📖 NetGalley Review

Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell
Orion, 4th July 2024

This drew me in from the very first page. Our main character, Hannah, works in a low-paid job, which makes her miserable. She is self-absorbed, illogical, and a marvellous, fun character to read.

Hannah's bff has dumped her for a man, so she's bored and joins an online crime forum, throwing her all into trying to solve a string of murders. When William, a handsome, wealthy lawyer is arrested, Hannah starts writing to him. Her fixation with William quickly becomes an obsession, leading to all kinds of trouble.

The seamless writing in this unusual novel made it flow with ease. It was a real joy to read, and the ending completely threw me! Readers of thrillers and romance books alike will find plenty to enjoy with this page-turner.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Orion and Tasha Coryell for providing an eARC via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.

3.5 stars. I really liked the first 80ish % of this book, the MC was a bit strange but it’s a book about falling in love with a serial killer so that’s to be expected 😂. I liked the twist all was going well… then the last part was just ridiculous and it all ended up falling flat for me

"Love Letters to a Serial Killer" by Tasha Coryell is a haunting and thought-provoking exploration of obsession, love, and the darker facets of human nature. The novel delves into the complexities of a relationship that blurs the lines between love and madness, as the protagonist finds herself drawn to a notorious serial killer. Coryell's writing is both lyrical and chilling, creating a gripping atmosphere that keeps readers on edge. The character development is rich, allowing us to understand the motivations and turmoil of both the lover and the beloved. This book is not just a tale of crime; it's a deep dive into the psychology of love and the lengths to which one might go for it. Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers, "Love Letters to a Serial Killer" will leave you questioning the nature of affection and the boundaries of morality.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was so much better than I was expecting. If you haven’t read it yet, add it to your list immediately!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC

18+

This was an exceptionally clever book. Despite that fact it was a very easy read and I managed to read it in two sittings. We have a woman who is unhappy at her job and with her love and so she starts to follow a serial killers case closely. She becomes obsessive about finding him and raising awareness for the victims and then, in a drunken act, writes him an angry letter. He responds and thus they begin to communicate. The FMC is incredibly unlikable, feeling both sorry for herself and like she is better than all the other people around her in equal parts. She thinks she should have been promoted, yet does not do her job. There is also a huge unreliable narrator element, which I adore. I loved picking through the story, trying to figure out what was true and what was just a reflection of the FMC. The unlikability of the FMC was definitely a driving force in the story but still felt purposeful enough that it was not irritating. I would have loved to have seen this book written from both perspectives as I would have liked to see how the man the FMC was communicating with felt about the crimes he was accused of and the way he felt about the FMC, not the FMC's perspective of how he felt for her.

I really enjoyed reading this.

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book is about a woman who has pretty much no love life, so she starts writing letters to a man accused of murdering several women, whose disappearances the MC paid close attention to and talked to other people about on an online forum. This description, the title and the first chapter of the book intrigues me, but sadly I DNFed this book at 20%. I’ve been trying to read it for almost two months now and I just can’t get into it. It’s too slow-paced for me with not much action, mainly just narration. I think a reader who likes a slower paced book where the MC tells you everything would like this book, but after giving it a good go, it ended up not being for me.

Twisty and captivating. This read is not what I expected but I enjoyed it. Hannah is a fun character and very sassy and likeable.

found this to be a slow burn book that wraps up very quickly
A woman who somehow becomes obsessed with a serial killer since her whole life seems to be in shambles she needs to find something to keep her going and keep things interesting.
I found myself wondering what has gotten into Hanna’s head when she writes to a man in jail. She wraps her life up in his trial. There isn’t really a twist you kind of wonder about the ending.
It was an easy but slow read. If you like books about serial killers this might be a book for you. I wouldn’t classify this as a thriller or anything like that. Almost a satire if anything. But worth a shot

I was really intrigued by this premise. I’m aware of the conversations about our obsession with serial killers and I enjoyed seeing this explored in this book in what I thought was a considered but still entertaining way. A fun, wry and unputdownable satirical contemporary novel that fans of true crime will love!

Laugh out loud funny, and scarily nail biting in one go.

Great characters and fantastic plot.

Proper belly laughs were had until a dramatic conclusion.

Highly recommended, 5 stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell in return for my honest review.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and when I read the bio I thought I’d really enjoy it. The story line is an interesting one and had me intrigued but unfortunately I really didn’t like the main character Hannah and found it really difficult to have any sympathy for her, there is however a few good twists to the story so overall an ok read.

Billed as being "original" and "hilarious", I was really looking forward to this debut novel. And, it definitely was both of those things. The writing style and main character narrative of Hannah is funny. For example, she quips: "If I'd known that I was going to find myself in a kidnapping situation I would have used the bathroom." It's relatable humour too like fights between siblings being particularly vicious but also weirdly accepted or overlooked. And it's also refreshingly original, like nothing I have ever read before. On the downside, that also means it's the type of book where afterwards you think "what the hell just happened".

I totally brought into how Hannah could start writing to an accused serial killer and even how they could then fall in love through those letters. But what I couldn't get on board with was her wanting him to be guilty and seeking the buzz of wondering if he'd let her "live long enough to become his wife". Despite (Hannah) being kind of messed up it's definitely a fun read and one you should try yourself.

🔪 Book Review 🔪

Title : Love letters to a serial killer
Author : Tasha Coryell
Genre : Thriller
Rate : 🌟🌟🌟.5

Thanks to @netgalley for an arc copy of this book. It was published on the 4th July 2024.

“I didn’t plan to fall in love with an accused serial killer … “ and who would really, except for Hannah Wilson.

Hannah has been unlucky in love and life. Her comfort place is on true crime forums, desperately searching for news on serial murder cases she is obsessed with.
She believes she can figure out who the killer is and save any other woman from losing their lives.

Then a lawyer, William Thompson is arrested. She is so full of rage, from what he has done and what she’s going through, she decides to write him a letter. What she doesn’t think of is that he would respond.

And the journey begins from here.

Hannah is a character I still can’t figure out whether I like or not. She knows what she is doing isn’t normal or wise, but she still does it anyway.
She puts herself in dangerous situations but she can’t seem to help herself and getting close to people to discover the truth.

As annoying as Hannah can be at times, she still pulled me into her story and I couldn’t put it down.

The ending, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I felt like I wanted more and it felt a bit any climactic.
It’s a page turner and a different like of thriller but worth a read.

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3.5 🌟
This was a WILD ride, let me tell you!

I literally couldn't think after I'd finished this. I just kinda sat staring at my Kindle because, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!

I did enjoy Love letters to a serial killer, and you will too If you take it with a pinch of salt.
It was chaotic and silly and isn't your 'typical' thriller atall.
Tbh, I was actually relieved to see humorous down as one of the tropes of this book because you best believe I laughed out loud at some of the outrageous, far fetched things that happened!
I wasn't sure if I was meant to laugh as much as I did, but Tasha had me with the madness of it all!

I think if you're willing to look outside of the box with this one, you'll like it, but if you're into more serious thrillers, this won't be for you.

I really enjoyed this book. The idea that someone would commit their life to solving a crime to the detriment of their job and their friendship completely baffled me. However, Tasha Coryell manages to hold the reader with the little snippets of future occurrences. I found myself believing that Mark was going to be outed as a serial killer but how wrong I was! The ending did leave me with questions which I'm sure was the intention of the author.

I actually purchased this back in June prior to being given an ecopy - sadly I have read a lot of books since then so cannot recall the specifics but according to Goodreads gave it 3 stars!

It was the title that first attracted me to this novel and it was a really interesting look at the obsession with true crime and the lengths some people go to to try to see if they can be the ones to solve a crime. Hannah the main character is in need of a lot of help, I found her quite unlikeable and though I didn’t warm to her I had to keep reading to find out what happened in the end. A mixed bag for me, it was ok but I didn’t love it. Will be keen to see what the author does next.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer - Tasha Coryell

As a fan of serial killers and an intrigue into those who support them, this book was right up my street. I remember watching The Nightstalker and seeing his fans, thinking, “how can you be that person?” but this book gave me insight into the type of people that admire those who commit heinous crimes and why.

Both hilarious and disturbing, Hannah’s story is one that is both relatable and sad. She lacks self-confidence and motivation as she struggles with adulthood.

“I always appreciate when I feel the emotions I’m expected to feel in any given situation, like when I bake a cake and it looks like the picture from the recipe when I pull it out of the oven”

Stuck in a job with no chance of promotion, experiencing a string of disappointing relationships which always seem to be one-sided, Hannah finds light in hyper fixating on a recent string of murders of young women in a different state.

“All the moments in which I have loved myself most have been through someone else’s gaze”

This intrigue escalates, as it does for many, as Hannah becomes an ‘armchair detective’, determined to figure out who is the cause of these crimes. However, is it with the intention of justice for the women who have lost their life, or something darker?

An unassuming man is eventually accused of being the infamous serial killer, and in Hannah’s state of boredom, she begins a series of correspondence. This fixation eventually causes the important factors of Hannah’s life to break down, she decides to up and leave her life and travel to Georgia to attend his trial, and ultimately, fall in love with the only man that has given her the love that she so desperately needed.

“It was hard, even for those of use that hadn;t been accused of killing anyone, to love ourselves”

Love Letters to a Serial Killer was a page turner to say the least. It’s full of plot twists and deep insights into feelings Hannah experiences as the story unfolds. With the perfect amount of humour to keep things light, as well as a couple of sentences I never expected to come across in my lifetime…

“That was how I found myself kissing the brother of the serial killer that I was dating”
… the book manages to put you straight into the shoes of Hannah, in a way that helps you understand her process, fixation and has you attempting to solve the mysteries yourself.

A great, fast-paced read that had me laughing, crying and extremely confused. Highly recommend!

“Almost being murdered in an office building is the closest I’ve ever come to a six-figure salary”

Thank you NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC in return for an honest review!

Hannah, our main character, becomes obsessed with solving the murders of four women, only to find herself falling in love with the very man on trial for those crimes after exchanging letters with him. Desperate for love, Hannah’s vulnerability and obsession lead her down a dark path, and you can’t help but sympathise with her.

The book brilliantly captures the intensity of Hannah's fixation, blending the chilling aspects of a serial killer mystery with her spiraling obsession. Watching her life unravel is like witnessing a slow-motion train wreck, as she ignores one red flag after another. It’s a tense, frustrating journey that resonates, because let’s be honest—we’ve all ignored red flags before.

The ending, however, is what truly sets this book apart. It’s one of the most shocking, unexpected conclusions I’ve ever read

I received the ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure about the subject, but I’ve been trying to read books outside of my comfort zone. Though I like thrillers, I don’t generally read romance, So I felt this one might be a little bit of both while I wasn’t expecting much from the book, it kind of left me flat. The premise of the book is there, and the unreliable narrator, goes well with the messiness of the writting style, if we can call that a style.
There aren’t many pages on this book, and perhaps there we could’ve edited even more, as we don’t really learn much about any of them to stay engaged. Same reason why we don’t really care to what happens to the main character.
As the story is told in first person, we spend a long time in Hannah’s head, which felt some how too long for such a short book.
I perhaps would’ve like a stronger lead and more rounded characters. There wasn’t much of a “plot twist” as most thrillers/ crime novels have, The ending felt rushed, and I was actually happy to finish the book.

I wasn’t the target audience of this book so its a little hard to recommend something I didn’t particularly like, but i can tell the writing wasn’t polished enough, this might come with more experience as the ideas are there, just need to work a little more on the delivery.

If you like dark romance you might like this, the kind of book you might read on one seating on holiday leave book behind and move on. A book to entertain and distract you when you don't want to think too much about anything
2.5/5