I was hoping for a more traditional folk-horror story with this one, but unfortunately this just missed the mark.
That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good read, it just didn’t hit my own expectations.

I enjoyed the two timelines, set in 1988 and the present, following a group of 5 boys who had a part to play in bringing justice to a crime in 1988.
It’s now over 3 decades later and one of them has turned up dead. Murdered. It’s left to the remaining boys ( men ), to find out what happened then and now.

The author manages to invoke feelings of nostalgia with his writing, and in the way he tells the story.
The biggest take from this is the theme of friendship, genuine and long lasting friendship.
It’s a good book, well written, more of a slow pace but enough to keep you interested.

It won’t be for everyone, but on the whole I did enjoy it.

This one really gives old school Stephen King vibes, especially It and Stand By Me.

Told in two timelines, it follows a group of boys who were instrumental in the justice of a killing in 1988. 35 years later, one of the friends is murdered and the other friends come together to find out what happened, both in 1988 and now.

At its core, this book really captures the feeling of friendship between the boys. It felt genuine and nostalgic. The book is primarily this- exploring these friendships. I was expecting more horror, but that didn't really kick in until towards the end of the book. Because of this, it's a slow burn that will leave some readers a bit antsy for actions. However, readers who enjoy reading about relationships and character development will really enjoy how this book flows.

Matt Hilton's writing was easy to settle with. There were times that the narrative surprised me with sudden plot developments, and I think those moment could have been polished a bit more.

This was a tough read for me to get through. In a nutshell, it’s about 5 friends-Andy, Brian, Carl, Johnny, and Gavin-who are witnesses to an attack on two sisters that they know from school, Melanie and Poppy. The story has definite supernatural elements and involves guilt, regrets, and secrets. The boys are grown ups when the body of one of them is found in the same area, and now they’re trying to figure out what exactly happened all those years ago and also recently.

The book is really paranormal/horror, so if that’s one of your types, please give it a try!

Three stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

I love folk horror and I was really excited to get those witchy, weird vibes from this book. However, it didn’t quite hit that mark.

In 1988, a group of boys helped jail an older boy for the murder and beating of two local girls. When the arrested boy commits suicide in prison, the friends are left racked with guilt. Now, one of them has wound up dead in the same spot as the murder over 35 years before and they take it upon themselves to find out what happened -both now and decades ago.

One thing that I think the book did well was to capture what young boys are like when they’re together. There is constant teasing and trying to one-up each other while maintaining an obvious affection for each other. In the 1988 chapters, this came through really authentically.

There is a small chance I’m wrong (pretty sure I’m not!) but I don’t think the word ‘minger’ existed in 1988, so reading it really took me out of the action. This is something that both the author and editor should have picked up straightaway, which makes me wonder why it wasn’t found.

The first mention of Andy’s deceased daughter was so sudden and random, it made me furrow my brow and shake my head. It was just completely irrelevant to the previous scene and I felt that it could have been delivered to us in a more appropriate situation and tone. I was just highly confused about the choice to drop it right there.

The misogyny in this book is off the charts. I know that the main characters are all awful men and perhaps that’s why but as a female reader, it was so uncomfortable to read. I think the simple inclusion of a good, likeable female point of view would have helped my enjoyment of the book so much. All Hilton would have to do was make one of the friends female! So, it was really sad that that wasn’t the case and it meant that I just really didn’t care about what happened to the characters.

Wicked Jenny had the potential to be great. However, the actual story of Wicked Jenny wasn’t explored enough and all of the characters were terrible people. I also thought the twist was ridiculous. So, overall a definite disappointment!

I want to say this has kind of an ITish feel, but it's really only the back and forth timeline between children and them as adults facing a possibly supernatural creature. So it's more of the type of horror trope than anything.

While I found some of this to be creepy and suspenseful, most of it I was able to skim and still follow the story. It may be better scaled down and made into a short story to keep everything moving. It also repeated a lot of what had already happened or what we as readers already knew. So, cutting some of that down would make it a faster, more interesting read, in my opinion.

The last 25% made the story completely worthwhile. Complete with twists, paranormal occurrences, suspense, and all questions pretty much answered, which is always nice not to be left going, "Huh?"

I gave this 3.5⭐️. I would definitely read more from this author.

As always, I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an advanced ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Severn House for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review of this book. I did enjoy this book and read it in one day. I did feel some spots went slow. I would recommend this book.

This was an interesting horror read! It reminded me a lot of Steven Kings older work. I loved the 80s vibes and the supernatural element. I do think certain parts of this dragged, and there were some grey areas that could have been explained or dived deeper with, but this could have been resolved if it was another 100 pages or so. But, overall, a great spooky read!

If you liked IT by Stephen King, this book is right up your ally. Matt writes beautifully spooky about how guilt affects different people with the passing of time. If you're looking for an easy spooky read, this book is for you.

I really liked this book, I'm not usually a horror/mystery/thriller (however you want to categories it) reader but I really liked this one. My only real complaint is that the flashbacks would come at such a bad time, you'd get really interesting chapters where ll you want to know is what happens next but then bang next chapter its a flashback and it would irritate me a tiny bit.
Love that it was British though idk why just so comforting to know its British with the slang popping up here n there.

I really liked the ending, I wasn't expecting it to go that way but I'm glad it did if that makes sense I really like how it surprised me.

Thank you Net Galley and Severn House for the ARC!

Wicked Jenny by Matt Hilton is a supernatural horror novel that intertwines past and present, following a group of childhood friends haunted by a traumatic event from their youth. The narrative alternates between 1988 and the present day, creating an eerie atmosphere as the characters confront their past. While the story offers a compelling premise, some readers may find the pacing uneven, with flashbacks occasionally disrupting the flow. Nonetheless, the novel delivers a chilling twist that adds depth to the tale, making it a worthwhile read for fans of spooky fairy tales with a twist.

Thank you to NetGalley, Matt Hilton, and Severn House for providing the ebook. The title, Wicked, perfectly captures the essence of the story. It's an exhilarating journey that unfolds across two distinct settings, filled with unexpected twists and turns at every corner.

I enjoyed this books writing style. It felt a little slow to me at times and did not hold my interest. Took a while to read

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this e-arc! I’m excited to look into more work from this author in the future.

A little bit paranormal with a lot of horror, Wicked Jenny is spooky, suspenseful and shocking. It had an extremely unreliable narrator, which I love and an interesting cast of characters - none of which are very good people. There was so much going on it was a bit hard to follow in the beginning, but soon it got easier and much more enjoyable. Not my favorite horror read, but a good one if you like that genre.

Three solid stars for a well written, engaging horror story/murder mystery. The story has a "Stand By Me" or "It" vibe - a group of young kids get in trouble, and fast forward to adulthood and they get to relive their traumatic childhood events. Here, five boys bullying two sisters by the frog ponds leads to the death of one of the sisters and the bludgeoning of the other - years later, the boys are being hunted down by a bog woman who may be the surviving sister, or maybe Jenny Greenteeth, or maybe just mass psychosis. Either way, the guys are having a rough time coming to terms with their past.

I enjoyed the story and thought it was a solid read. My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity.

3.75 Stars

Matt Hilton's Wicked Jenny is a thrilling and chilling novel that captivates readers with its dark and eerie atmosphere. Although the narrative structure, with its back-and-forth timeline, can be initially confusing, perseverance is rewarded as the story unfolds. The shifting perspectives of various characters add complexity and enrich the storytelling once you become accustomed to them.

A Slow Start with a Gripping Payoff
Initially, it took some time to settle into the narrative. The intertwined timelines and multiple character perspectives made it challenging to follow. However, about 50 pages in, the storyline began to gel, and by the halfway mark, the novel truly hit its stride. The suspense and horror intensified, creating a genuinely creepy and engrossing reading experience.

Wicked Jenny stands out as a cautionary tale, making it an ideal read for fans of horror and suspense. The novel's ability to evoke fear and tension is remarkable and will leave a lasting impression on those who appreciate a well-crafted horror story.

In conclusion, Matt Hilton's Wicked Jenny is a must-read for anyone who loves a good scare and a cautionary tale. Despite its initially confusing structure, the novel delivers a haunting narrative that is both thrilling and thought-provoking. I, for one, can't wait for the next instalment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for providing the e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this immensely. The back and forth timeline was a little confusing, and keeping straight what character's POV I was reading BUT the story and the scary stuff was great! All the strange occurrences and brutal murders really put me on edge. The whole egregore angle was inspired. Wicked Jenny was indeed wicked--but she had good reason. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

Wicked Jenny by Matt Hilton is a fast-paced, gritty thriller that grabs your attention from the first page and doesn’t let go. Hilton crafts a vivid, atmospheric world filled with morally complex characters, each with their own secrets and motives. The titular Jenny is an unforgettable protagonist—enigmatic, resourceful, and dangerous in all the right ways.

The story’s pacing is relentless, with tension that builds steadily as the plot unfolds. Hilton’s writing shines in his action sequences, which are cinematic and heart-pounding, and his knack for building suspense keeps you turning the pages late into the night. The setting, with its dark, almost noir-like undertones, adds an extra layer of intensity to the story.

While the book excels at delivering thrills and intrigue, some of the secondary characters felt underdeveloped, and there were moments where the plot threads felt slightly rushed. However, these minor issues don’t detract from the overall experience, as the core of the story and its central characters more than make up for it.

Wicked Jenny is a gripping read for fans of thrillers with a sharp edge and complex antiheroes. It’s a book that stays with you, and I’ll definitely be looking forward to more from Matt Hilton.

This was great! The ending was unexpected and the writing is well done and draws you in. The characters are unique and I was invested in how this was going to end. This is a great dark story and one I would recommend! Special Thank You to Matt Hilton, Severn House and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I got the same sense of mystery and supernatural when I read GHOST STORY by Peter Straub, one of those books that stay with you. The young boys saw no harm in their actions and no malice in pointing the finger at the local misfit when asked. With one sister dead, the other so damaged she's never fully recovered, the boys grow to men who are never comfortable around each other again. Together only because one of the five have been killed, in the same gruesome manner, they must decide what to believe, and so must the reader. While Matt Hilton's writing may not be as polished as Peter Straub's, I enjoyed the story of WICKED JENNY and would recommend it to anyone who loves when a book sends a sudden chill down your back.