Be My Killer by Richard Parker.
Hazel Slater is in her office she has the TV on and while she is trying to open the milk and newreader is talking about the 'be my killer' story. There are several people dead after they responded to a dare to put their names into a twitter stream for serial killers to select their victims. She recognised one of the names a Meredith Hickman. Had been brutally murdered in Broomfield, vermont. Detective Jared Bennett is investigating.
An absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. I liked hazel from the start full of twists and plots. A must read. 5*. Netgalley and bookouture.

Somehow I don't think this book is in the right genre for me. I'm not a big fan of horror and this veers more towards that than a murder mystery/thriller. I loved the opening premise of the plot and thought it had a lot of potential. Someone has set up a prank twitter account @bemykiller asking people to say how they'd like to be killed. When four people are killed in different locations by the method they tweeted, the police think they may have a serial killer on the loose.

Enter Hazel Salter, an indie film producer hoping to re-ignite her career by making a film based on the killings by interviewing relatives and others involved. But things start to go really wrong when her crew and interview subjects start disappearing one by one. So this sounds really good and should be really creepy. In fact I can see this working really well as a screenplay with some dark lighting and atmospheric sound. But somehow it didn't work that well in the book. There was no build up of suspense or creepiness. There were a lot of characters, mostly flat and poorly developed and the murders were sudden and (overly) graphically violent. The writing wasn't great and the plot didn't really seem to be going anywhere.

To say I enjoyed this story is an understatement. I started reading this during a train journey and was extremely disappointed when I had to stop reading as I had reached my destination.

The way the story unfolded was really well done. The various people involved are brought in one by one to take part in a documentary being filmed about the deaths of a young woman, Meredith, and a few other victims. Unbeknownst to them all, the film maker has an ulterior motive for wanting to make the documentary. She is a childhood friend of the dead woman, and wants to get justice for all of the victims, but particularly for Meredith. By involving the witnesses, and her film crew, she unintentionally puts them all in danger and they become targets of the person, or persons, responsible for the atrocities.

As the story picks up pace the ways in which the perpetrator carries out further terrible acts become more twisted. It is obvious the author is a fan of horror, as am I, as his imagination is terrifying to behold. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed delving into the dark depths of his mind.

The ending would suggest, to me at least, that there was something more to come from the story in the future. I can't wait to see if that is what the author plans as I would love to find out more.

Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a copy.

As soon as I saw Be My Killer, I was drawn to it like those moths on the cover and knew I didn't stand a chance. The combination of a potential serial killer, a social media twist and the documentary angle just sounded too good to resist and I'm glad I gave it a go. Be My Killer is without doubt a very intense and gripping psychological thriller! I found myself literally flying through the pages trying to discover what would happen next and who was behind it all... And there is no doubt this story introduces one of the most twisted and disturbing serial killers I've read about in a long time. A little warning for those with a weak stomach: some of the scenes are quite graphic as the killer doesn't mind 'getting his hands dirty' so to speak. They do set the right creepy and gloomy atmosphere for the book and the setting in an abandoned amusement park only adds to that. I also liked the social media angle and the whole Twitter 'Be My Killer hastag' serial killer idea. I've seen social media used quite a lot in psychological thrillers lately, but this plot is without doubt quite original. Talking about the plot, it's impressive how many plot twists are stacked on top of each other in Be My Killer. You literally don't know who's next and what happens next until the very moment you are reading it and even though I had a few ideas who might be behind it, the story mostly kept proved me wrong. There's something to say about the credibility of the plot and I didn't exactly like every character, but I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and had a great time reading this story. Recommended if you like the genre and don't mind gory details and a graphic scene or two.

If you're after a gruesome gripping crime thriller then Be My Killer is definitely a book for you.

An online prank goes viral and leads to a spate of murders as documentary maker Hazel looks on in horror. Then her childhood Meredith becomes one of the victims and Hazel is determined to find out what happened to her. The police don't have any leads to follow but Hazel has a plan and using Meredith's murder scene, she and her crew begin to interview the family and friends of the victims. But then they start disappearing.

This book is so well written you keep thinking you'll read just one more chapter then realise another hour has gone by as you are totally submersed in the plot.

I can definitely recommend this book and would give it 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Richard Parker for the chance to review.

"Be My Killer,” is a book that has a great premise to live up to: What would happen if people put themselves out there on social media as potential targets for psychopaths? Who would be responsible for their deaths if they did die?

Fortunately, the book lives up to the “hype,” in my opinion, with the gore of a slasher movie and the suspense of a good detective story.

The novel follows Hazel, a documentary filmmaker who sees that a childhood friend has become the fourth victim of a ruthless killer who took people up on their tweet “requests” to be murdered. Hazel and her film crew set up shop in the abandoned amusement facility where Meredith was murdered to seek some answers about the killings. Then, people attached to the project begin to disappear.

This book is a great, creepy read. From the setting – an abandoned amusement park called the “Fun Zone” – to the eccentric cast of characters that knew the victims and have agreed to take part in the film, this book is nonstop suspense. The death scenes are a little gory, but nothing you wouldn’t see in a typical slasher movie. If you can’t stomach those, this isn’t the book for you.

I didn’t see the ending coming. In fact, I had no idea where the novel was going because there were enough moving parts and characters to create multiple plausible villains. Without a doubt, some of the side characters – like one victim’s social-media-obsessed stepbrother, or the creator of the @BeMyKiller Twitter account – really make the book great. You just want to know how they all fit into the story.

At the same time, the only downfall of the book is in the myriad of characters that can become confusing at points, especially toward the end at “the reveal” scene, when the fates of the characters is decided. Some of the names made me pause and think, “Oh yeah, that’s so-and-so.”

Overall, this was a very good thriller that will give you goosebumps. I thoroughly enjoyed it – it’s a must read for horror movie fans or anyone looking for a good creep-fest!

#bemykiller....stranger things have treaded on twitter right? But when someone starts taking the hash tag seriously and bodies start building up all murdered in the way they tagged their tweet things get gory very quickly.
A childhood friend of one of the victims decides to make a last ditch effort to save her failing indie film company and make a documentary about her friend Merideth who was brutally slain. As family and friends of the crew and stars of the documentary start to go missing Hazel realises this may be bigger than she thought.
This was a good solid read, the murders were gruesome and the twists and turns came at you every few pages. However I'm not sure if it was that the charachters were not likeable or just not explored enough but I found it hard to connect with any of them.
A great read!

My Rating: 5/5 - #AllTheFreakinStars

My Review:

A mahoosive thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC of this abso-friggin-lutely FANTASTIC book! Eeeeeeek! Richard Parker....where have you been all my life!? You delightfully disturbed, torturously twisted being! Eeeeek, in-bloody-deed!! And if you are easily offended, turn away now, because HOLY SH*TBALLS - this book, well...it freakin' rocked!! And that cover? Hang on...*shudders* - total #Covergasm!!

Set in Fun Central, in a what turns out to be...not so fun...abandoned amusement park, the reader is faced with loss, guilt, sensationalism, narcissism, the impact/effect of social media, attention seeking, manipulation and a search for the truth. Jaaaaaysus.....the things that happen...it is the stuff of nightmares, #bookjunkies!

In terms of this kickass plot, the reader is immediately grabbed by the throat, thrown against the wall and has their eyes taped open to make sure not one page of this messed up but totally addictive read is not missed! In the metaphorical sense of course.... Or was that just me? If graphic violence is not your thing, then steer clear of this bad boy, but if like me- it heightens your interest, and that little devil on your shoulder is saying Do it....Doooooo it....then get comfortable, hang on tight and enjoy the ride.....welcome to Fun Central.....

Character-wise, this book has it all! A diverse bunch that draw you in- whether you love 'em or loathe 'em- you will be wondering what is happening with each and every one! Hazel Salter is filming a documentary (read the synopsis, it will fill you in 😜) - she seems to have this overwhelming need to right a wrong from the past. She is determined, clever but also does not know when to quit - I mean c'mon Hazel! FFS -sometimes you just got to GO! It took me a bit to warm to her and I did want to slap her silly sometimes, but her heart was in the right place and when put to the test, her courage has no boundaries!

Henrik Fossen- WTF is up with this guy? Is it me, or does even his name sound creepy!? The creator of the #BeMyKiller hashtag has unleashed a monster...and doesn't even seem phased by it! The author cleverly injects social media into this storyline, making it relevant to readers today and oh-so-interesting!

Eve Huber- someone get me a blowtorch....ooops....sorry, can you guess I didn't like her one bit! But OH MY FRIGGIN GOD.....that is all I am saying, no spoilers...but seriously.....DAMN!!! Rena annoyed me too....a few of the characters did....but not in a bad way...they played a part in the story which moved it along nicely! I just hoped they would all end up dead! 😂😂😂 #MyBad

Poor Poor April - where the hell are her parents!? Loved her! Fiesty yet full of fear....she upped the suspense a few notches and my heart was in my throat a few times when she came onto the pages! You know when you just want to shout at a character...scream....leave it alone little girl! Yeah.....THAT!!!

These were just a whacked out bunch of attention-seeking misfits, thrown into the path of one of THE BEST serial killers I have come across in a book for some time. This killer makes Hannibal Lector seem like a pussy cat! Seriously!! The killing methods....WOW!!!! Is it wrong that I LOVED every single-sickening-second of the murders....probably....but I make no apologies.

In a nutshell...this book EXCITED me- it probably shouldn't....but it did. The more twisted and tense a story is, the more I want to read it...and I DEVOURED this book in one sitting. That may sound strange to some folk, but those of you who dance on the dark side...you know EXACTLY what I am talking about!

Do I recommend this book? Erm....you bet your sweet arse I do! I am sorry to say Richard Parker, but you have now been added to my coveted #AuthorsIStalk list....#PoorPoorYou! So if you LOVE a great serial killer thriller that will excite and horrify you...click the book below... BUY THIS BOOK! #BOOM! 👊🏻

Review up for my stop on the blog tour!

This book was a wild read! It was dark and disturbing at times, and definitely kept you guessing. Overall it was a fun read!

3 out of 5 stars to [book:Be My Killer|34998975], a mystery and thriller novel set to release on May 26th, 2017, by Richard Parker. It appears this is Parker's first novel, and for a debut, he shows a lot of potential. I'm curious to see what else he publishes. On to the review...

<b><i><u>Why This Book</u></i></b>
NetGalley has become my new go-to for selection of ARCs to read and review. But this time, I happen to see this book on my friend <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7971097-bentley-bookbastion-net">Bentley's</a> list of Goodreads' books, and I thought it sounded really interesting. I requested it via NetGalley and was awarded it that day. It was the next book on my list due to be published, which meant I had to squeeze it in this week. Oh, deadlines... Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and the publisher, Bookouture, for the advanced copy in lieu of a fair and honest review.

<b><i><u>Overview of Story</u></i></b>
A killer is on the loose, propelled by a new Twitter handle called "@BeMyKiller," in which people can suggest names of who should be killed, as well as a witty response to taunt the killer into choosing them. It was only a fun game one man created, but someone took it to heart and killed 3 people in the exact manner suggested on Twitter. The families of the victims are out for blood, but the man who created the Twitter handle has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Enter Hazel, an indie film producer fresh off a prestigious award, looking for her next big break. She's pulled together a crew to interview the family of the last victim, Meredith; however, Hazel is the only person who believes the same killer murdered all the victims, and possibly a 4th and a 5th, which the police are still investigating. As she heads to the sacred ground where Meredith was brutally murdered, Hazel interviews all the families, as well as the guy who created the Twitter handle. Things start getting out of control when people threaten to kill him, but along the path, people's true personalities and hidden agendas begin coming to the surface. Over the course of 4 or 5 days, one by one, each member of the crew or victim's families begin disappearing. The killer is knocking them off for some mysterious reasons. As the story comes to an end, there are only 4 or 5 people left and they begin to realize the others haven't just disappeared (no bodies were ever found until the very end). It all comes to an explosive conclusion in the final chapters when the killer is revealed and Hazel takes a stand to save and protect those who still remain.

<b><i><u>Approach & Style</u></i></b>
The book is told in the past tense via an omniscient third party narrator, watching over each of the characters as they are brutally murdered. The point of view is consistent, but there is some mystery as you don't always know which character is being tracked by the killer. Pronouns are often used in lieu of him or her, especially when the victim realizes they are about to die and knows who the killer is -- the author doesn't want to give it away, so "they" is quite frequent. It got a little confusing in the beginning, but then you realize you have to go with it, based on how the story is told. It takes place in a small New England town, though the murders happened all over the country, and possibly one in Europe.

I read this on my iPad Kindle reader. Chapters are very short, and even though the book is roughly 300 pages, there is a lot of white space on the screen due to the break in each of the scenes. As a result, it's much shorter, and only took me about 4 hours to read over the course of 2 days.

<b><i><u>Strengths</u></i></b>
1. For a thriller novel, it's full of suspense and the fear-factor. Given the way the story is told, and the writing style, it has the creep-factor. It almost feels like you are the camera person, following the people and watching the murders happen, but you can't do anything about it. It's also very descriptive and creative in the ways each of the characters die. I love me some horror, but this was very intricate. I felt the pain and shook / squirmed a few times, thinking about the vicious torture the attacker inflicted on "their" victims. Just to give you a flavor of the torture, one of the Twitter followers suggested her brother be killed, the brother responded "Sure, take a piece of me." Well... the killer basically gutted him, chopped him up while he was still alive, into little pieces, and filmed the whole thing for the family to watch. What?????

2. I love when books kill characters one by one, keeping you guessing who is behind it the whole time. This book does well in that capacity. I also am fascinated by the premise of a Twitter stalker who kills people based on suggestions from various followers. It makes for a fun read and makes me a little leary to respond to people I don't know on social media!

3. The characters are strong and real. I didn't like many of them, mostly because they are all spineless jerks who hide behind the walls of the internet. The families of the victims also seemed to be using the death of their loved one as a way to help promote their own objectives. The film crew felt dirty and seedy, given what they were doing and how they treated each other, but it also felt a bit realistic in how this would play out -- as far as the exploitation part.

<b><i><u>Open Questions & Concerns</u></i></b>
1. The cops seemed way too easy-going about the whole film production setting up in the murder spot. They were missing throughout most of the book, which felt too convenient just to keep the murders happening one by one.

2. I am not sure I believe the FBI couldn't track the killer down through technology. I suppose the killer may not have had his/her own Twitter profiles, and looked at victims thru other means... but it felt like no one had a clue what was going on in that investigation.

3. I didn't care for the ending. It was a surprise, and it made sense; however, it felt like it came a little too far from nowhere. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll stop there. Key thing to convey is... if you want a truly tidied up, complex and shocking ending, this wasn't it. It definitely was surprising, but I wanted more in terms of the "why." It does make up for the disappointment in the reasoning with a fantastic hide and seek scene in an amusement park.

<b><i><u>Author & Other Similar Books</u></i></b>
Tough one... I think it's the author's first book, so not much to say here. I am in no way, shape or form comparing him or the book to Agatha Christie; however, the concept of "one by one they die" was very similar to her novel, And Then There Were None.

<b><i><u>Final Thoughts</u></i></b>
I liked the author's style and the topics in the book. I wasn't a fan of the pronoun usage and think there could have been a better method to accomplishing the mystery goal. Overall, I'd definitely try another book by the author as it had a good amount of suspense, some horrific gore and kept my attention the entire time.

<b><i><u>About Me</u></i></b>
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. <i>Note</i>: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

This was a gruesome murder mystery, however it never seemed to quite achieve the level of suspense that it needed. It was almost as though the story was more suited to a YA title.

This book has quite an interesting and unique premise. Social media being such a huge part of our lives, it is interesting to examine the other side about what could happen if it is turned against us. The idea of a serial killer targeting twitter users was creepy but definitely intriguing. I enjoyed reading this book but I struggled with the number of characters who I didn’t feel were well developed. I couldn’t connect with any of them including the MC so I ended up not caring about what happened to them. The crimes were also too gory. So in the end, this wasn’t for me.

My sincere gratitude to the publishers and author for allowing me to read this book.

An online prank goes viral and triggers a spate of gruesome murders. Documentary maker Hazel Salter watches in horror. Then Hazels childhood friend, Meredith Hickman is the next victim. Hazel knows she has to find out what had happened to her.

The story has a lot of gruesome scenes in it and this might put some readers off. The plot line is believable as we hear of so many events (good &a bad) through social media and so many of us get caught up and involved so easily. There is a lot of characters as well and I found it hard to keep up with them. It's pace is slow to begin with then picks up and maintains its pace through the rest of the book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Richard Parker for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was oddly compelled to keep turning the pages and to find out what happened, but I'm not completely convinced I enjoyed the book. It definitely has a hook and the short chapters make it feel as though you are whizzing through the pages.

However equally there were multiple times where I had to stop reading for a bit, and clear my head, as the vivid violent descriptions were a bit too much for me, and at least one of them had me feeling incredibly ill, as I could see the death play out far too clearly for my liking. Other may love this, but for someone who is very squeamish, there were parts that just weren't for me.

For a large amount of the second half of the book, my best description of it, would be that it would make a great horror/scary movie. There is a small group of people making a film about a chain of deaths that started on social media, and are staying and shooting in an abandoned amusement park. Yet periodically it seemed like someone connected with the filming would "disappear".

As readers we would then get a chapter, or a few chapters about exactly what happened to that character, all the while the group doing the filming was getting smaller and smaller, seemingly oblivious to the clearly larger danger at hand.

Yet the start of the book, apart from the initial murder, was relatively sedate and I honestly for a fair amount of the book didn't think I was particularly reading a thriller or similar genre book, more a drama that had turned to the dark side for a bit.

Did I see the ending coming? Not a clue, didn't have an inkling as to how the final outcome would resolve itself. I wasn't even sure how to go about guessing it, I was just going with the flow and probably as just as surprised as the characters.

Ultimately the book is well written, it kept me guessing but I just wasn't completely enamoured by it. I suspect its more one of those "it's not the book but me" situations, yet I'm positively plenty of other people will be raving about it. It just didn't affect me the way I would have wanted it to.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Bookouture for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Sorry, this one was not for me. 30% through the book I am finding the characters too unlikeable and the violent murder scenes too graphic, with little substance to the plot to entice me to read on. Whilst I am not normally squeamish, I am not a fan of violence and torture added simply for shock value. I don't like not finishing a book that has been generously provided to me, but I think that reading on would not change my opinion of it. Sadly the wrong book for me, but I am sure others will enjoy it. I apologise for not being able to provide a review in this instance.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book.

I must say that I simply loved this book. It is so hard to say anything without giving the plot away. It started off a bit slow when we slowly started getting introduced to the characters, but it speeds up very much after that.

It is a bit gory and graphic in some parts, but it is the kind of book I absolutely enjoy. It was really a nail-biter. I would really recommend this to anyone who is looking for a real thriller. I enjoyed the fact that while certain events were happening, the other characters did not know about it. The main character, Hazel Salter, is really believable. She wanted to find out what had happened to her childhood friend and she kept at it. She is also a very brave character who did not give up even when things were tough. It was just utterly a fabulous read and I finished in record time.

On a more serious note, it also teaches one the importance 0f thinking before posting things on social media. While this is just fiction, we can actually see how something so seemingly simple can have far-reaching consequences.

I highly recommend this book and am eagerly awaiting more books from this author.

When an online Twitter prank turns into real life murder it hits a little too close for documentary maker Hazel Salter. The latest murder victim is an old friend of Hazel’s which sparks her to gather her film crew and head back to the small town she’d left twenty years before to find out more about her old friend’s murder.

The victims of what may be a serial killer have all tweeted the @BeMyKiller account with the hashtag of #bemykiller and have been murdered in ways similar to their tweets. The police have no leads and have been trying to rule out multiple killers or find whether it’s the work of one person. When Hazel and her crew arrive and begin filming though more victims turn up missing.

Be My Killer by Richard Parker had an interesting concept that immediately appealed to me seeing today’s society is so heavily focused on social media. I could honestly see this story hitting the headlines and was rather interested in how the author would go about bringing the story together and just how it would unfold.

Unfortunately though this one did not live up to my expectations mainly due to it having just so many characters involved that I never felt I got to where I got close to any of them. The book is just under 400 pages and has around 130 chapters. The story felt like it was jumping from on thing to another in the beginning that I almost wanted to start taking notes on who was who with each chapter bringing in more people and situations to keep track of.

Also, I have to note that while it didn’t particularly bother me as a reader this one held a lot of really gruesome scenes in it so I’m not sure that would be for every reader either. While it didn’t bother me to be overly descriptive to the point of plain grossness sometimes I did think this was written in to grab attention since the characters and plot were on the dull side in my opinion. Of course I did pick this one up due to seeing some very good reviews so perhaps it just wasn’t my cup of tea and others will really enjoy it.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book. I can't wait to read more from this author. I can't leave an Amazon review yet as it's not yet available. I will as soon as I can.

Sorry, I put a review in here for a different book. I will edit with the proper review as soon as I am finished reading this book!

Thank you very much to Net Galley, my favourite publishers Bookouture and to the author Richard Parker.

The difficult think is to be rewarded/approved for a book, that seems to have a lot of hype and you expect so much from. The author explains how important good reviews are and I agree, but here I have to give a honest review, which is not a good review...

I just did not really enjoy this book !!

You set the trap. Now you can’t escape.

So the premise of the book is somebody has set up a prank twitter account called @bemykiller and people are tweeting how they would like to be killed using the hashtag #bemykiller. But four people have now died in four different cities and have been murdered in a similar way to their tweets to @be my killer.

When an online prank goes viral and triggers a spate of gruesome murders, documentary maker Hazel Salter watches in horror. But then Hazel’s childhood friend, Meredith Hickman, is the next victim and Hazel knows she has to find out what happened to her.

Is it one killer or more? Random acts of violence, or part of a bigger, twisted plan?

The police have no leads, but Hazel has a theory – one she’ll stop at nothing to prove – and she also has a film crew. She’ll make a documentary, catch the killer, and give Meredith justice.

Her stage is the abandoned amusement park where Meredith was found.

Her cast are the family and friends the killer left behind.

And her crew? They keep disappearing, one by one…

Faults with this book...

Story very slow and very heavy going..

The murders are over brutal...yes I understand why?

The characters are not defined or strong enough, no characters to really like either, and just too many characters to follow

Overall story just does not build any tension, suspense, no great surprises.

Just lacks a solid story, only just finished this book, as just lost interest.

Only two stars from me. My apologies to the author and to the publishers.

Just not for me, although I know many have enjoyed the book