Wow,

This is another one of those rare books where you chuck whatever food you can at your family/delegate meals to someone else as long as you can keep one hand free to change pages on your kindle. Food becomes secondary when you are racing through a story as heartbreaking, soul destroying and determinedly plotted as this one.

Heidi and Nina become irretrevably linked in your minds, you make connections between their shared pasts even as Heidi tries to recover the worst thing which ever happened to her. The girls are first introduced as children-Nina's last moments and Heidi's first are seared into this reader's mind as unbelievably tragic and awful. This is because of the lack of details which do not linger on the physical attacks, rather as someone going through this, it's the small things that are noticed. Like the ash and rain drops, the position of fingers, what can be seen through bandages. It gives the victim a dignity in death, which, as you read on, she never had in life.

Nina, dead, Heidi's little sister Anna missing, the only witness so badly injured that she has blocked all knowledge from her mind. Her 13 year old self's defence to the horrific near death experience is to shut down and build walls of protection allowing her to recover.

Years later, as she goes about her business resembling a fully functioning adult yet simulataneously being so far removed from this state as it is possible to be, things begin to resurface.

It starts with a red buckle shoe, and a detective unwilling to let go of a case which has haunted her for 15 years.

From there it takes the darkest of turns, because as Heidi begins to piece together what happened the day Nina died, and turns to the police for help, someone seems to be one step ahead of them. And someone is lurking in the shadows, watching Heidi as the darkest of secrets are dragged out into the sunlight for all to see.

This is a hard read-the topics are so painful, the desperate attempts of a child thrust into adulthood way too soon to search for justice reminds you just how disposable children are when they are at their most vulnerable, And when those who are the ones who should be there to help you are turn out to be worst of all humans, how do you keep your soul in the absence of all hope?

The bravery and fragility of Heidi and Nina is heartbreaking and all too believable, a story echoed in daily headlines of missing children. The missing pieces are not easily slotted together, this is a book to concentrate on, and when the answers eventually come, they are somehow worse than not knowing.

This is so much more than a whodunnit, yes there is a central mystery but it also takes a look into the darkest side of child abuse. The characters are fully fleshed and do not resemble caricatures, the subject is dealt with empathically and sensitively. The victims are the focus , not the criminals. There is nothing straight forward and banal about 'Monstrous Souls', it is so well crafted it seems astounding that it is a debut. I loved the main detective, Denise Gilzeen from the moment she was introduced-a Detective Inspector of colour who takes zero nonsense from anyone and always, always remains focussed . She is a breath of fresh air and I genuinely hope she returns.

'Monstrous Souls' is currently available as a Kindle Unlimited title so if you have this, I would 100% recommend downloading it. If not, it is 99p so again, please get it if you enjoy a gripping mystery, humanity explored at its worst(and its best) and characters who linger.

When you start reading a book with title like Monstrous Souls, you know it’s going to be dark and twisty – and boy is it!

Monstrous Souls is a thriller which is told from multiple different perspectives in two different time periods, allowing the reader a kaleidoscopic view onto a crime that took place back in 2001 involving a criminal gang of pedophiles.

Heidi was a teenager at the time. Her next door neighbour and best friend, Nina, was a victim in this ring, and she turned to Heidi for help and support. They had a plan to free Nina, but it all went wrong.

The novel opens with a central scene in the book, when Heidi and Nina are lying on the ground at their den and the place is on fire. Heidi, in a semi-conscious state, watches someone carrying her younger sister, Anna, away from the scene.

Fifteen years later, we switch perspective to a policewoman named Denise, and we realise that the opening scene went on to become a crime scene. Nina died, Anna disappeared, and Heidi suffered burns and memory loss following the incident. Denise investigated the original case, but due to Heidi’s memory loss, dead-end leads and insufficient evidence, there was little the police could do to further the investigation. Now, in 2016, Heidi has started to remember, and these recollections enable the police to re-open the investigation. They also mean that Heidi is remembering details of a very painful past, for her and for some of the other victims.

However, this ring of pedophiles comprised important and powerful men, many with links to the police force. Heidi is in danger as news of the re-opened case spreads around the station.

Monstrous Souls is tightly plotted and very evocative. There is a real sense of malevolence running through every chapter, and Kelly keeps you in a state of tension as you wonder who you can trust. Many elements reminded me of Line of Duty, but what is different is Heidi’s perspective and viewpoint being the most prevalent throughout.

If you like crime fiction, I’m sure this book will appeal to you.

I really enjoyed this book. Over 10 years ago Heidi was the victim of a vicious attack which left her best friend dead and her little sister missing. She can't remember anything. Now, though, things are starting to come back to her. Can she finally help the police to solve this cold case? However, other people are determined to stop anything coming out. There are horrendous secrets which they are determined to keep hidden. This is a gripping thriller which will keep you guessing to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Excellent novel. Really enjoyed it. Told over two time frames, which I love, and from several peoples perspective, again a plus for me. Not read anything by this author before, but will definitely read any future works.

In 2001 Heidi and her friend Nina had been attacked, only Heidi survived and her younger sister, Anna went missing.

Heidi’s injuries were severe but she recovered except she had lost all memories of that time.

Detective Denise Gilzeen had kept in contact with Heidi and now 15 years later her memory is starting to return. As a result of information she had given to Denise, the case is reopened.

Will they find who killed Nina? And what happened to Anna and other missing girls?

Monstrous Souls is an utterly gripping read, it’s dark, gritty and full of emotion. There are great characters, some likeable and some truly reprehensible and evil. The subject matter is horrific but Rebecca Kelly tells you all you need to know without being graphic or gratuitous. It’s full of an incredible tension and is a tale of horrific events, tragedy, guilt and is anger inducing at times too. A dark thriller that you really cannot put down.

Thank you to Peyton at Agora Books and NetGalley for an eARC of Monstrous Souls. This is my honest and unbiased review.

15 years ago, Heidi was brutally attacked, her best friend killed and younger sister, Anna disappeared. Since that day, Heidi has no memory of what happened. However, slowly pieces of her childhood start to resurface. Can the truth of that day be unravelled or is it best to keep the secrets hidden?
Great debut novel, can’t wait to read more by Rebecca Kelly.

This book was really dark and twisted. I really did enjoy it and got really hooked by the characters. The story leans on a very sensitive subject and I can see it being really triggering for some people. I felt myself getting very intrigued by Heidi's story and at times I really struggled to put the book down. I do highly recommend this book but I will give a content warning for child absue/rape etc.

Heidi and Nina are 13 years old when they are subjected to an horrific attack. Nina is killer and Heidi is left with serious head injuries and no memory of the events leading up to the attack. 15 years later, she starts to remember things, but can she recall enough to finally catch Nina’s killer?

Monstrous Souls is a really gripping story, even though the storyline is very dark and disturbing. It has many twists and turns as it moves between events in the present and in the days and weeks leading up to the attack on the girls. On several occasions I thought I’d worked out what had happened, only for new revelations to change my thoughts. The last few chapters were gripping as the mystery is solved in a very shocking way!

I would definitely recommend this book. It was a brilliant read.

Heidi was left for dead after a vicious attack in which her best friend, Nina, was killed, and her younger sister, Anna, went missing. That happened ten years ago, and now aged 23, Heidi has only wisps of memory of the events that have shaped her life. A detective in the local police force, DC Denise Gilzeen, not satisfied that the killer has never been identified, and convinced that the original investigation was bodged, persuades her superiors to allow her the time to revisit the case. This is the intriguing premise that drives the plot.

As the story unfolds, snippets of the circumstances which led up to the attack surface in Heidi's memory, and a horrific background of organised child molesters and sadistic abusers is revealed. What's more, the vile network of perverts involves people of power and authority. Suddenly, Heidi begins to question everything she held as truth. The deeper Heidi and detective Denise delve, the larger the unnerving sense grows that Heidi is still in danger. Menace lingers on the periphery of her life.

The narrative is told via dual timelines, multiple narrators, and multiple points of view which, in places, I found disjointed. Also, I found it difficult to fully engage with the plot since character are introduced, developed, and then disappear never to feature again, for example DI Brenda Carver.

In conclusion, I liked the underlying plot, but feel the telling of it meandered in places and that detracted from the suspense. For me, it just didn't have that vital edge to shift it above an average read.

Monstrous Souls by Rebecca Kelly is an accomplished and assured debut novel. Set in both 2016 and 2001 it examines the long lasting repercussions of a brutal attack on two young girls and delves into increasingly dark territory.

As a young teen, Heidi and her best friend Nina were inseparable. Next door neighbours they were in and out of each other’s houses and their younger sisters were also best friends. They had found an abandoned bunker in some woodland near their houses and retreated there often to do what teenage girls do; talk about boys and share secrets. One day they were attacked there, an event which Nina didn’t survive. Heidi has no recollection of the attack and doesn’t know who the perpetrator was, why they were attacked, or what happened to her little sister Anna, who hasn’t been seen since. Her memory is a blank, her brush with near death a gaping void.

In the present day, the police re-open the cold case hoping to find something that was overlooked in the original investigation. One of the original police officers, Denise, feels a personal attachment to the case and the failure to find the missing Anna haunts her. When snippets of memories start to come back to Heidi it seems that the missing pieces of the jigsaw may finally be found.

This is a brave book which deals with some of the darkest crimes imaginable. The violence is hinted at rather than explicitly described and I think this made it all the more chilling, there were certainly times when I was moved by the implications written between the lines. It isn’t gratuitious nor is it written for shock value, it is sensitivly handled and communicates an important message.

If I am being a bit cryptic about this it’s because I don’t want to spoil the brilliantly executed plot. Rebecca Kelly’s writing is engaging and compelling and the time jumps are handled with aplomb. I love a time jump especially when they are as well-written as this because each chapter brings a new angle and complements the one which went before.

Throw in great characterisation, especially with a young Heidi and Nina, and you have a great crime thriller. Teenagers are often difficult to write and I sometimes cringe at the way they speak to one another, and their behaviour but this is pitch perfect. Rebecca Kelly very cleverly uses Heidi’s innocence and later her memory loss to keep the reader in the dark and she slowly, slowly unveils the horror of the past.

As much an exploration of memory and what it means to belong as much as it is a searing damnation of the crimes committed within its pages, this is a book with many layers. I read it in two gulps and even now a day or so after finishing it I keep thinking about – always the sign of a good book.

A Top Class Debut Novel
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In general I read and review books by tried and trusted authors, however occasionally it is refreshing to read a debut novel by a new author. My favourite book of 2019 came into this description being the wonderful debut work by Alex Michaelides entitled “The Silent Patient”. In my humble opinion Rebecca Kelly’s “Monstrous Souls” is something of a similar ilk and is nothing short of a triumph. Indeed it has already climbed its way to the top of my current favourites for 2020.

Back in 2001, teenager Heidi underwent a brutal attack being left for dead while at the same time her best friend Nina was killed and her younger sister Anna went missing. 15 years later Heidi remembers none of this having no recollection whatsoever of the crime, but this is beginning to change as her memory is starting to return. But there is someone who does not want Heidi to remember and is quite prepared to kill if need be to keep the truth hidden.

“Monstrous Souls” is as disturbing as it is gripping, as emotional as it is dark and the characters and dialogue are totally believable. The author deserves a commendation for tackling a subject as sensitive as child abuse with such dignity and respect. I am generally not over keen on books with numerous flashbacks, but in this case the way it moves effortlessly from 2001 to 2016 and back is pivotal to Heidi’s memory slowly returning and the story growing.

Fast paced, exquisitely written and highly descriptive, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Apparently the author is not averse to accepting writing tips from her trusty black Labrador. It is a true page-turner which will have many readers up late into the night awaiting its pulsating climax.

My great thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for supplying me with an advance copy for review.

I don’t usually do trigger warnings in my reviews but this book deals with sexual abuse of children and paedophilia.

The story opens with two detectives, Brenda and Denise visiting a teenage girl in hospital. 13-year-old Heidi was found badly beaten and left for dead in parkland. Her best friend was found dead next to her and her 7-year-old sister Anna is missing.
Moving forward to 2016, we find Denise is still in touch with Heidi who has no memory of what happened to her on that day or why. Her sister has never been found and her mum has never recovered from the trauma of what happened to Heidi and loosing Anna and is in a psychiatric unit, so Heidi is very much alone. Heidi’s memory is starting to return, frustratingly slowly and she wants to know more information about the case.
After Denise has filled Heidi in on what she knows, Heidi starts to do her own digging, starting by visiting Nina’s family who still live next door to her old childhood home. There she meets Nina’s mum and some of her now grown up siblings, who help to fill in some the gaps.
Mostly from Heidi’s point of view we hear from her at the age of 13, about her friendship with Nina and the old bunker they use a secret den. We also hear from her as a grown up as she starts to uncover the shocking events that led to her attack. As Heidi’s memory starts to come back, she is aware that she is being followed and her life is again at risk, as people become nervous about her remembering too much.
I found the subject matter of Monstrous Souls highly uncomfortable to read about, but it was a thrilling read none the less. The dual timeline worked really well – we as the reader are finding out about Heidi’s past at the same time as she is. Quite early on we learn that Nina is unhappy at home and dislikes her stepfather immensely – she wants to run away and begs Heidi to come with her. When is comes to light that Nina is being abused by her step father, Heidi’s safe, comfortable world is shattered. I felt so sad for the 13-year-old Heidi having to deal with these huge issues alone.
A gritty, dark and shocking read, Rebecca Kelly handles the subject matter with sensitivity and threw in a few extra twists that I did not see coming! A strong and confident debut.

Monstrous Souls is a dark, intense, emotional and gripping debut by Rebecca Kelly. It is disturbing and terrorizing and unputdownable in equal measures.

The plot alternates between two timelines (2001 and 2016) and three PoVs. From the very first page, there was palpable tension and fear in the plot, a knowledge that something horrific has taken place. As expected, the major plot twists surface in the second half of the book, but the first half is equally addictive owing to clever writing that beautifully recreates the horror and fear that Heidi feels.

It is quite commendable that Kelly has managed to create such strong characters and relationships even in a mystery/thriller, where the characters are usually secondary to the plot. The friendship of Nina and Heidi and the way it evolved with the knowledge of secret too dark and heavy for any 13-year olds made me heart break a little. The character of Denise (the detective who investigates the case) is very relatable as she is trying hard to keep her emotions of horror and pain under check and striving on to uncover the truth. Even the unknown stalker of Heidi is given a deep and dark layer of personality, one that makes you feel revolted and sympathetic towards him at the same time.

The plot is tightly written and maintains its pace and tension throughout. Even at times when there are no major plot twists, the emotional aspect of the story is played up to keep the reader interested. The sensitive topics of child abuse and neglect are handled maturely and evoke a deep sadness in the reader. The writing is just the right amount of descriptive without the extra “padding”, which made me actually feel the pain, horror, sadness, guilt, fear and angst of the characters.

The only thing that bugged me slightly was that the PoV of Heidi is written in first person, whereas the other two are written in third person. I’m not sure if this was intended or an oversight, but it did confuse me at times and made me do a double take to understand whom was the chapter talking about.

Why have I never heard of this author before now? This book literally knocked me off my feet and as I finished the last page I was instantly searching for more of her work to purchase. I will certainly be first in the queue for the next book she releases but for now I’d better get back to the amazing book I have just read.

This book is sinister, fast-paced, creepy and so very very dark. The subject of paedophiles is a subject matter that is not for the faint hearted but the author covered this subject in a sensitive and touching way. I have to confess there were times that I had to put the book aside for an hour just to gather my thoughts but I was soon diving back in.

We start the book at the scene of a brutal attack. 13 year olds Nina and Heidi often escape to their bunker, a secret place where they can hang out and share secrets but one fateful day Nina is found brutally murdered and her body left next to a savagely beaten Heidi. Despite the odds Heidi manages to survive but she is so badle traumatised that she is left mute and mentally blocks out the attack and the events leading up to it. Her younger sister, Anna is abducted from the scene and is still missing.

Now, 15 years later memories are starting to re-surface. Diana was an officer that had been involved with the case from the start and she has become a close friend to Heidi and as the floodgates open, Diana manages to get the case reopened.

The story flips from the current day back to the time just before the attack and we really get to know and warm to the 2 friends. Their family lives are gently revealed and the characters really come to life.

I don’t want to give too much of the storyline away but as the plot thickens it’s clear that there is more to he murder then meets the eye, This is a group of men that are all involved in the awful world of child abuse and we have no idea who the killer is until the very last moments. Each of the men are guilty in my eyes and each needs to be punished. They are running scared that the truth is about to be revealed but they have friends in high places and believe that the law cannot touch them. They will stop at nothing to evade capture. They got away with it the first time but Diana is determined to uncover the truth.

This was a book that I couldn’t relax with and rather then relaxing into my sofa I spent most of the time sat on the edge of my seat, totally engrossed in this gripping read. I would highly, highly recommend this book to anyone that loves gritty, dark storylines.

Heart break. Dread. Twisted.

This book took me a short while to get into. Once I had got the essence of the story I was hooked. All these different shady characters with underlying common interests - and you only fully realise how dark these people are until the very end.

Heidi is a highly likeable character. She has gone through extremely hard times and memories of the worst of these times are starting to re-surface. The shocking nature of these memories makes you think her brain was burying them for her own sake. The memories drip feed throughout the book, with slithers of dread waiting for the next to make itself known.

The thing is the people behind these shocking events which Heidi is remembering are still about and they don't want her to remember - and they definitely don't want her finding any evidence of what went on back then. In this sense, the book is like a cat and mouse tale, with Heidi constantly feeling and being watched. She is the prey and they are the hunters. 

A dark read with creeping unease, which is well told and leaves you seeping sadness in the final pages.

Heidi was assaulted in a cave in the woods near her home more than ten years ago. The crime left her best friend Nina dead, her sister Anna missing and her memory lost. Ten years later her memory begins to return including facts about the sexual assaults being perpetrated in these days by Nina’s stepfather. He was part of a gang which might have included a senior police officer. Denise is the police officer keeping the case open. That scenario is not a new one but it is well constructed with the reader being taken back in time as Heidi recites the events of her childhood. There is an unexpected and compelling ending. This is a good read.

5⭐s. Wow, wow, wow, what a book! This is the best book I've read in 2020 without a doubt. Told from Heidi's current and historic recollections we are taken into a dark and malevolent world that few of us want to imagine, let alone experience; a world of teenage friendship, secret cigarettes, and hope that is turned on its head when Nina reveals that she is suffering at the hands of her stepfather and his friends. Best friend Heidi only wants to save Nina, but her misplaced faith soon has both girls looking over their shoulders, desperately trying to cling to their last moments of innocence. 

The prose is beautifully crafted, creating a fully-developed fictional world, and dragging the reader along on this nightmarish roller coaster until we reach the breathtaking climax. Dealing with a sensitive subject in a delicate manner, I can only tip my hat to Rebecca Kelly. She is one to watch.

I devoured this book in a day, it is that breathtakingly good.
When Heidi is viciously attacked and left for dead and her best friend murdered her younger sister taken,
Heidi has no idea why as she as not only lost her memory of that day but everything that happened before that.
Now over a decade later Heidi is starting to remember, what she uncovers will never leave her the same again.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book as much as I was expecting to. The description had me excited but the content just didn't grip me. There's no satisfying end, there's too many frustrating moments when the main character is just stupid and it feels disconnected between the other characters. The jump from past to present is the best part of the book as you see what happened but even then there's no obvious reason as to why Heidi is having the flash backs and suddenly remembering things from the past.

In 2001 Heidi was the victim of a dreadful assault during which her best friend Nina was killed. Through the trauma Heidi lost her memory, but 15 years later it’s starting to return. There is however a paedophile ring who don’t want this to happen. Slowly Heidi’s memories resurface, evidence emerges and the story unfolds. Desperately sad (it felt a bit like watching the docudrama about the girls in Rotherham). A cold case that is solved but it left a nasty feeling. It was well written, I believed in the characters, the story line and it evoked emotion in me as a reader.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review