Well mixed feelings about this one. When I first started I felt that I was starting halfway through a book, like I had missed the first few chapters. However, I did get into it and enjoyed the ending.

I did enjoy this book. I found it hard to keep moving backwards and forwards but it added to the intrigue. I had to keep checking in to see what was going on.

I am not sure about the ending.

Imagine your stepdad being a serial killer... eek.

I really struggled to get into this one and unfortunately I did not finish it. It fell a little short of my expectations and I was really sad I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped.

This one is way too long for what it is and for how un-engaging it is. I found it extremely boring and repetitive. The listener is subjected to Sophie's emotions and feelings over and over again. The storyline is told in both a past and present timeline. The plot is set mostly today, and partly 20 years ago. I didn’t see the need for the "today" side of the storyline at all. The last one or two chapters were really the only engaging ones and the big reveal wasn’t really a reveal at all. By the time we got to the outcome I was really fed up and just so glad to be finished it. I hate to say it but I found it a complete slog from start to finish. I didn’t really care for any of the characters either and found Sophie incredibly unlikable, both today and in the past as a child. Unfortunately this one really wasn’t for me and I wouldn’t recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the opportunity to read and review #TrulyDarklyDeeply

This book follows Sophie and her mum in their move from the USA to London. Leaving everything behind to start a new life, where Matty enters their life. Sophie's mum adores Matty and hopes to become his wife while Sophie is relishing having a father figure in her life. Little did they know it would all turn sour. There is a side to Matty they haven't seen yet, a very dark side.

If a serial killer waltzed in to your life, would you know? Sometimes we're blinded by the people closest to us.

A great read, with exciting twists.

I do love a serial killer based book and the premise of Truly Darkly Deeply really appealed to me. I did enjoy but for me it could have been darker.

The beginning of this book is fast moving and I was sucked in quickly. I was intrigued by the characters and the whole did he or did he not do it scenario, especially from Sophie's point of view. Told across two timelines, I enjoyed looking through the eyes of eight year old Sophie and how Matty came into her life.. I really felt for how she felt for Matty.

Overall, it was a compelling read and one I would definitely recommend.

Really enjoyed this - will definitely be recommending and looking forward to the next one by this author!

A massive 5 stars for this unbelievably brilliant debut. It’s a really clever and different way of doing the serial killer genre. I think it’s one of the best I’ve read. Just bought this writer’s new book too. Recommended to everyone!

Truly Darkly Deeply by Victoria Selman is an unusual 'Did He Do It' style of a book and does a great job of keeping you guessing until the end.

Sophie's childhood was turbulent, moving to London as a young child, with her mother as an only parent after her father left the family home. When her mother meets Matty, a handsome, enigmatic and fun father figure for her, she begins to feel that the family is whole again.

However, is Matty all he seems? Sometimes absent without notice, and sometimes inappropriate in his dealings with Sophie, things begin to become more disturbing as Matty seems to know too much about the actions of a serial killer stalking young women, who bear an uncanny resemblance to Sophie's mother.

Matty can't be guilty of these Crimes can he?

Matty is ultimately convicted of the crimes but public opinion is divided as to whether the largely circumstantial evidence has led to an unsound conviction.

When Matty is diagnosed with terminal cancer whilst in prison he reaches out to Sophie one last time. Will hearing the truth from Matty save Sophie or sentence her to her own version of pergatory.

A very good ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me, and an author I'll follow.

Could you cope with having a serial killer in the family? How do you question the possibility of innocence or guilt?

Sophie receives a letter stamped with Battlemouth Prison. The prison her 'stepfather' Matty has been residing in for the past 20 years. Matty was her mother Amelia-Rose' partner and the closest thing Sophie had to a father .

Matty has always protested his innocence, he's just a normal man, well educated, well dressed, pleasant ... how can he be a serial killer?

When the letter arrives Soohie is in two minds, can she finally confront him and get the answers she so desperately needs or does she ignore his request to visit him before he dies?

Told from Sophie's viewpoint from past and present, the questioning of innocence or guilt plays heavily throughout both narratives and really pulls the story together.

I really enjoyed the added blog pieces woven throughout. They somehow made it all feel more real as we all know kist how interested people are in the real world when it comes to true crime and their own theories.

The characters are expertly executed, you feel the characters personalities and emotions flow from the pages.

I loved reading the POV from 'past'Sophie, set in the 1980s, before the internet and mobile phones, when life seemed simpler and the news was only broadcast over the radio or minimal TV stations.

I'm trying to be as vague as possible so not to give any spoilers but this is a must read. A book that feels real with a brilliant ending that plays on emotions... what more could you want?

Massive thanks to netgalley and Quercus Books for the ARC.

I don´t know why it took me so long to get round to reading this, but I´m certainly glad I did. So dark, so compelling, so twisted, totally absorbing.

I will certainly be looking out for Victoria Selman in future.

Highly recommend.

My thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for giving me the opportunity to read a digital copy in return for an honest review.

I was drawn in by this captivating front cover and was not disappointed! A super dark and complex plot that was full of twists and chilling, eerie characters. Very unique and fun to read, and finished in just a few sittings. Recommend for a thriller lover looking for something a bit different!

Unpredictable and captivating, this thriller pulls you into a vortex of danger, where nothing is as it appears and trust is a rarity.

A gripping tale I couldn't put down. Also a fascinating tale on how someone's darkness can actually be shown in complex ways that attract us to them.

I went in blindly. I usually read the synopsis but this time I decided to just go in without any expectations.
This book is so dark. It fascinated me. So twisty and chilling. I have to admit, it is one unique read. I've not read anything similar

Super dark and interesting.
Also a fascinating riff on how someones darkness can actually be shown in complex ways that attract us to them.
Recommend! Also, gorgeous cover.

I went into this without refreshing myself on the synopsis.
But I was gripped from the beginning. I didnt want to put it down.
This had a good balance of past and having some multi media chapters. Giving another view on things.
The main question was is Matty innocent. But also we see Sophie battling with what she believes because of the relationship she had with him. How she viewed him a father figure even if she never admitted it.
The twist with her mother made sense when I thought back. There were small clues at times that I overlooked until the end.

Great read from Victoria, covering the serial killer story from a slightly different angle. what if someone you'd learned to love was incarcerated for these crimes...you'd be torn, of course between loyalty and cold, hard facts....or are they? Excellent storytelling with an explosive ending. Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this brilliant book!

Really enjoyed this, very gripping and an interesting concept. I enjoyed the storytelling in both present day and the past which helped keep the suspense going and you wanted to keep on reading