𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘:
🔪SERIAL KILLER plots
🩸A gory thriller
🔎Police procedurals
🗣️Dual POV
🫱🏽‍🫲🏼STRONG female MC
💭Thought provoking books
🕵🏻FBI MCs
🪤Cat and mouse thrillers

𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦:
𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙡𝙙, 𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙮. What an 👏🏽 opening 👏🏽 sentence. Instantly gripped. This is Ashman’s DEBUT novel + it was so bloody good; pun intended!

The premise of this book was super original and thought provoking— a serial killer who kills serial killers!? Perfect for any fan of crimes, police procedurals + serial killers. The plot looks at themes of what’s right and wrong, an eye for an eye + the morally grey area of is it wrong to kill a killer?

The plot switches between Leah, infamous pianist, and Liam, FBI agent and the opposing + distinct difference in personalities and morals made for a unique dynamic between our two character perspectives. Leah was difficult to connect with at first: she’s not particularly relatable but she’s captivating and fascinating, and definitely a character that’s worth the perseverance.

The first few chapters of this book are BRUTAL, with super gory and descriptive murders, but this side of the book does mellow down throughout we the book as the plot finds its focus. The big twist + the ending are all SHOCKING, and the epilogue perfectly sets the scene for the second book.

I definitely recommend this dark + unique page turner, and can’t wait to read more of Ashman’s work.

[𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 (𝘐𝘎), 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩.] —— 𝑬𝒇𝒇𝒚 @𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 🦇

Thank you to NetGalley, Ashman Books, and S. T. Ashman for providing me with this ARC in exchange for providing an honest review.

Overall I enjoyed the premise of this book which is similar to Dexter in that the main character, Leah, is a serial killer of serial killers. The game is a cat and mouse chase as FBI agent Liam starts to realise that there’s more to Leah than meets the eye.

The book is dark in content and can be quite graphic but that’s juxtaposed with the almost comical FBI agents. They should be on top of their game and maybe it’s because Leah’s character is a world-renowned pianist but they overlook a lot of obvious leads at first.

Whilst I enjoyed this book overall and commend the author on their debut, there were some elements I wasn’t a fan of. Liam’s character is a bit too perfect, he has no flaws and just doesn’t feel authentic for that. Leah’s character is very black and white but then the epilogue confuses that. Finally the book can be quite graphic but it constantly uses the word “panties” which just feels a bit like something a teen would say!

“A drop of red blood on a white canvas for the whole world to see.”
Good Gracious, what did I just read? This was a fabulously haunting read, that I enjoyed immensely. A serial killer, that kills serial killers - what a ride! Written from 2 perspectives, one of the serial killer and the other from the FBI agent hot on her heels. Will he put the pieces together on time, or will this case fall cold before he can prove his gut feelings are true? And that ending! I almost threw my kindle across the living room.

This is a top pick of 2023 for me. There was absolutely nothing I didn’t like about this book.

The premise is simple: Do two wrongs make a right? Only the answer may not be as simple as it seems.

Liam is our FBI white knight. He is determined, relentless, and believes that good and bad are black and white. Leah is world-famous concert pianist, lying in wait like a black widow. Leah’s neurodivergence is integral to the story and causes the reader to constantly question her motives. Add that to the interactions between Leah and Liam, you spend much of the book trying to determine which of them is actually in the right.

There are multiple twists and turns throughout the book, and S.T. Ashman throws out some perfect red herrings.

Actually yelled by me while reading (and irritating my husband):
Big Twist #1 - Oh f*ck!
Big Twist #2 - Oh s#*t! No she didn’t!
Comment

I Kill Killers is just what I needed to read to kick off Spooktober!

The story is compulsively readable. It’s fast-paced and easy to read, but not at the expense of tension and setting the scene. The book is a little gory in the very beginning, but after that scene the author tones it down and the book becomes a thriller, not a horror. That said, the book is on the dark side–as any book about a serial killer would be!


I absolutely love books about female serial killers, and this book is told primarily from two points of view–one of them being that of a female serial killer! Just like Dexter Morgan in the titular TV show (and just like the title of the book tells you haha), she kills killers. Her scenes are told in first person POV, and we also get the third-person POV of Agent Liam Richter, an FBI agent who notices something off about his latest crime scene…

The first person POV of a serial killer can be hard to pull off, but Ashman does it well with Leah Nachtnebel. Our killer isn’t exactly relatable, but she’s a compelling protagonist, and it’s quite interesting to follow her journey, and to figure out what makes her tick and why she does what she does. Her backstory isn’t entirely fleshed out in this book–but that’s what sequels are for!

This novel reminds me a lot of one of my all-time favourite book series – the Mindf*ck series by S. T. Abby–except it’s a thriller with romantic elements, instead of a dark romance with a thriller backbone. If you enjoyed that other wildly popular series (it’s been trending on TikTok again recently), you definitely have to check out this one!

This is the first in a series, and while it wraps up the core plotline (arguably it could be a standalone if you don’t read the epilogue!), I’m beyond excited to read the next one.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy a cat-and-mouse style investigation involving a serial killer, like the TV show Hannibal or the Dexter book/TV series.

Oh my this book!
I do enjoy me a good killer book, and this is no let down!
From the start it pulled me in and I couldn't stop reading.
Follows a killer of killers as twists unfold around her.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy, all opinions are my own.

This book absolutely shocked me with how much I loved it, and I have most definitely found one of my top thriller reads of the year here.

Give me a plot about a killer who targets deranged killers any day. I love the morally grey area of the story and the characters in this one are SO intense, so interesting, dynamic, manipulative, intelligent and flawed that you cannot help but be fully drawn into the cat and mouse game being played. You never think you are going to be rooting for a killer to get away with killing, but HERE WE ARE.

The pacing is spot on, the horror and gore is just gruesome enough, the serial killers being hunted down are just dark enough to be terrifying. Truly the pieces to this one fall so wonderfully into place together that I devoured this entire book on a flight home one day, and then I spent the next week thinking about it again and again.

No hints of spoilers in this one, you really should go in completely blind and enjoy this ride. But I will say that I CANNOT WAIT to see if there is a sequel here (and lord I hope there is!!), and I have my fingers crossed for an on-screen adaptation because I would watch the hell out of this show.

A MUST MUST MUST for thriller lovers, mystery lovers and anyone who enjoys a good serial killer book.

Loved this book! Anything to do with vigilante killers of BAD people who have done BAD things is a must for me!!! Throw in a female character who is really classy, famous and darkly quirky and its even better!! Although there is some pretty dark and gory scenes, there is something about the storyline that draws you into liking the characters and desperate to read just what they will do next. There is also something about the relationship between Leah and Agent Richter, which leaves you hoping there will be a sequel to learn how this might develop. It certainly seems like there is a potential for this to be the case. There is something about this book which leaves you wanting more and yet very satisfied!!! A fab debut and I look forward to more from this author!!!

I Kill Killers by S.T. Ashman is a book I would request for our library to purchase. The book was wrote in such a way that it read like a fiction book. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat and waiting to see what happens next.

4.5 stars

I Kill Killers by S.T. Ashman is a psychological thriller, and the first in a series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Ashman Books and of course the author (who may be the same person as the publisher), for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Leah Nachtnebel is a world-renowned concert pianist.  On the side, Leah kills monsters.  Serial killers do not deserve to live, and Leah is good at taking care of them.

Special Agent Liam Richter is from the FBI Behavioural Science Unit, and most of his job involves tracking down monsters.  He prefers to lock them up. 

When Greg Harris's mutilated corpse is found in the woods, things don't add up, and Liam starts investigating.  It looks like a drug deal gone wrong.  A lady in red was seen leaving the scene and disappearing inside the Boston Symphony Hall.   Liam is hot on the trail, but when he starts wondering about Leah's involvement, his boss calls him off.

But Liam is determined to get some answers.



My Opinions:
For a debut novel, this was wonderful!  It had the right mix of mystery, thrill, and violence to keep me turning those pages.  I loved Leah, and cheered her on. Okay, not everyone cheers for killers, but this one had a certain appeal.

The book is told from different perspectives, and this worked really well to see the thought processes of the different characters.

The book is basically about good vs evil, and the different ways that evil can be fought. Heads up, that there is a bit of sex, a bit of violence and some gore, but nothing that bothered me (but then, it takes a lot to bother me).

The characters were all quite intriguing, and no matter which side of the fight they were on, each had merit (although Cowboy's merit was hard to find).

The plot really made me think, and the twists were marvelous.  It was a really fast and entertaining read, and it wasn't until the end that I realized that there would be a second book.  I truly cannot wait!

The story kicks off with a gruesome murder, and an FBI agent refuses to let it go, suspecting it's linked to a serial killer. The twist? The prime suspect is a famous pianist who might be a serial killer herself.

This book keeps you hooked from start to finish with short, punchy chapters and mind-bending twists. Leah, the anti-hero vigilante, is a standout character, adding depth to the story. It's not your run-of-the-mill thriller, offering a fresh take on crime-solving. While you might guess some plot twists, the ending sets up the potential for an exciting sequel.

I requested this one because the description reminded me so much of the mindf*ck series, I just had to find out. I think if you are a fan of that series you will enjoy this one too, but it is definitely alot different. There were a bunch of twists and turns that I enjoyed but no romance. I had so many questions about the end so I hope we get another book!

While this book was bingeable and tense and I finished it, I did have a lot of issues with it.

Firstly with Leah. In the very beginning of the book it is mentioned that she has autism and severe alexithymia which makes it hard for her to recognize emotions, HOWEVER it was mentioned in the beginning and then not again in the book. I do not know a lot about autism as I know no one with autism so I was really expecting to learn something so I could related to Leah and understand her and that didn’t happen at all.

Liam was written way too perfectly. The man needs a flaw. He’s the perfect father, the divorce isn’t his fault, he’s the white knight of the FBI etc. he needs a flaw.

Even though the book is about Leah, Liam’s view ended up being a bigger part of the book was I was expecting the FBI procedural to be better. As someone who loves police procedurals whether it’s book or tv shows, I was left wanting more out of that. If you are someone who is very new to the genre, you would probably still like it.

Holy debut novel! This was such a memorable book that will stay with me forever, mostly because it had everything a thriller lover loves but can never find. The writing and creepiness reminded me of authors like Karin Slaughter or Sam Holland.

A man is found dead with tape wrapped around his head and a tree to keep his face from falling apart. His mouth has been drilled to pieces with heroin needles strewn around the crime scene making his murder look like a drug deal gone wrong, but something doesn’t add up. The way this man was killed almost mimics the murder of a young woman in another state.

When evidence comes back that the man was a serial killer who filmed himself murdering young women, the case is closed because justice was served, but one determined FBI agent wants to nail the killer that’s responsible.

The FBI agent has exhausted all leads, except one. His evidence points towards The Great Symphony Hall where a genius pianist may be living a secret life. Could she be a serial killer that hunts down other serial killers?

I will read anything S.T. Ashman writes and I can’t wait for volume 2 of I Kill Killers to come out next year!

This book was perfection!! A Morally grey and strong female character make for an incredible story. I could not put it down and need the sequel right this moment! We all have those moments where we question what is wrong and what is right but this book takes it to a whole new level and I find myself rooting for the “villain” page after page. This is definitely a new 5 star favorite!

I haven’t been this excited by a female serial killer since the Mindf*ck series! Leah is a world renowned pianist who’s concerts are sold out two years in advance. But she has a dark side…hunting monsters who prey on the innocent and making the world safe again in her own way, on her own terms. She’s like Batman! Agent Richtner is an FBI agent tasked with bringing the most heinous serial killers to justice and he takes his oath seriously. These two have the same agenda but very different codes of ethics and their worlds will collide. But who will survive in the end? This was so smartly written, tightly plotted with characters that jumped off the page. I cannot wait to read this author’s next book! Thank you Netgalley, Ashman Books and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on October 10, 2023

Thanks to Netgalley and Ashman Books for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! This book was right up my alley. If you're a fan of serial killer thrillers, this is the book for you. The story stars Leah, a gifted pianist who is also very famous and wealthy - and a serial killer. This book had me hooked from the beginning and there was never a dull moment. It has short chapters, which I love. The reveals and twists blew my mind.

I am totally stunned after finishing this outstanding debut book by author S.T. Ashman. This is another five-star review for me this year so far, and I can't wait for the release of Book 2 in September 2024.

Oh my gods.
This book yall.
FREAKING READ IT.
I was glued to this book! It's freaking amazing. It gives slight mindf*ck book vibes and I'm so here for it. That ending though 😭💔 why. Just why do you have to go and do that to me. I'm so sad it's over and the release date for book two is set for September of 2024, I can not wait that long. I already feel a huge book hangover coming on after finishing this. All I can say is if the blurb is your vibe, read it asap.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and S.T. for allowing me to arc read for you. It was a wild ride and I loved every second. ❤️

My review is also posted on storygraph, goodreads, books a million, and barnes and noble. It will be posted to Amazon on release day.

I'm sorry but I'm not the right audience for this. I'm DNFing early because it's very graphic and gruesome. I thought it was a crime thriller but not leaning on horror and graphic. I do apologise and thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this book. I won't leave a review on my socials as it wouldn't be fair.

As others have said, wow! This book is gripping from the start. An anti-hero vigilante crosses paths with a morally obsessed FBI Agent intent on doing what's right while investigating the most gruesome crime scene to date. While evidence and his superior discouraged further investigating, Agent Richter couldn't let the case go, despite a horrible serial killer now off the streets.
This book was fast-paced and delivered on the shocking twists. The ending left me baffled and hoping there will be a sequel.

Thank you NetGalley and Ashman Books for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. It was a phenomenal read.