I did wonder if this might be just a bit too dark and scary for me especially as I have a bit of an issue with dark woods but it was bearable. Heather finds letters written to her mother (recently deceased) by Michael Reave a serial killer and is intent on getting the full story of their relationship. The narrative switches between present day (Heather) and the past with the story of how her mother met Reave. I found the past sections far more interesting and darker and creepier than the present. Heather came across as much younger than mid thirties and some of her behaviour just irked me. There is just so much going on in the last 10% of the book that it lost credibility for me. All that said this did hold my interest and I hadn’t worked out all the twists.

Sometimes nothing can satisfy an itch like a very gritty, horrific crime thriller and that’s exactly what I was expecting from this very intriguingly titled novel.

When Heather’s mother commits suicide, she returns to her mother’s home to try and piece together what was happening in her mother’s life during her final days. That’s when she finds hundreds of letters from a convicted serial killer, Michael Reave or ‘The Red Wolf’. He has always protested his innocence and until now, no one has believed him but now it seems that some very similar murders are happening but Reave is safely behind bars. Why did Heather’s mother kill herself? What did she know? And who seems to be copying Reave’s horrendous crimes?

Heather had become estranged from her mum and being back in the family home seems to really disturb her. It’s as if the house has absorbed her mother’s spirit and Heather still feels uncomfortable in her presence. It meant that I also felt very uneasy in the house but I knew that it probably had secrets that Heather had to discover in order to be a help to the police with the new killing spree.

Like me, Heather seems pretty suspicious of her mother’s death. It doesn’t seem that her mother had any reason to commit suicide, which led me to suspect that perhaps it wasn’t. Her mum supposedly threw herself off a cliff but she could have easily been pushed. Heather uses her suspicions to look into her mother’s past but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a very real monster haunting her mother when she died.

Michael Reave’s murders had a very strange beauty to them. His treatment of the bodies was incredibly violent and stomach-churning but the flowers suggests he considered his work an art form. The significance of the flowers makes itself known towards the end of the book but it’s a profoundly disturbing image that stays with the reader throughout the narrative.

We also get chapters from decades before that detail how Michael became who he is. His past is full of abuse, violence and fear, so it’s easy to see how he became the notorious killer he did. The image of the big black dog keeps recurring throughout the book and not just for Michael. There are various factors that make me question the existence of the dog and I suspect that it may actually be a metaphor for darkness or an omen of the future. The black dog is often used as a symbol of depression or death and it was smart how I think this was seamlessly woven into the narrative.

There is a strong theme of folklore and fairytales, particularly Grimm’s dark original versions of them. Michael tells them a few of them to Heather, when she goes to visit him and urges her to learn from them. The wolf imagery is constant and it seems to prowl its way through the pages, pursuing these helpless victims. The book reminds us that the mythical beasts that we grew up with really do exist in various guises. Some humans are monsters themselves and some humans will always be hunted by them.

Heather’s dive into her mother’s past takes her to Fiddler’s Mill, which was the site of a commune in the 1970s. There is strong evidence that both Heather’s mother and Michael Reave lived in the commune and had a history there. The commune focused on reconnecting humans with the earth but many of the previous members that Heather talks to are clearly traumatised and have nothing but terrifying memories of it. The Fiddler’s Mill commune put me in mind of the Manson Family and I wonder if this was an inspiration for it. That kind of close-knit community with a questionable hive mind that obviously inflicted long-lasting mental damage on its members. I really enjoyed this part of the story and loved joining Heather on her journey to find out more about Fiddler’s Mill.

Heather herself is a very plucky character. She doesn’t seem to be particularly scared when faced with dangerous people and doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind, even when she could get seriously hurt. I had no doubt that she would get away from any threat to her life and I just hoped that she could take as many innocent people with her.

Dog Rose Dirt is a very deep dive into the darkest parts of humanity. There are some very unsettling images including dismembered bodies and dead animals. It’s certainly not one for the faint-hearted and it gets very claustrophobic at times. If you’re looking for a very gruesome, fascinating thriller, look no further!

Heather Evans goes back to the home where she grew up, her mother has committed suicide. An act that Heather finds difficult to believe her mother would do. Their relationship had been strained for years and Heather had left home at 16, after her father had died of a heart attack, swearing she would never return.

As she starts organising her mother’s belongings, she finds a box of letters, going back a long time, all from a Michael Reave. But who is Michael Reave and what was the relationship between him and her mum. As Heather looks into his identity she finds he is a serial killer better known as The Red Wolf, he had brutally took the lives of innocent women carving out their hearts as souvenirs. From the letters it seems her mother was pretty close to Michael Reave, but just how close?

As she is staying in the house, she keeps hearing noises, and feels like she is being watched. But on top of this there is a copycat killer on the loose. Heather goes to the police with the information she has, and decides to talk to Michael Reave to find out what was going on between her mother and him. Despite reservations DI Ben Harper reluctantly agrees to Heather meeting Reave but only because there is a copycat killer on the loose and because of the resemblance to the Red Wolf’s technique.

But after Heathers first meeting with this serial killer she realises her life is in danger, because there are monsters in the woods and she may be the next target, she needs to either run or face her past to fight back.

This is a truly gripping, atmospheric creepy read, with a touch of silence of the Lambs, and some references to Red Riding Hood. Heather is a strong character. The pace is initially a bit slow but it soon starts picking up, with short chapters allowing you to think I will just read one more, and before you know it it’s the middle of the night and you’ve finished the book. This would make a brilliant Halloween read. If you like a horror read this one is definitely for you.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #HarperCollinsUK for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

Dog Rose Dirt by Jen Williams is a dark, creepy and heart-pounding thriller. I loved it!

The suicide of Colleen Evans mother of former journalist Heather brings Heather back to her childhood home for the funeral where she uncovers some interesting correspondence. The letters reveal a phase of her mother's life that Heather had previously been unaware of.

Meanwhile the emergence of copycat serial killer leads Heather to contact the police. What follows is very spooky and terrifying.

This was a well-written, neatly plotted thriller full of terrifying moments; I didn't see the final twist at all!

I really enjoyed reading this book the twists and turns, kept me wanting to read more. Loved the chacraters, it was good to read a different take on a serial killer book.

This marks a complete change of direction for award-winning British author Jen Williams whose published works to date have included two Fantasy trilogies. Here, she has poured herself into crime writing which offers hovers close to horror. It’s all imbued with a sense of dark folklore which has the effect of making the implausible seem possible and it simmers throughout with an edge of nastiness which makes even the lighter moments seem tense.
Heather has returned to her family home after the suicide of her mother with whom she has always had a difficult relationship. Whilst sorting the house she discovers she does not know her mother as well as she thinks she did, opening a veritable Pandora’s Box of serial killers, dark fairy tales, copycat murders and a barghest, a legendary phantom dog around the setting of a commune where her mother lived when she was younger.
Heather is a journalist who has made bad decisions in her past and quite frankly continues to make them as she keeps things quiet which she should be sharing with the police whilst giving out too much information to others. There are reasons for this which are posited by the turn of events but it is difficult to relax with her as a main character.
I think personally I could have done with a little more light amongst all this shade but there is no doubt that this is atmospheric with the rural environment demonstrating its power running alongside the depressing banality of clearing up after a lost life. There are incidents in this book I found particularly difficult which made me feel I was reading it at the wrong time for me but there is no doubt that Jen Williams here makes a powerful entrance into the world of crime writing.
Dog Rose Dirt is published in the UK by Harper Collins on July 22nd. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

Well, this book went all the way round the houses and back again, nearly in on itself... And in a good way I hasten to add.
Heather has pretty much been estranged from her mother since the death of her father but has returned to the family home to sort out her now deceased mother's affairs. She's also intrigued as her mother committed suicide and she needs to know why. She has just started to scratch the surface of her mother's life when she discovers some personal letters and they're not from her dad. The sender is the notorious Michael Reave, AKA Red Wolf - a prolific serial killer currently serving life for the horrific and brutal murders of several women, although as is often the case, always maintaining and pleading his innocence. Heather's mum is linked to this guy, could this have something to do with her suicide? Heather is intrigued and wants to know more. But then a young woman is found dead. The manner and display of her body speaks to Reave's MO. But he is in jail? But he protests his innocence? What is going on and how is it linked to her mother? Heather wants, no needs, to know and circumstances bring her together with the DI on the case, Ben Parker. Can the two of them figure it all out before the body count rises further?
Oooo! This was a bit juicy! I got sucked in to the intrigue from the off and spent my time with the book trying to figure out what in the heck was going on. A situation I do actually like to be in as it's usually kinda fun! Anyway... I did guess a few things but I never thought we were going there?
Heather is also quite an interesting character. Thrown into a world she never envisaged, it was lovely seeing how she would adapt to her new circumstances. Her development throughout the book was brilliant to watch. Especially her interactions with certain other characters, the detail of which I can't mention here due to spoilers. But I can say that it all felt real and flowed well throughout the storyline.
It's a bit spooky throughout with shadows and layers of the eerie peppered throughout. We also have strange things turning up, almost like she is being haunted. It all adds to the cloying and scary atmosphere that adds a whole other layer to the story being told.
We also hear from the past, a bit of backstory. Again, I am not going into detail for fear of spoilers but these pasts are expertly placed and divulge just enough to add to the intrigue and also move the plot along nicely.
All in all, a cracking read that I have no hesitation in recommending for fans of the genre who like things a little darker... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

when prodigal daughter Heather Evans returns to her family home after her mothers 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 twenty years, serving a life sentence for the gruesome and ritualistic murders of several women across the country, he's always protested his innocence. The police had no reason to listen, but 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 like the Red Wolf once did.

Filled with secrets and suspense, this is quite a gripping read. Told from the perspectives of Heather, Colleen and Michael we get drip fed pieces of what had happened in the past. The story is dark, disturbing and hard to read in places. This is a well written story with mysterious circumstances. The characters are well developed and believable but Heather did annoy me at times. This is my first read by the author but it wont be my last. This is a totally engaging read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #JenWilliams for my ARC of #DogRoseDirt in exchange for an honest review.

A cross between thriller and horror story . Heather returns home for her mother’s funeral and unearths secrets about her that leads her into seeking the Red Wolf imprisoned for life as a serial killer. Strange things happen to Heather and a series of copycat killings start up.

Wow , great story not your usual serial killer book . I loved the main character , can see a bit of me in her at times . Very tense book and I would highly recommend it . Will be looking to read more from this author in the future. Definitely 5 starts

Had to make this one a DNF I'm afraid. Very slow starting, hated the paragraph about what happened to those poor baby birds,. When the character was given some kittens next, I was done as I hate animal cruelty.

Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, HarperCollins UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC. Unfortunately it wasn't my 'cup of tea'.

This is a bit if a slow burner.
Heather returns home after her mother's suicide, having not had much contact with her mother since she left home at 16.
On finding letters to a serial killer from her mother, Heather begins to realise she never really knew her mother at all.
The body of a young woman is found, dismembered and placed inside a tree, the body planted with flowers exactly as the serial killer, the Red Wolf once did. Working with DI Ben Parker, Heather hopes to find out who the killer is as it seems to be a copycat.
Heather realises that she must speak to Michael Reave to get to the bottom of this, but is wary about what she will find out.
The story took a while to get going but overall is a good read.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?? (Wrong fairy tale but never mind!)

If you take the plunge and dive into this very dark, sinister and atmospheric thriller you’ll quickly be able to answer that question and in the process find yourself gripped by fear and a sense of impending doom. Heather is returning to Balesford and the home of her mother Colleen who has tragically committed suicide. Clearing out the house not only is Heather perturbed by the rather cryptic suicide note left behind but mystified by the letters she discovers in the attic written to Colleen by a serial killer known as the Red Wolf. These take on greater significance in light of a recent spate of murders very similar to those originally carried out by the convicted killer. Given that Michael Reave is still detained at her majesty’s pleasure the obvious assumption is that there is a copycat killer at large. At DI Ben Parker’s request Heather willingly plays a role (starring as it transpires!) in the current investigation that has its roots deep in the heart of the Lancashire countryside.

Be warned! This thriller makes “Grimm” bedtime reading. The author does everything within her power to challenge the notion that monsters don’t really exist; if you believe they are only the stuff of childhood nightmares then think again. These monsters don’t just hide under the bed but lurk in the shadows so if you’re of a nervous disposition there are elements of this storyline that directly feed into your more irrational thoughts giving you goosebumps and making you jump at every turn. As a self confessed scaredy cat it was inevitable that I would find this a book to read with the lights on! Its foreboding and eerie atmosphere owes much to the landscape in which it is set with images of hearts and flowers (not of the Hallmark variety!) essential to the storytelling. One place in particular known as Fiddler’s Wood, once the site of a commune for those searching for a free, unencumbered, alternative lifestyle has a gruesome history that insidiously emerges. But the author is in no hurry to reveal all her aces at once which will suit you fine if you prefer the gradual building of suspense, tension and intrigue one block at a time.

From the moment Heather comes face to face with Michael Reave she places herself in jeopardy. She commits to following a trail wherever that may lead, leaving no stone unturned even if the end result is the unearthing of some unpalatable truths. Whilst in reality few of us would entertain the idea of entering into dialogue with a notorious serial killer, the investigation suits Heather’s journalistic curiosity and her inflated sense of self importance. These conversations are disturbing and taut with tension leaving you with the sense Michael Reave is relishing the attention and enjoying manipulating the course of their dialogue whilst remaining deliberately vague and cryptic. With his fondness for telling a grisly dark fairy tale or two it’s easy to draw parallels with images of wolves, the colour red and a much loved children’s fairy tale. References to local folklore further add to the menacing tone and the idea that somewhere out there lurks a monstrous beast preying on the innocent, one that exists in reality rather than as a figment of a vivid overactive imagination or simply the product of a piece of dark storytelling is terrifying. As fear, dread, puzzlement and doubt over her own mother’s possible part in this horror show seep into every crevice and corner of Heather’s life, you can sense the threat of danger is drawing closer day by day. Someone is toying with her mind, watching her every move and unsettling her in ways that grow ever sinister. The predator has his prey in sight, preparing to lure Heather away from safety and it’s going to get ugly!

Once the timeline shifts back to the past and details pertaining to Colleen’s life as a young woman are forthcoming, the plot gathers momentum and pieces of the puzzle begin to slot into place. Some of the twists aren’t that surprising whilst others are clever and many are downright horrific, revolting and distressing. The overall picture once completed is one that you’d like to instantly wipe from your vision. I know I’m going to be the odd one out here but I think I loved the build up to the climax more than the actual ending which I felt was chaotic, frantic, weird and a bit too much!!! As for DI Parker his appearances are so infrequent as to render him an almost pointless character especially as Heather, hotheaded, temperamental and foolhardy rides roughshod over the investigation and charges full steam ahead into dangerous territory with little thought for the consequences. She’s impossible to like and that ultimately prevents you from giving two hoots as to whether she’ll survive this investigation relatively unscathed or not!

Would I recommend this thriller? Yes, on the whole I found it enjoyable, in a ‘peep through your fingers’ way. I liked the fairy tale theme and the characterisation in terms of the convicted serial killer and his background were good but I wasn’t so keen on Heather as a lone maverick investigator.

My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I was so looking forward to reading this one, but I just couldn’t get into it, it took me an age to finish and I didn’t enjoy the fairy tale parts at all.

I’m sure other people will like it if they are into that sort of thing, I just don’t think this one was for me. However we can’t all enjoy the same books or genre can we?

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Disgraced journalist Heather returns to her childhood home after the suicide of her mother. The two had been estranged and her mother had long seemed cold and withdrawn. When Heather finds a collection of letters to her mother from a convicted serial killer, she determines to uncover the secrets of their relationship and is drawn into the world of the so-called “Red Wolf,” a brutal and ritualistic murderer of women with a fondness for gothic fairy tales. This book turned out to be more of a dark and visceral horror story than the psychological crime drama I was expecting, and I have to say I found it disturbing and unsettling, especially the extreme violence against women and the cruelty. I didn’t find any of the characters unlikeable and guessed some of the plot twists early on. One for the horror/serialkiller afionado but not for me.

This book starts well. We have a traumatised boy who escapes his abusive home – thinks he has reached safety – only to be groomed as a serial killer by his erstwhile saviour. Then, the heroine (Heather) is an ex-journalist, who, when she goes to take care of her mother’s affairs following her mother’s suicide, discovers her mother had an unknown and rather sinister past life. Heather’s mother was the sole – and regular – correspondent of convicted serial killer Michael Reeve. Soon, more women are turning up dead, their murders showing all the characteristics of Michael Reeve’s victims. It can’t be him, as he is in a high security prison – so a copy-cat? Does Michael Reeve know who is responsible? Heather is the only person he will speak to, because of the affection he had for her mother, so she is brought in by the police to try to get him to talk about the new murders. Heather wants to find out more about her mother, so agrees to the police request. So far, so good.
By this stage, I would have probably given the book five stars, but unfortunately, the story went downhill. Remember, Heather is an ex-journalist. She sees a massive story in all this, an opportunity to get her old job back. She hides clues from the police, tells her ex-boss all the juicy bits (so alienating the sympathetic policeman), and puts her best (and very supportive) friend in danger – not to mention herself.
The ending of the book seemed to be an excuse for throwing everything (child abuse, murder, evil adults, pagan religious extremism, incest, human sacrifice …) at the fan, and all came out as less than believable. If the author had focussed instead on a few of the horrendous crimes, and stuck to the main characters, I would have been happier. I felt sorry for Michael Reeve – his evil was designed and directed by others – and for Colleen (the mother), but by the end of the book had little patience left for Heather.
Maybe it is the hot weather spoiling my enjoyment, but I was glad to reach the end finally, and be done with the book. Other readers may be much more complimentary.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

What a slow burner this was. Heather returns home after her mother's suicide, having been mostly estranged from her mother since she left home at 16. On finding letters to a serial killer she begins to realise she never really knew her mother at all. And so starts Heather's quest to trace her mother's past. The plot is quite dark and gathers pace as the novel proceeds. Quite a compelling read.
Three and a half stars!
Many thanks to Netgalley/Jen Williams/HarperCollins UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a difficult book to get into. The premise of the story was good and the background to it read well but the main character I found was off putting and unrealistic.

The story introduces us to Heather, who returns after many estranged years to the family home after her mother’s suicide to find letters her mother has received from a notorious serial killer. The book is told in present day by Heather and in the past by Michael, also known as convicted serial killer The Red Wolf.

There are some interesting sections to this which I felt really didn’t gel as a story and the ending was quite predictable. I thought the charterers in general let the story down, although the references to the Grimm fairy tales were an interesting twist.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Heather returns to her family home, after the death of her mother, she discovers letters that she had been writing to a serial killer, Red Wolf, who has been in prison for over twenty years. When a body of a young woman is found, dismembered and placed inside a tree, the corpse planted with flowers, questions arise as to whether Red Wolf has someone working for him on the outside.

Really well written, enjoyable, psychological thriller.

I had high hopes for this book, it starts out so well but, unfortunately I got rather bored with it in places and very nearly gave up. Not my favourite read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.