I will be entirely honest, I requested this read as soon as I saw the name. It was just too good, too intriguing to pass up on. I didn't even read the description, just dove in completely blind and had a lot of fun (if that's not weird to say) reading this thriller!

Serial Killer Support Group, by Saratoga Schaefer, opens with a frustrated Cyra at the police station trying to get information about her murdered sister. Unable to get answers, Cyra decides its time to take matters into her own hands. After talking to a friend who works for the police department, Cyra learns first that her sister's death may be connected to others in a possible serial situation, and also that the police have discovered a dark web chatroom offering a support group of sorts, Cyra decides to infiltrate the group and track down her sister's killer.
I loved the idea of this support group, and the way they set themselves up. Meeting in the basement of an abandoned rec center, with the coffee and snacks and semicircle of group members, the echoes to other support groups were entertaining. Even better was the fact that although a member brings treats each week, the others (all killers by trade) are hesitant to trust the proffered goods. I get it. I was a preschool teacher, and I rarely ate the things my kids made in the classroom, and they only offered some sketchy germs and unwashed hands. I definitely would not have tried one of the deviled eggs. Such a quirky addition to this whole scenario--a serial killer bringing a platter of home cooked treats--and I loved it!
I also really enjoyed the vignettes into each killer's life that were interspersed throughout the narrative. Named after various parasites (I don't recommend looking up some of these parasites), we get a taste of their own stories and it's easy to picture the group sitting in their semi-circle listening to one of their own sharing bits of his backstory, his origin and devolution. Although it did leave me jumpy after dark for a few nights, it was a fun addition to the story.
And as for the main story, I enjoyed following Cyra as she worked to solve her sister's murder. Nicknamed Mistletoe by the group, Cyra wears her Mistletoe persona like a mask, changing her stance and her attitude to emulate her new peers. But as time passes, she starts putting on her Mistletoe mask more and more frequently and Cyra starts to struggle to return to herself. I found this aspect fascinating, watching this character navigate life with her rapidly deteriorating personal life and her increasingly troubling alter ego. It raised an interesting question of where does one draw the line, and when do the ends stop justifying the means.
The mystery itself—who actually killed Cyra's sister—was the only element for that didn't have me fully compelled, I guessed it quite quickly in the book, but I really didn't mind. It was much more interesting to follow Cyra in this dangerous dance she's taken on with the devil.
As a huge fan of shows like Criminal Minds, I found this entertaining and very readable, and would definitely recommend to fans of the genre.

Cyra infiltrates a serial killer support group to identify her sister’s killer and learns more about herself and the serial killers of New York City. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this gifted copy for an honest review.

80/100 or 4.0 stars

This was a fun thriller that I enjoyed quite a bit! It was a quick read too since I kept reading to see what happens! There are some things that you have to suspend your disbelief for, but it was written well enough and the plot was fast enough to help me overlook that and still have fun!

I will definitely be checking out future thriller releases from Schaefer!

Serial Killer Support Group is an adult thriller centred around grieving sister Cyra, who’s out for vengeance against the killer who took her sister from her, and it just so happens they might be part of a support group…for serial killers, and it’s not the rehabilitative kind.

The book reminds me of Sadie by Courtney Summers a lot, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it served as an inspiration for Saratoga Schaefer’s debut. After all, they’re both stories of women pushed so far to the edge they’re willing to take justice into their own hands—even if that pursuit renders them no better than the objects of their revenge. They both also leave us in suspense of the main character’s fate.

What’s more is that neither of these stories offers us a likeable protagonist. As is the case for most during the grieving process, we are introduced to someone who has been shelled, and at no point throughout the story are we given the false hope that Cyra might go on to live on greener pastures. She has no real professional ambitions, her love life is in tatters. This is a woman who has nothing left to lose. The worst version of herself is the right man for the job the police can’t do.

Or so we think (but I’ll let you figure out what I mean here when you pick up the book *wink*).

As a true crime enthusiast, I was disappointed in myself for not catching all the plot twists and revelations, but I’m sure a more attentive reader will catch on.

One critique I did have for this otherwise enjoyable and fast-paced read, is the plot-hole regarding a character’s mysterious death, which is answered less with a concrete resolution, and more a hypothesis presented as fact.

If I was to frame this book as a recommendation, i.e. who it’s target might be, I’d be inclined to say adult readers 16+ who are looking for entry-level quick thrills.

This is a book packed with a diverse cast of bad ‘uns so rotten they nickname themselves after literal parasites, and is structured as a third-person narrative that alternates every couple chapters to offer you insight into the aforementioned parasites’ lives and minds. It is a standalone, and an ideal choice for readers trying to reach their reading goals this year.

Even serial killers need a place to be themselves, it turns out. What a shame (ironic), that this is what leads Cyra straight to them in the hunt for her sister's killers. What a double shame (joyfully), that Cyra might find her own kind of release in the hunt. Serial Killer Support Group is a riot of a thriller that had me cackling happily at Schaefer's willingness to go as far as they did. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have a deep fondness for female characters that disconnect fully from society's expectations of womanhood and femininity. In Serial Killer Support Group (SKSG), Schaefer gives us that in the figure of Cyra. To what extent Cyra is neurodivergent, somewhere on the sociopath-spectrum, or simply over it is left up to the reader, which is I think necessary for a book like this. Schaefer slowly builds up Cyra's past, which gives a more complex picture of why she is the way she is, but it doesn't deny a certain natural aspect to her coldness as well. I have read a few books which seem, desperately, to want to have a female character that is hard and cold and willing to go beyond what is generally deemed acceptable. Few books, however, are willing to go there entirely and try to set up some kind of redemption, some sort of saving grace, so that the female character remains at least a little likeable. Or, worse, it is set up as some kind of girl-bossing feminist win. SKSG, in my eyes at least, does not do this. While Cyra starts her journey for arguably good reasons, wanting to find her sister's killer, it quickly becomes clear that there are other things at play and that Cyra is not entirely honest with herself. It reminded me, in some ways, of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, which, Cool Girl Monologue aside, also just lets Amy be an absolute maniac and does not try to sugarcoat her.

Cyra's sister, Mira, was murdered two months ago and the police is quite simply not doing enough. All they will tell Cyra is that, potentially, she was the victim of a serial killer. After a tip from a friend, Cyra manages to infiltrate a support group for serial killers currently active in the New York area. Not that this group is meant to support them in stopping. Rather, this little club is intended as a place where these people can be themselves. Taking on a killer persona, Cyra battles between the relief she feels at not having to fake emotions and the determination to find and deal with whoever hurt her sister. SSKG is almost entirely focused upon Cyra herself, told in third person, but is occasionally interspersed with little chapters giving some insight into the killers she comes to meet. These chapters were interesting and gave a little background to these figures, but the real gold is in Cyra's journey. As I said above, I love a female character that completely drops the facade of good behaviour and good choices. Because of that, I loved how unlikeable she is at times and the utter delusions and denial she carries around with her. There is no saving Cyra from herself and I really liked that Schaefer did not feel the need to even try to do so.

This is Saratoga Schaefer's debut novel and it makes me utterly excited for what they will write next. I have gone into enough detail, I think, about how much I appreciate Schaefer's approach to Cyra, so I will let that rest for now. I also really liked how Schaefer wrote her more gruesome scenes, be they Cyra's first real exposure to the support group and its slow, gut-clenching tension, or the high-speed murder scenes we get to witness. Another element which was fun for me but might not work for all readers is that, everyone in this book is, in one way or another, deeply unlikeable, and that is not just true for the serial killers. Cyra herself is a delightfully complicated protagonist that you find yourself rooting for and fearing all at once. There is a moment early on where she crosses a boundary and I knew, from that page on, that Schaefer would go there with her character and I was trilled. Cyra's sister and her sister's friends are also people you can't help but side-eye, while the serial killers are all gross in their own ways. Also, turns out not even the serial killing industry is free of sexism. While it is absolutely necessary for the plot, it is its own kind of comment that the support group cannot seem to cope with the presence of a single female. Watching Schaefer set up her dominoes and then knock them all over was an absolute delight and I can't wait to read more by them, because I, too, support women's wrongs!

I had a great time with Serial Killer Support Group! I love reading about unlikeable and complicated women and I love a thriller that saves a few hooks but ends up delivering exactly the kind of suspense you're hoping for!

Cyra’s sister, Mira, was murdered. Cyra is determined to find out what happened and seek justice. A lead from the police station indicates that Mira may have been victim to a serial killer. Information comes to light on the dark web regarding a support group for serial killers somewhere in the area. Cyra will do whatever it takes to infiltrate and determine if one of the members killed her sister.

I enjoyed the premise of this story and found it to be unique. I have only seen one movie with a similar plot, but that was a comedy and this was definitely on the darker side. The first chapter didn’t grip me as much as I hoped, but the rest of the story made up for that. It took some twists that I didn’t expect. The big reveal I did predict at a certain point, but I think it would be unexpected to most. This was a great debut!

I was hooked from the beginning!!
I devoured this book!.
It was amazing, addictive, and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

Totally implausible, this was an interesting book and I really enjoyed the turns it took! I loved that the serial killers in the group had a rule to not hunt and kill each other. That sure does one up the honor among thieves! I loved how Cyra's character reflected the fears every woman has faced at some point in time and pushes back. She could have made for an amazing heroine! The only thing that I did not like was the last chapter. Once again an author feels like they need to lay everything out and explain it to the reader, even though it was all things the reader should have easily picked up on during the course of reading the book. Authors, please trust your readers! So do yourself a favor and read this wild ride of a book and potentially skip the last chapter!

Infiltrating a serial killer support group to find your dead sister’s murderer (..?)

Now, the premise of this book really caught my attention when I decided to pick it up. I liked how fast pace the beginning is and how it jumps right in to the plot. However, it slowly starts to lose its momentum throughout. The twists and turns did hold my interest enough but by the time I made it to the end, I was so bored by everything. The murderer is shocking and the serial killers are serial killers but all characters felt a little flat to me. The fmc just wasn’t likable. By the end, I hated her and her sister.

Overall, wasn’t the worst read but read better.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, & Saratoga Schaefer for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! ◡̈

Her sister has been murdered. The police say the patterns fit a serial killer's MO. Cyra decides the law is not working fast enough. So she takes her grief and her need to see her sister's murder avenged and joins a support group whose members are serial killers. This my friend, is an original plot line that stirred up one young woman's idea of herself.
First, she must meet the killers. A short bio for each is provided. Then research, but it seems awfully easy for her to find the history and background of each. Now, action. But Cyra makes a few too many excuses for her group and suddenly recognizes herself as not so very different.
Great debut. What's next?

Mira is dead, and no one seems to know what happened to her. But her sister Cyra is not satisfied with the answers that the NYPD are giving her or lack thereof. Eli, a  friend of Mira, who works close to the police department lets Cyra know that it is possible that a serial killer killed Mira based on some highly confidential papers he got a hold of. Guilt and the need for justice will drive Cyra to find and infiltrate a serial killer group that is known to gather in New York. Once she passed their pre-requisites and proves she is also a serial killer, Cyra will meet some of New York's deadliest serial killers. They all gather once a week and use code names to talk about their feelings and their killings. But even within the group,  the killers,  all men, seem to always be hiding something and lying about everything. Lamprey, a killer within the group finds out Cyra's real identity and blackmails her into helping him find the group snitch. When the first serial killer is killed, Lamprey and Cyra will team up to find out who killed him, while she also searches for her sister's killer who is closer than she knows.

Serial Killer Support Group is a nail bitting, suspenseful,edge of your seat thriller which will keep you wondering who is the killer within the serial killer group.
💫💫💫💫💫

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this amazing thriller that I couldn't get enough of.

The premise for this was great - a group of serial killer meet to discuss their “craft” and a woman infiltrates the group in the hopes of finding who killed her sister. The pacing was strong and I wanted to know if Cyra would get answers but you will really have to suspend your disbelief for this to work. I think if it went darker it would have really worked but Schaefer didn’t fully commit enough for me.

Happy Publishing Day!

Thank you Crooked Lane Books & Saratoga Schaefer for this read.

This thriller is one twisty read! The author managed to grab me from the very start. Drawing from true crime and horror, this book packs a punch with twists, gore, and unpredictable characters. While some parts were over the top, I couldn't help but enjoy the thrill of finding out the truth and getting justice.

Told in mixed POVs, we are handfed snippets of the group and the dark things they have done. Some parts are extremely unsettling, showing true evil. The chapters are short and everything happens really fast - guaranteeing a bingeable read.

Overall an enjoyable, thrilling and shocking read!

This one had me hooked from the very beginning. It kept me guessing and I couldn’t put it down. It shows how desperate grief can make someone and just how far they’re willing to go for those they love

This book wastes no time getting straight to the point. From the very beginning, the story starts to unfold, and the reader is plunged into Cyra's tale of vengeance.

Cyra would do anything to protect her sister, Mira. So when Mira is murdered on a morning jog by a suspected serial killer, Cyra knows she needs to find the killer and seek revenge. With the help of an inside source, Cyra discovers the existence of a secret support group for the sort of people who may just have the answers.

The character development was good, and I liked that each of the serial killers had their own personality and traits. Though there were a few parts that I felt didn't quite fit the narrative - Whipworm/Pea crab?
I even found I quite liked some of them, with Whipworm and Python being especially favourable.

The only real issue I had was with Cyra herself, whose character just never really evolved for me and whose actions were pretty predictable.

I liked the various twists, and the chapters from the individual serial killers were a great addition.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book via Netgalley.

I truly try and request books I think I will love, but this one really missed the mark. The premise is exactly what the title states and just executed poorly. It was just very hard to belive someone with no experience in hacking or hacking (see what i did there) would infiltrate the dark web, find this super secret serial killer support group and find the person who killed her sister before the cops did. It just didn't do it for me.

Thank you to netgalley and publishers for the ARC. all opinions are my own.

Serial Killer Support Group is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. A group of serial killers meets to talk about their feelings—about being serial killers. They have snacks, they sip coffee, and they clearly don’t like or trust each other. The characters are all pretty flat, and there’s little to distinguish one killer from another. It feels as though every serial killer in the group is essentially the same.

Then there’s Cyra. She’s burdened with guilt over her sister’s murder, and when the police suggest it might be the work of a serial killer, she decides they’re not doing enough. So, she takes matters into her own hands. Cyra’s sister’s friends somehow know about the support group, and despite the police and FBI being unable to find any proof it exists, let alone infiltrate it, Cyra gets in with ease. She just hops onto the dark web, chats with the gatekeeper, and gets herself an assignment to prove her worth. It’s all just a little too easy. How is it that the FBI is struggling to find this group, but Cyra has no issues? That’s never really explained.

There are flashbacks detailing the origins of the group—criminals who decided this would be a good idea. But honestly, I had to suspend all logic to get through this mess. It’s a nonsensical ride that didn’t really offer much of a payoff.

A suspenseful mystery with an interesting premise that has twists and turns that will want you knowing more.

I thought this wasn’t bad, but it didn’t knock my socks off. I’ll give credit that this is a very unique plot with the serial killers meeting in a support group, and the add-in of Eli and Izzie and figuring out who really killed Mira.

But overall the characters were bland, not much depth and just not very interesting. The mole in the group dynamic was anti-climatic. I guess I didn’t expect it to turn out good either.

For Cyra being such an emotionally detached character it was interesting to see her dedicate her whole entire life to being her sisters protector so hot tempered with Eli.

All in all, if you’re going for vibes and a quick popcorn thriller, this one will do the trick.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley and Saratoga Schaefer for an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This book is definitely different than anything I've ever read. While parts of it were a tad predictable, I still enjoyed the story and getting to know the different characters throughout. I found the twist at the end was well done, and I think helped to tie up any loose ends that could have remained.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

The concept of this book felt very exciting and intense, it had good and bad points but as the plot unravelled I felt more invested,