Title: Truly, Darkly, Deeply
Author: Victoria Selman
Publisher: Quercus Books
Synopsis:
12-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 murders, 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?
My review:
I absolutely LOVED this tense, compelling read which prompts the reader to ask themselves ‘would I have known, if a serial killer was part of my family…?’
For Sophie and her mother Amlia-Rose, this isn’t a theoretical question – it’s real life. Amelia-Rose’s boyfriend, Matty, is charming, funny and, in Sophie’s eyes, the perfect father figure. But it’s the 1970s and North London is being shaken by a serial killer on the loose, with the victims all starkly resembling Sophie’s mother. Could it have anything to do with Matty…?
We know right from the start of Truly, Darkly, Deeply that Matty is imprisoned and has been for many years, having been found guilty of these murders, but as the novel unravel we start to question whether he was actually guilty and, if so, whether Sophie and particularly her mother should have known. We get glimpses into the things that cast suspicion onto Matty in the first place, and we see extracts from blogs and people online who are debating whether he is in fact innocent. It means you’re never quite sure who is at fault and who is innocent right until the end, when things come together in a hugely satisfying way.
I absolutely loved this story – seeing the ‘other side’ of a serial killer (if Matty is in fact a serial killer!), and the slow realisation for Sophie and her mother that there might be something not quite right about him. We see how these crimes affect the local community and Sophie’s life, and there are some deliciously dark surprises to come. I couldn’t put this book down and raced through it in a day!
Truly, Darkly, Deeply makes for addictive reading. I’d highly recommend this gripping novel.
My rating: 5/5
Many thanks to Quercus, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review.
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