3.25 Stars
Cyra's sister was murdered while out running, and the police haven't made much progress on finding her killer, it seems. But the lead detective lets it be known that it is thought she was the victim of a serial killer. Cyra learns that there is a local serial killer support group and determines that her sister's killer must be among those in the group. She finds a way to join the group, so she can figure out who is the guilty party, and make sure they never kill again. While pretending to be a serial killer herself, Cyra begins to identify more and more with the killer persona that she adopts, and wonders if she will ever be anything else.

Firstly, I thought this would be a satire and was very disappointed that it was not. I think the topic would have made a wonderful satirical horror novel. But once I let that go, I did enjoy the story overall. Cyra is an interesting character and the black hole that pulls on her after her sister's murder was not totally unexpected. The desire for revenge is understandable. Some of the things she got entangled in were a bit of a stretch for me, but didn't ruin it. It did feel like the ending is setting up for a sequel, and if so, I will likely read it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

When the investigation into the death of Cyra Griffin's sister hits a standstill, Cyra must take matters into her own hands. Cyra infiltrates a serial killer support group that meets in New York City in an effort to unearth the truth about her sister’s death. But the dangerous men in the group aren't the only obstacle in finding her sister's killer. ☠️ 😍

Serial Killer Support Group is a deceptively simple thriller about a young woman who joins a group of serial killers in search of her dead sister's murderer, but the simplicity of its plot belies a much more complicated examination of how we feel about murder and justice in a broken system that celebrates and excuses monsters. The book does some interesting work, briefly pathologizing its serial killer main characters without making the characters overtly sympathetic. Main character Cyra is not an exception here, a character who might be understandable if she weren't so continuously detached from herself and her grief, so committed to her vengeance.

It's the book's complicated philosophy that I think is most compelling, the space it devotes to exploring issues of grief and anger, how these emotions intertwine and sometimes cannot be distinguished one from the other. There's a lot of righteous anger in the book, but it still begs the question as to what violence is sanctioned in response to how we perceive the world. What injustices will we stand up to and which forms of violence do we find palatable? It's an interesting thought experiment for us to explore through a character like Cyra.

All in all, I think the book aspires to a lot that doesn't always land, but that shouldn't stop anyone from enjoying what feels like an interesting take on a favorite trope in thriller lit.

Disclosure Statement: I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher through NetGalley for review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own and uninfluenced by either publisher or author.

Cyra's younger sister has been murdered and it's rumored she may have been the victim of a serial killer. In order to avenge her sister's death, Cyra joins a serial killer support group hoping to find the person responsible. An easy read with a couple of twists along the way which I guessed were coming. This appeared at face value to be an interesting premise for a story but it felt flat, like it's many one-dimensional characters, and the story was a little silly really.

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. Publication date for this book is 18 March 2025.

3 stars.

I really enjoyed this book! It's fast paced with an interesting premise. However, the recruitment process for the support group seemed too easy it's unbelievable, even for fiction. The characters also could've been given more depth. Each of them had a lot of potential that could be seen in the serial killer origins chapters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saratoga Schaefer for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Serial Killer Support Group by Saratoga Schaefer was an interesting read with several twists and turns.

From the publisher: “After her sister is murdered, a woman infiltrates a support group for serial killers in this biting queer feminist debut thriller, perfect for fans of The Final Girl Support Group and My Sister, the Serial Killer.”

SKSG plot was not on my radar, but I am glad to have received the ARC and read it. It is a unique take on revenge and justice. There is a lot of murder and death so monitor trigger warnings. The “queer feminist” part of the description is such a minor aspect to the plot. It is barely mentioned at all. I was pleased the focus stayed on track with the main character’s mission throughout instead of having any side quests.

The ending is a definite twist. I recommend SKSG for those looking for a new take on a thriller plot.

This book had a great ending. The build up was a little slower than I had anticipated but the characters were very fleshed out and the story kept me intrigued. I loved the little twist and turns the last 15% of the book!

The author isn’t exactly subtle about what you’re getting into here—this book is about exactly what it claims to be.

Cyra Griffin’s younger sister, Mira, was murdered by a serial killer. Or so the police say. Cyra is less sure (which, frankly, feels like red flag number one). But hold on, because things spiral quickly. The police aren’t making much headway (because apparently, that’s what they do when serial murder is involved), so Cyra—armed with absolutely zero relevant skills—decides to take matters into her own hands. Naturally.

With help from a friend who has access to police files (don’t ask), Cyra manages to worm her way into a *support group for serial killers.* Yes, you read that right. Because, of course, serial killers just *love* to meet up, process their emotions, and share snacks. The way she gets into this group is so absurd that you might want to toss the book across the room. And honestly, I wouldn’t blame you—just maybe don’t do it if you’re reading on your phone or tablet. You’ll need that later to Google the dark web over your morning coffee, because apparently, that’s a thing.

Can Cyra survive this mess and find Mira’s killer? Does the killer just *have* to be in this group? Do you even care? Are you secretly rooting for Cyra to meet a tragic end because, frankly, she’s brought this chaos on herself? And what about these supposed serial killers—are they even remotely competent, or just a bunch of basement-dwelling cosplayers about to get offed themselves?

Here’s the deal: every character in this book is dumber than the last, and I’m pretty sure I could be a better serial killer, detective, and snack coordinator than all of them combined. Save yourself the headache and don’t bother with this one—it’s just not worth your time.

An interesting thriller with a new take on getting justice 🔪

The main character Cyra infiltrates a serial killer support group after being given information by her friend in the police force that her sister’s murder may have been the work of a serial killer.

Whilst the story is shown from the POV of Cyra, we get a backstory chapter on most of the support group attendees. Some of them felt quite brief and I would have liked to have seen either longer chapters or more of them to give those characters a bit more depth.

I couldn’t connect well with Cyra. I get that she was after justice but she was so narrow sighted in her search. There were only 6 people in the group and she was so sure it was one of them, when there was literally no evidence.

The ending was a good messy conclusion and it felt like Cyra and Mistletoe became one.

I enjoyed this book! It was a quick read for me and the concept was fun. I'd give it a 3.75 out of 5 stars. Thank you so much for this ARC!

Yes, sis. I am all for women's rights and wrongs. This premise was quite interesting, as if it came straight from the world of Dexter. However, I found it lacking – not the writing, but the characters. Does this mean I am normal after all??? I found it impossible to form any connection to these people, Cyra in particular. Bebe girl, get another hobby.

It was interesting (to say the least) to follow someone into the depths of their own inhumanity and madness. However, not the heroine I wanted. Not a character that I was rooting for. In the end, I guess she got her own definition of justice. I actually found the snippets of the serial killer origin stories pretty fascinating. I wish the writing went a little further on the psychology though. Some of the bits were just very “I guess I’m like this” etc etc, when I think it could have delved deeper into both nature and nurture.

It’s a 3.5 (rounded down) from me. I would recommend to readers that enjoy graphic dark horror or (fictional) true crime books. And I would still pickup other books by this author, depending on the subject/premise. Not fully impressed enough for her to be an auto-buy, but excited to see what she does in the future, as it is clear she has some creative ideas.

Serial Killer Support Group by Saratoga Schaefer

Serial Killer Support Group tells the story of a young lady whose sister is murdered. The police suspect a serial killer. Rather than wait for them to find the murderer, Cyra Griffin decides to take matters into her own hands and pursue a novel course in a desperate attempt to uncover the truth.

Through a convenient connection, Cyra is able to discover the existence of a support group for serial killers. She pretends to be one and joins the group so she can try to avenge her sister. In the process, she meets some despicable characters and has to face some uncomfortable truths about herself.

This book goes to some dark places as it gives us the background of the various serial murderers who make up the support group and explains a little bit about each of their backgrounds as well as their unique styles. One constant is the way men continue to harm women, and an interesting aspect of the book is the way Cyra turns the tables somewhat by proving to be more difficult to victimize than expected.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Crooked Lane Books, an imprint of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC, for the opportunity to read this debut novel.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the eARC copy of this book.

I was intrigued by the title and the concept straight away - a support group for serial killers? Tell me more.
The book was a bit of a slow burn at the start, but as it picked up, I became more and more invested in finding out who murdered Cyra's sister Mira.

I think what could've been improved for me was the following:
- More time spent on the serial killers, I feel like they were introduced and we were given a very brief insight into their pasts and then they became very minor characters and fell into the background.
- I wasn't a fan of the ending to be honest, felt like a bit of a copout.

I did find Cyra's transition into Mistletoe to be fascinating and I almost wonder if there will be more for her in the future, I would probably read about it.

All in all, was a fun concept and pretty easy to read!

First of all, I absolutely love it when authors give an example of how to pronounce uncommon names. Great start right there! The story was compelling and the premise thrilling. The main character was easy to sympathise with. Initially I thought perhaps she was on the autism spectrum due to her struggling with displaying emotions, but regardless of that I think a lot of people can relate to the notion of not grieving the way people think you should grieve. After all, there is no normal way to process the death of a loved one.

I THOROUGHLY enjoyed reading about the different serial killers and their flashback stories, as well as seeing them in a different light during the meetings. It was interesting to see what it looked like when the author shed some human light on them. The mystery kept me on my toes and even when I thought I knew who it was, it turned out I was wrong. A wonderful debut novel, and I can't wait to see what else the author comes up with in the future!

I enjoyed the mystery in suspense throughout this book. I thought the writing style enhanced the book and despite it being all about serial killing it was well written with a good plot.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

I enjoyed this one so much more than I thought! I love a good “woman who wants revenge” plot and that was exactly what I got. Cyra was a character that I felt such sympathy but also so much aggravation for. She is struggling to find closure and justice for her sister, who the police assume was murdered by a serial killer. In her quest for justice, she infiltrates a serial killer support group. And the madness ensues from there. This one was a solid 4⭐️ to me. It did have moments that felt somewhat hard to believe plus Cyra is truly her own worst enemy. But I enjoyed this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This one was just OK. A grieving sister joins a mysterious support group for serial killers. Throughout the story, we get to learn about each of the killer's backgrounds. It was generally unbelievable with the backstories also being very sterotypical.

Cyra’s sister, Mira, was brutally murdered and one of her friends believe it was the art of a serial killer. Cyra feels guilty after Mira’s death so she seeks justice herself by claiming she’s a killer to get into the very secret serial killer support group. What will happen when a woman joins a support group full of dangerous men?

I enjoyed the unique plot of this slow burn thriller, but I guessed the twists halfway through the book. Cyra is deemed a badass at the beginning of the book, but I didn’t care for her as a character. She was the dumbest person to solve the murder and her special skills that she talks about throughout the entire book weren’t defensive when taking on a dangerous person. I would’ve enjoyed the book more if all the characters were a little more intelligent, the chapters about the killers went into more depth, and for such a wild storyline I expected more thrill.

✨What to Read Wednesday: Review✨

For Fans of: Final Girl Support Group, A Talent for Murder
Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕
Genre: 🔪Thriller
Violence: 🪓🪓🪓🪓
Spice: 🚫
TW: mention of suicide, domestic abuse, knives, guns, drowning

Premise: When her sister is killed by a serial killer who the cops have yet to catch, Cyra infiltrates a serial killer support group to exact her own justice.

Thoughts: How does a bereaved, guilt-ridden sister immerse herself in a circle of monsters, one of whom she believes responsible for her sister’s death, and not get caught? I imagine that is the question Schaefer challenged themselves to answer when structuring this story & crafting the main character. Cyra’s complexity—the product of guilt & rage over Mira’s murder, her mental health struggles, others' expectations of how her grief should manifest—makes her navigation of the situation believable. But the deep dive into her personality drives the action forward rather than causing it to plod. The novel’s structure likewise aids this momentum. I admire authors who are able to keep me in suspense while eliminating suspects. Schaefer succeeds in this aim, unfolding each killer’s backstory as the reader struggles with Cyra to identify the right culprit. My one nit, if I had to name one, is that I’m not yet sure if I find the end satisfying. I certainly find it believable. That indecision has left me pondering the book days after finishing. And that is one of the highest complements one can pay an author.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books & NetGalley for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Who's your top thriller author for character development?

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The title of Saratoga Schaefer’s novel immediately piqued my interest, and I found myself eager to dive into its pages. The premise hinted at something unique, yet unsettling—a narrative exploring individuals whose inner desires are fueled by violence and death. Schaefer skillfully delves into the psyche of each murderer, subtly revealing the small, often trivial traits that spark their compulsion to kill: eye color, gender, age, or social status. These seemingly insignificant details are what draw their attention and ultimately seal their victims' fate.

One of the most captivating aspects of the novel is the character of Cyra. Her inner turmoil is palpable, a complex mix of melancholy and stoicism, punctuated by moments of almost eerie excitement as she seeks vengeance for her sister’s death. This drive for revenge forms the core of Cyra's existence, but her actions transcend mere sisterly protection. Cyra has a history of confronting and punishing those who have wronged her younger sister, often crossing the line between protective sibling and dangerous vigilante.

What intrigued me most was the sense of ambiguity surrounding Cyra. While we can empathize with her, her motivations are elusive, adding a layer of tension and unease to the narrative. As the story unfolds, the reader is left to wonder: who exactly is Cyra, and what are the true depths of her dark desires?