This book was not what I expected at all. I didn’t get the mystery thriller suspense vibes that it was described. A more accurate description would be: a romcom filled with morbid banter and a true crime fascination. Which I still enjoyed, hence the star rating!

This book is a cute love story between two people convinced that they’re damaged. I enjoyed the snippy back and forth serial killer quips between our main characters; and the iSpy murder game our MMC plays with his aunt.

Overall this book is a fun, light read, and in my opinion is a good pick if you’re generally more of a fan of darker reads but want to dabble in some more warm & fuzzy romance (which still keeping a murdery tinge).

Jake and Dolores are co-workers and she suspects he may be a serial killer. He's handsome, charming and wears the same outfit everyday, perfect for a serial killer hiding in the corporate world. Delores is obsessed with a murder podcast, wears black everyday and is full of dark humor quips. They both find each other intriguing and begin provoking each other at work. When one needs help getting rid of a body, their relationship changes to something more and they share their deepest secrets. This book is an unconventional mix of romance, mystery, and suspense. It's horrifying, heartbreaking, and funny at times. I can't find the words to express how great this book is, it keeps you guessing through the whole story.

📄🩸Serial Killer Games🩸📄
By Kate Posey

🩸 Outcasts
📄 Corporate office
🩸 Found family
📄 Dual POV

✨ Something about this writing felt a smidgeon like TJ Klune [interesting/ofd way of describing things?]
🩸 Would also be a great read for fans of Butcher & Blackbird - this has a similar sense of witty banter and gorey visuals but also has a uniqueness that I found endearing.
✨ I’m impressed by the way the author was able to portray such light hearted moments but also some truly devastating truths and themes. [to avoid spoilers mention exactly what those are.]
📄 During the first half of this I liked these characters but it felt like there was a plexiglass barrier between me and them, I could see them and watch them, but I could reach out and touch them.
🩸 The second half really takes off and you begin learning the intricate details of these characters. THIS is where the magic of this book lives.
✨ The last portion of this book was stunning, beautiful and I was NOT expecting it at all.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️: No

Not exactly what I was expecting but this was ultimately a lovely and sweet book. I didn't expect a lot of what happened in the book and that took me out of the story a little bit but I still enjoyed the read.

Not my cup of tea. Though I did enjoy the lampoons at corporate life (I've been an office drone for a decade now), the overall humor and snark wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy for review.

This book took a good amount of time getting into due to the slow pace of it, but it the end I realized, this book wasn't for me. I think the writing style was solid, but I don't think this book achieved the expectation I was hoping it would. It does a great job on the dark/ morbid humor aspect and exploring the serial killer/ mystery aspect. The romance was present, but I didn't feel that much of a connecton betweeen our two main characters.

To sum it up, good idea but not as great excution. I would love to read more by this author since I did enjoy certain aspects of her writing!

I liked this book a lot I think that the pacing was good and then the characters bounced off of one another so well that I had a blast follow them on their adventures. I highly recommend this book

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for my copy of this book!

Well, this book was absolutely nothing like what I expected! 😂 If I HAD to name a genre it fits into…I literally don’t know that I could. 😅 It’s all over the place. I laughed, felt emotional, felt angry, etc. It brings out all of the feelings for sure.

Two outcasts meet at work who both have an affinity for dark humor and, um, serial killer-esque things, and their interactions becomes a game. There’s a little bit of workplace romance/enemies to lovers here, but it doesn’t overshadow larger themes in the story.

As the story progresses, it becomes evident that things are not always as they seem. Posey writes masterfully in this way—with a constant sense of suspense throughout, and never knowing where she was going to take the story.

Honestly, this book was WILD. So many strange things happen, and the end starts to become quite the emotional conclusion that you never see coming in the beginning. From the MMC being named Jake Ripper to an absolutely hilarious scene of being pulled over by cops, I truly never knew what was going to happen here, and the ride was fantastic.

I would highly encourage going into this one blind and keeping an open mind! The banter is top notch, the writing is super clever, and the characters are all lovably quirky. You will absolutely laugh out loud (probably multiple times) and you very likely may cry. Also, shoutout to Aunt Laura, the absolute MVP of this story. 🥹

For a debut novel, I think Kate Posey knocked it out of the park, and I can’t wait to see what she does next!

OMG, you guys, this book was like, so wild and weirdly adorable? Like, imagine sitting at your desk thinking the new temp is defs a serial killer. Dolores is a total queen of making you laugh at the darkest stuff. And Jake is all broody and sus but, like, in a way where you're like, “Is it bad if I’m kind of into this?”

The vibe was dark humor meets awkward office flirtation, but with, you know, potential murder. Their back-and-forth was soooo entertaining, and just when I thought I knew where it was going—bam!—a twist. Like, I had to reread a part because I legit didn’t see it coming. And the whole “help me dispose of a body” thing? Iconic.

Okay, maybe I wanted a bit more from the ending, but still, the story was a total ride. If you like quirky characters and romance with a super twisted edge, this is for you. Like, chef’s kiss.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion! Four stars! ✨

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up Kate Posey’s debut, but wow—this book hooked me right away! It’s a darkly funny, unexpected mix of romance, suspense, and pitch-black humor, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

Dolores dela Cruz is such a sharp, edgy character with her gothy vibe and no-nonsense attitude—think Jessica Jones but more into true crime. And Jake Ripper? Well, he’s the kind of guy you know you should stay away from, but you can’t help being drawn in. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their banter had me laughing and cringing in equal measure.

The dual perspectives really worked for me. Both Jake and Dolores are flawed and damaged in ways that feel real, and their slow-burning connection was strangely sweet, despite all the dark, twisted stuff happening around them. The humor is spot-on, and the story is packed with twists that kept me guessing the whole way through.

I will say, the plot gets pretty over-the-top at times, but honestly, I didn’t mind—it just added to the fun. This was such an easy book to get lost in, and I kept wanting to read just one more chapter to see how everything unraveled.

If you’re into dark humor and romance with a macabre twist, you’ll probably love this one. It’s definitely a strong debut, and I can’t wait to see what Posey writes next!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was so genuinely fun and funny and also dark and tragic. There were so many plot twists I absolutely did not see coming and so many moments that I bark laughed at because WHAT is going on with literally everyone in this book??? I had a wonderful time.

I cackled at the first major misunderstanding between Dodi and Jake, when they go on their impromptu date night. Jake was being so straightforward and serious and Dodi was playing along and the domino effect was so hilarious that I couldn’t get over it. Both of them are so determined to hold their cards close to their chest that they’re even suspicious of their own selves. And they’re both so, so weird. I love them.

This was a fun read! I was instantly drawn in by Jack and Dodi—their banter was sharp, dark, and genuinely hilarious. I won’t discuss plot details to avoid spoilers, but the story was unpredictable, heartwarming, and an absolute delight. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

This book was really interesting and not at all what I was expecting based off of the title. The characters had a lot more layers to them and while once I got into it there were a few things that were predictable, I really wanted to read through to the end to see what happened for each of them.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this!

I didn't pay attention to the genre and was expecting a lot more serial killer shenanigans and actual deaths but with a fun romance twist. Instead it was more romance, but oh my GOD I really enjoyed it anyway. It was such a fun ride with characters I absolutely love and cherish and its delightful.

I genuinely never knew where this story was going at any time, and I was so impressed at how this all unfolded. I went into this book expecting a straightforward true-crime-like romance that focused on a serial killer and fanatic. What I did not expect was this darkly humorous yet super heartfelt tale that delved into family, identity, and the importance of pursuing one's dreams.

This book had such a unique narrative voice that drew me in immediately. Both Dolores and Jake had such distinct inner monologues, and I really appreciated how the style morphed throughout the novel. At first, it feels like both are pretty unreliable narrators and they feel very ambiguous, but they find themselves more and more grounded as the book progresses-- both in detail and in voice. Just when I thought I knew what was happening or I guessed something about each, I was proven wrong. They also had such a delightfully bizarre dynamic together and a twistedly delightful style of banter. It was so perfectly dark yet full of levity. The side characters were also just as engaging, and they were all so unabashedly unique in their own twisted ways. Half the fun of this book is the surprise factor, so I will leave it at that...

And finally, that ending just totally shocked me with how emotional I felt and how heartfelt it ended up being. Again, it was all so surprising (but all the twists still felt believable, which I really appreciated), and I was entertained from cover to cover. Posey did a phenomenal job of keeping the characters and specificities hazy and amorphous to create the tone, but then she grounded it all in a way that made me care so deeply for each character by the end. This was such an easy book to get lost in, and I just wanted to read on and unfold more of the puzzle with each page and revelation.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the chance to read this ARC. It was such an adventure of a book, and I absolutely loved it!

The plot for Serial Killer Games had so many twists and turns that I was left guessing as to how it was going to end until the last few chapters. If you love banter as much as I do, this book delivers! Highly recommend reading!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an ARC of this book for my honest review.

If I could give this more than five stars, I would! I absolutely LOVED this book. With fun murder banter about killers in the workplace, a great storyline keeping you guessing, and a well-rounded ending, this book had it all. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting and was more of a romcom with a side of suspense and murder, but it was exactly what I needed and I was happy and sad at finishing the story because I loved the closure it gave but needed to read more Jake and Dodi!

I would highly recommend adding this to your TBR for when it comes out. Great for a laugh, some heartfelt moments, and murder talk, keeping you in an awesome suspense the first half.

#netgalley #serialkillergames

Thanks to the publisher guy the opportunity to read this. However, it's very similar to a book I read earlier this year (It Had to Be You) and I'm finding it hard to not make comparisons and feel like I'm reading a fresh take on the killers-falling-in-love premise. This is just making me want to read the other book.

3.5/3.75 🌟

I thought this was a super fun unique read. I enjoyed the nod to true crime and the way it’s become an obsession in our culture. There were also some fantastic misleads and innuendos and it was fun figuring out where this was going

Sometimes it just got a little too convoluted and confusing. And some of the relationship stuff I thought could have been fleshed out more.

Overall I enjoyed it, and I think being a debut it’s going to get a lot of love. Would recommend

Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey offers a gripping and suspenseful narrative that blends elements of psychological thriller with crime fiction. The premise, centered around a dangerous game involving serial killers, is intriguing and keeps the tension high throughout the story. However, at times the pacing feels uneven, with certain scenes dragging on while others feel rushed, making it harder to maintain a steady sense of suspense. The characters, while interesting, could benefit from deeper development, as some motivations and backstories remain underexplored, leaving them feeling a bit one-dimensional. Despite these flaws, Serial Killer Games is an engaging, fast-paced read that will appeal to fans of thrillers, offering plenty of twists and turns to keep readers hooked.