Are you in search of your next twisted, totally messed up, ‘what the heck did I just read?’ book? You’ve found it!

Love Letters to a Serial Killer is, as you would suspect, seriously messed up and cringey. And I couldn’t put it down. You know when you’re getting second hand embarrassment and can’t look away? Yeah, that was this book.

Hannah initially becomes obsessed with a few cases of missing women. When their killer is put behind bars, she decides to write him a letter. She didn’t expect he’d write back.

I would recommend the read if you find the synopsis appealing and are in the mood for some cringe!

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted (free) ARC

WOW gosh where do I begin. First of all, I think this is one of the most realistic protagonists I've read in a while. She was so fleshed out in her flaws and foibles that pretty much every page I was thinking to myself, "This is EXACTLY like so-and-so." The author did a fabulous job of crafting a realistic protagonist and demonstrating how someone can get sucked into the semi-destructive tunnel of true crime. It was a harrowing read, and the mystery of whether William really was and wasn't the murderer was so engaging while still prioritizing character development. It was a fascinating read and I'm very eager to check out the author's other works.

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.
While I was eager to dive into this book, it ultimately fell short for me. The main character, Hannah, lacked enduring qualities, and none of the characters proved particularly likable. The unexpected twist at the end did add some intrigue, but overall, the book didn't resonate with me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Tasha Coryell's "Love Letters to a Serial Killer," we meet Hannah, a thirty-something navigating the aftermath of being ghosted and the suburban exodus of her friends. Hannah finds solace in a true-crime forum dedicated to solving the murders of four women in Atlanta. As the group zeroes in on William, a captivating lawyer, as the prime suspect, Hannah begins writing him letters as an outlet for her pent-up anger and frustration. This act initially empowers her, offering a sense of catharsis. However, the narrative takes a haunting turn when William responds to Hannah's letters. Her curiosity morphs into an all-consuming obsession that leaves no room for other aspects of her life, leading to the implosion of her personal and professional worlds. After losing her job, Hannah travels to Georgia for the trial, where she befriends fellow true-crime enthusiasts. The discovery of a fifth murdered woman forces the jury to acquit William, and upon his release, Hannah becomes the first person he contacts. The story takes on a twisted dynamic as Hannah and William fall into a routine resembling domestic bliss. However, this façade masks Hannah's covert investigation into William's potential involvement in the serial murders. Coryell deftly explores the psychological complexities of a woman grappling with her desire for justice, her attraction to a man accused of heinous crimes, and the unsettling realization that the line between love and obsession can be dangerously blurred. "Love Letters to a Serial Killer" is a gripping and thought-provoking exploration of obsession, justice, and the intricate nature of human relationships. Coryell's writing is sharp and evocative, drawing readers into Hannah's tumultuous journey as she navigates the dark recesses of her own mind and the chilling possibility that the man she has come to love may be capable of unspeakable evil.

This book was really good! I predicated what happened pretty early on but the way the author set the story up was believable. There are so many serial killer admirers out there that I will never understand. This story gave us a glimpse into their brains.

This story is the craziest story I’ve ever read, but I couldn't put it down. It felt like a cheesy soap opera that kept me hooked. The concept was interesting - it explored how people's fascination with serial killers can blur their moral compass. The plot was a real page-turner, but I found the main character Hannah very unlikable. It was insane how much she was attracted to a serial killer. Every time she professed her love for him, I cringed while she hoped that she wouldn't end up dead. The story did not turn out to be a thrilling one as I had expected, but it was still very interesting, and the ending was satisfying.

Thank you to NetGallery and to Berkley Publishing for giving me a copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tasha Coryell & Berkley for a digital galley of Love Letters to a Serial Killer in exchange for an honest review.

Tasha Coryell was not previously an author I was familiar with, but the cover & title of this book grabbed my attention immediately & then once I read the synopsis, I knew I had to give it a go.

My initial thoughts were that it made me think of Love in the Times of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson, which I loved, so here we go!

It was definitely not the same as Alicia's book, which in a way is good, because I love originality.

Hannah, bored & unhappy with her current life seeks something lacking from her life and joins a true-crime forum dedicated to solving the murders of four women. Hannah then begins to write letters to the man, attractive attorney William, who was arrested for the murders. Then William begins to write back. Hannah becomes obsessed with this case & William. She leaves her job and life and travels to Georgia to attend trials and to become a true part of the true-crime obsessed community.

A fifth victim is found murdered while William is in prison and on trial and since he couldn't have possibly done it, the jury finds him not guilty. William and Hannah immediately begin a relationship have fabulous, ordinary, happy relationship. Except, Hannah is still investigating William to make sure he is not truly a serial killer.

I will admit that I'm not a true crime junkie, but I enjoy reading books with characters who are. I'm from Arkansas and a similar situation happened her with the story of the West Memphis Three when Damien Echols was wrongfully convicted & on death row (released in 2011) and his now wife, Lorri Davis, began writing to him while he was incarcerated. They struck up a relationship in married in 1999. So, I know that things like the plot of this story truly do happen in real life.

Then there is the fact that William is very attractive and not who you would look at and think "he's a serial killer" - (cough cough) Ted Bundy.

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.

Coryell did a wonderful job of making this feel like something I could flip on the news to see right this very minute. While I was rooting for William & Hannah, like Hannah, I couldn't rest easy until I knew the whole truth about William, because we all know that just because someone is imprisoned, doesn't mean they can't get someone else to commit a murder for them, especially at a time when it would be crucial to their release.

Not everything worked out the way I or Hannah thought it would, but that's not a bad thing.

This story has stuck with me & I'm still thinking about it long after finishing the book, and for me, that says a lot. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves true crime, suspense, mystery, thriller, even romance. And I can't wait for Coryell's next book!

Who are these people giving this book anything other than 5 stars?!?! This is one of the best books I've read in the last year, and I've read around 50. It's also incredibly fucked up, in the most delicious way.

Hannah's life is boring, meaningless, and lonely. Her boyfriend has dumped her, her best friend is engaged, and her job is unfulfilling. Then she becomes obsessed with a serial killer and starts writing him letters, and her life finally has meaning. It also spirals out of control as she loses her job and goes to Georgia for the trial. Society's obsession with true crime is so well done.

I don't want to give too much away, but this book has some great twists. However, what I loved most was how Hannah is constantly worrying if the men in her life to find her attractive and if they love her, even when she's afraid one may kill her (but does he think she's hot? Does her breath smell bad? Will her corpse at least be attractive?) I also loved how the danger turns her on.

I started to read this book more slowly as it went on, because I didn't want it to end. I plan to go back and read it again. It was that good.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer is a good attempt at a serial killer thriller but Tasha Coryell fails to exceed past other thrillers but just makes it ok.

This book is def darker than it seems from the cover and description, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing! I couldn’t put it down.

I don't know what to say about this one. I figured out the twist pretty early on but I still couldn't put it down. I wanted to scream the characters but I miss them now that it's over. This one is a unique take on our cultural obsession with true crime that will have you second-guessing your interest in the subject.

QOTD: Do you read the book blurb before diving in? Or do you go in blind?

Hannah loves true crime and takes to writing a handsome lawyer arrested for killing four women.

Things are going well for Hannah until William, the lawyer, writes back.

The writing soon becomes an obsession. When William is found not guilty, he calls Hannah and the two quickly fall into domestic bliss. Except Hannah can’t quite shake a lingering feeling that William might be guilty.

The synopsis of this book certainly drew me in and had me intrigued. A woman who writes a potential serial killer while he’s on trial then moves in with him once he’s acquitted.

This book wasn’t exactly your normal thriller. For me it was a rather light read, not one that you can really take seriously at all. I found Hannah to be whiny and a bit insufferable, and well, rather unlikeable. I wish she would have had some more redeeming qualities so I could have been drawn into the story more, though, she did seem exactly like the type to be drawn towards a (potential) serial killer.

I found the pacing of this book to be a tad uneven which was frustrating. The last third or so of the book did fly by and the pace quickened up, however when the “twist” was revealed I was disappointed. I’m not one to guess, or want to guess, the twist, so I was saddened to realize that this one played out exactly as I thought it would.

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.

3.5 stars from me

#berkleypub #loveletterstoaserialkiller #netgalleyarc #berkleybooks #lightthriller #serialkillerbooks #booksaboutserialkillers

First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Although the book comes off almost as some type of fanfic, it was entertaining, and I did read it in one sitting. I kind of think it was meant to not be taken seriously, or at least I hope that’s the case! The female protagonist is not very likable, very whiny, and ended up getting on my nerves almost to the point where I wish her demise had been brought about! Not much of a plot twist- not much detail, not overly believable… but despite all that, it was reasonably entertaining..

Love Letters to a Serial Killer is a truly masterful debut novel by Tasha Coryell. For those of us who love true crime, have you ever thought you could solve the case better than those crime experts on TV? This book allows the reader the opportunity to become fully immersed in the Who, where, and why of it all by placing the reader right in to the case along with Hannah. Engaging and masterfully written!

This book was definitely different from other books I’ve read about serial killers. A lot of the twists were predictable though, especially if you read a lot of mystery and thriller books. The main character, Hannah, seemed like a good representation of the type of women who fall in love with strangers in jail or prison. Overall, this book was pretty good and definitely entertaining but a little predictable.

This is a fictionalized version of a woman drawn to a serial killer and what possibly can be going on in her head at the time. To say the protagonist, Hannah, is unlikable is putting it lightly. She may just be more unstable than the killer. The story was interesting but slow going at times. As it got more interesting, it became a little more outlandish to me. The "twist" was not so much a twist. Overall, this was an okay read, just not my personal style. Three stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, for this ARC.

I’m probably in the minority here but I just couldn’t get into this one. So I DNFed it. I wasn’t a fan of the main character and really thought this was going to be more of a mystery thriller. I wasn’t a fan of the writing. I’m sure others who are more fans of romance books will like this one. It just wasn’t for me. All opinions are solely my own. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

The characters are unlikeable and odd. Who writes to a serial killer and then decides to be with them when they get out of jail!? But if that sort of thing is something you find appealing (like me), then this book is for you. This is what happens when a women watches and listens to too many true crime series. The book is a quick, weird read.

This was such a fun book! I had a great time reading it, I absolutely adore the cover and can’t wait to order it and have it on my shelf.

This was a journey in reading knowing the main character was out for self-destruction. I'm not a big mystery/thriller reader, so I'd love to read more and then compare, but for now, I'm still mentally reeling from the whiplash this story provided.

Hannah is not a character who is likable, kind or even has much of an inner life. She feels things for sure, but she doesn't know why others have things she doesn't and doesn't actually care about improving herself or finding out why. This is clearly a device of the book BUT was so hard to read. She was truly a hopeless and aimless sort of character.

Longtime readers will probably catch the surprise/twist ahead of time. And phew that ending. What a ride...