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Okay, I was ready to give this book five stars by the time I hit the halfway point—and the rest only confirmed it!

The premise—a serial killer’s daughter being stalked by a possible copycat who's targeting the people who helped her start over—might not sound entirely new, but the execution? Absolutely gripping. What truly sets this novel apart is the deeply compelling characterization of Gwen Tanner, a woman trying to keep her dark past buried beneath a life of quiet anonymity.

But Gwen isn’t the only standout. Her unpredictable, bleach-blonde young friend Porter might be one of the most captivating characters I’ve encountered in a thriller lately. He’s eccentric, sharp, and somehow gets under your skin in the best possible way.

The author’s pacing and structure are masterful. Around the halfway point, we’re introduced to another pivotal character—one so intriguing she nearly steals the spotlight from Gwen (and honestly, I wouldn’t mind reading an entire spin-off about her!). Though her arrival slightly slows the pacing, the detour is well worth it, offering fascinating insights into Gwen’s backstory—especially her complex, chilling time at boarding school and the subtle differences that make her… not quite like everyone else.

And then—the ending twist. So cleverly done. It lands with impact but feels completely earned. The dry, almost unnerving humor running through the narrative balances the sinister, blood-chilling moments in a way that feels uniquely this author’s style.

Most importantly, the character development is stellar. No plot holes. Every thread ties together. And the final pages wrap up with a clever, satisfying punch. I know some people say I give out five stars too easily—but not this time. This book deserves every one of them. If you love psychological thrillers, serial killer suspense, or mysteries with big twists and layered characters, you’ll eat this up.

Quick Blurb Recap:
Gwen Tanner, early 30s, appears to lead a mundane life working HR and doing pottery on the side—befriending a chaotic 20-something named Porter who’s always trying to pull her into the party scene. But Porter doesn’t know Gwen’s real name: Marin Haggerty, daughter of infamous serial killer Abel Haggerty, who murdered eight people—including his neighbors—and now rots in prison. Marin’s mother has just been released on parole, and right after that, Gwen receives a horrifying package at her door: a mutilated arm and a note exposing her real identity.

And the packages keep coming. Each body part is connected to someone from Gwen’s hidden past. As she digs deeper, she finds herself back in contact with her father—and Dominic, the awkward armchair detective who visits him regularly and wants to write a book about the case. Dominic is also connected to Elyse, the sole survivor of Gwen’s father’s massacre.

So… who’s behind the gruesome packages? Dominic? Elyse? Someone Gwen never suspected? The clock is ticking, and she’ll have to face her past—and her guilt—head-on before more lives are lost.

Bottom line: This is one of the smartest, most original thrillers I’ve read in a while. Unsettling, sharply written, and full of dark surprises. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sharing this unforgettable mystery with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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This is a novel in three parts, which really interrogates what it’s like to be fundamentally “broken” from a young age, what it means to seek revenge/justice, and what life boils down to when everything has been taken from you. Marin is the daughter of a famous serial killer (they’re everywhere—similar to Our Last Resort). He engineered her to take over the family business, making her into a smooth and emotionless operator. But after the last big murder—three members of another family, with only the daughter surviving—Marin was taken to an institution in Pennsylvania and given a new identity: Gwen.

The first parts of this novel are straightforward in Gwen/Marin’s POV. By Part III, we’re seeing Gwen and Natalie’s POVs from the time they spent institutionalized together as teenagers. I can tell that it was really interesting for the author to go into Natalie’s head. She has anger issues. We never entirely learn what happened to her, but the result is this fugue state she slips into when she gets flooded by difficult emotions. She blacks out and hurts people in self-defense. But the author really manages to make her sympathetic. She’s loyal to Gwen because Gwen is the only person who treated her with compassion. A literal, unfortunately, ride or die. Both characters are made empathetic, even though one is a murderer and the other is a stalker and attempted murderer. That’s not easy to do!

There are a lot of characters to manage in order for the plot to work, from Marin’s mother, to her father (in prison), to some serial killer fanboys, to members of the family which represents the father’s last major kill, who still very much play a role in the current action. A certain kind of reader—attracted to dark themes, perhaps baited by the serial killer hook, who enjoys a character whose empathy is broken—will gravitate toward this story. Others might recoil from a cast where nobody is entirely redeeming and where everyone seems to be motivated primarily by the carnage of what happened in the past.

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Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC!

This is about Gwen, who after the appearance of body parts infront of her apartment, has to face her past. Does someone know who she is and who would target her?
It's a very interesting story and I honestly didn't see the plot twist coming.

The writing was okay, a bit fast paced and I couldn't fully get into the characters. Especially because there were so many.
I did, however, thought that after Natalie's POV was introduced, it felt dragged out. A lot of filler chapters with not much meaning. But the end felt quite rushed.
It wasn't a bad read, but it also didn't fully catch me.

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Thank you NetGalley for this chance to enjoy this ARC. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a little gory but it was beautifully written. I did have a hard time keeping up with the characters at times. I finished this book quickly because I did not want to put it down

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What happens when a serial killer raises his daughter to be just like him, but is caught before he can cement himself on her psychi? This story is about a young girl, Marine Haggerty, who after both her mother and father are arrested for thier parts in murder, is taken into police custody and given a new life. 20 years later, now renamed Gwen Tanner, she spends the monotony of everyday life trying to blend in, to be normal, to not be the monster her father raised her to be. That is until severed arms start showing up at her doorstep, with a note from someone claiming to know who she really is. Armed with dry humor, and a healthy amount of introspection Gwen trys to unravel the mystery of who is murdering people, and what they want with her.

This book was a quick and easy read. It hooked me from page one, had plenty of breaks in the chapters so you can digest what you're reading. It was funny while a little dark, but also made you contemplate things like nature vs nurture, as well as other things in life. The side characters were all fleshed out, Gwen's paranoia kept you guessing. I wouldn't say it was super predictable but the end wasn't exactly shocking either. The character of Natalie was so interesting. I liked getting into her mind and thought processes, but it did throw me off a bit when it would switch from her pov in third person back to Gwen's in first. I think doing them both in the same pov would be a little less jarring. Otherwise all in all it was a good read!

Thank you to Net Galley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Amy Green for this ARC!

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Unique story with a quick read. Enjoyed the character development and very interesting plot twist at the end.

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I can’t say enough good things about this book! Although deeply flawed, I adored the main character, Gwen/Marin. I feel like this story was such an original one, even though it had some familiar elements of true crime fans and serial killer obsession. The author took that genre and flipped it on its head by having the main character be the daughter of a serial killer, deep undercover since a child. This story made me laugh out loud and also feel genuine fear. I wasn’t expecting the POV shift halfway through, but it was done flawlessly in my opinion. This might be one of my favorite books that I have read in 2025. I feel like I will be thinking about this for a long time. Do yourself a favor and read this book as soon as you can!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

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Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

I enjoyed reading this book, even with the dismembered limbs, bodies and blood. The characters had just enough depth and the plot, while at times slowed down, overall had a good pace. There are a lot of characters which left me having to go back a time or two to remember who they were. I was never on the edge of my seat and while the ending was a little bit of a surprise, it didn’t stretch belief.

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I really enjoyed this one and the incorporation of dark humor. I found the plot to be unique to others I have read, especially with the focus being on the serial killer's daughter. I had suspicion of who the killer was towards the end, but up until then I was second guessing myself. There were multiple twists within the book and it truly kept me engaged from the moment I began reading it until the end.
Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and Amy Green for the ARC!

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I couldn’t put this one down. Haven’t Killed in Years is a dark and clever thriller with the perfect mix of suspense and sarcasm. Gwen Tanner is such a unique main character! funny, guarded, a little dangerous and I was hooked on her character from the very start.

The plot moves fast and kept me guessing with just the right amount of twists. I loved how it dove into true crime fandom and the idea of hiding who you really are. It was creepy, smart, and had some great emotional moments too.

This is a must read if you like thrillers with bold main characters, serial killer backstories, and a twisty ride that keeps you on edge.

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⭐⭐⭐⭐
Darkly Funny and Surprisingly Poignant

Haven’t Killed in Years by Amy Green is a fresh and twisted take on the retired killer trope that manages to be both darkly humorous and emotionally resonant. The protagonist is oddly charming, with a voice that keeps you hooked even as the story dives into morally gray territory. Green’s writing is sharp, witty, and laced with just the right amount of satire.

The pacing is solid, and the plot keeps you engaged, though there were a few moments where the narrative meandered slightly. Still, the character development and clever dialogue more than make up for it. Green strikes a delicate balance between menace and humor, crafting a story that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking.

A must-read for fans of quirky thrillers with heart and bite.

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This book is an absolute triumph—sharp, darkly witty, and utterly addictive. This is not just a psychological thriller; it’s a masterclass in layered storytelling and character development.

From the very first page, Green captures the reader with an irreverent voice and a twisted, original premise. Set in a small town haunted by a long-forgotten serial killer and fueled by the ghosts of pop culture and faded fame, the novel brilliantly explores themes of identity, obsession, and the fine line between reinvention and relapse. The protagonist is equal parts vulnerable and dangerous, and watching her unravel while trying to outrun her past is both heartbreaking and exhilarating.

Green’s prose is razor-sharp, balancing suspense, dark humor, and poignant emotional beats with remarkable ease. The pacing is flawless, with each chapter peeling back another layer of secrets and betrayals that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last line.

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Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Amy Green for this ARC!

After a serial killer gets arrested, Marin, his daughter, is given a new identity. Her new name is Gwen. Fast forward a few decades and Gwen is living her normal every day life, until she shows up to her apartment and finds a human body part. She knows someone has figured out who she really is and sets off to figure out who it is.

I devoured this book in one day! It hooked me from the beginning and kept me interested with all the twists. I genuinely had no idea who the killer was at all! She had you thinking that it was one person in one chapter and then another the next.

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Haven’t Killed in Years by Amy K. Green grabs you from the very first page and doesn’t let go. The story unfolds through multiple perspectives, which can be a bit of a challenge to track at first, but it quickly becomes clear that every character—no matter how minor—has a role to play in this chilling web. The sheer number of psychopaths in this book is staggering (and oddly impressive), creating a tense, unpredictable atmosphere that keeps you flipping pages.

Green’s writing is sharp, with just the right balance of dark humor and psychological depth. It’s not always easy to know who to root for—but that’s half the fun. A wildly entertaining thriller that’s perfect for fans of twisted minds and morally gray characters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher this early release in exchange for my honest review. Definitely keeps you on your toes!

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Before I begin, I want to thank Berkely Publishing Group, Amy Green, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about Gwen, who is also Marin, the daughter of a serial killer. It is dark, deep, and it will keep you hooked all the way until the end. The characters are great, the storyline is amazing, the humor, although dark is brilliant, all of the things you need in a thriller to make you happy and scared and intrigued.

Where the book fell short, the characters although brilliant were confusing. It appeared that everyone was someone different and it got to be overwhelming. Ever needed a "family tree" or a chart to dissect who was really who in the book. It made the book difficult to follow especially during the slow times of the plot. The writing was great, just next time send me a thesaurus I can reference please.

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A story based on a serial killers daughter who changes her name and identity, then finds human arms by her front door. Lots of twists and turns throughout which kept me engaged wanting to know who was responsible. I love a good dark thriller and this one was written well.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC!

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Thank you for the opportunity on reading an early copy! I loved this. It was fast paced, kept me entertained, and I didn’t want to put this down

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Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC!

Gwen Tanner, formerly Marin Haggerty, has spent two decades living under a new identity after her father, serial killer Abel Haggerty, was arrested. She lives in a way that no one can figure out who she is, avoiding attachments to people. Then she starts receiving human body parts and goes on a hunt for her past.

Daughter like father? Who from her past is stalking her?

I was very intrigued by the synopsis, I love such books, and oh, thank you for not disappointing!

I enjoyed the writing style; it was easy, realistic, and tense. I really liked that the second half had chapters from a different character's perspective!

I'll happily read the author's future books!

I had my theories, but I didn't guess the biggest twist, shick shock!

I liked the struggle with the protagonist's inner self and how she was anxious yet calmly took action and resolved certain issues.

I got what I wanted!

Idea: 4/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Emotions: 4.5/5

Average rating: 4.25

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I absolutely love a true crime story and this hits the spot. You never know what awaits in each chapter. I was engaged the entire time and it was a great story!

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I loved this thriller! It has been a long time since I was unable to figure out the twist in a thriller. Gwen's entire life had me in shock, it was just one thing after another for her. Her father being a serial killer set up the entire plot of the book and came together so well in the end. Starting off the book with Gwen receiving two arms at her doorstep and threatening messages had me hooked. I needed to know what was going to happen next at all times. The addition of Natalie in the book was a great part. Natalie was so interesting, but I do wish we could have gotten more of what happened to her after she was taken from the boarding school she went to. Jake being who he was in the end took me by complete surprise. I feel like I should have seen it coming but I truly had no idea. I really enjoyed the way this author wrote the book, and really enjoyed that we got a point of view from Natalie. The only thing that kept this from being a 5 stars was the information left open in relation to Natalie, I would have loved to know more.

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