"Today's the day. It's his turn now. He'll slice the girl open. He needs to see the life drain from her open eyes."

For a debut novel, I have to give Rosie props--this book definitely stands out in an overly-saturated thriller genre. I truly haven't quite decided if it's for the right reasons or not, though.

You have the main plot of the serial killer, but multiple other small, but heavy plots married into this one book that it's almost too...big. The numerous point of views doesn't bother me as I like hearing other character's voices, but the various plot lines are a lot to follow. It's not very cohesive.

All that being said, at it's heart, Secrets of a Serial Killer is an enjoyable mystery that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Getting directly into the mind of a killer is something I've always wanted to experience and here, you can do just that.

I definitely recommend grabbing a copy when you're home alone at night and wanting to dip your toes into a thriller.

Fantastic thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Zoe is a teenager and main part of the story along with cute kids Thomas and Maggie. The story is creepy and scary and if you are fascinated (repulsed nonetheless) by serial killers this book will be a very good choice for you to pick up. Some lose ends that I felt should have been tied up but I think this leaves the book open for a sequel or even a series of followup books.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

A serial killer has been stalking young women for decades in the city of Lancaster. The mysterious Mr X is never caught, possibly schooled for murder by serial killer Leonard McVitie who framed others for his crimes. McVitie died in 1985 in Lancaster Lune Mental Hospital which has since closed and is in some disrepair. Helen Summerton is an architect tasked with converting the old hospital into luxury flats. Helen’s life is turned completely upside down when her seventeen year old daughter Zoe goes missing and it becomes a race against time to find her alive. The story is told from several perspectives and interspersed with anonymous online news articles known as ‘Urban Dark Reporter’.

The book starts well with the McVitie angle and there are good descriptions of the old hospital building which gets your interest straight away and provides a good atmosphere to the unfolding story. There are some promising aspects to the novel and the premise is good. I really like the news articles which connects the present day to past cases of missing teens and the urban legend of Mr X. There’s one character who is very creepy and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and there are some tense and scary moments in the first half of the book. There are some cat and mouse moments with the killer and the victim which provides menace and some tense scenes in the hospital basement which are good.

However, from about half way my attention starts to wander. There are too many character points of view and the switching from one perspective to another causes loss of pace, momentum is lost and this unevenness becomes the pattern of the book from now on. There is some character underdevelopment too which is probably caused by the over abundance of perspectives which detracts from any menace you should feel. Some dialogue especially that of the killer, feels stilted and strikes a false note and you begin to feel like you’ve stepped into an old Hollywood horror movie from the 1930’s. The killers character feels stereotypical with the proverbial crazed laughter.

Overall, this could have been really good. It does have some good sections but the character switching, uneven pacing, too long to make connections and an unfinished conclusion means it’s an ok three star read in my opinion, although it’s only fair to note that other readers enjoyed this much more than me.

With thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC.

This one has it all ~ a serial killer who frames other people ahead of time, a lunatic asylum, a reporter who is doing a series on how to get away with murder, a beautiful young girl, and two precocious kids! It was a fast read, and while a bit over the top, what did I expect from a lunatic asylum?? Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was a creepy and gruesome read but very entertaining! Seventeen-year-old Zoe goes missing after a night out with friends when she meets a mysterious man. Mother Helen is terrified something horrifying has happened as Zoe has never stayed out all night but there are no clues and Zoe's friends have no knowledge of what happened. Added to that is Helen's job as an architect as she is working to restore an old--seemingly haunted--asylum that reveals documents that a serial killer left his "protege." Add to that ten-year-old Thomas and his cousin who are up for some adventure and stumble on trouble they didn't ask for. It's dark and gritty with some great twists but it's pretty graphic so read with the lights on!

Thank you NetGalley for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.


REVIEW ☆☆☆.5
Secrets of a serial killer is a suspenseful story that will keep you riveted right up to the end. There are numerous points of view narrating the story, but the serial killer's voice is by far the most compelling and sharp. Unfortunately, this perspective does not get the attention it deserves, and that made the book fall off a bit. It's still a great read with a shocking twist, but it's lacking a certain gritty raw edge. I recommend trying this book, and you'll see what I mean about the different perspectives. Narrowing those down would have taken this story to another level.

A lunatic with a legacy.

A serial killer who frames someone for the crimes he is about to commit.

A journalist poking holes in the handling of missing girl cases by the local police force.

The Urban Dark Reporter, sharing conspiracies and advice on “How to Get Away With Murder”

Four great premises...

None fully developed.

The author should’ve picked ONE.
That would’ve made for a stronger story.

And, given her, her next 3 books!!

It started strong, but fell apart at the 54% point for me, when a new character was introduced..

Thank You to Netgalley, and “One More Chapter” for the digital ARC I received in exchange for a candid review!

Available Aug. 7, 2020

The title and premise of this book intrigued me from the off. I enjoyed reading the serial killer’s perspective in the book and wish it had contained more of this and less of some of the other narrators’ perspectives, although this will appeal to some readers.
The twist in this book was one which got me thinking, and was quite a shock. An enjoyable read.

This is a fabulous thriller! I really enjoyed it - loved the fact pace and found it really atmospheric. Raced through it in just a couple of sittings - I had to find out how it ends! Will definitely look out for more from Rosie Walker. Highly recommend this one to all thriller fans.

On the whole this was an ok book. The premise leads you to expect more from this story though, and in parts of the story it was good, however the ending was rushed and does not really finish the story at all, unless of course this was the point in order to write a sequel.
The story of Alexander could have done with more detail, instead I just felt his background was not thought out enough until something was needed to bridge a gap, to get to the finish.
If the author is considering writing a sequel then please consider explaining a lot more of the back story than you have here.

I liked the premise of this book and was super excited to get an advanced copy.

I loved the serial killers POV in the book. That's exactly what I want to read in a thriller and why I requested this title. However, I really didn't enjoy the other narrators- their parts were less interesting and I found myself skipping over those parts. The twist was a bit odd for me but it was ok and I liked that it had me like what?
I can't wait to read the next book by this author but I hope the focus would be on more the killer.

Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy.

In Lancashire, England a serial killer roams freely. While there have been a string of missing girls, who all look the same, the police are not taking it seriously. When there are no bodies and no evidence, surely there is no crime. After seventeen year old Zoe goes missing, her mother, an architect working on restoring the former insane asylum, Lancaster Lune Hospital, into luxury flats, works to uncover clues herself as once again, the police are dragging their feet, refusing to believe that there could be a serial killer on the loose. She can't shake the feeling that the hospital is connected. Will she find Zoe in time or will Zoe become another statistic?

Secrets of a Serial Killer by Rosie Walker is told from multiple view points. With a creepy insane asylum, an unsub, true crime blog posts on the dark web, and a mystery within a mystery, Walker has all the ingredients for a fantastic crime thriller. It was one of those books where I barely moved from my reading perch until I was finished with the book. I loved that while a book about a serial killer, the focus was less on gore and more on the psychology of the mind of the depraved. The ending left me with my mouth hanging open. I rarely like untidy endings but this leaves the door open for another book or letting the reader decide for themselves what they think happens next.

I enjoyed the concept and really liked the beginning of the book. The characters and their interactions in the lead up to the actual plot were well done and interesting to read about. I also enjoyed the references to real true crime cases that were sprinkled in throughout the book.
The main plot of the story however was relatively cut and dry and the twists and back story were a bit predictable and honestly felt unnecessary. I think the killer's story should either be fleshed out a lot more or left unknown and mysterious,
I also think the characters made a lot of illogical choices, the people looking for Zoe went about it with very little sense of urgency and the killer's actions didn't make it seem like they were capable of going completely undetected for so long.
The story is decent but the execution could use some work.

This was as if I were watching an episode of Criminal Minds. It was a fun read and the constant changing perspectives was a nice touch. It was interesting to see the various povs and thoughts from each character. The main story is simple itself but a fun read overall. It was okay and a good thriller. The ending was fine but I wish there was a bit more. Of all the characters I’d have to say I liked Zoe and Thomas the most. An overall good thriller to pick up for a quick

I flirted between four and three stars here, but settled on three ‘cause of the slight predictability of this book. Despite the fact that I could see where it was going, the ideas were executed really well. The characters were likeable and I would have enjoyed there being at least another 100 pages so we could have squeezed a bit more from things!

If you a fan of the show Criminal Minds, true crime podcasts then you might enjoy Rosie Walkers debut novel Secrets of a Serial Killer.

A serial killer has been hunting the town of Lancaster for decades. When 17 year old Zoe goes missing her mother and father take matters into their own hands. Will they find her in time or will the Lancaster killer walk away with another murder under his belt?

Abandoned old asylum, a serial killer, dark woods, a hidden bunker. This book has all the right ingredients for a creepy, gruesome read and it was. I found myself turning the pages so fast needing to know what was going to happen. Walker does a great job scaring the pants off you. This book will have you looking over your shoulder for sure.

Was it perfect? no. I feel it was a little unpolished in a sense. Things seemed to jump around and I just felt there were things that didn't come together nicely. Despite feeling this way I still enjoyed the book and I am already looking for a sequel (fingers crossed).

I would give this a 2.5 for unfinished feel I had while reading the book, but totally would up the start rating to a 3 maybe even 4 for the scare factor and gruesome creepiness of the book .

This book good if not predictable. The plot was neatly planned out, the characters were fully fleshed and believable. I noticed in the first few chapters the writer used Helen’s name so much in one sentence: ‘Helen though that, so Helen got up and Helen drank some water’ for example. I wasn’t entirely in love with the ending of the book, i would have hoped for a more cohesive and solidified ending. But it was readable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this! It has the feel of a great detective thriller just minus the detective.

I really enjoyed the pace and thrill of this one. I was definitely on the edge of my seat a few times. I enjoyed the narration from the characters and the injection of little online articles throughout.

I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about detectives hunting down killers as much as I do! Once this book comes out in August I think I’ll do a giveaway for this one as well!

For a book that has masses of potential, this one fell a bit flat for me. The plot was predictable, the characters a little one-dimensional and lacking any real development, and it was lacking any pace.

I love a dark twisty thriller, but this book didn’t do what I needed it to. There was some promise; with a bit of editing it has the potential to be great, but it’s not there yet. Avoid.

I normally like suspense, but for some reason I just couldn’t get into this particular book. The writing was good, but it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher’s for the ARC.