Official Review: Serial K Returns by Brian Gallagher

Aubrey Lewis · Post by **Aubrey Lewis** » 15 Jan 2018, 09:47

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Serial K Returns" by Brian Gallagher.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Have you ever delved into the mind of a serial killer? Have you ever wondered about their intentions, their thoughts, and how they weave their plans? Brian Gallagher's novel Serial K Returns gives us a full reading experience how a murderer thinks and acts in his story.

Serial K Returns is a sequel to Gallagher's Serial K. However, there is no need to read the first book since Serial K Returns can act as a standalone. Basically, this sequel introduces the serial killer, Craig Breedlove, who had apparently survived back in Serial K and is out for revenge. Being a victim of priest molestation when he was young, he assumes a new identity and sets out to avenge the other boys who had their lives ruined because of the same trauma he experienced. The protagonists, two FBI agents named Ryan O’Callahan and Lea Pucci, seek to reveal the mystery behind these unprecedented murders.

The thing that I like about this book is the manner in which the author portrayed his character, serial killer Craig Breedlove, and how his mind worked. Gallagher wrote him in such a way that it made me have mixed feelings about him. I disliked the way he went about his revenge — which is the rather brutal killings — but there was always this nagging feeling inside me that those priests deserved what was coming for them. Even the way they tried to justify their actions left me flabbergasted at how they believed that they had already been forgiven of their sins and were reserved a spot on Heaven. There were also times when I sympathized with Craig, especially the moments whenever he seemed almost vulnerable.

On the other hand, there’s not much to dislike, actually. The plot’s pace is good enough for me, and even though I was more invested in Craig Breedlove rather than the two FBI agents, the story managed to draw me in. Lea Pucci amazed me with her strong, independent self as well as her empathetic side when she finally confronted Craig. It just made me realize all the more that childhood traumas can really shape a person into a deeply confused and twisted adult, especially when no one in their lives understood them and their pain.

All in all, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. There were very little typos, and the story flowed rather well for a thriller genre. I especially liked the ending of the book because it showed that there are reasons, no matter how skewed they may be, behind every intention. A fair warning, though: this book is not for the softest of hearts due to the detailed descriptions of gore. However, I am definitely recommending this to those who love thrillers and crime/mystery.

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Serial K Returns
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ashley_claire · Post by **ashley_claire** » 16 Jan 2018, 09:56

I really enjoy how creepy the cover for this book is, it's the first thing I noticed. This book sounds like it has a great fast-paced plot. Even though you don't need to read the first book to understand what's going on, I prefer to read books in order so I'll be checking out the first book in this series. Nice job on the review!

Gray_Lite · Post by **Gray_Lite** » 16 Jan 2018, 10:14

Great review, this book seems right up my alley. Similarly to the above poster I'd probably read the previous title in the series first, but love when sequels can stand on their own.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 16 Jan 2018, 10:29

It's always interesting to learn how the mind of a serial killer works. For that reason, this book would be very interesting yet probably scary. I'm not sure I'm into the gore at the moment, but I'll keep this in mind for another time! Thanks!

MsTri · Post by **MsTri** » 17 Jan 2018, 00:02

ashley_claire wrote: ↑16 Jan 2018, 09:56 I really enjoy how creepy the cover for this book is, it's the first thing I noticed. This book sounds like it has a great fast-paced plot. Even though you don't need to read the first book to understand what's going on, I prefer to read books in order so I'll be checking out the first book in this series. Nice job on the review!

What she said.

Also, books about serial killers are probably my favorite genre, and I love that this series has an antagonist that you can somewhat sympathize with rather than just hate.

inaramid · Post by **inaramid** » 17 Jan 2018, 03:10

Awesome review for what sounds like an awesome book with an equally awesome cover

. I think this is a nice twist to the cat-and-mouse trope of detective fiction.

Gunnar Ohberg · Post by **Gunnar Ohberg** » 17 Jan 2018, 14:54

Sounds like an interesting book. The premise reminds me somewhat of a movie called "Sleepers" (watch it if you haven't, if for no other reason than it is chock-full of celebrity appearances). The abuses of the priesthood, which are awful and rampant and insidious, bring me to a level of anger faster than most things, and I would definitely enjoy reading a book with a sympathetic serial killer. Thank you for the review!

Aubrey Lewis · Post by **Aubrey Lewis** » 18 Jan 2018, 10:56

ashley_claire wrote: ↑16 Jan 2018, 09:56 I really enjoy how creepy the cover for this book is, it's the first thing I noticed. This book sounds like it has a great fast-paced plot. Even though you don't need to read the first book to understand what's going on, I prefer to read books in order so I'll be checking out the first book in this series. Nice job on the review!

Yeah, the cover was the first thing I noticed as well. And yeah, it's better if you read the first book before delving into this sequel in order to understand better. Thank you for reading my review!

Gray_Lite wrote: ↑16 Jan 2018, 10:14 Great review, this book seems right up my alley. Similarly to the above poster I'd probably read the previous title in the series first, but love when sequels can stand on their own.

Thanks! Me, too! I think I'm going to read the first book as well.

kandscreeley wrote: ↑16 Jan 2018, 10:29 It's always interesting to learn how the mind of a serial killer works. For that reason, this book would be very interesting yet probably scary. I'm not sure I'm into the gore at the moment, but I'll keep this in mind for another time! Thanks!

Yes, I agree. It's a psychological thing, and it's the kind of style I like. The book is not really scary though; the most disturbing things are only the killings and the interactions between Craig and his fellow "Avengers".

Aubrey Lewis · Post by **Aubrey Lewis** » 18 Jan 2018, 11:01

MsTri wrote: ↑17 Jan 2018, 00:02
ashley_claire wrote: ↑16 Jan 2018, 09:56 I really enjoy how creepy the cover for this book is, it's the first thing I noticed. This book sounds like it has a great fast-paced plot. Even though you don't need to read the first book to understand what's going on, I prefer to read books in order so I'll be checking out the first book in this series. Nice job on the review!
What she said.

Also, books about serial killers are probably my favorite genre, and I love that this series has an antagonist that you can somewhat sympathize with rather than just hate.

It's my favourite genre as well.

And yeah, an antagonist that a reader can have mixed feelings about adds to the engaging factor.

inaramid wrote: ↑17 Jan 2018, 03:10 Awesome review for what sounds like an awesome book with an equally awesome cover . I think this is a nice twist to the cat-and-mouse trope of detective fiction.

Thank you! And yeah, it's a nice, small twist that made me pleasantly surprised as well.

Gunnar Ohberg wrote: ↑17 Jan 2018, 14:54 Sounds like an interesting book. The premise reminds me somewhat of a movie called "Sleepers" (watch it if you haven't, if for no other reason than it is chock-full of celebrity appearances). The abuses of the priesthood, which are awful and rampant and insidious, bring me to a level of anger faster than most things, and I would definitely enjoy reading a book with a sympathetic serial killer. Thank you for the review!

I haven't watched it yet, but now I'm intrigued.

And yeah, I really got annoyed at those kind of priests. Craig, for me, is a person who is just a little confused and vulnerable on the inside which was what made me sympathize with him a bit. Thank you for reading my review!

Post by **bookowlie** » 30 Jan 2018, 11:05

Great review! Gunnar took the words right out of my mouth - the book reminds me of the movie "Sleepers." The serial killer theme creeps me out so I'm not sure this book is for me. Still, I liked another book by this author (Vatican Protocol) so I am going to take a look at the sample.

Post by **Sushan Ekanayake** » 19 Jun 2018, 07:01

Brutal killings and psychopaths are two things which I really love and both are contained in this book. I sampled few pages and got the full idea about the fiction from your review. So thank you for the descriptive review. Wishing to read this soon

Ferdinand_Otieno · Post by **Ferdinand_Otieno** » 19 Jun 2018, 07:03

This is an excellent murder mystery thriller that I found free on Amazon Kindle. The onlinebookclub review of the book was inciteful and fun to read. I rated the book 3 out of 4 stars.

Okafor Prosper · Post by **Okafor Prosper** » 19 Jun 2018, 07:05

Thrillers, serial killer stories are not my type exactly, I've read a few. This one seems to interest me. I know u said there's no need to read the sequel before this, but I think I will. Awesome review.