Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell

Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell

I already loved Tasha Coryell from her Split/Lip Press collection (which you can get your hands on HERE) and was really excited to read a full-length book from her. She always has interesting perspectives on things and the “quirky” narrator here definitely fits the bill.

This book stands out because Hannah is not the typical female protagonist and I loved that. She's unlikable at times and has desires and reasonings behind those desires that most main characters avoid completely... or kind of brush under the rug at best. But that made her feel real, because people are multi-faceted and might make "strange" choices, then double down on those choices, and then get completely caught up in the outcome.

Overall, the story felt like I was listening to a true crime podcast or watching a documentary since the narrator was all up in the action. (Which, I mean... it's a modern thriller - it's at least going to be a mini-series on Netflix, right? RIGHT?)

And then that ending... whew. I love the ending and hope for a sequel! But will be happy to just read more Coryell books, period.

With that said, Coryell mentioned at the end of this book that it was inspired by one of her short stories. I'd previously read Hungry People back in 2020, so I pulled it out to re-read. I easily found the story that she was referring to, and it was great in its own right. I'm glad it's a short story and I'm glad it found a slightly different way of being as a novel. But the other stories? I forgot how good they were. Like... take you to a whole other world good. So seriously - get a copy of that book! Split/Lip Press is one of the most fair independent presses when it comes to book prices and what the author gets, so buy directly through them!

Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose

Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose

 

"The truth won't change anything, but that doesn't mean it should never be exposed."

I saw this in a bookstore, and the title alone grabbed me, along with the cover image! But as petty as it may sound, the Colleen Hoover blurb on the front cover made me second-guess my initial thoughts. I've read a few of Hoover's books, and I later realized I'd read The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose and only gave it two stars. But overall, the synopsis sounded great, and I felt like I hadn't been reading much lately, so I was in!

"He closes the door behind him, leaving me to fend off the monsters on my own. But they're not under the bed anymore. They're in me."

The story was quite different from what I expected, but I enjoyed it. I felt like all three siblings were very unique and realistic, and they all had distinct voices, which can be tough in a multi-POV book. The way the siblings started uncovering information about their parents' past was really well done, too. I could have read anything about their childhood up to this point and been completely invested.

"As we age, we shed layers of ourselves, disintegrating like any other organic material, but some of us just break down faster than others."

The twist was okay, but I felt it was almost anti-climactic. It felt a bit rushed, and everything seemed to happen quickly after such a great build-up of the siblings putting the clues together. (Funny enough, I thought the ending of The Perfect Marriage ruined the book for me, so maybe that's just a constant for my experience with Rose's books, though this one didn't ruin it.) The final resolution also wasn't a home run for me - it seemed a little too sappy. Overall, this was still a good read that kept me turning pages, so I'd recommend it.