Overall, I found this book to be just ok. I found the main character to be quite annoying and unlikable. I am unable to think of one occurrence in the story where i was pulling for her. the plot is a solid one, with amazing twists and turns but in the end I felt like it just fell flat.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hear Her Scream started off slow but got more suspenseful as the story went on. Some of the characters really gave me the ick (you'll see) which I guess means they were written well for me to have such strong feelings about them.

In some ways this was a bit gritty for me, I did not like reading from Cyrus Booths perspective but I think that was the point.

It was an engaging read with a (I think) satisfying ending.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in the form of an "uncorrected proof copy" from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

"Hear Her Scream" by Dylan H. Jones
(Specifications: Prologue & 66 chapters)

Characters:
1. Valencia Basco
2. Clyde Domingo
3. Tyee Domingo
4. Jodi Connelly
5. "AliJack"
6. Cyrus Booth
7. Laney Kilmer
8. Grant
9. Memphis Lennon
10.  Kaliska Watchman
11. Elu Watson
12. Todd McNamara
13. "Mentor"
14. Marshall Gaines*
15. Misty Bennett
16. Mannequin Bob
17. Taylor Anderson
18. Chuck Mathers

Settings:
1. Camp Grizzly
2. Coyote Trail Campsite
3. Pinecrest, California
4. Black Pines Casino

This was a read that I throughly enjoyed. As a reader in search of a good thriller/mystery, I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of suspense in this novel.

The novel begins with "Prologue: Exit Strategy." I found it interesting that the story began in the prologue by giving us (readers) immediate perspective of Cyrus Booth, as the plot begins with his kidnapping and murder of a social media influencer known as "AlliJack." You'd think that the typical question of "who did it? Who is the 'bad guy' to be dramatically revealed?" would be spoiled by providing this perspective of his. However, I assure you that there is no need to worry or undermine what is to come; there are endless shocks and twists to be unraveled.

One quote from the prologue worth noting is as follows:

"So, was this genuine fear? Was this what it meant to be hunted, not the hunter? The sensation should have terrified him. Instead, he felt more alive than he had done in years."  This is effective at setting up instances throughout the novel where multiple characters are described with animalistic, predator vs. prey qualities.

Post-Prologue, the plot begins by introducing the protagonist, Valencia Basco. Seven years ago, Valencia Basco was the first person to discover the body of her best friend, Jodi Connelly, the night Jodi was brutally murdered at Camp Grizzly.

At present time, Valencia is to return to her childhood town to face her traumatizing past. A researcher for "Cast Media," Valencia is tasked to seek answers of what happened that night. Mallory Jacobs, Valencia’s boss that exudes power and ability to give Valencia the promotion she's been seeking for years, is reluctant to assign Valencia to this project due to her personal connection to the case. The goal of this project is to conduct interviews with individuals who may be able to speak to the innocence of Clyde Domingo, per the purpose of "The Innocence Project," which would persuade the state to re-open the case. Clyde Domingo was found guilty of the murder and is currently serving out his life sentence at the Solano County Jail, but new evidence suggests this may not be the case. Despite her initial hesitation, Mallory Jacobs gives into Valencia’s persuasion to give her this opportunity.

“I’m familiar with Pinecrest. I spent most of my summers there. I know the people, they’ll remember me, they’ll talk. I can get into the campground without raising suspicions , and I have history with Sheriff Van Doren.” Valencia then reveals that Sheriff Van Doren is the one to find at the clearing Valencia that night, shortly after Valencia found Jodi’s mutilated body.  Valencia had said that the people of this town know her and will talk, but she finds herself proven wrong time after time. The people of her hometown are not only reluctant and/or unwilling to discuss what (if anything) they know to Valencia, but also, she ends up on a wild goose chase for answers-- one that puts herself and others in danger along the way.

I enjoyed the character development, as well. Jones effectively utilizes strong characterization through descriptive diction and imagery in order to evoke empathy within readers. There is complexity within each character-- even the secondary and tertiary characters.

In chapter 13, Tyee explains to Valencia what Kaliska Watchman's name translates to in English: "Coyote Chasing Deer." He continues by thinking aloud, "the name they give us is what we become, right? Like naming a dog Trouble. No point complaining when the mutt turns out to be a pain in the ass."

This is interesting for a few reasons. Tyee suggests here that Kaliska is a Coyote-- a predator. This poses the question: who, then, is the deer (the prey)? It is alluded that those who lost their family land and now have grievances may be the ones done wrong here, therefore the prey. It is left up to interpretation and prompts the readers to question if there may be alternative meanings.

Additionally, there are a few scenes throughout the book where deer are involved.

One is in chapter 40: "Kaliska imagined she saw something ahead ; a flash of brown, a skittish flinch of an animal on the highway." Not only is it odd that Kaliska "imagines" this (what do we think are the implications here?) but she then proceeds to wipe out on her motorcycle. At this point, "a deer, a young buck, still naïve enough to venture out during daylight, looked back at her, its eyes fixed on Kaliska as if making sure she was all right. Before she passed out, the creature sniffed at the air, then scuttled back into the shadows of the forest."

If her name symbolically means "Coyote Chasing Deer," then I wonder what this represents in this scene when the imagination of seeing deer leads her to wipe out and the deer then stop to make sure she is alright.

Regarsing symbolism of names: This, too, had me wonder if there were any other hidden symbols within other character names. "Valencia" was asked about her name in Chapter 1 (and it came up a few other times), and she says it is from her Dad's side, a city in Spain. Symbolically, when I looked up Valencia, it is said to mean "power" or "strength." This stood out to me because the theme of "taking back power" is an important one in this novel. Without spoiling, I would like to note that chapter 58 is an instance where Kaliska "takes back her power" and in chapter 61, Valencia does, as well.

"There’d be time for tears when this was over. If she [redacted as to not spoil] were to make it out alive, she had to keep her shit together, fight with every ounce of will power and intuition she had left." This is the more obvious example showing how she learns to stand up for herself, but there are other subtleties, as well, such as with what she tolerates at work. She went from being scared to ask for even a chance to have a task that would MAYBE lead to a promotion in the beginning (after Laney hypes her up enough to get even the slightest bit of guts to do so, to learning at the end to not settle for anything less than what she deserves, whether it be a job promotion or a healthy, supportive relationship.

In addition to the name meaning for Valencia, I looked into the meaning for Clyde Domingo and Cyrus. I may be making leaps by assuming there is meaning when there may not be, but just for the sake of discussion, I will share.

"Clyde"= "cleaning", and "Domingo"= "Of the Lord."

On the other hand, "Cyrus" can refer to the Persian meaning: "humiliator (of the enemy) or the Greek meaning: "Lord."

This is interesting to me because of how Clyde and Cyrus are compared and contrasted to each other (I'm not quite sure I would consider them foil characters, but perhaps?). It is worth keeping in mind the detail of Cyrus' belonging to the "Den of Rebel Angels," a network amongst the dark web, and how he calls himself "a missionary of sorts" (chapter 17). Cyrus often notes instances where others commit sins, such as "Tex and Leon had failed to practice the simple virtue of humility and would now pay the price" (chapter 36). The basis of this black web group is to target "sinners" and to "restore balance in the world."

When reflecting back on "Alijack" and others alike, Cyrus  scoffs about how the world is filled with a bunch of "fakes." He goes on to vent that:
"The Lord, he was sure, hadn’t predicted Instagram when he proclaimed that, nor any other of those social media channels that celebrated vanity, and made idols out of those God had blessed with beauty. These people —influencers, they called themselves —worshipped themselves above God. They had become their own idols, reveling in self-glorification, amassing followers. But they weren’t true followers —Christ had followers, these were sycophants who imaged that by tagging a heart to a post, the magic would rub off on them" (Chapter 12).

There are other instances where each character seems to learn lessons that lead to development, or readers are simply let on to more information that adds to the dynamics and/or the various twists and turns that we are taken on.

Another note I have is regarding one item that was introduced in chapter 8 to be a bad omen (black corn maiden). I appreciate how Jones used this in chapter 63, as things really come full circle.

Additionally, there is a passage that has multiple implications for later revelations:

"It was inevitable that he would need to face the sins of his past. Only then could he be cleansed, become innocent again in the eyes of God.

Like Lucifer — the most beautiful, purest of all God’s angels, banished from God’s Kingdom — Cyrus Booth had spent his time in the wilderness and now the prodigal son was returning home." (Chapter 4)

First, I find it interesting that Cyrus is discussing his needs to be "cleansed"; I wonder if this has any connection to how the name "Clyde" means "cleansing?" Clyde also says "the prodigal son was returning home." This comes full-circle in chapter 36 when it is said that "it appears a prodigal son has returned," and again in chapter 51 when it is stated "the child has come home" (without spoiling context of these two occurences).

In summary, there are multiple instances in the story where small details later come back with added significance, so keep this in mind to ensure you get the full impact!

As previously stated, I was provided the "uncorrected proof copy" by Netgalley to honestly review. There were a good handful of typo errors, but this is to be expected in an early draft. This novel has a lot of promise already, so I am excited for Mr. Dylan H. Jones, as the final release is sure to THRIVE once it is polished, all said and done!

This is a mostly fun / sometimes confusing novel.

A couple of the characters read very similarly and it took me a while to tell them apart and I would swear the author has never been in the L.A. Zoo in his life, but the plot itself was engaging and I was definitely curious about the who and the why of everything.

Mostly, I just felt like the book needed tightening and it would have bumped up to four stars.

I’d try the author again.

• ARC via Publisher

Valencia Basco works for a true crime podcast, and she is currently tasked with researching her best friends’ murder. We follow her on her research, which includes going back to where it all happened, inevitably reopening old wounds for everyone involved.

The book starts out quite slow, but picks up pace at around 40-50%. There are quite a few characters, and I found myself having to reread chapters to refresh my memory a couple of times. Some of the characters seemed random or out-of-place at first, but I felt like in the end everything tied together nicely.

I found Valencia to be quite the “morally gray” character. I audibly sighed several times while reading, irritated by her choices and actions. She seemed entitled and self-righteous, and her motivations were often selfish. That is not a wholly negative thing; only reading perfect, fluffy characters that can do no wrong, especially in thrillers, gets boring very quickly. Having an unpredictable main character kept me invested in the story.
I will say I would’ve liked to see her apologize or feel remorse for some of her actions.


It was an enjoyable read, I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a twist on the regular murder mystery.


Thank you to the author and Joffe Books for the ARC!

Didn’t have any expectation starting the book and it surprised me in a good way. I liked the characters, particularly one and you’ll love them too, I’m sure. Good plot, fantastic idea! Hope to read more by the author. Worth your time, give it a go!

Hear Her Scream is a gritty, dark, twisty and full of suspense read.
It started off a bit slow for me but a third in or so I was fully gripped and just couldn't put it down.
Valencia is a great character. She's flawed, still haunted by events from the past, vulnerable and yet strong and doggedly determined to uncover the truth behind her friends murder.
I really enjoyed that story. It's well-thought out, fast-paced and with a different take on a serial killer trope. Definitely worth a read.

At first I found this book to be a bit of al slow burner but it soon picked up and kept me wanting to read on. Valencia has returned to her home town to try and get answers into the murder of her best friend when they were younger. Her memory of the event is a blank and is trying to make her way in the up as a researcher for a podcast and has been given the chance to try and find a good story.
A man was convicted of her friends murder but he has always maintained his innocence. The town chief doesn't want her to dig any deeper and will stop at nothing to keep what is really going on under wraps.
It turned out to be a great book in the end and will look out for other books to read from this author.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
HEAR HER SCREAM by Dylan H. Jones is a chilling thriller with a lot of action, madness, and craziness! It's about the dark world where you would never want to find yourself! Many twists and turns will make gasp, many situations will make you ask "Why she is not giving up?"

Valencia returns to her childhood town where 7 years ago her best friend was brutally murd£red. As a researcher from the true-crime podcast she has a lot of questions but people in this town are not ready to talk. Sadly Valencia is not ready to give up and this puts many others in danger including herself.
This is a brutal story about the sick serial kiIIer and a dark world where money decides how the next victim will die! Valencia doesn't have any idea where is she heading and whether there will be a way out.

Thank you, NetGalley, Joffe Books, and Lume Books for this copy!

Hear Her Scream was my first Dylan H Jones.

The description drew me in immediately.

Seven years ago, Valencia’s best friend is brutally murdered and she’s the one who finds the body. A man is convicted and is serving time. But there’s still so much they don’t know about the murder that Valencia’s never been convinced he’s guilty and now she’s ready to look for the truth. But what she discovers shocks her to her core. A sick serial killer is sacrificing women. The method of death chosen by the highest bidder. Their murders livestreamed. As Valencia’s desire for the truth intensifies, the killer’s need to kill is escalating. He knows Valencia is looking for him . . . and he has her in his sights.

This was a good read, with many twists. It maintained a fast pace and would suit thriller, mystery, and suspense lovers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dylan H Jones for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Great book! This book is about Valencia, seven years ago her best friend was brutally murdered and Valencia is the one who finds the body! But the man who is convicted of her friend murder, Valencia is just not sure he's guilty?! She's ready to search for the truth and what she finds shocks her to her core! There is a serial killer who is sacrificing woman! The method of the death is chosen by the highest bidder! Their murders are live streamed!! As Valencia fights for the truth she's getting a little to close to the truth for the serial killer and he starts to hunt for her! This book had a bit of everything! It was a great thriller! Great suspense, intrigue, action packed, murder, mystery, a great who done it and some crazy twists and turns! I highly recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and Joffe books for sharing this book with me!

Hear Her Scream was my first Dylan H. Jones book. The description of it drew me in immediately.

Valencia found her best friend’s brutally murdered body seven years ago. A man was convicted of the crime and is serving his time in jail, but Valencia feels like there is something missing to the story. Her job as a podcast researcher, and hopeful producer, has led her back to the town to try to uncover the truth. She’s able to meet and interview quite a few people along the way, but with each interview, Valencia gets herself closer and closer to danger. While Valencia is digging for evidence, a serial killer is sacrificing women to the highest bidder. As she uncovers more evidence, the killer’s sight turns to her.

I loved the small town full of secrets vibe that Hear Her Scream had. There were some red herrings throughout the book, but I was able to figure out who the killer was pretty quickly, though that did not take away from the book at all. Without giving spoilers, I absolutely loved the role of a key witness and how there was an added mystery surrounding that situation. The ending was great, but I specifically thought the last chapter, eighteen months later, was beautifully done. It was so eerie and left me wanting more.

While it was a completely different take on serial killers than I’ve read before (and it being very disturbing), I wish it was flushed out a bit more. I didn’t fully find myself immersed in the connection of the serial killer’s online killings and Valencia’s best friend’s story. It did succeed in making the story creepier though. I also found it hard to keep all the characters straight, especially in the first half of the book, and thought the timeline was hard to follow at some points.

Even so, this fast-paced, super twisty thriller kept me on the edge of my seat. There were a few slow parts, especially toward the beginning, but once the action started, it didn’t stop.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books, and Dylan H. Jones for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The cover drew me in!!

This is a suspenseful and dark story! I love any books about serial killers. Easy to read and will look for more from the author!

Was first from this author will not be tye last!

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review

Thank you to NetGalley & Joffe Books for this ARC! #HearHerScream #NetGalley

This novel caught my attention when it mentioned the words "serial killer". The book Hear Her Scream had great twists and turns. There were multiple POV's where I was left a bit confused but I did enjoy the POV of the serial killer. It was fast paced and everyone had secrets that were revealed at the right moments. Overall, this was a gripping story that would be great for people who love serial killer stories!

A dark and suspenseful story yet still enjoyable and easy to read,lovers of the serial killer genre will be in for a treat with this one.My first read by this author but I'll be on the look out for more in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for the ARC.

I enjoyed the premise of this book but could not finish it. I just could not get into it. There were a few parts I found humorous and intriguing

The method of death chosen by the person who bids the highest was terrifying which adds to the darkness and suspense

Hear her scream by Dylan H. Jones. It is well written and has some fab twisty twists. A super quick and easy read with very well written characters.

This book explored the mind and life of a serial killer’s unique style! If you like tense, edge of your seat, perverted thrillers, then this one is for you. Valencia is determined to get to the bottom of it, but that puts her on the killer’s radar. Excellent psychological thriller!

He knows where you are. He knows where you're going. He's waiting for you.

Seven years ago, Valencia's best friend was brutally murdered, and she's the one to find the body. A man is convicted and serving time. But there's still so much they don't know about the murder. Valencia's never been convinced he's guilty, and now she's ready to look for the truth. But what she discovers shocks her to the core.

A serial killer of women, kills his victims by the method of the highest bidders choice for their entertainment.

Valencia is not convinced that the man in prison for her best friend's murder is truly guilty of it. She decides to do her own investigation and is quickly in the crosshairs of the real killer, who murders his victims by the choice that the highest bidder makes. A little different to the usual type of serial killer, but I found it quite an enjoyable read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #DylanHJones for my ARC of #HearHerScream in exchange for an honest review.