The Doomsday Butcher

Cole Chambers FBI Profiler Thrillers #1

by S.E. Stitcher

A rookie FBI profiler. An escalating killing spree. Can he save a small town from a madman on a rampage?

New York, 1993. Cole Chambers is determined to protect the innocent. Bent on overcoming a tragic history rooted in flames, the FBI agent relentlessly pursues justice while struggling not to surrender to his fears. But the rookie profiler finds himself tested when a murderer turns an amusement park into a gruesome display of four bloody corpses.

Linking the horrific scene to apocalyptic threats from the Book of Revelation, an alarmed Chambers works with his seasoned partner to chase down cryptic clues. But as the investigation triggers an inferno of personal trauma, the precocious agent fights an internal battle while desperately trying to predict the slayer’s twisted visions.

Can he stop a zealous killer from unleashing Armageddon?

The Doomsday Butcher is the heart-pounding first book in the Cole Chambers Crime Thriller series. If you like perfectly flawed protagonists, deep psychological conflict, and nonstop suspense, then you’ll love S.E. Stitcher’s dark mystery.

Buy The Doomsday Butcher for a macabre prophecy today!

Genres: Procedural, Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Murder Mystery, Serial Killer

188 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 26, 2025

About the author

S.E. Stitcher is the author of the Cole Chambers FBI Profiler Thrillers series.

He aims to write entertaining stories featuring bone-chilling villains and the heroes that hunt them.

He currently lives with his wife and young daughter in Tokyo, Japan where they enjoy spending time with his daughter's imaginary friends while dining on sushi, tempura, and seafood pizza. Well, his family enjoys seafood pizza anyway.

Thank you for reading!

Reviews

[Cammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun and twisty ride! I love a good profiler story and this one didn’t disappoint. Despite a few minor grammar errors, the only thing I could have hoped more for was the story to be longer because the author’s descriptions were mouthwatering! I cringed in disgust at the vividly described crime scenes and swooned at the lyrical prose strewn throughout the pages. I will definitely be continuing this series.

[Jea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rookie FBI agent, Cole Chambers is on his first big case with a veteran agent, Kozlowski, trying to catch a serial killer obsessed with Doomsday and the Apocalypse. This book was action-packed, filled with great characters, and just when you think the killer has been identified, you're thrown a curve ball. This is the first in a new series. Definitely check it out if you enjoy FBI thrillers!

[Matt Egan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent, if short, profiler thriller

The Doomsday Butcher, book 1 in the Cole Chambers series, introduces us to Cole, A rookie profiler whose first case turns out to be a crazy one. Bodies, butchered to symbolize the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, are found in an amusement park, setting off a massive and surprisingly unpredictable manhunt. The writing is well composed, with good characters, A thoughtful plot, fast pacing and several unexpected twists and turns. Overall, 4/5 stars, highly recommended for fans of serial killer and crime thrillers!

[Ann Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable, fast paced thriller with intriguing characters. Cole was a rookie FBI agent with a traumatic past assigned with an older partner to find a serial killer determined to unleash Armageddon. Very suspenseful, kept my attention throughout and I liked the characters. Looking forward to the next book.

[Chapters_with_VDKeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Doomsday Butcher
by S.E. Stitcher
Release Day: February 26th
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨4.5/5

This is a dark, pulse-pounding thriller that doesn’t let up. From the first grisly crime scene—a nightmarish tableau in an amusement park—to the relentless chase for a killer obsessed with apocalyptic prophecy, this book had me hooked.

Cole Chambers is a rookie FBI profiler with a past that still burns, both literally and figuratively. As he hunts down a murderer leaving cryptic, biblical clues, his own demons threaten to consume him. The tension is razor-sharp, the psychological depth gripping, and the stakes sky-high. The ’90s setting adds an extra layer of grit, making every twist and turn feel even more immersive.

If you love thrillers with flawed but determined protagonists, eerie religious undertones, and a story that keeps you guessing, this one’s for you. I’ll definitely be grabbing the next book in the series!

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the doomsday vibe this little thriller had. And I loved how it came all together at the end.

[Dom Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly I’m surprised at how good this book was. At only 188 pages, this left no room for filler so right at the beginning it was ‘go go go’ and the pacing moved at a breakneck speed.

This book follows an FBI agent who investigates a string of murders based off of the Book of Revelations. Every murder is gory and grotesque and that opening few pages sets the stage for what’s to come.

It’s grisly. It’s dark. It’s fun. It’s written well and it never once got boring. This was such a fun read and highly entertaining. I’ll definitely read the entire series as each book is around the same length.

[Leah Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a book! I love a good murder mystery, and this one didn’t let me down. If you are a fan of Criminal Minds or CSI, you will enjoy this book. The police team characters really complimented each other. Although I did figure out the killer before it was revealed, I never would have guessed the motive behind it. What a twist of events. I look forward to see what Cole and the other characters getup to in the next book Im the series!

[Veronica Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Doomsday Butcher" by S.E. Stitcher was an absolute page-turner. It kept me hooked from start to finish, with biblical references that added depth and sparked thoughtful reflection. A truly thought-provoking read that I would highly recommend.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG THIS WAS A GOOD BOOK

I won this book. As I started reading I thought to myself, this is so good! I actually did a search to see if this was a real news story sometime and I had missed it. I read this in just a day. It was gruesome but so good. It follows Cole and the FBI around. It follows Cole’s life around a little too closely. But in the end they catch a deranged killer. I never saw the ending coming.

[Grymm Gevierre · Rating 4 out of 5]

 Any fan of crime thrillers will tell you that an antagonist who uses delusion and grandiose theatrics to commit their deeds will instantly spark a reader’s interest. The four riders of the apocalypse? Yes, please.

The local police here certainly aren’t equipped to deal with a massacre of this type, so in steps FBI agent Cole Chambers, who has his own demons to contend with while hunting this Angel of Justice.

The main characters here feel like they have depth, and the plot is solid. There's definitely a high-stakes feeling throughout that creates a sort of pressure and pace that goes beyond just the "we need to stop this serial killer" due to the well-developed doomdsay theme that the 'Angel of Justice' employs. Stitcher did a good job of crafting this concept. This is a great first book to the series!

[AJ Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely enjoyed the read. The ending made me laugh, which you'd probably find highly unacceptable until you read it. Serial killer. Young FBI profiler, struggling with trusting his gut. Up and coming Journalist coming in to step on some toes. All put together for a faced one.

[Bridgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Fast paced with great characters. I definitely will be reading the rest of the series.

[Katie Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

- a nice little easy read
- I’ve been on a big profiler kick so I really enjoyed this
- I like the set up - each chapter starts with the day and time, it’s very nice and allows for a much more broad picture of what’s happening
- I was 100% not expecting it to be Sammy in the end, but I liked that there was a twist instead of it being straight foward

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

I really liked this book. It definitely kept me guessing up until the end. It's a very fast read but oh so good.

[Alicia Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Goodreads Kindle giveaway win! I really enjoyed this one! I don’t read a ton of true crime, but I thought the suspense and build up was really well done without feeling like the author was doing too much. The religious references had me a little lost at times but honestly, you didn’t really need to fully understand it to enjoy the story. BRAVO! ☆ ～('▽^人)

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmmm....I adore police procedural books and thought I was really going to enjoy this one but I really just didn't it was just a little weird and I also had the audio and that was terrible. I should have read more of it with my eyeballs or DNFed this one.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a fast-paced story. All the pieces were there but it felt like it went way too quickly. I feel like this could have easily been twice as long in the hands of a more experienced author.

[Rosemary Dreyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve read a couple of really great books lately so perhaps this review will be harsher than needed. But The Doomsday Killer was awful. The writing was insipid and looked like it had been composed for a high school paper with a thesaurus in hand. The characters, especially the FBI agents, were completely wrong and behaved unprofessionally. The plot was predictable and not at all confusing. Overall it was a terrible novel. I only finished reading it was because it was short. Ugh. Not recommended.

[harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

Enjoyed reading this book first time I have read this Author but I think I will read more if you are squeamish not for you.

[Kimjij · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book works best when it treats profiling not as genius but as pressure, and that choice gives the novel more weight than its violent premise might suggest. S.E. Stitcher is writing within a familiar tradition of FBI procedurals, with ritual murders, coded messages, and a killer who wants an audience as much as a victim. What matters is that the book understands the machinery of that tradition and keeps it moving with discipline. The 1993 setting helps because the investigation depends less on instant access than on inference, interviews, legwork, and the uneasy confidence of people making decisions before they can be certain.
The opening Dreamland tableau is designed to shock, but the novel does not simply live off that image. A lesser version of this story would keep escalating the grotesque until the case became only a sequence of displays. Stitcher instead builds the murders into a system that Cole Chambers has to read, and the book is at its strongest when it lets that reading remain provisional. The apocalyptic language could easily have become decorative menace; here it functions as both clue and disguise, a way for violence to pretend it has moral architecture.
Cole is a useful center because his damage is not treated as automatic depth. His fear of fire is concrete, recurring, and inconvenient, which makes it more persuasive than the usual tragic backstory attached to a competent investigator. His pairing with Barry Kozlowski gives the novel a steadier emotional spine than the plot alone could provide. Kozlowski is not merely the seasoned partner there to explain the rules; he becomes a measure of professional steadiness against which Cole’s instincts can sharpen. Officer Fields also earns her place, particularly because the book allows local intelligence to matter.
The novel is not immune to bluntness. A few exchanges state what the surrounding structure has already made plain, and some secondary figures are drawn with broader strokes than the central partnership. There are also moments when the clues arrive with a tidiness that slightly reduces the danger of misreading them. Still, the pacing is firm, and the late return to Dreamland gives the book its real test: whether Cole can separate justice from vengeance when the case finally stops being abstract.
People in this novel read scripture, bodies, scars, and each other, and the cost of reading wrongly is never theoretical. As a series opener, it establishes a lead character with room to deepen and a procedural framework sturdy enough to carry him. As a piece of constructed thriller fiction, it holds. That is not a small achievement.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘I can’t believe this is my first real case’ – And on stage, Special Agent Cole Chambers!

Author S.E. Stitcher lives and writes in Japan, and while little is shared about his background, it is readily apparent that his genre of suspense saturated thrillers that explore ‘bone-chilling villains and the heroes that hunt them’ is growing in popularity. In just the past year his Cole Chambers FBI Profiler Thriller series includes five volumes - THE SALT LAKE SNATCHER, THE SLEEPY HOLLOW STRANGLER, THE BIG RIG RIPPER, THE LOS ANGELES LUNATIC, and of course this initial volume THE DOOMSDAY BUTCHER.

Stitcher’s mastery of suspense writing greets the reader on page one, a telephone call, in 1993, New York: ‘The tone of the caller’s voice set a shiver down Officer Amy Field’s spine. “I am the Angel of Justice, the Alpha and the Omega. Who is, who was, and who…’ Officer Fields couldn’t help but interrupt. She had just arrived at the station and wasn’t in the mood to interpret biblical phrases…’ After a series of brief tense moments this thriller explodes, and the initial adventure is distilled as follows: ‘New York, 1993. Criminal profiling is still a fledgling science—and Special Agent Cole Chambers is about to be thrown into the deep end. At dawn, the gates of an amusement park creak open to reveal the carousel turning. Four bodies ride the painted horses. One crowned in gold. One bound in barbed wire. One starved hollow. One nailed beneath the words: Behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death. The killer isn’t just murdering. He’s preaching. Fresh from Quantico and desperate to prove himself, Cole is paired with legendary law enforcer Barry “The Beast” Kozlowski to stop a zealot obsessed with fire-and-brimstone theology. And fire is the one thing Cole knows he can’t control. Years ago, flames left scars on his arm and stole his little sister. Now a maniac calling himself the Angel of Justice is reenacting the Book of Revelation—seal by seal, trumpet by trumpet. Each murder escalates. Each message grows clearer. And the next prophecy is already in motion. If Cole can’t master his own demons, the butcher will turn scripture into slaughter.’

Reading this excellent first volume involving ritualistic serial killers, psychological and suspenseful themes, and flawed heroes will likely result in addiction – of the most entertaining type. Very highly recommended!

[Alex Lanious · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel follows Cole Chambers, a rookie FBI profiler in 1993, who is assigned to investigate a particularly gruesome killer whose murders are staged around the Book of Revelation and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The opening crime scene at an amusement park immediately establishes the dark, disturbing tone.

What works:
* Strong psychological element: Cole’s traumatic past—particularly his experience with fire—parallels the case and gives him more depth than the typical “brilliant FBI profiler” protagonist.
* Good atmosphere: The 1993 setting is a real advantage. The investigation depends on legwork, intuition and traditional police work rather than modern technology.
* Effective suspense: There are several turns in the investigation, and many readers report that they didn’t anticipate the final revelation.
* Biblical symbolism: The Revelation imagery gives the murders a thematic structure rather than making them simply random acts of violence.

What does not work for me:
* Character development is uneven. Cole is interesting, but some secondary characters feel more like thriller archetypes than fully developed people.
* The religious symbolism can become heavy-handed. If you’re not particularly interested in biblical/apocalyptic themes, some of the exposition may slow the story down.
* The writing isn’t uniformly polished. Reviews range from enthusiastic praise to criticism of the prose and characterization, so this is a book where the story seems to be stronger than the literary execution.

Psychological perspective

I think this is actually the most interesting aspect of the book. The killer isn’t simply killing for pleasure; he constructs a meaning system around the murders. He interprets himself as an agent carrying out a higher purpose. That creates an interesting psychological contrast between delusion, grandiosity, religious symbolism and the need to impose order on chaos.

Cole provides the counterpoint: he is trying to understand the mind of someone whose internal logic is profoundly distorted, while simultaneously confronting his own unresolved trauma.

[Chrissy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite being less than 200 pages, I found this book surprisingly difficult to finish. Based on the description, I was genuinely excited to read it, but after the first two chapters, I was counting down the pages until it was over.

I understand the goal was to be a fast-paced thriller, and it certainly jumps straight into the action. Unfortunately, the climax felt disjointed, following a repetitive pattern of reveal, flashback, action, another flashback, back to the action, and then an abrupt feel-good ending. Rather than building suspense, it interrupted the momentum.

Maybe it's simply the author's writing style, but I don't think they're for me. Nearly every sentence is packed with overly flowery descriptions, and it became exhausting to read. More than once I had to put my Kindle down because I found myself rolling my eyes at the constant over-description.

The main character also felt very stereotypical: the attractive, intelligent young man on his first day of the job who somehow manages to become the everyday hero. The plot quickly became predictable, an important loose thread was never resolved, and both the story and the characters could have benefited from more development.

Overall, this one just wasn't for me.

[Nicsscp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thing moves like bad weather. First crime scene at Dreamland is sick, cleanly staged, and nasty enough to make the case feel urgent right away. Cole Chambers could have been the usual damaged FBI wonder boy, but the fire scar and the sister trauma actually matter to the story. They are not just slapped on there for flavor. Barry Kozlowski sold me too. Big mouth, hard edges, good instincts, and the kind of dialogue that sounds like cops and agents who have had too much coffee and not enough sleep.
The killer is a nasty piece of work in the right way. The Revelation angle could have turned into costume shop nonsense, but most of it lands because the violence keeps getting worse and the clues stay tied to the hunt. I liked the 1993 setup as well. No magic phone work. No instant database miracle. Just pressure, legwork, and people making calls that might be wrong.
What did not work? A bit of the prophecy explaining could have been trimmed, and one reporter motel bit went longer than it needed to.
Still, the ending pays what it owes. No cheat. No soft landing.
Read it if you like dark crime that actually delivers.

[Bookmical · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cole Chambers is a rookie FBI profiler sent to Crestview after an amusement park crime scene that basically screams nightmare fuel. The killer is staging murders around Revelation, and Cole has to chase the pattern while also dealing with the one thing he cannot keep neatly boxed away, fire.
I was hooked from the Dreamland carousel scene. Horrible, yes. Effective, absolutely. What makes it work is that the book is not just clue, corpse, repeat. Cole has that raw young agent pressure, Kozlowski brings the gruff seasoned force, and Officer Fields is sharp enough that I kept wanting her in more scenes. The case has momentum, and the 1993 setting gives it that bar smoke, printouts, fried food and hard legwork texture I love in crime thrillers.
Well a few lines lean a little big dramatic cop mode, and I sometimes connected pieces before the team did. Still, the pacing mostly barrels.
Read if you like ritual killer thrillers, damaged profilers, biblical clues, and partners who bicker through the gloom. Nasty little ride.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about an opening scene. If I saw that gruesome merry go round, I would have nightmares for weeks. Although I was very intrigued by the murders as they were really thought out. From the victims to how they died.

"With the new moon, comes the meteor of death"

There is a cast of characters. The local police with Chief Armstrong and Officer Fields and Agent Chambers and Agent Kozlowski. OMG the way that Chief Armstrong is so useless. All he is good for is delegating tasks to everyone, so that he has more free time to watch Days of Our Lives. Yet, Officer Fields, she is great. Agents Chamber and Kozlowski work well together.

The group is maybe a little slow in piecing everything together as there were a couple of times that I figured it out before they did. Yet, I still enjoyed this book. The pacing is good and kept moving along. I will read the next book in this series.

"Where the vice once sprang, a false profit draws his last breath"

[Pegboard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Doomsday Butcher: A Gripping Serial Killer Thriller with Apocalyptic Stakes is the first novel in the Cole Chambers FBI Profiler Thriller series by S.E. Stitcher. Agent Cole Chambers is paired up with a veteran agent, Barry Kozlowski, when he is called upon to find a killer who is playing out the book of Revelation. This psychopath keeps the agents busy as he acts out the violent fantasies of his version of Revelation. Not only was he fighting to find the killer, but a journalist was hot on the trail.

I found The Doomsday Butcher a high-intensity thriller. S.E. Stitcher’s writing resembles the series Criminal Minds. A team profiling a serial killer, which takes an evil twist multiple time. I love that the author takes the time to draw his reader in, then executes the ending with danger, precision, and humor. This is an excellent novel, and I look forward to continuing the Cole Chambers series.

[Swati Tanu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who is the mysterious caller claiming, "The Four Horsemen ride at Dreamland"? That question pulled me into The Doomsday Butcher by S. E. Stitcher right from the opening chapter.

I enjoyed following Officer Amy Fields as a chilling phone call leads to a disturbing investigation. The eerie setting of Dreamland Amusement Park and the biblical references create a creepy atmosphere that kept me curious about what was really going on.

S. E. Stitcher does a great job of building suspense without giving too much away. If you enjoy crime thrillers with dark mysteries, unsettling villains, and plenty of twists, The Doomsday Butcher is a gripping read.

You might like to wander through a few artistic journals, they’re full of sparks and surprises.

[Paige Alexander Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a fast-paced read that I finished within a couple of hours because I simply didn't want to put it down.

I really liked the two groups of characters surrounding the protagonist, Cole Chambers. Both groups felt realistic, and the characters introduced throughout the story had likeable qualities that made them easy to invest in.

The plot was believable, and I particularly appreciated that the police work and procedures felt realistic rather than corny or over the top. I didn't pick the suspect early on, and the way everything eventually unfolded was genuinely surprising.

I do hope the professional group of characters continues throughout the series, although I'm not sure how possible that will be as the story progresses.

Overall, this was a well-paced and engaging crime read with enough substance to keep me invested. I would definitely recommend it and will be looking to continue with the series.