A DARK AND SECRET PLACE – BY JEN WILLIAMS
Published by Crooked Lane Books / Available June 2021
Verdict: 4 out of 5
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Overview: Heather’s mother has committed suicide. More baffling are the letters Heather has discovered upon her return home; letters of continued contact between her mother and the serial killer called the Red Wolf. And although he is imprisoned, similar murders are happening again – women are being displayed in the woods with flowers planted inside their gutted bodies. Who is responsible? And what role did Heather’s mother play in these horrors?
The Good: The atmosphere is rich with gritty drama and unnerving darkness. I especially enjoyed the chapters that take us back in time; I found those sequences acted as interesting puzzle pieces. They frequently left me on the hook.
The Bad: The finale wasn’t necessarily satisfying. Parts of it liked, parts of it I didn’t. I also had some questions left unanswered or poorly explained.
The Takeaway: A Dark and Secret Place shows us a fantasy writer embracing their dark and twisted side, while also taking influence from their love of true crime. The story is wonderfully dark and unnerving, made complete by a mystery that spans decades.
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File Under: Dark drama … horror/crime … serial killer … violent drama
Also See: The Copper Cat … The Winnowing Flame
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- Snow- Capped Press (www.snowcappedpress.com / Website under construction / Magazine expected 2022)
- Review by Aiden Merchant (Closed to review requests at time of posting / Refer to social media accounts or website for changes to availability)
- Reviewer’s Information: (e) contact@aidenmerchant.com / www.aidenmerchant.com
AIDEN MERCHANT 
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