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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
From the very first chapter, Serial Killer Games is fast paced, binge-worthy, and full of a dry wit that will make readers laugh out loud. This novel’s dark humor is reminiscent of The Addams Family but set within the backdrop of every metropolitan office’s soul-sucking 9 to 5. Posey blends the morbid and the mundane with an effortless lyricism that breathes fresh life into the genre and fully immerses readers into her macabre mirror of everyday life.
Many stories establish mundane protagonists that become more extraordinary as the story goes on. In her debut novel, Kate Posey does just the opposite. The main characters, Jake and Delores, pull you in by being strange and unsettling, their office-antagonism-turned-courtship unlike the typical workplace meet-cute romance readers have grown used to. But by the end of the novel they are deeply human, their flaws bared to readers like tender wounds. Posey flawlessly pulls off this transition from the odd fascination these characters initially incite to a sense of homey familiarity by the time readers reach the final page.
The standout attribute of Serial Killer Games, however, is the successful execution of its plot twists— of which there are many. Seriously, this book seems to present readers with a new revelation every thirty pages. And it manages to do so without being predictable or exhausting. While reading I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat, wondering where the story will go next. The story’s every turn felt like a delicious, new surprise, primed to thrill gluttonous audiences into eating up every word.
This was a fresh take on the romance genre with such a unique voice and masterful incorporation of thriller/mystery elements. Readers like me won’t forget Serial Killer Games anytime soon— Kate Posey is definitely an author to watch!
dark
fast-paced
funny
This book wasn’t for me. I thought it was going to be a fun and slightly disturbing read, similar to Butcher & Blackbird, but it ended up being more meticulously written than that. For me the writing was slightly strange and just wasn’t holding my attention.
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Dodi and Jake have great chemistry, she is intrigued by the temp and thinks he could even be a serial killer. People have been “falling” from the tops of office buildings for over a year… or are they being pushed?? Dolores (Dodi) likes to think about serial killers and if she could spot one.
“HR’s not having a good time unless you’re having a good time.”
With some fun commentary on working life and workplace culture, Serial Killer Games is not what I expected. My top two genres read are mystery and romance, so I thought I would love this. It is definitely more romance than mystery, although it has some elements. The pacing and dialogue are all banter and typical romcom tropes. None of the slow burn, strategically paced reveals and third act twists and turns you expect from a mystery.
“I hate white carrots.”
“They’re parsnips.”
“I hate them.”
“That’s irrelevant.”
“YOU’RE an elephant.”
Some of the dialogue is very cute and sweet, the ending tied everything up pretty nicely.
The way that the romance had dark and morbid background was slightly unsettling to me. I think some people would really enjoy it and even find it exactly the right kind of spicy/hot. But others would find it disturbing- so read a few reviews and the blurb to see if this is the book for you.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC. Book to be published 4/29/25.
“HR’s not having a good time unless you’re having a good time.”
With some fun commentary on working life and workplace culture, Serial Killer Games is not what I expected. My top two genres read are mystery and romance, so I thought I would love this. It is definitely more romance than mystery, although it has some elements. The pacing and dialogue are all banter and typical romcom tropes. None of the slow burn, strategically paced reveals and third act twists and turns you expect from a mystery.
“I hate white carrots.”
“They’re parsnips.”
“I hate them.”
“That’s irrelevant.”
“YOU’RE an elephant.”
Some of the dialogue is very cute and sweet, the ending tied everything up pretty nicely.
The way that the romance had dark and morbid background was slightly unsettling to me. I think some people would really enjoy it and even find it exactly the right kind of spicy/hot. But others would find it disturbing- so read a few reviews and the blurb to see if this is the book for you.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC. Book to be published 4/29/25.
This was a confusing read for me. After reading the description of this book, I expected it to be like a funny thriller vibe, but it ended up just being a romcom.
Our main character Dolly is obsessed with true crime, and wants to find a serial killer in real life. When she meets the new temp in her office building she suspects he might be one, and attempts to find the (literal) skeletons in his closet.
I actually had a really great time with this part of the book, their back and forth was very entertaining to read about, and the suspense was built up nicely. Kate Posey's writing is very bingeable, and the first part of the book was very dark, quirky and mysterious.
The problem I had with this, was that after about 1/3 of the book the mystery and intrigue just vanished. It just turned into a romcom, focused mostly on the relationship between the two main characters. And though the relationship became the main focus, I feel like it wasn't really fleshed out enough. A lot of time was spent on the intense emotional turmoil these characters go through in their personal lives, which was just not a direction I was expecting this book to go in.
This feels a little like two books stitched together, because of the pretty intense tonal shift. I think I would have enjoyed this way more if I had known what I was getting myself into before reading. From the blurb I was expecting a dark and funny mystery, but this book really isn't that.
Nevertheless, this is a very creative debut novel, and I'm excited to see what Kate Posey comes up with next.
Thank You to Atlantic Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Our main character Dolly is obsessed with true crime, and wants to find a serial killer in real life. When she meets the new temp in her office building she suspects he might be one, and attempts to find the (literal) skeletons in his closet.
I actually had a really great time with this part of the book, their back and forth was very entertaining to read about, and the suspense was built up nicely. Kate Posey's writing is very bingeable, and the first part of the book was very dark, quirky and mysterious.
The problem I had with this, was that after about 1/3 of the book the mystery and intrigue just vanished. It just turned into a romcom, focused mostly on the relationship between the two main characters. And though the relationship became the main focus, I feel like it wasn't really fleshed out enough. A lot of time was spent on the intense emotional turmoil these characters go through in their personal lives, which was just not a direction I was expecting this book to go in.
This feels a little like two books stitched together, because of the pretty intense tonal shift. I think I would have enjoyed this way more if I had known what I was getting myself into before reading. From the blurb I was expecting a dark and funny mystery, but this book really isn't that.
Nevertheless, this is a very creative debut novel, and I'm excited to see what Kate Posey comes up with next.
Thank You to Atlantic Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
ARC Review
Releases April 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶/5
Thank you to Kate Posey, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I don't know how to sum up my feelings about this book. It was odd and I liked it! This book does not fit in one genre. It is somehow both romance and mystery while not fully committing to either. I say this not to deter readers but to encourage them to try it out because it works!
There were twists that I didn't see coming and twists that I did! I was also highly suspicious of both main characters for much of the book!
By the end of this book, I fully bought in to this weird love story!
Releases April 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶/5
Thank you to Kate Posey, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I don't know how to sum up my feelings about this book. It was odd and I liked it! This book does not fit in one genre. It is somehow both romance and mystery while not fully committing to either. I say this not to deter readers but to encourage them to try it out because it works!
There were twists that I didn't see coming and twists that I did! I was also highly suspicious of both main characters for much of the book!
By the end of this book, I fully bought in to this weird love story!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
✨ARC Review✨
Wow this book had me hooked at the beginning! I had no clue what to expect but I loved every minute of it! This thought out, complicated, thrilling, and shockingly heartfelt story has something for the mystery lovers and the romance lovers! I thought this would be a light hearted book about serial killers. And while it is very funny it touches on several hard hitting topics like grief. I was thoroughly surprised by how much I liked this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for letting me read this story early!!!
Wow this book had me hooked at the beginning! I had no clue what to expect but I loved every minute of it! This thought out, complicated, thrilling, and shockingly heartfelt story has something for the mystery lovers and the romance lovers! I thought this would be a light hearted book about serial killers. And while it is very funny it touches on several hard hitting topics like grief. I was thoroughly surprised by how much I liked this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for letting me read this story early!!!