Review: Truly Darkly Deeply - Victoria Selman

Review: Truly Darkly Deeply - Victoria Selman - July 2022


There were a few things that made me want to read this book, the first being of course the whole theme of the book and the fact it was a murder novel/thriller and the second was that it is released on my birthday. I also loved the cover of this book with the rose which after reading it, I assume is a reference to the mum in the book as her name is Amelia-Rose. The book starts in the present time where it is twenty years since Matthew Melgren committed heinous murders on 9 females including a child (that’s nine that we know of). Right through, Matty has always proclaimed he is innocent and was framed. Being a charming guy and a bereavement counselor and a loving stepdad - it is easy to see why people believe he is innocent. Equally, some believe he is guilty. Now twenty years on, Matt is dying and his stepdaughter Sophie has received a letter from him asking her to visit. She is reluctant but knows deep down she needs this to move on with her life. The book then jumps to the past which shows how Matt came to be a part of Sophie and her mum Amelia-Rose's family and the ups and downs they had and then the murders happening on TV and eventually his arrest.  The book also shows a huge part of the effect it had on Sophie and her mum, rather than focusing on the acts of murder itself - though we do have news coverage and newspaper articles throughout the story. I loved the surprise twist at the end which I wish they had gone into a bit more detail as it came out of the semi-left field.  Overall, this was a slower-paced read but fascinating at the same time and it reminded me as a whole of a fictional version of Ted Bundy's story as Ted Bundy worked as a crisis counselor and he was charming, suave, and had a wife and daughter.  Truly, Darkly, Deeply by Victoria Selman is the perfect fiction-based read for any true crime Aficionado. Amazon: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59742180-truly-darkly-deeply