Secrets of a Serial Killer is Rosie Walker’s debut thriller and boy is it a chilling and ultimately fun and endlessly entertaining read if you can suspend your disbelief. Several vicious serial killings have been occurring in the local area in and around Lancaster, one of them being seventeen year old Zoe who whilst out drinking at a bar with her boyfriend has her drink spiked and is abducted by an unknown male. Many more teenage girls start to troublingly disappear without a trace. Zoe's mother, Helen, an architect who is currently restoring the former insane asylum, Lancaster Lune Hospital, into luxurious flats having been abandoned for so long doesn't have a clue where to begin in locating her daughter. As the police fail to take the vanishing seriously Helen is left to pursue evidence by herself and she can't help but feel the hospital is somehow connected. It is known that a serial killer the police called Mr X was roaming the area for prey in the '80s and was possibly groomed by another serial killer around at the time, Leonard McVitie, to be able to kill and get away with it successfully. Can Helen discover where Zoe has been taken before it's too late?

The primary aspect that stands out about this story is the use of multiple perspectives (4 to be exact) and subplots with each intersecting in some way and this made it all the more interesting; the parts talking about the dark web were most fascinating as I am totally intrigued by it all. It is a fast-paced read and one that barely gives you a moment to breathe as there is so much happening throughout. I found it captivating, addictive once it got going and the distinct creepy, gothic atmosphere is deeply unnerving. I always enjoy the serial killer’s point of view if it is executed well and it was certainly done with aplomb here. There were chilling points in the novel and times when a reveal or twist caught me off guard. Set during a three day period this short thriller packs a powerful punch despite its length and has you feverishly flipping the pages to discover the outcome for the people involved. This is pure adrenaline pumping, tense and terrifying read and is tightly plotted and meticulously thought through by the author. Many thanks to One More Chapter for an ARC.

This was a fun read. Well written. Held my interest. Just an enjoyable read overall. Definitely would recommend this one!

This is a chilling, creepy and gruesome read that lives up to its tag about making your skin crawl - especially if you've a teenage daughter! The descriptions are graphic, the suspense level high and the plot twists are so shocking they keep you on the edge of your seat. I admit to skim reading some parts of the book as it was too horrendous for me. It is told from multiple points of view which can get confusing, especially in the middle third, and it certainly isn't for the faint-hearted! So if you like your thrillers involving kidnapping and murder that occur over decades you'll probably enjoy this book. If you're at all squeamish, give this book a miss! As for that ending, well !!!!!

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book and this is my honest review after choosing to read most of it and skim reading the rest.

I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

Secrets of a Serial Killer Review 

This book was fantastic! It was fast paced and so difficult to put down. I loved the multiple narratives, and appreciate when the author starts each chapter with who is speaking. I loved Thomas! I found the climax to be a nail biter and I couldn’t stop reading. I hadn’t heard of this one at all until I saw it available on Netgalley and in so glad because it was really good. 

SYNOPSIS:

A serial killer has been terrorising Lancaster for decades, longer than should ever have been possible. The police are baffled, eluded at every turn by the killer whose victims span generations. Speculation is rife among the true crime forums; is someone passing on their gruesome trade?

Every local mother's worst nightmare has become Helen Summerton's reality; he’s taken her daughter, Zoe. As the clock runs down so do her chances of survival. Can Helen unearth the secrets of the killer before it’s too late?

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

As you all may know by now, I’m a fan of books with serial killers, mental asylums and psychopaths (creepy, I know). Therefore, when I bumped into this book on NetGalley I couldn’t help but request it immediately. The plot sounded quite interesting and I was curious to discover where the story would have gone.
I think the first part of the novel was the slowest one because we are introduced to all the characters and all the points of view (which were definitely too many). Then, the POVs mingled together and it all became more interesting and easier to follow.
Walker’s book provides us with a lot of twists and I quite enjoyed all of them. Anyway, there were some things that I didn’t appreciate a lot.
However, one thing that really stand out was definitely the ending and I liked it a lot!

I have recently somewhat gone away from thrillers. I have read so many that I am able to predict the ending. Most thrillers lately have fallen short and left me unimpressed.
Not this one. It. Is. Creepy! I really was wanting a legitimately creepy thriller and oh wow, this is it. It is so creepy that it messed me up! I could not read close to bedtime and I had to hurry and finish because it was so scary.
A notorious serial killer is imprisoned at a mental hospital. It is rumored that he had a protege but no evidence was ever found to support it. Back then, the institutions were doing a lot of experimental procedures and they were not happy places. Helen is an architect hired to take the old asylum and make it into apartments. Then, her daughter goes missing. 
It will shock you. It will scare you. It will keep you up at night. You have been warned, this will get under your skin, and not in a good way! I initially loved the creepiness but it ended up being too much. I could not wait to be done with this book and I think I’m done with thrillers for awhile.

The premise was great but there were far too many points of view to keep up with. I found myself getting confused at times.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.  
This is a twisted take of serial murder and torture. Told from various perspectives, POV, follow the killer, the victim and the family and friends as they seek answers and a missing daughter. I found it too graphic to continue and complete. Suspenseful, well written; it will appeal to those less sensitive to violence.

Whilst this is a clever plot it just doesn't work for me; too many characters/voices and no real answers or conclusions.

This is a great debut novel. 
At first there’s quite a few stories all happening at once but bear with it, as it all makes sense in the end. 
Zoe is kidnapped whilst on a night out with friends and her Mum is sure something bad has happened to her. 
She comes across a true crime blog and learns of a serial killer who was prolific in the area and people think someone is copying his methods of killing. 
We get to see the articles and obviously know Mr X has got Zoe, but can her mum and the Police find her before it’s too late?
There’s also two children who stumble upon the killer’s lair and soon their lives are in danger too. 
This is a punchy first novel and I really enjoyed it. 
Thanks to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

To be fair this book didn’t grip me. I loved the concept of the story when I read the blurb. However, the storyline didn’t grip me and I ended up giving up on the book. If a book doesn’t grab me in the first few chapters, then unfortunately I find it difficult to continue. I got to about 25%. 

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc in return for an honest review

While out with her boyfriend one night, seventeen year old Zoe's drink gets spiked and she is captured by a crazy man. There seems to be a link to the girls who are missing in Lancaster and the closed down mental health asylum. A patient who had died in the asylum had been a serial killer and he had shared his secrets with on how to become a great serial killer without getting caught.

The story is told from multiple points of view which at times was a little confusing. There is also several subplots which made it hard to follow in places. the pace is slow but the ending felt a bit rushed. There's an eerie gothic vibe to and a character that's very creepy. The parts on the dark web are especially creepy. There is some really good characters and the eerie setting is well described. This is a decent debut novel.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and the author Rosie Walker for my ARC  in exchange for an honest review.

Rosie Walker, you had me at abandoned mental hospital! Bravo for such a remarkably entertaining debut novel. The plot was fast moving and held all of the tension, offense, and crazy twists that readers come to expect from this genre. The storyline begged to be character driven, however, it seemed that there were too many subplots within the narrative to really nail down adequate characterization for this. In turn, some of the cast felt disconnected to the reader and left the conclusion a bit anticlimactic. 3 stars.

I enjoyed this read for the most part. It started very well and I was hooked from very early on. The pace dropped though, I felt and I did lose interest a little. The plot became more difficult to follow and the characters didn't deepen or evoke empathy as the story line progressed. I did like the ending though. I found it quite thrilling and thought it was a very fitting and well written ending to this thriller. I enjoyed it for the most part and would recommend.

Young women have been disappearing for decades.  Now it's Zoe's turn.  Her mother Helen is on a desperate search for her.  What could of happened to her, who has taken her?
Thomas and his cousin are out looking for an old caravan.  Not only do they find it, but also a lot of trouble.  Hearing Zoes scream the same night they find the van, they decide to go back the next night.  They enter the old mental facility close to the van and discover what will turn into a night of bell.

I felt like this one started out really strong, and had a good middle, but then I didn't know what was going on, and the ending fell completely flat.  It was worth the read to find out the ending, but I did find it a little boring.  I would still read stories by the author.

Never drink and flirt ....you can't be sure where it'll lead ...a cellar...an asylum....a caravan?!
Wait..What was that thing about let's just go have fun with Zoe and friends? 
Come on now! 
There's like 4 premises working tightly here that are quite baffling because non of them seem to lead to a finale but Helen (Zoe's Mom) is on it moreso than the police so why not go with that gut instinct and play detective with Tony.
Or, was it the fact that "HIM" is disturbing as a character and needs serious psychological help. Perhaps this 'murder castle' aka insane asylum or dark cellar or whatever can increase the excitement level.
I truly enjoyed this story for the most part till that ending fell apart for me.
I'm not sure what's up but I can tell you that Richard's mom needs help because her past is way too creepy. Pregnant with a man whose supposed to be your mentor?
Oh, by the way Thomas and Maggie are about to stumble upon something or someone.
Perhaps, Helen's mom will uncover the facts from some information she stumbled upon too.
You know the mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Thankfully the imagination kicks in gear to the point that we may just have Batman on our side or was it Paul who escaped?
Well, anyway -ENJOY!
Thank you to Rosie, the pub, NetGalley, and Amazon Kindle for this thriller in exchange for this honest review.

A great debut serial killer novel that I found hard to put down. After an initially slow and unsure start, I soon found myself getting drawn in and devoured the whole book in less than 24 hours. I found the plot progressed well and there were some great characters. All in all, a very enjoyable book. Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter and the author for the chance to review.

Considering this is Rosie Walker’s debut novel, I will admit that I was impressed!!! In my opinion, this had everything it needed to be a success. Parts of the story were very realistic, and as a girl, I can confirm that these things do happen, which is why you can never be too careful. The story kept me interested throughout the whole book & definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I wish the ending gave us a little more clarity, but besides that, I really enjoyed it!