Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copies of this book. It was a different type of thriller than I am used to. It was unique, dark, and very interesting.
The book centers on Cyra, who infiltrates a support group for serial killers, in hopes of finding her sister's murderer and avenging her death.
The book primarily centers on Cyra, but a few times throughout the book, there is a chapter from one of the killers' perspectives. This was a creative way to show different mindsets.
The book was probably a little too gruesome for my taste. It was extremely dark and graphic with violence.
Cyra is a complex character. She is a shell of a person after the loss of her sister and is only fuled with revenge. She isn't necessarily likable, but you are compelled by the mystery of who killed her sister.
I would recommend this book if you enjoy dark thrillers. It was intriguing and something different to read. The author did a good job of getting into the scary minds of the killers, but the book was hard to read because of its brutality for myself personally.

This was an entertaining read- and all opinions are of my own. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

i really did enjoy reading this book. it felt like i was in one of criminal minds' episode!!

A really fascinating premise that sent goosebumps up my spine with the knowledge that these people really live among us! I felt her love for her sister and that made the idea more believable as I'm sure most of us can relate to. Taking matters into her own hands she takes a huge risk but in doing so we get to see how serial killers tick. Frightening in parts, but undeniably fast paced and tense.

I really loved this. When I saw the plot, I knew I had to give this one a go. As far as the plot I loved this. The narration is great. Cyra is a great character (unreliable? Anti-hero?) whatever she is. I definitely didn’t see some of the twists coming. And as I’ve said before, I’m a sucker for a good debut.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC of this book. This will be out in March of 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC

What a ride! A fun and engaging thriller with twists all over. I found the concept really cool and well executed. If you're looking for a thrilling and fast paced novel with a badass main character, I highly recommend.

I was so intrigued by the title and concept of the book. I enjoyed the story overall, but where it felt short for me was the many descriptive moments that I felt were unnecessary. That said, I liked reading about the different serial killer types and our main character's psyche. I loved the twists at the end, even though I guessed one of them. Overall, good story idea, execution could have been better.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

In “Serial Killer Support Group,” Saratoga Schaefer delivers a thrilling and refreshingly unique take on the revenge trope, centering on Cyra Griffin, a character who is as compelling as she is unhinged. After the murder of her sister, Mira, Cyra's life spirals into a blend of grief and anger, driving her to take matters into her own hands. Fueled by her frustration with the slow-moving police investigation, Cyra infiltrates a secret support group for serial killers, aiming to find her sister’s murderer from within. As expected with a book about serial killers, be aware of content warnings like violence and gore, though there actually isn’t too much in this book.

The plot hinges on Cyra’s descent into the underworld of killers—a world where the lines between justice and darkness blur. Her emotional detachment and single-minded obsession with avenging her sister make her a difficult but fascinating character. I found it a struggle to connect with her, but her coldness feels intentional and adds depth to her arc, especially with the ending of the book. Cyra’s lack of emotion, even when she recognizes it in herself, contributes to the slow unraveling of her psyche throughout the novel. Her interactions with the killers, particularly one who offers to help her find Mira’s killer in exchange for assistance with his next crime, heighten the tension and create a twisted “friendship” dynamic that keeps you hooked. I really enjoyed seeing Cyra adopting her own serial killer persona throughout the book; Cyra’s character as well as the serial killers were the most interesting parts of the book for me.

While the central mystery is predictable in places, the journey to the resolution is thrilling. The group of killers is well-developed, with Schaefer giving us glimpses into their lives, adding dimension to characters who could have easily been one-note villains. The way Cyra is slowly drawn into this world, teetering on the edge of becoming one of them, is a fascinating psychological exploration. It adds layers to the "cat-and-mouse" game between her and the other killers, making her increasingly hard to classify as hero or anti-hero.

The book's ending is satisfying and leaves room for potential sequels, especially with the reveal that some things Cyra—and we as readers—believed all along were not what they seemed. The final twist not only shocks but also ties up the threads of Cyra’s personal transformation, making it clear she was broken long before her sister’s murder, adding a deeper emotional resonance to her journey.

Despite a few suspension-of-disbelief moments—like how easily Cyra infiltrates the group—the book's originality and Cyra’s intense internal struggle make “Serial Killer Support Group” an engrossing read. Schaefer’s execution of the revenge plot, paired with a fresh premise of a support group for killers rather than victims, will have you clamoring for more of Cyra’s dangerously chaotic world.

Thanks NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this book! Even when I thought I had it figured out, there were twists right to the very end. It is definitely disturbing at times, but also really interesting, with characters that you kind of love to hate. I would highly recommend checking out this book when it hits shelves in March. I couldn’t put it down.

I found the plot and idea for this book very creative and interesting. We have an impostor story here! Or something along the lines of "one of us is lying" , I really enjoyed this concept with the setting in this story though I will not discuss it here as it would spoil a few things.
Our protagonist encounters a tragedy and tries to find justice herself, so the book picks up and I think it was executed amazingly.
The pacing does not drag on and I did not find parts where I was skimming over the text.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this story as an ARC

Main Takeaways:
- 3rd Person
- Murder
- Justice
- Impostor
- Mystery

Remmended? HELL YES

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC!!

I honestly had no idea where this book was going to go in the beginning. I loved how Cyra’s character changed throughout the book and the brief “alliances” she had. I do wish there was more story with the support group, but overall a good read!!

This is definetly up there with some of my favourite books I have ever read.
I absolutely love the concept, and mannn did Schaefer execute it well! I was addicted to it and I am kind of sad it's over.

After her sister is murdered by what appears to be a serial killer, Cyra Griffin is not doing too well. She’s trying to grieve, she’s angry at the way the police are handling the investigation and she just broke up with her girlfriend. So she does the most stupidest thing possible : use insider information (one of sister’s friend who works for the police) and decides to join a mysterious group to solve the case herself (GIIIIIIRL). That group happens to be a support group for serial killers but not a group to stop them from being serial killers, no a group to encourage each other. Of course things go wrong pretty fast.

The premise of this book is absolutely ridiculous and yet I loved it so much, mostly because Cyra is such a compelling character. She’s absolutely unhinged and borderline insane, but in an endearing way? I mean for a fictional character obviously. I love how little by little you discover that she was broken long before her sister died. Like on of the killers of the group says « you’re not one of us. But I think you could be. » She’s an absolute menace to society (like seriously) and yet her heart is in the right place somehow. Most of the things she does are because she loves her sister so much.
And the ending? Like not the actual resolution of the murder (which was still really cool) but the revelation that stuff we were told before were not actually true? So satisfying.

Cyra is in deep mourning for her sister Mira when she joins the Serial Killer Support Group. Charged with multiple types of crime, the support group members go to great lengths to vet other members, meeting in person to allay the possibility of attack. Mira was murdered, the killer was never found and Cyra is determined to find the guilty party—consequences be damned. The only woman in the group, Cyra attempts to avoid detection and bodily harm and ingratiates herself to the group’s other criminals, but is she sinking too far into this strange new world? Will she get out alive?

From the start, I found the plot and psychological profiling intriguing. Cyra searches for the perpetrator and the story is driven with the nuanced portrayals of these criminals. The Serial Killers Support Group keeps you on alert before arriving at the explosive conclusion.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for or an honest review and feedback.

When Cyra Griffin’s younger sister is murdered by a serial killer, Cyra knows better than to expect justice from the hands of the police department. With the investigation already dying its own slow death, Cyra follows the blood trail and finds her own way forward!! Great book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! Very different!!! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, a great who done it and a few crazy twists and turns. The story was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

A great thriller - I did have hesitations that this might be too similar to Final Girl Support Group but it more than holds its own. The main character is particularly complex and well developed. I would recommend to any thriller fans

ARC Review: Serial killer support group 🔪

Pub date : 18.3.2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

First,was super intrigued by the blurb of this book. When Cyra Griffin’s sister is murdered by a serial killer, she follows the blood trail and finds her own way forward by joining an in person serial killer support group.

Twisty like a pretzel, dark like unadulterated chocolate, and as compelling as a twisted car wreck, this thriller delivers a compelling story with strong focus on revenge! Just when I thought I figured it out, I was wrong. This turned out to exactly what it promised, a murder mystery and a mad thriller.

An entertaining and a slick story which I cannot say much about with out spoiling it. I did have to suspend disbelief a bit, but then I have to remember how absolutely terrified Cyra would have. My dear book besties, get ready for your new to be booktok murder mystery and this book is should interest large number of crime fiction fans.

Many thanks to the @crookedlanebooks and NetGalley for the arc in exchange of honest review.

Fantastic book ,couldn't put it down. Was very invested in the main character. Have recommended to all of my friends.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC to read and review.

I'm seeing a lot of glowing reviews for this book so I'm happy to know it has found an audience. Unfortunately, I'm just not one of them despite really wanting to be. The premise and cover definitely piqued my interest, but I can't say I enjoyed my time with this one.

The story gets going VERY quickly — something I would typically praise — but here, I just felt a lack of tension or believability. Cyra infiltrates the Serial Killer Support Group by chapter 4 and it was all just too easy. It required an extreme suspension of disbelief that I couldn't muster. I would have preferred to spend significantly more time with Cyra discovering the group and struggling to sneak in. I wanted her acceptance to feel *earned* and impactful.

But still, there are things to like here. It's a very quick read. Some fun reveals. Fans of Dexter should enjoy this if they aren't looking for anything too deep.

The premise sounded really unique and intriguing and it's what made me want to read this. I think I needed more from Cyra though, as it almost felt like her being "numb" was an excuse to not delve into her feelings/emotions more. I initially pegged Mira's killer to be the same person Cyra figured it out to be, pre-twist. Overall I'd recommend this if you enjoy Dexter, serial killers, etc.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN!

When I saw this pop up on NetGalley, I thought the cover was cool and the description sounded really cool. And oh my god. It was so worth the read.

Because this is a mystery/thriller kind of book, this will be a very vague review because I want you to experience this without me giving anything away. But I will say this: what do you think would happen if you tried to infiltrate a serial killer support group? (And not the victims of serial killers or serial killers trying to better themselves, I mean active serial killers who have no desire to quit.)

I really enjoyed how I couldn't predict the ending (who the Big Bad was), I thought I had, but NOPE. I was wrong. It felt like the reader gets to learn and discover at the same rate as the main character.

And if you're a fan of a great and unique character arc, this is for you!

If you liked Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix (or in my case, were disappointed in it), I highly recommend you read this book. Such a fun premise and so amazingly executed (pun intended).

Thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my review on TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) will be up at the end of the month with my monthly wrap-up.