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Kill Seeker: Confessions of a psychopath
For fans of Jim Thompson's The Killer Inside Me and Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk About Kevin
Cole Cummins was twelve years old when he murdered his best friend—and discovered he liked it.
What started as a single impulsive act became an addiction. Cole didn't just take Aaron's life; he stole his identity, seamlessly moving in with his victim's family as the perfect son. But one kill was never enough. It would never be enough.
Now, as the body count rises, three forces
- A relentless detective who senses something isn't right
- A father whose love might be Cole's only chance at redemption
- Cole's own conscience, driving him toward confession
Can love overcome compulsion? Can confession cleanse a killer's soul? Or is Cole Cummins simply too far gone?
From nationally award-winning journalist Harlan Porter comes a dark psychological thriller that pulls no punches—a chilling first-person confession from inside a psychopath's mind that explores the terrifying intersection of nature, nurture, and the human capacity for evil.
★★★★★ "One of those books you pick up thinking you'll read a few chapters, and suddenly it's two in the morning and you've devoured half the story." —Goodreads Reviewer
★★★★★ "Porter masterfully blends fast-paced action with emotional depth, making it impossible to put down." —Goodreads Reviewer
Perfect for readers who crave psychological depth in their thrillers and aren't afraid to venture into the darkness.
Trigger Violence, language, graphic sex, LGBTQ+ content
229 pages Fast-paced psychological thriller Available in Kindle Unlimited
Cole Cummins was twelve years old when he murdered his best friend—and discovered he liked it.
What started as a single impulsive act became an addiction. Cole didn't just take Aaron's life; he stole his identity, seamlessly moving in with his victim's family as the perfect son. But one kill was never enough. It would never be enough.
Now, as the body count rises, three forces
- A relentless detective who senses something isn't right
- A father whose love might be Cole's only chance at redemption
- Cole's own conscience, driving him toward confession
Can love overcome compulsion? Can confession cleanse a killer's soul? Or is Cole Cummins simply too far gone?
From nationally award-winning journalist Harlan Porter comes a dark psychological thriller that pulls no punches—a chilling first-person confession from inside a psychopath's mind that explores the terrifying intersection of nature, nurture, and the human capacity for evil.
★★★★★ "One of those books you pick up thinking you'll read a few chapters, and suddenly it's two in the morning and you've devoured half the story." —Goodreads Reviewer
★★★★★ "Porter masterfully blends fast-paced action with emotional depth, making it impossible to put down." —Goodreads Reviewer
Perfect for readers who crave psychological depth in their thrillers and aren't afraid to venture into the darkness.
Trigger Violence, language, graphic sex, LGBTQ+ content
229 pages Fast-paced psychological thriller Available in Kindle Unlimited
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 8, 2025
About the author
Harlan David Porter
4 books6 followersDavid Porter was born and raised in Tuscola, Illinois, and has been writing professionally since 1984. He is a newspaper editor and former owner/publisher of three newspapers: The Tuscola Review, Arcola Record-Herald and Lebanon Advertiser. He publishes under both Harlan Porter and David Porter.
He previously worked as Director of Communications for the Illinois Press Association and served as president of the Southern Illinois Editorial Association.
His book, The Make-out Room & Other Stories, under David Porter, is a compilation of 123 newspaper columns with a wide variety of subjects. Light reading.
His wife, Jennie, is a retired Kindergarten teacher in Tuscola. The two were classmates having first met in the same Kindergarten classroom where she started her career.
Note: Goodreads tends to links all books written by people of the same name. Books by me are The Make-out Room & Other Stories by David Porter; How to Publish a Newspaper In Print and Online by David Porter; and two novels under Harlan Porter: Killseeker and Telling Secrets (coming out June 2026).
He previously worked as Director of Communications for the Illinois Press Association and served as president of the Southern Illinois Editorial Association.
His book, The Make-out Room & Other Stories, under David Porter, is a compilation of 123 newspaper columns with a wide variety of subjects. Light reading.
His wife, Jennie, is a retired Kindergarten teacher in Tuscola. The two were classmates having first met in the same Kindergarten classroom where she started her career.
Note: Goodreads tends to links all books written by people of the same name. Books by me are The Make-out Room & Other Stories by David Porter; How to Publish a Newspaper In Print and Online by David Porter; and two novels under Harlan Porter: Killseeker and Telling Secrets (coming out June 2026).
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 1, 2025
Harlan Porter’s Kill Seeker: Confessions of a Psychopath is one of those books that you pick up thinking you’ll read a few chapters, and suddenly it’s two in the morning and you’ve devoured half the story. The main character, Cole Cummins, is absolutely chilling not in a cartoonish way, but in a disturbingly human one. The fact that his violent path begins in childhood, with the murder of his best friend, sets such a dark and unsettling tone that never really lets up.
What makes the book so gripping isn’t just the body count, it’s the tension between Cole’s compulsions and the small, fragile threads of humanity that peek through, particularly in his complicated relationship with his father. You’re constantly asking yourself whether he’s redeemable or if he’s simply too far gone. At the same time, the subplot with the detective closing in adds a steady drumbeat of suspense that makes the pages fly.
Porter writes with a pace that’s relentless but still manages to slip in sharp observations about guilt, love, and identity. It’s violent, yes, but also psychological in a way that forces you into the killer’s head and that’s both fascinating and uncomfortable.
If you’re looking for a thriller that goes beyond surface scares and makes you wrestle with the mind of a psychopath, this is it. Kill Seeker isn’t just a crime story, it’s a confession you can’t look away from.
What makes the book so gripping isn’t just the body count, it’s the tension between Cole’s compulsions and the small, fragile threads of humanity that peek through, particularly in his complicated relationship with his father. You’re constantly asking yourself whether he’s redeemable or if he’s simply too far gone. At the same time, the subplot with the detective closing in adds a steady drumbeat of suspense that makes the pages fly.
Porter writes with a pace that’s relentless but still manages to slip in sharp observations about guilt, love, and identity. It’s violent, yes, but also psychological in a way that forces you into the killer’s head and that’s both fascinating and uncomfortable.
If you’re looking for a thriller that goes beyond surface scares and makes you wrestle with the mind of a psychopath, this is it. Kill Seeker isn’t just a crime story, it’s a confession you can’t look away from.
February 16, 2026
A Dark Descent Into Guilt and Obsession
This chilling thriller wastes no time pulling you into Cole Cummins’ disturbing past. The premise alone, killing his best friend as a child and then stepping into his life, sets a haunting tone that lingers throughout the story.
What makes it compelling is the psychological tension. Is Cole capable of redemption through love and confession, or is he too far gone? The pursuit by a relentless detective adds urgency and momentum, making it hard to look away.
Fast-paced and unsettling, this novel dives deep into guilt, identity, and whether a fractured soul can truly be saved.
This chilling thriller wastes no time pulling you into Cole Cummins’ disturbing past. The premise alone, killing his best friend as a child and then stepping into his life, sets a haunting tone that lingers throughout the story.
What makes it compelling is the psychological tension. Is Cole capable of redemption through love and confession, or is he too far gone? The pursuit by a relentless detective adds urgency and momentum, making it hard to look away.
Fast-paced and unsettling, this novel dives deep into guilt, identity, and whether a fractured soul can truly be saved.
August 28, 2025
Harlan Porter’s The Kill Seeker is a gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story of Cole Cummins, a boy turned killer, is dark, intense, and full of suspense. Porter masterfully blends fast-paced action with emotional depth, making it impossible to put down.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews