I enjoyed the premise of this dark and creepy fairytale based thriller and found the initial suspense building good but I did find myself getting a little bored in parts so it wasn’t the page turner I expected.

The story was not naturally flowing for me and I couldn’t really gel with the characters however I did enjoy the ending.

3.5🌟 rounded upto 4.

When Heather’s mum dies by suicide, Heather finds a biscuit tin full of letters from a notorious serial killer. It seems her mum has been writing to this man for years. At around this time there is a new killer on the loose and the disturbing way the bodies are left are remarkably similar to those left by the man locked away. Did they get the right person the first time around or is this a copycat? Heather I then starts to find strange items left for her and she is soon drawn into something dark and disturbing.

I was completely enthralled by this book. Weaving in the darker side of fairy tales with modern day serial killers. Dark and mysterious. Deliciously creepy.

I can't write a review because I didn't finish it The synopsis sounded so promising, but I really didn't like the book. For some reason I didn't like the main character Heather either. Lots of other reviewers thoroughly enjoyed it, but not me. Sorry..

I was quite enjoying Dog Rose Dirt as the prose is smooth and the plot simple to follow, allowing me to be immersed in the story very easily every time I picked it up. Therefore, barring a terrible ending, I was planning on giving it a high rating and a good review to help out the author on release day, especially as its current rating is pretty low and I couldn't figure out why.

Imagine my shock then, as I'm happily coasting past 50% when the author, via her protagonist, completely out of the blue calls me a bastard based solely on the party I voted for during the last UK general election.
I was stunned. Many psychological thriller authors these days love to politically posture because it's socially acceptable to do it as long as you're on the socially accepted side, of course, but being outright called a bastard for my voting choices which are none of the author's business and had nothing whatsoever to do with the plot, is absolutely unacceptable.

How the author, editor and publisher all think it is okay to personally insult statistically well over half of their readership is beyond me and I will never read another book by this disgrace of an author again.

I had very high hopes and expectations for Jen Williams’ Dog Rose Dirt however I ended up being disappointed with a story that was nothing special and very predictable. I also felt that none of the main characters, especially Heather, were that engaging or interesting

Overall is was ok but nothing more

You quickly realise that this is a very dark novel and easily feel the scenes of fear and rage while Heather is living in her late mother’s house and also in the Belmarsh scenes when she visits Michael, a serial killer, who she discovers is an old friend of her mothers.. We initially flit between Michaels abused childhood and then his new life with a neighbour, to the present day when Heather starts to visit Michael both as the daughter of his close friend and as a journalist thinking about the possibility of a groundbreaking story. This set the scene nicely. But I’m afraid I had to stop there. It’s widely known that cold bloodied murderers often start their cruel traits while young, more often than not torturing defenceless insects and animals, so this is where we have the first glimpse of this from Michael when he takes the poor orphaned chicks into the woods. As much as this is deemed an excellent book by many other reviewers, I’ll afraid such cruelty would only leave me upset for days. It’s not the first time I’ve had to abandon a book due to this reason, I hope I’m not alone in this and I hope it hasn’t ruined it for other readers.

Heather Evans returns to the family home after her mums death. Heather is struggling to come to terms with the fact her mum committed suicide as this doesn't seem like something her mum would do. On searching the house, Heather discovers her mum was writing to convicted serial killer Michael Reave (aka The Red Wolf) and whats strange is, The Red Wolf has been in the papers again as there is a copycat killer on the loose.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The atmosphere was chilling at times and it really had me hooked and trying to guess what was going on. My favourite parts were the conversations between Heather and Michael. Michael wanted to tell stories, taking inspiration from Grimm's Fairy Tales, which had me trying to read between the lines for clues 😂

The only thing that annoyed me was the main character. Heather didn't really seem that nice a person and she made some rather stupid decisions, one of which had me rolling my eyes.

All in all, a really good read.

Thank you to netgalley, the publishers and the author for the advanced copy.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Following the suicide of her mother Heather discovers that she had been writing to a serial killer for years. After years of silence he decides to break his silence and will only speak to Heather. This coincides with the discovery of a body of a woman found in the same circumstances as his victims. Heather decides to talk to him to find out why her mother wrote to him and how he is connected to her. She returns to where the serial killer committed his crime and uncovers a few family secrets she wishes she hadn’t discovered.

Hard to follow at type beginning as the book jumps backwards and forwards.

Oh I loved this book! I thought the characters were well written, and I enjoyed the plot. Plenty happening and at no point did I feel Jen was just trying to fill out the story, I really enjoyed it. I had a slight inkling as to where the story was going, but pleased to say I wasn’t 100% correct and totally approve of the ending. Definitely recommend this book, thank you #net galley

I found this book to be quite disturbing, and not a comfortable read. I can't say I really enjoyed it, although I think it is well written, and very original. I think it could be a marmite book, and some readers will love it.

Sadly, this book did not gel for me as I found the words just did not flow, nor did a story appear fast enough to grab my attention and so I stopped reading and moved on.

A Fantastic read! I loved how the story all intertwined and gradually came together without it being blatantly obvious! Creepy, chilling, intriguing and captivating!

What can I say about this book! It's a page turner for sure with a turbulent storyline that kept my head spinning. A serial killer nicknamed the Red Wolf Killer is in prison and when Heather is sorting through her mother's effects she realises there is some sort of past connection between the two. Did this have something to do with her mother's suicide especially now more murders are happening in the same gruesome way? Michael, safely ensconced in prison has refused to speak to anyone about his past murders but when Heather makes contact he agrees to her visiting him and starts to open up about the past. Is there a link between the new murders and the old? The plot twists reveal the hidden answers.

When Heather's mum commits suicide Heather is shocked and surprised. Even if they weren't close far from it, Heather doesn't understand why she would do such a thing.
Whilst clearing out her old family home in the attic she discovers letters in an old biscuit tin spanning over two decades.
What Heather discovers is the her mum had been writing to the infamous serial killer Michael Reave known as The Red Wolf killer. But not just writing to him but knew him before he was caught.
When murders start up again in the same way as The Red Wolf Heather offers to help the police by talking to Michael as he refuses to talk to anyone else.
Can Heather discover the truth and help stop the killing spree?
Also had her mum have anything to do with the previous murders?
Shocking twists that you really don't expect.

This book covered some very dark and difficult themes including suicide, serial killers and incest making it quite difficult to read at times.
Heather is called home to identify the body of her estranged mother, Colleen, who seems to have thrown herself off a cliff. Whilst clearing out the house Heather discovers that her mother has been corresponding with Michael Reave, a convicted serial killer who has been in prison for many years. The letters are hidden away in the loft and this discovery is totally shocking to Heather who has no idea that this has been happening.
Having reported her find to the police, Heather is invited to meet with the killer as more murders are now taking place and these are either copycat ones or being perpetrated by someone who knows Michael really well.
Heather is a journalist although she has lost her job and she has to use all her talents to discover what is happening and solve the latest series of murders whilst working out how it relates to her late mother.
Dog Rose Dirt is a compelling read which held my attention from page one although at times it was deeply unpleasant. Heather is a flawed character with some secrets of her own but ultimately I did feel sympathy for her as she flounders around trying to work out what has happened. She is faced with some very eerie goings on, trapped birds in her house and strange notes left for her to find. She also feels she is being watched but who is it? She discovers her mother’s interest in Grimm’s Fairy Tales and this adds to the gothic feel of the novel as Michael insists on telling her rather unpleasant tales every time she visits him.
There are also flashbacks to Michael’s childhood which try to explain what happened in the hippy commune where he spent his formative years. The denouement of the story is quite unexpected as Heather finally visits the site desperate to work out how it is linked to her mother’s early life and untimely death..
Dog Rose Dirt is a dark and thrilling gothic read which equally entertained and enthralled.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Dog Rose Dirt is a very interesting book. I wasn't really sure what it was about when I started it but I loved it!

Heather's mum Colleen kills herself, meaning Heather has to return to her family home after leaving home at 16. Her relationship with her mum wasn't great, yet something is niggling at her, her mum would never commit suicide. So when Heather finds a book of old fairytales and letters from a serial killer Heather is starting to realise she never really knew her mum at all!

We get to hear from three points of view throughout the book, Heather, Coleen and Michael. Each narration pieces together the untold story of the past and provides clues to the recent copy cat killings.
Heather is a lady with a clear amount of issues. She is a journalist and always looking for an opportunity to write a piece, epically after recently being fired from her recent employment. So whilst trying to learn more about her mother she finds herself visiting the legendary Red Wolf killer shoe serving time in belmache she cannot pass up this opportunity, two bird one stone (pun not intended, when you read the book your will see why) Michael seems quite taken by Heather and she is one of the first people he has actually spoken more than one word since her was arrested. The problem is Heather search for the further very likely will be dangerous and Michael is more than aware of this.
Colleen story is told in the before and we start to understand why she is writing to Michael and what their connection might e been. I honestly loved the different time lines it is done freshly.
I have never found myself sympathetic to a serial killer but something about Michael tugs at your heart strings. The way he talks in fairytales is so telling that we get another timeline of narrative that would me missed otherwise.

I found the writing was marvellous. The description was so good I found myself terrifies at times for the safety of Heather and Colleen especially nearer to the end it got intense and graphic.
Plus the way the prose is conducted the twists and turns had me all confused. I honestly had no idea who was who and who did what. Everytime I I thought I had the the answer I realised I only had part.

Rating 4 stars. I think I just wish there was slightly more surprise nearer the end this would easily have been a 5 star review. The book left with me with an uneasy feeling which was great j knew i was invested in the story. Each different person's point of view is written with such care and attention that everything links up extremely well but not in a way where you feel you've wasted loads of time.
Honestly it's such a good book and I throughly enjoyed it. I was super freaked out nearer the end and I can't but help think this would make an amazing movie.

Thanks to netgalley, the publishers and author for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my fair and honest opinions

A wonderful addition to the thriller genre.
Dog Rose Dirt took hold of me from the first heart shaped carving and didn’t let go until the conclusion where finally all the tension of unknowingly been holding in my body was released.
The atmosphere Jen built around her story was at times suffocating and I found myself not trusting my own suspicions anymore.
Some twists I had an inkling about, but others snapped my attention and I had to reread them to make sure I hadn’t misread-I love a really good twist.
I really enjoyed Dog Rose Dirt!

Part thriller, part horror, part fairy tale with a sprinkling of serial killer, it's difficult to put this book in any category other than the one that says 'read it'.

Heather Evans returns home after her mother has committed suicide. They were never very close but Heather finds it difficult to believe that the mother she knew would take her own life. As she begins to dig into her mother's belongings she discovers a series of letters from a man called Michael Reaves, a prisoner and a serial killer otherwise known as the Red Wolf.

Heather is a feisty, if somewhat annoying, main character. She is an investigative journalist and those intrusive traits are right up there. She soon learns that another killer is out there with a modus operandi disturbingly similar to that of the Red Wolf. Are they connected?

This is quite an unsettling read, there's a lot of violence and a constant tension in the narrative. There is a lot that original and I appreciated the reference to Red Riding Hood being the hunter rather than the hunted.

In summary, a gruesome read which I couldn't put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can absolutely see the skill and craft that went into this book, and the twists and turns kept me guessing, but sadly the characters really didnt land with me. Mix of modern gothic horror and police procedural, and nicely written.

This is a real thriller and very well written. When Heather's mother dies she discovers, through historic correspondence between her mother and a jailed serial killer, a commune on which the mother spent a lot of time in the early 80s. There's a trail of lies and deceit, people going missing in the woods near the commune, including newborns, and two (nursing) sisters. Throughout the book Heather discovers much about herself and her family, and she takes matters in to her own hands after betrayal from a newspaper editor destroys the link she had with the Detective investigating the current spate of copycat muders. Which turn out to be linked.
Parts of the story are told in stereo, with a Before (circa early 80s commune) and Present Day, and when these come to a head we find out why Heather's mother committed suicide and so much more. Much is discovered about her family past and present in a thrilling and tense ending.
Everything comes together nicely at the end, much is explained, but there is too much left to the end, with some earlier passages more whimsical and not making enough of the letters or prison visits. It's like there's no dawning, but a sudden switch from a dream state to being wide awake.
That said, and 3.5 (rounded up to 4) quite appropriate, it is a very enjoyable, gripping and thrilling read. A mix of thriller and horror that will please many.