Fruit Loop Killer: A Mark Jeremy Novel

by Terry Cavanaugh

When darkness creeps into Bell Station and every shadow whispers secrets of murder, Chief Mark Jeremy finds himself entangled in a web of ritualistic killings that threaten to tear his city apart. Haunted by personal demons and pushed to the edge by a serial killer known only as Fruit Loop, Jeremy’s life is about to change forever. With betrayal lurking in every corridor and the stakes escalating to the very soul of justice, will he uncover the truth before it consumes him—and everyone he loves?
Walk with him through the mystery.

268 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 25, 2025

About the author

Hi, My name is Terry Cavanaugh. I am excited that you are looking at my books. I just want to take a moment and introduce myself. I have lived in Southeastern Ohio for 30-plus years. I’m a retired Methodist pastor. I’ve served churches in Belpre, Laurelville, Adelphi, Jackson, Georgetown, Greenville, and others, all in Ohio. I am a graduate of Muncie Central High School, Ohio Christian University, and The Methodist Theological School of Ohio. I’ve served as a police Chaplain for Jackson, Ohio since May 2021.

Reviews

[Kaitie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, so writing a book is impressive. And, while not groundbreaking, the killer and all of that had some potential. However, this book cannot possibly have been through an editor or betas readers. The writing was stilted and there were many, many typos and inconsistencies. The lack of contractions made much of the dialogue sound unnatural, there were missing quotation marks, misused words, and in various parts details were switched, such as Betty being called Mary, the main character saying his last name is Jacob instead of Jeremy, and the Fruit Loop killer changing to the Froot Loop killer more than a few times.

Also, almost every woman was portrayed as either a nagging harpy or an oversexed animal, ripping their shirts off and baring themselves to our main character for no reason. I couldn't suspend enough disbelief to make it work. Disappointing.

[Wes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sophomore release from author Terry Cavanaugh is a modern day murder mystery that doesn’t bog the reader down with lengthy exposition and criminal analysis as it follows the Chief of a small town police department after the discovery of a grisly murder. For what it may lack in substance to some, this wholesome whodunit offers some of the best readability I’ve come across in a newly released novel without any political ideologues or references. The almost 300 page caper is a breeze to read and while some of the characters can come off a little one note, the reader always knows where they stand with Mark Jeremy.

[Liz Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am grateful to have received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was a fun serial killer story. It definitely kept me interested and entertained, and, as expected, has some fun twists. I did predict two of them, but being able to see them coming did not take away from the fun of the story. There was a reoccurring mention of sexual interest, flirtation, and desire between characters that often felt unnecessary and sometimes even a bit creepy, which did take away from the plot in my experience. Nonetheless, other readers may love that element of the book. Overall, it was a fun and entertaining read!

[Jennie Spriggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Beginning to a New Series

Fruit Loop Killer is a great beginning to a new series. Cavanaugh weaves believable characters into a tightly constructed plot. Fruit Loop Killer is a true thriller that has the reader guessing until the exciting conclusion. I’m looking forward to the next Mark Jeremy adventure.

[Martin B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fruit Loop Killer is another Terry Cavanaugh book in the same vein as Twisted.  It’s an easy read with much of the same positive characteristics as Twisted: fast pacing, serial murder, and well-maintained tension, and plenty of twist and turns. But also some of the same failings: one-dimensional characters, inconsistencies, and typos, which mar the finished product.

[Susan Brassfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Gripping, Cinematic Thriller That Gets Under Your Skin

I picked up Fruit Loop Killer on a whim, not entirely sure what to expect from a debut series entry with a villain bearing such an oddly playful name. What I got was one of the most compulsively readable crime thrillers I've devoured in a long time, one that had me canceling plans and reading well past midnight.
Terry Cavanaugh drops us straight into Bell Station with zero hand-holding, and honestly, that's exactly what this kind of story calls for. The city itself is one of the novel's quiet achievements. It doesn't feel like a generic backdrop. It breathes. Every alleyway hums with dread, every quiet street holds the threat of something dark crouching just beneath the surface. Cavanaugh has built a place that feels cinematically alive, the kind of fictional town you can picture so vividly it might as well be real.
At the center of it all is Chief Mark Jeremy, and what a protagonist he is. He's not your typical flawless hero who conveniently has all the answers. Jeremy carries weight. Personal demons, professional pressures, the grinding exhaustion of being the person everyone looks to when things go horribly wrong. What makes him compelling is that his vulnerability never weakens him. It humanizes him in ways that make you genuinely root for him, worry for him, and feel every setback right alongside him.
Then there's Fruit Loop. The name is deliberately disarming, almost absurd, and that contrast with the absolute menace of the character is a masterstroke. The ritualistic killings are rendered with enough darkness to raise your heartbeat without ever feeling exploitative or gratuitous. Cavanaugh walks that razor-thin line skillfully. You understand the killer is terrifyingly intelligent, operating on a level that forces Jeremy to stretch beyond his limits, and that tension sustains the entire novel.
What I loved most about this book is its pacing. It never lets you settle. Just when you think you've found your footing, the narrative yanks it out from under you with a betrayal, a revelation, a door opened into a room you didn't expect. I was genuinely unsure who to trust across large portions of this story, and that sense of paranoia, of the web tightening around everyone, is what separates good thrillers from great ones.
Beyond the plot mechanics, there's a thematic depth here that elevates Fruit Loop Killer above standard genre fare. Cavanaugh seems genuinely interested in the psychological cost of doing this kind of work, the toll that staring into darkness takes on a person, the blurring of the line between justice and obsession. Jeremy doesn't walk away from this story unchanged, and neither does the reader.
This is a confident, propulsive, and emotionally resonant beginning to what I hope is a long-running series. If you're a fan of character-driven crime thrillers, Fruit Loop Killer absolutely belongs on your list. I finished it hungry for whatever Cavanaugh writes next.

[Martti Orson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished Fruit Loop Killer, and I have to say, it completely grabbed me from the first page. Terry Cavanaugh has a knack for blending psychological tension with a dark, almost cinematic mystery. Chief Mark Jeremy is one of the most complex protagonists I’ve read in a while, haunted by his own demons, yet relentless in his pursuit of justice. The way Cavanaugh paints the city of Bell Station is almost a character in itself; every shadow and alleyway feels alive, sinister, and unpredictable.

The serial killer, ominously named Fruit Loop, is terrifyingly clever, and the ritualistic killings are described in a way that keeps you on edge without feeling gratuitous. What I loved most was how the plot constantly twisted, with betrayals and shocking revelations lurking around every corner. I was genuinely unsure who to trust until the very end, which made the climax both satisfying and chilling.

This isn’t just a story about catching a killer, it’s about the toll that darkness takes on those trying to fight it, and Cavanaugh doesn’t shy away from showing the psychological weight on Chief Jeremy. The pacing is tight, the suspense relentless, and the emotional depth surprisingly strong for a thriller of this type.

If you enjoy intense, character-driven mysteries that are equal parts smart and chilling, Fruit Loop Killer is absolutely worth diving into. I finished it in two sittings, and I’m still thinking about it days later.

[Naomi Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one pulls you in right away with a darker tone and doesn’t really let up. The atmosphere feels tense from the start, and there’s this constant sense that something is just slightly off, which fits the story really well.

Mark Jeremy isn’t written as a perfect hero, and that actually made him more interesting to follow. You can feel the weight he’s carrying, both from the case and from his own past, and it adds another layer to the investigation.

The case itself has enough twists to keep things moving, and there’s a steady build of pressure as everything starts to close in around him. It’s not just about solving the crime—it feels like he’s trying to hold everything together at the same time.

[Estelle Gaia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely chilling and unforgettable! This book had me hooked from the very first page. Chief Mark Jeremy is a complex and compelling character, and the villain ‘Fruit Loop’ is the stuff of nightmares. A must-read for fans of crime thrillers!