Dog Rose Dirt, Jen Williams
In a gripping thriller that follows a young woman who discovers a disturbing connection between her late mother and a convicted serial killer, Williams creates an unsettling and haunting narrative that is both original and accomplished.
Readers may be most familiar with Jen Williams for her fantasy fiction, including The Iron Ghost and The Poison Song. For her latest endeavour, Williams has impressively turned her hand to crime in her debut thriller Dog, Rose, Dirt.
The story centres on Heather Evans, who returns to her family home following her mother’s unexpected suicide. It is there she discovers a disturbing connection between her late mother and convicted and imprisoned serial killer, Michael Reave. More worrying still is the emergence of what seems to be a copycat killer. As the new murders stack up, not only does Heather have to come face to face with a serial killer from the past, but she also has to try to stop a killer in the present.
Although crime fiction about serial killers is relatively commonplace, Williams manages to give a fresh and original angle to this genre with some unexpected twists. The narrative alternates between Heather’s story in the present-day and a past narrative that alludes to Michael Reave’s background. Williams is particularly skilled at humanising the young Reave while condemning his older self; she manages to address questions of guilt and morality without pardoning his actions. The tension and mood of the novel is also brilliantly captured, and Williams maintains a thoroughly taut and unsettling atmosphere throughout. Although readers are required to suspend their disbelief about certain elements of Williams’ plot, her first foray into the genre is a mightily accomplished one. I’m sure this won’t be the last we see of Jen Williams’ crime fiction.
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