Blood & Scriptures: Memoirs of the Philadelphia Slasher

by David L. Powell III

375 pages, Paperback

Published April 11, 2025

Reviews

[Andrew Kibe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The concept sounded cool and it started off great, but I quickly realized that this was in need of an editor.
The book repeats phrases and sometimes entire sentences close together. On one page I found the same exact sentence twice in one paragraph.
The other issue I had was that the book "treads" the same ground over and over again. There is so much in this book that just feels repeated over and over again. Numerous times it was 50 pages later and it felt like the same thoughts, feelings, descriptions were repeating over again. It was missing a variety flair in how things are described and how the main character questions things.

I will say the stand out part of this book is the poems that happen throughout the story. They are incredibly well done and I loved each of them.

[Shawn Gipson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author sent me a copy of this book to review, and I’m truly glad he did—Blood & Scripture surprised me in the best way.

This is not your typical serial killer narrative. In the book, we follow Derrick, a man shaped by a traumatic childhood who turns to serial murder, using scripture from the Bible to justify his brutal actions. What really stood out to me is that the book never tries to make Derrick sympathetic. He’s not the misunderstood anti-hero we've seen so many times before—he’s a psychopath who knows what he’s doing is wrong, yet continues regardless. And we, as readers, are kept at a distance. With every murder, we relate less and less to him, and I appreciated that boundary. It's rare for a novel to explore a killer's mind so intimately without inviting undue empathy.

The prose caught me off guard at first. It’s highly poetic and stylistically rich—almost lyrical in places—which can take a moment to settle into. But once I did, I found myself really enjoying the unique voice it gave the story. It adds a surreal, haunting quality that lingers long after the final page.

This book is dark, introspective, and unsettling in all the right ways. I hope more people give it a chance, because I genuinely believe David L. Powell III is a name to watch. He’s bringing something bold and fresh to the literary world.

[Dionna Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't my typical genre I'm usually sci-fi/fantasy, mystery. However, I was pleasantly intrigued by this book. It took me 2 days to complete it. Not because it wasn't good but because I had to put the book down because it was too real.

At times, I was a bit perplexed. I was actually rooting for the serial killer and it made me think I may need to reach out to my therapist to discuss some trauma issues that I didn't realize I may have. It reminded me of, "You." I found myself justifying a couple of his kills while others left me feeling like he was crazy. There were a few repetitive lines that bothered me until I realized yoo this is his mantra, this man actually chanting without chanting.

Bottom line I would recommend this book. A little difficult to describe w/o giving spoilers.

[Brittany]

This was a tough read only because it was difficult for me to put myself inside the head of a serial killer. However, this was a quick read (I read it in one sitting) and felt compelled to keep turning the pages. As an abolitionist, I want to be able to give space for these kinds of stories to be told, as I want to believe that people are capable of growth and change. This genre bends a bit to me, reading as a thriller, faux-memoir, historical fiction & dark fiction.

Overall, I would read from David L Powell III again & look forward to what’s next for him!