Complex, dark, disturbing and creepy, unlike any book I’ve read before. Told from the perspective of Sophie as a child, the book is built around the plot of a serial killer on the loose in London. It follows Sophie as she grapples with the prospect of if Matty, a father figure in her life, is actually guilty after been sent to prison for the crimes. It’s a very well written book, engaging and ultimately has you asking the question is Matty really guilty? The book keeps the reader guessing right until the end, with an unexpected twist (which I didn’t see coming) thrown in more good measure.

Would recommend to anyone who enjoys a dark thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quercus books for the advanced copy for an honest review in return.

A creepy, dark and compelling serial killer story told by Sophie, who moved to London with her mother as a young girl where they meet Matty Melgren. Matty is now serving a life sentence for a series of murders of mostly young women who resemble Sophie’s mum, Amelia. Sophie is still coming to terms with her childhood where she loved this man like a father. This book was so hard to put down, I was tempted to stay up late last night to finish it! I didn’t expect the ending, I thought I’d guessed where it was going, still after reading it there after definite hints throughout. An excellent thriller read.

Did I like the book?
What a dark dark dark read! Current of doubts, abuse, manipulation, guilt, and a cloud of death above the pages that give them an extra weight. What’s not to love?

Did I enjoy reading it?
Very much. I highlighted many many parts and I’d love to share them all because Victoria Selman has a knack for creating vivid pictures and putting your nightmares into words. You know, those things you think about but can’t really express? The gnawing feeling in your stomach that won’t go away? Well, Victoria has the words.

What did I feel?
There is so often more than one individual involved in a crime. There’s a victim, their family and friends, neighbors and coworkers, a different degrees. The big bad guy, or sometimes the regular guy you always thought would never hurt a fly. What about the ones in the criminal’s life? Their mother, their spouse, their boyfriend, their kids? I must admit I don’t give them much attention. Usually, in true crime shows, you get a picture of the offender’s background to explain or understand how they ended up doing what they do, but we never stay long enough to study the effects of their actions on their loved ones.

Sophie and her mom Amelia-Rose thought the world of Matty. He saved them. So how could they believe it when it was announced Matty was a serial killer targeting women bearing a startling resemblance to Amelia-Rose? How would you react? It didn’t help that Matty claimed he was innocent. Were they signs they missed? Could they have prevented the deaths of those women? Was Matty faking it all? But he LOVED them… didn’t he? Oh, the doubts creeping in from every corner, to be punched by those strong feelings of love both women nurtured for so long. I loved diving into Sophie and Amelia-Rose’s past. The author captured the guilt of the innocent, the burden of a life with more questions than answers, and the difficult weight of reconciling your feelings and memories with the real nature of a person. Oh the depths Victoria Selman takes to to…

The big fat question was hanging over my head too as I read. Was Matty really guilty? What did he want, after all this time? The more I read about him through Sophie’s head, the more I felt for her. I made up my mind about Matty pretty easily, and yet, like a cat, I was too curious to leave it at that. I HAD to know more. Once and for all. Hindsight is a great thing but nothing can prepare you for the biggest revelations and their aftermath.

My only niggle is with the ending. I won’t elaborate because 1) I am mean haha, 2) it’ll ruin it for you! I’ll just say I closed the Kindle and thought “No, I don’t see it.” Maybe I was so focused on Sophie and her version of things that there was no room left for the final bang.

How would I describe it?
Truly beautifully written, Darkly delicious to read, Deeply disturbing!

A cleverly written story of a mother and daughter who move to Massachusetts from London to begin a new life. When Matty Melgren comes into their life both Sophie and her mother are enchanted by him. He is the father figure that Sophie never had and her mother, Amelia-Rose is happier than she has been in a long time.
Matty is caring, attentive and almost to good to be true. However, someone is killing young women and they seem to all bear a resemblance to Amelia-Rose.
This book was hard to put down, thrilling and twisted. A dark insight into the mind of a serial killer. A totally gripping story from the first to last page.

Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for my free e-copy

This is a tense , page turning thriller which I read in two sittings, I couldn't put it down.

The book is about a serial killer, told from Sophie the main characters point of view and flicks between the past and her memories and the present .

It follows the relationship between her and her mum and Matty - her mums partner and the man currently in prison for the murders

I liked that the book was based primarily in North London as I live near to there and recognised lots of places mentioned.

I also liked how it looked at the signs and characteristics of serial killers - things like their voice changing when talking about crimes, reading and watching obsessively about the crimes and certain obsessions and fetishes

There were also references to real life serial killers like the Zodiac (writing letters and taunting the police) and Ted Bundy - charming, good looking and needs help.

Just like the characters, through out the book I always had some doubt as to whether they had the right person. I really understood the feeling of doubt and hope as well as guilt and love through the writing and book.

I will be recommending this book and looking out for other reads by this author

Told from main character Sophie's perspective both in the present day and when she was a child and a serial killer was active, we learn how the murders affected the family. Behaviour changed, suspicions were rife, secrets kept.

In the present day, Sophie's step-dad Matty is in prison having been found guilty of the murders, and he wants to see her. Still unsure whether Matty was convicted unfairly, she decides to visit. But will she get the answers she's been looking for?

This book started off brilliantly for me, however around the 30% mark it started to fall a little flat and slow down. It had started with excellent writing, short and snappy chapters and a fast pace, but I felt the pace begin to falter. It did begin to feel a bit repetitive with Sophie asking herself the same questions over and over again, reminiscing about her childhood, her bond with Matty and whether there were clues she hadn't seen.

The ending, for me, was a bit underwhelming and I was left with many unanswered questions. I enjoyed the writing style from this author, and thought the family perspective of someone convicted of a crime was original. But unfortunately the storyline fell a little flat for me.

This book is not for the faint hearted.

Dark.

Disturbing at times.

I felt utterly compelled to read it.

Unique in its delivery. There was a great back and forth between past and present, at times they appeared to blur together. Meeting in the middle I guess you could say.

There was no way that I was going to work out what direction this story was going to take.

The ending was unpredictable. I applaud anyone who manages to work it out.

A crime story like no other.

Will the victims get true justice? And for me it bought into question just who the victims of these horrific crimes really were. The net spreads wider than you'd probably imagine.

Truly, Darkly Deeply is a tale of crime, but also a tale of family and how far you might go to protect the ones you love.

This book started slowly compared to my usual reads, but I stuck with it and soon found myself engrossed in learning about the complex relationships between the characters. I highly recommend that anyone else who finds the beginning slow continues reading. I soon found I couldn't put my kindle down until I'd finished the book.

What a thrilling, thought provoking book, it’s well written, descriptive and I read it over one weekend. I love true crime and this had me gripped from the start, it has a dark style and the whole is he or isn’t he keeps you guessing.
A first book from Victoria Selman for me but I will definitely look for more. Many thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy

4.5 stars rounded up.
I am fascinated by true crime and this was a great functionalization of it.
I truly enjoyed the ride - I was as taken by the topic as by the speculations and 'coming to terms' with the 'resolution' (I am trying to be as vague as possible in order not to add any spoilers to this review).
The writing was great, enthralling, and I was truly taken by the story and devoured this book in two sittings, forgetting most of the chores needed to be done over the weekend. That says something! :)

This was the first book I have read from Victoria Selman, but needless to say, I will be reading and purchasing (supporting!) more of her work, very excited about that!

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 4.50 ⭐

My thoughts
Let me just say that this has been one of the best thriller/crime books I've read in a long time! The way Victoria Selman makes you invested in the story is incredible. It's written in interesting narrative - we get an older Sophie that brings us with her on a trip inside her memories to re-live everything with her.
And you may think - since you know how the story ends why would one like the book? Well.. You don't exactly know everything - you know the start (kind of) and the end (kind of) but the amount of things that are happening in the middle - you'd most likely didn't expect. Matty is a perfect case of manipulating people and keeping secrets even from the closes people to him.
What I loved the most about this book is probably the little extras and interviews in-between chapters where we can see how the world was seeing Matty and the murders too, which is not a popular accent in books but it definetly give the "real" feeling to it.
The last few chapters where Sophie goes to prison to visit Matty left me in shock, it was a real rollercoaster and I didn't expect it at all! That's why I liked this book so much.
We get to see few real life aspects in this book: mental health and how important it is not only for victims and their families but also the families of those who committed the crime which in my opinion is usually not taken into consideration when it comes to real life. I'm really glad that Victoria Selman added to her book the parts of serial killers having fans - we're living in the times that even Ted Bundy has his fans and it's sickening.

Overall I enjoyed this book a lot and I'd love to buy a physical copy once it will be out to read it again! Also I'd love to see it as a TV show or a movie - when I was reading the book I was seeing the scenes in my head and how good it all could come out!

Wow, just wow!! This book got under my skin...I couldn't put it down and read it in a day. The style of writing was so dark and in my opinion this is Victoria Selman's best book so far.

If you enjoy true crime and the darker side of thrillers then this is absolutely the book for you.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an early copy.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. I devoured it from start to finish and I couldn't stop thinking about it for days after I turned the last page. This book is perfect for a lover of stories that keep you on the edge of your seat. This is a "just one more chapter" kind of book, until you realise it's two am and you can't possibly sleep before you reach the end!

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the loan of this book.
This is the first book i've read by this author. The story kicks off with a young girl called Sophie, moving from the USA to the UK where they meet the charismatic Matty who quickly becomes an integral part of their lives.
Sophie looks up to Matty and she sees him as the father she never had, although at times he is unreliable and cruel.
When news of a serial killer erupts in the area they reside, Sophie is fearful for her mother, as the killer is targeting women who resemble her. Sophie's mother doesn't seem too concerned, however and is seemingly disinterested in the news. Sophie, however, takes a keen interest with Matty encouraging her to read all about the killer.
As events unfold, and the killer takes the lives of more women, and with Matty's whereabouts unknown at times, Sophie begins to doubt the man she has come to know as her dad and begins to suspect him as the killer.
The police then receive a tip off and Matty is arrested, but protests his innocence throughout. Sophie is torn between her love for Matty and the fact that he may be a killer, but can she convince her mother?
Many years later, with Matty still in prison, Sophie decides to visit him to find out the answer she has been yearning for, for many years.................will she get what she is hoping for? Buy the book and find out.
I enjoyed this book on the whole, but thought there were certain parts that had no place in it. The scene where Matty is naked in front of a teenage Sophie didn't really resonate with the whole description of his character, nor did the murder of the children and I thought it was unnecessary to mention this in the book. I didn't warm to any of the characters either, they all annoyed me in one way or another. This book has a dark nature, but I did enjoy the whole is he/isn't he a serial killer theme, but ultimately guessed as much way before the conclusion.
I would buy another book from this author as it was an enjoyable read, but not one I couldn't put down.

This was a serial killer story from a different point of view, and I enjoyed the alternative outlook and how the plot unfurled. It was a gripping story that started off really well, I was hooked from the start.

However, the book needed some serious editing. Far too much repetition and long winded. At times I was starting to lose interest after such a good beginning. Once the story was in full flow it should have proceeded naturally, not repeating itself. The ending had a nice little twist, and though mainly predictable it did not spoil my enjoyment.

If this story had been more succinct, and there had been less tooing and froing, it would easily have been a 5* for me.

Thank you NetGalley.

A really solid addition to the genre; reliable, if a little predictable in places. Would recommend if you know what you want from this sort of book, as it definitely delivers that.

The story and the ending was a surprise, only the journey was painful with repetition and jumbled timelines. Good editing could have made this a terrific read.
An independent review thanks to NetGalley / Quercus.

Truly, Darkly, Deeply sees Sophie looking back on the life she shared with her mother and her mother’s partner Matty in the years before Matty is arrested and convicted of murder.
Victoria Selman puts you in Sophie’s shoes as she sways back and forth between believing that her perfect father figure could not be the killer the police are looking for and doubting that it could be anyone else. A great read with an ending I didn’t see coming will definitely be looking for more of this author’s books.

My thoughts about Victoria Selman’s Truly Darkly Deeply is mind blowing. Astounding. Astonishing. Superb. Enthralled. I could go on and put in all adjectives from the dictionary and even then I would still feel I need to say more. 1000 words isn’t enough to write a review on Victoria Selman’s breathtaking thriller. This is a book so sprawling, so layered and densely textured, so full of juicy details. Hats off to Victoria Selman how wonderfully she has managed to right such an amazing intense thriller, and its powerful characters it deserves appreciation. Some books leave you shaken, stunned and chilled, Truly Darkly Deeply is one among them. The story of Victoria Selman’s Truly Darkly Deeply begins with when twelve-year-old Sophie and her mother, Amelia-Rose, move to London from Massachusetts where they meet the charismatic Matty Melgren, who quickly becomes an intrinsic part of their lives. But as the relationship between the two adults fractures, a serial killer begins targeting young women with a striking resemblance to Amelia-Rose. When Matty is eventually sent down for multiple murder, questions remain as to his guilt — questions which ultimately destroy both women. Nearly twenty years later, Sophie receives a letter from Battlemouth Prison informing her Matty is dying and wants to meet. It looks like Sophie might finally get the answers she craves. But will the truth set her free — or bury her deeper. Victoria Selman’s book is utterly compelling, I flew through this book. So well written, well-observed characters and I loved it. Lots of twists to keep me guessing, this book had all the elements I look for in a thriller. I would like to say thank you to author Victoria Selman, and Publishers, Quercus Books and netgally for kindly giving me a chance to read and review this spectacular thriller I’ve enjoyed reading.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💥💥💥💥💥

It is hard to describe the premise of Truly, Darkly, Deeply as it wouldn't give it justice. Let's just say it is a clever and captivating tale from a 12 year old girl's perspective on her mother's boyfriend Matty who may or may not be a serial killer. The whole way through you'll be doubting yourself and the closing chapters are not what you will expect. A must read.