

The Serial Killer Support Network
š±š Read on Kindle š 390 pages ā± Duration: 5 hours š·ļø Publisher: One More Chapter (ARC, published April 24, 2026)
Look, I loved the first book in this series. It had momentum, stakes, and a premise so deliciously twisted I couldn't look away. So when I cracked open The Serial Killer Support Network, I was ready for round two of morally gray chaos. What I got instead was... a wobble.
The biggest letdown was the character work. The newly introduced players lacked depth, making it hard to invest in their arcs or even care about their outcomes. Add to that a plot that leaned more on convenience than credibility, and the whole thing started to feel shaky. For a series built on moral tension and psychological intrigue, this installment barely scratched the surface.
Here's the kicker: the cliffhanger at the end of this book is exactly what I was expecting to get out of book two based on where book one left off. The groundwork was there. The dominoes were lined up. But instead of knocking them down, this book sort of... rearranged them. It's frustrating because I know Stephens can deliver. The bones are good. The cop's storyline hints that book three might course-correct and bring back the intensity. But after this one, I'm cautiously optimistic instead of all-in.
Would I recommend it? If you're already invested in the series, you'll probably want to keep going, especially with that ending dangling in front of you like a carrot. But as a standalone or a sophomore effort, this one didn't hit the way I hoped. It's not bad, just... middling. And after a killer (yes, pun intended this time) first book, middling stings a little more.
š±š Read on Kindle š 390 pages ā± Duration: 5 hours š·ļø Publisher: One More Chapter (ARC, published April 24, 2026)
Look, I loved the first book in this series. It had momentum, stakes, and a premise so deliciously twisted I couldn't look away. So when I cracked open The Serial Killer Support Network, I was ready for round two of morally gray chaos. What I got instead was... a wobble.
The biggest letdown was the character work. The newly introduced players lacked depth, making it hard to invest in their arcs or even care about their outcomes. Add to that a plot that leaned more on convenience than credibility, and the whole thing started to feel shaky. For a series built on moral tension and psychological intrigue, this installment barely scratched the surface.
Here's the kicker: the cliffhanger at the end of this book is exactly what I was expecting to get out of book two based on where book one left off. The groundwork was there. The dominoes were lined up. But instead of knocking them down, this book sort of... rearranged them. It's frustrating because I know Stephens can deliver. The bones are good. The cop's storyline hints that book three might course-correct and bring back the intensity. But after this one, I'm cautiously optimistic instead of all-in.
Would I recommend it? If you're already invested in the series, you'll probably want to keep going, especially with that ending dangling in front of you like a carrot. But as a standalone or a sophomore effort, this one didn't hit the way I hoped. It's not bad, just... middling. And after a killer (yes, pun intended this time) first book, middling stings a little more.