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Serial
To find a cure for psychopathy, scientists have created a drug that induces it in human test subjects in order to study and prevent it in the future. But one scientist's impatience leads to a terrible mistake.
Ann wants out. Away from her abusive stepfather and cowardly mother, to start a new life elsewhere. And the ad she sees asking for paid volunteers to test a new drug could be the start she needs to buy new clothes, get a job and leave. And yet, one day in her basement, she finds a necklace. When she wears it, she begins to hear a voice in her head, telling her to find the owner's killer. But after testing the drug at Brimstone Laboratories, two conflicting voices in her head fight for supremacy of her self-control. One telling her to find a killer; the other telling her to kill them all.
And only one of the voices can achieve its goal. Which one will it be?
Ann wants out. Away from her abusive stepfather and cowardly mother, to start a new life elsewhere. And the ad she sees asking for paid volunteers to test a new drug could be the start she needs to buy new clothes, get a job and leave. And yet, one day in her basement, she finds a necklace. When she wears it, she begins to hear a voice in her head, telling her to find the owner's killer. But after testing the drug at Brimstone Laboratories, two conflicting voices in her head fight for supremacy of her self-control. One telling her to find a killer; the other telling her to kill them all.
And only one of the voices can achieve its goal. Which one will it be?
226 pages, Paperback
Published January 4, 2022
28 people are currently reading
290 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 23, 2025
I was enticed by the premise here, but did not like the execution of the story at all. In the earlier chapters, there are a ton of grammatical issues. There were distracting and made the author's thoughts come across very haphazard and jumbled. Luckily they were short-lived, and the writing quality came across much more clear and concise after that point. I then spent a good deal of the book wondering why there were so many unbelievable and downright odd decisions made by the characters. They all seemed to occur to just push the story along, but there was nothing logical going on. For instance, as Robert and Jeremy were trying to locate Ann, after several murders and her direct link to them and and their experiment, they came across Bricks. And proceeded to willingly divulge very incriminating details of their failed experiment to a total stranger, within seconds of meeting him. And on the experiment itself, there was absolutely no development, i.e. vetting potential subjects, prompting viable subjects as to what their injections were and the aim of the study, tracking long term effects even after the antidote was given, etc. There was very little that came across coherently, and the ending, where everything tried to come together, just seemed thrown together, too. I did enjoy some of the banter between Erica and Ann, but it wasn't focused on enough to have the full, desired effect. The scenes of violence also felt very forced, with nothing creative, no good lead up at all (Literally several cases of 'Hi, I'm so and so. Let's go to my place.'), and there wasn't much internal dialogue to show the shift of what Ann was feeling during her 'changes', either. I guess to sum it all up, the book had absolutely no 'flow.' I wish that I had more nice things to say here, but I did not have a very positive experience with this book.
January 7, 2022
Okay… Boote is my friend. And I was asked to give an honest review… so here it goes….
One sentence first…
Read this! It’s good.
Okay, that’s two sentences.
I’m not going to tell you the story, other than it’s about scientists making people into psychopaths to be able to study them and possibly cure them. What can go wrong??
Boote continues to show he is going to be a heavyweight in the soft horror industry. The story was well written and had enough splatter and originality to make it an enjoyable and engrossing read. Highly recommended.
One sentence first…
Read this! It’s good.
Okay, that’s two sentences.
I’m not going to tell you the story, other than it’s about scientists making people into psychopaths to be able to study them and possibly cure them. What can go wrong??
Boote continues to show he is going to be a heavyweight in the soft horror industry. The story was well written and had enough splatter and originality to make it an enjoyable and engrossing read. Highly recommended.
December 7, 2022
Boote has himself a new fan. I went into this title blindly and had a fun time. Drenched in blood and plentiful in murder, this story also took a supernatural turn seldom seen in such a plot. Read this one if you're looking for a quick and engaging book that will satisfy your Horror cravings!
January 5, 2022
So, I was honoured to receive an ARC of Justin's new book 'Serial'
This is a supernatural Serial Killer story, and my second love after horror is the supernatural - this was right up my street! 🖤
After Roberts Mum is attacked and left in a vegetative state, he embarks on a mission to create a serum to incite psychopathic tendencies in people, so that he can eventually work out what makes them tick and to help him then find a cure! But, of course, things don't go to plan! When Anne decides to be a guinea pig for the new drug, to get herself some cash and escape her abusive stepdad and a miserable homelife, little does she know, her already mildly psychotic thoughts, will manifest themselves, tenfold, giving her a taste for murder and bloody vengeance!
This book had a bit of everything, ghosts, inner voices, visions, blood, gore and fear! With some very chilling, creepy and vivid descriptions, brutal and inventive kills, and a great couple of twists! It kept me in suspense the whole way through! What a fantastic ride!
5/5 💉💉💉💉💉
This is a supernatural Serial Killer story, and my second love after horror is the supernatural - this was right up my street! 🖤
After Roberts Mum is attacked and left in a vegetative state, he embarks on a mission to create a serum to incite psychopathic tendencies in people, so that he can eventually work out what makes them tick and to help him then find a cure! But, of course, things don't go to plan! When Anne decides to be a guinea pig for the new drug, to get herself some cash and escape her abusive stepdad and a miserable homelife, little does she know, her already mildly psychotic thoughts, will manifest themselves, tenfold, giving her a taste for murder and bloody vengeance!
This book had a bit of everything, ghosts, inner voices, visions, blood, gore and fear! With some very chilling, creepy and vivid descriptions, brutal and inventive kills, and a great couple of twists! It kept me in suspense the whole way through! What a fantastic ride!
5/5 💉💉💉💉💉
July 4, 2022
This story, it had me gripped right from the beginning ! Solid characters and a thrilling story line. I just wanted to know what was gonna happen next. The ending did feel a bit rushed for me, and I thought I knew what was going to happen, but it was totally left field. And I didn’t like it ! Not in a bad way tho muaha Definitely recommend and I will be reading more from JB!
January 4, 2022
This book was INCREDIBLE! I’ll post my full review below so you can see my thoughts 😍
https://www.themorbidmama.com/post/ne...
https://www.themorbidmama.com/post/ne...
November 28, 2022
Absolutely incredible book!
I am a huge fan of this writer. His character development is always on point and his stories are fast paced, enjoyable and scary to the max! This book did not disappoint and I absolutely enjoyed the ride!
I am a huge fan of this writer. His character development is always on point and his stories are fast paced, enjoyable and scary to the max! This book did not disappoint and I absolutely enjoyed the ride!
January 11, 2022
What do you get when you mix together a slasher/serial killer/ghost story with some mad science and a dash of revenge? You get this awesome book.
Never in my wildest dreams could I even think of adding together all these different elements to get one heck of a story. Very well written!
Never in my wildest dreams could I even think of adding together all these different elements to get one heck of a story. Very well written!
January 4, 2022
This One Is Worth It!!
Y’all this is sooooo good. It’s got a 0-wild in .5 seconds kind of ramp up on tension, and ohhhh do I need that in my horror reads especially lately. I’ve actually never done an ARC review before...but here goes.
The premise of this one is great! I definitely don’t want to give too much away...because it’s a RIDE, y’all. So these scientist dudes are looking for the cure to psychopathy. But to find the cure...ya gotta have psychopaths. And when ya can’t find ‘em...you make ‘em. Inject random clueless volunteers with a substance that makes their thoughts turn psycho...then give them the antidote, give them a check and HAVE A NICE DAY! There’s no chance any of this can go South, right?! Heh. We also meet 18 year old Ann...and her not-so-charming fam. She wants to get away from said fam...and some scientist dudes are handing out money for getting jabbed with an unknown substance...SO WHAT COULD GO WRONG?! Well, as it turns out...a WHOLE lotta things. There’s action, there’s supernatural fun, there’s the sci-fi aspect, there’s a book full of crazy characters you get to know and love...or not love as the case may be.
I am an almost 100% exclusive audiobook kind of girl. In approximately 5ish years, I’ve read approximately 5ish books...and those have only been read in the last year. I have a crazy awesome 4 year old with some special needs who requires just about every ounce of energy and attention I can muster. So I am fiercely protective and discerning about how I spend any “down” time. It’s gotta be worth it, is what I’m saying, because I just don’t have a lot of this “down” time. Well folks...this was worth it!! SO glad I read this one with my eyeballs! Awesome job Mr. Boote!!
Y’all this is sooooo good. It’s got a 0-wild in .5 seconds kind of ramp up on tension, and ohhhh do I need that in my horror reads especially lately. I’ve actually never done an ARC review before...but here goes.
The premise of this one is great! I definitely don’t want to give too much away...because it’s a RIDE, y’all. So these scientist dudes are looking for the cure to psychopathy. But to find the cure...ya gotta have psychopaths. And when ya can’t find ‘em...you make ‘em. Inject random clueless volunteers with a substance that makes their thoughts turn psycho...then give them the antidote, give them a check and HAVE A NICE DAY! There’s no chance any of this can go South, right?! Heh. We also meet 18 year old Ann...and her not-so-charming fam. She wants to get away from said fam...and some scientist dudes are handing out money for getting jabbed with an unknown substance...SO WHAT COULD GO WRONG?! Well, as it turns out...a WHOLE lotta things. There’s action, there’s supernatural fun, there’s the sci-fi aspect, there’s a book full of crazy characters you get to know and love...or not love as the case may be.
I am an almost 100% exclusive audiobook kind of girl. In approximately 5ish years, I’ve read approximately 5ish books...and those have only been read in the last year. I have a crazy awesome 4 year old with some special needs who requires just about every ounce of energy and attention I can muster. So I am fiercely protective and discerning about how I spend any “down” time. It’s gotta be worth it, is what I’m saying, because I just don’t have a lot of this “down” time. Well folks...this was worth it!! SO glad I read this one with my eyeballs! Awesome job Mr. Boote!!
January 5, 2022
I was one of the lucky ones chosen to read this story for an honest review! Good read! I have read several books by Justine Boote and have become a fan! I always look forward to his next book, knowing I'll be entertained. He is a definite recommend!
August 19, 2022
Such a fun read. Real life psychopaths co-mingled with a ghost story means the action is frequent and intense at times. Our protagonist is a brutal murderer, through no fault of her own, that you can't help but cheer for. There are several twists & turns that lead to a perfect end.
January 5, 2022
Serial is a fun, fast-paced ride through the world of psychopathy, desperation and an ill-conceived attempt at understanding the inner workings of the most devious of human minds. We’ve all been there at one time or another, blinded by a rage so consuming and complete that we could just kill somebody. Luckily, for the vast majority of us, these feelings are fleeting and time and reason help us to calm down and assess our anger in a more productive way. But what if those guiding principles didn’t exist in us? This is the basis of illegal research being conducted by two misguided scientists and carried out on unsuspecting human volunteers.
What I loved more than anything about this book was the bonkers ending. When everything comes to a head, the book’s climax is just a good old-fashioned balls to the wall free for all. Some characters have specific vendettas against others, some are trying to protect themselves and survive and some are just in it for the pure fun of it all. I really had a great time with that.
Serial asks some poignant questions about a condition we’ve come to know a lot and at the same time, relatively little about. It doesn’t, however, make you dwell on these questions too long or too hard. There are many different types of psychopaths here, after all, doing what psychopaths do best.
What I loved more than anything about this book was the bonkers ending. When everything comes to a head, the book’s climax is just a good old-fashioned balls to the wall free for all. Some characters have specific vendettas against others, some are trying to protect themselves and survive and some are just in it for the pure fun of it all. I really had a great time with that.
Serial asks some poignant questions about a condition we’ve come to know a lot and at the same time, relatively little about. It doesn’t, however, make you dwell on these questions too long or too hard. There are many different types of psychopaths here, after all, doing what psychopaths do best.
January 22, 2022
I had the fortunate chance to receive an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Serial is about the psychology behind psychopathic behavior, but it is so much more than that. The story is told from a few different characters' perspectives. I was immediately drawn in to their world and wanted to stay there and keep letting the madness unfold. I was not disappointed. I couldn't put it down no matter how hard I tried!
This beautifully written book is a really refreshing take on psychopathic behavior, life choices, & humanity's hidden inner demons that sometimes manage to claw their way to the surface.
You will not be able to stop reading until the very last page! Justin Boote weaves a fantastic tale of intrigue, creepy imagery, suspense & so much more. The ending was a no holds barred, exciting cluster of insane imagery. This is a fantastic read that keeps you guessing until the very last page.
Serial is about the psychology behind psychopathic behavior, but it is so much more than that. The story is told from a few different characters' perspectives. I was immediately drawn in to their world and wanted to stay there and keep letting the madness unfold. I was not disappointed. I couldn't put it down no matter how hard I tried!
This beautifully written book is a really refreshing take on psychopathic behavior, life choices, & humanity's hidden inner demons that sometimes manage to claw their way to the surface.
You will not be able to stop reading until the very last page! Justin Boote weaves a fantastic tale of intrigue, creepy imagery, suspense & so much more. The ending was a no holds barred, exciting cluster of insane imagery. This is a fantastic read that keeps you guessing until the very last page.
February 8, 2022
Can you create and control a psychopath, these two doctors are trying to find out. But when they think the medication they created doesn't seem to work on one of the test subjects they soon realize that they may have created a new killer.
May 15, 2022
Serial will grab you by the balls and yank you along by the short and curly’s on an adrenaline-fueled psychotic roller coaster of death, mayhem, and murder.
Robert Mackenzie and Jeremy Gomez are scientists investigating what triggers psychotic behavior and if they can cause the same behavior in a “normal person“ using a drug cocktail they created. They are testing their compound on humans to time and study their reactions, and then would apply an antidote, to reverse the effects of their drug once they conclude their study. The results were better than they expected, and the Nobel prize was sure to be theirs. After all, more than 10 percent of all prisoners in England had been diagnosed as psychotics, far more than in America even and Dr. Mackenzie had visions of reducing this number and the crime rate by drastic proportions. Imagine a cure to psychosis!
When young Ann Wilson shows up looking for a quick payout to buy some proper clothes for job interviews, she feels odd during the experiment but does not relay any of this information to the doctors, thinking she will not get the money she needs. They let her leave without giving her the antidote, thinking Ann was the exception to the rule, or rather, the exception to their drug. The doctors have no idea what they just unleashed.
The way this story unfolds will leave your jaw on the floor and the amount of carnage in this book is nothing short of incredible. You may think you know how this will play out, but I promise you, you do not.
4.5 stars for Serial
Robert Mackenzie and Jeremy Gomez are scientists investigating what triggers psychotic behavior and if they can cause the same behavior in a “normal person“ using a drug cocktail they created. They are testing their compound on humans to time and study their reactions, and then would apply an antidote, to reverse the effects of their drug once they conclude their study. The results were better than they expected, and the Nobel prize was sure to be theirs. After all, more than 10 percent of all prisoners in England had been diagnosed as psychotics, far more than in America even and Dr. Mackenzie had visions of reducing this number and the crime rate by drastic proportions. Imagine a cure to psychosis!
When young Ann Wilson shows up looking for a quick payout to buy some proper clothes for job interviews, she feels odd during the experiment but does not relay any of this information to the doctors, thinking she will not get the money she needs. They let her leave without giving her the antidote, thinking Ann was the exception to the rule, or rather, the exception to their drug. The doctors have no idea what they just unleashed.
The way this story unfolds will leave your jaw on the floor and the amount of carnage in this book is nothing short of incredible. You may think you know how this will play out, but I promise you, you do not.
4.5 stars for Serial
May 12, 2022
Justin Boote is living in Spain writing English. This book was edited before release, and has no grammar issues. This story was a great escape from the world.
I had the great pleasure to receive an ARC from Justin. This paranormal serial killer book will have you turning pages, watching over your shoulder, and give you whiplash from the twists.
Two scientists are working hard on a drug and have an antidote. The test patients are responding well to both, that is until Ann stops in for the experiment to make some quick cash. The good scientists screw up and don't give her the antidote. Hmm... Are you wondering what kind of chaos ensues? So was I. ;-) Hint: May have bloody messes, with an ending you won't see coming.
Caution: You won't want to put this down. May cause bloodshot eyes from extended hours of reading.
I had the great pleasure to receive an ARC from Justin. This paranormal serial killer book will have you turning pages, watching over your shoulder, and give you whiplash from the twists.
Two scientists are working hard on a drug and have an antidote. The test patients are responding well to both, that is until Ann stops in for the experiment to make some quick cash. The good scientists screw up and don't give her the antidote. Hmm... Are you wondering what kind of chaos ensues? So was I. ;-) Hint: May have bloody messes, with an ending you won't see coming.
Caution: You won't want to put this down. May cause bloodshot eyes from extended hours of reading.
February 10, 2022
A captivating read!
Haven’t we all been so angry & frustrated with someone to the point you wish you could kill them?
Well Serial describes what happens when a medication trial goes wrong (or right 😈 ) and a regular girl gets to go on the killing spree of her dreams.
No fear of repercussions?
No disinhibition?
No empathy?
Our MC Ann is going to get even with those who’ve done her wrong, and there is a supernatural twist to boot!
Haven’t we all been so angry & frustrated with someone to the point you wish you could kill them?
Well Serial describes what happens when a medication trial goes wrong (or right 😈 ) and a regular girl gets to go on the killing spree of her dreams.
No fear of repercussions?
No disinhibition?
No empathy?
Our MC Ann is going to get even with those who’ve done her wrong, and there is a supernatural twist to boot!
July 10, 2022
Absolutely love the concept of inducing a healthy person into a psychopath to cure them. But nothing ever goes as planned, does it? Such a brilliant, fast paced intense ride. Highly recommend. Loved it!
August 29, 2022
I truly loved this intense scary tale. It is well written with characters that have their own agenda that plays out beautifully in a leave you breathless ending. He is now my go to author for a good suspenseful and creepy read.
January 13, 2022
I am amazed at how well this storyline was kept together with everything that was happening! What a trippy ride!
March 20, 2023
The premise of this book was so unique and so fresh! I really enjoyed it a lot! It’s an engaging original story and I recommend it!
January 11, 2022
I believe I would have enjoyed the book more without the paranormal aspect but it was still an okay book. Fast paced which I liked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2022
Good, quick read from a indie writer about psychopaths and the paranormal. I liked it…until the last page, you evil bastard!
March 9, 2022
Judith Williams
Quick and easy read. Plenty of gore without being over the top. I enjoyed this book and will read more from this Author. The end though.
Quick and easy read. Plenty of gore without being over the top. I enjoyed this book and will read more from this Author. The end though.
April 12, 2025
A great concept that is executed well.
I genuinely didn't want to put this book down. This easily could be a much longer and more intricate book but there's something quite nice about the speed and punch of this that really hits the sweet spot.
I genuinely didn't want to put this book down. This easily could be a much longer and more intricate book but there's something quite nice about the speed and punch of this that really hits the sweet spot.
May 1, 2023
Pretty good book, achieved what it set out to do - provide a decent story whilst also grossing out the reader. A few of the descriptions did make me squirm (and I’m usually not too bothered when reading about these things) and the story was good, intriguing, and had a good twist.
March 14, 2025
1.75? This was so disappointing. I found it highly suggested in a horror group and it was so very much not horror imo. Could’ve deff done without the ghosty parts too that was just dumb. There’s also so many grammar issues.
September 20, 2023
When Ann has the opportunity to earn some cash to buy job interview clothes, she jumps on it. It may be just the opportunity she needs to get out of her horrible homelife. The two scientists paying her to take their experimental drug though have some interesting scruples and things go sideways real fast. It doesn't help that there's a body in Ann's basement and its spirit wants help.
I found this to be an interesting read with a new helping of trouble layered on with each turn. It kind of feels like a fish in the middle of shark infested water, they keep turning around and there's another shark lurking. It was fun and presented the idea of how each one of us has a button for rage and hate if the right elements are introduced. It's also interesting how many people questionable methods to dealing with their problems in this one.
SPOILER ALERT
*
*
*
Calling the body/spirit Erica did not hide who it was, just sayin'. I wanted to grab Ann, shake her and say pay attention but I'm gonna lump it up to she had some killing induced rage that distracted her from what was right there.
*
*
*
You do have to suspend your disbelief a little bit. The forensics in this town are interesting, that's for sure.
Overall, I enjoyed this one and will be purchasing the physical copy.
I found this to be an interesting read with a new helping of trouble layered on with each turn. It kind of feels like a fish in the middle of shark infested water, they keep turning around and there's another shark lurking. It was fun and presented the idea of how each one of us has a button for rage and hate if the right elements are introduced. It's also interesting how many people questionable methods to dealing with their problems in this one.
SPOILER ALERT
*
*
*
Calling the body/spirit Erica did not hide who it was, just sayin'. I wanted to grab Ann, shake her and say pay attention but I'm gonna lump it up to she had some killing induced rage that distracted her from what was right there.
*
*
*
You do have to suspend your disbelief a little bit. The forensics in this town are interesting, that's for sure.
Overall, I enjoyed this one and will be purchasing the physical copy.
December 19, 2023
I found the ending really disappointing. That whole sort of redemption arc for Ann and then they ruin it at the end with the whole step-father-now-being-the-psychopath thing.
There were also a bunch of punctuation and grammatical errors throughout, and while I understand it’s hard to get all of them it just feels like nobody bothered to proofread this as there were just so so many.
After hearing this book raved about on instagram i really expected better. The story was such a promising idea but the execution really let it down. It sort of felt like the whole book was just an excuse to see how gory the author could write. I like gory, but not when it’s done like this.
Also, the character of Bricks or whatever his name was? If just felt like a backstory was thrown together for him and then it was of no significance anyway. He followed them around a bit, broke in and died.
There were also a bunch of punctuation and grammatical errors throughout, and while I understand it’s hard to get all of them it just feels like nobody bothered to proofread this as there were just so so many.
After hearing this book raved about on instagram i really expected better. The story was such a promising idea but the execution really let it down. It sort of felt like the whole book was just an excuse to see how gory the author could write. I like gory, but not when it’s done like this.
Also, the character of Bricks or whatever his name was? If just felt like a backstory was thrown together for him and then it was of no significance anyway. He followed them around a bit, broke in and died.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2023
I loved the idea behind the story. I really enjoyed reading it, like I do all of the books I’ve read by the author. If you didn’t like this book because of the horror or murders, you’ve obviously never read anything from Boote. This book is completely mild compared to the “Monster” series. I’m completely hooked on this author and can’t wait to pick my next book out. If you like nail biting suspense and horror books, definitely read this one. I will say I figured the major twist out long before it was revealed. Awesome book!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews