Serial killer and media darling Charles Proctor becomes the subject of his own reality show alongside unwilling homicide detective Erin Underwood. Designed as a pay-per-view event for Charles to detail his every murder and give the locations of missing bodies, he begins to take control of the spotlight and reveal the locations of new victims live on air. The police department is sent scrambling to stop the latest string of deaths as the public and viewing audience devours Charles' every word. Welcome to 2031, where the need for constant entertainment outweighs the implications of watching innocents die.
HAPPY PUB DAY🥳 to this amazing thriller on May 9 2023! I really enjoyed my read of SERIAL PUBLICATION by Andrew Adams. Find him on Instagram @andrew_adams_author
Thank you to the author Andrew Adams for an advance digital copy of SERIAL PUBLICATION.
Serial killer Charles Proctor has a plan. By releasing critical information only a piece at a time, while he's on air and being broadcast worldwide, Proctor controls the narrative. He starts twisting it almost immediately...until the police have evidence he's killed again, when he's been under arrest all this time.
This book has a point to make, and it devotes a lot of page space to it. It works great, because of how well it gets along with the content of the main storyline. The theme builds excellent tension into the storyline. How complicit is the studio? Law enforcement? The audience itself? The text addresses these questions directly, but also leaves space for the reader to interpret for themselves.
I love what this book does with the social media killer/complicit audience tropes. It's so entertaining. I've never seen anything quite like it, and yet it gives me definite Dexter vibes.
Rating: 🎥🎥🎥🎥.5 / 5 eyes on Proctor Recommend? Absolutely! Finished: May 2 2023 Format: Advance Digital Copy Read this if you like: 📺 Existential horror 🎭 Philosophical horror 🚔 Police procedurals 🔪 Serial killer stories
What an intense and thought provoking read! This was my first book from Andrew Adams, but I know I'll definitely be reading more as I was literally thinking about this book when I wasn't reading it!
The author's touches on a very hot topic making the readers question themselves about the course of society in general, and at the same time forcing them to go inward. It's 2031 and the near future described it is not only very credible, but I think that it will be our future. As we follow the machinations of the serial killer Charles Proctor and the actions of Sergeant Erin Underwood, it is easy to believe that we are only too close to the kind of tv show where a serial killer gives out details of his gruesome murders in real time. And the eye opening fact is that I'd be certainly watching it and pay for it as well!
This was such a good read with great characters and very elaborated dialogues that I need to read it again so to capture every detail. I thought it had a Hannibal feel to it but far scarier in a different way! I loved the relationship between Erin and Thomas and the character of Erin in general as someone to look up to! As to the serial killer, I also did enjoy him and I have to say that I did side with him, agreeing with his reasoning, but not with his methods.
If you want to be morally challenged and entertained at the same time, this is the book!
Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read it and this is my honest review.
In a world where everyone is obsessed with social media, true crime and living life behind a screen, this book gives a scary insight to what things could be like in the future.
That’s what makes this story so horrifying. Not the serial killer, or the blurred lines between doing what’s right or making fast cash. It’s how close humanity has come to completely summiting to social media, live streams and the continued deterioration of privacy laws.
This story is a thrilling ride from start to finish with a new spin on the narcissism of a serial killer and the lengths the people “in charge” will go to get money flowing.
If you’re looking for something shocking but also believable I’d highly recommend picking this one up!
Synopsis: Serial killer and media darling Charles Proctor becomes the subject of his own reality show alongside unwilling homicide detective Erin Underwood. Designed as a pay-per-view event for Charles to detail his every murder and give the locations of missing bodies, he begins to take control of the spotlight and reveal the locations of new victims live on air. The police department is sent scrambling to stop the latest string of deaths as the public and viewing audience devours Charles' every word. Welcome to 2031, where the need for constant entertainment outweighs the implications of watching innocents die.
Review: I am a big fan of the authors other work Symposium of the reaper! Which a a book of horror short stories I defining recommend to pick it up! I got the opportunity to read another book of his which Serial Publication! While it is mainly a mystery there is still horror in it which I was here for! I thought it was interesting about who exposes who in the industry! Which happens very often! There was a lot of truth to trends and how they come and go very fast! One day people are into one thing and the next it’s the exact opposite! This reminded me of a lot of cop shows and movies I’ve watched over the years and I had a lot of fun reminiscing of it all! If you are a fan of cops shows or movies! I would recommend this book!
Loved the unique concept of this story! A serial killer reveals his kills on a live streamed production with the detective sergeant interviewing him.
I did find the language a little stilted, nihilistic, and police politics heavy, but the author still did a great job with creating his characters and plot. I thought there would also be more kills revealed or a bigger twist unveiled. The ending was a bit “meh” for the buildup that the reader is given.
My other question was what was with the dog? Jake obviously is beloved but does he even get walked?? He is a main character in my opinion, but all we know about him is he gets fed human food and sleeps on the couch next to his owner… is he even a real dog (or a hologram? Robot?). I dunno, it just bothered me that his owner always was in the office, at a crime scene, or at a bar and he’s left alone.
In the guise of very-near-future Horror, with a STRONG female protagonist, author Andrew Adams delivers a strong and scathing riff on contemporary culture's intensifying cult of Celebrity "view-it-all" [not "know-it-all," mind you, but "view-it-all": the compulsion to see everything, from the glorious and sublime, to the atrocious and horrifying], coupled with the inevitable eradication of privacy--for one cannot "view-it-all," unless every single person/occurrence/event/process is available to be captured in video or photography and transmitted.
Over the decades I've encountered a few instances where SF or Horror will reprise something like Ancient Rome's Gladiator Era, as a way of suggesting where Modern Society might be heading. That's not the path Author Adams takes here, though: instead he gives us a "mighty-full-of-himself" Narcissist whose chosen form of self-gratification and self-appellation [patting himself on the back, because "isn't he just so great?"] is Serial Murder. Yes, this jerk is an "accomplished" repetitive murderer, and Serial Killing is his "talent" of choice [in his ego-inflated mind].
The killer's "Star Turn" live on screen [my stomach turns just penning this] is couched in an era where not only almost all privacy is lost; most human interaction is lost also, while the majority of human beings "interact" only with the huge flat-screens before which they are ensconced. Serial Murder is Entertainment to the couch-potato masses steadily vegetating into their furniture with wide-eyed mindlessness.
A killer who happily gives himself up and volunteers to divulge the gory details. Why? To get himself a pay-per-view show! To have all the attention to make a certain point which will make you think. How far will people go for money or entertainment?
Vibes of John Kramer and Hannibal Lecter. Reminded me of a Chris Carter book which I loved!
I enjoyed the partnership of Erin and Thomas and certain bits had me laugh out loud.
What a roller-coaster of a ride this read was, not only do we explore how the future of likes, ratings, viewers pleasure and profit at all costs could drag humanity and reasoning to the brink of madness, doing things we would otherwise shun. We also explore the moral compass of those on the inside, how people will either crack or grow with pressure, and whether their moral codes are worth the fame and the money or not worth abandoning for anything the universe could offer. I loved every minute of this read and the philosophy within the words. The viewpoints and emotions were perfectly written and left a lot to consider both good... and not so good. The characters were down to earth, at least most of them, and the storyline was such a tense thriller of a read, leaving you to consume every word on every page without stopping. The descriptions were detailed enough to create a picture and set the scene, keeping it easy to follow, yet also allowing you to connect some of the dots for yourself at times, almost testing you, allowing you to really engage in the crime solving element. The ending was highly unexpected, but just as explosive and full of twists as I'd hoped it would be, leaving you with many thoughts. I highly recommend this read and will definitely be reading more from this author.
Well okay then. This is an interesting concept. Set in 2031 not too far ahead in the future but significantly different as far as technology. Erin is a detective that is working homicide. One day they get the strangest case they have ever gotten and then by sheer luck the killer walks in and confesses. But it doesn't stop there. Charles B Proctor. He wants a TV show and he gets one with the agreement that Erin is his co-host. She is so hesitant and then the first taping happens and another victim is found. How could that be? He's in custody. The craziness doesn't stop there. Follow along and find out what happens to Erin and her crew! Can she figure it out before it's too late?
In the future, everything is documented. When a serial killer turns himself in and ropes society into broadcasting his depravity live, anything can happen. And anything does.
The setting that this story takes place in was ominous. A slightly futuristic version of current society with an even stronger technological presence.
The characters were well-fleshed out and the main character, Erin, in particular was easy to root for. I read another review that said the villain, Charles, gave them Hannibal vibes, and I can definitely see it. I loved the whole cat and mouse dynamic between the two. It added to the tension of what would happen next and how Charles was able to pull off all that he did.
All of that still didn’t prepare me for the twist at the end.
This was so good! It’s set just far enough in the future that it’s believable with the advancement of technology. It definitely gave me The Blacklist vibes (tv show), but add in a reality tv element. It’s full of mind games and thrills.
Charles is the perfect villain because while he’s nefarious, provocative, and narcissistic, he’s also very interesting. I love that there is a strong female protagonist in Erin too. She and Charles are the perfect combination with how they fire back and forth at each other.
The plot is unique and it definitely kept me intrigued and wanting to know how it all ended. I couldn’t put it down! I would recommend to anyone who enjoys crime thrillers.
In a not-too-distant future of a world that eerily resembles ours, death becomes the new reality show when a self-confessed serial killer hands himself over to the police and uses technology to turn it into a true theatric viewing. Erin is a good ol' fashioned cop who is bent on serving her precinct and the people they're supposed to protect, while also living up to the reputation her father left behind.
I really liked the concept of this one. We're almost there now with our deep-rooted fascination with serial killers, the guilty pleasure of suspecting maybe one of our pleasant neighbors is really turning their victims into compost, or maybe, further down, there's that darkness in us too. The idea grabbed me and pulled me in, having me rooting for the characters and wanting to see how this played out.
I also admittedly loved the butterflies added to the scene but they felt underutilized, especially given they nicknamed the killer "The Caterpillar Killer".
However, there were things that pulled me out of the story. Too often, the "telling" us what was going on, how the characters were feeling, how we should feel, etc., felt like a dramatic director should wave his hand and yell "cut" at any moment. For instance, we're being told how charming Charles is, but the reality is that he has the charm of the newest Batman Riddler meets Heath Ledger's Joker with a manifesto waiting somewhere in the eaves. Being told "he's charming" while being shown otherwise jerked my attention and appreciation away from the story.
I HATE, with a passion, the saying "Show don't tell" when writing, but I do think that would come into play here. The style felt like it was telling me how to think instead of allowing me to flow with the story, connect with the characters, and truly enjoy the piece.
This story captures an intimate peek into humanity, what could very well be our future, and what turmoil certain branches of people face, but its potential didn't punch like it should have.
Sometimes you just really click with a character and Homicide Sargent Erin is one of those characters. Then we have the enigmatic bad guy Charles. Throw them both together and you’re in for one hell of a ride.
It takes a lot to drag me away from my extreme horror these days but that’s exactly what Andrew Adams has done with this one. The mesmerising writing style combined with the characters of Erin and Charles just made this one impossible to put down. In fact, it’s a really great cast of characters overall and you’ll find yourself feeling like part of the team in no time. Plus, the banter between characters is just so good.
The whole way through I was so sure that something particular was going on with a certain character but damn I could not have been more wrong and that made me so happy but also incredibly sad at the reveal.
It’s books like this that remind me why I had such a love for the thriller genre. This is another excellent story by Andrew Adams and I can’t wait to see what he’ll bring us next.
If you think we rely too much on technology/social media now wait until you read this book. I had fun diving into this one it was very entertaining to read how society lived in the story especially since it's not too far off from where we're heading which also makes it kind of scary to think about. Everyone's (well, almost everyone's) moral compass is screwed up with the need to be entertained and with profiting off this "entertainment" at the expense of innocent people. Living in this dystopian world will either make you or break you depending on how hard your sense of morality is. Although I had a blast reading this I thought there would be more gruesome scenes from the serial killer talking about his victims. It's kind of ironic I say this after what I said before but it's ok because this is fiction. Everyone wants to be a star, and everyone wants to be rich, but at what lengths are you willing to go for it? I recommend reading this of you're looking for a dystopian, thriller, horror with some crime fiction thrown on top.
Take the midpoint of The Dark Knight, starting when the Joker's in an interrogation room and ending when you learn getting captured was part of his sinister plan, then add a heaping dose of near-future intrigue and social commentary about how the state of our media and news coverage could evolve (devolve, perhaps), and you get something like Serial Publication, a fast, dialogue-driven meditation on media consumption and the deification of serial killers.
The premise itself is fascinating - A homicide detective begrudgingly interviews a serial killer as part of a reality show. But as things develop, more murders are staged with all of the evidence pointing to the subject of the reality show, and everyone scrambles to figure out how he's committing crimes from a prison cell.
If you, like me, are concerned (maybe even horrified) by the acceleration of "if it bleeds, it leads" media coverage, you're going to find a lot to like in this book. I, for one, devoured it.
The scary thing about this book? It could actually happen. This story is set in the not so distant future where everything is centered around media, technology, social platforms, and entertainment / shock value for the masses.
The latest attempt at ratings? An interview with a notorious, conniving serial killer and an ambitious, yet reluctant, detective … live. Little do they know, the serial killer has a story and an agenda of his own.
I listened to the audiobook, but then I realized I own the physical book too! That’s how you know your TBR is out of control - you don’t even know what books you own!
This one made me think about who we are as a society, and who we could become in the future. How much is too much for the sake of entertainment?
What a great way to start off my 2024 reads. I devoured this one. This is not your typical cat and mouse detective story. Set in the not so distant future of 2031, this book describes (in my opinion) a world not far from the one we live in today where people are obsessed with social media, true crime, and unfazed by it all. I loved the strong female lead and the way Erin navigated the politics and corruption of her job. The banter between characters, and the mystery Charles brought… I just couldn’t put down. 5 ⭐️
I whizzed through the Audible version of this book in a day! I loved the story and the writing. The narrator was bit flat but that doesn't detract from the talent of the author, in my opinion. If you can wrap your head around the following statement, this book is for you! Demolition Man meets Silence of the Lambs, add a live-stream, subtract the seashells. Great concept and I will be on the lookout whatever this author releases next.
For the 2024 book brawl. This felt like a mystery throughout. even when the 'horror' was revealed, it was still a mystery novel. That said, I really enjoyed it. finished in just two days (for me quite a feat) and I really loved the way it portrayed a corrupt world and how thought provoking it was.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was a great read. I really enjoyed it. This story dives into just how far some people are willing to go for money! A killer turns themself in insisting on a live interview on tv with the best officer on the force. How far will things go? Check it out and find out.
This is one of the few books that I couldn't predict where the story was going. It kept me interested from start to finish! I really enjoyed the characters and story line. The story is a very unique concept unlike anything I've read before!
Serial Publication is thrilling and unpredictable. I found it hard to put down as I was eager to know how it would end. The author, Adams, creates a world set in the near future where a serial killer and a homicide detective reveal the dangers of a media that can manipulate people's moral values for the sake of entertainment. Serial Publication will delight fans of Silence of the Lambs and the Hodges trilogy by Stephen King.
I listened to this on audible. I do think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it myself. However, this was as great story. Kept me interested until the end. Would recommend.
The premise of this book caught my attention right away. It was very fast paced for the most part, but there was a bit of a lull in the middle. The main character Erin was so badass! The futuristic aspects were so relatable too so it seemed like it was a definite possibility for it to be our future. I kinda wish we got more of the moth man though!