Secrets From A Serial Killer

Shadow Bay #1

by J.C. Moore

Two women dead. A third gone without a trace. And the clock is ticking.

Chief of Police Shauna Peterson thought she knew her small town. But when a third young woman vanishes—and the latest body turns up, stitched with red thread—everything changes.

The killer is methodical. Bold. Watching. And he's only just begun.

Now Shauna is in a race against time to stop a predator closing in on everything she loves. The state wants her sidelined. The town wants someone to blame.

And her daughter Emma? She’s hiding secrets—and getting dangerously close to the truth.

The killer wants Shauna’s attention.
And he knows exactly how to get it.

340 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2025

About the author

J.C. Moore writes suspense driven thrillers focused on character, consequence, and the cost of buried secrets. Before turning to fiction, he worked a wide range of jobs, including bartender, IT tech, touring musician, horse farm manager, and restaurant owner. His music has appeared in television and film, but his focus is now firmly on storytelling.

Moore’s stories center on ordinary people facing extraordinary pressure. His work is rooted in small towns, close communities, and the quiet damage left behind when violence enters familiar lives. He is the author of the Shadow Bay Thriller series and the Frank Mallory novels.

His characters are not larger than life. They are people under strain, shaped by loss, loyalty, and hard decisions. Moore is a member of the Horror Writers Association and the Mystery Writers of America.

He lives in upstate New York, where long roads disappear into the woods and the landscape continues to inform the stories he tells.

Visit him at jcmooreauthor.com

Reviews

[Momsliteraryhaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a mom of a teenager this book definitely got to me. It was a very emotional read of a mom trying to keep her daughter safe while her daughter thinks she is being overbearing the whole time.

Seeing chapters from the serial killer's point of view was interesting. I was definitely not expecting the ending.

[Bailey (Myveinsbleedink) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a contradiction for me. I liked it but there were so many inconsistencies that really frustrated me that the overtook the good. There were repetitive situations, like verbatim, a couple of chapters later. At times I felt as though I was missing a chunk of the story. One second Shauna and her daughter Emma were talking and they seemed to have reached middle ground and were understanding each other and then the next page Emma is sending Shauna brutal text messages about hating her. I just felt like I missed something in between when Shauna hadn't done anything in the story for the behaviour. AND my biggest one, in the book its talked about how Shauna had Emma at 17 years old. Then farther into the book Shauna talks about her age at 43. The math isn't mathing and it may not seem like a big deal but it just solidified my feelings about the book and how something didn't totally jive with me. But I did enjoy the story's premise and I felt big emotions during parts of the book. So it wasn't a total write off. Author states it's his first psychological thriller, so I'm definitely willing to move through the series and see if the writing evolves and the inconsistencies are addressed.

[Elena J · Rating 5 out of 5]

J.C. Moore’s Secrets From A Serial Killer is a pulse-pounding small-town thriller where every secret bleeds and every clue cuts closer to home.

When Chief of Police Shauna Peterson finds her quiet town unraveling two women dead, a third vanished, and a killer leaving victims stitched with red thread the case becomes terrifyingly personal. As the state sidelines her and panic grips her community, Shauna must face the unthinkable: the predator may be stalking the people she loves most.

Taut, emotional, and relentlessly suspenseful, Secrets From A Serial Killer blends the procedural grit of C.J. Box, the psychological intensity of Freida McFadden, and the emotional stakes of James Patterson. Moore delivers a chilling cat-and-mouse mystery wrapped in the heartbreak of a mother forced to outthink a monster who knows her better than anyone.

This isn’t just a whodunit it’s a story about how far a mother will go to protect the truth when the killer is always one step ahead.

[Mark Bagley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

This book is part thriller, part horror, part police procedural, part mystery, and completely well written.

The characters are compelling with the strengths and weaknesses common to us all. The scenery is cold and forbidding adding to the horror aspect. I see no flaws and hope this series lasts a long time.

[Dee Cash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fooled Me

I seldom am fooled when it comes to figuring out who the bad guy is. But this time I was nowhere near knowing. However the serial killer did infer there were possibly others. I guess we will have to read the next book to know for sure.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of repeated stuff. Ending kind of sucked.