this book was fun, quirky, and grabbed my attention from the very beginning!! it kept me hooked throughout the book

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

This was book was amusing at times. The main character was unhinged yet so relatable. I can see how someone can be so jaded that they make the choices Hannah makes. A couple of times during the story I thought, “Oh my God, I could totally do something this crazy!” And, I’m not generally a reckless person. This book Shines a light on the culture of serial killer obsession. A couple nice twists that I sort of saw coming but didn’t also, if that makes sense. Would make a great beach read.

3.5

Dear Hannah,
You're crazy, but I love you as a character. You make horrible choices, and you would make a terrible friend, but, at the same time, you're compelling. You get yourself into situations that make me simultaneously laugh and cringe. and you are one of my recent favorite characters.

xoxo,
A fan

Tasha Coryell's Love Letters to a Serial Killer is a fresh, fun look at what happens when Hannah has an obsession with true crime, so much so that she gets involved with the suspected killer. It might seem odd that I describe a book with "serial killer" in the title as fresh and fun, but it really is. It has all the elements that true thriller readers love, but it's light enough to read with the lights on, and, with the way it ended, fingers crossed that we might see Hannah again.

I can safely say I’ve never read anything quite like Love Letters to a Serial Killer, and I had so much fun with it. Our narrator is Hannah, a 30-something woman living a stagnant life in Minneapolis. Her job is unfulfilling, her friendships are floundering, and she’s being ghosted in her current situationship. When she learns about the discovery of four women’s bodies in Atlanta, the victims of a suspected serial killer, she hops on the true crime forums and immerses herself in the details of the crimes. And when a handsome lawyer named William is arrested for the murders, Hannah decides to write to him. She’s shocked when William writes back, but certainly there’s no harm in continuing their correspondence. After all, William is going to prison for life. Even though Hannah is falling in love with him, there’s no possibility that they could have a future. But then a fifth woman’s body is found while William is detained and on trial – and everything changes.

If you have ever wondered about the women who fall in love with serial killers, this is the book for you. Hannah is a fascinating, if not necessarily likeable, character. She is a bit, as my teens would say, “delulu,” or as I would say, unhinged. In smart, sharp writing, Tasha Coryell draws the reader into Hannah’s psyche, revealing her deepest insecurities and most destructive obsessions as she makes questionable decision after questionable decision. It can sometimes be exhausting being inside the head of a character like Hannah, but Coryell made it seem…fun? Hannah doesn’t really try to justify her behavior: She just does the things she does, unapologetically and obliviously. All I could do was shake my head and follow her down her self-destructive path. And yet she is still sympathetic, because at the root of it all is Hannah’s simple, heartbreaking desire to be chosen, to be loved. Girl needs some therapy, for sure.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer reads like a satire combined with a character study of a disturbed woman, with lots of interesting commentary about modern dating culture and millennial ennui. It’s billed as a thriller, but that aspect was the least interesting part of the book for me. The big reveal at the end isn’t a surprise, but I’m not sure it was supposed to be. Since the whole book is about Hannah’s self-destructive tendencies, it makes sense that she would be so focused on her obsessions that she would overlook what was right in front of her. In any case, I thought Love Letters to a Serial Killer was gripping and entertaining and refreshingly unique.

I hate to say it, but what the hell did I just read?! Nothing makes sense. Literally, I am very confused by what I just read. But I know for a fact that this book wasn't what I was expecting. It just wasn't it. Sorry, but it's my opinion.

ummmm wowwww... in a word soooooooo CRINGY....

I picked up this book about a month ago, but put it down right away because I couldn't handle it. But, I decided to pick it up again on a whim and give it another chance. BOY, what an unique read.

The internal dialogue that this character had was sooo hard to read, but I couldn't look away. The justification that this girl gave herself was shocking and sad, but unfortunately accurate. People always have a way to justify their thought processes and behavior and this girl took the CAKE. I really enjoyed this book... which is so weird because I couldn't STAND the main character and I cringed with every chapter. However, it was sort of a look into the mirror or those people that will justify anything and it was entertaining, but horrifying to behold.

Overall, this book was one of a kind and I'm so glad I read it.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a little backlogged with some of my ARC’s but working diligently to get caught up. I really liked the concept of this book! It reminded me of every time I watch something about true crime and it talks about how they fell in love with a penpal and got married, and I’m always like, who would ever do that?!? This book definitely gave me some insight into what may be going on in their heads when making these choices, not that I in any way agree with them. The characters and story were both really interesting and kept me entertained throughout. If you’re a true crime junkie, you’ll most likely get a kick out of this book!

Have you ever wondered what would prompt someone, particularly a woman to fall madly in love with a person who has murdered multiple people, especially multiple women? Well, let me tell you, in this psychological murder thriller, although fictional, tries to explain/answer just that question.

Love Letters To A Serial Killer is a fascinating demonstration of a woman, Hannah, who is in her 30's who was dumped by her boyfriend, which she naively saw no signs of happening, who lives a very lonely life, working a job she is good at but dislikes, whose friends all seem to be marrying or in relationships who decides to begin writing letters to a man named William, a lawyer who is incarcerated for allegedly murdering women. A serial killer.

At first the letters from Hannah to William are about how disgusted she is at what he did. But, to her shock and excitement, when he answers her letter, she sends another and another until they become "friends"? Hannah knows deep down he will never get out of jail for the horrendous acts he committed, but that doesn't stop her from communicating with him. Even begin to have feelings for him.

She soon becomes obsessed with everything William, so much so that her work is affected and she gets fired. It is then that she decides to travel to Georgia, even though she can't really afford it and sit in the courtroom of the trial and "support"? this murderer. Thus begins the portion of the story of one woman's obsession and just how far someone is willing to go to get what they crave.

As Hannah watches from the courtroom, along with two other "fans of William", she becomes fascinated with his wealthy family who go to court every day. She begins to follow them. And that is when her life goes from bizarre to dangerous.

Love Letters To A Serial Killer is an engrossing story in which we watch Hannah grow in so many ways, one being she will never truly get what she thinks she wants which is for William to make her one of his victims. But why does she want this? Is she just as broken as he? This is a can't look away, can't put it down book with so many levels to it...desperation, sadness, killing, but in the end, a woman changed.

Thank you #NetGalley #Berkley #TashaCoryell #LoveLettersToASerialKiller for the advanced copy.

A Gripping Exploration of Obsession and the Blurred Lines of Justice

"Love Letters to a Serial Killer" isn't just a thriller; it's a captivating deep-dive into the allure of darkness and the complexities of human connection. Hannah, a woman adrift in her own life, finds an unlikely solace and purpose in her correspondence with an accused killer. What starts as a morbid fascination spirals into a dangerous obsession that blurs the lines between victim, investigator, and accomplice.

The novel expertly navigates the murky waters of true crime fandom, exploring the intoxicating pull of solving a mystery and the fine line between justice and vigilantism. Hannah's descent into this world is both terrifying and thrilling, making it impossible to look away.

The author skillfully crafts a narrative that is both suspenseful and thought-provoking, leaving the reader questioning their own moral compass. "Love Letters to a Serial Killer" is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and anyone intrigued by the darker corners of the human psyche. Just be prepared to stay up all night turning the pages.

Read if you:
•listen to true crime podcasts
•like investigating murders
•have attention seeking behaviors.
🤣
This book is good but it’s also so, wow. Our FMC is legitimately a hot mess and has so many psychological and self-esteem issues that it’s not even funny. I mean, who thinks it’s a good idea to pen pal a man in prison for murder and then start dating him? Red flag central, sista!
The ending. That was a twist I didn’t see coming. Great job with that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

As a true crime girly, the title for this one is what DEFINITELY attracted me. I loved everything about this story. There were definitely some twist and turns i truly did not expect. I love how it incorporates everything during the trial and after. A must read!

An interesting twist on the psychological thriller that will leave you guessing who the real psychopath is right up to the end. Great character development and an interesting plot.

Thank you to Berkley and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

I super enjoyed this one, and it was nothing at all what I expected. I thought the audio was a fantastic way to read this one, and gosh I loved how much Hannah was committed to William and his case. I thought this was brilliantly done, both from a did he or didn’t he do it perspective but also from how Hannah integrated herself into the overall story. At times it was funny and then it got serious in the best way, and overall I really loved this one way more than I thought I would. It is a quick read that I got through in one setting, and I was captivated the entire time.

I really enjoyed how this book started, but as it went along, the main character became increasingly more annoying. After a while, I started rooting for the serial killer. I'm giving this 2.5 stars rounded up to 3, and most of that is for the first half of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Have you ever wondered what motivates women who fall in love with serial killers?
Is it potential fame? Boredom? Curiosity? A need to be seen?
Thirty-something Hannah checks all the boxes. She's been ghosted by her latest boyfriend. Her friends are getting married. She's in a dead-end job that she should be thriving at but isn't. Underpaid, unloved and needy, Hannah finds a community in an online true crime forum bent on solving the murders of four women in Atlanta. When a handsome lawyer named William is arrested for the killings, Hannah begins writing him letters. She doesn't expect him to write back.

Hannah's obsession soon costs her her job and the last of her friends. So, she packs up her belongings and heads to Atlanta for a ringside seat in the courtroom where she can be near her now "boyfriend." She meets his parents and brother. And then, another murder happens. The jury has no choice but to find William not guilty, Hannah is the first person he calls upon his release. She's soon living with him and engaged. But, suddenly small clues seem to point to William being the killer after all. She starts investigating and soon finds herself the next victim on the real killer's list.

This book is a hoot. It's narrated by the self-deprecating Hannah — her first-person point of view is a brilliant choice, making it all the more enjoyable to read.

This book was an addictive and crazy read, like watching a train wreck—I couldn’t look away.

The main character was incredibly needy. She seriously needed some self-respect. She fell for a man who supposedly killed three women and attended his court proceedings like a serial killer groupie. She made so many stupid decisions that drove me insane.

The writing is great—very readable and binge-worthy.
Unfortunately, the ending was a letdown. I saw the real killer coming from a mile away. It felt like the main character was practically asking to be killed; her actions were just plain stupid. The story kept me hooked until the disappointing conclusion.

Brilliant and kept me up all night - i finished it in a single reading. The letters were exceptionally funny.

This book was wholly unexpected. I went into it thinking it would be a cute, maybe thriller type rom com and emerged feeling sad and deep, like in a very poignant way.

This book was certainly an unconventional love story that chronicles Hannah who has very little self esteem and no self worth. While I giggled at parts of it, it just felt wrong to laugh.

With that said though, the premise was really interesting. As someone who really likes the study of psychology, it felt like a deep dive into a seriously disturbed person's inner workings.

I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars as I thought it would be a light read, yet it turned out to be much heavier than expected. Overall though, it was good.

Thank you ro NetGalley, the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group and the author Tasha Coryell for this ARC.

The book was released on June 25, 2024 and you can pick it up at your local bookstore.

I am not sure how to review this book. The main characters are really strange and honestly hard to connect with. The story is very predictable and even with the writer's ability to tell an interesting story the predictable is just too much for this reviewer.
I love nutty characters, but Hannah is truly too crazy even for me.
This story might appeal to others, but this review found it difficult to read being unable to connect with the characters. Honestly the only sane character(s) is the Serial killer they made sense.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Tasha Coryell

Hannah's unfulfilled life causes her to begin a pen pal relationship with a serial killer. She becomes obsessed with William Thompson who is accused of killing four women. That pretty much sums up the craziness that is Hannah in this debut novel from Tasha Coryell.

This story was what I expected -- part thriller, part wtf, with a dash of romance that shouldn't be, so if you like that sort of wayout there story, this one might just be what you are looking for. It does pull you in, and makes you watch the train wreck, so readers should be prepared for the ride.

I can't say the characters are likeable -- it's more like they are complex and in need of therapy. They are all part of the above-mentioned train wreck.

There are a few twists that I mostly saw coming which is just how I like it with this sort of story. I've often wondered why women are attracted to criminals. This didn't answer those questions completely, but it did make for good discussion with friends.

Overall, an intriguing debut.