Therapy was just the beginning…
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…
I'm delighted to be sharing my review of The Serial Killer Support Network by DB Stephens today. Many thanks to One More Chapter for my advance digital copy of the novel, received through Netgalley.
The Serial Killer Support Network is the second book in D B Stephens Secret Vigilante series; I haven't yet read The Serial Killer Support Group but although I'd definitely recommend reading the books in order because there are several mentions of events in the first novel, it didn't spoil my enjoyment of this addictive thriller at all.
The chilling opening chapter of the book introduces The Caretaker, the serial killer who has divided the nation and become admired and feared in almost equal measure. Having suddenly vanished, discussions about his identity, his work in bringing abusive men to justice and whether he will return continues. As he meticulously plans and prepares, it's clear that this last question will soon be answered – but this is a different Caretaker and this time his objectives go much further…
There are chapters interspersed throughout the book which follow The Caretaker but most of the narrative is told from Jess's perspective. Along with her friends from her support group, Kelly, Madison and Hannah, she has been changed irrevocably by all she has experienced and perpetrated but it's also clear that she is driven to protect others, and here she waits to support another victim of domestic abuse. However, as the cleverly nuanced storyline progresses, her natural empathy becomes more of a curse and there are scenes which are by turns shocking and desperately poignant.
Jess has a complicated relationship with DS Sophie Salam, the officer in charge of The Caretaker investigation. Sophie is convinced that Jess is involved somehow but under different circumstances, the two women could easily become close and in spite of the risks their friendship means for both of them, they increasingly rely on one another. Sophie will go to any lengths to protect her autistic daughter and Jess's knowledge often proves invaluable, but as her life spirals out of control, does she turn to one of her main suspects for help?
The characterisation of the two main protagonists in The Serial Killer Support Network is excellent; both are likeable, relatable characters but they are incontrovertibly flawed and are haunted by their respective pasts as events in the present become increasingly dramatic. The mirroring of their situations as they are driven to their extremes is fascinating and while there's an inevitability to their eventual paths, it's never obvious what steps they will take or what actions others will inflict to take them there.
The murders committed by The Caretaker are ruthlessly vengeful but D B Stephens' multilayered exploration of revenge and the push for lasting societal change means this is also a profoundly thought-provoking novel which will challenge the reader's own moral standpoints. With a conclusion that has left me desperate for more, The Serial Killer Support Network is a compulsively serpentine, breathlessly exciting thriller and a devastatingly moving read from start to finish. I very highly recommend it!
The Serial Killer Support Network is published by One More Chapter, an imprint of Harper Collins. Purchasing links can be found here.
About the Author
D B Stephens is a pseudonym of crime and thriller writer Darren O’Sullivan. He is a bestselling author, screen writer and award nominated theatre director. His books have sold over 150,000 copies and been translated into German and Polish and sold into America, Canada and Australia. Two of his novels were selected for the prestigious Karin Slaughter Bookclub. His first novel, Our Little Secret, is optioned by Rollick Film, and he is credited as the writer of the feature film.
The Serial Killer Support Network is the second book in his Secret Vigilante series, following The Serial Killer Support Group.
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