What a read. I absolutely adored this novel, from the content explored, to the way in which the narrative twisted and turned.


Imagine this:
A young woman follows a forum about a serial killer, and soon is determined to find out his identity. Curiousity takes over, of course it does, and she finds herself writing to the man on trial for the murder, learning more about him, what led him to this point in his life, and soon finds herself swooning over him and falling deeply in love with him.

Honestly, this novel was an absolute mammoth breath of fresh air, and Hannah's pure determination for finding out exactly what happened really drove me to continue reading. Not only is the narrative quite unique, but the way in which William is portrayed really intrigued me and it made me want to really get to the bottom of exactly what happened to those poor women. It was insightful to see how the family of William's responded to him being on trial and how it impacted society, something that I find is not often covered in courtroom fiction. Tasha Coryell wrote in such a convincing way that I really warmed to Hannah as a character and wanted, like her, to figure out exactly what had happened.

Hannah becomes obsessed with William Thompson, a man standing trial for multiple murders of young women.
She writes to him and is surprised to receive a reply. They start to write on a regular basis, and once the trial starts, Hannah mkes the long journey to Georgia so that she can see the trial, and william IRL.
She befriends a couple of other women who are 'fans' of William too, and they attend the trial together.
Hannah soon finds herself deep into William's family, and is trying to find out all Williams little secrets. Little does she realise that she is putting herself in harms way.
As excellent storyline, that leaves the reader wondering if William will be found guilty or innocent, and more imprtantly, is he ACTUALLY guilty or innocent!
I absolutely loved this book - it was right 'up my street'.

I’m not sure quite what I expected from this debut novelist, but I was drawn in by her character, Hannah. Written as a first person narrative, this is the story of Hannah a young woman with low self esteem whose home life is uneasy, while her work life for a non-profit is dull and her love life pretty non -existent.

She did have a boyfriend, Max, but he dumped her and she’s bored herself stalking him and his new girlfriend on social media. Hannah lives in a boxy studio apartment and finds that her best and only friend is now focussing on her wedding and has less and less time for Hannah.

So when she gets interested in a series of murders and finds a true crime forum dedicated to discussing them, Hannah does what she does best; she gets researching and finds out everything she can. Soon she is spending all her free time (and a lot of her working time) on the forum discussing the victims and the potential suspects.

For Hannah it is an obsession and when William Thompson, a lawyer from a well to do family, is arrested and charged with the crimes. Hannah decides to write to him. She tells herself its because she’s angry about what he has done, but the truth is that Hannah is enjoying being part of something that is more interesting than she is, not that she’d admit it. She also enjoys having more knowledge than others in the forum – which she does because William writes back to her!

Love Letters to a Serial Killer is written with pace and verve and not a little touch of dark humour. Hannah is not particularly likeable – for one thing she’s far too sorry for herself, but she is tenacious. As her letter writing gets more intense and William’s responses seem both well written and quietly personal, Hannah finds herself developing empathy with William.

When events free her up she decides to attend the trial. In doing so she discovers that William is a good looking man, from a well to do family. He is everything she imagines in a partner. Somehow her obsession with the murders becomes wrapped up in her fantasies over William and those fantasies become violent and disturbed.

Stalking William’s family from the court, she finds out more about his father and brother and when she has the chance to be happy, she blows it all by continuing her obsession with who killed the young women.

If you’re looking for a mystery, this probably isn’t the book for you, as that part is pretty easy to work out, but Tasha Coryell does a good job of presenting Hannah as an oddball – an unlikeable character with obsessional tendencies who can’t help but let her obsession lead her into trouble.

Verdict: Hannah’s voice is distinct and unusual and Tasha Coryell does an excellent job of portraying her warts and all character. In telling Hannah’s story the writing is dry and often very dark and funny, though Hannah herself is a sad character. Coryell takes a healthy swipe at the true crime obsessives and those who think they can make a difference to a serial killer’s proclivities if they can just get him to love them. (No, really!)
Love Letters to a Serial Killer is often witty and certainly it is an entertaining page turner. This is, however, a one dimensional story and if you love Hannah then you’ll love the book.

3.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2024/08/08/review-love-letters-to-a-serial-killer-by-tasha-cornell/
My Five Word TL:DR Review: What Did I Just Read

Well, I can safely say this is one unusual story. I don’t know what I was expecting when I requested a review copy of this one. I think though that I was expecting something twisted and genuinely messed up and although this wasn’t quite the twisted, messed up horror that I thought it might be it was still both of those things in abundance. And I was hooked. Line and sinker hooked.

To be honest, I struggled with the main character, I couldn’t decide if she needed a hug, a slap or a therapist (probably all three – although, for the record, I don’t go around slapping people). I guess I felt sorry for her at certain points. She was definitely floundering and she lacked any sort of self respect. Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Things are not going well for Hannah. After being a standout student, and the world presumably being her oyster, she’s been coasting in a job that she doesn’t enjoy for some time, she desperately wants to find that certain ‘someone’ yet her eagerness to please and over needy behaviour usually lead to rejection and she has a constant struggle with food and exercise. Things go from bad to worse when Hannah becomes obsessed with a spate of murders that have now been linked together indicating that a serial killer is at large. She finds herself addicted to a true crime forum which seems to give her the validation she seeks. Unfortunately this latest craze leads to the loss of her job thereby giving her more time to obsess about the murders. When a handsome lawyer is detained her sights immediately hone in on him and she writes to him in prison venting her frustration and anger. Imagine the surprise when he replies and is sympathetic. Hannah immediately becomes fixated on William, eagerly awaiting his next letter and writing back to him with all kinds of random thoughts and feelings about her daily life. It’s like Hannah finally has the validation she seeks. Even if it is being notice from a man suspected of killing multiple women. To a certain extent she believes he will be convicted and remain in prison and this gives her a certain confidence regarding her safety. Imagine then when he is eventually released and seeks her out.

This certainly kept me glued to the page. I’m not totally convinced about the final outcome, it felt a little rushed somehow. But, regardless this was a riveting read. Reading about Hannah was like watching a trainwreck, you go from cringing to despair. She turned me into a one woman pantomime audience because I wanted to shout at her. I couldn’t help turning the pages to see what predicament she’d walk into next. And believe me when I say she does walk into some predicaments.

In conclusion, this is entertaining and engrossing. It didn’t give me a MC that I could really connect with but it was a fast and compulsive read.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the author, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Unfortunately I didn’t finish this book, in fact I didn’t get very far with it all!

I’ll be honest I’m a romance reader, I’ve got a pretty broad interest within that genre though but still feel I was trying something different with this not knowing how heavily the ‘romance’ would feature.

I still don’t know how heavily the romance featured as I really couldn’t get on with the FMC or the writing style. Definitely a miss for me, sorry to say.

I loved the blurb of Love Letters to a Serial Killer, it sounded new and exciting and something rather different.

I think author Tasha Coryell has done a great job on this novel and I read it within a few days, which is good for me.

We follow main character, Hannah who is a thirty something female and she has had enough of watching her nearest and dearest fade away and become "mundane" if you will.

She starts to write to serial killer, William, and he actually writes back and so the story really kicks off.

This novel is fun and really well written and will have any reader hooked from page 1.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

✨My Thoughts✨
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This takes a really hard look at the true crime phenomenon and how anyone can become easily obsessed when consuming all the information that’s readily available.

I found Hannah so funny and relatable, she’s really just one of us.

I was desperate to find out what the conclusion was because I was hopelessly gripped by this story, I had to stop myself from peaking at the last few pages.

I had a feeling what would happen at the end and I was kind of right.

It’s a hard read in some places that I think some people will find uncomfortable but not me, every word I read made me eager for more.

This will be one of the best books I’ve read this year it’s incredible.

A book with a very good plot but characters that make me question my sanity, Love Letters To A Serial Killer is definitely one of those books that maybe is perfect for a beach read or a cosy autumn night in the future that from page one really does try and grab you.

For me the plot does drive this book really well, it's captivating and being told backwards you see where this book is heading but it really keeps a grip on you and makes you keep turning the page even if the twists seem to be inevitable - it doesn't stop being a good book, I'll definitely be recommending it to a few people.

For me though, the characters let it down especially for me our protagonist just makes the most questionable decision making skills throughout this story that makes me question my own mind and the characters. I think that bad decision making can be part of a plot, but this felt so unrealistically bad honestly.

I think it is a good book, it's entertaining, it's gripping, it's gonna be devoured in hours, but if you want a book that doesn't make you sometimes want to chuck it across a room (or in my case, screen) cos it can be quite frustrating then avoid.

3/5

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryelltells the story between Hannah, a young woman in a job which she is both bored with and offers no hope of promotion and young handsome lawyer William.

The only issue with the relationship is Hannah is into true crime and William is on remand for murder.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell is a light novel that examines a phenomenon when women fall in love with people who are accused or convicted of horrendous crimes. Which could have been written in a way that looks down on people like Hannah.

However Tash Coryell does this in a sensitive manner taking how the main character starts getting interested in the true crime community as a way to connect with people.

Taking it further by writing letters to william while he is waiting for the trial.

While Tasha Coyle’s novel is not an in depth examination into why people become engaged deeply with true crimes, it does show some of the people who get embroiled with the subject on a deep level.

While the story is mainly told through Hannah’s perspective all characters are played with sympathy including the victims families and other people who are into true crime.

Which would have been very easy fro the writer to show these people in a derogatory way, This was done by Hannah's narrative which was written full of respect for all people involved.

All in all a Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell is a fascinating and enjoyable novel examining the explosion of true crime podcasts as well as people falling in love with serial killers.

I enjoyed this. It kept my attention throughout. I did guess one of the big twists but I read a lot of thrillers so maybe I'm just used to spotting signs now!

If you've been searching for a book that deftly balances wit, drama, and a raw emotional journey, look no further than The Dead Friend Project by Joanna Wallace. This latest page-turner introduces us to Beth, a protagonist whose life is a whirlwind of chaos, grief, and relentless determination.

The story kicks off with the tragic and mysterious death of Charlotte, Beth's close friend, who is run over by a car on the night of a Halloween party. From that moment on, Beth's life spirals into a frantic and obsessive search for the truth. Her journey is fueled by an unconventional method: she uses alcohol to unlock her memories, piecing together clues while navigating her grief. This coping mechanism adds a layer of dark humour to the novel, blending comedy and tragedy in a way that reminded me of Desperate Housewives.

The interplay of loyalty, betrayal, and judgment among Beth and her fellow school mums is both relatable and engrossing. The dynamic is spiced up with screaming children, emergency room visits, and a particularly unforgettable scene involving an EpiPen and a hefty dose of dark humour. These elements inject a sense of realism and unpredictability into the story, keeping readers hooked from start to finish.

Beth herself is a hot mess, and that's putting it mildly. Her husband has left her for one of her friends, and she's constantly judged by other mums for her sweary outbursts and chaotic lifestyle. Yet, amidst the turmoil, Beth's spirit and sense of justice shine through. Her character is deeply flawed, but it's these imperfections that make her so relatable. Readers will find themselves rooting for her, even as she stumbles through her grief and the messiness of life.

However, The Dead Friend Project isn't without its shortcomings. As much as the book is a fun read, it does become somewhat repetitive. Beth's cycle of drinking, memory recovery, and clue finding can feel a bit formulaic after a while. Despite this, Wallace's sharp wit and the emotional depth she brings to the story help to mitigate this issue.

The Dead Friend Project is a delightful mix of drama and humour, offering a candid look at grief, friendship, and the pursuit of justice. While it may have its repetitive moments, the book's engaging plot and relatable characters make it a worthwhile read.

What a brilliant book.

Really enjoyed from the first page to the end.

Can't wait for more.

Really enjoyed the story line.

Desperate and unhinged. Those words just about sum up this wacky ride of a book. Hannah needs a whole heap of therapy and a huge hug. She's always looking for something, never satisfied, and it's a little painful to see. I didn't gel with her character but she's not designed to be someone you identify with, but perhaps someone you pity and still want more for. Her behaviour's chaotic, leading her into dangerous territory, and the closer she is to danger, the more thrilled she is.

I found the mystery of the plot quite an interesting one, with the question over whether or not Will is the serial killer lingering all through his trial. Despite these two very unusual characters, I was kind of also rooting for them? But that's no doubt the romantic in me.

This is definitely a strange book and I got swept up into it all and though I didn't love it, it was a solid read and kept me on my toes.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

"Love Letters to a Serial Killer" had me hooked, no doubt about it. But did I enjoy it? Well, that's a tricky one. Hannah is not exactly the most likable character. In fact, she might just give the killer a run for his money in the crazy department.

The story's got some decent twists and turns, even if it does drag a bit in places. If you're into delving into the minds of those "women who love killers" and you're down for a unique story that's equal parts fascinating and unsettling, give this book a whirl. It's not your typical love story, that's for sure, but it'll definitely keep you on your toes!

The plot of this story is slightly bizarre, but strangely gripping!

30 something Hannah has just been through a relationship break up, is stuck in an uninspiring job and is feeling lonely and generally a bit despondant about life.

She becomes obsessed with a news story about William Thompson, an accused serial killer who is believed to have brutally murdered three young women and joins an online forum following the case. She decides to write to him in jail to give him a piece of her mind but when he replies she is intrigued and drawn into a conversation with him via post and starts to have feelings for him....

A light hearted thriller, with a few twists and turns!

The premise of this sounded perfect, and right up my street.

I was left so disappointed. The book itself did not live up to the expectations based on the synopsis.
I found the book to be super slow, and I just couldn't warm to the central protagonist.

Not for me!

Thank you for sending me Love Letters to a Serial Killer, it was such an intriguing read. I couldn't put it down, I just wanted to know more and more about the characters. I would love to see a sequel to this book or a snippet into Hannah's future. I can't wait to read what Coryell does next.

I can't say this was an enjoyable story but it was certainly interesting. Imagine wanting to be with someone who kills women. It seems to be a cult thing. The ending left everything in the air.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but it just left me feeling a little flat. The premise is great but for me it just wasn’t executed that well. Slow paced and a bit of a chore to read. I would rate this 2.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Orion Publishing Group and the author for the chance to review.

Well written book with a clever twist I did not envisage. The reader is left wondering at the end of the book so perhaps room for a follow up book.Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.