Hannah and this book are one hot mess! 

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but I discovered a character who becomes obsessed with some murders and then the man who was arrested as the serial killer. Now, she doesn't live anywhere close to where all of the murders took place, but she dives in to try and help solve the murders remotely. Once the killer is caught, she starts writing letters to him. They start out innocuous enough, but at some point, they become love letters. 

There are three sections, and at the beginning of each section, there is a chapter that has Hannah in a precarious situation. How did she get there? Who is holding her hostage? You'll have to read the book to find out.

There is a lot to love and hate about the characters in this book, but you will have to form your own opinions about them. And the whole premise of the book? It is like a train wreck you can't stop looking at. It boggles the mind!

This book was a surprisingly good read, and we give it 4 paws up.

◽️Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell

Pub Date: June 25, 2024

Swipe for GoodReads Synopsis

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was so excited when I got the approval for this book. I was instantly drawn in by the title and the cover (the cover I saw is not what is shown on my kindle 😅)

Hannah is truly one of the MOST delusional main characters I have ever met. If you need likable characters and someone to root for— Hannah is NOT your girl. She is a hot mess, but my goodness was she fun to read about.

This book had a lot of dark humor, and was incredibly quirky.

I truly think this is a book you will ever love or hate, but personally, I loved it and I had a lot of fun reading it. Don’t go in taking it too seriously. ◽️

3.5 Stars

I loved the concept of this one!

Hannah's life is at a standstill. She's single and she's going nowhere with her job. She finally has a purpose when she joins a true crime forum about a possible serial killer in the Atlanta area. Hannah is on a mission to solve the four murders. When a local lawyer is in custody for the murders, Hannah starts to write letters and he writes back. She starts to be obsessed with both the killings and the killer.

Hannah is an odd character. She's obsessive and delusional but there's something about her that you just want to keep reading. The twist was predictable and the ending was just ok, but the ride getting there was entertaining! If you're looking for a unique read and you enjoy true crime give this one a try.

Very different from most books that I’ve read with an insane main character and a crazy storyline. Entertaining quick read

This book is a great balance of sometimes being a little cringy (there are so many moments where readers will beg Hannah to please, please make different choices) and sometimes uncomfortably relatable with her millennial ennui. Fictionalized "true crime" type stories are popular, and this is a nice bit of storytelling about what can happen when obsession goes too far.

This might be the most unhinged book I've ever read and it's not even a horror novel.

Hannah gets obsessed with a murder of a woman, and then the subsequent murder of three more women. That obsession transfers to the accused killer, the attractive and wealthy William Thompson. Hannah writes him a letter, and he writes back. A pen pal romance ensues, leading to Hannah going to court for his trial.

She's self-aware about how abnormal this makes her, and she interrogates her views on love and relationships, and her frustrating need for the approval of men. She's a post-recession wanderer, struggling to find purpose and acceptance and it leads her down a dark, dark road.

Captivating and quietly shocking, I could not put it down.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer - Love love love the book cover it’s absolutely beautiful!! 💕

An easy quick read but I definitely hated the main character I just found her to be so pathetic. She was searching for love and attention in all the wrong places and once she was finally engaged she ruined it for herself instead of just being content. I understand she started writing to an alleged serial killer because she wasn’t fulfilled, she wasn’t getting the promotions she wanted but once she got all the things she wanted (or seemed like she was getting the things she wanted) the fiancé, a home, the ability to work on her book without having to worry about money it still wasn’t enough she wanted more.

Now I’m curious to know once she found out the man she was engaged to was innocent - why was that not enough for her. Why did she crave being with an actual serial killer? Was she ever truly interested in him or was she just obsessed with the thought of him possibly being a killer? If he turned out to be the actual serial killer how would she feel - would that be the thing to make her happy?

The ending chapter was definitely a plot twist I didn’t expect but wish we would’ve gotten more. Does she ever tell him? Does he ever find out? I do think she probably hopes the baby is his brothers but is it?

Thanks to PRHAudio for a #gifted ALC and to Berkley Pub for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to love this one and thought I would. But - I don't know. It was one of those - what did I just read books.

Hannah is into true crime. She comes across William, a handsome attorney who is about to be on trial for four murders. She does a deep dive on this case, including online forums. She is so angry about it she writes him. And is shocked when he writes back.

She becomes so obsessed and invested, she loses her job. They continue writing. She becomes connected to him, and ends up going to the trial.

While he is still on trial, another woman is killed and she realizes more is going on and starts digging deeper.

I do love some true crime myself, but Hannah - girl what were you thinking? And the ending was wild!

This book is unlike anything I’ve ever read. There wasn’t a single character in this book that was likable, and I believe that was the point. Hannah has these profound thoughts but doesn’t implement them in her life. The book was just very slow and I found myself skipping paragraphs to get to the point. I also don’t know what you’d classify this book as. I’ve seen people calling it a thriller but nothing about this book had me on the edge of my seat. I liked the original concept of this book I just wish it was executed better.

This book is so unhinged and I loved every damn minute of it. I was hooked to this story from the very beginning. Tasha Coryell writing style is so addictive. Wow! Go into this one blind and enjoy the ride because I’m telling you it’s so worth it.
5/5 Stars

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

The protagonist, Hannah, becomes captivated by a serial killer after learning about multiple bodies being discovered. She immerses herself in researching the murders, writing letters to the accused killer, William, in prison, and eventually forsakes her entire life to focus on the trial and William.

This book is filled with numerous twists, turns, and intense moments, making it an ideal October read for thriller lovers. Overall, it's a fast-paced, entertaining, and twisted story.

Psychological thriller
True crime
Twisted

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Hannah becomes infatuated with an accused serial killer after her current boyfriend ghosts her, and ends up engaged to marry him after his trial.

I have seen a bunch of reviews of this one, pretty much all of which call this book a bit unhinged and say that the FMC makes terrible decisions, so I went in with that mindset. For the first half or so, I was enjoying the insanity, and felt like the book was kind of like a train wreck I couldn’t look away from.

Unfortunately for me, by the last quarter the book had gone from unhinged to unenjoyable, and I strongly disliked the ending in particular. I will say that I was entertained throughout and wanted to keep reading (because I needed to know where this thing was going), and the audio production was well done. I hope this one finds its audience (you definitely have to be willing to suspend disbelief and hold on for a WILD ride)!

CW: Murder/violence

A ridiculous book that’s sure to keep you entertained ✍️

Thank you @berkleypub for my #gifted eARC!

Hannah is lonely and women in her town keep disappearing. When William is arrested for the murders, she starts to write to him as he awaits trial. Then, he starts to write back. When he’s found not guilty, the two move in together and start a relationship. Hannah, though, can’t shake that William might be not be innocent.

This book is a mashup of a dark rom-com, satire, and thriller. It’s super readable and moves really quickly.

I gotta say, I did guess the twist about 40% in, but that didn’t ruin my enjoyment at all!

I really don’t want to say much else because this one is definitely best read if you go in blind. It’s out now, and I recommend adding this to your beach tbrs!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#litbylillireviews

Synopsis: A thirty-something woman who is struggling with her job and her love life begins writing letters to an accused serial killer after becoming deeply entrenched in a true crime community on Reddit.

Thoughts: Okay, so I am just going to start by saying that this book was not for me.I absolutely love this cover, and the premise is definitely interesting. The book started off with a gripping beginning, but unfortunately I lost interest from there. The main character is one of the most deranged, unhinged characters who isn’t an actual villain that I have ever read. She was just too unlikable and unrelatable for me to get past. I have seen a lot of positive reviews though, so if you’re interested, don’t let me deter you from checking it out!

Read this if you like:
💌 seriously unhinged main characters
💌 true crime obsession
💌 Reddit

Great book in a trashy bingeful reality tv way. I have never hated a character more and I am unsure if it was truly the author's intent but I wanted to shake Hannah to get some sense into her. Did I absolutely binge this book like a Real Housewives Reunion, yes. Would I say that it changed me forever and I think everyone should read this book? No - but it was a good short read.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer - Tasha Coryell
Rating: 3/5

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. This book centers around Hannah, a true crime obsessed thirty something year old woman. When four women in Atlanta are found murdered and dumped in a ravine, Hannah becomes engrossed with finding out the killer by joining a forum with other enthusiasts. Once the suspect is arrested, Hannah finds herself pulled to write to him while he's in jail and he to her surprise writes back. The story continues with WIlliam and Hannah being boyfriend and girlfriend and Hannah becoming completely involved in his life and his family's life.

I didn't love this book, though was incredibly intrigued throughout the story. I had to keep going, which is why i gave it 3 stars and not lower. The main character Hannah was incredibly annoying and her actions made me cringe more than once. None of the characters were relatable or even likeable. As for the "big reveal" it was incredibly predictable and not much of a surprise at all. This book had so much potential....and overall felt like it was a let down.

“The future was a gangplank on a ship at the end of the world.”

This book is the kind of book that when you finish it you stare off in to the distance and say, out loud, “what the f**k did I just read.”

Plot Thoughts: So I’m not going to lie; it kind of feels like the entire plot was disclosed in the synopsis. As an avid reader of the “back of the book”, this meant that there weren’t too many surprises along the way; for that reason, I would suggest going in completely blind. Unfortunately, the “twist” was also quite predictable, as I figured it out long before the big reveal.

Character Thoughts: This was quite literally the most UNHINGED, unreliable narrator I have ever read in my life. I couldn’t find one character to root for or relate to - everyone was sketchy (which works in thrillers), and I just kept wondering how many horrible decisions she could make/what was going on inside her head. Seriously they could all benefit heavily from therapy.

I particularly loved this section of a GoodReads review from a user named “Jamie” - so, not my words but worth quoting: “The accused serial killer is perhaps the most well-adjusted person in the book, if that says anything about the level of dysfunction that we're talking about here.”

In the end, this book wasn’t particularly great, but also I couldn’t put it down? It was like a train wreck - I couldn’t stop watching but also it pained me to continue. I kept reading hoping for someone to do something that made sense and never quite got there. It made my tummy hurt a lil bit (I’m squeamish ok - you true crime lovers may think it timid) but I sacrificed my sanity to finish it and didn’t completely hate it. This review is fresh and clearly I should have probably let it digest before writing, but alas here we are.

👍🏻👎🏻Hesitant to recommend, but would if you like a completely unhinged, unreliable narrator who makes a plethora of bad decisions. I mean, that’s a vibe for some thriller lovers! Otherwise, I suggest passing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Hannah, a thirty something woman from the suburbs, is obsessed with true crime. Hey, aren’t we all? When four women in Atlanta are murdered, suspected of being killed by a serial killer, Hannah finds an online forum to solve the crime. She feels she has found her calling, and when a suspect is arrested, Hannah takes her obsession a step further, she’s going to write to him in jail. And…he writes back. Her life has now become all about the killer, she loses her job, and heads to Georgia to the trial. The suspect, William, and Hannah are now boyfriend and girlfriend. Yes, this is where it loses me.

This was bland, so vanilla. Just when you think there is a build up, nothing. Hannah is annoying, unlikeable, delusional, and always plays the victim. I found myself skipping pages out of boredom. The pace was so slow. As for the twisty ending, totally predictable. My favorite character was William, the ‘serial killer’. There was so much potential, but this fell flat. Like crashed and burned, and if it took Hannah down in the burn I wouldn’t have cared one bit.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Berkley, and the author for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not really sure what to say other than this book is juicy and entertaining! 😂 The main character is so unhinged and the plot is so wild and unique. I feel like I would compare reading this to watching trashy reality tv where you’re constantly just shaking your head and laughing at the mc’s thought processes and how the story unfolds. I did guess the twist pretty early on but it was still an entertaining (and very quick & easy) read!

DNF @ 25%

I struggled to connect with the main character in this book. The narration style also felt a lot more like telling than showing, so I didn't really have any motivation to continue.