"A Dark and Secret Place" by Jen Williams

 

When prodigal daughter Heather Evans returns to her family home after her mother's baffling suicide, she makes an alarming discovery--stacks and stacks of carefully preserved letters from notorious serial killer Michael Reave. The "Red Wolf," as he was dubbed by the press, has been in prison for over twenty years, serving a life sentence for the gruesome and ritualistic murders of several women across the country, although he has always protested his innocence. The police have had no reason to listen, yet Heather isn't the only one to have cause to re-examine the murders. The body of a young woman has just been found, dismembered and placed inside a tree, the corpse planted with flowers. Just as the Red Wolf once did.

What did Heather's mother know? Why did she kill herself? And with the monstrous Red Wolf safely locked inside a maximum security prison, who is stalking young women now? Teaming up with DI Ben Parker, Heather hopes to get some answers for herself and for the newest victims of this depraved murderer. Yet to do that, she must speak to Michael Reave herself, and expose herself to truths she may not be ready to face. Something dark is walking in the woods, and it knows her all too well. ~taken from Goodreads

Honestly, I couldn't wait to dive into this book. The premise sounded amazing and it's the type of story I have been in to lately. It started out with a bang- a daughter cleaning out her mother's house after passing away and discovering stacks of letters to The Red Wolf, a now imprisoned serial killer, dating back decades. Did Heather really know her mother at all? What secrets were her mother hiding and why?

Then, the body of a young woman turns up and the ritualistic killing similarities between this current day body and The Red Wolf's victims are too much to ignore. Heather reports her letter finding to a local detective and he decides that Heather should visit the prison to talk to The Red Wolf. It could help them solve the current murder if Heather can get him to talk. Perhaps he was not alone in the murders and had an accomplice...

We get an alternating perspective from Heather's present day storyline to a past story line involving an abused boy. How does this past story melt into the present day scenario? How does the boy, Michael, fit into Heather's life? I think the author did a wonderful job in the writing and the character development was terrific. I really got excited to read on with each turn of the page.

Towards the last 1/3 of the story it really seemed to slow down. Just when things got interesting, it quickly became suddenly drawn out and I found it hard to stay interested. Heather, as a character whole, seemed to really start getting on my nerves for some reason. She went from a character I liked and sympathized with to a character is despised and who frustrated me with her way of thinking and actions she took. 

The plot starts to swirl like a tornado at the end. It felt rushed and confusing and before I knew it, it was over. We meet so many new characters it was hard to keep track of them all and remember how they fit into this story. Serial killer, family secrets, cults- its all in the ending. The reveal is what I wanted to know more about. A second book written about those characters would be amazing! 

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me an advanced e-copy to read and give my honest review. It was a 3 1/2 star read for me! 

"A Dark and Secret Place" is set to be release here in the U.S. on June 8, 2021sp preorder now to add to your summer reading list! 

Happy Reading!