There's a serial killer on the loose and he's dark, twisted and unstoppable. The plot was well written and you really felt that you were there along with the characters. I had to stop myself reading until the early hours.

Thanks to Netgally for the ARC
I really enjoyed the majority of this book. There is a good lead up to the main events.
There is a serial killer on the lose, but is it the same one for twenty years ago? Max helps to write articles about serial killers on the dark web, and they feature in this book. Personally, I don't like added bits in, especially like diary entries, I disengage from it, and I don't always think they are necessary.

As I say the lead up I enjoyed. I think there was meant to be some element of mystery, but I guessed all of these clues and it didn't have any mystery for me. For example, where Thomas's is, I knew from the first line they mentioned it. These were just obvious to me.

Again, for the third time, the build up was brilliant, but then when it came to the crunch it fell a little flat for me. It just didn't live up to the build up. A bit like when you thought in Twilight that there was going to be a graphic scene of Bella losing her virginity and the whole thing was cut out? It was a bit like that, nothing happened how I expected, and it all came to obvious. I didn't like the ending, I wanted a bit more than I was given, maybe I was being greedy?

The characters I actually really liked, they all had their own individualisms to them. Abbie is definitely the worst, a silly little girl, and no she wont be forgiven!

I would actually definitely recommend this read and I would happily read more from this author

WOW. There is a lot to this book and it was a bit of a slow burner at first, but once you get going, it's a great read. A lot of plot here, it might have been better to focus on one thing as it does detract from the book. The writing however is great, and I will definitely be reading more from this author. The premise hooked me as soon as I heard it, but I think that given room to breathe, the different threads would have worked better. I am really looking forward to seeing what comes next from this writer's pen!

This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time. Serial murderer and an old Victorian insane asylum? What more could you ask for? The spine chilling prose is what! I absolutely devoured this one!

Dark and claustrophobic, set around an abandoned asylum with a sinister past, the story gripped me from the beginning. The characters were well written, and the creepy, mouldy caravan in the middle of the woods added the perfect, spine-tingling touch. The POV change was a little confusing at times, and I would have liked a bit more at the end as I felt it finished too abruptly, but overall I enjoyed it.

Secrets of a Serial Killer instantly caught my eye when I saw the title and cover. I expected the book to be more of a confessional and insight into the mind of a serial killer(s). That is not at all what it was, but I still really enjoyed it! Honestly, the book turned out to be a bit more my type of book than I was expecting. I most often read thriller/murder mysteries and this was right on par with that. You do find out a little earlier in the book the answer to the mystery than you normally would but that didn't lose my interest. I was invested in this book from start to finish and I am looking forward to seeing more from Rosie Walker in the future!

This was a really good edge-of-your-seat serial killer read! I could not put it down. A serial killer has been terrorizing Lancaster for decades. They have baffled the police for generations. Helen Summerton's daughter has been taken by this serial killer and they are running out of time to save her.

This was a wild ride from start to finish. I did have a bit of trouble after about halfway through the book, but it was worth it to finish!

Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

There’s a serial killer at large. Theres a journalist on the case. There’s a clueless police force. There’s a young boy and his cousin on the hunt for a mystery. There’s a missing seventeen year old girl. And there’s a very creepy, abandoned asylum. All the ingredients for a grizzly story and a premise that hinted at being a potential new favourite. However it didn’t quite deliver on its promise.

Multiple POVs and quick pace made this book a largely enjoyable read, but I was left wanting more from the story. A friend who also read this one said that she felt that it would have been better split into two stories and I totally agree. The serial killer POV could have been a book all to itself and I would have read it hungrily. The other aspects just felt like any other forgettable thriller unfortunately.

That said, I read it quickly and kept turning the page- my attention kept all the way through. The characters were interesting but I would have liked to spend more time with them; flitting so quickly between perspectives meant that we didn’t get to know the characters all that well. I would particularly have loved to get more insight on Abby, Zoe’s best friend. I think she could have been a really interesting character. Maybe there will be a sequel? I’d probably pick it up, as I enjoyed Walker’s writing style, her ability to build suspense and her quick pacing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins One More Chapter for both the advance ebook and the audiobook of this one in exchange for an honest review. I did struggle to get into the print version and so was glad to the audio.

The title is definitely misleading. I was expecting more from the killer. The killer was also a bit of a letdown. The beginning had so much promise and then it kind of went downhill. Nothing really happened in the middle. It started to pick up towards the end and then I hated the ending. I’m not a fan of a “suspense” ending. I did love Thomas though. He was such a cute character and I was rooting for him. I’m not sure we needed his family’s back story though. The writing was good I just wanted more from the killer and less of the dark web crime forums. The internet threads didn’t really add anything.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

My thanks to HarperCollins One More Chapter for their invitation to receive an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Secrets of a Serial Killer’ by Rosie Walker in exchange for an honest review.

Lancaster has been terrorised by a serial killer for decades, much longer than possible. True crime buffs speculate that someone has passed down the secrets of their gruesome trade to new acolytes including finding others to pin the murders on.

Architect Helen Summerton’s worse nightmare comes true when her daughter vanishes following a night out. As readers are aware of both Zoe’s and the killer’s perspectives, we know that she has been taken. As the clock runs down Zoe’s chance of survival hinges on Helen unearthing the secrets of the killer.

This kind of crime thriller usually would be right up my alley and while some parts worked for me, others didn’t, particularly the number of subplots that were introduced. As a debut perhaps its author wanted to pack them in though given its modest length I didn’t feel that these were well developed. The phrase ‘less is more’ came to mind.

In addition, the local police were pretty useless, leaving the sleuthing to Helen and a pair of pesky kids who were determined to explore the local creepy derelict asylum. This indifference was puzzling especially as Helen’s ex, Tony, is a former police detective who had burnt out over the case of Mister X, an unsolved serial killer case that may be linked to the original case.

The police are also ignoring a journalist who is certain that a succession of serial killers have been operating in the area. No bodies, no evidence, hence no cases. In addition, the ending felt hurried and just didn’t work for me.

Certainly the concept of a serial killer avoiding detection by pinning their crimes on a patsy was interesting though I was uncertain how foolproof it would be with respect to alibis.

My feeling was that this was an okay crime novel but just didn’t dazzle me. I suspect that I am in the minority in these reservations.

The premise to this debut novel for Rosie Walker really grabbed my attention, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it....

BUT the actual storyline has four different premises and not one was fully developed (sad face). To be honest it lost me around 50%.

The overall storyline was cleverly thought out but it just didn't come to fruition, this could have easily been turned into a series... cut the four premises into four separate books... job done.

I enjoyed the writing style and the character development was brilliant, I just so wish that more time was spent on just one thing at a time instead of so much going on at once, it would have made it so much stronger!

Too much character switching around and an unfinished conclusion let it down for me.

Great potential but needs a really good edit... sometimes less is most definitely more!

With thanks to netgalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC.

This is a creepy book with very descriptive chapters - not for the faint hearted. Without giving anything away, I have to say there were parts that I found a little unbelievable but such was the tension in the story that I forgave these errors. A good 4 star read.

EXCERPT: (She) remembers the woman's words, hours ago in the caravan:'He doesn't work alone. He likes to share.'

She knows why he hasn't raped her, like she initially feared. As if that was the worst thing that can happen. She knows better than that, now.

And why he took her to the caravan and left her there, like it was a waiting room. Because it was a waiting room: waiting for something far, far worse than she could imagine. Something was there, all along, lingering on the other side of a flimsy partition wall in that caravan, listening to her wail and struggle and cry. She knows why that man only taped her eyelids, and did not slice them.

The real threat is standing next to her in the darkness, digging the burning end of a cigarette into her ribs.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: There it is: fear. It’s crawling all over her face and in her eyes, like a swarm of insects, and it’s all because of him.

A serial killer has been terrorising Lancaster for decades, longer than should ever have been possible. The police are baffled, eluded at every turn by the killer whose victims span generations. Speculation is rife among the true crime forums; is someone passing on their gruesome trade?

Every local mother's worst nightmare has become Helen Summerton's reality; he’s taken her daughter, Zoe. As the clock runs down so do her chances of survival. Can Helen unearth the secrets of the killer before it’s too late?

MY THOUGHTS:

Serial Killer - urban legend or reality?

Creepy old lunatic asylum

Missing teenager

Two kids egging each other on to explore

All the ingredients for a great creepy thriller. And it was, in parts. The beginning. And the end. But in the middle, it lost impetus.

There are probably too many threads to this story.

The serial killer who adopts other people's identities is an excellent premise. But we only got a superficial look at this.

There's a journalist, certain that a, or more than one, serial killer has been operating in the area for years. The police say her theory is not credible, even though there are striking resemblances between the missing girls, who the police have classified as runaways, despite the fact that they have never been seen again, and nor have their bank accounts been touched. Again, this storyline isn't fully explored.

I didn't think that the dark web inserts added anything to the story.

Gripes: I have never been in a caravan where the door opened inwards.

Tony, father of the abducted Zoe, had been a policeman who worked on the Mr X serial killer case which was never solved. So why would the police be denying the existence of a serial killer?

And why was he delaying reporting Zoe's disappearance?

The knife - it's not a pocket knife. Driving it through someone's eye is going to put it into the brain. Is someone going to be able to escape after that?

Secrets of a Serial Killer (for the record, I don't like the title) is a debut novel, a good one, but not a great one. I can see the potential, and with a good edit, it could be greatly improved.

Note to the author: less is often more. Don't overcomplicate the storyline.

Will I try this author again? Probably.

🤔🤨🤷‍♀️


THE AUTHOR: Rosie Walker is a novelist who lives in Edinburgh with her husband Kevin and their dog Bella. 'Secrets of a Serial Killer' is her debut novel, "an edge-of-your-seat serial killer thriller that you won't be able to put down".

Rosie has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh and an undergraduate degree from Lancaster University.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, for providing a digital ARC of Secrets of a Serial Killer by Rosie Walker for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

I had such high hopes for Secrets of a Serial Killer. The premise sounded so good with all the right ingredients, a serial killer who seems to have been killing for longer than possible, a conspiracy about copy cat serial killers, a young girl missing, and an old abandoned mental asylum! However, unfortunately it just wasn't as thrilling as I expected it to be. At first I couldn't think what it was that didn't quite feel right and I finally decided that because the story is told from so many different characters' perspectives it loses a bit of it's intensity and the connection with the victim. Like, just as it looks like the girl is about to be tortured the story would jump to another character who is talking on the phone to someone about her being missing (maybe not that exact sequence but you get the idea). And, it may just be me because I like the gory stuff, but it felt like the story was stopping short of what it could be. As if it was slowly walking up the steps to scary gruesomeness but then changes it's mind and goes back down instead of pushing on and bursting through the doors full force.
On a night out with friends Zoe's drink is spiked and she is abducted. Some similarities and links are noticed between what has happened to Zoe and other missing girls in the area. There were some good twists, if a little predictable. The characters and the storyline were believable and this is definitely the type of book that would normally scare me, the realistic rather than the paranormal, it just wasn't quite executed right. I really wanted to love this book so I'm sad to say it was an average 3 star read for me.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A creepy abandoned mental asylum that once housed a infamous serial killer is now the playground for his protege. Many victims have disappeared with no answer to their whereabouts or connection to each other.
Helen Summerton is the architect involved in the transformation of the asylum into apartments and regularly walks around the grounds looking for inspiration for the renovations. Helen is the mother of a teenage girl named Zoe who disappears after a night out with friends.
Thomas is the boy that lives next door to Helen and Zoe. His cousin Maggie talks him into looking for an abandoned caravan in the woods that her brothers used to use as a clubhouse..
Their lives are all about to change as they come face to face with the newest monster of the asylum.

The author does an excellent job of tying all the characters together, each with their own defining characteristics.
The story is fast paced and full of surprises with an ending that will have you backtracking in the book to make sure you didn't miss something. When you think that you know what is going to happen, WHAM!! , the story takes a turn. The ending will have you rethinking what you think you know.
This book will have you holding your breath till the last sentence!!!
A quick read that will have you on the edge till the very end so don't miss out on a fabulous read!!!

First of all, thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me access to this title.

I like to consider myself a huge thriller nut. It’s my favorite genre by far and as such I tend to be more critical of books in this genre. Which is all to say, this book blew me away.

She used the “multiple perspective” style to tell this story and she nailed it perfectly. There never seemed to be too many people and I didn’t feel like it switched too much or too little. She balanced this with perfection, which is impressive to me because it’s easy to do one or the other in this type of story telling.

The number one thing in books of any genre I’m most picky about is pacing and I’m happy to say this was never an issue for me. In fact for most of the book I found myself quite literally on the edge of my seat. This was a truly heart stopping thriller that made me anxious and I loved every minute of it.

The twist(s) we’re perfect. Not too outlandish and not too many of them. I can’t overstate how truly phenomenal this book is. It was amazing and an easy contender for my fave of the year. Any fellow thriller nut like myself would be silly not to read this!

Wow what an absolute belter, hard to believe it is a debut!!! Any book involving a serial killer grabs my attention so when I saw the blurb/heading for this, I was sold!

A serial killer has been stalking Lancaster for decades. Zoe is on a night out with friends when she is kidnapped. Her mum does not realise until the next day as Zoe was to stay in her Dad’s house, then the panic sets in, she has never been this long incommunicado with her daughter, Maggie is convinced something bad has happened and is unwilling to sit still while her daughter is somewhere out there having god know’s what done to her!

As and aside there are two young gutsy kids who happen upon the serial killer’s lair having snuck out of the house one night to explore the woods and ending up in an abandoned caravan in a clearing in the middle…

The setting for the backdrop a disused mental health facility which is spooky in itself with the description…. So with the mix of an old mental hospital, two young children off on an “adventure”, a kidnapped teenager and a serial killer on the loose…. These are the makings of a nail biting, gripping, chillingly creepy read that keeps you on tenterhooks and what’s a book without some twists and turns and an explosive surprising ending…. Outstanding!

Cannot wait to see what else Rosie Walker has in store for us.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book via netgalley!

Okay...I have to admit the book was a difficult start...lots of characters introduced. However. When you start to understand how they are interlinked, the book becomes a lot easier. And then it gets really intense...I Mean you can’t stop reading it intense! Once you are done reading you can’t believe you just read A book that described three days in the life of these characters. Only three days!

Rosie Walker's début thriller Secrets of a Serial Killer certainly has plenty of oomph!

As I was transported to the streets of Lancaster City in England, I was hit with the opening first chapters in which a long dead serial killer passes on his legacy; a creepy derelict lunatic asylum where much of the action takes place; and a missing 17-year-old.

The main story is told from multiple viewpoints and there are also a number of subplots running alongside, each of them interconnecting in different ways. This made for an engrossing story, though I had to concentrate to be fully aware of what was occurring. It was captivating and addictive with a terrific spookiness and a definitive Gothic feel. Rosie Walker's storytelling as seen from the serial killer’s point of view was very well executed and on many occasions I was thrown off track by another twist in the chilling tale. I found myself flying through the pages, desperate to find out what eventually might befall the cast of this claustrophobic and intriguing thriller. With a cracking ending, Secrets of a Serial Killer is well worth a look and for me it has the optimum level of creepiness. I will be watching out for Rosie Walker's next offering.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from One More Chapter via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This was a fun read. Well written. Held my interest. Just an enjoyable read overall.

I would recommend this book to my friends and family for sure!