Matt Hilton enthuses his new novel with tropes from several subgenres I had feared lost to modern day writers of horror.
Here is the creeping dread of the great folk horror stories of the 1970s and 1980s with echoes of the early (better?) novels of Stephen King and James Herbert but there are also influences from Algernon Blackwood, Ramsey Campbell and Dennis Wheatley. Does anyone else remember the shivering thrill of turning the first few pages of their newest Guy N. Smith terror tale? You won't be disappointed here!
What a stark reminder the author gives one of just how obnoxious we all were in our early teenage years and how sometimes the past is sure to come back to haunt us.
Spine-tingling terror crackles around the well-drawn characters as the plot twists and turns till a blood-bathed denouement.
I eagerly await the next novel in this series.

I was really not a fan of this. I found that I wasn't really connecting to any of the characters, and it could be because of how the time jumps between 1988 and current day progress. I would be partway through a chapter and forgetting which year we're supposed to be in. It felt like the different POVs of the characters didn't really change from youth to adult style of thinking, their thoughts kind of stayed like that of devilish little boys.

I did find some descriptions and the overall idea of the novel to be quite intriguing - the spooky vibes were definitely present, I'll give it that. But with not being able to connect fully or even partially to anyone...I don't know, the words felt kind of hollow and the story wasn't able to stay in my head.

Wicked Jenny, by Matt Hilton, a group of grown men come together when one of their childhood friends Carl is found beaten to death next to the frog pond. it’s the same frog pond where in 1988 foster sisters Michelle and Poppy were found beaten Michelle was dead, and Poppy was disfigured and mute. ever since their childhood, they feared the wicked Jenny that would come out of the swamp and drag bad children into its depths never to let them go so when the guys or at least some of them start getting phone calls telling them they’ve been a bad boy, coupled with other strange events they have no idea what’s going on. since her sister‘s murder and her vicious attack, Poppy has lived nonverbal with just making grunting sounds but now a doctor Chow has come and is trying new methods to get her to at least be able to speak. The book mainly focuses on Andrew Miller, but goes from his friends to Poppy into the past with his abusive overbearing mother. in the end, it all comes together to make for one superior horror read. From the gritty Erie feeling the book gives to the great storyline in a wham Bam thank you ma’am ending with the mic drop. this book is definitely going on my list of best books I’ve ever read which now I think his six books on that list this being the sixth. This was so super good. It was just, uh… so good, if this is book one signed me up for the book two!#NetGalley, #SeverenHouse, #MattHilton, #WickedJenny,

Moving back and forth between 1988 and present day, this book tells the story or 5 men who, at the age of 13, accused a developmentally disabled boy of the brutal murder of a classmate, Melanie, and the beating of her adopted sister, Poppy. That same boy commits suicide while in police custody, his guilt or innocence never proven. The police assume his guilt and never pursue the matter and the boys eventually mostly drift apart.

Almost 20 years later on those same boys is brutally murdered near the same spot along the river and the rest of the group begins to be terrorized by a hag-like creature from their childhood. Parents used to tell their children to be good or "Ginny Greenteeth" would drag them into the river. Is Ginny Greenteeth the one after the boys/men now? Can they figure out the truth before more of them die?

I was hoping for a suspenseful thriller, and got what felt like a hastily thrown-together hodge-podge of random POVs. I don't mind switching up the POV in a story, but going from third person to first person and back again depending on the character was bizarre. Also, some characters got multiple chapters and other just got one. It became a little jumbled, trying to decide which ones were important to pay attention to and which ones were red herrings. I admit that I didn't figure out who dunnit before the reveal, which is unusual for me and bumps the book from 2 stars up to 3. The fact is, I was mostly bored while I read and never had trouble putting the book down and picking up something else. This just wasn't my cup of tea, despite the fact that I'm normally a big fan of suspense, mysteries, and thrillers.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am a sucker for books involving groups of friends and shared trauma. I’m also a fan of local lore and folk tales. Who is Wicked Jenny? Is she gonna get you? Very good writing and intriguing characters and plot. Matt Hilton is on my radar now, and I look forward to reading more from them.

Imagine this: a group of friends once blamed a boy with a hammer for a horrible crime—one girl dead, another gravely injured. Flash forward years later, and one of those friends is mysteriously murdered... with a hammer. Cue the reunion at his funeral, where strange things start happening to everyone. Spooky, right?

This folk horror gem has it all—its own creepy lore about Wicked Jenny, a ghostly figure who drags naughty kids into a murky pond, and a string of murders and disappearances that’ll keep you guessing. Is the killer human, or is something supernatural lurking?

The pacing is just right—fast enough to keep you hooked but with plenty of eerie tension and clever humor sprinkled throughout. The characters feel fleshed out, and the build-up to the big "ah-ha" moment at the end? Chef’s kiss. If you’re into horror with a twist of folklore and a dash of mystery, this one’s a must-read.

I received an eARC from NetGalley of this, and I was super excited that more horrors are coming onto the app. However, I wouldn’t say I was overly a fan of this one.

I found myself quite bored throughout and I did actually struggle with this one. Maybe it was the younger POV, the jumping between timelines, maybe it’s the writing style, I’m honestly not even sure what about this didn’t grip me, which is a shame because I was so keen for it.

2.5 ⭐️

This book took me a really long time to get into, I honestly found the first 2/3rds to be a little boring and confusing. The last third was more entertaining and I didn’t see the twists coming at all. Overall, it was definitely not my favorite but it wasn’t terrible. And it sure was scary toward the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Severn House Publishing, and Matt Hilton for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House publishing for the opportunity to read the e-ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

'Wicked Jenny by Matt Hilton'.

<B>"This eerie tale sees a group of men haunted by one traumatic event from their childhood. They thought they'd moved on . . . but someone - or something - won't let them!"</B>

Publish Date: January 07, 2025.

Four stars (4 out of 5 stars).

This story starts in 1988 with thirteen-year-old Andy, Carl, Brian, Gavin, and Johnny when they become 'witnesses' to the death and mutilation of one of their classmates.

Now their friend Carl, as an adult, is found dead in the same frog ponds that the dead Melanie was found all those years ago.

I wasn't sure about this novel, at first, because it started off really slow for the first half. However, once it got going it didn't settle down until the very last page. This plot is full of twists and turns and creepy descriptions. Although I wasn't scared at any point, I did find myself on the edge of my seat a few times.

This would be a good book for anyone who likes a few chills while trying to figure out the murder.

4 stars.

This was a fast and engaging read that wasn't all that deep. The writing was good, but the characters were a bit one-dimensional. Overall, the plot is interesting and the vibes are there.

I Found this book entertaining as well as frightening. The story begins as a coming of age horror story where young life was taken by a supposed ‘evil’ person. Years go by and now one of the friend group has been murdered. This brings the group back together. Unbeknownst to the group someone has been able to master astral projection. when the group starts having harrowing experiences they begin to blame a childhood story known as ‘Wicked Jenny’ as the culprit. Other members of the friend group become frightened as more unexplained things continue to happen. I really enjoyed how the author was able to keep the twist under wraps. The reader is led to believe there are supernatural factors involved with this story of murder. Learning about brain injury and how maybe other senses can be harnessed was quite informative. The reader is left wondering what really happened.

What a great horror book. So many great twists and turns. I have never read a book where someone had that power. Thanks, to net galley and Matt Hinton for a scary , satisfying read!

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a free electronic ARC of #wickedjenny in exchange for an honest review. This story follows multiple POVs of a group of men who were friends as lads that come together later in life because one of their friends has died mysteriously. It took a little bit to get used to the multiple POVs but once the story got going I found it quite engaging and could not put the book down! The writing was downright hysterical at times I laughed out loud at some of the jokes, and was quite disturbing at other points. If you want a good paranormal murder mystery that keeps you guessing who the killer is, pick this fun read up!

A story that weaves guilt, revenge, and trauma across dual timelines. The 1988 setting, where a group of boys witnesses a brutal crime, is haunting and well-executed, as is its eerie return to the present. The portrayal of guilt and fear is compelling but the pacing drags in places. and some secondary characters lack depth. The book is definitely not without flaws but it’s a nice read for fans of psychological thrillers with a hint of the supernatural.

Book Review:

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley, and while I was initially excited about the premise, the experience ultimately left me disappointed. As a fan of horror novels, the concept of a dual timeline—spanning the 1980s and present day—was particularly intriguing. However, despite the potential for a gripping narrative, the execution fell flat.

The writing style felt overly simplistic, almost childish at times, which made it difficult to become fully immersed in the story. Additionally, the pacing was sluggish, and the plot failed to build much momentum, leaving me disengaged as the story unfolded. By the end, I found myself uninterested, as the book failed to deliver the thrills and suspense I was hoping for.

Ultimately, this novel missed the mark for me. While the dual timeline had promise, the writing and pacing left much to be desired, making for a rather tedious reading experience.

Actual Rating 1.5

This work is told from a dual timeline and multiple POVs, though one POV is the focus of the work. While the premise of this one was promising, unfortunately there wasn’t much that I enjoyed about the book overall. The work is exposition heavy, but unfortunately the exposition doesn’t really add much to the characters or the plot. It becomes repetitive and somewhat clunky with flashbacks, which detracts from the tension and atmosphere. The past timeline was the strongest, but wasn’t strong enough to carry the rest of the work.

There was a lot of judgmental writing/portrayal of women in this work, and it wasn’t solely tied to the characters’ perspectives. Women were often described by their breast size, their weights, or whether or not they were “sluts.” The vast majority of women in this work were not written in a flattering or positive light. On top of that, the male characters weren’t even written well. They felt like caricatures with minimal depth and development.

I don’t recommend this work at all, but I am an outlier. My thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is more of what I was looking for! This was creepy and kept me guessing until the end. I loved the slow unraveling of the past placed perfectly amongst the events of the present. The mix of fact and fiction and trying to tell the difference was all of the fun. The true motives of all involved came to be known in a way that wasn't just throwing something in at the end. It was all unwound slowly.

This book turned out to be a nice surprise. The author wrote interesting characters and a plot with a creepiness that wove in and out of the plot as the story divided itself between two time periods. The writings flow was steady with some surprising reveals.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are my own.

This moves back and forth in time on a familiar plot line - that something that happened to a group of people while they were adolescents has come back to haunt them when they are adults. But this is a bit different because it's really creepy. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. No spoilers from me but know that this is nicely twisty.

Wicked Jenny was a wicked good time. It was suspensefull, well written, and imaginative with a good plot. While I suspected early on who ultimately the culprit was, I was surprised about motive and actions. The rough housing and banter tween the young boys was so spot on that is was nauseating. Boys are a handful. Overall, great execution with a real creep factor. Definitely worth a read.