A 5 star read from me and the best book I read in February.

Notes on an execution is dark and disturbing and impossible to look away from. It turns over the glossy stone of serial killer narratives to show the grimy underbelly underneath. And a focus on the women, the victims, and their story, not just on the killer.

The writing is so compelling I could not put it down. It’s like watching a horror film through your hands.

I loved the multiple narratives here - from Ansel, in prison for multiple counts of murder and ready for his execution, to his mother, Lavender, to Hazel, the twin sister of Ansel’s wife, and Saffy, a detective on the Murder case who coincidentally has known Ansel since childhood.

I can’t wait to discuss this with people - a true original.

Really enjoyed Kukafka’s writing style and the story, at times, took me by surprise. Not because of twists and turns in the story, but because of the path it took me… It really made me feel for some characters...
I’m for sure reading Girl in snow now!

Ansel Packer will be executed in just 12 hours but this isn’t how he wanted things to end. He is desperate to be remembered and understood before he dies. Through the perspectives of three women, whose lives have brushed against Ansel’s, we get the story of his life and the true magnitude of his crimes and his punishment. Notes On An Execution is a cleverly written, sprawling story of tragedy and broken lives. It’s very dark and gritty with some truly disturbing content including graphic animal death, so be aware of that. The book is full of philosophy and musings on what is good and bad -isn’t everything always a mixture of both? Incredibly thought-provoking and a very unique take on a thriller, it’s a must-read for anyone looking for something different within dark fiction.

Not sure what genre this book falls into unless there’s a specific one for ‘books I don’t enjoy but can accept they are well written’. The changing of the POV and the moving about in time was unsettling. I absolutely loved it for around 25% but then it’s appeal just fell away. I hope I’m not turning into a prude but I don’t like he addition of too much sexual information when the story didn’t need or benefit from it. The part of the story concerning Ansel’s mother was the most eloquent part of the book for me and had me very close to tears.

I’m clearly in the minority on this one as it seems to be getting rave reviews. There are a few different POVs to keep track off and also different time periods and it just felt disjointed for me. I really didn’t like the narrative for Ansel where it was written as ‘you’ rather than ‘I’ - just a personal preference. I like a hard hitting fast paced thriller and this was much more towards the literary fiction side of things, maybe I just went into this one expecting a different kind of book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 rounded up ..

Literary fiction lovers will lap this one up - It is a stunner.

With 12 hours to go before his execution we learn more about the a murderer and the crimes he has commited through the voices of three women whose lives have been irrevocably changed by Ansel Packer's crimes, this is wonderfully contrasted by his own narrative and view of himself and the events.
With memorable characters, a superbly woven plot, this is a well written, unique, tense and disquieting countdown to the execution of a murderer which had me mulling over many thought provoking points during and long after reading this deep, dark and intense book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Wow! What a read this one was! Ansel Packer is scheduled to die in twelve hours.

He knows what he's done, and now awaits the same fate he forced on those girls, years ago. Ansel doesn't want to die; he wants to be celebrated, understood.

But this is not his story.

As the clock ticks down, three women uncover the history of a tragedy and the long shadow it casts. Lavender, Ansel's mother, is a seventeen-year-old girl pushed to desperation. Hazel, twin sister to his wife, is forced to watch helplessly as the relationship threatens to devour them all. And Saffy, the detective hot on his trail, is devoted to bringing bad men to justice but struggling to see her own life clearly.

This is the story of the women left behind.
Recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Well written, original and haunting. This book gets into the minds of a serial killer awaiting execution as well as the three women closest to him.

The tension ratchets up as the 12 hours before his execution slowly and inexorably tick down.

This was a book written mainly from female perspectives and made me think deeply about the subject.

Highly recommended

In a Nutshell: A haunting read that is going to leave a long book hangover. I loved almost every bit of it. But I have a feeling that you must be in the right kind of mood when you pick this up. Thankfully, it came to me at the correct time.

Story:
Ansel Packer is an inmate on the death row. His execution is just twelve hours away. He knows his crimes, but has he accepted his fate? The book takes you on a countdown of sorts, with the story beginning at the twelve hours mark and working its way down to zero hour.
Interspersed with the above narrative are many other points of view, all from the eyes of various women in Ansel’s life. So you see, this is not just Ansel’s story. It is also the story of all the women whose lives he changed irrevocably, in good ways and in bad, sometimes both, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
Ansel’s story is narrated in second person - present tense, while the other narrations of the women in Ansel’s life are in third person - past tense.

Where the book worked for me:
😍 My summary is sounding pretty bland but please trust me, the author has woven the multiple narratives together intelligently. I haven’t read writing like this in ages. Every single person has a role to play in the plot, even if we can’t see it immediately.

😍 The concept itself is so unique. But what makes it even more so is the decision to word Ansel in second person. It takes a bit of time to get used to this unusual perspective, but it brings the reader so much closer to the experience. I loved this writing decision.

😍 The genre is an uncustomary combo of literary fiction and crime thriller. The plot takes the best features of these genres and assimilates them into a compelling experience. The writing is astounding, making its mark without going over the top.

😍 There are so many brilliant quotes in the plot. One of my favourites was: “No one is all bad. No one is all good. We live as equals in the murky gray between.” This is applicable to every character in the story, and is much relevant in the real world too.

😍 The main characters are going to lodge themselves in your head. While it is easy to judge Ansel – who wouldn’t judge a convict facing execution, there are so many emotions that the plot stirs up about him that you can’t help wondering what category to slot him in: is he a plain old psychopath, or can you justify, maybe even forgive, at least a part of his behaviour? The main woman characters are also well-layered and not with typical 2D characteristics.

😍 The story goes back and forth a lot, so you need to focus to keep track of the timeline using the year references provided. Plus, there are a lot of clues scattered in the narrative about events not yet revealed. This isn't exactly foreshadowing but more like the character knows something you don't know yet, so you need to wait until the character divulges the whole thing to you. This makes for a very stimulating read in that you can't lose your focus nor skim through supposedly irrelevant bits. The book demands attention. Many a time, you will wonder why a particular bit of information is provided but every single time, that factoid is used in the story subsequently.

😍 In spite of the above, the story goes by at a fairly decent pace. Literary fiction is usually slow, and crime thrillers are usually fast. This book falls comfortably in between both extremes. Of course, you might not appreciate it as much if you rush through it. It is content to be savoured, not flipped through asap.

😍 Even with such intense and power-packed content, the author still manages to shine a spotlight on some cultural fallacies such as our obsession with criminals and their stories, the excessive media coverage on such issues, and on the unfairness of the social system for minorities, whether on the right side of the law or on the wrong side. This social commentary is handled without going over the top and without distracting from the main plot.

😍 Ok, call me biased. But one of the characters has an Indian connection. And this link is represented without using most of the usual tropes common in Westerners writing about India. Not a single mention of yoga too! Thank you!!!


Where the book could have worked better for me:
😑 The final epilogue felt superfluous to me. While I get why that content was part of the story (and it has a strong connection to the main plot), I didn’t like it as much.

😑 Some of the plot devices were a bit too convenient, but as everything else was so unusual, I am ready to let this go.


That’s it. No other complaints. This was an almost perfect experience for me. It is a haunting story, well-crafted, with memorable characters, and plenty of though-provoking points to ponder upon. Heartily recommended to be picked up when you are in the mood for something hard-hitting, thought-provoking, and mellow-paced. Do note, it is not a book for everyone. Literary fiction lovers will find it a treat as the writing style is right up their alley.

4.5 stars from me, rounding up to 5.

My thanks to Orion Publishing Group, Phoenix, and NetGalley for the ARC of “Notes on an Execution”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Trigger warnings: animal cruelty, drug abuse, sexual abuse, domestic abuse.

Ansel Packer has killed four women and now he faces execution. He believes that he shouldn't die, he believes in his philosophy of life. However the story isn't about Ansel, it's about three women whose lives he has impacted - his mother, the twin sister of his wife and the detective who personal history with Ansel goes right back to the start.
I liked Kukafka's previous novel but this is something special. She has taken the traditional story of the serial killer and turned it on its head, made it into a feminist story and a celebration of womanhood. Each of the characters is distinct and with their own motivations, the setting in the beautiful but wild north is exquisitely described. There is no dwelling on violence, just a sense of menace and a sense that not everyone listens.

This book is incredibly well written, and also different to any other I've read that deals with a serial killer. Its not lucid, and actually avoids details of the killings. It's about the female victims, the families of the victims and the female detective hunting the killer. I was worried it would be another male centred story about gory killings but its absolutely the opposite of that. I loved Girl in Snow, however this is another level. I know I'll be thinking about this for some time.

Ansel Packer is sitting on Death Row in a Texas Prison. It is the last few hours before his execution. The author takes issues with the mythology and legendary aura surrounding serial killers and which Ansel thinks he is entitled to. Noting that victims are often overlooked, and tells his story from the point of view of some of the women in his life – mother, sister in law and detective - in a genre-defying page turner. And what portrtaits!

Not your typical serial killer novel but rather a compelling, original, fast paced, multi-layered literary thriller written in astonishing prose that is literary but not does not hamper the tension in the book. A novel where you witness tragedy building up and things coming to a head, that comprising elements from thriller toa reflection on choice, evil and redemption. Truly excellent, ever surprising, complex astonishing read.

My thanks to the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a book in which Ansel Packer, a serial killer spends his last few hours on death row, as the hours tick by we follow his thoughts as he approaches execution… but it is not his story.

This is the story of three women who’s lives are irrevocably changed due to his actions. Lavender, his mother. Hazel, his ex-wive’s sister and Saffy, the female detective who hunts him for years. Through their words we not only piece together the awful crimes he commits but the wider ripples that are caused by his acts of violence.

Kukafka seeks to challenge head on society’s fascination of serial killers and provide a voice to those women barely given a passing mention in the narrative. She writes “The story of the serial killer is bigger than the bodies he leaves behind - it encompasses an infinite web, an elaborate tangle of predominantly female trauma and endurance “

And I myself am guilty of this I can name so many serial killers, I’ve watched their documentaries, read their books but ask me to name their victims, the survivors, the women in their lives who may have loved these men unknowing what they were capable of and I will fall short.

The story is written in the most hypnotic and beautiful prose it held an almost melancholy presence. There are some darker scenes which is necessary to explore the effects of violence both in the short and longer term but this is interspersed with the lives of characters who are wonderfully complex showing shades of good and bad. Even I will admit Packer who is the least interesting character commands some slight sympathy at parts.

I particularly loved the way Kukafka contrasts Packer’s view of himself to those of the women telling his story. He is not the intelligent and significant man he believes but rather an underwhelming one which I believe demonstrates her view that “Average men become interesting when they start hurting women”.

If the above does not persuade you to pick this one up let me admit that I went on a spa weekend with my husband and almost exclusively ignored him for 24 hours because I was held captive by this book!

Thank you to tagged publishers ❤️

This book is not a usual thriller, with unbelievable twists and turns. It is an extremely poignant read, written so beautifully, it's difficult not to love it.

I love how two different types of narratives are used in this book - second person for Ansel and third person for everyone else. I also love how all chapters except Ansel's are from the perspectives of women. The story slowly builds up, right from the beginning to the very end.

It's a book that deals with heavy topics, not the conventional serial killer story that you've read. It is deep and dark and intense and much more.

I ABSOLUTELY loved this one! A great 5/5 star read!

I don’t want to say too much about this apart from just do yourself a favour and pick up this wonderful book!!
-
A wonderful take on the usual serial killer trope in a thriller, where we yes get the POV of the serial killer themselves, but mainly is about the women in which they came in contact with… I mean the authors note says it all…

‘I’m tired of seeing Ted Buddy’s face. This is a book for the women who survive’
-
Massive thank you to Orion publishing and Netgalley for the ARC! I have a strong feeling this will be a roaring success!

Ansel Packer is on death row. He is a murderer, a serial killer, an abandoned child, a troubled teenager, an outsider, a man wanting a family, a man wanting to fit in somewhere...but this story isn't about Ansel.

Notes on an Execution is a story about the women who have all played an important part in Ansel's life. The split second decisions these women have made, fleeting comments, whether to step in and question his actions or whether to walk away, have all led to this point.

A story told backwards in the countdown to his execution, the result was devastating and completely absorbing. I was so swept away by the storyline - desperately hoping that what I could see coming wouldn't happen even though I knew right from the start that these things were inevitable because of where Ansel ends up.

The way a voice was given to the victims at the end of the story made my heart beat a little faster, and played on my mind for a long time after I finished reading, This is a book which makes you think about how easily the path we end up taking could have a different outcome, how one instant can lead to a whole different future and how different things could have been.

An absolutely stunning novel, the multiple timelines and narratives are expertly woven together creating a powerful and emotional story which deals with some big questions. An easy 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this amazing book. An absolutely brilliant and beautiful read. A “don’t miss it” book. Highly, highly recommended.

When going into this, I thought I was going to read about a guy on a death row reminiscing his life and crimes he committed. What I got was so much more than that.

I wasn't sure about the second person narrative the book opens with. Ansel Packer gave me the creeps and I wasn't keen to read more. Luckily I did continue reading and what unfolded was unexpected. You might think this book was about Ansel, the serial killer, but no. The story focuses on three women whose life is impacted by Ansel - Lavender, Saffron and Hazel. The mother, the homicide detective and the twin sister of Ansel's wife. This is a dark, chilling, intense read where we learn about what happened but also about what could have been. This book is unique and if you're bored of thrillers, I recommend picking this one up.

Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.

It's difficult to find a novel with a different take on death row. This is it. A striking narrative framed from an alternative viewpoint. That of the women most affected.

Sentenced to death for the murder of 4 women, Ansell Packer, prisoner number 999631 has 12 hours left in this world.
As the hours and minutes count down, his story is told not only by him, but by 3 women who have been in his life.
This was such a powerful book which really made me think about nature vs nurture and made me wonder how Ansell’s life would’ve turned out if he had had a better start to life.
I was surprised how I could feel any empathy for a murderer but I did at certain moments in the book. At other times, I despised him for his conceitedness and manipulative ways.
A book that will stay with me for a long time and my thanks go to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.