Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have read a lot of serial killer books, watched TV shows and movies and could honestly say it is not possible to shock me anymore. That is until I read this book. What in the name of all that is holy! Wow! I did not see that coming - the enormity of the crime, the horror, the gore and that twist.
It is well written. It is a well paced story with a suspenseful plot and the characters are well fleshed out.
This is supposed to be a police procedural book so I have one question. Would it take 24 murders for the police to go all gung-ho on the killer? Especially when said murders happen in the same city within a 7-month period.

4 stars

Enjoy serial killers thrillers? Then I hope you read this review (thanks, if you are.).

Every so often, when I’m on NetGalley checking out what is available I like to make sure I read a self-published or tiny, tiny press title, just to see if there are any gems out there amongst the dross (and I’ll be the first to say there’s some bad stuff out there.) This book, which I’m fairly sure is self-published by Moon, was a pleasant surprise as it is at least as good as anything I’ve read in the genre in while and looks to have (gasp!) actually been edited (which doesn’t always happen with all these books, sadly,) so if this is your thing, maybe consider giving a little guy some love and encouragement when the book is released in December.

Abby Carlson is a dietitian (a word I always want to spell incorrectly) in Minneapolis. There’s a serial killer in the city and he’s targeting victims based on the first letter of their jobs. Only “D” and “V” are left, so why Abby isn’t cowering in her closet with a loaded gun pointed at the door is beyond me, but she isn’t, and she’s taken.

Detective Cal Randall returns from a mental health leave to retake his position on the “Profession Killer” task force and he and new partner Kelli Tan are leading the investigation for the MPD (the FBI is involved too, which was a relief. I’ve read too many books where there’s a serial killer out there and there’s one detective working the case, in that, obviously, that isn’t how law enforcement works. Can they find this fiend before it’s too late?

Now, don’t take this review to mean the book is perfect. It isn’t. Other than his backstory Cal is a bit of a cipher, we hardly learn about Kelli at all, and how in the world did this guy get to 24 dead before the cops think of the plan that helps to find him? But I was kept guessing til the end (the end? Well, I had a few questions about it.) and it’s very nicely done. The city of Minneapolis gets lots of love with tons of shout outs to significant locations. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and, again, like to see a less well known author do well, so if this sounds like your thing maybe give it a look?

4.5/5 ★

WAIT, WHAT? 🤯 I was NOT prepared for that twist!

It’s best to go into this one somewhat blind, like I did. All you need to know is that Letter 26 follows a Minneapolis serial killer that is hunting women based on the first letter of their job title, aiming for one per letter of the alphabet with only two remaining. One of them is “D,” putting dietitian Abby Carlson in terrifying danger and Detective Cal Randall in a race against the clock.

This was a wild ride with a serial killer unlike any other character I have read before, with both their personality and what they were doing to their victims (it’s not what you’d guess). 😱

I was not expecting this to have as many perspectives and timelines as it did, which was a great surprise. The writing flowed perfectly, and I was intrigued the whole time. It felt like an episode of Criminal Minds in book form and included more horror themes than I expected as well.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but all I will say again is… THAT TWIST?!?! With how many mystery/thrillers I read, I thought it was impossible to shock me like that.

I am willing to suspend some disbelief after enjoying nearly everything else about this book.

This is not a full five stars because I would have enjoyed more mystery surrounding who the serial killer was before they were revealed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Jacob Moon for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3844676815?source=link_share

Was a pretty good book. First book by this author and I will read more of his book.

Read in 4 hours and 28 minutes.

Of all the things that happened this week, reading the most bizarre book of 2025 wasn’t on my bingo card.
The ending left me flabbergasted and tempted to check every scene to see what I’d missed- but I know I wouldn’t thank myself for it.
This author appears to be a toddler who dumps rotten ingredients into the plot and gleefully gulps down his own concoction.

Aside from the gore that’s painstakingly documented, there were more oddities that left me frustrated.
The author can abstain from writing one single sane character- but not from mansplaining the plot to us, the dimwitted reader.

Behold such delights as a man being introduced as “her platonic male best friend” -he’s gay, so *of course* it’s platonic.

Then again, how often do you hear two POC women announce this to each other?
“As a fellow woman of colour, I’ve definitely waged my own kind of wars.”

I can assure you that a woman isn’t constantly referring to “perky breasts” even as she studies the torso of an embalmed corpse, funnily enough.

And, in case the equality hasn’t been explained enough, the police deploy a “two-woman, thirteen-man team”.
You know, seeing as that rolls off the tongue so naturally…
There’s women in this book, guys! And only 26 of them are being abused at any one time!

After I finish my standing ovation at the genius of this man, I’d hope to have time to ask him why he thinks that it’s necessary to have the traumatised FMC have frequent flashbacks to being SA’d by her stepfather as a child?
Yes, she’s a resilient grown woman who visits a therapist. Can she not also be a plucky fighter if she’s scared of flying or been in a car crash or literally anything else?
Or better yet, how about understanding that a “normal” traumatised woman can also be courageous and tough?

It makes me uneasy that the author appears to take such delight in depicting these scenes, and those of Victor’s “purifying” process.
The human taxidermy is almost tame in comparison….
Oh yeah- that’s not even the half of it…

My review may be harsh but I hate it when devices are added for shock value, especially when it adds little to the plot.

Despite all of the events, the only woman that I could connect with was poor Nicolette.
We’re conditioned to take the path of least resistance to keep everyone (especially volatile men) happy but that path is strewn with vipers.

On the plus side, if I upload this review in a crowded public area- perhaps during a football match- I might be safe to speak my mind on this…

This book was much more horror than psychological thriller. It was quite gruesome and I found it quite shocking and had I known how much so, I would have passed on it. It was a very well written book and had wonderfully developed characters, storyline and the strangest ending I certainly wasn't expecting. If you're into horror and shocking I absolutely recommend this book, you'll greatly enjoy it.

To suspend disbelief is to welcome naivety’s bliss. You’re going to need a lot of that while reading this book, and I think that’s ok.

I really enjoyed this overall. It was well written, finely paced, and interestingly plotted. The characters were drawn just vividly enough to allow for connection, and it was easy to root for/against them as the author intended. The horror will make even the most hardened fans bristle, the thriller aspect was sufficiently propulsive, and the police procedural through-line was believable.

But… there was a lot that had to be overlooked to enjoy this book. It felt like it took 24 murders for the cops to be like “ok, now it’s time to buckle down and get serious”… for example. And the ending, while shocking and certainly unexpected, was almost absurd enough to derail my involvement in the book. Almost.

Overall, this one was good and I look forward to more from this author. As long as you put some of your critical thinking on hold for this one, you will enjoy it like I did. I mean, isn’t that the beauty of fiction anyway?

Let me just say this: Letter 26 is what happens when a mysterious death, a dash of paranoia, and a twist you absolutely didn’t see coming all crawl into your brain and rearrange the furniture. 🧠📫💀

I flew through this one like I was being chased—and honestly, by the end, I wasn’t sure if I was running from something… or straight into it. The pacing is sharp, the tension simmers, and the reveal? Absolutely feral. Had me sitting there like, “wait. WAIT.” 😱📖

Jacob Moon knows how to weaponize a plot twist. I thought I knew what kind of story I was reading… and then suddenly I was questioning everyone’s motives and checking my own mail with suspicion. 📬🔪

Big thanks to NetGalley and Jacob Moon Publishing for the early trauma—I mean, ARC. Would recommend to fans of eerie mysteries with bite. Just don’t read it alone. Or in the dark. Or near a mailbox. 😵‍💫🖤

Letter 26 by Jacob Moon is a great read.
The writing is flows well and is engaging.
The cover art is eye catching and intriguing.
The story is well paced, with a suspenseful plot and well developed characters. The twists are unexpected, adding a thrilling layer to the narrative.
Overall, a compelling read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kacob Moon for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When Abby Carlson’s job title as a dietitian comes to mind now, it’s accompanied by a looming threat: the serial kidnapper and suspected murderer known to the media as PK, The Profession Killer. He’s targeting women in and around Minneapolis based on the first letter of their jobs, and he’s ripe to pick a “D” victim. He follows his gruesome calling card preserving and posing the corpses per their professions with posting his exploits on Instagram. But the threat is abstract in a city as big as Abby’s, especially since the posts are immediately taken down...until she finds herself drugged in the back of a van, the latest headline! Wow! I guess this was correct in calling it a horror! I normally just read thrillers but I’m really glad I read this one! Yes it was a horror but also was a creepy but fantastic chilling thriller!! It had suspense, mystery, kidnapping, crazy serial killers, fantastic characters and a few jaw dropping twists! The story was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!