A really intriguing novel told across two time periods. I found some of it a little repetitive but all in all a really enjoyable read.

Gripping psychological thriller with a dark, chilling, creepy twist I didn’t see coming.
I honestly couldn’t put this book down.
The opening lines made me grip the book tighter. Absolutely brilliant read.
Such a shame I can only give five stars when it deserves so much more.

Twelve-year-old Sophie moves with her mother, Amelia-Rose, from Massachusetts to London where they meet Matty Melgren. He soon becomes a big part of their lives but the adult's relationship sours. At the same time, a serial killer begins targeting women who look like Amelia-Rose. Matty is convicted of the multiple murders but there are questions as to his guilt. Twenty years later Sophie is summoned to his prison as he is dying. Will her questions finally be answered?

This is a great story, well-written which I dived into right from the beginning. The believable characters resonate with truth but there is always something going on just outside that is hard to pin down. The pace of the tale is good making it difficult to put down before reading ‘just one more chapter.’ The story does flit back and forth in time but is easy to follow. A definite for Whodunnit fans and those who like easy-to-read mysteries. Plus, it's got a great ending.

My thanks to #NetGalley, #QuercusBooks, and #VictoriaSelman for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am sorry this novel is just not my cup of tea. Slow burner which was too repetitive. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Truly, Darkly, Deeply, indeed a most apt title for this novel! Chilling and intriguing in equal measure. I was on tenterhooks wondering all the way through what the outcome would be and I was shocked and appalled by the conclusion, I just never saw that coming with all the second guessing I'd been doing!
My thanks to Netgalley.

Eight year old Sophie and her mother move from Massachusetts to London, far from family and friends, where just as her mum meets a new boyfriend, a serial killer begins to terrorize the city. This is a difficult one to rate, it's extremely compelling, yet too drawn out, I don't mind a slow burn but the pacing is off. Told by Sophie and set in two timelines, the 80s and some 20 years later, It was sometimes unclear which Sophie was speaking, date headers would have been a help. I didn't really get the feel of the 80s either, I felt the author was trying hard to set the scene - songs, TV shows, fashions etc - but it felt a bit forced. So much of the story consisted of Sophie endlessly agonizing over the same thing, the repetition became a little too much. However, I was really intrigued by the story, it kept me turning the pages, eager to find out the truth, the ending was unexpected and cleared up a few details I'd been scratching my head about. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publishers for the ARC.

Such a compelling read. It had twists and turns that kept me interested. The characters were relatable and I felt like I was in the story with them. I've already read it twice and will read it again in the future

Totally absorbing.....within the first few lines the reader is drawn in to a world of twenty-something years ago when as a child Sophie emigrated from the US with her mother to start a new life in England. While navigating her new world, new school and friends (and of course, the kids who simply like to pick on anyone different), Sophie first encounters Mattie: a charming and handsome friend of her Mother. Mattie soon becomes a fixture in both their lives, and an almost Father-like figure to Sophie, who has never known a Father's love, playing jokes and games, and keeping their creepy neighbour at bay. But just how well can you get to know people; do you believe everything they tell you about themselves? And, when stories start to differ and seem odd, do you let it pass by or follow your gut instinct and ask questions? As Sophie's mother tries to guide and reassure her, local events have women in the area scared to be out alone and Sophie tries to ignore the little warning voice in her head and unease in her stomach. Very, very hard to put down.

An excellent read. Well written. Good story line with an interesting ending. I would throughly recommend this book.

Single mother Amelia-Rose and her daughter Sophie have started a new life in London. They meet Matty who soon becomes a father figure to Sophie. Their world is shattered when he is identified as the serial killer that has been targeting women who look like Amelia-Rose and charged with a string of murders. Twenty years later Matty is still in prison and protesting his innocence when he reaches out to Sophie to let her know he is dying.

This is a brilliant story told from Sophie's perspective as she looks back at what happened and tries to piece together the truth.

The characters are so well written, they feel believable. Victoria Selman does an excellent job at pulling you into the past and creating such a tense atmosphere.

We are obsessed with true crime and this is a fascinating side of it that we often don't consider. A compelling read.

When Sophie and her mother Amelia-Rose move from America to London for a new start it all seems to begin well. Amelia-Rose quickly meets Matty, a charismatic man, who not only sweeps her off her feet, but is just as caring and welcoming to her child. Sophie adores Matty. He quickly becomes part of their lives, and everything seems perfect. But their relationship is not all it seems. Then the killings begin.

A serial killer begins to strike in their neighbourhood, targeting young women out alone at night. The women are completely unconnected to one another, all different ages and from different walks of life. However a trend does emerge - all the women have striking physical similarities. These physical traits coincidentally happen to match those of Sophie's mother.

Matty and Amelia-Rose’s relationship begins to rapidly decline, and suspicions begin to rise. Sophie and her mother both begin to have doubts about Matty for varying reasons. Matty is eventually arrested and jailed for murder. He continually denies his guilt, and this denial eats away at Sophie. Twenty years later, her life still in pieces, Sophie receives a letter from the prison, informing her that Matty is dying and wants to see her before he does. When she does, the secrets he reveals are more than she bargained for.

This was a completely engrossing read, which I consumed in one sitting. It was clever, creepy, dark and thought provoking. Just what does happen to the lives of the families of serial killers. Do they really not know? When do they start to have suspicions? How many lives could have been saved really? Once the killer is convicted, life effectively ends for the family, too. The way in which this story was told, the jumping from the timeline, Sophie talking to her mother, telling stories from point of view, then realising what really happened, really built the tension and pulled you along. You were urging Sophie to reveal what she knew, what she was repressing. You were taking her by the hand to get her to the prison to find out more. You were just as shocked by the bombshell revelation at the end. Overall, an excellent read, something quite different, and one you won’t want to put down until finished - so make sure you don’t need an early night!

*I received this book from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

A great cover and an interesting title made this book stand out for me,the writing is good,the story told well and the ending for me was very good, altogether a different interesting read

In the 80's Sophie and her mother Amelia Rose move to London from America.Sophie finds it hard to settle down until her mother meets Matty and things change.
Sophie adores him and always takes his side against her mother who can be highly strung.
There is a serial killer killing women who bear a striking resemblance to Amelia Rose.
Sophie is fasinated by the Serial killer,who is he?and could he be nearer than she thinks.
Told in past and present chapters.
I enjoyed the style of writing and found the ending brilliant.
A must for readers who li,e their books dark and chilling.
Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the ARC.

There are some novels you wish would never end and there are some which you wish you'd never started. Sadly, Truly, Darkly, Deeply, for me, falls in the latter category. It was so boring but I've read novels before which redeem themselves at the end, so I plodded on. I should not have bothered, even the concluding twist was lacklustre. On a technical point, when the detectives showed up at the flat, I think they were in plain clothes so would not sport a shoulder number as intimated in the dialogue.

I'd like to thank both #NetGalley and #QuercusBooks for this free review.copy of #TrulyDarklyDeeply

This is a thriller set mostly in London, and based around an American Mother, Amelia-Rose & her young daughter, Sophie, They have moved to start a new life after the breakdown of her marriage and having lived with her parents for quite long enough.. Sophie is eight when Amelia-Rose starts dating Irishman, Mattie.

Although together for many years, Mattie doesn't offer Ams marriage. He does treat Sophie like his own child, they had bonded over her mums tendencies to nag at them and be a bit of a spoil sport! They'd often have fun games her mum didn't approve of. After a while Sophie became fearful when murders started occurring in and around their neighbourhood. The victims were all petite with brown curly hair, like her mum, and Sophie feared her mum would get killed after work! Mattie didn't dismiss her fears like Ams did, he encouraged their safety by telling them not to walk alone, gave them rape alarms and promised Sophie her mum would be safe!

As the years pass the couple's relationship goes through ups and downs. He's not the most reliable for keeping dates, and will go to Ireland to visit his parents and won't stay in touch. It puts a strain on Sophie and Ams relationship because she feels her mum is going to push her only father figure away. She tries harder and harder to keep them on an even keel and lighten the atmosphere when he first returns. All the time the murders are still occurring, and the police don't have any leads!

This read is quite fascinating, getting an inside look behind the curtain of the downward spiral of this family unit when accusations are made, and the press try and convict the suspect before a court date is even set! The feelings of what if's, could I have's, should I have's, were painful and sad reading! I thought the final twist and turn, right at the end was a bit unnecessary and almost gross. I understood it as a plot tool.but it cheapened the work for me.

Overall this is a well paced thriller, I really liked that it was written from Sophie's point of view. It swaps timelines from past to present, so you can tell how twisted up she still is by her past. It leaves you feeling pretty melancholy!😔

Debbie, 1970, UK

Free courtesy of Netgalley

I enjoyed this book as it was intriguing, but I felt it was very choppy, dancing between the past and the present without giving any indications to where in time you were. The story was good though once you got used to the movement back and forth.

The story is about Sophie and her Mother Amelia Rose who emigrated from the USA to live in London after her marriage broke down and she needed to escape her religious parents. Shortly after the arrive in London, Amelia meets Matty, who becomes a father figure to young Sophie. Even though he won't commit to marriage, he treats Sophie as if she is his child, and Sophie loves him and takes his side against her mother, who can be sullen and argumentative.

Around the same time their is a serial killer on the loose, murdering young women who resemble Sophie's mother. Sophie is obsessed with this "Shadow" murderer and worries about her mother all the time, until her world comes crashing down.

I would recommend this book, as the story is very good. This is the first time I have read any of Victoria Selmans books.

This is a fascinating book written about an accused serial killer, what really grabbed my attention is the fact that it is written from the perspective of his child. This is the first murder mystery I’ve read written from this perspective and I really enjoyed it. The writing is brilliant, as is the entire storyline, I truly couldn’t put it down!

This is a superb read! The story is original, absorbing and impossible to put down. Sophie moves with her mother Amelia-Rose from Massachusetts to London when she is a young girl. Her mother becomes involved with a man called Matty who acts as the father Sophie never had. He lives in their flat sometimes but also disappears from time to time supposedly on business or visiting his parents whom he says live in Ireland. The background to this period is that there is a serial killer of young women on the loose. Sophie and her mother begin to be suspicious of Matty. The book starts with the reader knowing that Matty is in gaol for these serial murders. The interest is Sophie telling how she and her mother came to terms with it. She is also preparing after more than twent years to visit him in gaol hoping to get his confession and remove the background worry that maybe it wasn’t him. This is an excellent read and I strongly recommend it.

I loved this! It kept me hooked right to the end and wasn't what I expected. I really enjoyed reading it. Just would have liked a few questions answered - why did she do it and what was the real relationship between the children and the serial killer. It was really well written.

Hi and welcome to my review of Truly, Darkly, Deeply!

When I spotted Truly, Darkly, Deeply on Twitter, I couldn’t resist checking it out, and once I had, I just had to read this book! I love a good serial killer thriller and Truly, Darkly, Deeply turned out to be an excellent one!

After reading a few slower books that took me rather long to finish, I was in the mood for a fast-paced thriller and I had a feeling Truly, Darkly, Deeply would be just that. I could not have been more right! I basically raced through it and I almost literally had to restrain myself to not finish it late at night. An exciting finale does not make for a good night’s sleep and I just knew Truly, Darkly, Deeply still had something thrilling in store for me. (And it did too! As I found out the day after.)

Truly, Darkly, Deeply is told from the perspective of Sophie, the only child of a single mother, born in the US and brought to London at the age of twelve. It’s set in the present day, with flashbacks to Sophie’s childhood and her memories of her mum, her gran, and her mum’s boyfriend Matty, who was arrested for committing multiple murders and has been held at her Majesty’s Pleasure for nigh on twenty years when Sophie is informed he’s dying and wants to see her.

Throughout the story, we watch Sophie struggle with her memories of and her feelings for Matty. After all, he was the only father she ever knew and she loved him to bits for years. Was he truly a monster who pulled the wool over her and her mum’s eyes, or might he have been wrongfully accused as some true crime fans claim, innocent yet incarcerated all this time?

Truly, Darkly, Deeply is a riveting psychological / crime thriller and I had a brilliant time with it. While I do enjoy police procedurals, I really loved that this wasn’t at all about the police investigation into the murders, but a look at the lives of those closely connected to a convicted killer. If he’s innocent, had there been a way to save him? If he’s guilty, had there been a way to save his victims? Thought-provoking and super entertaining, I would happily recommend Truly, Darkly, Deeply to fans of the genre.

Truly, Darkly, Deeply is out on 7 July in digital formats, hardcover and audio.

Massive thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.