A DARK AND SECRET PLACE

4 stars out of 5

Convicted serial killer Michael Reave, better known as Red Wolf, has been in jail for years. So when another woman's body turns up murdered in the same gruesome manner that was Reave's trademark, it raises the question of who the killer is this time around. Coincidence or copycat? It's a question that dogs journalist Heather Evans when she learns that her mother, who just committed suicide, had been exchanging letters with Reave throughout his two decades in prison. It's got the police stumped as well, so when Heather shows the letters her mother got from Reave and kept hidden away, Detective Inspector Ben Parker arranges for her to visit Reave in hopes he will not only explain his connection to Heather's mother but say more about the women he's insisted he didn't kill.

Reave, however, isn't forthcoming; instead, he tells a story about a young boy who drank water that turned him into a wolf. But he admits to knowing Heather's mother, Colleen, who he claims loved stories like this. Meanwhile, yet another woman's life is snuffed out. At this point, there's no doubt someone is imitating Reave, but who, and why? Heather discovers a communal place where her mother and Reave may have met not far from London; today, it's a spa popular with rich folks. Still, she's certain the site holds keys to the past that somehow have been unlocked in her world today.

As the investigation continues, it becomes clear that Heather, too, may be at risk; as she stays in her old home - where her mother lived until she died - strange and creepy sounds and objects appear to make her doubt what's real and what's not. Meantime, interspersed chapters revert to "Before," slowly revealing clues as to what really happened all those years ago at the commune and how what happened there relates to Heather, her mother and Red Wolf.

Needless to say, there are more than a few fairytale-like twists in the story, with one of the biggest evident to me very early on. And I do have a few issues with Heather's behavior - one a professional screw-up that no journalist I know would ever make. The other came near the end, when the formerly strong-willed but for the most part sensible Heather veered off down the B-movie path toward the dark alley instead of the well-lit street to the police station. At that point, I have to admit I pretty much stopped caring what happened to her.

As a whole, though, it's an engrossing and entertaining story with a very dark side that certainly held my attention throughout - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. Last but definitely not least, I'm happy to say I learned a couple of new words ("skewhiff," for instance) - always a treat because I love sharing these finds with our wonderful English daughter-in-law. 

A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams (Crooked Lane Books, June 2021); 304 pp.