Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley, for my free book for review.

It's a psychological thriller that will haunt your thoughts long after the final page.

Ah, the enigmatic Hannah and her dark, psychological escapades. Her thoughts and actions are indeed disturbing, adding an unsettling layer to this gripping thriller. The author masterfully weaves a web of shock and intrigue with every decision Hannah makes, leading readers down a tantalizing path of red herrings and twisted revelations. While the predictability of the twists may be evident to keen observers, it doesn't detract from the overall allure of the story. In fact, it only serves to emphasize Hannah's compelling fascination with the macabre, adding an extra layer of depth to this darker psychological tale.

Thank you to @Berkley for the eARC and @PRHAudio for the gifted copy!

The premise of this sounded like one of those books that I refer to as “unhinged female protagonist goes on an emotional and/or weird journey” with a serial killer thrown in.

The first portion of this book is so intriguing, I was just as invested in the start as Hannah was invested in William. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next (I went in somewhat blind) but found the middle list a bit of steam and felt anticlimactic. While I was engaged with the story, I felt like it was predictable. I realize this could be a side effect of reading so many thrillers, but I do find a difference in good predictable (made sense, well-plotted) and not-so-good predictable (saw it coming all along, not much “evidence” but clear).

Finally, the ending felt incredibly anticlimactic and I think so much more could have been done with it. It’s left inconclusive and I could see a sequel coming, but I’m not certain. This was an interesting premise, but didn’t hit the mark for me.

I received a digital advance copy of Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell via NetGalley. Love Letters to a Serial Killer is scheduled for release on June 25, 2024.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer follows Hannah, a thirty-something woman working a job she has no passion for and watching her friends build lives for themselves. In her aimless state, Hannah gets sucked into forums discussing and trying to find the person responsible for a series of murders in Georgia. When an arrest is made, Hannah begins writing the accused serial killer letters. To her surprise, he writes back, which begins a love affair that can only end in murder.

Hannah is a beautifully written mess. She is a blend of the contradictions much of our society has around serial killers. She is horrified by the murders, feels badly for the women who have lost their lives, and at the same time feels drawn to the danger and power of the man responsible. While these contradictions are taken to an extreme in Hannah, they are still believable. Around Hannah we see some of the polarized people that also appear in society. Some want the man executed, while others think a person from such a nice family can’t possibly be responsible. These characters around Hannah are less well developed, which did give the feeling that Hannah’s character was in an empty fictional world.

In regards to plot, this book is described as a mystery/thriller. I would put it on the cozier end of those genres, as I did have a strong sense of danger or tension at any point in the novel. There were two significant twists in the last half of the book, both of which I did figure out ahead of time.

Overall, Love Letters to a Serial Killer is a fun take on a serial killer story that still manages to expose societal and personal tendencies for consideration.

Thank you @berkleypub for the gifted hardcover of this novel #berkley #berkleypartner. Release date for this one is June 25th! 👀

This book really takes the reader into the mind of a main character, Hannah, who has a low sense of self-worth and self-preservation. With having a psychology background, when I picture the “type of women” who fall in love with an accused criminal, Hannah is exactly someone I could see being manipulated and preyed upon in this situation. The author does a great job with setting that up in initial chapters and continuing it all the way through with Hannah’s questionable decision making, neurotic thoughts, and overall dysfunctional lifestyle. BUT, it’s not just Hannah, it seems like the majority of these characters have some real issues themselves, which makes for an intriguing read for sure. 😅

With the criminal case, I did see the twist coming from fairly early on but it was still an interesting read for me. I was curious how it would all unfold and it was certainly an interesting ending for Hannah. Overall, the book was a page turner with the serial killer aspect and Hannah’s personal investigation that would be a fun summer read for true crime lovers!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars!

Going into this book, I had no expectations. I thought that the synopsis was interesting, and I had never read the authors work before but I wanted to give it a try - thank you for the ARC!!!!

A woman, lost in life and a fan of true crime, begins investigating cases of Georgia women found in a ravine. There’s a man on trial for these murders, and when she writes to him in prison - she doesn’t expect a response…. But he responds. As she falls in love with this man on trial - her interest in these cases turns into an obsession and everything else in her life becomes less important.

The main character in this book, Hannah was completely unhinged. When I thought she couldn’t do anything crazier - she did. It was very entertaining to read and it was written in a perspective that I would have never considered - someone falling in love with a serial killer. I loved the messiness of this book and I was definitely excited to keep reading the entire time.

Definitely pick up a copy of this book if you wanna be absolutely appalled by a characters decision making process (but in the best way)😂

This was an interesting premise that I feel would appeal to many mystery/thriller/horror readers. The main character feels unlucky in love and has an interest in true crime - leading her to begin corresponding with a man accused of murdering several women. She becomes more and more fixated on the crimes and begins a relationship with this man, still unsure of his innocence - and attracted to the idea of his guilt.
None of the characters in this novel are likeable people, nor are they particularly deep - I didn't feel connected to any of them or root for any of them. What kept my interest was simply wanting to see how things would play out for the characters - kind of like watching an accident out of morbid curiousity. Still, for an avid horror reader like myself, this can be enough. Just like real life, not everyone can be the hero and not everyone should have a fairytale ending.
I would recommend this for fans of true crime and thrillers, it was an interesting and quick read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy to read and review.

This book was a fun read. Definitely not like anything I’ve ever read before. It follows a woman named Hannah who is somewhat of a true crime junkie and is on a page decided to trying to solve the murders of woman who were all found in a ravine in Georgia. When a suspect is arrested she starts writing him letters in jail and much to her surprise he writes her back. After being fired from her job she goes to Georgia to be involved in the trial. She is torn between her developing feelings for him and wanting to prove that he is the person who committed these murders. I thought this was a unique read and I throughly enjoyed it.

wtf did I just read?? this book gets the award for most unhinged, horrible fmc ever. every time I thought this woman couldn't get crazier, she did. truly the most unserious plot but it was also so entertaining at the same time. this reminds me of the women who were obsessed with ted bundy. the plot twist at the end definitely had me like OH????

This one ended up not being for me. I thoroughly appreciate Berkeley providing an ARC via NetGalley and the premise sounded great. I just didn’t click with the Main Character, through no fault of the author and the premise sounded like a lot of fun. I’m sure lots of other folks with like it!

DNF at 20%.

This one just wasn’t for me. It could very possibly be right up your alley, but I couldn’t connect to the main character at all, and I didn’t vibe with the writing style.

I’m an outlier--most of the reviews I’ve read so far didn’t really like this book and were annoyed by the characters. I can’t help it, I love a messy MC with a true crime-related plot.

I’m fascinated by people who crush on murderers. I try to sympathize with them the same way I do with cult members. What headspace are they in that causes them to desire a sense of belonging and acceptance that the person/cult gives them so much so that they are able to ignore the glaring red flags?

Tasha Coryell takes this idea and channels it into Hannah, a young woman who becomes obsessed with a case and consequentially the accused murderer. I read this like a parody. It’s absurd but so engaging as she writes letters and falls into a void of obsession. But then the accused murderer is acquitted and released... did he kill those women and wrongly get released and if he didn’t do it, who did?

I see what many of the Goodreads reviews are saying-- Hannah is far from likable and she's self-destructive. She makes choices that seem unrealistic yet we know from accounts of people in the prison that people like her do exist. The other characters we encounter aren't much better. I also agree with reviews that said figuring out the mystery was easy, but I really didn't go into this as a mystery that needed to be solved and focused more on the development of the character. Spoiler: the character remains unlikeable and self-destructive. I bumped this up from a 4-star to a 5-star read because I couldn't put this book down. I finished it over two days but less than 24 hours.

I really enjoyed this one, despite predicting the twist from pretty early on. Not sure if this was intentional, but I view this story as a parody for how we tend to seek out destruction at times in our youth and as we come of age. While I never dated a serial killer (that I know of), I certainly knowingly dated some serious duds that dragged me down. While Hannah was quite frustrating, I kept this in mind and really enjoyed the story.

“As much as I want to deny it, there is a kind of pleasure that comes from being tied up with a knife against my throat.”

Love Letters to a Serial Killer comes out 6/25.

This one is a bit difficult to categorize and to evaluate. It's not particularly suspenseful (as thrillers go) but it was a decent ride. The main character is absolutely clueless and insufferable (but sort of self aware of both of these things?) which is what made her fun. The writing was good, especially in terms of humor and awareness of the kind of people (those obsessed with true crime) it was making fun of. We'll very likely stock this book, but I'll be careful about who to recommend it to, as I think it will appeal to a very specific taste.

What a debut! This is a fun thriller/contemporary fiction about Hannah, a lost 30-something woman who is disappointed with how her life and relationships (love, family, and friends) are turning out and becomes obsessed with 4 missing and murdered girls. This obsession leads to Hannah to beginning to write letters to the accused killer of the women, and ultimately becomes an obsession with him and if he’s really a murderer or not.

I liked this book a lot! Hannah was an interesting character because she did absolutely crazy things and made bonkers decisions, but based on how disappointed and sad she was about her life, you as the reader could somehow see or understand at least a little how she ended up in this situation. I always appreciate a writer who can make me root for a totally unlikeable or ridiculous character, and the author had me doing that for a few characters in this book. It was interesting to read about Hannah’s obsession and where it led her, and also how she was almost unwilling to give up the drama of being with a murderer as the story progressed. The interactions with the accused killer’s family were super interesting too.

I did predict the ending, or at least most of it, a bit over half way through, but it was still an enjoyable read! Hannah’s observations about dating and relationships especially were insightful and relatable, especially in this day and age. This was such a solid debut and I definitely recommend it to thriller and contemporary fictions lovers out there! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a wild ride! Its not your normal thriller. I think this would be a best starter thriller especially if you are interested in a semi-psychological thriller.

I enjoyed when it would switch from the present timeline to the past and the twist at the end was fun. The pacing of the book at times seemed slightly off but I still enjoyed this book in the end.

Definitely a good debut novel! Excited to see what else this author releases in the forever.

Thank you to Tasha Coryell, Berkley, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book definitely caught me off guard, but in a great kind of way. Drawn by its enticing cover, I opened the pages not sure what to anticipate. Even though she was sometimes difficult to relate to, the main character gave the plot more depth and improved the storytelling experience.

The book successfully handles the complexities of a small-town trial and its aftermath. It is part romance, part thriller. Even though I guessed the primary plot twist early on, I was still interested in the unexpected turns that came up. Still, I found the tale to be engaging and found it easy to turn the pages.

I appreciated how the book explored the complexities of trust and redemption, particularly in the context of a relationship with someone once accused of heinous crimes. The author adeptly weaved through the trial proceedings and their lingering effects, painting a vivid picture of the characters' journeys.

I have been thinking about why I actually liked this book, and it's hard to pinpoint. I would say this is a good fluff of book, ideal vacation read. Not really suspenseful, but it keeps you going. Yes, main character is pretty dumb, but she kind of knows it so somehow it works?

It’s hard to admit but Lover Letters to a Serial Killer is literally the most relatable fiction I have read this year. The main character strongly identifies with the drowning millennial in all of us. There were moments when I would stop reading and think, " OMG, that is so me." While I don’t think anyone would say they wish to go as far as falling in love with a serial killer, all Hannah really wants is individuality, purpose, connection, and love when beginning a penpal relationship with William Thompson, a convicted serial killer. I love the down to earth way this story is written and the comedy had me laughing out loud at times. The thriller element had me reading quickly as well. This was one of my favorites of 2024.

Wow what a ride!

This is definitely a very unique idea for a book, that’s for sure. The entire book is told from the POV of Hannah…a 30 year old white woman from Minneapolis. Hannah desperately wants a man to love her, to the point where she instantly attaches herself to any man who shows her attention. It’s clear from the beginning that Hannah might not have the soundest of minds, and it becomes even more evident when she develops an obsession with a string of murdered women in Atlanta…and obsessed with the accused serial killer.

Hannah begins writing to the accused killer, and it quickly takes over her life. When she loses her job she makes the decision to temporarily move to Atlanta for the trial and to “be in a relationship” with William, the accused killer. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Hannah isn’t so much attracted to William, but instead to the possibility that he could kill her.

It was fairly easy to figure out if William actually committed the murders or not, but whewwwwww the entire time I was reading this book I kept muttering “she needs therapy. Intensive, in patient therapy.” This was an easy, but engaging read, great for anyone interested in true crime and psychology!

Thank you, Net Galley and Berkley for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Every book is not for everyone. This book certainly is not for me. DNF at 27% because I find the FMC insufferable.

Thank you Berkley Romance for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.