The Temptress

by Sarah Sheridan

In this clever new thriller by the bestselling author of Girl in Bed Three, a serial killer wants to quit--but it seems a woman's work is never done . . .

Zoe is a journalist who loves cats. She also happens to be London's most successful active serial killer. It's not something she ever planned to become--it's just that men always trigger her rage, just like her abusive father did.

Now in her late thirties, Zoe feels like she's lost her knack for murder, especially since finding a promising relationship. But things get complicated when her estranged mother turns up. With all the stress in her life, she's starting to make little slip-ups--and her attempt to retire from her side gig may not last long . . .

90 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 25, 2022

About the author

Sarah was born in London and now lives in a village in South Northamptonshire. She gained a Masters degree in Eighteenth-Century French and English art from the Courtauld Institute of Art, before teaching art in secondary schools for thirteen years. After working with human rights organisations that protect minority groups from institutional abuse, Sarah worked towards a PhD at The Open University, researching the effect of secrecy on marginalised people, specifically the biological children of Roman Catholic priests. She has spoken about her research on various news programmes for the BBC and other media outlets around the world. It was this sense of secrecy and silencing that became the inspiration for her first crime novel, The Convent.

Sarah is hugely obsessed with reading and is amassing such an unrealistically large book collection that some of it is now in storage. She is also addicted to writing, and after inventing stories (mostly in secret) from a young age and having various articles and short stories published, she wrote a children's book, The Top Secret Diary of Davina Dupree - inspired by her daughter - in 2013. Overjoyed to hear that young readers were enjoying the story, she went on to write a series about Davina Dupree.

When she is not looking after her three children and menagerie of pets, or going for long walks with her wonderful partner Rich, Sarah can be found writing, while consuming large amounts of chocolate.

Reviews

[STEPH · Rating 2 out of 5]

***SPOILERS AHEAD****

This was an OK read. A fast-paced narrative with a confident main female lead at the center.

The Temptress is a bit tempting. A bit.
But, not as nearly engaging as all the other books I've read with similar plot. I just couldn't connect with Zoe, (well, she's a serial killer, I don't know how anyone could relate to her unless they've been living a life of crimes, but, you get the gist.) This lack the depth that I am looking for. Some of the crimes committed in the book were unrealistic and without a trace of DNA left behind? Really?

I would've wanted for her to get caught. I mean, girl, murdering a guy for criticising the color of your lipstick? Ain't that a little immature? You can always walk away, you know.

Well, good thing it was a quick read.

[Marija · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing and engaging novella gripped me from the start until the end. I just had to read it in one sitting. It is a story about a female serial killer where we have a chance to look into her life, why she kills her victims... She plans to stop even though she is known as one of London's successful serial killers. What happens next and will she stop with her kills will have to see it by yourself.
It is a short read, with nice formulated chapters that keep your attention. Perfect for the weekend or for a longer commute.
This was my first book by this author and am looking forward to reading more of her books.

[Julie Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novella and took me about an hour to read and it’s a great story.
Zoe is a journalist but she is also a killer.
We learn that Zoe had an abusive father who would constantly put her down, so when a man says something nasty to her, or something she doesn’t like, she kills him!
It’s a bit unbelievable but the matter of fact manner in which the story is told, pulls you in.
I’d like a full length story about what happens next for Zoe to follow this one.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to read this book.

[Susan Blissett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chilling and quite frightening read which makes you consider where our personalities and beliefs stem from. This story focuses on a female serial killer and although quite an unbelievable story in the way Zoe turns against those closest to her, it is written in a believable way in which you find yourself understanding Zoe’s anger in some way. Her anger totally consumes her when someone has insulted her or wronged her in some way. She gets a lot of attention from men and jumps into relationships too quickly, too seriously and with married men, and all her relationships end deadly. I would have liked to learn a little more about her back story, but overall I enjoyed this novella which keeps you wanting to read more.

I received an ARC copy from BloodHound Books for an honest review, thank you, and all thoughts are my own.

[Jillian Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely outstanding read.
Absolutely loved this novella by Sarah Sheridan which so easily could be turned into much more.
A truly gob smacking read about a young and successful woman who has a cat but who becoming one of London’s most prolific and successful serial killers. This story is fabulous.
I really wanted to devour this in one sitting and only failed to do so when my tired eyes gave up on me.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a thrilling thriller and I can’t wait to see what Sarah comes up with next. In fact this story in my opinion still has legs and it would be fab to read what Zoe gets up to on her travels into international territories.
It’s an absolute 10 out of 10 from me and a sequel would be most welcome.

[Livia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet Zoe Carter , she is 37 ..a journalist..She is bright , extremely smart and beautiful , with looks to die for ..But there's something about Zoe , something seething and dark inside that uncoils itself and slithers out every now and then ..because Zoe is a psychopath and killer ..DS George Henderson is a man on a mission , he is looking for a murderer who is hiding in plain sight ..When Zoe meets Josh he is charmed and beguiled by this waif like woman ...but can a leopard change her spots ..? ...And when her estranged mother turns up out of the blue ...bringing back memories from a childhood she would rather forget ...just what will Zoe do next ? ..What a woman ...

[Kirstie Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great quick read of 88 pages, which was very easy to read.
Zoe is a journalist, but she is also a serial killer - but she doesn't kill people at random - it's ex boyfriends that have annoyed her!
Bit far fetched in places, but then a woman's rage should never be messed with 😂
Great novella which I would recommend.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novella that will tempt you in to read and want to finish in one go.
Zoe loves her cat, but what job does she prefer. She’s losing her interest in both jobs and her energy in both. Now what to do.
Enjoyable read & a quick read too.

[Sandra Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel comes out July 25, 2022. The paperback is out July 18th of 2022. This is a book you can put down. The story is so compelling, entertaining, and interesting. This is a storyline that is unique. The main character is name Zoe Sanders, she calls herself many names she has a secret deadly life and a job as a freelance journalist. But Zoe is more she a serial killer. Yes, a female serial killer at 37-year-old, she been one for 12 years. She a woman that perfected the art of killing and the first-person Zoe killed, you have to read to believe. Zoe Carter, no, I mean Zoe Sanders or is Natasha, Eve, Chloe and more name she goes by. Her real name is Zoe Sanders, and she a serial killer. You have to read to find out why, and how she begins. Zoe wants to stop, as she said retire from killing, she so good at it. You have to read, if with this new amazing guy. What will happening to him? This book is the book of summer must read. I started this book and I had to keep reading. I wanted to learn or wanted to know what will happen to her; will she get killed? will she stop killing? will she go to jail? what will happen to Zoe Sanders?

Author Sarah Sheridan is the author of more books, titles are, Girl in Bed Three, The Convent: A Gripping Psychological Mystery (The Sister Veronica Mysteries), The Disciple: A Gripping Psychological Mystery with (The Sister Veronica Mysteries), The Tormented (The Sister Veronica Mysteries) also in a box set The Sister Verronica Mysteries.

Coming Soon a New Release: A Perfect Family by Author Sarah Sherida on August 22, 2022
I am ready for more of this author work and novels.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoe is intelligent, calculating, talented, and just plain mental. She is a vigilante for self-justice whenever someone wrongs her, no matter how small their “crime” against her. Just when she thinks she may be ready to try for a “normal” life and relationship, she is again provoked.

The last thing Zoe expects is for her past to come barreling into her present and her secret life to merge with her real life. Will she be able to get herself out of her current predicament, or has her time finally come?

I have no idea what I was expecting, but whatever it was, it pales in comparison to what I read. I enjoyed this novella and wished it were a full-length novel. It has a strong, albeit unstable heroine who does what she feels is necessary. Zoe successfully navigates her double lives with flair. I guess we all deal with our trauma in different ways.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

Voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of Bloodhound Books and the author, Sarah Sheridan.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the theme of this novella I found it quite a quick and easy read, not at all graphic, in fact verging on cosy! Really well written and told from the POV of serial killer Zoe I found this quite humorous in places, very tongue in cheek humour.

Briefly, deserted by her mother as a child and left with an abusive father Zoe has become a serial killer. Not your normal run-of-the-mill serial killer. Zoe kills her partners, her longest relationship lasting three weeks! But now she has met someone she has feelings for. Is her life as a killer at an end?

A psychiatrist would have a field day with Zoe who is consumed by anger at any sign of insult from her partners. With deadly consequences. I read this book in just over an hour and it was a very enjoyable read, I do wonder if we are going to meet Zoe again one day?

[O'Neill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love a crime story and I will say this book was an easy read and light hearted enough that I could follow the plot. I was eager to see where the story was going and if the protagonist would get caught. However, with that said, I found the crimes that the killer managed to get away with and the reasons that led up to the deaths, just unrealistic and far fetched. I just couldn't really believe that she managed to kill so many without leaving some evidence (DNA, surely in this day and age). I was intrigued to find out whether she would get caught in the end or would she be able to stop her killing spree.
I think as a short book it was fine and not a bad read, but I would probably have given up reading it if it had been any longer.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

For being a short novella, it was filled with a lot of content as Zoe walks you through how she became a serial killer and how each of her boyfriends met their demise. I think Zoe could benefit from some serious anger management. Such a psychopath! Her reasons for determining it was their time to die were laughably trivial reasons! I did find it weird that all her boyfriends admitted very early on that they were married with no worries that it would put Zoe off. Even though it was not quite believeable, the story flowed well and was a pretty enjoyable read. I'd pick up the next book if this were a series.

[Bobbi Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this suspensful short story. This is a newer author for me which I enjoyed their writing skills and attention to detail that made the story come to life. I look forward to seeing what is next for this author. This is a fast paced short story that is not only engaging but hard to put down. The characters are connectable and made me feel as if I was part of their story. The twists and turns had me sitting on the edge of my seat just waiting to see what would happen next. This made the story easy and entertaining to read. This is a great story that I highy recommend. You dont want to miss out on this one.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fabulous and engaging read it was a brilliant novella which was really intriguing and had me gripped from the very first page and couldn’t put it down and had me hooked throughout and really makes you question if people on the outside are all they seem. This would make a brilliant tv one off drama show.

This was my first book by this author and am looking forward to reading more of their books.

[sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book from start to finish. I was unable to put it down. This short, sharp novella has elements of black comedy as we are led through a series of murders and into the mind of a serial killer.
The attitude of this strange psychopath, who treats murder as a game, adds depth to this dark and at times funny story.
By the end one can't help wondering if such a bizarre scenario might actually be possible. A definite must for all those who enjoy psychological thrillers.

[Jude Srivalsan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this Novella from Sarah Sheridan and it's definitely one to read in an afternoon as you won't want to put it down! Imagine if you could kill everyone who didn't meet your expectations, whilst loving your cat at the same time! This is Zoe who found out once she killed one person who let her down, she then just kept doing it. She wants to stop but rage overtakes her when she is wronged! You find yourself liking her nevertheless !
Very good!

[Kylie | kylieisreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Bloodhound Books for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Temptress was a fast paced novella from the eyes of a female serial killer! I enjoyed this one, it kept my interest & can easily be finished in an afternoon.

The only thing I wanted was for this story to be a bit longer. I enjoyed how it ended but I feel that we could have had a bit more story in between. Overall, would recommend for those wanting a fast paced read!

[Mary Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great quick read this was. Zoe is a serial killer so anyone she has dated who ends up annoying her winds up dead. This story was told from Zoe's perspective and I found it quite funny.

Nice short chapters coupled with the storyline won't let you stop until you finish it.

My thanks to Bloodhound Books for a copy of this and this is my honest review.

[Kennie Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Temptress is an enjoyable insight into the mind of a serial killer. You learn about her victims, and why she killed them, but now she wants to give up that life, and have a normal life for once.

It was a quick and thrilling novel. I liked it. A great book that grabs and holds her attention to the very end of the page!

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The temptress by Sarah Sheriden.
Zoe is a journalist who loves cats. She also happens to be London’s most successful active serial killer. It’s not something she ever planned to become—it’s just that men always trigger her rage, just like her abusive father did.
The cover is gorgeous. I really enjoyed this book. Wasn't sure about Zoe. I loved the cover. 4*.

[Rebecca Charlesworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great short read, straight to the point and jumping in at the first chapter about who our leading lady Zoe killed and why. It was more of a diary or memoir of each kill, I personally don’t think it would have worked as a full length book, but as a quick read it was ok.

[Faye Ridpath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this novella for free from Bloodhound Books.

I usually steer clear of novellas. I usually find them incomplete.

But this has changed my viewpoint. This was so gripping.

I will definitely read more by this author.

[Anna Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella really packs a punch and manages to draw you in from the beginning. The only criticism is that it ends too soon! Thanks Bloodhound Books for the excellent read.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read, giving an insight in to the mind of Zoe, a serial killer who doesn't take critiscm from anyone! Was a quick, enjoyable read!

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novella. A good read.