What do you think?
Rate this book
Killer Looks
A brilliant killer. A broken investigator. A deadly game.
The man who calls himself the Note Writer kills with precision—and leaves behind typed messages that turn each crime into a challenge. When one of those messages is addressed to Kevin Mathers, the meaning is this time, the killer isn’t hiding. He’s playing.
Kevin knows what it takes to catch killers like the Note Writer, and what it costs. Still struggling to recover from the cases that nearly broke him, he’s pulled back into the Homicide Department to lead a task force racing to decode a pattern that refuses to settle into anything predictable.
But as the killings continue and the clues grow more pointed, the case begins to close in on Kevin. The choices behind each move feel deliberate and personal, and Kevin starts to realize he may not have been chosen at random.
The man who calls himself the Note Writer kills with precision—and leaves behind typed messages that turn each crime into a challenge. When one of those messages is addressed to Kevin Mathers, the meaning is this time, the killer isn’t hiding. He’s playing.
Kevin knows what it takes to catch killers like the Note Writer, and what it costs. Still struggling to recover from the cases that nearly broke him, he’s pulled back into the Homicide Department to lead a task force racing to decode a pattern that refuses to settle into anything predictable.
But as the killings continue and the clues grow more pointed, the case begins to close in on Kevin. The choices behind each move feel deliberate and personal, and Kevin starts to realize he may not have been chosen at random.
215 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 14, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 9, 2026
Poor Kevin Mathers! In the first two books in this series he’s already survived two encounters with serial killers, at the cost of great loss to himself. In this third book in the series he’s still grieving, while feeling guilty because he couldn’t save other people.
Kevin is a civilian investigator, working with the police, and he’s very good at it. That’s why he’s now returning to the people he’s worked before, because they really need him. There’s been a murder and the killer left a not for Kevin that he’s daring him to find and stop him. He will give Kevin a clue about his next victim so Kevin, his friend Leonard who is the homicide chief and Lucinda, an FBI profiler who’s been called to help out too, have to work closely together.
We read the story in short chapters, each from a different POV: the killer of course, and all other characters. A few new voices are added over time and this gives the reader more insight in how the characters think and work. Including the killer.
This was a fast read with interesting characters and an unexpected ending. The pace felt a little uneven, with sometimes lengthy background stories for the characters and overall I found the background story about Kevin a little overdone. The poor man cannot set a foot out of the door or some creep has it in for him. On the other hand this story touches on more than just ‘catching a killer’ so I hope the characters will develop further in new titles in the series.
Thanks to Atmosphere Press and Netgalley for this review copy.
Kevin is a civilian investigator, working with the police, and he’s very good at it. That’s why he’s now returning to the people he’s worked before, because they really need him. There’s been a murder and the killer left a not for Kevin that he’s daring him to find and stop him. He will give Kevin a clue about his next victim so Kevin, his friend Leonard who is the homicide chief and Lucinda, an FBI profiler who’s been called to help out too, have to work closely together.
We read the story in short chapters, each from a different POV: the killer of course, and all other characters. A few new voices are added over time and this gives the reader more insight in how the characters think and work. Including the killer.
This was a fast read with interesting characters and an unexpected ending. The pace felt a little uneven, with sometimes lengthy background stories for the characters and overall I found the background story about Kevin a little overdone. The poor man cannot set a foot out of the door or some creep has it in for him. On the other hand this story touches on more than just ‘catching a killer’ so I hope the characters will develop further in new titles in the series.
Thanks to Atmosphere Press and Netgalley for this review copy.
August 6, 2026
3.75 stars
I liked the introduction to the killer here just enough intrigue and a insight with his motivation of what would be too come.
As he is initially discovered I like the different viewpoints of all the different character within the story. This in a short story a bit overwhelming at times as you couldnt get into each person as limited detail on each one to develop a well rounded sense of their purpose within the story at times.
I did however love the story it had a good pace and a great ending it felt authentic and real and gritty. I felt the motivation was a bit slim however for the reasoning behind picking Kevin but it was still believable.
It was a great novella and a nice read for on the way to work or before bed.
I liked the introduction to the killer here just enough intrigue and a insight with his motivation of what would be too come.
As he is initially discovered I like the different viewpoints of all the different character within the story. This in a short story a bit overwhelming at times as you couldnt get into each person as limited detail on each one to develop a well rounded sense of their purpose within the story at times.
I did however love the story it had a good pace and a great ending it felt authentic and real and gritty. I felt the motivation was a bit slim however for the reasoning behind picking Kevin but it was still believable.
It was a great novella and a nice read for on the way to work or before bed.
August 16, 2026
Killer Looks is a tense, tightly wound thriller that pulls you straight into the unnerving mind‑game between a brilliant killer and the investigator he’s chosen to taunt. The Note Writer is one of those antagonists who feels chillingly controlled — precise, deliberate, and disturbingly theatrical. His typed messages turn each murder into a challenge, and the moment one is addressed directly to Kevin Mathers, the story shifts from a hunt to a personal confrontation. The killer isn’t hiding. He’s inviting Kevin to play.
Kevin is a compelling, quietly damaged lead. Still recovering from the cases that nearly broke him, he’s pulled back into the Homicide Department with the kind of reluctance that feels painfully real. The author captures his exhaustion, his fractured confidence, and the weight of past trauma with a subtle, human touch. Watching him step back into the role he once excelled at — while knowing exactly what it cost him — gives the novel its emotional depth. His determination is never portrayed as heroic; it’s something closer to necessity, a need to stop the Note Writer before the pattern becomes too clear to ignore.
The investigation itself is wonderfully constructed. The task force struggles to decode clues that refuse to settle into anything predictable, and the unpredictability becomes part of the tension. Each killing feels like a move in a game Kevin didn’t agree to play, and the closer he gets to understanding the pattern, the more pointed the clues become. There’s a creeping sense that the Note Writer knows him — not just professionally, but intimately — and that the choice to target him was anything but random.
The writing is sharp and atmospheric, balancing procedural detail with psychological suspense. The pacing is brisk without sacrificing character development, and the author allows the tension to build in quiet increments rather than relying on shock value. By the final stretch, the case feels claustrophobic, closing in on Kevin in a way that blurs the line between hunter and hunted.
Gripping, clever, and emotionally charged, Killer Looks is a standout thriller that explores obsession, vulnerability, and the dangerous intimacy between a killer and the investigator he fixates on. A dark, absorbing read that keeps tightening its grip right to the final page.
with thanks to Steven Fisher, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Kevin is a compelling, quietly damaged lead. Still recovering from the cases that nearly broke him, he’s pulled back into the Homicide Department with the kind of reluctance that feels painfully real. The author captures his exhaustion, his fractured confidence, and the weight of past trauma with a subtle, human touch. Watching him step back into the role he once excelled at — while knowing exactly what it cost him — gives the novel its emotional depth. His determination is never portrayed as heroic; it’s something closer to necessity, a need to stop the Note Writer before the pattern becomes too clear to ignore.
The investigation itself is wonderfully constructed. The task force struggles to decode clues that refuse to settle into anything predictable, and the unpredictability becomes part of the tension. Each killing feels like a move in a game Kevin didn’t agree to play, and the closer he gets to understanding the pattern, the more pointed the clues become. There’s a creeping sense that the Note Writer knows him — not just professionally, but intimately — and that the choice to target him was anything but random.
The writing is sharp and atmospheric, balancing procedural detail with psychological suspense. The pacing is brisk without sacrificing character development, and the author allows the tension to build in quiet increments rather than relying on shock value. By the final stretch, the case feels claustrophobic, closing in on Kevin in a way that blurs the line between hunter and hunted.
Gripping, clever, and emotionally charged, Killer Looks is a standout thriller that explores obsession, vulnerability, and the dangerous intimacy between a killer and the investigator he fixates on. A dark, absorbing read that keeps tightening its grip right to the final page.
with thanks to Steven Fisher, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
July 23, 2026
Steven Fisher’s Killer Looks is a psychological crime novel centered on Kevin Mathers, a gifted civilian investigator who has already survived encounters with two serial killers. Physically injured, grieving, and struggling with guilt, Kevin is drawn back into homicide work when a murderer calling himself the Note Writer issues a personal challenge. The killer, later identified as Frank Martino, has spent years using his appearance and charm to gain his victims’ trust. Bored by murders that have become routine, Frank turns killing into a contest in which each new victim supplies another clue. His chilling declaration that “The victims are the clues” captures the novel’s central conflict, as human lives become pieces in a game designed to test Kevin’s abilities.
The novel’s multiple first-person perspectives give the investigation emotional and psychological range. Fisher moves among Kevin, Frank, homicide chief Leonard, FBI profiler Lucinda, therapist Dr. Lou, and Frank’s devoted mother, Julie. These shifting viewpoints reveal facts that the investigators don’t yet possess while also showing how differently each character interprets responsibility, loyalty, justice, and violence. Frank’s narration is disturbingly casual, while Kevin’s chapters carry the weight of survivor’s guilt and renewed purpose. Julie’s voice adds another dimension by showing how parental devotion can distort judgment, particularly when her pride in her son’s beauty prevents her from fully recognizing the person he has become.
Although the pursuit of the Note Writer supplies the novel’s momentum, Killer Looks is equally concerned with trauma and its consequences. Kevin’s return to investigative work gives him direction, but it also exposes the danger of allowing personal worth to depend on confronting violent people. Dr. Lou’s counsel, “Kevin, you can’t save everyone. But you can save yourself,” becomes especially meaningful as the case spreads suffering through Kevin’s circle. Fisher presents violence as something that continues beyond the immediate victim, altering families, friendships, professional loyalties, and the moral decisions of those seeking justice. The later actions of Dr. Lou deepen this theme by showing how grief can transform a compassionate person’s desire for justice into an act of revenge.
Fisher sustains tension through short sections, frequent changes in perspective, direct dialogue, and a steady accumulation of investigative details. The Philadelphia setting and the collaborative work of detectives, forensic specialists, reporters, and profilers give the story a convincing procedural structure, while the personal connections among the characters keep the investigation intimate. The resolution is both decisive and unsettling: Frank’s death ends the immediate threat, but the losses surrounding the case continue to shape those who survive. Killer Looks succeeds as a character-driven thriller because its investigation is inseparable from its examination of grief, responsibility, and the emotional cost of pursuing people who treat murder as a form of recognition.
The novel’s multiple first-person perspectives give the investigation emotional and psychological range. Fisher moves among Kevin, Frank, homicide chief Leonard, FBI profiler Lucinda, therapist Dr. Lou, and Frank’s devoted mother, Julie. These shifting viewpoints reveal facts that the investigators don’t yet possess while also showing how differently each character interprets responsibility, loyalty, justice, and violence. Frank’s narration is disturbingly casual, while Kevin’s chapters carry the weight of survivor’s guilt and renewed purpose. Julie’s voice adds another dimension by showing how parental devotion can distort judgment, particularly when her pride in her son’s beauty prevents her from fully recognizing the person he has become.
Although the pursuit of the Note Writer supplies the novel’s momentum, Killer Looks is equally concerned with trauma and its consequences. Kevin’s return to investigative work gives him direction, but it also exposes the danger of allowing personal worth to depend on confronting violent people. Dr. Lou’s counsel, “Kevin, you can’t save everyone. But you can save yourself,” becomes especially meaningful as the case spreads suffering through Kevin’s circle. Fisher presents violence as something that continues beyond the immediate victim, altering families, friendships, professional loyalties, and the moral decisions of those seeking justice. The later actions of Dr. Lou deepen this theme by showing how grief can transform a compassionate person’s desire for justice into an act of revenge.
Fisher sustains tension through short sections, frequent changes in perspective, direct dialogue, and a steady accumulation of investigative details. The Philadelphia setting and the collaborative work of detectives, forensic specialists, reporters, and profilers give the story a convincing procedural structure, while the personal connections among the characters keep the investigation intimate. The resolution is both decisive and unsettling: Frank’s death ends the immediate threat, but the losses surrounding the case continue to shape those who survive. Killer Looks succeeds as a character-driven thriller because its investigation is inseparable from its examination of grief, responsibility, and the emotional cost of pursuing people who treat murder as a form of recognition.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2026
There was definitely a lot to like about this book. I enjoyed the friendship dynamic between Kevin and Leonard, and this was supported by an interesting supporting cast of characters.
At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the format of the book and the way the pov switched within chapters. In the end I actually quite enjoyed this style as it kept me on my toes and engaged.
The serial killer POV made me think of Mr Mercedes from Stephen King's books. There are clearly some of the same sort of issues at play there. I enjoyed the cat and mouse between him and Kevin.
Overall, I would say this book is just a solid crime/police procedural thriller, but some of the elements and plot devices were a little cliché.
The plot went a bit made towards the end. While I understand that the author was trying to add some shock value to the conclusion, I don't think some of the things that happened were very logical and could have been explained more.
At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the format of the book and the way the pov switched within chapters. In the end I actually quite enjoyed this style as it kept me on my toes and engaged.
The serial killer POV made me think of Mr Mercedes from Stephen King's books. There are clearly some of the same sort of issues at play there. I enjoyed the cat and mouse between him and Kevin.
Overall, I would say this book is just a solid crime/police procedural thriller, but some of the elements and plot devices were a little cliché.
The plot went a bit made towards the end. While I understand that the author was trying to add some shock value to the conclusion, I don't think some of the things that happened were very logical and could have been explained more.
August 26, 2026
A gripping crime thriller with a strong investigative premise and plenty of psychological tension. The mysterious Note Writer adds an intriguing layer to the case, especially as the investigation becomes increasingly personal. A promising choice for readers who enjoy police procedurals, suspense, and twist filled mysteries.
September 9, 2026
I’ll tell you what, this is a Killer Read. However, you are selling yourself short if you don’t read Killer Personality & Killer Urge first. At this point it is a series, understand this. Down the road the author could spin us off this, who knows!
If you are a Stephen King fan, catch Steven Fisher. I am, and I did….Hooked!
If you are a Stephen King fan, catch Steven Fisher. I am, and I did….Hooked!
August 9, 2026
Review of Advance copy received from NetGalley and Atmosphere press.
Note Writer kills and leaves behind typed messages that turn each crime into a challenge. When one of those messages is addressed to Kevin Mathers. A deadly game of cat and mouse begins. Nice quick short story, just wasn’t a fan of the long chapters but that’s personal
Note Writer kills and leaves behind typed messages that turn each crime into a challenge. When one of those messages is addressed to Kevin Mathers. A deadly game of cat and mouse begins. Nice quick short story, just wasn’t a fan of the long chapters but that’s personal
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews