I don't even know where to begin here... let's start with me - a journalist, victim advocate, true crime podcast host, true crime author, horror author, fantasy writer, crime fiction audiobook narrator. I live in the world of crime in real life. I have met many victims, and victim families, and I am one myself. I don't want to get too into it here because you've heard it all before. Still, the sensationalism, romanticizing, fantasizing, and exploitation in this book of victims is atrocious. It is severely obvious this writer has never been the victim of a crime, nor known one, or ever really wanted to.

Secondary to that, the writing itself was decent, although at some points, while written in first person, it seemingly switches to a third person point because there are some things the main character would not know, yet speaks on. I find it could be confusing to some readers.

The main character herself is cringe-worthy. I absolutely hated her from the first paragraph. She is selfish, and whiney, claims to be a good person yet does shady things constantly, is a stalker, and overall I did not care if she lived or died. As a matter of fact, I couldn’t bring myself to read past chapter 12 because I could not stand to be inside her head for another minute. I understand creating unlikeable characters. Usually, this is to show some tremendous growth of that person over the arc of the story, but by chapter 12 she was only getting worse. The character continually wallows in self-pity, and it seems like it will never end. Even the serial killer was more likable than the main character, and that’s saying something.

So, if I hate the idea so much, why did I even read it? I have tons of colleagues in my line of work that speak with killers regularly - journalists, podcasters, authors - and they all have the goal of victimology at hand, or advocacy to more accurately tell the victim’s story. I wondered if the premise of this book might follow that same line of thought, but, to my disappointment, it read more like being in the head of a Manson Family member.

I will not be recommending this book to my audience or other readers.

3.5 stars

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. The MC was atrocious. God she took away from everything good the book had going for it.
I get unlikable characters but this was overkill.

The plot itself was good enough, nothing extraordinary but average mystery/thriller stuff.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer is a wry look at one woman's growing obsession with a local man arrested for murder. Hannah doesn't set out to fall for William, newly arrested for the murders of several women, but a few intimate letters later, and well, here we are.

Not sure how to score this. I loved the concept of this book. It was right up my alley (ravine - whichever the case may be). But it was slow to start and I HATED HANNAH...so whiny! Then came to realize some other traits about her I hated as well. I found this a bit predictable also. I will be picking it up for my patrons who remind me of Dotty though. LOL

I stopped after chapter 2 (4%). Probably three to four stars for the target. This was well-written but heavily expositional for what I would expect to be a fast-paced book (because serial killers…)

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

I am conflicted at how to take this book, and rate it. It was gripping enough to keep me reading, even if I was 90% sure I had the main twist sorted out about halfway through, but I absolutely HATE the main character. She was infuriatingly stupid and creepy and for lack of a better word, kind of pathetic? The story was still a wild ride right to the end, though, so I can't complain too much. I HAD to know how it ended, so I was never going to stop reading.

This book was so incredibly messy in the best possible way. It was like watching a soap opera unfold before my eyes. Hannah is a complete train wreck and I devoured every moment of this. It was fast pace, and Hannah is such an unlikeable character, but I also somehow loved her? I do wish that things would have ended a little differently.

Hannah was hoping her life would be better in her mid thirties, her job isn't great, her friends are all getting married, and her last boyfriend ghosted her and began dating someone else a week later. When a pretty young lawyer goes missing, Hannah is swept up into true crime forums. When the lawyer's body is found along with three other women, handsome William Hamilton is arrested. Hannah writes a letter to him full of all her anger but when he writes back, they start a relationship. William says all the things Hannah has always wanted from men and when he is found not guilty, they move in together. Hannah though cannot stop wondering if William really is guilty. This book is dark and Hannah's character is a bit depressing but that demonstrates how she's willing to be in a relationship with a potential serial murderer.