Review of Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey
Kate Posey’s novel is a romance novel cleverly disguised as a thriller. The mysterious office worker, Delores- Dolly-Dodi, and the handsome office temp, , exchange sly innuendo and repartee, suggesting that she knows he is a serial killer. This continues through the first half of the book until each reveals a secret that ha been hidden from the other. At that point, I thought, “What? Now what can possibly happen?” Lots as the story devolves into a typical romance storyline of “will they/won’t they?” with the classic split and then happily ever after. I found the book entertaining though a bit banal and certainly predictable.

This novel is so enjoyable. Kate Posey is the master of misdirection. It is so hard to review this book without giving away any of the amazing surprises that she reveals along the way. Unique, enjoyable, unforgettable. One of my favorite books of the year! I was so surprised and a bit sad to see that this was a debut novel. I can’t imagine anyone not liking this book. Thanks to Bookbrowse and Netgalley for letting me preview this book. I expect it to be a huge hit and I will be recommending it to all of my reading friends. I can’t wait to read it with my book club.

Serial Killer Games is the debut novel of Kate Posey. The story is very original, and it is punctuated by multiple twists and turns which are interesting. Character development is very uneven, especially with the heroine and the bizarre rich lawyer who is frankly about as believable as Sasquatch. The positives of the author are her talented wordsmithing and imagination.

4 ⭐️ This book was very unexpected, the cover and title give off very different vibes than what I was expecting since I went into this pretty blind. I expected a twin serial killer dark romance a la Butcher and Blackbird and I was 100% wrong. This is a clean romance at its core. There isn’t much thrill or mystery here, also it is not dark - it has some emotional moments, some laughs and a lot of quirky weirdness. This is about two weirdos (and I mean that in the best way) who are drawn together. These people aren’t typical, they have off kilter, morbid humor and with some very odd dialogue and behaviors. I liked it. I am a weirdo too, love true crime? Check. Don’t fall into typical social norms? Double check. I’m still grappling with how to categorize this book, because it had some surprising storyline twists that I did not see coming, my best advice is go into this blind with an open mind. It is a more heartfelt story of finding love, dealing with personal health and family complexities and finding your place in the world. I love that this is a debut, I can’t wait to read more from this author as I loved the quirky vibes. The writing was also very different, all the characters were so blunt and which made it fun for me to read.

Some ‘spoiler free’ Tropes You’ll Find Here:
* Enemies to lovers
* Outcasts with morbid humor
* True Crime homages
* Marriage of Convenience
* Found Family

Book 1 of 2025.
Format: e-galley, Kindle edition
Posting: Already posted to Goodreads and Fable, posted a few story updates on Instagram, will post review closer to publication date.

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and Kate Posey for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review, all thoughts are my own.

This book will be published on April 29, 2025.

I'm sorry, I just could not get into the story line of this book. Having said that, it is well written, has a quirky sense of humor and I can see that it will be enjoyable to many. I didn't finish therefore won't rate the book but do not want to discourage others from reading.

After reading other reviews, it looks like I'm not the only one who thought this would be one thing, and it ended up being a completely different other thing. But no complaints from me! This was really fun. It's more of a romcom with a hint of true crime-- my perfect combo.

OMG! I had to steel myself to get through the first quarter of the book because it startled me with the serial killer references and tightly held tension. I was afraid it was going to be a disturbing book, the kind I avoid because of bad dreams! I did Not know who was prey and who was predator and was constantly feeling off balance, not knowing where to put my loyalties. I put it away for the holidays and was almost afraid to get back to it after a week. Knowing I was on a bit of a deadline I picked it up again and forced myself into the discomfort of reading outside my comfort zone. I am so glad I did!. The remaining chapters of the book are where the humor steps up and the fear and anxiety settled down for me. I chose the book because of the description of dark/funny. It is a rom-com and a delightfully funny one at that. I am a sensitive person and avoid graphically violent books and I was so afraid that this was where the story was going but instead it set me up and made me laugh at myself and who doesn’t enjoy that? I highly recommend this takedown of corporate culture and consumerism and sexism and harassment in the workplace. The writing is fresh and witty and the characters are well developed and perfectly imperfect. The chapters alternate voice and flip flop the point of view in each chapter. I found it a warm and refreshing story with a lively sense of humor.

This book was rather unusual. It started as almost a satire, comedy with two strange individuals coming together, Jacob (Jake) Ripper and Dolores (Dolly or Dodi, depending on her mood) Dela Cruz.

They were both what you might consider, rather unremarkable individuals, that seemed like magnets to each other. And in the beginning, you think that they are both nuts, and one or the other is a serial killer.

But the book's problem is that it suddenly becomes almost another story. One that is quite sad, and filled with strife for both of these individuals. One dealing with a potentially shortened life and the other dealing with the loss of someone they loved.

At the 40% mark, I finally got the gist of where the author was going with the story. And while I liked the first part, and their constant sparing with each other, I loved the gentle way this all came together.

And the ending was epic and went back to the beginning in its snarkiness.

Overall, it was a really fun read. Not a 5-star, but quite frankly it doesn't have to be to be a good book and one that entertains. This one certainly did that perfectly.

This book is brilliantly twisted and darkly hilarious and keeps you on your toes from start to finish. Dolores dela Cruz, the quirky and sharp-witted protagonist, is a breath of fresh air in the mystery genre. Her strange fascination with spotting serial unalivers in the wild adds a unique twist to the story. The dynamic between Dolores and Jake Ripper is both intriguing and entertaining, creating a perfect blend of suspense and romance. The writing is crisp, engaging, and full of unexpected humor, making the narrative captivating and enjoyable. I loved how the author wove humor into a dark and suspenseful plot, and the chemistry between Dolores and Jake adds depth to their characters, making the story even more compelling. The plot twists and turns were unexpected, and the pacing keeps you hooked throughout.

This is a must-read for fans of dark humor, romance, and thrilling mysteries.

It was an interesting premise, but the writing style fell short for me. It wasn't as engaging as I had hoped, and the MMC wasn't for me. I ended up DNFing at 30%. The world-building wasn't as in-depth as I wanted.

The beginning of the book started off strong. I was very intrigued by the concept of the book and had very high expectations, but after the second half I felt as though the book dried out. It moved very slow and honestly was so tempted to DNF. There were some LOL moments but overall it was okay

Thank you to BookBrowse and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.

Jake Ripper enjoys being invisible at his corporate temp job. He enjoys people watching and tracking their behavioral patterns from the camouflage of his bland clothing and nondescript hairstyle. Until he spots her: the black-widow-clad mystery woman who captivates his attention. Could she be the serial killer who is pushing execs off the building? Unfortunately, mystery woman also wants to be unnoticed. And when she turns her attention back on Jake, the hunter becomes the hunted.

But lovers of serial killer lore and mystery, beware. This is not a book about serial killers. It is a romance with twists, surprises, and plenty of serial killer innuendo. If you like cat and mouse tropes or Spy Versus Spy, you will probably enjoy the first third of this book. After that, you may wonder what just happened to the dark. There is a lot going on in this book, maybe too much at times. Nevertheless, it is a fast-paced, unpredictable romance with plenty to keep you interested.

This book wasn’t the mystery thriller I was expecting, instead, it’s a quirky romcom full of morbid humor and true crime vibes, and honestly, I enjoyed it. At its heart, it’s a sweet love story about two flawed people finding connection, complete with sharp-witted serial killer jokes. It’s a fun, lighthearted read that’s perfect if you usually lean toward darker stories but want to try something with a bit more heart while still keeping that deliciously twisted touch.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts. While I did not get "thriller vibes" from this book, I did still enjoy the wittiness and back and forth between the main characters. I enjoyed the book overall and it is a good "dark humor" type book. I will say, the beginning didn't completely grab me, but once it started picking up, I did get hooked into the story. Would definitely recommend to others looking for this type of book!

This book was not what I expected at all. I didn’t get the mystery thriller suspense vibes that it was described. A more accurate description would be: a romcom filled with morbid banter and a true crime fascination. Which I still enjoyed, hence the star rating!

This book is a cute love story between two people convinced that they’re damaged. I enjoyed the snippy back and forth serial killer quips between our main characters; and the iSpy murder game our MMC plays with his aunt.

Overall this book is a fun, light read, and in my opinion is a good pick if you’re generally more of a fan of darker reads but want to dabble in some more warm & fuzzy romance (which still keeping a murdery tinge).

Jake and Dolores are co-workers and she suspects he may be a serial killer. He's handsome, charming and wears the same outfit everyday, perfect for a serial killer hiding in the corporate world. Delores is obsessed with a murder podcast, wears black everyday and is full of dark humor quips. They both find each other intriguing and begin provoking each other at work. When one needs help getting rid of a body, their relationship changes to something more and they share their deepest secrets. This book is an unconventional mix of romance, mystery, and suspense. It's horrifying, heartbreaking, and funny at times. I can't find the words to express how great this book is, it keeps you guessing through the whole story.

📄🩸Serial Killer Games🩸📄
By Kate Posey

🩸 Outcasts
📄 Corporate office
🩸 Found family
📄 Dual POV

✨ Something about this writing felt a smidgeon like TJ Klune [interesting/ofd way of describing things?]
🩸 Would also be a great read for fans of Butcher & Blackbird - this has a similar sense of witty banter and gorey visuals but also has a uniqueness that I found endearing.
✨ I’m impressed by the way the author was able to portray such light hearted moments but also some truly devastating truths and themes. [to avoid spoilers mention exactly what those are.]
📄 During the first half of this I liked these characters but it felt like there was a plexiglass barrier between me and them, I could see them and watch them, but I could reach out and touch them.
🩸 The second half really takes off and you begin learning the intricate details of these characters. THIS is where the magic of this book lives.
✨ The last portion of this book was stunning, beautiful and I was NOT expecting it at all.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️: No

Not exactly what I was expecting but this was ultimately a lovely and sweet book. I didn't expect a lot of what happened in the book and that took me out of the story a little bit but I still enjoyed the read.

Not my cup of tea. Though I did enjoy the lampoons at corporate life (I've been an office drone for a decade now), the overall humor and snark wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy for review.

This book took a good amount of time getting into due to the slow pace of it, but it the end I realized, this book wasn't for me. I think the writing style was solid, but I don't think this book achieved the expectation I was hoping it would. It does a great job on the dark/ morbid humor aspect and exploring the serial killer/ mystery aspect. The romance was present, but I didn't feel that much of a connecton betweeen our two main characters.

To sum it up, good idea but not as great excution. I would love to read more by this author since I did enjoy certain aspects of her writing!