I really liked this one! I’ve recently gotten into true crime, so the synopsis of this one, captivated my interest right away. I thought it was going to be a romance, but it was a great suspense/thriller/mystery. I also liked how there was humor in the novel, making it a fun and fast read for me. The main character Hannah wasn’t super likable, and her choices, made me shake my head a lot. But I still enjoyed this book, which doesn’t usually happen with me. If I don’t like the main character. It usually takes away from the story for me. However, in this book it worked. The only thing I didn’t really like was the ending. It fell a little flat, for me. But other than that, it was a pretty solid read.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC!

"Love Letters to a Serial Killer" by Tasha Coryell is a captivating and chilling exploration of obsession, empowerment, and the blurred lines between fascination and danger. The premise alone is enough to hook any reader, and Coryell skillfully navigates the psychological complexities of her characters.

Hannah's journey from frustration to empowerment through her correspondence with the charming yet enigmatic William is both compelling and thought-provoking. Coryell delves deep into the psyche of her characters, unraveling their motivations and desires with each page turn.

The tension builds steadily as Hannah's curiosity transforms into an all-consuming obsession, blurring the lines between right and wrong. Coryell masterfully keeps readers on the edge of their seats, questioning the true nature of love and the lengths one will go to for it.

While the subject matter may be dark, Coryell infuses the narrative with moments of dark humor and unexpected tenderness, creating a nuanced and multi-dimensional story that lingers long after the final page is turned.

When I read the premise of this book I was intrigued. After watching numerous documentaries covering the trials and crimes of notorious serial killers such as Bundy, Ramirez, Dahmer, I’ve always been curious about the women and men who romanticize them. What would cause these people to become so desperate and/or willfully ignorant toward such a dangerous individual? And Tasha Coryell provides a glimpse into the psyche of a woman who does just that. Hannah, the protagonist, wavers on the razor’s edge of obsessive groupie and armchair detective when she becomes infatuated with accused serial killer, William.

The author does an awesome job at creating suspense by jumping back and forth in time occasionally, providing the reader a glimpse of Hannah in imminent danger. I enjoyed the novel’s structure, allowing the twists to flow, however found Hannah difficult to understand given her odd choices. She’s not so much unlikeable as she is (in my mind) insane for traveling across the country to seduce a man who’s been accused of violently killing four women. Her fantasies of being killed by him during intimate moments were difficult to understand, as were the choices she made to befriend his family during the trial.

I found the characters interesting, especially William’s wealthy family and the strained relationship he had with his brother. The twists were believable and I was gripped until the last page. I didn’t resonate with any of the characters in this novel, but that didn’t take any enjoyment away from the overall story. The ending was insane, but not completely out of character for Hannah, clearing up the questions surrounding her mental state. Her odd attraction to violence and quest for meaning in life were answered.

3/5⭐️⭐️⭐️
For readers who enjoy unexpected twists, female protagonists, and complicated relationships.

First of all thank you Netgalley and Berkeley for the opportunity to read this ARC. Ok so the idea of this book was a great idea. I was actually really excited for it. However, The main character was so delusional and just plain dumb that I rolled my eyes at her a lot. I felt like the ending and what happened was very predictable and the book was snail pace for me. I really struggled. I also want to add that there are court scenes in this book and I feel like that’s not my thing. I just get bored. I’m sure this book will find its audience but it wasn’t me.

This was so incredibly different than anything I'd ever read before and I loved it. I'm a true crime fan and it was so interesting to hear about the type of women who fall in love with accused Killer's. I thought it was great

Wow, I really enjoyed this fresh take on a murder mystery/thriller. A true-crime lover myself, I found it to be an eye-opening look into how people can romanticize serial killers and really made me reflect on my own thoughts about true crime. Surprisingly, I didn't clock the twist until pretty late in the game, but thinking back on it, it is a pretty predictable twist. Overall, I really enjoyed this, even though the main character was hard to like and relate to at points.

If you think society’s obsession with true crime and serial killers is grotesque, boy oh boy is this the book for you!

The pink cover tricked me into thinking it was a romance but I was honestly really happy to realize it was a thriller instead. Hannah has probably been one of the most unlikable characters I’ve come across in my reading journey and I LOVED it. She is the true definition of vapid, only getting self worth from what other people think of her and after a lifetime of meaningless friendships and unfulfilling sexual relationships she got nothing from besides the momentary high that someone thought she was interesting enough to have sex with, she starts seeking out bigger and worse ways to have other people care about what she does.

If I had to pick one thing to dislike, I thought the story was a tad predictable. I clocked the plot twist about halfway through but it was still a good ending!

Hannah, an aimless young woman stuck in a job she hates, becomes obsessed with a serial killer, William. As William awaits trial, Hannah spends her days (both at work and outside of work) in a forum dedicated to the mystery surrounding the murders. When she decides to start writing him letters, hoping for a confession, she never expects to fall in love with the man who writes back. After Hannah is fired from her job, she decides to leave everything behind and head to Georgia for William's trial.

'Love Letters to a Serial Killer' reads almost like a TV show. One of those TV shows you watch on a Friday night, snuggled on the couch, after microwaving your -tastes better the next day- leftover takeout and changing into your favorite hoodie and sweatpants. I really, really, enjoyed it! Hannah is awkward in the best way possible -in some ways, she reminds me of Sadness in the Pixar movie 'Inside Out'- and William really is a lovable serial killer. As the story progresses, you find even yourself falling for the undeniable charm that comes through in his letters to Hannah.

I'll admit, the pacing is a bit slower towards the start (before Hannah arrives in Georgia), but it picks up in Part 2 and gets even better in Part 3. When I started to sense a twist coming I was convinced I knew what it would be and boy was I wrong, lol. Quite a few things happened in this book that I didn't predict, including the ending. I wouldn't be shocked to find out the author, Tasha Coryell, is working on book #2! I think there's more left to the story, or at least I hope there is.

Thank you to the author and Net Galley for providing me with an e-ARC of 'Love Letters to a Serial Killer'.

Oh gosh. This book was so fun. The emotions and thought processes! I was laying in bed one night and all of a sudden, I knew what happened. I still need to talk to someone else who has read the book so I can talk about everything.

this was a very fast read for me, but it left me wanting more in so many ways. the way hannah walked the line between full obsession and morality fell flat for me, and she was ultimately an extremely difficult character to root for. i feel like this was meant to provide commentary on the obsession with morbidity in our culture, especially among privileged white women, but the critique could’ve been massively turned up to really drive the point home.

i also don’t know if it’s the years of spencer reid obsession, but the twist seemed very obvious to me. especially because the copy spoiled such a major plot point! i wish it was left more to mystery since the fourth kill happens pretty deep into the book.

ultimately a speedy read for a reading slump, but fell short overall for me!

This book was humorful and I liked the mystery surrounding the main character, but the ending killed it for me. Good up till then, but then it just fell apart. And I’m pretty disappointed with the ending in general.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC. This book will be out in June!

This book was a fun read! I usually don’t enjoy books with unlikable main characters but Hannah made horrible choices and was still an entertaining narrator. The story is quick moving and different from other thrillers in the genre. Hoping a sequel might be in the works as well.

This just was not the book for me.
It was well written, and the overall plot is just fine, but I loathed the main character, Hannah. She was just unlikable to me. Helpless, delusional and just darn right annoying. I think she ruined this one for me.
Many of the parts and Hannah's actions were predictable taking away any elements of surprise.

Hannah is unsatisfied with her job, unable to work her way up, and unable to secure a good man. She somewhat reminded me of a toddler throwing a tantrum because "life just isn't fair". She has no personal accountability and nothing in her life is her fault. Hitting rock bottom, Hannah dedicates her time to a true crime forum focused on solving the murders of three women found in a ravine. Eventually charming lawyer William Thompson is arrested for the murders and Hannah once again loses all purpose of her life since the murders has been solved. Desperate for the attention of anyone, she decides it is a good idea to write William a letter and to her surprise, he writes back.
Over time their relationship develops, and Hannah puts every means into supporting him in hopes of finding someone who finally appreciates her. But is she looking for love in all the wrong places, specifically with a possible serial killer?

I never felt like I could not finish this but at the same time it never really grabbed my attention and made me want to keep reading.
Although I did not love it, that does not mean you will not.

Thank you, Tasha Coryell, Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First, I loved the cover of this book. Everything about the cover is great pink, the serial killer letters chef’s kiss. This book was an entertaining stroll down crazy lane. I read this book in 2 days, and I liked how this book was from a different point of view. There are a lot of books out there that are from the killer’s perspective or from the victims but not a lot from someone that has a relationship with the killer. It was interesting to see into the mind of someone who falls in love with the idea of a serial killer. Was I entertained? Yes, do I wish the “twist” was more dramatic yes. I did enjoy the last paragraph of the book and it left it open for a possible 2nd book. The premise of this book was great. I just wish I cared about the characters a little more.

Thank you, Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Hannah, bored at work, no boyfriend, living in a studio apartment, who becomes invested in a photo circulating of a missing girl, who is then found murdered. She hops onto this online forum to find more information when another girl shows up dead. She is so focused on finding the killer, doing her own research. When someone is linked and arrested for the murders, she starts to write him letters. What she doesn't expect is to get one back in return which then sparks the relationship that Hannah has been searching for. This book had me guessing through to figure out, is William a murderer or is it someone else. There were a few times I had it figured out and kept saying 'Hannah it's right in front of your face". I do love how the book ended. This is going to the top of my "Favorite books of 2024" list.

Dang, was not expecting that.

This was definitely a crazy ride of a book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Eh! I didn’t love this one. Didn’t hate it either. I kind of struggled to pick it up again and again. Although there are moments of dark humor and snark, nothing really happens until 60%. Even then, there’s nothing super exciting. The ending is lacking too. I do see potential though, and would definitely be open to reading another book by the author. This is a mixed bag…a solid 2.5 stars. Thank you to Berkley for a widget of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me HOOKED from the beginning. Hannah works a mundane job and has zero luck in the dating pool. She is distracted at work and finds herself very invested in the recent murders of four women murdered who were found in a ravine in Atlanta. Hannah becomes indulged in a true-crime forum and when the murders are pinned on handsome lawyer, William Thompson, the outrage blossoms further. Hannah decides to write to him in prison to get all of the hate and frustration out but she never anticipated receiving a response from him, nor did she anticipate she would build a relationship with a serial killer behind bars. But did he actually commit the murders? Is their relationship real or did Hannah become obsessed with the case?

This was such an intriguing story and I will be thinking about this one for a while. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys crime fiction and suspense.

I knew this should have been put into the DNF category.

I tired, I really tried to like this book. Maybe I just did not understand it...

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book.

This was a great, quick, hilarious/cringe read. I can't say that I didn't see it coming, but the ending was still very satisfying, none the less. As an avid listener of True Crime podcasts, some of it hit a little too close for comfort - the parasocial relationships that we can develop with criminals bear some real introspection. But, despite those too close for comfort notes of familiarity, there was enough here to make this a sad, mad-cap romp of a read that I will definitely be recommending to all my fellow true crime addicts.