Not into ghosts and ghouls? That’s okay. There’s more than one way to get some thrills and chills. We all know that people are way scarier than any ghost. Serial Killers are some of the most feared people out there. Check out one of these thrillers with a serial killer at the center of the plot.
The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart
What’s lurking in the Louisiana Bayou? This debut novel by Morbid podcaster Alaina Urquhart features a methodical serial killer with a penchant for medical experimentation. It’s not long into his killing before forensic pathologist, Dr. Wren Muller is on his trail, trying to catch up with this murderer who is getting more brazen by the day. Who will win this cat-and-mouse game?
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea Summers
Dorothy Daniels is a successful food writer. She’s well-travelled, has had a string of lovers, and is a convicted murderer. After accidently killing a lover with her car, she decides to give in to her cannibalistic urges and eats his liver. She then murders every lover moving forward to satiate her need for the unthinkable and to fight against the male dominated industry she works in. Pick up this twisted and violent tale and watch the horrors unfold as Dorothy tells you of her life from her prison cell. *Content warning – graphic sex and violence*
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
Chloe is just trying to focus on her psychotherapy practice and her upcoming wedding, when a New York Times reporter contacts her about a string of murders that happened 20 years ago. Chloe knows about the murders all too well, as it tore her family apart. Her father is currently serving six life sentences for the murder of six teenage girls. When she finally relents to talking with the reporter, he admits he believes another killer is afoot. Who in Chloe’s life could be involved?
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
What would you do for your sister? Korede’s younger sister, Ayoola is beautiful, popular, and charming. But instead of ending romantic relationships the normal way, she kills them. In this darkly humorous book, Korede cleans up for her younger sister, including helping dispose of bodies. However, when a handsome doctor Korede works with falls for Ayoola’s charms, will she intervene?
Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar
It’s the late 1980s and several bodies of missing teenage girls turn up in a small Maryland town. Police assume they have a serial killer on their hands, and the community is reeling with fear and speculation. A recent college graduate, Richard Chizmar (yes, you read that right) moves back to this small Maryland town to live with his parents. Embarking on a writing career, Chizmar soon finds himself caught up in a real-life horror story and his account of the time is what you read. Buckle in because this work of metafiction is a wild ride.
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
Serial killer, Ansel Packer, is on death row. He’s not ready to die and wants to be understood and even celebrated. The reader comes to understand Ansel through the women in his life – the mother who abandoned him, his wife’s sister, and the detective that brought him down. As the clock ticks down, these three women explore all their choices involving Ansel that end up in tragedy, exposing the ripple effect this kind of destruction leaves in its wake.
Book / Large Print / eBook
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
This novel features an OG serial killer. FBI trainee, Clarice Starling, is assigned to interview a psychopathic killer from his prison cell. The prisoner, Hannibal Lecter, is there because of his murder lust, but he’s also a brilliant psychiatrist and Starling needs his help to crack a string of serial murders. Lecter will only give hints to the killer’s motives if he gets personal information about Sterling. It’s a battle of the minds, as Sterling realizes Lector knows more about these murders than he should.
Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier
In this novel, we have a coming-of-age plot mixed with a serial killer thriller. Georgina Shaw’s BFF, Angela, went missing on a drunken night 14 years ago. Shaw is now sitting in a court room waiting to testify against her high school boyfriend, now known as the Sweetbay Strangler. Through a series of flashbacks to her high school days, you learn the details of what happened through Shaw’s eyes. How much does Shaw know about what her then-boyfriend did?