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I think I expected something different from this book but I’m not sure what it was! It wasn’t as I expected and I found myself not quite engaging with it in parts

This was definitely very interesting. Not your normal serial killer. Kind of a Dexter type in that he's not scary. Well, unless he's killing you. I really enjoyed this.

3.5/5

All the true crime and serial killer books fixate on one thing that serial killers are “normal” flawed people and they have a mediocre life. But what if they were perfect? Have a perfect life like a Gentleman? (Atleast in their own mind).

Confessions of a Gentleman Killer is a first person narration of a 17th century serial killer - The Gentleman Killer. The story is interesting and I loved the unreliable narration of the killer himself. There are reasonings and bloody details of the killings that seem true to the time period. The plot doesn’t have much special details, but the “why” part kept me going. Since this is a historical fiction, I expected a slow moving storyline, but some places paced very slow for my taste.

Thank you Netgalley & Independent Publishing Group for the arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

Dnf @ 45%

I felt like the beginning of the book really drew me in. The setting of Victorian England was a plus for me, but everything else fell flat. The characters did not seem fleshed out or anyone I actually cared about. The writing was kind of confusing because of the format and POV it was written.

I greatly wanted to enjoy this, but it was just constantly dragging on!

As a result of an early copy from Netgalley. Serial killer, Victorian England. Gentlefolk. These are all great elements for an intriguing plot line. However, aside from the initial situation, I didn't find much plot. I did completely appreciate the settings, which seemed authentic, and the people, who were significantly flawed. My issue was with the protagonist who might also be the villain, but for whom I couldn't garner much sympathy.

Confessions of a Gentleman Killer by Johnny Payne

Set in the mid-seventeenth century we are quickly introduced to The Gentleman Killer – a moniker that is ascribed to him by the papers, police, and population. He seems to be a likable, intelligent, interesting man who recites poetry, woos women, works hard and yet has a darker side that sees his blood rise in a way that pushes him into some dark deeds.

The chapters of the book are women’s names bookended beginning and end with the focus on the protagonist of the story. Kilcairn, The Gentleman Killer, tells his story in first person venturing into his past to elucidate portions of his life and perhaps give a glimpse of his career as a lawyer and a killer. He is a bit like a dichotomous seed with two parts that make him whole and both sides are quite different though they feed on one another.

The way Kilcairn tells his story is forthright and honestly told without gruesome bloody details. It is a matter of fact statement of life events as he saw and experienced them. Kilcairn was always a bit “dark” but that darkness seemed to leap out from time to time in a way that lead to the death of women he happened to be with. The feel of the story is of the era and took me to the place and times as I read what was written.

The ending of the book had me thinking about what would come next in Kilcairn’s life, if he were a leopard we would know he could not change his spots but as a man, would he continue to kill from time to time when his blood was high or turn over a new leaf?

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Independent Publishers Group for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars