Heather returns home after the apparent suicide of her mother. Upon going through her mother’s belongings she finds correspondence between her mother and a notorious serial killer named Michael Reave who is serving life in prison despite protesting his innocence. Heather immediately dives into her mother’s past. What is their connection? What secrets were her mother hiding?

Simultaneously a body is found in a similar manner as the previous murders. The police begin to question whether Reaves knows more about the murder than what he’s saying.

It took me awhile to get through this audiobook mainly because I was not a fan of the person reading it. Their attempt to change their voice for the different characters was distracting from the story. I probably would have rated this book higher if I read it as a physical copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media, LLC for this advanced audiobook.

This was my first time reading about serial killings as I don't read from this genre but the premise was interesting enough for me to pick it up. There were some tense moments and the feel of the atmosphere was eerie and creepy. At some points the book lulled a tad and I found myself question Heathers decision. I liked that were got flashbacks to Heathers mother and Michaels past to see the events leading up to the present otherwise I wouldn't have been as invested. I did end up liking the book and I think I will be exploring more of what this genre has to offer.

The narration was amazing, Lorna Bennett did a great job.

Thank you to Netgalley.com and Dreamscape Media for a free copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Heather and her mother had a contentious relationship but when she returns home following her mothers suicide she discovers she may not have known her mother at all. As a woman's body is found in the woods ritualistically displayed just like a captured serial killer once did, Heather discovers letters from her mother to a man named Michael who is in prison dubbed the Red Wolf responsible for the previous murders. Could this new murder be a copycat? As an investigative journalist Heather is determined to get to the bottom of her mothers relationship with the Red Wolf.

Moving back and forth in time this book takes you on a wild ride. Through twisted minds and secrets never shared The Red Wolf is the least of her worries but Heather doesn't realize that until its almost too late. I loved the way this was written and the narrator really captured the creepiness of the landscape. As Heather peels back the layers of her mothers past she finds secrets that explain so much of why her mother was the way she was and unearths a truth that is hard to swallow. I'm not sure if this is meant as a stand alone book or if its intended to be a series but it really could go either way.

This is a story about how well we think we know our loved ones... until we look in the attic.

This was a solidly atmospheric thriller. I appreciated the exploration of grief and complex family dynamics,. I would’ve appreciated more time spent in the prison visitation setting, but I think the pacing was solid as is.

Thank you NetGalley & Crooked Lane books for this eARC!

A Dark And Secret Place
Heather’s dead mother had secrets. She kept in contact with the “red wolf” serial killer. But why? While Heather tries to figure that out, she learns more about her past. And if the real red wolf is in prison now, why are more bodies showing up with his trademark? You will have to read Jen Williams new book on June 8th, 2021 to find out.

This book was creepy! If you like suspense, you may enjoy this one. I was not wowed by this story, but it did have a decent ending that I was not expecting.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to have access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really don't know where this book lands for me. This story is about Heather whos mom just died and she is returning home to take care of everything. As she starts cleaning she finds a box of letters from serial killer Michael Reave The Red wolf and they span over years. So Heather spends time reading them and trying to figure out the connection. And Michael has been caught and in Jail for years. Then when she contacts the police she finds out there is a copy cat out doing what The red wolf used to do with the bodies and murders. Michael has said this whole time he is innocent.

So I was really excited for the set up and thought here we go its going to be a did he do it who did it type story. IT starts out that way she starts working with the cops starts meeting with Michael and you get to know about Michaels past pre in jail in flashbacks.

But I wasn't a fan of Heather and it seemed like she was just wanting to get the story of the year to maybe get her old writing job back.

You find out close to the middle who was the Red wolf but then had to figure out but what comes next.

When some revels came at the end I knew then I figured them out.

I don't know where this books falls for me some parts I was so into but some I wasn't the end just seem here's the secrets which we knew and then they were like okay. Well here's some woods to walk around in. I wanted more out of the story I wish they changed some of the things for me like Heather herself I didn't like her she wasn't the badass I wanted and she seemed to care about getting the scoop more than anything. That's how she felt for me


Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Jen Williams, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A really great thriller to listen to, the narrator did a great job varying the voices and accents. The story itself was engaging, if at times a little predictable. There were still twists that I didn’t see coming, which was a nice surprise. The main character was relatable and imperfect. Trigger warnings for animal cruelty, suicide, and some gruesome descriptions.

Welp. This was kind of a potentially good story that kind of went all over the place and had quite a few plot holes that left me wondering what I had missed, so I went back and nope, they just weren’t handled.
Heather comes back home after her mother commits suicide and find a bunch of letters from an incarcerated serial killer named Michael Raeve. Why in the world would her aloof and unaffectionate mother be writing to a serial killer? As Heather is dealing with that, a copycat killer is on the loose and as they investigate and try to hunt him down, Heather starts to see that there’s a lot more that her mother is hiding, starting with her true relationship with Michael Raeve.
There were things I liked about the book: the fairy tale that led to the nickname of the serial killer, but it needed to be flushed out more and it would have added so much to the story. Heather’s best friend Nicki was truly supportive no matter what, but Heather herself was kind of abrupt and obnoxious at times-which is probably meant to deal with the whole nature versus nurture discussion. There were a lot of lines to keep up with-a woman in a red coat, an overly friendly neighbor, a dog that isn’t a dog or is it?
I’m sure there are many that would disagree with my thoughts on this one, as it had potential but I just didn’t feel like it hit the mark all the way. 2.5 stars rounded up because I enjoyed the narration. She did a great jib of bringing the story to life. I don’t know that I would have finished the book just reading it. She did great accents and brought emotion to the story.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

A woman's life is turned upside down when she finds out that her recently deceased mother had been secretly corresponding with a known serial killer.

First and foremost I would like to thank NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Dreamscape Media for sending me a copy to review. Please note that this in no way affects my opinions.

Overall, while this didn't knock it out of the park for me in terms of character and story development, I thought that this was an okay book with an interesting premise. Here are all the reasons why or why not this lived up to my expectations.

Content Warnings: mentions of suicide, animal cruelty, child abuse


Writing/Narrating:

I picked up the audiobook for this as that's generally how I like to consume mystery thrillers. I thought that Lorna Bennett did a good job narrating the story as not only did she express the story well, her accent also added another layer as fit its British setting.

My only issue with the audiobook was that the audio sounded very robotic. I would assume that it was because it is an ARC and as such isn't a final copy, but luckily it didn't bother me too much.

I do wish the plot was a bit more quick-paced but other than that I thought that the story was easy to digest.


Plot:

With most thriller books, what makes it thrilling is that, for the most part, you are left in the dark as to who the antagonist is. In this case, what thrilled me the most was Michael's storyline and I ended up liking it far more than the copycat killer who is the unknown in the equation. It was interesting getting his POV and learning about what he went through.

A letdown for me though was the logistics of some plot points. Heather finds out that her mom has been communicating with a known serial killer, and she immediately tries to talk to him, which the cops allow her to do. They let her talk to him in the hopes that they get some kind of information out of him, but it really doesn't make any sense for her to do so. She may be a journalist, but she is not equipped to interrogate a serial killer so it made no sense to me that they let her do so.

I also had issues in which the plot advances due to bad decisions on Heather's part. Yes, I realize that the plot has to advance somehow, but I generally don't like when it is due to a lack of thinking. It's little things like these that can make or break a story for me.

Moving forward, I was a bit let down from the final reveals. I thought that the reveal of the copycat killer was going to be more exciting and the story behind what happened to Heather's mother was going to be more twisted. That is my fault though since I had certain expectations as to where the story was going to go and I still think that the author did a good job at establishing a good story and finishing it.

I am still confused though when it comes to the reasons why Reeves and the copycat killer did what they did. A reason is sort of given, but it isn't really explained in enough detail. There were other answers I needed regarding other plot points as well that were left in the open.

Whether it was intentional or not, there were little tidbits in this story that had interesting influences. Of course, the idea of anyone connecting with a serial killer who is incarcerated brings me straight to Silence of the Lambs, and I also caught a moment that was similar to the true crime case of 'who put Bella in the Wych Elm?' I wished elements like these were explored a bit more.


Characters:

I am on the fence about how I feel about the characters. I thought that Reeves was an intriguing character and in some way, despite the fact that he is indeed a serial killer, you feel for him because he really went through some stuff in his childhood. I also liked the added element of him dispensing information through the use of fairy tales.

Heather, on the other hand, fell prey to some cliche horror tropes even though at times I thought she was pretty gutsy. By cliche horror tropes I mean announcing yourself out loud and putting a target on your back and brushing things aside as you either seeing things or it being no big deal.

I also found her to be kind of an unreliable narrator, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I find that it is not a character quality that I enjoy. I was also expecting for her character to lean more into the 'unstable' side but it didn't really go that far. In the summary as well, Heather is described as a prodigal daughter, but I didn't get those vibes from her. Overall, Heather wasn't the main character for me.

In terms of other characters, I felt like Ben and Heather's best friend Nikki didn't really add much to the story and could have been left out. I would have been fine if the story just focused on Heather and Reeves. The chapters that included the POVs of victims of the copycat killer also were not needed.


Concluding Thoughts:

It was a good idea that was ultimately a bit underwhelming in the end. The direction in which the plot went wasn't as exciting as I thought it was going to be. It just didn't have enough gravitas as a story where a serial killer is known and it a central character.

I think if you like mystery thrillers in general then you probably would like this as well.

After the death of her mother, Heather Evans has gone home to settle things. While going through old photos, she comes across a hidden tin of letters. The letters expose a secret relationship between her mother, and a killer.
Michael Reaves, also known as "The Red Wolf" is a serial killer. His victims were found with their hearts missing, their mouths stuffed with flowers.
Heather knows the only way to find out about her mothers past is to visit Reaves in prison. Communicating with a killer isn't the only thing that scares her. Finding out the truth terrifies her.

This book was deliciously dark, twisty and suspensful. I really liked the fairy tale link to Reave's past, as well as how it connected to Heather's mother. There were some moments when I thought there would be a witchy/supernatural thing happening, especially when it comes to the countless connections with the wolves. But I was glad that it didn't actually go there, making it all more believable.
Some of the twists are predictable, but executed well. The final big twist blew me away though. I can only imagine how Williams felt writing this story, giving us some thrills, but the whole time had something huge up her sleeve. A final surprise to finish off a great book.
I read this as an audiobook. The narrator did an excellent job creeping me out with her Michael Reaves voice. She really captured that unhinged craziness of his character, when he was telling his stories. It was chilling. With my ear buds in, all other noise tuned out, I was so hypnotized by the voice that I really felt like he was talking to me. Super scary.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was as creepy as it was atmospheric. The dark and secret world that Jen Williams created with her prose absolutely grabbed readers from page one, making it all but impossible to set this book aside and attend to those pesky adult obligations.

Similarly strong was the robustness of the mystery. Readers are unlikely to anticipate the twists and turns that come with surprising consistency throughout this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of this novel!

A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams, Narrated by Lorna Bennett, was a great audiobook and one that drew me in and totally creeped me out. Dual timeline + serial killer + murder mystery? Yes, please! This wasn't the most amazing thriller mystery ever but it was a solid story that I enjoyed. It was a little predictable and the ended kind of just suddenly ended... but the overall story was highly entertaining, tense, and suspenseful. Lorna Bennett is a fabulous narrator and truly made this story a gripping, horrific and scary listen.

I loved the book til the end i believe. I think they couldve answer a few more questions better. I felt it was a little open ended and was expecting to learn more on why everything happened and what happened with Michael before. Overall great story and narration but was a little upsetting as the end came to a close. 3.5* rounded down

I'm not sure what exactly it was about this book that made me dislike it. After about 50 pages, it picked up and I was super interested. But then it just kind of fizzled out by the end.

After Heather's mom commits suicide, Heather finds out that her mom had this entire past that she knew nothing about. She finds a tin of old letters back and forth with a serial killer and that's when she decides to find out more about her moms past.

Turns out her mom was part of a commune in 60's/70's and there was some scary stuff going on. Seemed like a cult that was all about communing with nature but with sex and drugs involved. Women's babies went missing, women went missing, just awful stuff. Heather found it insanely hard to believe that her strict, prim mother had been a part of any of this.

And then that ending... what! Completely lost me there. I didn't expect the revelation about the twins, so I liked that. But the rest was just yikes!

After several years of estrangement, Heather must travel back to her childhood home following the suicide of her mother.
While cleaning up her mother’s belongings, she comes across a tin full of letters from the famous serial killer “The Red Wolf” dating back two decades.

When the body of a young women is found mirroring The Red Wolf’s signature, Heather finds herself working with the police to figure out who the copycat might be and how Heather’s mother is connected.

Michael Reave, The Red Wolf, tells Heather several dark fairytales during her visits, hinting at the answers to the dark mystery that surrounds the killings.

As Heather digs deeper into her mother’s past, the story of a mysterious cult\commune begins to come to light but that can’t be right, Heather’s mother is not the cult\commune type. Heather feels compelled to go back to the beginning to investigate Fiddler’s Woods herself. What she finds cast doubt not only on her mother’s past but also about everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.

Told in two timelines, the story builds toward the center, ultimately reaching an apex that I did not see coming. Not all things were explained to my satisfaction, including the notes and the symbolism. There were many false leads that had me guessing right to the end.

This was very dark and atmospheric, a look behind a darker version of the witch in the woods theme fairy tale. Very well done on audio. Great narration and voices without being obnoxiously over the top on change of character.

I received an audiobook of A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams for review provided by NetGalley.

When prodigal daughter Heather Evans returns to her family home after her mother's baffling suicide, she makes an alarming discovery--stacks and stacks of carefully preserved letters from notorious serial killer Michael Reave. The "Red Wolf," as he was dubbed by the press, has been in prison for over twenty years, serving a life sentence for the gruesome and ritualistic murders of several women across the country, although he has always protested his innocence. The police have had no reason to listen, yet Heather isn't the only one to have cause to re-examine the murders. The body of a young woman has just been found, dismembered and placed inside a tree, the corpse planted with flowers. Just as the Red Wolf once did.
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What did Heather's mother know? Why did she kill herself? And with the monstrous Red Wolf safely locked inside a maximum security prison, who is stalking young women now? Teaming up with DI Ben Parker, Heather hopes to get some answers for herself and for the newest victims of this depraved murderer. Yet to do that, she must speak to Michael Reave herself, and expose herself to truths she may not be ready to face. Something dark is walking in the woods, and it knows her all too well.
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I had higher hopes for this one. I did like it, there were just a few misses for me throughout the story. I did like the Hannibal vibes, cult aspect in the story.

I give this 3 stars. I liked the audiobook but think this is one I need to read instead.

I really wanted to like this one, but it just fell totally flat for me in the end.

The good:
It is very atmospheric and creepy. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator is fantastic. She kept me interested and invested even through the more gory parts.
The premise is phenomenal--Heather's mother commits suicide and Heather discovers that her mother has been writing letters to a convicted serial killer for years. He's behind bars, yet now crimes identical to his are occurring again.
I also loved the Little Red Riding Hood nods and themes. It gave an even more creepy vibe.

The not-so-good:
If you ever read my reviews, you'll know that I rarely like armchair detectives. Ugh with Heather thinking she can solve these crimes when the police couldn't. She takes stupid and nonsensical risks that NO ONE would do. It was like watching a bad horror movie on the page where you just want to scream at the characters to stop doing dumb things.
And when all is said and done the ending really makes no sense. There's not a huge amount of explanation about WHY these things happened and there are just so many plot holes for rationale along the way that I couldn't wrap my brain around. Nobody called the police about bad things, they were just all evil and trying to cover everything up? Not buying it.

Overall, I think this writer has potential with suspense, just with a tighter an more believable plots. Or stick with fantasy, that's ok too.

4.25 stars

Heather returns home after the suicide of her mom, only to find a stack of letters that reveal her mother has been communicating with an infamous serial killer known as The Red Wolf. To make matters worse, the body of a young woman has been found, killed in the same ritualistic manner as the Red Wolf’s victims.

To help the police, Heather is asked to use knowledge found in her mom’s letters as leverage when talking to the imprisoned serial killer.

I read A Dark and Secret Place as an audiobook produced by Dreamscape Media and Narrated by Lorna Bennett. Her narration was superb, and she managed to evoke the dark and claustrophobic atmosphere of the book and Heather’s desperation as her world crumbles. I feel that her pacing was respectful to the narrative, and she was able to narrate different characters and make them distinguishable.

Although I can not fault the quality of the production or Bennett’s narration, I wish A Dark and Secret Place had been a full ensemble production. I wanted to hear the Red Wolf’s voice and feel the tension between him and Heather that can only come from dialogue.

This book was tense, dark, intense, and suspenseful. I couldn’t stop listening to it as I needed to know how the story unfolds. The main characters were well developed, and I feel that I got to know them well, especially Heather, Colleen, and the Red Wolf. Some minor characters blended in slightly, and it took me some time to distinguish them. We have a serial killer and a copycat, and while the former shines, the latter felt a bit rushed and not as fleshed out. I get why, though. The revelation was very unsettling but fair.

I enjoyed the slow burner beginning, but I feel that by the time the pace picked up, it went too fast too quickly. I wish one of the reveals had come earlier in the book to give it time to simmer and explode.

I would have enjoyed this book more if it had solely focused on Heather, Colleen, The Red Wolf, and The Fairy Tales allusions. That made it gripping, compelling, dark, and insidious. The commune portion wasn’t my favorite - I feel it would have been better saved for a different book, as at the end, it just added to too much.

Maybe it’s just me, but the last couple of chapters were like a punch in my face and not enjoyable. However, the overall experience of reading A Dark and Secret Place was a positive one. Positive enough that I will check other books by Williams.

2 1/2 ⭐️‘s
Intriguing to begin with, this book takes a turn into some very dark and disturbing material. While creepy in nature, this book took the dark and creepiness a bit too far to make it an enjoyable listen. The voice of Heather was done quite well, but the voice of Michael was overdone and off putting.

This was my first read from Jen Williams and I would definitely read some of her other work. I am a sucker for a good psychological thriller and this definitely delivered. However, I am not normally one for creepy, horror based thrillers and this definitely had a bit of that vibe but nothing too intense so it kept it interesting for me. This book is very atmospheric and gives off a lot of creepy, mysterious vibes in the Folly scenes. The ending of the book was extremely intense and made me feel like I was there watching it play out. Overall, I was shocked by the big reveals at the end. This had me guessing the entire time what it could be and I couldn't figure it out so I was genuinely surprised and delighted (in a weird way) at the turn of events. This was really well written. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.