Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication date: 7th May 2026
Content warnings: domestic abuse, suicide, murder

Other books in this series:
The Serial Killer Support Group

“Speak no evil. Hear no evil…”

Good GOD this is such an impressive second book in this series!! 👏 I’m still not over it! I felt a bit speechless when I finished it, if I’m honest. From the dark plot to the development of these exceptional characters, I fell in love with it all and I’m genuinely gutted it’s over. Thankfully, there is another book to come and after that cliffhanger of an ending, I know I will be impatient as hell until I have it in my hands! I’m so happy to be sharing my review of The Serial Killer Support Network by DB Stephens!

About the book

For six months someone known only as The Caretaker has been committing crimes against those who have wronged.

Now, women across the country have been inspired to take control of their own lives and seek revenge on the people who hurt them.

The Caretaker is more than just a killer, he’s become a movement. And the serial killer support group have found themselves at the heart of it…

The beginning

Oh yeeesss! The opening chapter alone made me so excited for whatever book two in this series had in store. I’ve been waiting so patiently since I inhaled book one, and I was SO ready. The Caretaker is back, baby!! He felt more like a superhero to me at this point. A killer who brutally murders men who abuse and violate women, men who deserve to be treated just as they treat the women in their lives. Men who just don’t deserve to live. The identity of The Caretaker was cleverly revealed in book one, so in case you haven’t read it yet, I will omit that information… (go read it before you read this book, it’s incredible!!) I loved catching up with Jess Pendle again, a character I adored, and it’s clear she’s a much more confident person, but is still scarred, both mentally and physically. And for good reason after everything she’d gone through previously. Alongside her friends from the support group, Kelly, Madison and Hannah, Jess helps Esme, another woman who has reached out for help, and she soon begins attending their regular support group. She needs them.

“We waited for someone to rescue us. We waited, and as we waited, bruises became fractures, threats became attempts, attempts became funerals. We waited while the laws failed to act.”

DS Sophie Salam returns in this book, and she knows that Jess and the other women are linked to The Caretaker. They must know something. They are involved. But she simply cannot prove it. There’s no DNA left at the crime scenes, no evidence whatsoever. But she’ll continue watching and waiting. What makes it even more complicated is that she and Jess had become somewhat friends over time. Sophie’s daughter and Jess have such a lovely bond, and Sophie herself and Jess have such an interesting relationship that I was so keen to explore more in this book. But Sophie also has her own personal issues to deal with… the father of her daughter, Karl Kendrick. She has a past we are uncertain about, but if the truth came out, she would lose everything. The thought that he could find her after multiple phone calls filled her with dread. There was also another character that I’d actually forgotten about since reading the first book, Kimberley Murphy, but she was so crucial to ensuring The Caretaker’s work continued. That justice was served. The Serial Killer Support Network was born…

The middle

I was completely mesmerised by The Caretaker’s killings. I remember how dark and bloody they were in the first book, and the author really keeps this consistent in this book too. They were grim, brutal. But no less than what these men deserved. I loved how we are taken on this journey, how we explore the well-oiled machine that was his strategy. He plans his attack and pounces with precision, leaving no trace. And whenever there was a successful kill, I felt like applauding! There was the return of a previous suspect from book one, Geoff, one of the good ones, an ally. And when he reveals some knowledge, that he’s worked out the truth, I was floored… I found Jess and Sophie’s characters to be much more developed in this book too, their friendship so fragile due to the nature of the case and everyone’s involvement. Jess’s connection to Sophie’s daughter with autism continued to be so beautiful, but this just makes their whole relationship even more complex. I couldn’t believe the danger Sophie was in. She needed to protect Lottie and her mother. The suspense made my stomach hurt!

“I have always been able to spot a victim of domestic violence; now I knew the look of a killer.”

Sophie’s life continues to spiral as she does what Kendrick asks of her. She has to. There’s no question about it. It made me want The Caretaker to… well… take care of business in this regard, to do what he does best. But that would complicate so many lives, crossing lines that could not be crossed… or could they? The author has absolutely nailed the atmosphere building, that sense of impending doom, and not just for Sophie. Things also start to slip with The Caretaker. Sophie had already worked out so many details – what if she fathomed out the rest? When innocent people start getting hurt, when lives hang in the balance, things get so much darker. Were things getting out of control? Were the ‘saved ones’ safe? There were some painfully emotional scenes at times and my eyes filled with tears. And then, the most shocking of events that I felt so deeply. The plot by this point, despite the intense darkness of it, was so perfectly executed, keeping me attentive, engrossed. It had me asking the question: had Jess and the other women been a part of causing such tragedy?

The end

I absolutely adored the direction of Jess and Sophie’s relationship. It was so mesmerising, so pure in a way. Something so beautiful and forbidden in equal measure. I was so utterly engaged and I could not get enough. But as things get even more dangerous for Sophie, her mother and her daughter, she asks Jess for help, her desperation palpable; she needed to keep her family safe, no matter the cost. There was such an incredible constant build up to an uncertain yet dangerous future for everyone. And my heart broke for Jess and her friends. Once united, once confident that they could keep each other safe. Yet now, it was crumbling. With so much pain in her life, pain she believed she played a part in, Jess needed to atone. She had a plan. I don’t think a book has ever made me feel this sense of nothing-will-ever-be-the-same-again dread and horror, and it was truly exceptional. The darkness keeps on building and god it was all I could think about. The emotion gave me a lump in my throat. The need for revenge was clear and portrayed so strongly.

“If The Caretaker disappears one day, it will be because it is no longer needed, not because it was defeated, exposed or purified. Until then, it remains what it has always been. A last resort. A terrible mercy. A hand steady enough to do what others will not, and strong enough to carry the cost.”

I shared nerves with both Jess and Sophie in different ways as this book drew to a close. Sophie’s dilemma between stopping The Caretaker and protecting her friend felt so bloody tense, always. Things had gotten so out of hand that even the public were going rogue. And I was on tenterhooks throughout the entirety of those ending chapters. I felt the stress and fear radiate from these characters, and as it finally became clear what was about to unfold (to my absolute delight) I knew we’d end this book on a massive cliffhanger. Two worlds colliding, a kind of desperation where nothing else matters. History forgotten. I knew the potential for what was to come was massive. I now cannot WAIT for the third book in this series!! This one has been my favourite of the series, and one of my favourite books of the year so far. I am completely blown away by it! If you haven’t picked up book one yet, I urge you to read that first. Jess and Sophie have become characters I care so deeply for in so many ways and I need to see how this all ends.

Overall thoughts

The Serial Killer Support Network completely annihilated my already incredibly high expectations… it’s quickly become one of my favourites of the year so far and I just can’t stop thinking about it. I could just end my review there but there is SO much I need to say about this dark, unnerving psychological thriller, and I just need you all to read this series, okay?!

The second book continues the story of The Serial Killer Support Group, where a mysterious someone named The Caretaker has been brutally murdering abusive men, one by one. But seeing the good work this person has done and continues to do, women across the country are inspired. So inspired that they want to take back control of their own lives, to seek revenge on those who hurt them. A new network of survivors is born… and things spiral. The plot was strong in book one, but the author builds on it effortlessly with new characters, developed backstories, unthinkable secrets, and a continuing, solid motive for The Caretaker. He isn’t just a serial killer at this point. He’s a movement. This book is even more disturbing, unsettling and addictive than the first book. It explores the consequences of actions, and how one act can have positive and negative impacts on other people and situations. The story itself was truly exceptional, but the character development took this book to a whole new level.

The standout element for me was the development of Jess Pendle, one of the original ‘saved ones’, and DS Sophie Salam, who is working on The Caretaker killings case, their individual crumbling lives, their complex relationship with one another. The way their lives collide because of The Caretaker completely captivated me. Both of these characters have secrets they need to keep hidden away, but was there a way they could help each other? Would desperation drive them to that point? It was always tense, with a continuous sense of dread that if I’m honest, I’m still feeling now. And that cliffhanger at the end?! Holy SH*T.

If you like a dark read, you will eat this book up. If you like your Dexter-esque serial killers, this might just be your new favourite series. A masterpiece of a sequel and everything I love in a psychological thriller. I couldn’t recommend this more!

Huge thanks to One More Chapter and Netgalley for the ARC! You can order your copy of The Serial Killer Support Network right now on Amazon* or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following the author over on Instagram for more updates!

* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks so much for your support!

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