Book Review: Killing Kate (Alex Lake)(@alexlakeauthor @harper360)

Kate returns from a post break-up holiday with her closest friends as news of a serial killer, dubbed the Stockton Heath Strangler, hits in her hometown; all the victims look like Kate. Reeling from his breakup with Kate, Phil is drinking more and blacking out and once he is questioned in the connection to the murders, Kate wonders if the man she had spent ten years of her life with could be a killer.

Killing Kate by Alex Lake is a serial killer thriller following Kate Armstrong was my first experience with a work by this author; I’ll have to admit, it was a fairly addicting read. I was able to read this one easily over the course of a few hours. Filled with red herrings, a mix of past and present events, along with a plethora of complex characters, this one had me wanting more.

The novel opens with Kate, fresh from her breakup with Phil, returning from a trip with her friends.   Once she arrives home, she cannot escape the news of a serial killer who has been running rampant and strangling his victims throughout her neighborhood. The victims all look like Kate. As the killer claims for victims, Kate becomes increasingly more paranoid as she feels she is being followed.   Her ex-boyfriend quickly becomes a suspect and Kate turns to her new boyfriend for comfort. As she searches for the truth, she stumbles upon something much more sinister.

Lake fills the plot with red herrings and has the reader consistently asking questions. The story is told through the perspectives of Kate and Phil, the reader is forced to question, which narrator is reliable and who should be trusted. The “Kate” narration further ventures into the past as we delve into the discussion of her friend Beth and how her group of four became a trio.   I was left wondering (and puzzled) to how this was all related.  Once I realized, I was impressed with Lake’s ability to weave it all together.

Although I did find the plot “twist” to be quite predictable, I did enjoy the end of the novel and found the story enjoyable long after the killer’s identity is revealed. I would recommend this novel for anyone who likes a fast paced thriller and wants to “sit back and enjoy the ride”.   This one releases January 31, 2017.

 Thank you to Alex Lake, Harper360 and Edelweiss for a digital copy of this novel; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

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