Cover Image: Truly, Darkly, Deeply

Truly, Darkly, Deeply

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I have just finished reading Truly, Darkly, Deeply by Victoria Salman.
Wow, what a fabulous story, I could not put the book down. Each page gives you a little bit more but the twist at the end, I was not expecting that.
A serial killer is on he loose in North London, where Sophie and her American mother now live. Who is the killer? A man gets convicted, but was it him? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
I can thoroughly recommend this book.

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I'm going to try my best to keep this review simple and brief, since this is a thriller and I'm not here to ruin anybody's day, but at the same time, I strongly believe that I cannot talk about this book without spoiling it so maybe it's best not to read my review lol.
Just read this part if you don't want to possibly getting spoiled: Do I recommend Truly, Darkly, Deeply? I honestly cannot say that I do, mainly because of the infuriatingly repetitive writing style and because it really felt too long, like it had overstayed its welcome.

Thank you to Quercus Publishing for sending me the e-ARC!

(SPOILER FREE)
Here are the aspects I really enjoyed about Truly, Darkly, Deeply:
. The premise itself was incredibly intriguing and it was the main reason I asked for this book from NetGalley. It was super well done and it kept me hooked and intrigued throughout the process of reading this book.
. It felt rather original, if you ask me.
. The influences I noticed from infamous, real world serial killers were a very nice touch.
. Matty's character was absolutely terrifying, in the way you wouldn't expect a handsome, intelligent, surprisingly normal young man to turn out to be a fucking serial killer.
. I really liked how the author kept pulling me back in with these cliffhangers every couple of chapters, as if she knew I was itching to put the book down and was like nah nah sister, I'mma get you hooked.
. Is it wrong to say that I liked how the killings were done? How the killer hunted down these specific women that looked exactly like his girlfriend, etc.
. I loved the twist towards the end about Sophie and her mother, it just shocked me in a way that I found entertaining.

That's about it, to be honest, so moving on to the things I didn't enjoy about this book:
. The obnoxiously repetitive style of writing. I genuinely felt like I was reading about the same thing over and over and over again.
. More on that, this book felt way too long for what it was, and if it hadn't been that repetitive, I strongly believe that it would've been shorter.
. I really didn't care much for any of the characters, beside Matty. Didn't care for Amelia Rose, didn't care for Sophie, but I also didn't like that Sophie was literally 11-12 throughout the book? Like she felt older than that, but I digress.
(SPOILERS)
. I didn't love that we spent all this time building up Matty as this terrifying villain, yet also having all these characters come to his defense and proclaim his innocence.
Like if I spent an entire book knowing who the killer is, then what was the point? Where was the plot twist? Because literally at the 95% mark, he confirmed that he was the killer? Okay, but I was underwhelmed and I just wanted to get it over with.
. I didn't care for the reveal that Sophie's mom was in on it? Like the bitch was dead by then so why should I have cared about it? At that point of the book, I just wanted it to be over already so said reveal just didn't do shit for me, if I'm being completely honest.

Overall, this was a pretty fine "thriller", although I'd call it more of a mystery novel, than a thriller.
Excellent premise, lackluster execution.

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Fantastically dark and intreaging tale. Totally draws you in to the mystery and deepest human thoughts and behaviour. The story and characters raise a lot of questions about how the people behave and treat one another. Indeed what we are all capable of.
I loved this compelling and addictive, s phychological journey from start to finish. Raing many questions and leaving me wanting more! Highly reccommeded!

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A fantastic read. I enjoyed the references to the 1980s and real life events and thought it was a brilliantly written story - so much so that I sometimes had to remind myself it wasn’t true crime fiction- and I loved the twist at the end. Recommended.

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I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 4*
Writing skill : 5*
Plot: 4*
Pace: 2*
Characters: 4*
Twist: 2*

Once I finally got going with this one, I couldn't put it down, but it took me a long time to get into it. The pace of the story was a bit slow which didn't help, but the characters and Selman's writting style kept me going and I am so glad I read this. Another serial killer thriller which I am here for, and my overall 4* rating shows just how much I liked it.

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This book was incredibly good. A chilling story about a girl called Sophie and her mother Amelia-Rose who move to London from Massachusetts. Amelia-Rose meets Matty Melgren who is later found guilty of being a serial killer. Twenty years onwards, Sophie visits him in prison but will he open up to her with the answers she so needs?

Truly, Darkly, Deeply was completely gripping and full of twists and turns. It lured me into its pages and I was quickly besotted by its originality and cleverness. It was atmospheric, tense, dark and gothic, with such a level of unpredictability that I had no idea who to trust or what to believe. Definitely, one to pick up; this is one very happy reader!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Quercus Books via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

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Truly Darkly Deeply is such an addictive read!

I found it so gripping that I was sneaking chapters in my work breaks to find out if Matty was truly guilty or if he was framed.

The mystery has shades of Bundy, Zodiac and the Yorkshire Ripper and the author carefully balances the storytelling from Sophie’s perspective with newspaper clippings and forum posts to add an additional layer of interest.

I’d figured out the ending by about half way through but there was so much tension building that you’re constantly second guessing your gut instinct and suspecting everyone.

Highly recommended!

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I really enjoyed this book. When 12 year old Sophie comes to live in London from the USA with her mother Amelia, they soon meet the charismatic Matty Melgren. Sophie quickly looks up to him as a father figure and Amelia is in love with him, though he refuses to get married. Theirs is a complicated relationship. At the same time, a serial killer is murdering women who look like Amelia. Years later, after Matty's conviction for the murders, Sophie receives a letter from the prison to say he wants to see her as he is terminally ill. He has always protested his innocence, so is he about to offer a death bed confession? There is a massive twist that you won't see coming! Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

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I really enjoyed this book and was hooked from the start. I would definitely recommend to any dark suspense fans.

It is told from Sophie’s perspective and moves between timelines. I like when she is looking back she is questioning things with the benefit of hindsight which also gives the reader more details.

There were a couple of bits that were a little repetitive but I thought that overall it was such a compelling read that it didn’t bother me.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Quercus for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. #TrulyDarklyDeeply

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As a child Sophie wished for a father as there was only her and her mother. They live with grandparents in America. For reasons which she did not understand at the time her grandparents decided they ought to make a new life for themselves in the UK and this happened leaving behind the only family she had. Her life did not change and somehow was worse, no father, American accent etc so she was still bullied at school. For an 8 year old child this is sad as she only ever wanted to fit it. Eventually things settled and along comes Matthew Melgren into her mother’s life and, of course hers. Mattie was the complete package as far as Sophie was concerned and she lived in a happy world. He was good to her and made her feel safe. Life had it’s ups and downs for Sophie’s mom and Mattie and could be quite volatile. He would disappear and then return especially after arguments. As Sophie was growing up there are murders taking place in and around London. The story jumps backwards and forwards from child Sophie and grown up Sophie and I enjoyed the two stories becoming one. The murders continue and eventually Mattie is arrested for them – did he commit them, Sophie is convinced that he had been set up. Sophie struggles in adult life due to Matty’s imprisonment which she still feels is unjust. Eventually she receives a letter from the prison where Mattie is asking her to visit. She is not sure whether this is a good plan and agonises over this but eventually she feels she needs to put her past to bed one way or the other. She is full of guilt which is something which is stopping her living her life to the full. She has a secret herself which is eating away at her. The meeting is set and she visits. Matty talks she listens not expecting the story to unfold as it does. I thought the book was great and full of twists. I did not expect the ending at all and made for a great story. I enjoyed the drama of Sophie and her mom and am still surprised I did not get some of the narrative – proves a great story

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Loved the book. Good plot with duel timeline, good characters with plenty of twists to keep you reading till the end.
I received this book from Quercus books and Netgalley for a review.

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Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. Truly Darkly Deeply by Victrola Selman. It is a serial killer novel, though one with a difference - the killer is behind bars and has been for nearly twenty years. Matty Melgren is a charismatic character who had a relationship with Amelia-Rose. when her daughter Sophie was twelve. Now Sophie receives a letter from Matty in prison informing her he is dying. There has always been a doubt in Sophie's mind about his guilt and the letter spurs her to visit Matty and try to uncover the truth. A very original novel with a series of twists and turns that take you through to the satisfying conclusion - recommended.

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As a lover of psychological thrillers, I could not wait to read Truly, Darkly, Deeply. I was really happy that the publisher provided an ARC copy of this title.
I really enjoyed this novel and the fact that the story is really told from a child's point of view. There are quite a few twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. Unfortunately, I identified a major plot twist fairly early on in the novel, which did slightly spoil the experience for me. Overall though, I look forward to reading more by Victoria Selman.

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This was one of those books which, whilst at times a bit dark, was definitely a compelling read. From the very beginning I wanted to know more about the main protagonists - and to find out whether or not Matty really was the serial killer. I'd read that this book had a twist at the end but had forgotten that until I got to pretty much the end of the book - and yes, this book does have, a really interesting twist, one I hadn't expected! I liked looking back into the past with the author - the reflections she has of her childhood - the TV shows, music etc - are echoes of my own past. Overall I thought this was a well-written book, a perfect read for hot, sunny days.

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A dark domestic drama. A story told by Sophie as a child in the 80's and current day. Matty who was a father figure to her has been in prison for 20 years charged as a serial killer protesting his innocence. As the story evolves I found my mind changing as the cleverly written story has you swinging your view from side to side. The reveal is truly a headspin. A good read.

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I've just this second finished reading #TrulyDarklyDeeply and my god what a book it is! So many emotions written so perfectly you feel them yourself, characters you will love, hate and love to hate. An excellent book start to finish! @VictoriaSelman thank you!

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Loved the premise, really wanted to love the book… As with some of the other reviews, I found it rather repetitive and a bit clumsy at times. I’ve read some incredible books lately so perhaps I was expecting more than this one could deliver. I have friends who rave about Truly Darkly Deeply so definitely give it a go! I did finish it, so that says something!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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A bit of an unusual diversion from my regular genre, I was unsure whether I would enjoy this one.
However, it is an extraordinarily written account, told from the point of view of a young girl who desperately wants to believe that the man she loves as a father isn't capable of a string of horrific murders.
Consequently, we spend most of the book looking for clues ourselves and trying to work out the truth.
I wouldn't consider this a thriller despite the subject matter as it is more of a family saga and a beautiful exploration of a step family dynamic, a romance that illustrates how damaging unconditional love can be and how, as immigrants, the main characters are treated by society.
I'm not going to tell you there is a twist at the end in case you spend the whole novel trying to guess it like I did but it is certainly an interesting conclusion.
Many thanks.

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Truly, Darkly, Deeply by Victoria Selman is a very dark psychological thriller about a man who befriends a single parent family, with a young daughter. Marty Melgren befriends Amelia-Rose and her daughter, Sophie. Then young woman are being killed in London, who resemble Sophie’s mother. When Marty is convicted of the murders Sophie still wonders whether he was innocent.
She then visits him in Battlemouth Prison twenty years later, when he is supposedly dying and then finds out more than she ever wanted to know.
A very dark story which left more questions than answers.
Highly recommended

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Being a true crime fan, I loved how this book talked about serial killers. It made me think of Ted Bundy as soon as I heard Matty worked in a crisis centre.

It was briliantly written in the fact even though I predicted the twist halfway through, her writing kept me engaged and turning the pages.

It was different in that it was written from the childs point of view and not the parents. That made the book more interesting. The timeline was from 1980 to present day.

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