Member Reviews
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC. This was so enjoyable! It was a refreshing take on the thriller genre - I can't say I've read anything similar to this. I liked the portrayal of all of the characters in the beginning. The first half of this book was actually so fun, no flaws, just a great time.
I went through a slump somewhere in the second half when we explored their relationship a bit more. It seemed a bit surface level. I didn't understand what their feelings were based on or what their interactions were like, since they were so sparsely described. I also thought the ending was a bit easy to guess, but I'm not sure if that was maybe by design. That doesn't usually hinder my enjoyment of a novel, and it didn't here, but it would've been nice to have a big plot twist.
Overall it was a fun, slightly campy read! Looking forward to publication!
Well, well, well. A protagonist you hate to love and shake your head at until the very end. This book was so fun to read and laugh at - a book about writing to a serial killer isn’t something you read everyday.!!
This book reminds me a lot of So I Married an Axe Murderer- The FMC is obsessed with true crime and serial killers, and conveniently is going through a breakup when women start disappearing and being found dead in a ravine. She joins an online forum discussing the murders, and when they have a suspect, she becomes infatuated with him, so much that she writes him letters while he’s in prison. It gets wild and it is 100% satire of a scenario in which the crime podcast obsessed women take it too far and find pleasure in the thrill of it all. The ending was predictable but I think that was on purpose- for irony. I enjoyed it a lot! If this title piques your interest, grab this one in June!
In order to like this book, you have to move past the fact that both main characters - Hannah and William - are not likable. William is accused of being a serial killer, and Hannah, who has been fired from her job, has become obsessed with the case and with William.
Hannah and William's letters make up some of this book, but then Hannah attends William's trial, and he's eventually acquitted. Suddenly, Hannah's free to be with her new "boyfriend" who may or may not be innocent after all.
As you might suspect, this isn't your typical "thriller" or "suspense," although there is a twist at the end. There's a bit of romance, which I typically do not care for, so this was a different sort of book for me.
But I found it to be a fast, enjoyable read that I can recommend to those who enjoy true crime or suspense.
This book was so unhinged, in the best way.
Hannah is boy crazy - in an “obsessive over any man she comes into contact with desperate” way. She starts getting invested in a string of murders and once the man behind them is arrested, she finds her writing to him and falling in love. And the crazy train just keeps going, with so many odd twists and turns. I could not put this book down and the ending actually really surprised me. I really enjoyed this!!
I really enjoyed this book. I thought Hannah as a protagonist was relatable especially at the start of the book. In the world today we know how easy it is to get sucked into true crime and following forums and such, however, once she started writing to William it took a little turn. Although, I was still invested in the book Hannah became less likeable which is fine I still wanted to know where the book was going. I thought the killer was a little obvious and knew who it was early on, but that typically doesn't bother me. I think the only reason I couldn't rate this book 5 stars is that Hannah never redeemed herself.
This book is truly unlike anything I’ve read before, and in a good way! It’s part- thriller, part dark comedy, and I kind of loved it. The main character isn’t necessarily likable, but I think her self-awareness makes up for that. I found the storyline compelling and ended up reading this book in 24 hours. I just had to find out what happened. I didn’t completely love the ending, but it wasn’t enough to ruin the book for me. If you’re looking for a book that pokes fun at the growing obsession with true crime, this is it!
Thank you Netgalley and Berkely Publishing group for the ARC.
1.5 stars
Unfortunately, Love Letters fell very flat for me. The MC, Hannah, is terribly annoying, in my opinion. There is very little depth to her, and, frankly, I found her more disturbing than the actual serial killer -- but not disturbing in an interesting way. Tedious. Rather gross. Victim mentality with no evidence of actually being a victim of anything. Her amateur sleuthing skills were laughable. Fortunately, this was a short novel.
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Our main character, Hannah, clearly has some psychological issues. She is painted as quite a pathetic desperate woman who isn’t really living her life as much as she’s just floating through it. Things happen to her, as opposed to her actively driving change in her life. She is a person who complains about the life that they’re living, but doesn’t actually want to take the steps to improve their life. The first time we see this character actually make a choice that affects her life is when she begins her obsession with these murders. She seems to have an obsessive personality and an unhealthy attachment to people as opposed to genuine connections. Her first definitive action that we see in this book is when she decides to write to William the potential serial killer, while he’s in jail. She initially writes to him telling him how awful what he did was, but she quickly humanizes him in her letters, and begins to share parts of her life with him. The next big step we see her take is when she decides to go across the country to where the trial is taking place. Throughout this book, we watch Hannah living out her delusional, fantasies to the best of her ability, and we are able to discern the obsession with the idea of being with a serial killer more than her actual affection for William. When William is acquitted, because another murder takes place while he is on trial, she is now faced with the reality of having a relationship with a man who may or may not be a serial killer. Instead of that being a deterrent, Hannah finds that to be the most appealing part of their relationship. This book illustrates the complexities involved when someone falls in love with an idea more than a person and the potential consequences there of. I found the mystery of who the killer is to be rather obvious. I’m not sure if it was meant to be hidden; I feel like Hannah missing who it is, is part of her delusional and obsessive personality. I will say that I was shocked at the end, because that was not expected and I can only imagine the next fucked up installation of the story. However, I don’t feel like a sequel would be a good idea. I think leaving us on that note is a perfect way to keep us thinking about this book. while Hannah was not a lovable character, let’s be honest none of the characters in this book were really lovable; this book was very compelling. I found that reading this book was similar to watching a car accident you can’t look away, even though you know what’s going to happen it doesn’t change the way that it makes you feel when it actually does. I do like that it is not truly a romance because I was concerned when I first started reading this that it was going to be a true romance and I could not get behind that with such an unlikable cast of characters. This is more of a book that documents this woman’s mental state throughout her pursuit of this delusional fantasy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with a digital arc of this book! This isn’t my typical genre, but I was so intrigued by this book. I’m really interested in people’s relationships with true crime and some of the problematic/negative aspects of that, so this book felt perfect for me. I loved this look at Hannah, a woman who takes her true crime obsession to the extreme (though she would absolutely deny having any obsession). She was perfectly self-centered and insufferable, while still having small shining moments of relatability. Her narration/perspective really drew me into the story. As a thriller, this hit everything I wanted. I hadn’t guessed the twist ahead of time, but it made sense when it happened which is exactly what I want from this kind of book. I feel like this is a great introduction for people into thrillers as a genre because it worked so well for me. I loved the writing style, which I think is the main reason I enjoyed this so much even though thrillers/mysteries aren’t usually my favorites. Honestly the best compliment I can give this book is that I devoured it during my appointment at the hair salon, even with all the excellent hair salon gossip going on around me. There’s not much that’s better than hair salon gossip. I loved this book and can’t wait to see what Coryell writes next.
"Love Letters to a Serial Killer" is like a bad accident on the highway. You know you shouldn't look but you cannot help yourself. Hannah is a pretty pathetic character throughout the story. Even her investigatory skills are somewhat sad; she does manage to discover some important information but does not take adequate steps to hide what she learns from people, including William, who will use the information against her.
The story has some decent twists; nothing too surprising but satisfying.
Love Letters to a Serial Killer is, as you would suspect, is messed up and cringeworthy. You know when you’re getting second hand embarrassment from a situation and can’t look away? That was how I felt reading this book. Train wreck waiting to happen. But in a good way.
Hannah, stuck in a stagnant job and recently single, becomes fixated on a series of murders. To her surprise, she starts corresponding with the accused serial killer, William, who responds while awaiting trial. Upon William's release, they move in together, but Hannah's obsession with the murders persists. Despite pretending to lead a normal life, she continues investigating the crimes and her boyfriend.
This story really pulled me in and I could not put it down. I think a lot of that was because I did identify a lot of aspects from real life and that I could see this being a non-fiction book just as much as fiction! Hannah’s character though, was pretty unlikeable.
Coryell did a wonderful job of making this feel like something I could flip on the news to see right this very minute.
I do think for a debut novel this book has a lot of promise and it will be interesting to see what this author comes up with next!
Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group @BerkleyPub and Netgalley @Netgalley for this e-arc. All thoughts are my own
▪️𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘴
▪️𝘶𝘯𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴
▪️𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘰𝘳
▪️𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
wtf was this book?! besides everything. unhinged, feral, unfiltered Hannah decides to write to the serial killer who’s case she has been obsessed with.. but when he writes her back an unlikely connection forms. this book is cringe in the best way possible, i found it hilarious while still being twisty. i couldn’t put it down, highly recommend.💌
thank you @netgalley & @berkleypub for the eARC!💀
Let me start by saying I’m a huge fan of this cover.
This was definitely a twist on the usual thriller and a way to have discourse around our fascination with serial killers. The MC was the worst. I hated her. I’m sorry 🫣 I figured out the twist fairly early but it was an enjoyable ride. There were a lot of cringey moments for me but maybe that was the point- to point out that these obsessions in and of themselves are nothing to be proud of.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Receiving an advanced copy was a delightful surprise. I believe both existing fans and newcomers will find it equally enjoyable.
3.5 Tasha Coryell's novel explores the fascination of women with serial killers, particularly Hannah, who becomes self-deprecating after being dumped by unrelated men. Hannah joins a true crime forum to solve the cases of three women in Atlanta who were found naked, drowned, and lifeless. She writes a hate letter to William Thompson, expecting him to respond, but he does not, leading to a chain of events that could change Hannah's life forever. The novel explores the motives behind Hannah's attraction to serial killers, a paraphilia similar to "Bonnie and Clyde syndrome." The book's intriguing topic, layered characterizations, and satisfying conclusion earn it a rating of 3.5 to 4 serial killer stars. However, the book's synopsis should be revised to attract more crime thriller enthusiasts.
Thank you so much to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and Tasha Coryell for this advanced copy for an honest review.
So well written a book about a serial killer a book with so many twists and turns.An author I will be following a book that kept me reading late into the night.#netgalley #berkley
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for my gift copy!
First. I am completed obsessed with this cover. I knew it was going to be a fun read just by looking at it. It was definitely fun, and a little twisty. But I have never wanted an MC to meet their demise as badly as I wanted Hannah to bite it. I know the author's intent is to take us into the minds of the women who fall in love and obsess over men who have committed horrific crimes, but this just got a little TOO ridiculous sometimes.
"Love Letters to a Serial Killer" by Tasha Coryell is a haunting exploration of the human psyche entangled with the allure of darkness. The novel delves into the complex relationships formed with infamous serial killers, unraveling the fine line between fascination and repulsion. Overall, "Love Letters to a Serial Killer" is a compelling read that will linger in the mind long after the last page is turned.
Compulsively readable, I loved this one so much and I immediately went to see if the author has written other books as soon as I finished, which is a good sign. I related way too hard to the main character as she made the worst possible decision at every turn and saw myself in her insecurities. Just. ARGH. SO GOOD!