Fast, fun read

This was a cute, but slightly gory, read. Marin is the daughter of s serial killer, a man who killed many people right in front of her just for the sake of killing. He was caught after slaying the family of a classmate and Marin, now called Gwen, grew up in a residential home far away from him and her complicit mother. Many years later, soon after her mother is released from prison, Gwen finds a severed arm in front of her home. She knows that it somehow has to do with her father. When another is found, Gwen knows she needs to find out who is behind the killings.

I really enjoyed this, It is light despite the subject matter. I read it in two days.

Gwen Tanner has a secret, and it's one that could get her killed, if not instantly reviled. Her father is infamous serial killer Abel Haggerty, a man who was arrested and put in prison when Gwen was young, along with her mother who was seen as his unwitting accomplice. When Gwen (formerly Marin) begins receiving ominous messages, not to mention real human body parts, she knows she has to act to stop the killings. Will she, and her sanity, survive?

I absolutely devoured this book! With a great plot and well written, interesting and often idiosyncratic characters I couldn't put Haven't Killed in Years down. The pacing was fantastic and the twists kept right on coming until the very end. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. 5 stars, it's a ride you won't forget.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Thank you for the arc!
A tense, gripping thriller that explores identity, trauma, and survival. Gwen Tanner’s quiet life unravels when body parts start appearing at her door, threatening to expose her true identity—Marin Haggerty, daughter of a notorious serial killer.

Told through dual timelines, the story masterfully teases out dark secrets and explores whether you can ever truly escape your past. Just when you think you’ve pieced it all together, the plot takes a sharp, satisfying twist. Compelling, unsettling, and impossible to put down.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝. 𝐈'𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐤𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥.

Can you ever really escape your past? No one is supposed to know that Gwen Tanner is all a persona to hide the fact that she's the daughter of notorious serial killer Abel Haggerty. But years of living under an assumed name won't be enough protection for someone determined to flesh out her true identity of Marin Haggerty.

Gwen's world is pretty lackluster, but it's safe. That is, until body parts start showing up at her door with taunting notes. Her father is safely behind bars, and she can't think of who would be doing this to her now, at this stage in her life. Told in alternating timelines, then and now, there is much more to young Marin than I initially thought. I wanted a deeper dive into her childhood and what she was subjected to, but this was ultimately a satisfying read that explores the darkest parts of human nature. Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for the early copy. This title is expected to publish November 18, 2025.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This was a dark, gripping read. Most of the characters aren’t particularly likable—many are hiding secrets, some with disturbing depths—but I was fully invested in seeing how it would all unfold.

The story tackles the question of nature vs. nurture: Can you ever truly escape your past, or is it always part of you?

It reminded me of the show Prodigal Son—a smart, intense thriller that ended too soon.

Marin has lived a quiet, forgettable life since her parents—serial killers—were arrested. But when body parts start appearing at her door, it’s clear someone knows who she really is. To protect her secret, she sets out to find the killer herself, diving into the eerie world of true crime fandom and confronting the identity she’s long tried to bury.

She might be capable of connection after all—but she’s not the only one with secrets. Will opening up help her stop the killer, or prove she was right to keep her guard up?

Twisty, tense, and hard to put down—this is a thriller worth sinking into.

A really great read. I enjoyed the characters as well as the twists involved in the story. I really thought I knew where the story was going, but I was pleasantly surprised when I was proven wrong.