A grieving sister joins a dangerous support group for serial killers because she believes her sisters killer is in there. Being in such close proximity to such inhumanity is terrifying and a bit thrilling. Will she find the killer or get killed herself? Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is totally not my genre. But I was hooked by the cover, title and description. This book was intriguing and was a page turner from the very beginning.

The ending got CRAZY and took a turn that I can’t say I didn’t expect but it was the option I was hoping she wouldn’t move towards.

I’m glad I read it in October because it was definitely creepy but not super gory.

Thank you for the advanced copy- I think this one will go big!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I will kick this one off by saying that, conceptually, this book is all there for me. There’s a lot to be said for a book that canvasses a new sort of idea, particularly in the thriller world, where it seems to be increasingly rare.

This book starts off fairly slow. There’s a point in the book, about 1/3 of the way through, where it really picks up though, which is great. Unfortunately, it does feel a bit like the book is built around the premise and the title a little more than it should be- the characters really don’t exist outside of the support group very well, which is a real shame.

The main character is an interesting woman in terms of her approach to things, but she’s also very much focused on a single outcome. I didn’t feel like she really existed outside of her sister’s death, which was a shame, as there was a lot more potential in her.

I found the serial killers really interesting, but there also wasn’t enough on them. It would have helped to have just a bit more flow in the book to move the narrative along.

There were parts of this book, however, that I found entirely compelling, and really enjoyed. It’s a mixture of really good and a piece that needs a bit of editing, but a solid middle-of-the-road for me.

The title of this book immediately drew me in but I found myself a bit disappointed in the end. The organization of the story and alternating timelines and narrators got too difficult to keep track of.

Cyra Griffin will do anything to find out who murdered her sister, even if that involves joining a serial killer support group. What could possibly go wrong? Will Cyra find who brutally murdered her sister?

Whilst I really enjoyed the plot of this book, I didn’t particularly like the characters and found the ending a little predictable.
I liked the nicknames all the serial killers in the group had.

This book was such a unique read, I loved the fact it was a twisty book. I loved getting some insight into the mind of a serial killer, it was such a good read. In Halloween time this is a must read!

Thank you Crooked Lane Books for the NetGalley ARC of Serial Killer Support Group by Saratoga Schaefer
I absolutely love this book, the story is dark and twisty with so many layers and interesting characters. Loved being along for the whodunit ride. The idea of an anonymous group of serial killers getting together, sitting in a circle and drinking coffee while discussing their activities and getting advice from each other grabbed me immediately.
Cyra really will do anything to get revenge for her sister’s murder. Who are her friends? Who are her allies? Is a member of the support group her sister’s killer? I could continue reading her story forever. (But really, I could, I want more from her, what happens next?)
Recommending this book to everyone upon its release is a no brainer.
The only hard part for me was reading the names in my head, I appreciated the pronunciation description for Cyra but having her sister named Mira and having both names in the same sentence/paragraph repeatedly had me saying Sigh ra and My ra or See ra and Me ra in my head for a while until i stopped caring to correct myself.
Could there be a possibility of a follow up? I want to know where Cyra goes, does she become a serial killer vigilante and go across the country targeting other serial killers? I want to know 🤣

I wanted to read this book based on the title alone. Cyra wants to find out who killed her sister and get her vigilante justice. This was original and fast paced and I loved the transformation as Cyra changed to Mistletoe. I thought I had it figured out but happy there was a twist at end. Highly recommend this book

Thank you Crooked Lane Books for the eARC!
Cunning and satisfying.
Easily a top read of 2024. The premise is clever with Cyra infiltrating a serial killer support group to find her sister’s murderer? Sign me up 1000x! This was a page turner with each chapter leaving you wondering what would happen next, and wow the unreliable storytelling was brilliant. Saratoga created a complex cast and an MC who I ultimately loved in the end (I’m a Cyra Griffin apologist, fight me).

This is one of the books that I'm only a few chapters in, but I already knew that I will love it. AND I DID! This is a five star read. This is unique for me, I haven't read anything like this before.

Yes, I'm questioning my choices cause the story descent from something dark to darker, but I FREAKIN LOVE IT.

If you want a book with a vengeance plot, feminine rage, tension - a lot of tension - and PLOT TWIST in capital letters. You have to give this book a try.

I liked the premise of this book, but didn't end up finishing the book. It drug to much for me to finish.

I liked this from start to finish.

The whole premise of the book: going a serial killer support group to find your sisters killer is what hooked me. The flaws in our Cyra kept me reading. Reading her transform into Mistletoe and how the killers underestimated was a highlight.

I was anticipating one ending to this book. And when it didn't go that way...well, I'm not disappointed in the way it did go. Honestly, was there another way? I'd figured the killer out early on because something felt off. But other than that, the red herring was brilliant.

Arc copy for March 2025. Like the idea of the book. Having the main character sneak into a support group of killers to find information of her sister. You lean the backgrounds of each member slowly throughout the story. The twist had you keep thinking you know the truth until the end.

This was such a unique experience, I’ve never read anything like it before. I was so creeped out while reading it, it’s such a distinctive look at serial killers. The fact that they need a support group in itself very weird and our lead dives head first into it. She is smart and a badass, as she tries to find her sister’s murderer.

The premise of this book is great. The second I saw the title I was interested. Now this book definitely wasn’t perfect and I think it is lacking a bit in character development. I enjoyed the different POVs but those were only brief looks into each of their lives and could have offered more. Cyra also wasn’t someone I was necessarily rooting for, I wish she was a bit more likable as a character overall. Regardless of all of that, I did still enjoy the book. And I was genuinely surprised when the killer was revealed.

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

4.5/5
There was a time in the beginning where I was not hooked, but it really picked up steam and the 2nd half was really enticing!
There is a clever twist at the end.
I agree with another reviewer who said “Cyra and Mira (not rhyming) are annoying sibling names”. I’ll add they feel unlikely.
This was a very interesting book to read right after “This will bury me”. Back to back thrillers, free ARCs thanks to NetGalley. Give this one a go!

This was a book that I had received from the author (Saratoga Schaefer), her publisher (PenguinRandomHouse), and the fine folks at NetGalley.

The premise of this tale is that shortly after her sister is found murdered by a serial killer. Her bereaved sister, Cyra Griffin, is dissatisfied with the lack of progress by the local police department, NYPD, in the investigation of the murder and develops a plan with the assistance of a lowly clerk (and a "friend" of her sister ... a fact that comes to fruition later in the book) to infiltrate a local chapter of a Serial Killer Support Group (to quote a phrase from the book "A twisted parody of an AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) group) by pretending to be a serial murderer herself in the hopes of finding the person who ended her sister’s life. Proving herself to this group of murderous reprobates comes at a cost, but it’s one Cyra is willing to pay in the name of revenge.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and a support group for serial killers is an amazing idea. However, the writing never captured my imagination and I struggled to get into the book and the characters’ lives. This was one of those books that had attracted me based on the title and the simplicity of its cover (a phenomenon that I've coined "The Racoon Principle") but sadly the final product fell flat.

The protagonist, Cyra, is hellbent to find out who murdered her sister. That urge, and help from her sister's best friend's boyfriend Eli leads her to a group of serial killers who meet once a week to talk about murder. All she had to do to be in with the group was a 'favor' for them - getting rid of a mysterious package. From then on, the night before the meeting the group leader, 'Python' (because every murderer had a really lame nickname) would let them know that the meeting was on and where it was.

In the meetings, Cyra went by the nickname 'Mistletoe', and wore a full-on disguise and everything. She broke the rules as soon as they were told to her, essentially, by fraternizing with another group member, 'Lamprey', outside of group sessions. Each serial killer member had their personality and nickname- based on the names of invasive parasitic creatures and plants: 'Mockingbird' was the secretive murdering trucker, 'Pea Crab' was the murderous tweaker, and on and on it went. By the end of the book, Cyra soon became the monster she claimed to hate as she attempted to learn more about so she could solve her sister's murder.

On the standard five-star scale that I use to rate the books that I read, this novel would rate 3.25 stars as while this was an interesting idea and did have some very intriguing moments. However, I felt the execution to be a little lacking. I had no connection to the characters whatsoever. I was invested in the journey of revenge and grief. I believe that while there is a group of people who will love this one, it just didn’t hit the spot for me.

As with all my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents worth

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Cyra's sister, Mira, was murdered and Cyra makes it her life mission to avenge her sister's death no matter the consequences.

The author did a good job of telling the story and I thought it was a great spooky season read! I liked how each serial killer had their own chapter so we could get to know them more. It added to the story.

5 stars

Thank you, Crooked Lane Books for the copy of Serial Killer Support Group by Saratoga Schaefer. I loved the premise of this book and a support group for serial killers is an amazing idea. The writing never captured my imagination, though and I struggled to get into the book and the characters’ lives. Maybe it was how the book was organized, with some chapters devoted to a particular killer’s childhood. The killer’s childhood didn’t seem to have any relationship with what was happening in the present, and the usage of the killers' aliases and their real names was hard to keep track of. I got more interested near the end, but the actual ending was lackluster, but I can see why readers would love how unexpected it was. This book wasn’t for me, but you might love it if you like questionable characters and an interesting main character. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

A bunch of serial killers meeting up once a week? Count me in!

I loved the idea of this book! It felt so unique and fun, like the idea of serial killers getting together to discuss their, ermmm, passion? I guess that’s how you’d put it 😅

Also, the FMC hit way too close to home, with the feelings of grief and the panic attacks. Definitely relatable, and I understood her need for vengeance. Although I may not have taken the same approach 👀 I at least get it!

I feel like the way the story progressed was good, and I enjoyed the way it was written. I got through this one pretty quick, and I needed to know how it was going to end! Overall, definitely a good read for spooky season!

I would have enjoyed a little more development in the end, especially with everything the character goes through. But I did love the little twist the author threw in at the end! Honestly, it was overall enjoyable!