #rebeccakelly and #netgalley for this wonderful book. #monstrous souls

Heidi is the victim of a horrible attack that left her best friend dead and her sister missing, but she cannot remember what happened or why. She lives her live as an outsider, afraid to get close to anyone, and unsure of who she really is and what she is capable of.

When flashes of memory start to come back to Heidi, she opens a whole can of evil worms connected to a paedophile ring that was involved in the abuse and disappearance of boys and girls around the time of her assault - and with the help of one of the detectives connected to the original investigation, it seems the chance may finally be here to find out who was responsible.

As the new investigation starts to take shape, it becomes clear that the original inquiry was seriously flawed - perhaps deliberately. Someone did not want the truth exposed.... and that someone is apparently still around and directing things behind the scenes. How far does this web of corruption reach and how far was Heidi herself involved?

As more and more of the past comes back to Heidi, she begins to feel that she may have been responsible in some way for Nina's death and Anna's disappearance, but the truth, when it comes, is so much worse than she realised.

What an absolutely cracking thriller! Monstrous Souls is a masterclass in perfect pacing and seamless plotting that will keep you turning the pages all the way to the shocking end. This is absolutely heart in your mouth stuff, full of secrets, lies, corruption, and betrayal - all beautifully packaged in a dark and compelling story.

And this is tale that has chilling echoes of some of the most distressing real life cases that have been in the news in recent years - stories of grooming and abuse of young people on a huge scale, especially those from socially deprived backgrounds, that involve perpetrators in positions of trust and power that were able to cover up their activities for years with a conspiracy of silence. This is also a book that asks some interesting questions about the nature of guilt and how much someone's silence can make them complicit in the acts of others - very thought provoking indeed.

For a debut thriller, this is a most impressive and accomplished book. I can't wait to see more from Rebecca Kelly.

This is an absolute cracker of a thriller. It has everything you need from familiar characters to heart breaking storylines and everything in between to keep you hooked.

Three young girls meet to spend some time together in their little get-away cave that no one knows about.

When the day is done ... Heidi's best friend is murdered, her younger sister is missing, and Heidi suffered a savage attack that left her with no memory. She’s lived her life for the last 15 years with little memory of her friends and family.

Now her memory is returning ... and someone will do anything to keep her memory buried ... permanently.

I read this in almost one sitting. It's well written with skillfully drawn characters. The mystery portion kept me turning pages. I loved how Heidi's thoughts and memories were portrayed. The ending was unexpected, violent, satisfying.

Many thanks to the author / Agora Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

An excellent, heartbreaking, pacy thriller - I really enjoyed this novel that unwound backwards from present day to the past and the very real dangers faced by Heidi, our protagonist. Heidi survived a horrendous assault as a teenager that left her best friend dead, her sister missing and her mother in a home. When, 15 years later her memory starts to return, she begins to uncover secrets from the past - but someone is trying to stop her. Who and why?

Totally gripping, I would definitely read more by Rebecca Kelly.

Wow - what a book. Monstrous Souls made me mad, sad and all around disgusted. You see the depths of the worst that humans have to offer and let me tell you, it's not a pretty picture. While this book was so hard to read, it's one that I think all people should. Abuse is and can be pervasive and until we shine a light on what it can do to families and communities, it will never stop. This was heart wrenching and devastating, but a book that needs to be read.

This is one of those rare books that I wish I could give a bonus star rating to, the kind you stay up all night to finish.
An edge of your seat page turner start to finish with richly created characters and a fast paced ,albeit, horrifying story line.
Heidi doesn’t remember the night that changed her life, her best friend is dead and her little sister is missing. Now years later Heidi is starting to piece together memories of that horrifying day that left her scarred both physically and mentally. She is starting to remember the secrets between her and her best friend and she’s realizing that sometimes the monsters are closer to home and sometimes they come dressed as those you trust most.
This must top your read list! This was such a fantastic book. A+++

What a brilliant thriller! Heidi was the only survivor when her best friend was killed and her sister abducted. 15 years later she still has no memory of what happened. Monstrous Souls moves between the days around the murder and the present day so the reader some believes they know what happened, even as Heidi slowly regains some of her memory and the case is reopened. Rebecca Kelly keeps you reading on with short pacey chapters and keeps a great twist till the last few pages. I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more from this author.

Wow! What an incredible debut novel. This had me gripped immediately, the story was so compelling, told by different narrators switching between 2001 and 2016. I really, really felt for Heidi, the main character. It also dealt with some really serious issues such as child exploitation and police corruption. The ending really was a shocker as promised too! I’ve already bought this for my mum who loves a great thriller too. Looking forward to Rebecca Kelly’s next book!

This book is quite savage, but in all the right ways. It being set in the UK made it a bonus for me, but I loved the writing style, and the talent of the author to slip into the different characters heads, and realistically convey them. It is a talent that not all writers have, and I am quite jealous of. This book will grip you as you try and play detective yourself, and figure out who had done what to who.

Monstrous Souls is a debut that reads as though it were written by an established author; it's dark and gritty, covering uncomfortable and often taboo topics, yet is written with sensitivity and flair. Fifteen years ago, Heidi was one of the victims of a brutal attack that left her best friend Nina dead and her sister Anna missing. She has been unable to remember anything about that day, or indeed the months preceding it, since. But now that is changing as little by little, fragments of memory are coming back. But some secrets are dangerous and there are people involved who will do anything to keep these particular secrets from coming to light.

Split between two timelines, you have the timeline leading up to the attack in 2001 and the current timeline in 2016 as Heidi comes to terms with the memories she is finally regaining. The dual perspective worked well, as whilst you as the reader often knew slightly more than Heidi actively remembered, it gave the same sense of events being slowly recollected. The narrative was often framed in a way that Heidi's memories were often interwoven with the events narrated to you, so everything tied together well and didn't feel jarring.

This is a dark tale, and the murder of a child is only the beginning of the tangled web of horrors as the memories from her childhood return and she realises that what the police know is only the tip of the iceburg. Except that isn't quite true either, as Nina was certain even at a young age that someone in the police force was actively involved in the atrocities committed against children. As an adult, the more memories Heidi gets back, the more danger she is in, but for her own sake and that of her missing sister, Heidi is determined to get to the truth. The truth isn't as simple as it might appear though.

My main complaint with the novel is that for someone with a history of severe trauma - trauma that left her with long term memory loss and physical injuries - Heidi really can be seriously stupid. There were so many moments where she heads out alone - again - and as a reader I'm just thinking, why oh why!? To begin with, it's understandable. There's no immediate threat. But once she realises that she is being followed and someone is very keen to keep her quiet through any means, her behaviour becomes idiotic rather than naive. It's a pet peeve of mine in books. Any logical, sane adult fearing for their life is not going to run out on a whim to find the next piece of evidence; they would call someone to accompany them at the very least.

It's a minor quibble in the long run, although it did slightly mar my enjoyment of the novel. I found the characterisations of the children in the 'flashback' sections of the novel far more believable in that sense, as children make mistakes because they don't know any better. Adults making the same mistakes again and again is far less forgivable.

All in all though, I enjoyed this. It's a dark and tense thriller that builds up the atmosphere well. The characterisations are strong, particularly those of the children and of the Detective working the case in the present day. I particularly liked how the focus shifted from Heidi to Detective Gizeen, as it means you get to see events from both perspectives. The ramifications of such a horrific act on the children concerned even many years later was portrayed well, and I felt the author did an excellent job at portraying Heidi and Nina's family as fully fleshed out characters, rather than solely as victims.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this novel.

An intriguing story with an interesting premise. I enjoyed the dual timeline and getting to see flashes of what happened in the past. Satisfying ending.

This was a brilliant book, with a dark and disturbing theme.
Following a terrible attack in 2001 on two teenage girls in and the abduction of a third younger girl, we meet Heidi.
Heidi survived the ordeal that killed her best friend and saw her sister go missing. She can’t remember a thing about the attack however, or what led to it, so the case has been dropped by the police.
The story is then told from Heidi’s point of view in 2016 when she starts to remember some of the terrible events of that day, and alternately from 2001, the memories that Heidi can’t recall yet.
It’s a heartbreaking tale, my first from this author, I’ll certainly be looking out for more.

A fast paced suspense thriller that will stay with me for some time. A brilliant read that I could not put down. I look forward to reading more by this author.

"She gazes at the wood and wonders how many lost children there are and whether it will ever be possible to find them."

This book is utterly heart-rending and beautiful.

5*