Letters to the Purple Satin Killer is equally terrifying and darkly fascinating. It is quite a unique story, as it is executed through a collection of letters addressed to an incarcerated serial killer. We as the reader witness the story of Jonas Williker through the eyes of those personally associated with him, as well as those wish to be. Each letter progresses Jonas's story but also slowly reveals the true nature of those who have written to him and their motives. This book captivated me with each letter, I couldn't put it down. It surprisingly had moments of humor, but also very dark moments that had me questioning the human mind, what makes someone commit such brutal acts and what draws us to them. I will definitely be recommending this book to others as I quite enjoyed it and could move through it quite quickly. It was oddly entertaining and had me telling myself "Ok just one more page... you have to check the laundry!" .

This epistolary novel (one of my favorite things, so I was predisposed to liking it) is made up of letters written TO serial killer Jonas Williker as he awaits imposition of his death sentence. It is believed that Williker killed at least twenty-three women, possibly more.

There are some obsessed women here, including a potential jailhouse love, an ex, his mother and a random psycho sex girl. There’s also a dogged male detective and a vast array of others, some amusing. standalone portions of the book are not particularly well written, but the letters are interesting and capture different voice well. I enjoyed the book. Would have gone with a different title.

Reads like True Crime, made me laugh like Dexter!
Fantastically written and really feels like it could be non-fiction. One for every true crime lover to read

This is a compelling and unique take on the serial killer genre.

Pros:
Fresh Perspective: The epistolary format offers a fresh angle, allowing readers to explore the mind of a depraved killer through the lens of various contributors—family, the bereaved, and even self-proclaimed fans.
Dark Humor: Chaplinsky injects dark humor into the narrative, making it both horrifying and surprisingly funny.
Satirical Critique: The book satirizes our media-obsessed culture, where murderers become twisted celebrities to revere.

Cons:
Occasional Unevenness: While compelling, the pacing occasionally falters, impacting the overall reading experience.
Lack of Closure: Some readers may desire more conclusive answers about the killer’s motivations and the impact on his victims.

The reason for the 3.5 star rating lies not only in the pacing but also in the lingering questions left unanswered—making it a thought-provoking read, albeit with room for improvement.

Easily one of the most unique books I've read in a while. This is written in such a cool format. You learn the story of the serial killer and his psyche by reading letters sent to him while on death row from a whole host of people. It's dark, there's some incredibly sadistic humor, and it's really creative. It's a long 350 pages but wildly entertaining for how it's written.

I think my favorite POV was the mom's. Her justified way of thinking and humor were so dark and perfect. Second runner up is probably the crazy woman who was obsessed with him and then wound up in an institution. You learn a surprising amount by the letters but I go back and forth as to whether I wanted to know more about the murders or have the killer write one letter in the book- can't decide if that would have made it even better or would have ruined the vibe.

Suchhhhh a fun read. Can't wait to read more by this author.

I've read a lot of serial killer literature in my time, but Letters to the Purple Satin Killer stands out for its innovation. Chaplinsky has turned the genre on its head. You never actually meet the titular killer—instead, the entire novel unfolds through letters sent to him in prison. While the epistolary format can be super tricky to pull off, it’s done masterfully here.

My stomach turned, both from laughter and the grotesque mental images of the killer's crimes. I absolutely loved it and can't wait to see what Chaplinsky comes up with next.

All of my thanks to Netgalley & Clash Books for the ARC!

This was such a rollercoaster of a book! It felt so real. I'm learning just how much I love books that use the epistolary format and this may be my favorite one so far! I'll definitely be recommending this one. I wish I knew about it sooner!

In Letters To The Purple Satin Killer, Josha Chaplinsky has created a fictional serial killer by the name of Jonas Williker. Throughout the course of this novel, we learn a lot about Jonas—from his childhood and the way his parents saw him to the warning signs and early acts that foreshadowed his future crimes, to the heinous deeds themselves, to the way he took advantage of his looks and charm to seduce people and let him use them. By the end of his story, we're left with a rounded view of many aspects of Williker's life, personality, and actions; impressively, Chaplinsky manages this while never having him directly address the reader.

An epistolary book, made up of letters written to Jonas. Whether penned by his mother or his ex-girlfriend, an admirer who has seen him on TV or a lawyer wanting his business, an anonymous postcard sender or a victim who escaped, the detective who hunted him, or a disgruntled landlord, each of their correspondence is another piece of the jigsaw piece of the puzzle that is the titular murderer. We may see their reactions to his response, never his own letters, but these are enough to give us more of an insight into his psyche.

This novel feels like a nightmare for the author to finish, but one that was worth it. Timelines cross paths, characters involved in Jonas's life meet and separate and form bonds, and throwaway comments and realisations from loved ones shine a light on just how his murderous ways began. Some letters are dark and devastating, others are surprisingly funny, and a lot of them are heartbreakingly sad—I can see people having very different opinions on which characters they enjoy reading letters from and which they want to skip over as soon as they see their name. Nearly all of these letters are short, however, rarely spanning more than a few pages. This helps keep the pace quick and makes it easy to push through any sections you may enjoy less. 

This is a must-read for any true crime fans, with some homages to—and occasional skewing of—the genre. I'd also recommend it to anyone wanting to read something in a different format from most books in the sub-genre and anyone who likes their horror character driven.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joshua Chaplinsky, and CLASH Books for a galley of this in exchange for an honest review.

Letters to the Purple Satin Killer is not like anything I have ever read before. An epistolary kinda-thriller, this was like delving into all the meatiest, most intriguing elements of a serial killer. Bringing together bits and pieces from some of America's most notorious killers, from Bundy through Dahmer, Chaplinksy leaves us wondering if Jonas Williker is a depraved monster of the human kind, or if there is something a bit more demonic going on.

This was an interesting book in part because nothing really happens. We're hearing about everything in one-sided correspondence, so all events are past-tense, and all the clues out of order. That being said there was a dark humour here, and a really in-depth consideration of humanity and relationships. I think this was an engaging, unique, and entertaining read, that had no real action, but was nevertheless filled with tension.

Part of me does wish this leaned a little more into the horror elements, up until the half-way point I was still hoping we might get a little more of a story, or possibly just a few more gory details. That being said, I think Chaplinsky crafts a killer that is believable, and detestable, without ever introducing us to him, which is an incredible feat!

4 stars.

The book comprises hundreds of letters Jonas Williker received during his imprisonment, creating a disturbing mosaic of voices. The contributors range from grief-stricken sorrow to disturbing hero worship. It is shocking how society elevates its monsters to near-celebrity status. The book will leave readers questioning the nature of evil and the psychology of those inexplicably drawn to it. The first letter from his mother rocked me to my cord. The experience of reading this book is both startling and alarming.

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and CLASH books.

Joshua Chaplinsky’s Letters to the Purple Satin Killer is a gripping psychological thriller that delves deep into the dark side of obsession. Through a series of intense and unsettling letters, Chaplinsky explores themes of identity and madness with a sharp, evocative prose that keeps readers on edge.

The narrative follows a protagonist fixated on the enigmatic "Purple Satin Killer," revealing a profound and disturbing portrait of obsession. The novel’s atmosphere is thick with tension, and Chaplinsky’s writing is both intimate and chilling, making the protagonist’s descent into darkness both believable and tragic.

With its rich imagery and psychological depth, Letters to the Purple Satin Killer is a standout in the genre, offering a haunting and thought-provoking read. Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers and those intrigued by the complexities of the human mind.

What a roller coaster of a read! 'Letters to the Purple Satin Killer' was a deep dive into the worst parts of the human psyche--and you don't even hear from the killer himself. I really appreciate the way this was written. The epistolary narrative is difficult to pull off, but I was riveted watching the story develop with each separate pen pal. Some find peace and some definitely don't, but it was fascinating to get into the heads of people who were either reconciling having known a person capable of such heinous acts or people who were fascinated and obsessed with the murders themselves.

I loved the snippets we got from pen pals who acted on Jonas's responses or lack thereof. It was much more interesting than reading Jonas' letters themselves. The copycat killers' postcards were an especially spooky touch. This was a really fun take on the "true crime hysteria" that seems to have always been part of human nature. While this was satire, I appreciated the range of entries into what it means to be a victim and what it means to be blinded by a memory of a person versus the person they truly are and always were. It was heartbreaking to watch certain characters come to realizations over the course of their correspondence with Jonas.

This was a delicious read and I highly recommend checking it out if you're at all interested in the pathology of those who choose to communicate with serial killers!

This is a brilliant piece of serial killer fiction that reads like true crime. Disturbing and genuinely creepy at times with the odd drop of satire. A fantastic read.

This book feels very singular and unique. Some of the more satirical chapters made me squint a little (heavy handed/ not really saying anything thoughtful), but overall I think the whole thing was well done. Parts of this book were genuinely so creepy and I imagine that wasn’t easy in an epistolary format!

DNF about halfway through. This is a fresh and interesting take on the serial killer novel. There are definitely some ties to Ted Bundy that become apparent as you read. Some of the letters are humorous and some are just sad. I especially loved the upbeat updates from mom. What I had a hard time with was the redundancy of just reading letters over and over. While there is a story through the letters, it was just getting a little bit less interesting as I kept reading. I am definitely in the minority here in my opinions. I applaud the author and what he was doing with this book, it just wasn’t able to sustain my attention for over 300 pages. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

Letters to the Purple Satin Killer feels like the epistolary novel I've been waiting for since I returned to reading fiction. They are so easy to screw up in a novel format versus a short story; the temptation is always there to add exchanges of quoted dialogue, to describe locations, to have characters stop while running for their lives to jot down some thoughts in their journals... While here, I think there are two short quoted exchanges of dialogue in the entire novel. I know a large factor of my enjoyment of this book comes from finally reading something that felt like it had been written by someone who has sent a letter or kept a journal before.

Because this is not normally something I would read. It's a non-speculative story about a serial killer/rapist told with a satirical bent from the perspective of deeply troubled and bigoted people. Our first letter has a transphobic slur in it. I've never read so many references to feces in a novel before. Many of our PoV characters are women in the grips of intense internalized misogyny, some of them never escaping its grasp. And yet, over these many letters, I came to care about them and their emotional arcs. Ginny Goodwinch might be a disgustingly ableist woman but I found myself cheering for her by the end! New information about the characters, their lives, and the Jonas Williker himself kept emerging right until the final letters and I couldn't stop turning the pages.

We never hear from the serial killer himself, which I think was the right choice. While Jonas Williker is the star that these other characters are caught in the gravity of, it's not really about him. We only get little pieces of his actions and his gruesome crimes through other people talking about them. I think it's this choice in particular that makes the novel sing.

The main issue I had with it is that I don't feel like the satirical tone went far enough. It poked fun at a variety of things - true crime podcasters, serial killer fangirls, black metal bands, action networks named "Moms Against...", true crime memorabilia collectors - but I don't think it went far enough. It didn't seem to say anything about these groups beyond "aren't these people silly?" The fact that occasional factoids about the failures of the real-life justice system were sprinkled in furthered the tonal dissonance. It made me think of how much better Chain-Gang All-Stars is in its focus and theme.

Overall, this is a really fun novel about a bunch of dysfunctional people connected to or obsessed with a serial killer. I think I know some slasher fans who would have a blast with this one.

Thank you NetGalley and CLASH Books for giving me this ARC.

This excellent novel blew me away with it's true crime vibe and the way it's presented.

Seriously, if you like true crime this book reads like one. To the point where you might find yourself using Google to see if these events are real or fictional.

These are letters written to a notorious serial killer. We never hear from him though. But there's enough information in their correspondence to tell an extremely creepy and unsettling narrative. Even behind bars and facing execution, this killer manipulates and motivates people.

From potential girlfriends and mates, to his mother who is clearly in denial, to fans of his "work", to people who want to exploit his crimes for profit, to religious people trying to save his soul... they all write to him and we get glimpses into their minds as we're reading. And I'm telling you, it's uncomfortable at times because it's so realistic. You don't have to stretch your imagination to see these things happening in real life.

I absolutely loved this book and I highly recommend it.