Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

“Justice will be served…”

I DID IT! I listened to my first ever audiobook 😱 I’d avoided them for so long because I never thought they were for me and I didn’t think I’d ever be able to concentrate on one like I would with a physical/eBook, but I take back everything I said. I am completely blown away by the whole experience. This book was brilliant! The narration was so well done and I felt like I was truly living in a different world. It’s dark, it’s horrific in a weirdly satisfying way, but so addictive, a book I longed to listen to in every waking moment. And as a massive fan of Dexter, this really was my kinda read! Please take note of the trigger warnings, though. So thrilled to be sharing my review for The Serial Killer Support Group!

T.W. domestic abuse, violence

About the book

Therapy just got deadly…

When Jess Pendle agrees to attend a support group to meet other women who have lived similar experiences, she doesn’t expect much.

The group has been set up for like-minded women to come together, but when their therapist leaves, they close the blinds and find a new, and altogether more deadly way to support each other…

The beginning

Wow. The start of this book is a lot and is really quite dark and upsetting. But at the same time, it was so incredibly powerful and written/narrated to perfection. It completely blew my mind. We meet Jess Pendle who has suffered time and time again at the hands of her abusive boyfriend, Lewis. He’s hurt her so badly this time that a trip to A&E on New Year’s Eve is on the cards. They’ve got their cover story well rehearsed; she tripped over the laundry basket at the top of the stairs, she fell and bashed her face, a stupid mistake. How Lewis spoke to her, how he could injure her so badly and feel no remorse, sent shock waves of anger throughout my entire body. At one time, she couldn’t image her life without Lewis, no matter how much he hurt her. This time, though, felt different. And finally, she manages to admit what’s been happening to her to hospital staff, the first step to turning her life around. As well as Jess, we also meet ‘The Caretaker’, a mysterious persona with a mission; to get revenge on men who abuse women. Oh, hello 😈 I couldn’t wait for what was to come! Could this person be my new Dexter Morgan?!

“I didn’t know it then, but these women I would one day share all my secrets with.”

Jess is introduced to a new support group, welcoming women who have suffered from domestic violence. Women with terrifying experiences involving their toxic other halves. God, their bravery really stood out to me, their stories of the abusive men in their lives made me feel sick to the stomach. What they had all been through was horrific and so incredibly eye-opening. The author really manages to get inside your head and make you feel so much anger towards these men. I wanted to get my revenge on them just as much as all the women who had suffered! But that’s where The Caretaker comes in… he takes it upon himself to give these awful men a taste of their own medicine. I loved this mysterious character, and I had an idea of who it could potentially be; I hoped I was right! What this person does for these women (without anyone knowing, of course) was incredible, yet dark… I loved The Caretaker’s chapters; the way we’re taken on these revenge missions, the way we see inside their head before they strike. Perfection!! Gimme more of it!

The middle

We’re soon introduced to a new character, DS Sophie Salam, who begins looking into the assault case of Martin, the guy who The Caretaker had most recently beaten and left in a critical condition. I loved Sophie and her back story, learning about her daughter and her struggles. It really made her feel human, someone who is relatable. And she was a damn good detective, too. But there was something inside me that really didn’t want her to solve these crimes. The Caretaker was just taking out the trash. Doing God’s work. Making the world a safer place. And I just hoped they’d ‘do their thing’ with Lewis, after he continues to taunt Jess; standing outside her house at night, peering in her windows, leaving her notes. I loved how the women she met at her support group slowly begin to turn into people she can trust. People she can call her friends. People she can talk to and people who would look out for her when she needed them. And god, did she need them. I loved that even though she was suffering, her confidence slowly came back. She was slowly reclaiming her life.

“Even though The Caretaker laughed, he wanted nothing more than to slit his throat, open it up like a yawn, and make him choke on his words.”

There are murders. And not just any murders; murders of the men I’d grown to hate with all my being. The Caretaker had taken things a step further and I was here for it. I loved seeing these men suffer after everything they’d done to these women. Justice is served. But soon after the first couple of murders, we learn of The Caretaker’s real identity which, although not a massive shock, wasn’t the person I’d hoped it would be all along. It kind of disappointed me a bit because I had the idea of this Dexter-esque guy in shining armour in my mind, but still, it was a twist that gave the remaining chapters of the book a fresh new angle, and I became excited about how this new blast of information would change things. With another murder at its most brutal yet, we really see this author’s descriptive talent, because my god, it was dark, it was gruesome and felt disturbingly real, but it was absolutely fantastic. With her world changing and her confidence only growing, Jess unexpectedly befriends DS Salam. Knowing the truth about The Caretaker and hiding it from a detective had me holding my breath for Jess. Could she keep this secret? Would she let something slip?

The end

The little twists here were excellent and I was constantly on edge. It felt so good knowing about The Caretaker’s identity here, and part of me felt like I was involved, like I needed to help track down and eliminate these poor excuses for men. I continued to adore this author’s description, every strike of The Caretaker, every word he spits into the faces of his victims. It was so deliciously dark and so incredibly captivating. There was one kill I’d been anticipating from the very start, and this one felt particularly powerful. But with this kill, DS Salam starts to connect some dots and gets scarily close to the truth. The suspense was off the scale; what would happen if she found out the truth? We’re given more information about Sophie Salam’s life, about the father of her child, about why she doesn’t want him anywhere near her daughter. This author just continued to surprise me at every turn, right up until those final chapters. There was so much packed neatly into those final chapters, the pacing was excellent and really made me excited for the ending!

“You men out there, who hurt and call it love, who lie and call it protection, do not turn your back, because I might be there, waiting for you.”

I continued to worry that DS Salam would prove who The Caretaker was, but after we learn that she’s habouring some of her own secrets, I had a feeling something important was about to happen. And then… it just stopped. I’m glad to know there is another book in this series or I would have been severely disappointed, so I’m really excited to see where Sophie’s story goes next! I’d loved her character from the very start, and her development was truly excellent. I also loved the continuing theme of friendship until the end of this book, Jess’ support network so strong now after everything they’ve been through together. The ending for Jess and her support group was certainly interesting and was the perfect way to leave things until we get our hands on book two! The cliffhanger the author has left us on was perfect, but now it’s all I can think about! Hurry up, April 2026 😅 If you love a revenge thriller to really get your teeth into, if you love your antihero protagonists, if you’re a fan of Dexter, this book will be right up your street. Hugely recommend!

Overall thoughts

The Serial Killer Support Group is a truly fantastic revenge thriller that will grab you by the throat and have you gasping for breath. It’s wild, it’s gory, it’s as dark as they come, but it’s also empowering, emotional and so bloody satisfying. When Jess Pendle joins a support group for women recovering from the trauma of domestic abuse, she doesn’t expect to make friends. But when their abusive ex-partners start dying, one by one, at the hands of someone called The Caretaker, it connects these women even deeper. I adored these characters, especially DS Sophie Salam who is working hard to uncover The Caretaker’s identity. The plot is perfectly paced and so clever all the time; if you’re not completely obsessed with The Caretaker’s killings by the end, I’ll be very surprised 😈 Such a gripping, suspenseful read you genuinely won’t want to put down. I’m so excited for book two!

Huge thanks to the author D.B. Stephens, One More Chapter and Netgalley for my early copy! You can grab your own copy of The Serial Killer Support Group from Amazon or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following the author over on Instagram for more updates.

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