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The Asylum Confession Files
The Asylum Confessions 5 Large Print
They arrive alive. They always leave dead. But first, they give me their confessions. Fairytales. Love them or hate them, they've been part of our culture since forever. The best ones aren't those soft Disney ones retold to help mold the imagination of young children. The best ones are what inspired the Disney creations and these confessions give those inspirations a run for their money! You know by now, my name is Jack Steen and for those who arrive on my 'death' ward at the Asylum, I'm the last face many will see before they die. I am the night nurse at the Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Most of my patients are serial killers and mass murderers and they know me as the Angel of Death. They give me their confessions in exchange for a pain free death - but there's a catch. I want the real story, the one they haven't told anyone else. These killers are expert manipulators. I realize they could be playing me and messing with my head. It's a chance I'm willing to take. And now...they might just be playing with yours too. Inside this book are 3 DeathBed Confessions with a 'fairytale' Patient Kevin – think Modern Day Sleeping Beauty – with a twistPatient Jesi – there’s a resemblance to Rapunzel that is kind of scaryPatient Oliver – he reminds me of Cinderella…with a thing for shoes There is swearing in this book. And some stories might be a trigger for something you have a hard time handling. But, these ARE the confessions of serial killers, mass murderers and such, so what do you expect?
288 pages, Paperback
Published April 4, 2023
541 people are currently reading
2243 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
July 15, 2023
Fascinating approach, intertwining these confessions with a fairytale backdrop. I thoroughly enjoyed each one, and it undeniably set apart from the confessions presented in earlier books.
July 13, 2024
Book 5
More confessions of people who were dying. Some are kind of graphic but not too much. This takes you into the minds of people who had one last secret to share that was unknown to everyone. This they traded for death by injection by the nurse who wrote down the confession unknown to all.
More confessions of people who were dying. Some are kind of graphic but not too much. This takes you into the minds of people who had one last secret to share that was unknown to everyone. This they traded for death by injection by the nurse who wrote down the confession unknown to all.
December 27, 2022
4 stars for another compilation of creepy yet interesting criminal confessions.
This one just had 3 as compared to all others with 4 confessions yet every bit as enjoyable as the rest of them. These confessions though written in the way of like patients are speaking to Jack are so well compiled that never once have I felt sympathy for these criminals. I enjoyed Kevin's story the most because there was something so dangerous and unhinged about him as a person that it stood true to the horrors we were promised. Jesi and Oliver's though as compelling as ever did not go down well with me because with Jesi it was all about religion - a topic I am not interested in at all and with Oliver it gave me too much of Dexter vibes for me to be able to judge it as it's own.
This one just had 3 as compared to all others with 4 confessions yet every bit as enjoyable as the rest of them. These confessions though written in the way of like patients are speaking to Jack are so well compiled that never once have I felt sympathy for these criminals. I enjoyed Kevin's story the most because there was something so dangerous and unhinged about him as a person that it stood true to the horrors we were promised. Jesi and Oliver's though as compelling as ever did not go down well with me because with Jesi it was all about religion - a topic I am not interested in at all and with Oliver it gave me too much of Dexter vibes for me to be able to judge it as it's own.
October 3, 2025
The fifth in the series and just as good as the rest. The patients in this one are likened to Disney characters (although not in a nice way). This time we have confessions from:
Kevin - Sleeping Beauty
Jesi - Rapunzel
Oliver - Cinderella
I love the patients stories, even though some of them are quite horrific. We learn a little bit more about Jack in this book too.
Kevin - Sleeping Beauty
Jesi - Rapunzel
Oliver - Cinderella
I love the patients stories, even though some of them are quite horrific. We learn a little bit more about Jack in this book too.
October 8, 2025
This is hands down my favourite in this twisted little series so far!
Three new confessions from three new patients. All their stories have a fairytale like quality to them. The Grims Brothers meets Stephen King!
Three new confessions from three new patients. All their stories have a fairytale like quality to them. The Grims Brothers meets Stephen King!
August 29, 2022
4.5 stars for me. It was good for sure, I wouldn’t say it’s one of his best, but it definitely grabs you. Personally I didn’t dig the first confession, it was really bland. Like, I had sex with this girl, she cried rape and I ended up here. Um yeah, yawn. Second one grabbed me near the end for sure. The third was my favorite for sure. That was just creepy. I wouldn’t say they match fairytales, but I guess I see it. There were also very few spelling errors this time! Jack has definitely been doing better! So yes, good book overall!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2023
I could not put this book down! I would give almost anything to meet this author at his pub to pick his brain about his patients!! I am sad that there’s only one book left in his series. I’m very tempted to join his patrons page to get any and all updates on his future books!
October 26, 2023
The best of all the ones I've read in this series.
You get the true sense what it means to be inside a psychopath/serial killer's head. It's fascinating. My favourite was Oliver Fitzgerald.
You get the true sense what it means to be inside a psychopath/serial killer's head. It's fascinating. My favourite was Oliver Fitzgerald.
May 8, 2025
I personally thought that the stories in this were tragic and fascinating. These stories always make you want to feel bad for the patient on their deathbed, no matter the crime they committed. In my opinion I think the title should have been something closer to what the narrator kept alluding to, fantasy.
September 13, 2022
Another great set of confessions. What I wouldn't give to get my hands on all of this author's notebooks!!! So captivating.
August 3, 2024
Loved it! Jack did not disappoint in this 5th installment. Loved the fairytale spin on the stories this time. Although very disturbing all of them were great confessions.
September 5, 2024
this just makes me wanna read the Grimm brothers stories
November 7, 2024
Another great read from Jack Steen! This theme was about fairytales. None of them are happy endings though...
February 11, 2025
One of my absolute favorite deliciously demented series ever!
September 18, 2025
I'm going to find Jack...
November 12, 2025
I will riot if Steen ever stops writing this series!!!
February 4, 2023
I love these stories! Only 3 confessions in this one, but I like the Fairy Tale Connection.
October 11, 2022
Seriously, I am sitting here waiting with baited breath for #6.
February 24, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 I wouldn’t say these are my favorite confessions, but they’re definitely high up on my list so far. The very last one about Oliver and the Cinderella slasher is probably one of my favorite confessions.
The first book is about kevin who has a modern dark retelling of sleeping beauty. Basically he grew up best friends with Ainsley. Ainsley‘s father particular didn’t like kevin hanging out around Ainsley, but he did it anyways. Ainsley and nathan grew up very wealthy whereas kevin did not. Nathan never liked kevin and kevin never liked nathan. Nathan was just like the big bullying brother Ainsley liked to play games and eventually those games turned into mind games. The two of them started dating very low-key and tried not to get the attention of nathan. Nathan was very abusive sexually to his sister, which is disgusting but I digress. One day the two of them are supposed to go out on a date, but she calls kevin and only otters one word which is help. Kevin rushes to her apartment grabs a change of clothes, grabs his roommates keys and goes to his family’s vacation home. there he realizes just what kind of twisted game she’s been playing and how she’s liked what her brother has been doing to her. So for five days, he basically does the same thing, even though he has no experience in that realm. After five days, the police come knocking on the door and arrest kevin, basically stating that they kidnapped and abused Ainsley. Ainsley never said anything and intern kevin was put in the asylum. Kevin doesn’t see anything wrong with what he did and is ultimately hurt that Ainsley would do this to him.
The second book in the series is about Jesi was raised handicapped (even though she wasn’t) in the church. Her da dead a pastor who starved and depleted Jesi to the pint where she was wheelchair bound. A guest pastor came and stayed in her house one day and noticed she wasn’t eating so he suggested to Wayne who is her father, but not her father. That she should eat more. Once Jesi started eating more she suddenly wasn’t handicapped anymore. Being raised in the church she found that she was very naïve and innocent, and she couldn’t do a whole lot. One day she meets a boy and she falls head over heels in love with him. She starts sneaking out to see him, but one night Wayne catches her sneaking back in the house. He starts off small with his punishment and then they grow to be worse and worse. Way more predatory like. She winds up telling her lover what’s going on and they together come up with this idea to blackmail Wayne. When they try to do so the lover says that the pictures aren’t working and that was the worst of the worst that night for Jesi. Jesi went to sneaking out and going to see her lover and her lover basically laughs when she tells him what’s going on. Her mom winds up making her his side piece as her punishment for seducing her husband. She’s livid. She’s pissed off that her mom would pick away inside over hers. She knows that she needs to do something herself in order to fix this problem. She takes a small chainsaw from the garage and splits their throats before cutting off her hands and then beheading them entirely. Nobody believed her not the doctors or the police or anyone. That’s her truth and she knows it’s the truth.
The third confession comes from Oliver, who got the nickname Cinderella slasher. When he was a kid, he watched his mother get murdered, and then he was kidnapped and then dropped off in the middle of nowhere were police found him then he bounced from foster home to foster home until he aged out of the system. He wind up getting with his girlfriend, whose name was Diana, and the two of them had a kid together. He vowed that he was gonna be a good boyfriend and a great dad so he got a job and he worked to support his family. He worked as a janitor and slowly worked his way up the ranks to a supervisor position. One day, one of his employees calls in and so he goes and cleans the house that they were supposed to clean. This woman has been notorious for being absolutely filthy, and he didn’t think it would be that bad but it in fact was that bad. He spent hours just scrubbing the shower itself. She winds up coming home and berates Oliver for the way that he was cleaning. The two of them go back-and-forth and she is just being super condescending and rude and he finally snapped. He winds up killing her by drowning her in bleach water and then he scrubs her skin raw so that it is clean. This was his first kill that he claims to be accidental. His second kill comes from him, knocking on a woman’s door, offering free cleaning service and she absolutely yells at him, causes him all sorts of nasty names so he bust in and she tries to hit him with her shoe and that fails, and the two of them jostle back-and-forth before he hits her upside the head knocking her out and then takes her to her bathtub, adds water and bleach, and drowns her in the bleach water. He wind up, scrubbing, her skin clean too, and these last two killings were obviously heat of the moment passion killings. It had been seven months since the second kill, and he felt like he needed that rush. He needed that adrenaline dump. So instead of waiting for a heat of the moment passion kill he hunts down someone. He’s at a liquor store buying beer when he sees someone that looks exactly like his mom talking with the cashier. Turns out that woman has the same name as his mom and he feels that this is his mom telling him that she is the woman he needs to kill. He winds up following her for a few days and then one day he follows her home. At this point, he had seen her sell herself out so many times at bars and he’s over it. He finds the door unlocked so he walks in and sees that she is on the couch open like an open book. She says that she’s been waiting for him, and she also thinks that him watching her give herself away to all these men is like something that he enjoys when in fact, it’s the exact opposite. He winds up, hurting her while also strangling her (let that sink in). After this, she blacks out, but is not dead. He winds up finding bleach, and he carries her upstairs, puts water in the bathtub along with the bleach and drowns her in it. He could see the life leaving her eyes, and that is the adrenaline and the rush and exactly what he needed. This however, was his undoing because her ex-boyfriend was a cop, and when he would stalk her house and watch her he was actually sitting in front of a cops house as well. They wind up, making the connection between the other two killings and him as well as her and him. Also, every single time he killed, he cut off all the toes of his victims and put it in shoes. That is how he got the nickname Cinderella Slasher.
The first book is about kevin who has a modern dark retelling of sleeping beauty. Basically he grew up best friends with Ainsley. Ainsley‘s father particular didn’t like kevin hanging out around Ainsley, but he did it anyways. Ainsley and nathan grew up very wealthy whereas kevin did not. Nathan never liked kevin and kevin never liked nathan. Nathan was just like the big bullying brother Ainsley liked to play games and eventually those games turned into mind games. The two of them started dating very low-key and tried not to get the attention of nathan. Nathan was very abusive sexually to his sister, which is disgusting but I digress. One day the two of them are supposed to go out on a date, but she calls kevin and only otters one word which is help. Kevin rushes to her apartment grabs a change of clothes, grabs his roommates keys and goes to his family’s vacation home. there he realizes just what kind of twisted game she’s been playing and how she’s liked what her brother has been doing to her. So for five days, he basically does the same thing, even though he has no experience in that realm. After five days, the police come knocking on the door and arrest kevin, basically stating that they kidnapped and abused Ainsley. Ainsley never said anything and intern kevin was put in the asylum. Kevin doesn’t see anything wrong with what he did and is ultimately hurt that Ainsley would do this to him.
The second book in the series is about Jesi was raised handicapped (even though she wasn’t) in the church. Her da dead a pastor who starved and depleted Jesi to the pint where she was wheelchair bound. A guest pastor came and stayed in her house one day and noticed she wasn’t eating so he suggested to Wayne who is her father, but not her father. That she should eat more. Once Jesi started eating more she suddenly wasn’t handicapped anymore. Being raised in the church she found that she was very naïve and innocent, and she couldn’t do a whole lot. One day she meets a boy and she falls head over heels in love with him. She starts sneaking out to see him, but one night Wayne catches her sneaking back in the house. He starts off small with his punishment and then they grow to be worse and worse. Way more predatory like. She winds up telling her lover what’s going on and they together come up with this idea to blackmail Wayne. When they try to do so the lover says that the pictures aren’t working and that was the worst of the worst that night for Jesi. Jesi went to sneaking out and going to see her lover and her lover basically laughs when she tells him what’s going on. Her mom winds up making her his side piece as her punishment for seducing her husband. She’s livid. She’s pissed off that her mom would pick away inside over hers. She knows that she needs to do something herself in order to fix this problem. She takes a small chainsaw from the garage and splits their throats before cutting off her hands and then beheading them entirely. Nobody believed her not the doctors or the police or anyone. That’s her truth and she knows it’s the truth.
The third confession comes from Oliver, who got the nickname Cinderella slasher. When he was a kid, he watched his mother get murdered, and then he was kidnapped and then dropped off in the middle of nowhere were police found him then he bounced from foster home to foster home until he aged out of the system. He wind up getting with his girlfriend, whose name was Diana, and the two of them had a kid together. He vowed that he was gonna be a good boyfriend and a great dad so he got a job and he worked to support his family. He worked as a janitor and slowly worked his way up the ranks to a supervisor position. One day, one of his employees calls in and so he goes and cleans the house that they were supposed to clean. This woman has been notorious for being absolutely filthy, and he didn’t think it would be that bad but it in fact was that bad. He spent hours just scrubbing the shower itself. She winds up coming home and berates Oliver for the way that he was cleaning. The two of them go back-and-forth and she is just being super condescending and rude and he finally snapped. He winds up killing her by drowning her in bleach water and then he scrubs her skin raw so that it is clean. This was his first kill that he claims to be accidental. His second kill comes from him, knocking on a woman’s door, offering free cleaning service and she absolutely yells at him, causes him all sorts of nasty names so he bust in and she tries to hit him with her shoe and that fails, and the two of them jostle back-and-forth before he hits her upside the head knocking her out and then takes her to her bathtub, adds water and bleach, and drowns her in the bleach water. He wind up, scrubbing, her skin clean too, and these last two killings were obviously heat of the moment passion killings. It had been seven months since the second kill, and he felt like he needed that rush. He needed that adrenaline dump. So instead of waiting for a heat of the moment passion kill he hunts down someone. He’s at a liquor store buying beer when he sees someone that looks exactly like his mom talking with the cashier. Turns out that woman has the same name as his mom and he feels that this is his mom telling him that she is the woman he needs to kill. He winds up following her for a few days and then one day he follows her home. At this point, he had seen her sell herself out so many times at bars and he’s over it. He finds the door unlocked so he walks in and sees that she is on the couch open like an open book. She says that she’s been waiting for him, and she also thinks that him watching her give herself away to all these men is like something that he enjoys when in fact, it’s the exact opposite. He winds up, hurting her while also strangling her (let that sink in). After this, she blacks out, but is not dead. He winds up finding bleach, and he carries her upstairs, puts water in the bathtub along with the bleach and drowns her in it. He could see the life leaving her eyes, and that is the adrenaline and the rush and exactly what he needed. This however, was his undoing because her ex-boyfriend was a cop, and when he would stalk her house and watch her he was actually sitting in front of a cops house as well. They wind up, making the connection between the other two killings and him as well as her and him. Also, every single time he killed, he cut off all the toes of his victims and put it in shoes. That is how he got the nickname Cinderella Slasher.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2022
Fascinating
I still find the stories interesting. I wished the author would give you the uncut truth about patient confession. I want to know every gritty detail
I still find the stories interesting. I wished the author would give you the uncut truth about patient confession. I want to know every gritty detail
May 7, 2024
This was one of my favourite Asylum books, perhaps because it was fascinating to see the original takes on traditional fairy tales that Steen came up with! I got full shivers while reading the first story, and I do have to admit that I was really enthralled by this book the whole time.
September 2, 2022
Amazing as usual
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May 10, 2025Book Review: The Asylum Confessions: Murder & Madness by Jack Steen
Introduction
Jack Steen’s The Asylum Confessions: Murder & Madness is a chilling entry in the Asylum Confession Files series, blending psychological horror, true crime, and gothic storytelling. Presented as a collection of deathbed confessions from inmates of a high-security asylum, the book delves into the minds of criminals whose crimes straddle the line between madness and malevolence. Steen, who narrates as a fictionalized version of himself—a caretaker of the asylum’s “death ward”—serves as the conduit for these harrowing tales, each dripping with dread and moral ambiguity.
Themes and Analysis
The Thin Line Between Sanity and Madness
The book’s central theme interrogates the nature of insanity, asking whether the confessors are truly mentally ill or simply monstrous. Patients like Kevin (a “Modern Day Sleeping Beauty with a twist”) and Patient 1203 (a “sweetest, broken soul”) embody this tension, their confessions revealing layers of trauma, delusion, and cold-blooded calculation. Steen’s framing device—the asylum setting—amplifies the unease, forcing readers to question the reliability of both the narrators and their keeper.
Moral Relativism and the Ethics of Confession
Steen positions himself as a passive listener, yet his role as the “last face” the inmates see before death adds a layer of voyeuristic complicity. The confessions are often graphic (trigger warnings for violence, swearing, and psychological distress), but their delivery—raw and unfiltered—challenges readers to grapple with empathy for the irredeemable. Are these stories acts of penance, manipulation, or mere entertainment for the asylum’s silent audience? The book refuses easy answers.
Narrative Structure and Authenticity
The episodic format—each confession standalone yet thematically linked—creates a mosaic of horror. Steen’s claim that the patients are “real” (though their stories may be embellished) blurs fiction and reality, a meta-narrative trick that echoes true crime’s problematic allure. The lack of verifiable real-world crimes further unsettles, playing into the book’s overarching question: How much truth can horror hold?
Gothic and Pulp Influences
Steen’s prose leans into pulp sensibility: lurid, fast-paced, and unapologetically grim. The asylum itself is a classic gothic trope—a liminal space where societal norms dissolve—but the modern, almost clinical delivery (e.g., matter-of-fact descriptions of brutality) updates the tradition. This juxtaposition of florid horror and detached narration creates a uniquely dissonant tone.
Critique
While the book excels in atmosphere and conceptual daring, its reliance on shock value occasionally overshadows deeper character exploration. Some confessions feel truncated, their psychological potential untapped. Additionally, the repetitive structure (confession → twist → ambiguous resolution) risks predictability. However, these flaws are mitigated by the book’s self-awareness; it knows it’s a macabre carnival ride, not a philosophical treatise.
Conclusion
The Asylum Confessions: Murder & Madness is a visceral, thought-provoking read for fans of psychological horror and true crime-adjacent fiction. Its strength lies not in subtlety but in its unflinching gaze at humanity’s darkest corners. By turns grotesque and poignant, it forces readers to confront the seductive power of storytelling—especially when the stories are ones of atrocity.
Final Thoughts & Rating
This is a niche but potent work, best suited for readers who enjoy American Psycho’s moral ambiguity or Penpal’s slow-burn dread. Its flaws are outweighed by its ambition and sheer memorability.
Rating: 4.2/5
Concept & Originality: 4.5/5 – A fresh twist on asylum horror.
Psychological Depth: 4/5 – Some confessions resonate more than others.
Prose & Pacing: 4/5 – Gripping but occasionally repetitive.
Thematic Cohesion: 4.5/5 – Effectively unsettling, if not always subtle.
Emotional Impact: 4/5 – More disturbing than profound, by design.
Recommendation: Ideal for late-night reading with a strong stomach. Not for the faint-hearted or those seeking redemptive narratives. Pair with existential questions and a stiff drink.
Introduction
Jack Steen’s The Asylum Confessions: Murder & Madness is a chilling entry in the Asylum Confession Files series, blending psychological horror, true crime, and gothic storytelling. Presented as a collection of deathbed confessions from inmates of a high-security asylum, the book delves into the minds of criminals whose crimes straddle the line between madness and malevolence. Steen, who narrates as a fictionalized version of himself—a caretaker of the asylum’s “death ward”—serves as the conduit for these harrowing tales, each dripping with dread and moral ambiguity.
Themes and Analysis
The Thin Line Between Sanity and Madness
The book’s central theme interrogates the nature of insanity, asking whether the confessors are truly mentally ill or simply monstrous. Patients like Kevin (a “Modern Day Sleeping Beauty with a twist”) and Patient 1203 (a “sweetest, broken soul”) embody this tension, their confessions revealing layers of trauma, delusion, and cold-blooded calculation. Steen’s framing device—the asylum setting—amplifies the unease, forcing readers to question the reliability of both the narrators and their keeper.
Moral Relativism and the Ethics of Confession
Steen positions himself as a passive listener, yet his role as the “last face” the inmates see before death adds a layer of voyeuristic complicity. The confessions are often graphic (trigger warnings for violence, swearing, and psychological distress), but their delivery—raw and unfiltered—challenges readers to grapple with empathy for the irredeemable. Are these stories acts of penance, manipulation, or mere entertainment for the asylum’s silent audience? The book refuses easy answers.
Narrative Structure and Authenticity
The episodic format—each confession standalone yet thematically linked—creates a mosaic of horror. Steen’s claim that the patients are “real” (though their stories may be embellished) blurs fiction and reality, a meta-narrative trick that echoes true crime’s problematic allure. The lack of verifiable real-world crimes further unsettles, playing into the book’s overarching question: How much truth can horror hold?
Gothic and Pulp Influences
Steen’s prose leans into pulp sensibility: lurid, fast-paced, and unapologetically grim. The asylum itself is a classic gothic trope—a liminal space where societal norms dissolve—but the modern, almost clinical delivery (e.g., matter-of-fact descriptions of brutality) updates the tradition. This juxtaposition of florid horror and detached narration creates a uniquely dissonant tone.
Critique
While the book excels in atmosphere and conceptual daring, its reliance on shock value occasionally overshadows deeper character exploration. Some confessions feel truncated, their psychological potential untapped. Additionally, the repetitive structure (confession → twist → ambiguous resolution) risks predictability. However, these flaws are mitigated by the book’s self-awareness; it knows it’s a macabre carnival ride, not a philosophical treatise.
Conclusion
The Asylum Confessions: Murder & Madness is a visceral, thought-provoking read for fans of psychological horror and true crime-adjacent fiction. Its strength lies not in subtlety but in its unflinching gaze at humanity’s darkest corners. By turns grotesque and poignant, it forces readers to confront the seductive power of storytelling—especially when the stories are ones of atrocity.
Final Thoughts & Rating
This is a niche but potent work, best suited for readers who enjoy American Psycho’s moral ambiguity or Penpal’s slow-burn dread. Its flaws are outweighed by its ambition and sheer memorability.
Rating: 4.2/5
Concept & Originality: 4.5/5 – A fresh twist on asylum horror.
Psychological Depth: 4/5 – Some confessions resonate more than others.
Prose & Pacing: 4/5 – Gripping but occasionally repetitive.
Thematic Cohesion: 4.5/5 – Effectively unsettling, if not always subtle.
Emotional Impact: 4/5 – More disturbing than profound, by design.
Recommendation: Ideal for late-night reading with a strong stomach. Not for the faint-hearted or those seeking redemptive narratives. Pair with existential questions and a stiff drink.
August 23, 2024
obviously quickly written
Like I said in another review: you sit face to be Stephen King, but have enough respect for your writers to edit properly. I don’t even think he rereads what he’s written, because the repitition is so obvious and annoying, how could you not catch it? Jack: fire your editor, they aren’t reading it either! Just, respect yourself and your readers enough to be a writer worthy of publishing!
The idea behind this series is kind of genius. So it’s such a let down for it to not be done better. Even typos I can stomach if it wasn’t so obvious that there isn’t care taken after writing the stories to make sure they are written without major, obvious issues. When you repeat a paragraph a page later, how can you not catch that in an edit? Joun a writing group at least that can help you catch this crap, I really want to enjoy reading these stories, to savor them as stories like this should he savored. Instead, I’m skimming over stuff bc it’s already been said almost verbatim. Also, in this one, the distinction between the confessions and direct dialogue to the narrator isn’t there like in the other books, so part of a confession is in italics and part of direct address to the narrator is not. It was a really smart tool, but now it’s gotten all jumbled up. Your readers will wait, and stay around for the next installment, if you take an extra week or three and just be better!
Like I said in another review: you sit face to be Stephen King, but have enough respect for your writers to edit properly. I don’t even think he rereads what he’s written, because the repitition is so obvious and annoying, how could you not catch it? Jack: fire your editor, they aren’t reading it either! Just, respect yourself and your readers enough to be a writer worthy of publishing!
The idea behind this series is kind of genius. So it’s such a let down for it to not be done better. Even typos I can stomach if it wasn’t so obvious that there isn’t care taken after writing the stories to make sure they are written without major, obvious issues. When you repeat a paragraph a page later, how can you not catch that in an edit? Joun a writing group at least that can help you catch this crap, I really want to enjoy reading these stories, to savor them as stories like this should he savored. Instead, I’m skimming over stuff bc it’s already been said almost verbatim. Also, in this one, the distinction between the confessions and direct dialogue to the narrator isn’t there like in the other books, so part of a confession is in italics and part of direct address to the narrator is not. It was a really smart tool, but now it’s gotten all jumbled up. Your readers will wait, and stay around for the next installment, if you take an extra week or three and just be better!
June 1, 2025
I loved the idea of them being similar to fairytales, not the kid friendly Disney ones, the original Brothers Grimm. Although I didn’t see many similarities between these but maybe it’s because I haven’t read the Grimm ones, I just know a small bit about some of the tales.
Kevin:
A good but hard read, I wouldn’t really say it’s sleeping beauty, I know a little of the original and I don’t see the similarities. Either way, Kevin truly believes what he’s saying and thinks what he did was right… which is very fucked.
Jesi:
Another hard read, what they put Jesi through was fucked up and I don’t blame her for what she did. Growing up in a commune, a religious one, with (supposedly) respectable people? Of course she won’t be believed and it’s heartbreaking.
Oliver:
I don’t even know where to begin with this one. He didn’t show any remorse at all, truly didn’t care. I know typically people in this asylum don’t believe they’re wrong, but the way Oliver came across, just felt like he’d happily do it again, if he could.
Kevin:
A good but hard read, I wouldn’t really say it’s sleeping beauty, I know a little of the original and I don’t see the similarities. Either way, Kevin truly believes what he’s saying and thinks what he did was right… which is very fucked.
Jesi:
Another hard read, what they put Jesi through was fucked up and I don’t blame her for what she did. Growing up in a commune, a religious one, with (supposedly) respectable people? Of course she won’t be believed and it’s heartbreaking.
Oliver:
I don’t even know where to begin with this one. He didn’t show any remorse at all, truly didn’t care. I know typically people in this asylum don’t believe they’re wrong, but the way Oliver came across, just felt like he’d happily do it again, if he could.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2024
Hooray for these all being back on KU!!
I had been waiting for these all to pop back up onto Kindle Unlimited, so I could finish the series up. It was cool to be back in Jack's world and hear more death bed confessions. I love a sick/twisted read.
We get the confessions of three new patients in this book. They did not have patient numbers this time, and only their names. This was new as normally they also have a patient number as well. We get the confessions of: Kevin, Jesi, and Oliver in this one.
As always this book flows perfectly and gives us as readers good details on what the patients did to land them where they are. I am deducting a star soley on my own personal opinion. I didn't like how this one followed a "fairytale" approach to it. I will of course read the next in the series and continue enjoying these little twisted books.
I had been waiting for these all to pop back up onto Kindle Unlimited, so I could finish the series up. It was cool to be back in Jack's world and hear more death bed confessions. I love a sick/twisted read.
We get the confessions of three new patients in this book. They did not have patient numbers this time, and only their names. This was new as normally they also have a patient number as well. We get the confessions of: Kevin, Jesi, and Oliver in this one.
As always this book flows perfectly and gives us as readers good details on what the patients did to land them where they are. I am deducting a star soley on my own personal opinion. I didn't like how this one followed a "fairytale" approach to it. I will of course read the next in the series and continue enjoying these little twisted books.
June 2, 2023
Another killer book
I liked this book more than the cult based one, but I'm a sucker for twisted fairytale references. Almost every book has one story that makes you feel so bad for the killer. This one's hit home in a couple of ways, so I absolutely felt terrible for what she went through. I love getting bits of the psychology of why they became killers. Jack does it in a way that isn't full of medical terminology, it isn't even spelled out fully. It's how their lives twisted their way of thinking. You read/see as it happens, and I don't find many authors who put it as well as Jack steen.
The grammatical errors and typos stopped bothering me, it makes the books feel more real, more human, if that makes sense. Even if it doesn't, oh well. On to the next one!
I liked this book more than the cult based one, but I'm a sucker for twisted fairytale references. Almost every book has one story that makes you feel so bad for the killer. This one's hit home in a couple of ways, so I absolutely felt terrible for what she went through. I love getting bits of the psychology of why they became killers. Jack does it in a way that isn't full of medical terminology, it isn't even spelled out fully. It's how their lives twisted their way of thinking. You read/see as it happens, and I don't find many authors who put it as well as Jack steen.
The grammatical errors and typos stopped bothering me, it makes the books feel more real, more human, if that makes sense. Even if it doesn't, oh well. On to the next one!
September 22, 2025
This one was one of the weaker installments of the series and for me personally the first I’m rating below 4 stars.
There are only three confessions in this volume compared to the usual four but they still held the familiar charm this series has to offer. However, based on the fact these tales are supposed to be indicative of relating to classic fairy tales (the darker side of those) I just couldn’t make the connections. The overall execution of each confession, particularly the first one, which was by far the weakest of the three for me, just felt a bit anti-climactic.
Still, it’s a worthwhile read if you enjoy this series, like I have. Just not the best by any means and I’m settling on an even 3 stars for it.
There are only three confessions in this volume compared to the usual four but they still held the familiar charm this series has to offer. However, based on the fact these tales are supposed to be indicative of relating to classic fairy tales (the darker side of those) I just couldn’t make the connections. The overall execution of each confession, particularly the first one, which was by far the weakest of the three for me, just felt a bit anti-climactic.
Still, it’s a worthwhile read if you enjoy this series, like I have. Just not the best by any means and I’m settling on an even 3 stars for it.
October 29, 2023
I have genuinely fallen in love with this series of books. Each story is different, each person is different, but they are all told within the same place. All the characters are brought to the Asylum, and for some, this is the last place they see. Our story writer, Jack, is the one who gets all the confessions, which I think is pretty neat. I mean, to be able to get the confessions of those who have committed crimes but have not wanted to give the confession to those who truly need it is really different and neat.
If you are looking for something different, then check this out. I think you would really enjoy it.
If you are looking for something different, then check this out. I think you would really enjoy it.
September 20, 2024
Alas the fifth book, I frickin love this series!
This time around you should know the drill. Jack the night nurse takes deathbed confessions from the criminally insane.
In this edition we have three confessions from:
* Patient Kevin
* Patient Jesi
* Patient Oliver
I also love that with each book you learn a little more about Jack and his life, which is good. We get to know little things whether it was meant or not. For example in one of the stories we learn that his father wasn't in the picture. We also come to realise what Jack is really doing too.
Wow these confession stories were great.
Can't wait for the next one!!!
This time around you should know the drill. Jack the night nurse takes deathbed confessions from the criminally insane.
In this edition we have three confessions from:
* Patient Kevin
* Patient Jesi
* Patient Oliver
I also love that with each book you learn a little more about Jack and his life, which is good. We get to know little things whether it was meant or not. For example in one of the stories we learn that his father wasn't in the picture. We also come to realise what Jack is really doing too.
Wow these confession stories were great.
Can't wait for the next one!!!
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