The mind can be a powerful thing--especially when fueled by vengeance.

As teens, five friends tangentially witness a wrenching and violent attack on two female classmates. As far as anyone in town is concerned, the guilty party was caught and punished. But there seems to be someone (something?) convinced that those five friends know more than any of them have shared.

Wicked Jenny is gritty and gruesome. The more I read, the more I questioned what actually happened in the past and what was unfolding next. The horror genre isn't really my cup of tea, but I was engaged throughout much of the book. Things started to feel long-winded and somewhat repetitive, leading me to skim-read through some chapters until I reached the height of the vicious reveal.

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wicked Jenny is a psychological thriller that revolves around 5 young men who have drifted apart since an incident when they were 13. Most of the early story is from Andrew's point of view. He seems to be the "glue" which holds the five kids together when they were growing up. The book opens with one of the old "gang" having been murdered. There are some supernatural elements to the story, but if the characters were on a certain Reddit group they would all be labeled as ESH.
Wicked Jenny flows well, dipping selectively back into the past, then resuming in the present. While a bit predictable at the end, it was enjoyable.

I received a free e-arc via NetGalley

I love a good horror novel and the idea of a dual 1980’s/present day timeline drew me in. Unfortunately, the book was just not great. The writing style felt childish and the book moved slowly. It was just boring in the end.

I'm sorta on the fence with this one. I enjoyed it, but I found it overly predictable. I'd give it 3 stars.

The mix of paranormal and real was something I enjoyed and I think the author managed this mix well. The characters made me uncomfortable, which I assume is the entire point of the story, but like I said it was overly predictable and I knew what was coming very early on.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. I found the plot slow and the writing was too plain. The characters were also too similar and it was hard to follow what was happening. It’s not a bad book by any means, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

In 1988, five friends spend their time roughhousing around as well as doing some very unpleasant things to frogs in a very uninhabited, marshy area where they can do as they please. During one of these excursions, they stumble across two other female classmates, Melanie and her sister Poppy. The boys are not very nice to the two girls at all. They make fun of them and then eventually go on their way. Unbeknownst to the boys , Melanie and Poppy are severely attacked after they leave. Fast-forward to present day where we are re-introduced to the five boys all grown up, of course tragedy strikes again, which brings them all together and in turn has them revisiting their past. Who was involved in the current and past tragedy? Could the legend of Ginny Greenteeth, a supernatural being that is connected to the pond, be the culprit?

As the plot advances, I was asking myself: Could this just be something as simple as a human murderer or really a supernatural entity that is involved. The book does a great job of putting both into play. I really enjoyed the chapters of the past even though I didn’t really get a good vibe that these friends were as close as what they were intended to be. Carl did not seem to fit in with a group at all. However, it was still enjoyable to watch them interact and then how it all played out once tragedy struck. I actually preferred the 1988 timeline over the present. I just felt that some of the present chapters in regards to figuring out both tragedies felt overused. What I did like about the present day was the angle of Poppy. I wish there would have been more time devoted to her. I also really enjoyed the ending. I just felt getting there took too long. Overall, I definitely liked this book and how it turned out. It was just missing a little bit in the middle to connect it all fluidly. I would certainly recommend if you enjoy the coming of age mixed with a bit of supernatural.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Actual Rating: 2.5/5

Matt Hilton’s Wicked Jenny begins with an intriguing, spooky setup: a group of childhood friends—Andy, Carl, Johnny, Brian, and Gavin—are dealing with the violent death of one of their own. The dynamics between the boys, particularly with Carl as a sadistic bully, set the stage for an unsettling tale of revenge and mystery. However, the story struggles to maintain its momentum, with uneven pacing and shallow character development detracting from its potential.

While the eerie atmosphere and supernatural elements offer some thrills, they often veer into corny territory. The pacing is especially problematic, starting off slow and only picking up around the halfway mark. Even then, the spooky moments fail to fully immerse the reader, often feeling more like a distraction than a core part of the story.

The biggest drawback is the cast of unlikable characters. Andy, who takes center stage, is a particularly frustrating protagonist. The dialogue is frequently misogynistic, and every female character is written in a reductive, negative light. This choice makes it difficult to invest in the narrative or care about the unfolding mystery. Moments that should deepen the plot instead reinforce the flat, unsympathetic nature of the characters. Even the female character POV chapters have poorly written perspectives, which reduce the emotional impact of their stories unfolding.

By the end, Wicked Jenny feels more like a missed opportunity than a compelling read. Its mix of slow pacing, unlikable characters, and an underwhelming resolution leaves little impact, though it may still appeal to readers looking for a light, spooky diversion. For those seeking a gripping or satisfying revenge story, this one falls short.

I am deeply grateful to NetGalley and Severn House for this opportunity to read a digital ARC and provide my honest review.

Wicked Jenny is creepy fun, and a perfect read for fans of Stephen King or Dan Simmon’s coming-of-age horror books!

This dual-timeline novel takes the reader back and forth between a childhood friend group and the traumatic event they all endured, and the present day when one of their number is found murdered. After his murder, frightening things start to happen to the remaining friends. As they work to get to the bottom of whatever’s happening, they start to realize that no secrets can stay buried forever, and something nightmarish just might be after them.

This book is very well-written, and had some genuinely creepy moments. I really enjoyed the story, and I hope the author continues the series! I would recommend this to fans of coming-of-age horror, thrillers, and folk horror.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the arc!

This was a strong start to the Cauntionary Tale series, it had that element that I was hoping for. I loved that it was a group of people and that something was haunted to them. Matt Hilton has a strong writing style and was able to create a strong concept and world that was built. I was invested in what was going on with the characters and how it worked overall.

I’m sure this will be compared to works by authors like Stephen King, but I can’t agree. Because I actually enjoyed this story! Like most kids back in the 1980s, Andy and his teenage friends loved exploring the woods, running around, and getting into mischief. But they never imagined that the female classmates they teased at their local pond hangout would become victims of a horrible crime. Now it’s over three decades later and it’s all coming back to them. Literally.

One of Andy’s friends, Carl, is found brutally beaten to death by a canal. Suddenly, all four of the remaining friends start having visions and experiencing things they can’t explain. But it’s not just them, their wives and partners are also being haunted by the same nightmarish entities. That keeps them from believing it’s all in their heads, but they can’t all be hallucinating or going mad…or can they?

It’s not like the killer from back then is pursuing them - he committed suicide before he could be prosecuted. He was the only suspect and his suicide cemented it for any doubters. So Andy and his friends' only theories lean towards the supernatural. A swamp creature, astral projection, you name it, they consider it. If it wasn’t for the physical proof of the creature they all see, it could easily be explained as an unknown murderer and the story wouldn’t veer towards the paranormal. But the ending is more logical and based on reality than the reader expects, and I appreciated that. It’s too easy to just blame it on a ghost or creature, this author seamlessly blends reality into the uncanny.

I wasn’t surprised by the ending; the author gave a bit too many clues throughout the book, but it didn’t keep me from enjoying it. It's a fun tale that evokes just the right amount of nostalgia and horror. It’s also the first in a series and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

This Stephen King esq read is really good.

4 boys who witnessed a childhood trauma which later come back to haunt them. Along with a local legend/urban myth I found it intriguing and brilliant.

It is a spooky tale and one I really loved. It has all the drama of a coming of age tale and finished to be quite something else. I am sure most readers would love it and it's one of those books I wouldn't mind seeing come to life on the big screen

This was a fun, spooky read! I found it difficult to get into the story at first but I am glad I persevered as I enjoyed it! I liked the supernatural elements and the dual timelines of the original tragedy and the present day story. I liked that each of the men had their own chapters from their viewpoint! I was not expecting the ending and the author did a good job of hiding just enough from the reader so that it came like a punch to the stomach when all was revealed. A great, creepy read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I enjoyed the coming of age angle and the story itself, but unfortunately I didn’t jell with the authors writing style.
I actually found it to be quite condescending at times, repeating and explaining what we have just witnessed, for example.
The author also made a decision to include a lot of local slang and colloquialisms in his story, which in turn required a lot of explaining what they meant, which is a pet peeve of mine in writing. It took me right out of the story and I felt this happened rather repeatedly.
Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc, but I’m afraid I don’t think this author is for me.
I can see he has an extensive back catalogue and no doubt has his fans already familiar with his style, so I’m sure this will still do well.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3

My students, who share the loves of this genre with me, are going to love this! I felt fully immersed in this story and read it into the small hours!
I won’t spoil the plot but it’s going to be a winner next year and I will be buying a copy myself. Brilliant!

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

There's a solid story here, of the -by now quite familiar- "IT"/"Stand By Me" type (a group of kids have a nasty experience, one which comes back to bite them as adults, in supernatural dressing), but the bland and mostly descriptive writing made it very hard for me to get into the book: for some, this writing style is easy and unchallenging; for me, the constant first person-third person changing of POVs tired me out, the flashbacks interrupted the flow right when the pacing was getting good, and I could not relate to the characters at all. I finished the book merely out of curiosity. It's supposed to be the first in a series, and it shows: loose ends and a rather unoriginal twist set the background for what's to come and entice the reader to come back for the next volume. Unfortunately, this type of writing isn't for me.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Jan. 7, 2025
Author Matt Hilton has introduced a new level of spooky-urban-legend-come-to-life with his novel, “Wicked Jenny”, which will instantly appeal to fans of Stephen King and C.J. Tudor.
In 1988, thirteen-year-old Andy Miller and his friends, Carl, Brian, Johnny and Gavin, are the only witnesses to the brutal murder of their classmate and attempted murder of her sister. They lead police to the town eccentric who, while awaiting trial, kills himself in his cell. Now, years later, the friends reunite again when one of their own is found murdered in a way that is eerily familiar to the murder from years ago. But with the only suspect dead, it isn’t possible. Unless you believe the local legend about Ginny Greenteeth, the entity who lives in the ponds and pulls “bad boys and girls” to their deaths.
Right away, “Wicked Jenny” reminded me of “It” and “Stand by Me”, with the group of misfit young boys who witness a murder and are reunited again when the same crime occurs to one of their own. The haunting, downright creepy “Ginny Greenteeth” urban legend brought on C.J. Tudor vibes. Since I am a huge fan of both authors, I knew that Hilton’s “Wicked Jenny” would deliver on the scares.
Told in alternating timelines, in 1988 and the present, Andy is the primary protagonist, although the other boys/men (depending on the timeline) take their turn, too, and their narrations are clearly marked, which I always appreciate.
From the beginning I was left speculating where this novel was going to take me. Would it veer toward the paranormal, bringing the urban legend of Ginny Greenteeth to life? Or would it be a murder story, where a serial killer used the urban legend to cover their tracks? Hilton couldn’t go wrong either way and yet he somehow managed to find a way to tell the story that was both, and also neither, bringing about an ending that was deliciously unexpected.
Hilton is a horror novelist known for his Joe Hunter thriller series, but I’m embarrassed to say that “Wicked Jenny” was the first time I’ve heard of Hilton. I loved the creepy vibe Hilton hits with, as well as the suspenseful murder storyline and the supernatural figure created from sticks, leaves and pond detritus. “Jenny” was terrifying from the first pages, and I highly recommend horror readers check out Matt Hilton. I definitely will be on the hunt for his past (and future) novels.

Can you ever leave behind your past? This story is told in two timelines. In 1988, Andy, Carl, Brian, Johnny, and Gavin were barely teenagers when a murder and a devastating injury shocked their community. These five have potential in formation about the heinous crime, but it sets in motion, another tragedy.
This once inseparable group drifted apart. Now, years later, Carl has been murdered. Could his death be related to the crime from their youth? If so, how, and why. Soon the remaining men are seeing strange visions. Besides not trusting these characters, I was never sure at first if something supernatural was going on. Or if these men just had extremely guilty consciences, manifesting in strange ways. No spoilers here, but I did not guess one aspect of this story, though I was certain about another.
These men were not very likable, to me at least, but I had to know who killed Carl and why the other characters were being tormented/haunted. I was really surprised when everything came together. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I would read more.

Told through two different timelines (the 80's & present day) Wicked Jenny is the story of a group of friends who are tormented by a horrifying incident from their past.
It's a short, spooky read that builds up an air of unease until its satisfying conclusion.
For a more indepth review you can check out my spoiler free review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRZf2lGhGSA

Guilt, secrets, the passage of time, regret and murder!

1988: A group of friends (Carl, Andy, Gavin, Brian, Johnny) taunt and tease sisters Melanie and Poppy at the Frog Ponds. Later Melanie is found dead and her sister, Poppy, has been severely beaten. The group of friends point the finger at an older boy, but was he responsible????

Present day: Carl's body has been found at Frog Ponds. The remaining friends try to piece together what is happening as they begin to have questions about what is happening to them....

I enjoyed how this book showed how secrets and guilt affect people. How certain things from our past stay with us and haunt us. Ever do something in your younger years and wish you had never done it or at least handled it differently? I thought this was handled nicely in this book.

This book is a fast read which has an eerie and creepy vibe. It also has a shocking twist at the end which I did not see coming. This was an interesting book told in two timelines that while I enjoyed, I didn't love it. Wicked Jenny did deliver on atmosphere, guilt, tension, and creepiness.