This was exactly the kind of offbeat, twisty thriller I was in the mood for — dark totally unhinged, and full of WTF moments in the best way. This book had me grinning like a creep while whispering “girl, noooo” to the FMC as she slowly spiraled out of control.

Surprisingly clever. It's like Dexter met Fight Club and they decided to host a potluck.

Watching the main character unravel was like watching a slow motion car crash — horrible, chaotic, and impossible to look away from. The line between justice and madness blurred in a way that felt both cathartic and chilling. I didn’t expect to be delighted by a descent into morally gray chaos, but here we are.

🔪 Themes:
Morally gray FMC
Secret society / club with a dark twist
Vigilante justice
Slow descent into madness
Satirical take on true crime culture
Found… danger? (not quite found family 😂)

Would I recommend it?
Yes! Especially for fans of fast-paced thrillers and slightly absurd plots that lean into the chaos. If you're craving something that feels like a spicy episode of Criminal Minds with a side of “am I the drama?”—this is your next read. I think its a great debut novel.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for allowing me to the opportunity to read and review.

I enjoyed this. It was a really unique concept and a fresh voice. I'm always looking for a different take on true crime thrillers and this one was really good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. So the summary and title of this book really made me excited to read it. I expected from the summary that there would be a bit of mystery with it and there wasn’t at all.
The book was ok but there was just nothing in it that I had expected to find. I kept reading expecting something to happen but nothing did. This one just wasn’t really for me.

Cyra’s sister was brutally killed and police think it’s the work of a serial killer. Thanks to a friend at the station, Cyra has heard rumors about a support group for serial killers. Cyra thinks the police are dragging their feet on the investigation, so what better way to get justice for her sister than to infiltrate the group and provide it herself?

This was so much fun! This book is exactly what the title says: a book about a serial killer support group.

The main character, Cyra, at first feels like she’s falling a little flat, but as the book goes on you realize that’s part of her discovering who she is and a little bit of foreshadowing.

I loved learning about the members of the group and looked forward to chapters that had group meetings. We get a wide range of serial killers in this book of all shapes and sizes and the diversity keeps you guessing what will happen next.

I thought the twist was very well done and I did gasp out loud when it was revealed 👀

Overall I def recommend this one! 4.5 stars from me!

Oooh this one was really good and had me gripping the edge of my seat! Out for revenge, our protagonist is on a mission and infiltrates a support group for murderers to find out who killed her sister. Does our protagonist succumb to the dark side while doing so? Plot twist after plot twist! This one was a fun ride!!

I knew I'd have to suspend some belief and be ok with things not seeming realistic, but it was too unrealistic and made me roll my eyes several times. I liked the concept of this but the execution just didn't entirely work for me.

This book was not what I expected—and I mean that in the best way. I went in thinking it might be more of a darkly funny, maybe even cozy killer-type tale. What I got was a sharp, gripping, and emotional thriller with bite.

Cyra’s journey is fueled by love and rage—my favorite combo. After losing her twin sister to a serial killer, she does what many of us dream about when justice fails: she takes matters into her own hands. Posing as a killer to join a secret support group? Wild. But somehow, it works—and it’s terrifyingly believable.

What I appreciated most was how measured this story felt. Yes, it’s brutal. Yes, it’s full of tension. But it’s not overloaded with endless twists or red herrings that pull you out of the moment. Everything had purpose. The tension stayed high, but the pacing never felt rushed or messy.

I also loved how Cyra’s character develops. This wasn’t just about revenge—it was about transformation. About finding strength in dark places. It gave me serious female Dexter vibes in the best way possible. Honestly, it read like an origin story, and I wouldn’t be mad if there’s more coming.

This book is perfect for readers who love messy justice, feminist revenge arcs, and thrillers that don’t pull their punches. Creative, intense, and quietly clever—Saratoga Schaefer is one to watch.

The premise is interesting but also very unlikely that a group of serial killers would form a support group. I was interested in how the author would deal with the potential plot holes. Cyra is searching for her sister's killer and infiltrates a support group of serial killers to figure out who murdered her sister. Cyra does a slew of dumb things throughout the book (like what is the likelihood that she would find the killer in this small group in a city 7 million people?), her choices, which may be driven by grief ,are dangerous and illogical. Cyra could have been a more dynamic character, there were many parts that could have teased out and the pacing was iffy at times, There were ridiculous moments and maybe if the author leaned into the ridiculousness of it more, it would have been smoother reading experience? However, I did enjoy the side character serial killers, they had interesting stories and there were funny, satirical moments. Not a bad read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a gripping and darkly inventive thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The story follows Cyra who infiltrates a support group for serial killers to find her sister's murderer.

This debut novel is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and dark mysteries. Schaefer's unique voice and storytelling prowess make "Serial Killer Support Group" a standout in the genre. Highly recommended!

Can you imagine the only way to discover your sister's killer is by joining a support group for serial killers?
Well, that's what Cyra will have to do, since her sister meant everything to her, and she can't let the person responsible go unpunished.

I must admit that the title and the cover are a great hook to give the story a chance, but what makes it a great mystery is seeing Cyra as a morally gray character who, as the plot progresses, discovers things about her personality that she doesn't know how to accept or fit in with.

It's a great idea to bring together different personalities in the support group because it doesn't feel like a stereotype copied and pasted from each character, which helps the mystery persist until the end.

The only thing I didn't like is that so little was said about the members of the support group. I understand that for safety and logic, they couldn't talk too much in their meetings, but this made attending them feel like a waste of time.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cyra's twin sister is murdered and Cyra becomes obsessed with finding her killer. Cyra somehow infiltrates a serial killer support group in the hopes that one of them is the killer or can lead her to them. The characters are obviously creepy and unlikeable, but you keep rooting for Cyra to find the person and make them pay. It makes you wonder if there might really be serial killers supporting each other and sickly reliving their kills.

SERIAL KILLER SUPPORT GROUP
Saratoga Schaefer

In SERIAL KILLER SUPPORT GROUP we are following Cyra.

Cyra maneuvers her way into a serial killer support group. She's looking for a serial murderer and thinks this group is her key to finding out who killed her sister.

Hmmmm, I tried to write more in that short synopsis but I promise that's what this book is about. Giving away much more would be spoilery and with the little amount of twists in this book I'm trying to save every surprise I can for you.

SERIAL KILLER SUPPORT GROUP is very straightforward and there aren't many twists and turns.

I recommend this title to beginner thriller readers still pumped about the idea of a serial killer. Anyone who watches true crime documentaries, listens to true crime podcasts or tries to catch the evening news will know the factoids being dropped in the book.

Unfortunately, I think this book suffers from not knowing its audience and not treating its readers smart enough.

I gave SERIAL KILLER SUPPORT GROUP three stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced copies!

SERIAL KILLER SUPPORT GROUP…⭐⭐⭐

Cyra Griffin’s younger sister, Mira, was murdered and the police aren’t doing enough to catch her killer. So, Cyra infiltrates a support group for serial killers by pretending to be one, determined to find them herself.

This had so much potential. Let’s be real, would serial killers really join a support group to talk through their feelings of killing? But, that’s exactly what this is.

This could have gone two ways:
1. More of a comical route. Teasing banter, funny interactions, will I or will I not kill you vibes.
Or…
2. A more serious route. Where we really get into the minds of these killers and we feel anxious for Cyra and question if she will get her answers or will she die.

This seemed like it couldn’t make up its mind of what it wanted. I wanted more serious. I wanted to feel the fear of being near multiple serial killers, but, the killers introduced were pretty flat. Same goes for Cyra, I didn’t particularly like her, so I just felt meh about the whole situation. I was surprised a little at the end, so that’s what saved it for me.

This is out today, so if you are needing a book and this sounds appealing, give it a shot. You might like it more than me.

Thank you to Crooked Lane for my copy of SERIAL KILLER SUPPORT GROUP. This one is out March 18.

I rally enjoyed this book and its quirkiness. The characters were very well developed and it was an interesting take on a revenge plot thriller. I'm super interested in reading more from Saratoga Schaefer and hope they're working another book soon!

Oh, boy, oh, boy! SERIAL KILLER SUPPORT GROUP by Saratoga Schaefer is SOOO GOOD! I found myself turning pages well past my bedtime, thinking one more chapter and then I just kept going.

Cyra Griffin’s younger sister, Mira, was murdered five years ago. The investigation came down to a trickle and.Cyra decides that it’ll be up to her to get justice for her sister. Using an unscrupulous source, she learns of a serial killer support group and realises that one of the members may actually be her sister‘s killer or could provide her with information to find him/her. She unbelievably works her way into the Group and learns the rules and the crimes of each of the other members. With nicknames like Mockingbird, PeaCrab, Whipworm, Cuckoo, Lamprey, Sandfly and Python (after all, it is supposed to be anonymous), what could possibly go wrong? As Cyra becomes more invested in the members (and they in her) she begins to find that she has more in common with some of these characters than she would have ever imagined. Of course, she can’t ask for help from Detective Bellows who is ‘still investigating’ the case.

Meanwhile, Mira’s BFF Izzie and her boyfriend are trying to include Cyra in dinners and ‘wine nights’ as a way of helping them both through the loss of Mira. Cyra spends a lot of time trying to get out of the gatherings.

Like I said, this one kept the lamp light burning deep into the night. I could not put this one down. I could feel my pulse quicken as I roamed dark alleyways and ran for my life on a few occasions. I was surprised to see that this was a debut thriller as it seemed to come from a much more seasoned author. Saratoga Schaefer will be a name I keep at the top of my ‘authors to watch’ list. I cannot wait to see where this author goes next. BRAVO!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

The title alone sold this book for me, I knew I had to read it. I’m a sucker for a good one.

The storyline is so much fun. I loved our main character Cyra and I especially loved that she was crossing the lines of right and wrong. It felt dirty and good all at the same time. 😅

I had my suspicions on who Cyra’s sister’s murderer was from the very beginning and up until the very last second, I thought I had solved it.

The idea of a serial killer support group was exciting to me and I loved that aspect of the book. It’s quick and fun, and the ending is satisfying. I’ve been going through a lot lately and for a while lost enjoyment out of reading. I’m glad that when I decided to pick back up, this was the book I picked up first. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for my eARC. Serial Killer Support Group is available now.

Thank you to Saratoga Schaefer, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The premise of this book hooked me immediately, unfortunately, that's all that hooked me. The characters fell flat, some parts dragged on and on.

Serial Killer Support Group follows Cyra, who lost her sister a year ago to murder. After meeting with the detective covering her sister's case, she finds out her sister is a probable victim of a serial killer, but the police have run out of leads. Determined to avenge her sister, Cyra finds out about a support group for serial killers, and infiltrates it in a desperate attempt to get justice.

This book for me was a just fine thriller, whose concept was amazing but the execution fell a little bit flat. You really have to suspend your disbelief to enjoy this one, from the way Cyra gets into the group, straight through to the very end. Besides Cyra, all the other characters, especially the members of the serial killer support group, felt very flat, and it was sometimes hard to remember who was who. I found the writing to be a little clunky, and needed a little more polish. I didn't hate this book, but I didn't love it either.

This one just didn't hit for me... I was interested in the premise, but the writing was confusing and incongruent at times. The side characters felt like over-emphasized tropes, and the main character was really hard to get a read on. In some scenes she comes off as a vengeful sister in over her head, and in the next she seems like an assassin who knows exactly how to pull off her revenge. I don't quite know how to explain it, but this just felt abrasive from beginning to end, and I really struggled to get into any kind of rhythm while reading it.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

SERIAL KILLER SUPPORT GROUP by Saratoga Schaefer is a twist on the serial killer crime genre. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @crookedlanebooks for the e-ARC.

🔪🔪🔪

Cyra Griffin's sister was murdered and she is going to get to the bottom of it and find the killer. After receiving some very convenient information regarding a local serial killer support group, she joins and takes on the persona named Mistletoe to play while she investigates. Can she figure it out before the killers figure her out?

This was silly and wildly lighthearted for the subject matter. I liked the premise and the heart of the story which is a sister seeking revenge for her murdered sibling, but that is about as far as my like goes. I really despised most of the characters and am flabbergasted as to how any of them could be serial killers as they are all pretty much dumb as rocks.

If you are looking for a fun, playful story about serial killers, this certainly has a somewhat unique premise. I wouldn't say it was awful, just came across kinda forced. I do love the cover though!