I was hooked by “A Dark and Secret Place” by Jen Williams from the start. In the beginning I wasn’t sure how the storylines fit together; a young, abused boy; an adult daughter whose mother had just died by suicide; victims of a murderer. Once they intertwined, I could not put the book down until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

Full review to come on Instagram and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

A Dark and Secret place held a lot of promise but it in the end was an okay read! The flashback chapters were eerie but a bit challenging for me to appreciate. I loved reading the parts with the Grimm tales and I thought they would build up to something but alas that did not seem to be the case! The chapters that had my heart racing were the ones focusing on the current crimes & the ending was a bit spooky too. The 'twist' was good & I never saw that coming but the build up & history to it wasn't as much as tense as it could have been. Plot wise the start & end were good, the middle held little appeal to me. I liked Heather as a character but found it very difficult to like Colleen or anyone else for that matter.

Thank you NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books & Jen Williams for this arc!

A Dark and Secret Place is what I would consider a slow burning novel. The descriptive writing Jen Williams uses allows the reader to be right in the scene and really comprehend how Heather's relationships, both old and new, shape her perspective on life.

I appreciated how Williams was able to weave the childhood of Michael Reaves, the story's serial killer, into the chapters and gave a bit of a background as to why he was who he was and how his story and Heather's stories are intertwined.

A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams is a dark thriller that follows the story of Heather Evans she is investigating the strange circumstances of her mothers death. Previously being a journalist she wants to get to the bottom of why she committed suicide. Heather learns her mothers secret when she finds letters in a box from a serial killer – The Red Wolf. Michael Reave has been in prison for twenty years. A body of a young woman has been found and there are consistencies to the Red Wolf. Is this a copycat serial killer or did the police get the wrong person? and why did Heather's mum have letters from the serial killer? You need to read this book to find out the answers.

A slow start but half way through the pace picks up for this crime thriller.

** Trigger warning – Animal abuse **

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Dark and Secret place is a dark and mysterious adventure into the past. Heather is forced to confront her mother's past after her mother commits suicide. Back in her childhood town, she starts to receive haunting notes and experiences situations she cannot explain. I enjoyed the intergenerational look at how children do not really know their parents. How parents can block off times in their life from who they are present day. The overall pace is slightly slow and feels the story was too sidetracked with plots that did not add to the overall books. The plots that would add depth to the characters and pacing were only shallowly explored. The climax was satisfying only because it mended all the loose ties.

This was absolutely incredible. The twists and turns just kept coming and it just got better and better with every page turned. I can't wait to see more from this author.

I had to put this one down because it was a bit too gruesome for my tastes, so beware if you don't like dark and gory tales.

This is a dark thriller and i love it because the atmosphere is just right! There is a lot of twist during the book some i could see happening others were just a surprise for me! I was fascinating by the pace of the book very well written it has everything i like in a thriller and is fast pace very good one! it will be recommended by me!

content warnings here, namely suicide, loss of a parent, violence toward animals

This was not for me. The story was slow and uninteresting. The MC felt childish and annoying to me. I would for sure like to have seen more growth from the character as the story progressed and the conclusion fell a little flat for me.

This was definitely one of the best books I have read this year... I did managed to finish this book within a few hours. It was captivating and difficult to put down.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND

This was a fun thriller with twists! I really enjoyed how captivating and entertaining this way. I definitely would suggest this for a fun and chilly read.

When Heather Evans's estranged mother dies by suicide, Heather returns to her childhood home to take care of her mother's business and plan a funeral. Almost immediately, the strange occurrences begin--haunting figures, bird feathers strewn about the house, really creepy stuff. If that isn't enough, Heather finds a bundle of letters--correspondence between her mother and the notorious killer Michael Reeve, aka the Red Wolf, who's been in prison for 20 years. When the police learn of the letters, they set up meetings between Heather and Reeve, hoping to learn more about his victims and where they are buried, but also to gain hints as to who may be doing copycat killings in the region. After much delving, Heather determines the answer to the puzzle lies in an old commune where her mother and Reeve once lived. She drags a friend with her to the site, now a posh residential spa. In this tricky psychological thriller, much is drawn from Reeves's past, from Grimm's fairy tales, and from medieval folklore, all of which adds layers to the grisly nature of the story.

There were several moving parts to this story making it a bit bogged down in too many unnecessary details. The premise sounded very interesting and the the idea of reading letters from a serial killer sounded fascinating. However, the execution of this story was disjointed. The narrative didn’t transport readers into a story that was entertaining or well crafted.. I was hoping for a page-turning book. I had had hopes for this novel but it didn’t build into a deftly told psychological suspense or crime fiction novel.

This was a dark thriller, but a very fast and enjoyable read. I loved all the secrets that were uncovered in the wake of the loss of the main character's mother. It turns out there was an entire other side to her mother that Heather never knew, a side that included living in a commune in her youth and a decades-long relationship through letters with a locked-up serial killer.
There were lots of twists, some I anticipated and some that were completely shocking but the darkness and creepy atmosphere made me not want to put down the book.
Many content warnings here, namely suicide, loss of a parent, violence toward animals.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

A Dark and Secret Place was such a good thriller. The writing was so well done and I couldn't get enough. I loved the mystery in the novel. I kept trying to figure out who the serial killer and how the mother was involved. I loved reading the letters. Overall A Dark and Secret Place was really well done. I look forward to more from this author.

I had high hopes going into this one but it was meh. Heather's "investigation" took all of the suspense out of the storyline and I just couldn't keep up in parts. The ending was a flash in the dark and Heather's dialogue was just not it. The beginning set me up to love A Dark and Secret Place but it fell short.

This book got off to a very slow start, and continued to stay that way while also being a little all over the place. I didn't relate to the characters or feel drawn into their lives at all.

Overall, just not my cup of tea.

The premise of this book sounded really good to me but unfortunately I didn't really like this book. There was a lot going on and at times it became confusing. The end felt rushed.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  This book is well written and the characters are described well.  TRIGGER WARNING CHILD ABUSE. This is a very fast paced book. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. It is very twisted. I would recommend reading this book to anyone and everyone. It is in stores for $25.99 (USD).