Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my Advanced Copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would as I haven't read the other books. Instead, I found it to be fast paced, gripping, and just enough clues to guess where it going but not enough to figure out how you are getting there. While there was a supernatural component, there was a very large human element as well. This was my first book by this author and I hope, not my last.

4.5 stars

Kendall Casey has always been drawn to true crime, which is why she became a true crime writer; she's usually picking up and moving to wherever the next story is. This time she's relocated herself to The Cove, while working on a book about the cold case of a disappearing girl from the area. The Cove is a rather quaint neighbourhood with some less-than-quaint neighbours. Everyone seems to have their secrets, but isn't that always the case? Kendall's next door neighbours, the Robinettes, are the life of the block, throwing parties and living with seemingly wild abandon. But something doesn't sit well with Kendall about these "wild things" and as time passes, life in The Cove gets stranger and and a whole lot scarier. What is really going on inside the Robinette's house? And when Kendall's estranged sister Holly comes to town, how does she get so involved with the Robinettes that Kendall can't seem to get her back?

This book is in turns thrilling, spine-tingling, and just plain unsettling. I find Clarke's works to typically be well-written, conversational and easy to follow. This story was no exception, and as the plot clips along in between the cold case Kendall's working on, and what's happening around her neighbourhood, it soon becomes undeniable that things are coming to a head and that everything is related. Drugs? Mind control? Ghost encounters and the paranormal? What exactly is going on in The Cove and can it be possibly be stopped? You're just going to have to pick up a copy and find out for yourself!

Thanks to NetGalley, author London Clarke, and BooksGoSocial for giving me access to a free digital ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided here voluntarily.

The Wild Things by London Clarke truly took me by surprise with how completely sucked into it I was. I sat down with this thriller and suddenly I was more than halfway through it because I just did not want to stop.

What initially drew me in was the premise of a woman, Kendall, who writes true crime novels and moves to the Cove to begin researching and writing her latest book, with the added bonus of bringing her close to her best friend Sam. The characters were super interesting themselves, with distinct backgrounds and personalities that made you want to learn more about them. The relationship between Sam and Kendall is so loving and pure, and gets tested to the limits throughout the course of the novel in ways they never would have expected, and left me anxious for them, and rooting for them to maintain the sweet bond they clearly had and which made me love the two of them so much.

The interesting characters don’t end here though. There are so many eccentric characters in Kendall’s new neighborhood that made it so hard to turn away from them, from the outrageously wild to the deeply mysterious and slightly insidious. Characters like Brian and Flip, Georgia and Tate, and many besides had me deeply invested in getting answers, and unable to turn away from the train wreck that they were at times in equal measure.

The Wild Things also managed to hold this air of creepy, spooky intensity to it. At times it was almost like a horror with how it managed to masterfully to induce chills and anxiety with just the tension and uncertainty of what Kendall was facing. It was so well written and this vibe was one of the highlights of the novel for me because it was so exceptionally done. As an example there are trees Kendall comes across with Sam on a hike that have shoes nailed to them, and no other context beyond this creepy sight and that atmosphere was just so tangible it didn’t need anything more to truly get that horror across on page.

As everything starts to unravel and more information becomes clear, the book gets even more impossible to stop reading and I truly enjoyed it from start to finish. I felt deeply invested in what was happening, in getting the answers, and even just in the relationships of the characters which I wanted to see pull through and stay strong. It was such a great book and I was a little taken aback by the end with how great and being a little sad to be finished with it. It’s a definite recommend!

DNF at 20% in… literally nothing has happened??

The premise of the book sounded more than promising. I was excited for elements of the supernatural, true crime, and crazy neighbors. You’d think with that much going in, there wouldn’t be time to have chapters where nothing happened to forward the plot…

Eerie, unsettling, mysterious, atmospheric. I gobbled this up and couldn't put it down. Each new clue had my hackles up yo figure out what was going on.

Fast page turner, loved the twists in this book! Would definitely recommend this, I would have liked to know more about the experiments they mentioned. The characters were also so interesting.

The only thing worse than an HOA is an HOA filled with some godawful people. Kendall figures this out for herself after purchasing a home in the seemingly idyllic neighborhood The Cove, the location of her next true crime book about a young girl that went missing over a decade prior. Between her writer's block, increasingly weird interactions with her neighbors, supernatural hauntings, and the return of her wayward sister, Kendall begins to unravel the bizarre web that has entangled The Cove.

I thought this was very interesting and extremely unsettling. I like how you start getting hints that something isn't quite right even if you can't put your finger on exactly why that is. Cool cast of characters.

First I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

This book is a true page-turner that expertly keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. The mystery at the heart of the story is both captivating and layered. There are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, but it never feels overly complex or convoluted. Each clue reveals just enough to propel the plot forward, maintaining a steady sense of suspense. Despite a neighborhood of characters, I never felt lost or overwhelmed. However, certain relationships feel a bit lacking in emotional connection. There are moments where key relationships, particularly those that should carry more weight in the narrative, didn't quite land it. Overall, this book is a thrilling ride that keeps you guessing without leaving you confused or disoriented.

A twisty turn-y thriller full of questions and suspense.
Who are Kendall's neighbors, and how well does anyone on her street know one another.

A fun and quick read that will keep you guessing page after page.

The Wild Things is an engaging story that did keep me interested in discovering the outcome of what was happening with the key antagonists. There were a few central plot points that hooked you in.

I felt, although story was interesting and there was a good deal of tension throughout, the genre felt a little confused. It didn't feel boldy a horror, or crime, or sci-fi and I felt this diluted the narrative thread a little as it seemed to jump moods from chapter to chapter. Also it never resolved hungry hat - felt it needed to streamline its plot a bit so it could confidently develop the narrative rather than focus on multiple areas in less depth.

However, it's worth a read and is a page turner. If you liked Gone Girl etc you'll enjoy this. Would have rated 3.5 but won't let me do half stars!

I really enjoyed this book and it kept me engaged and wanting to read more to find out what happens. I appretiate how it was different from many other books I have read and enjoyed the true crime and paranormal aspects of the plot. It had so much going on but it wasn’t hard to follow. I felt in a few places things could have made more sense but nothing extreme in terms of plot holes. The romance aspect was fun. If you like mystery/true crime and paranormal themes you would definitely enjoy this. I feel like I was invested in finding out what was happening and it kept me turning pages and was easily digestible.

I did not realize this was more of a gothic horror novel. I was looking for something more fast paced with a bit more gore and shock value, so the writing style did not quite do it for me. This book is definitely spooky immediately and did draw me in, but it was written in a way that did not get my palms sweating. Had I gone into this book knowing it was a gothic horror book (I likely just missed the description on accident) I would have had a better experience with this one.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide honest feedback voluntarily. I received a free eARC of this book.

I’m so glad I read this book. It is worth it! I was sucked in from the opening line. “The Day Ty Milchek went to jail, I celebrated by hiking Old Rag.” The pacing never slows. It gets progressively darker, creepier and more dangerous. I had no idea what was going on until the end, yet I never felt like I didn’t understand the story. I finished this book in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what the f* was going on. The ending satisfied me. I was shocked to discover this book is the third in a series - it felt like a standalone. I did not feel that any crucial details were left out. This book felt like creepy-neighborhood meets paranormal-psychological thriller. Think Stepford Wives but with witches and mad science. I totally recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one was very interesting. At first, I almost put it down, because it was dragging a bit in the first 30%. The book does pick up and becomes pretty entertaining. I think it was fairly creepy and enjoyable, albeit somewhat predictable. Overall, I had fun reading this.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Maybe if I had read the previous two installments, I would have been more invested, but as it stands, it just wasn’t for me. The pacing felt slow, and the characters didn’t fully come to life. That said, the atmosphere was well done, and I can see it working for the right reader—it just wasn’t my thing.

Charismatic but sinister neighbors, HOA drama, and paranormal encounters combine in this thrilling novel by London Clarke. The Wild Things introduces true crime writer Kendall - fiercely independent and paranoid, she is constantly on the case and this latest one might bring her a little too close for comfort to very real danger.

I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptive writing and many of the characters were a delight. The Robinettes are creepy in an overly welcoming and faux positive way and the HOA drama was hilariously depicted. The twists in the story were a little bit too predictable for my taste but I found this to be an engaging and entertaining read. All I know is that I will never look at Santa decorations the same way.

Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC!

thank you to netgalley for giving me an arc, unfortunately i will not be continuing this book. i have not done enough research prior to reading this and so i discover that it is so boring and predictable, i don't care at all about the characters and what happens next. Also its written in the most straightforward, tell, don't show, i don't trust my readers way. and the writer reaaaaally wants us to know that the main character will end up with that sam guy. except i don't care i'm so sorry

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an advance copy of The Wild Things in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

The writing style was really good, I was fully gripped by the first chapter. I did not realise there were paranormal elements (my fault!) which was mildly terrifying at first but I did not mind it in the end as I enjoy such stories anyway. The book starts with a missing girl and annoying neighbours...and the mysteries only grow from there. There were many elements which can be a bit much for one book, but overall this was an enjoyable read.

This book was pretty good, I would definitely recommend

~This was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review