3.5 stars

This was a solid thriller—definitely on the darker side. I’ll admit the pacing dragged at times, but the last 10% pulled it together and made it worth sticking with. It took me a while to get used to the writing style, but I really enjoyed following the perspective of a psychologist—I found the way she read people fascinating.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4


Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for this Ebook ARC in return for an honest review.

I’m a psychologist, Dr. Emy Rose, but that’s not my real name.
I work with serial killers who've hidden their victims. My job is to find the bodies - and I'm kind of awesome at it.

First time reading a book by this author, and the title definitely had me hooked. How could I not read this book.

Dr Emy Rose is a psychologist who is working on her own project THE HIVE where she talks to inmates who confessed to murders but who have never said where the bodies are of their victims, and gets them to tell her so she can help the Families of the victims.

What the inmates and others don't know is she is the sister of one of the inmates victims. The FMC of this book is basically willing to put her career, friendship, etc, at stake to find her brother for her mam.

Reason I have given this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 is no right minded/good psychologist would risk their job, reputation for their own gain and wouldn't have had their project green light. However, I was happy with the ending it did round everything up.

I highly enjoyed this dark and witty narrative. If I am being 100% honest it did not grab me from the very beginning. The first few chapters I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue on but I am so glad that I did! This book ended up being five stars for me and I am stingy giving out five stars. I really enjoyed following Emy in her personal and work life as she works in her ground breaking research to persuade convicted murderers into revealing the locations of their undiscovered victims. Each killer had their own unique personality and this book did a great job of looking into each of their minds. Emy has her own personal reasons for her research and her dry humor and sharp comebacks made for an electrifying ride. I enjoyed the romantic aspect of this book as well and was rooting for them from the beginning. The entire book's dialogue crackles with wit, and the cast of morally ambiguous but irresistibly interesting characters kept me hooked until the final twist. It’s a story where violence and comedy dance in perfect sync.

If you love your crime thrillers with a generous dose of sarcasm, clever twists, and a protagonist who refuses to go down quietly, How to Read a Killer's Mind is a must-read. A devilishly fun and unforgettably dark tale that will keep you laughing—and guessing—until the very end.

PS. I love the cover so much! I cant wait to read her next book. I even went to Amazon and bought her other book I haven't read yet!

Thank you, NetGalley, the author, and the publisher, for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After readings Tam's first book I loved his writing style. So when I seen that he was releasing his new book, I requested to read it on NetGalley and I was accepted to read it.  What can I say this is another great book by Tam, I loved every page of this book! Tam has done so much research into this book, you would think he was a psychologist. Emy has a great talent for getting into the minds of the inmates and extracting the information for the families. The quirks which each inmate had was so interesting and really shows the difference of each human being. I loved the bond that Emy had with her mum and showing just what she would do for her family. This really resonated with me and I feel most people we would all do anything for our families. This book left me wanting more which is a true testament to Tam's writing abilities.

This was a DNF for me around 20% I just really couldn't get into and was not looking forward to picking it back up. I've enjoyed other works by the author and was looking forward to this one but just couldn't connect. Would still recommend to anyone to give this a try was just a miss for me, have seen some positive reviews for this one so maybe I'll circle back to it at some point. I want to thank NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

How to Read a Killer's Mind is a gripping and intense psychological thriller that took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. The story follows Dr. Emy Rose, a psychologist who interviews confessed serial killers to uncover the locations of their victims. But beneath her professional demeanour lies a hidden motive that adds layers of tension and intrigue to the plot. I will say though, just purely based on the artwork and the short blurb, it was a bit of a darker read than I initially thought. Very good read regardless!

The relationship between Emy and her mother was beautifully written — it added a lot of emotional depth and it felt like a little bit of a fresh air reading about the two of them. I also appreciated the strong bond between Emy and Chi, which provided moments of warmth amid the darkness.
Barnett expertly balances humour, darkness, and suspense, making the narrative feel well-rounded. The twists and turns kept me guessing, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, another surprise would hit. However, while the ending was packed with revelations, it felt a bit rushed. I would’ve loved more build-up and suspense leading into the final moments. It did make me sit silent for a few minutes after finishing the book, but I expected a little bit more. Additionally, one of the serial killer’s stories felt unresolved — I was left wanting more clarity on his motivations and fate.

The book does tackle intense themes, including death, violence, and grief, so I would have appreciated clearer trigger warnings as I personally struggle with reading about grief specifically. Despite these minor issues, this is a unique and chilling read!

A quick and fast paced thriller. The book follows Emy and Chi who run a psychological compound with convicted murders, their aim to get the convicts to disclose where the unfound bodies are. They have recently had success and are working hard to crack the others. Especially Elkins who has been convicted of Emys brothers abduction and murder. I liked the different psychology techniques through out the book, I found them really interesting. The book was quite dark throughout but set the scene for the terrible crimes committed

This story follows Dr. Emy Rose, a psychologist leading a groundbreaking government initiative aimed at persuading convicted murderers to reveal the locations of their undiscovered victims.
Dr. Rose is particularly fixated on breaking one elusive subject. Her relentless pursuit is driven by personal motives that she keeps concealed, suggesting she will go to any lengths to penetrate this killer's mind.

Loved loved loved this book!!! The characters were well written and the plot was exciting and made me want to keep reading more. I want to read more books by this author!

This this was a psychological thriller that was heavier on the psychology components. This would be a good read for someone who prefers a thriller that is not filled with nonstop anxiety inducing moments. This book has an unexpected twist which is an automatic 4 star minimum for me for the surprise factor.

Rating: 4 stars!!!!!

TROPES.
- Missing person/persons
- Bodies, bodies, bodies
- Murders!!
- Unhinged serial killers
- FMC 'Detective'
- (kind of a) Dual POV


REVIEW. (spoiler free!)
This book was so good, I read it so fast, and I didn't want to put it down, from the very first page, I was HOOKED, which I love when this happens, as I know I am going to inhale the book.

The book is about psychologist Dr Emy Rose. She works with serial killers, she gets inside their minds to discover where they have hid their victims bodies. This helps the families of the victims get closure. Emy has a place of work, called THE HIVE which is where she works with serial killers, intimately, closely and is able to keep a very close eye on them. It is a scientific project, an experiment that has already worked with one inmate, called George Petty. She has a lot riding on this, and the 'boss' Barnaby Harrington will do anything to see her fail.

Emy has a lot going on, she lives with her Mum. Her Mum suffers with traumatic mutism, which means she doesn't speak because a traumatic event has stopped this. The traumatic event in question, is that her son, Sam got taken and killed. His body has never been found, and this is why Emy does what she does, because her and her Mother never got closure, and her Mum doesn't speak because of this. She would do anything to change the situation, get her Mum closure and get her Mum to speak again. Another reason Emy NEEDS 'The Hive' to work, and keep being funded.

Her best friend Chi, and work colleague Robbie help her run 'The Hive', and inside it holds 3 serial killers. Frank Elkins, Joe Okorie and Tim Shenton. All twisted serial killers, 2/3 of them have multiple bodies hidden, and the other hasn't admitted to his crime but has a criminal record for something not so pleasant, that makes him seem guilty for his crime. This is where it starts getting interesting, as we get a glimpse into Joe's POV, which is as crazy as you would think it would be, although I have no idea where I actually felt sorry for him. It is madness how the 3 of them can keep secrets, manipulate situations and keep things buried. Literally.

The book is fast paced, has very interesting stories throughout - which all adds up to why Emy is doing what she is doing. There are twists, turns, fun, excitement, betrayal, laugh out loud moments but also very dark moments too. Will Emy find out what she wants to find out? Will Harrington shut her down? Will time run out? And what secrets will be revealed along the way?

CONCLUSION.
I liked this book, actually maybe even loved this book. The character building was really great, the story was slow enough to build a story but fast enough to keep the suspense going throughout. I thought the book as a whole was written really well.

It had everything you needed from a thriller, and that little bit more. Tam Barnett knows how to write, and keep readers engaged!!!

There was the right balance for everything, from humour, to darkness, to happiness, to twists, to turns, to a lil splash of romance and then throw in a big twist ending - mix it altogether, and you get 'How To Read a Killer's Mind'.

The only reason that I didn't rate this book a 5 star, which I really wanted too, was because of the following:
The lack of trigger warnings, now I know triggers don't need to be in every book but a couple of parts of this did make me feel a little uncomfortable. My books I read normally come with trigger warnings, I call them a menu. But just felt maybe it needed to be mentioned.
The ending went from one extreme to the next. It felt slightly rushed, and it was over and done with before it even began, so I would of liked more of a build up, some more suspense. I think this book could of easily been extended by 50-100 pages, which is actually a compliment as some books need less pages, I don't think I have ever wanted more pages in a book.
One of the serial killers I would of liked to of known if he actually committed the crime or not, although briefly explained, I would of liked to of known more about the situation, and it be detailed as to why and how he got found out, why he done it etc. It was left very empty, and the serial killers story stopped very abruptly. I wish I actually had answers to that.

They are my only faults, and the reason it didn't get 5 stars, but other than that, I would recommend this book, and I will definitely be buying Tam's other book.

Thank you for letting me be an arc reader Tam and Boldwood Books.

Dr. Emy Rose is running a psychological experiment, diving deep in the minds of confessed serial killers to find their victims and ultimately bring closure to the victim’s families. Dr. Rose is dedicated but there’s also a secret driving force behind her work making her determined to find answers at any cost.

How To Read A Killer’s Mind is a wild ride. I could not put this book down. Do not let this cute and colorful cover fool you, this book walks on the dark side. This story has endless twists and turns, many I did not see coming. So many times, I felt as though I was sitting across from the killer myself. The secret that Dr. Rose holds enhances this story in a fascinating way making this such an interesting and engaging read. The ending was phenomenal, it is jaw-dropping and I am so excited to see what’s next.

Tam Barnett's writing hooked me from the start. His writing is captivating, the attention to detail and research required to write such a story did not go unnoticed. This was my first book by Tam Barnett but it will not be my last.

I read this whole thing in one sitting on a train ride from Amsterdam to Berlin, and WOW did it hold my attention from start to finish! The jump between perspectives was particularly interesting here and the relationships of the main protagonist changed so quickly that it added another layer to the mysteries. Can’t wait for the sequel!

This was FANTASTIC! So original in it's premise: a psychologist who develops a project whereby she interviews convicted serial killers continuously in order to get them to reveal where they buried the bodies. The differing relationships she develops with each one is very interesting. Think the relationship between Clarise and Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the lambs except you get multiple serial killers. Add in that she has her own very special reasons for doing what she does and we have a great cat and mouse/ mystery. The story is so well laid out, the characters are fantastic, the pacing is great with some humour, some dark bits and a lot of end of chapter cliffhangers. Also the ending won't disappoint! Chef's kiss! 💋

Many thanks to Boldwood book who provided me with a copy of the book via NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

My first read by Tam Barnett, I was initially drawn to it's cover and the description. Some of the parts of the novel felt far-fetched . The pacing of this was good, It started off slower and as things began to unfold the pace and tension within the book picked up. Despite enjoying this read, it took me a lot longer to finish the novel. It's a good dark thriller. I thank netgalley and boldwoodbooks for eARC copy.

I only read the first couple of chapters and just didn't enjoy the writing. I DNF reading the novel. I was intrigued by the premise but found the writing style juvenile

WARNING: it's another unexpected unpopular opinion review!!

I have a weak spot for a serial killer thriller, and especially when it gives us a glimpse inside the head of one (or more) twisted minds. I guess it's easy to understand why I was drawn to How To Read A Killer's Mind as soon as I saw that title and read the blurb... The premise sounded like a perfect match for me and I loved the promise of dark humor as well as the main character trying to get inside the murderers' minds. Sadly, I ended up being in the minority and I can't exactly say that I had a great time reading it.

Don't get me wrong: I still absolutely love the premise of How To Read A Killer's Mind. The special prison designed to get convicted killers to confess where they hid the bodies, the unorthodox methods to do so, the focus on the personal angle as well as getting closure for the family of the victims... This story had SO much potential, but sadly this potential wasn't exactly met for me. I know I'm the outlier here though, and I think this is probably partly a case of 'it's not you, it's me'. I'll try to explain why below.

The thing is... I really clashed with the writing. There was just something about the writing style and tone that simply didn't work for me, and as a result I struggled considerably to find the motivation to keep reading. In fact, it took me a lot longer than usual to actually make it to the final page... The pace is surprisingly slow especially in the first part, and to make things worse the promised dark humor was a total dud for me. Sure, I could see where the story tried to be funny, but the humor used just wasn't for me and it mostly made me feel frustrated instead of causing even the tiniest chuckle.

I think the fact that the main characters are just so extremely hard to like doesn't really help either. Sure, even Emy Rose admits she is 'rude, disparaging, impatient, cynical, dry', and she uses being herself as a tactic to get the killer's to give up their secrets... But does she really have to treat the other people around her so badly? And better question: do I really want to have to put up with her behavior? That would be a no for me. A lot of the humor is both blunt and crude, and I just never cared about whether Emy would find the answers she was looking for to be honest.

That said, I also wasn't a fan of how things were wrapped up in the end. It was just both way too farfetched and underwhelming at the same time, and not the ending I was hoping for after such a long build-up. True, there were some interesting moments along the way and it shows the author spent a lot of time researching to make the interviews and the psychology behind the way the killer's react to the questions credible. That part was without doubt fascinating, but for me it was overshadowed by the fact that I couldn't stand the writing, humor nor the characters in play. I know this is mainly a personal reaction though, and I do seem to be in the minority so far... So don't give up on my account if you think this story is your cup of tea. Make sure to brace yourself though as this story can get pretty dark and gruesome!

"How to Read a Killer's Mind" by Tam Barnett offers a unique and gripping experience. It follows Dr. Emy Rose, a psychologist who uses an experimental program designed to elicit confessions from serial killers. The narrative takes readers on a psychological rollercoaster, prompting them to question their understanding of morality and justice.
From the start, I was struck by how much Barnett packed into this story: ethical dilemmas, profound psychological insights, and the burden of family ties all intertwine in a gripping thriller. The exploration of grief and trauma delineates how our moral compasses can skew under pressure, and quite frankly, I found myself entranced by this darker aspect of human nature.
However, Emy Rose is not an easy character to warm up to. In fact, she’s designed to be intentionally abrasive—she describes herself as "rude, disparaging, impatient, cynical, dry," and I found that to be a double-edged sword. While her unlikable nature makes sense in the context of her turbulent background, it also created a distance that made me struggle to connect with her for a good portion of the book. The first half felt more like trudging through treacle than racing through a thriller, but then something miraculous happened around the 50% mark: the tension escalated, and I found myself unable to put the book down.
Barnett’s writing is seamless, drawing me in with smooth prose while remarkable moments of darkness left me breathless. I often had to pause and gather my thoughts after particularly harrowing scenes. The emotional depth within the narrative surprised me; Dr. Emy Rose isn’t just a cold psychologist; she’s a deeply flawed individual, grappling with her own demons. This layer of vulnerability added complexity to her character, making her journey even more compelling.
As I neared the end, I was fully invested in the gripping cat-and-mouse game, even if I wished for a more impactful conclusion. After such a feverish buildup, the ending felt like a missed opportunity to deliver the gut punch I was yearning for. Still, I believe that the extensive character development and dark themes remained poignantly engaging throughout the book.
If you have a penchant for psychological thrillers, I urge you to give "How to Read a Killer's Mind" a spin—but do check the trigger warnings beforehand. Barnett doesn’t shy away from the grittier aspects of human nature, and her story is as absorbing as it is unsettling.
Ultimately, despite a rocky start and a climactic letdown, the experience was a vivid exploration of the human psyche that will linger in my thoughts for a while. Whether you love thrillers or not, there’s something in this book that urges you to confront the dark corners of your own mind.

Thank you for the opportunity to read How to Read a Killer’s Mind by Tam Barnett!

I absolutely love the title but the book wasn’t quite my style.

This was a gripping read  and I read it in a sitting. There aren't many books that grab me like that.

It is a dark book that keeps you guessing and then having to re-guess because the red herrings are everywhere, and what you thought you had figured out, you hadn't.
It is very well written, although you do need to suspend some belief as some procedures are far too outlandish to ever be sanctioned.  I hope.
There are some disturbing parts, but there's also a lot of humour and sarcasm, and the relationship between Emy and her mother is just so endearing.