3.5⭐️

Thirty–five–year–old Carla Karolak runs a successful writing retreat, “Inspiration Point”, renting out “cells’” to aspiring writers so that they may work in solitude for a fixed number of hours per week. She is also a writer but has been suffering from writer's block for a long time for which she seeks help from Toonie Garabedian, her therapist who also rents a writer space (she is also working on a book) in exchange for her sessions with Carla. Carla finds Toonie murdered in her writing cell and the ensuing police investigation is complicated further when she gets to know of a string of murders in the area. A shocked Carla reaches out to her retired writing instructor Amy Gallup who she considers a friend and who has had similar experiences with a killer on the loose in the past. Carla's friends from her previous writing group and Amy who had been their instructor all offer to help Carla through the traumatic events. Carla, upset with the death of Toonie also fears that the publicity will affect her business adversely by instilling fear in her other residents. When more women are discovered murdered and butchered, the case attracts the attention of the unpleasant John X. Cousins who writes about and researches serial killers but also appears to have a hidden agenda involving Carla’s business. The police, Amy and Carla rush to figure out whether Carla and her writers’ retreat has any connection to the murders and when a series of events points to someone trying to frighten Carla in her own home, she begins to fear for her own life and the safety of her friends and fellow writers.

With dark humor, an interesting cast of characters, murder and serial killers, Amy Among the Serial Killers by Jincy Willett is an entertaining read. I enjoyed the mystery element of the novel though it was not completely unpredictable after a certain point. The novel does have its share of gruesome and thrilling moments without becoming too heavy or overwhelming. I enjoyed getting to know Amy and her canine companion Lottie. I found Amy to be a smart, straight-shooting, witty and well-rounded character and there are some genuine laugh-out-loud moments in the narrative that are truly amusing. However, for a novel with the term “serial killers” in its title, the narrative is quite slow-paced and it took me a while to engage in the story. The narrative picks up at about the 40% mark which I feel is a bit too long to drag the reader through in order to establish the large cast of supporting characters. Much of the novel follows Carla and Amy in their daily lives and we learn quite a bit about their respective past and present lives. We also get to read segments from stories that are being written by a few of the characters. Perhaps fewer distractions from the main plot would have been better. Overall this was a pleasant read but not quite as gripping as I expected. I would, however, be interested in reading more stories featuring Amy Gallup.

(Please note that I have not read any of the previous books in the Amy Gallup series. Therefore, I have treated this as a standalone novel which was not too difficult to do because the story does give us a brief idea of the events that occurred before the events described in this novel.)

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing the digital review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. ( )

There is a “situation” at a writers’ retreat

“Amy Among the Serial Killers” is the third book in the Amy Gallup series, but new readers will easily follow events and people; quick background comments within the context of the storyline fill in any needed information.

Readers immediately get a sense of chaos, but it is really “No big deal because everybody has problems” correct? However, it is never good when a phone call announces, “We have a situation.” Readers are hooked. The stimulating and idyllic writers’ retreat “Inspiration Point!” (Always with punctuation) has a problem, and it is complex and very problematic. Writers can be creative, but sometimes the space in their heads is taken up by so much fiction, that the truth is nowhere to be found. This “situation” turns out to be something almost ripped from the pages of a thriller. However, this is not just a book that one of the writers cranks out while trying to create something more “literary;” this is a serial killer in San Diego, in a writers’ sanctuary. It must be just some misinterpretation; it cannot be actually happening, but it just seems that it just might be real.

The action is conversation driven, and readers get to know the characters through alternating chapters from several points of view. The writing group members are frantic and distracted. They are just trying to write the next bestseller. This “situation” transforms them into Scooby-Doo and Friends, off on an exciting mystery adventure. Along the way they share funny stories, vignettes, and book ideas with readers.
In the end, writers write; readers read, and we all love our roles. I received a review copy of “Amy Among the Serial Killers” from Jincy Willett and St. Martin's Press. I love reading about writers, and especially when one of them dies! ( )

Amy Among the Serial Killers is a great book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It felt more like a mystery to me, than a thriller, but it still was a page turner for me. The storyline, to me, was a little slow at the beginning but picked up about six chapters in (about 40 pages). Good character development, interesting storyline as the book progressed, will keep your attention. Highly recommend! ( )