I was grateful for an advanced copy of this book from the publishers.
Although I was not gripped from the first page like some reviewers, I found this a strong, clever and chilling crime novel. It took a while to pick up a pace that I prefer, but I did not see the end coming! It was a tense and original read, and for many, you will enjoy it.

When Heather's mother commits suicide, Heather goes to stay at her mother's house and starts looking through her mother's belongings to try and find some answers. What she finds stuns her, letters to a convicted serial killer, who has recently come back into the news because of a copycat killer. When Heather contacts the police and meets the serial killer to try and help with the investigation, she finds herself in a situation where she feels threatened herself and can't draw back because she needs to try and find some answers. I think this book will go down well with readers, for myself I found it slightly frustrating to read because Heather's actions don't always make sense and because there seem to be loose ends throughout the book.

Really enjoyed this book, it totally confounded my expectations but in a really good way! I'd heard good things about it and really glad that it lived up to the hype!

Dog Rose Dirt by Jen Willliams is a compulsive and horrifying contemporary murder suspense that I could not put down.
A cold-blooded killer is behind bars when a number of identical murders begin. Details, known only by a few are replicated as modern crimes collide with the past.
Recovering from the loss of her mother, an ex-reporter finds a bundle of letters that awaken the investigative journalist in her. Digging deep into the past, she uncovers some well-hidden truths.
Our early years set the tone for our lives to come. We witness lives manipulated by those who should be caring for them.
The novel is written in present day and ‘before’ in various voices. The reader must try to follow the clues to get to the truth. Can you do so before the end? I couldn’t!
The characters were extremely well drawn eliciting a variety of emotional responses from me.
Jen Williams is a new author to me. I shall certainly be seeking out more by her.
Dog Rose Dirt was a gripping but creepy read.
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

I rate this UK mystery book 3.5 stars rounded up. Heather Evans, an ex journalist, returns to her mother's Home after her mother has killed herself. She makes a startling discovery: a bundle of letters to her mother from serial killer Michael Reave, known as "the Red Wolf." Reave has been in prison for 20 years for a series of grisly murders. Then a new murder takes place with eerie similarities to the Red Wolf murders. Heather contacts the police and sends them copies of some of the letters.
The police ask her to talk to Reave. He has refused to talk to the police about his murders or the new murder. He will only talk to Heather. There is a sense of foreboding that builds from the very beginning of the book. It is told in 2 time frames--Michael as a young boy and Heather in the present day.
I suspected part of who the present day killer was, but not all of it. This is a very creepy book and I would not describe it as a cozy mystery. If you like Tess Gerritsen or James Patterson, you will probably like this book.
One problem: Heather has a friend, Nikki, who is a teacher. At one point Nikki is confusingly juxtaposed with Fiona, also a teacher, location 418 "Nikki, can I come over? I need to talk to someone" Putting the marking aside finally, Fiona smiled at the little pile of cards and presents on her desk." Fiona is also a teacher and this was the same paragraph.
Since this is an uncorrected proof from Harper Collins UK, it should be easy to fix this.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK and Jen Williams for sending me this eARC through NetGalley

Well written suspense novel,well worth reading.Kept me guessing right from the start.Kept me going right to the end.Would recommend this book and author to anyone who likes mystery novels

Dog Rose Dirt is a twisty standalone thriller in which fantasy writer Jen Williams turns her hand to crime writing and poses the question: what would you think if your mother had been corresponding with a brutal serial murderer for many years? Disgraced journalist Heather Evans and her mother Colleen have been estranged for a long time and haven't spoken in close to two decades, so returning to her childhood home is quite the shock. However, it isn't anywhere near as baffling and inexplicable as her mother, someone who had seemingly never been diagnosed with depression or mental health issues, committing suicide suddenly. When Heather first arrives she finds a note bizarrely addressed: "To you both," despite the fact that Heather is an only child. As she mourns her loss, she decides to look for answers as to who the enigmatic other person is who Colleen referred to in the letter believing they must be important and what she discovers astounds her. She is chilled by the huge cache of letters going back decades from notorious convicted serial killer Michael Reave, aka The Red Wolf, a friend of Colleen's from a commune popular in the 70s known as Fiddler's Mill and who carried out a series of ritualistic killings in which he removed the women's hearts before adorning their bodies with flowers.

She has a lot of unanswered questions, but when the bodies of new victims are found with the same eerie modus operandi as Reave's her questions multiply. Reave has claimed his innocence since the very beginning but could it really be true? The copycat seems to have meticulously studied Reaves' apparent crimes and investigator DI Ben Parker asks Heather to pay Reave a visit in jail. However, although he agrees to see her and talk, he doesn't appear interested in helping the case. Can she get to the bottom of why her mother killed herself, Reave and Colleen's relationship and who is behind the targeting of new victims before another person perishes? This is a compulsive and thoroughly addictive thriller and the story Williams spins is packed full of twists and suspense. It's creepy, disturbing and so atmospheric, but be warned it isn't for the faint of heart or those who enjoy less graphic, ominous crime as it is rather nausea-inducing at times, which is testament to the author's skill. The sense of foreboding starts almost immediately and grows as the narrative progresses never letting up for even a second. Well written and quick-paced, it is told from Heather and Reave's perspectives connecting past and present seamlessly. And watch out for the explosive, stomach-churning ending.

A great premise with some fantastic creepy moments. Occasionally a little jarring with some of the reveals, but overall a very enjoyable thriller with some great true crime flourishes.

An estranged daughter finds hundreds of letters written between her mother and a convicted murderer after the mother commits suicide. The daughter has no idea about this relationship but begins to investigate when copycat murders begin. Quite a dark tale but not too difficult a storyline to unravel.
Many thanks to NetGalley & Harper Collins UK for the advance copy.

This book was gripping, disturbing, dark and creepy. Basically everything you want from a book to read on a hot day in the garden....definitely not at night though if you want to get some sleep. I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it.

This book is seriously creepy, I felt quite unsettled a lot of the time and felt that it was like watching a horror movie.

Following her mother’s suicide, Heather discovers she had been writing to a serial killer for years, and she tries to find out the reasons why. With copy cat killings taking place at the same time, the need to discover these reasons become more urgent, particularly when it appears Heather may have come to the attention of the killer. I enjoyed this mystery, which is at the heart of the book, and the urgency of the need to find the copy cat killer, only increased the suspense and almost created a sense of panic.

I loved the settings in the book, all of which are well written and create a threatening, dangerous atmosphere, which helps to unsettle the reader.

The character development is excellent. Heather is annoying at times, but is determined and stubborn and endearing enough for the reader to care and worry about her. More impressive is the author’s ability to create a a very human serial killer who I sort of liked, even though I was telling myself I shouldn’t. He wasn’t the monster we expect a serial killer to be, and that made the book stronger.

The only part of the book I didn’t enjoy was the animal cruelty, however, as most serial killers abuse animals first, it was realistic, but still difficult for me to read.

This book really does keep you on the edge of your seat, it is exciting, chilling and scary and I loved it.

A deliciously dark and deep thriller that is full of folklore and twists and turns.
There's a wolf in the wood and he's killing young women and burying their hearts....young journalist Heather gets drawn deeper and deeper into the mystery as she she's struggles to understand her estranged mothers' improbable suicide, discovering letters from her to a serial killer in prison.

I loved how the author wove legends and the gruesome fairytales of Grimm through the story, keeping us guessing about each of the fringe characters whilst maintaining the pace. Hot read of Summer 2021!

Gripping, Terrifying, Engaging... The perfect Halloween read!!

The atmospheric writing in this book really captures the essence of the genre, and the creepy vibes I got from this book are like none other, it’s rare for me to find a book truly creepy so bravo Jen Williams, you did it haha

I’d say this borders on psychological thriller and mystery but hits you with a cracker of a monstrous and gruesome serial killer to get your heart racing!!

One of the darker books I’ve read but oh so gripping and haunting! I highly recommend you all to read this and follow Heather along her terrifying journey.

Many thanks to Netgalley & Harper Collins UK for the ARC!!

Creepy and compelling dark scary novel.
Dark, domestic noir. A twisting suspense to keep the reader on their toes. With a well developed cast of characters, this is a slow burn and a gradual mounting of tension leading to some, perhaps, surprising revelations. A thoroughly engaging read.

Dog Rose Dirt is a chilling thriller that begins with a somewhat familiar storyline of journalist Heather returning home after the death of her mother. She discovers that her mother was corresponding with Michael Reave , a serial killer who is currently in prison, and whom her mother knew many years before. Amidst Heather's search for the truth another young woman, who appears to have a link to Heather's family goes missing. Running alongside this narrative is the story of Reave's appalling childhood. The novel moves along at a good pace and is well written. The author creates a real feeling of tension and unease and it is one of the scariest thrillers I've read for a while. However, for me there was something missing , I wasn't completely gripped throughout and I felt that the novel as a whole was let down by a rather ridiculous ending. 3.5 stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

Dog Rose Dirt - Jen Williams

An interesting premise and some potentially very interesting elements.

What do you do when you find out your mother (who committed suicide) used to exchange letters with a notorious ritualistic serial killer known as The Red Wolf?

What do the police do when an apparent copycat killer is continuing the murder spree using the same signature methods?

I liked the start and the setup, I thought and hoped it had potential, sadly I didn't really connect with the characters, the atmosphere or feel any tension or pace. The relationship between main character Heather and a Michael Reaves (The Red Wolf) formed through prison visits was the most successful element for me.

I read this blind, with no knowledge of the author but wasn't surprised to find the author usually writes fantasy with the weaving in of fairy story elements.

Not really one for me, sorry.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins

This is a scary, action-packed thriller involving a serial killer, a mother who has killed herself, secrets and lies. Lots of it work very well. The poor abused boy from the terrible dysfunctional family is portrayed well and the beginning of the book really gripped me. However, Heather was an unlikeable and rather unbelievable character and there were times, even in a book about a serial killer, that I lost interest and found it hard-going. The ending was full of big reveals and twists but I had guessed a few of them along the way. Overall, not bad but could have been great.

Thanks for the ARC and opportunity to write a review pre publication.
Found this to be highly enjoyable if somewhat dark thriller with interesting but scary characters. Hooked form chapter one and raced through it.
Look forward to reading further books by this author.
Thanks again

This is an incredibly atmospheric thriller.

Firstly positives:

It was was very haunting
The beginning and the set up was amazing
The whole idea of Fiddlers Wood and the commune/cult was fascinating
As a character Michael Reave himself was very well written
As was Ben Parker and I wish we had seen more of him

What I disliked about it:

Heather - she was a difficult character and very unlikeable
Too much description...I think it should have be about 50 pages shorter...there was alot of unnecessary description and I think by the end it felt a bit bloated by so much build up...
There wasn't any pay off as we went along...it was all saved up for the very end...which was very rushed and jumped into ludicrous territory

What started out as an interesting and tense thriller became a B movie plot..
Which was a shame. That meant that all the build up and expectation amounted to very little and was very disappointing.

I think it needed to be less descriptive and give more of a drip of information and surprises throughout the book..but for the majority of the book we find out very little. My guesses from the very start were correct about certain things and then all of a sudden we were hit with a huge amount of information and a crazy action scene that wasn't needed.

I would have preferred it to have felt more like an investigation where we could work out the clues....but there was very little to work out until we were given all the information at once.

I think the end sequence should have happened about halfway through the book and then the rest of the book should have been about dealing with the aftermath of it....we felt like it ended just as it got really interesting.

The beginning was powerful and interesting but the middle was very bloated and then the end was OTT and became completely unbelievable. I think having that OTT in the middle and then the human consequences after would have worked much better.

Overall it is a very tense and daunting thriller but had the beginnings of a great book which was let down with too many descriptions and a B movie ending.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay so let me first say this is one of the creepiest books I’ve read to date (and I’ve read a lot of creepy books)!

Secondly, probably don’t read with the lights off...

Thirdly, WOW!!!

Loves it, everything about it, loved the way the plot wove together and how the secrets came out bit by bit, the twists n turns just kept coming, relentless, it was fantastic and I was kinda gutted when it was over, the twist hits you straight between the eyes all at once and you’re like woah hang on, but wait? Nope, not having it....haha!

Brilliant thriller, creepy and fast paced and just crazy in places, loved the tie in to the Grimm fairy tales (I’m a fan) and just thought it was a corker of a book!!

More please, soon, like yesterday!!!