‘Seventeen gruesome murders were reported across the United States, within a span of six months. Ohio, Minnesota, Arkansas and several other states were hit. There was one clear connection among victims, they were all book authors. While media was decorating the murders with sensationalist stories, and law enforcement was playing catch-up, the homicidal maniac remained elusive and secretive. Things got very interesting, however, when one day she decided to appear on an internet talk show for an honest fireside chat. Her reason for being on this show was not a quest for fame, but something much more disturbing.’

Suvaal’s Fireside Chat with a Grammar Nazi Serial Killer is a novella whose main format is a chat interview between Corrigan Dante, host of the clandestine, dark web radio show ‘Fireside Chats with Corrigan Dante’, and one of his notorious guests, a serial killer dubbed the Grammar Nazi Serial Killer, whose trigger was bad writing. She gave her name as Grazine, not a real name. This was a hilarious commentary on the importance some people put on strict grammar. I agree that proofing is necessary, but there is such a thing as taking it to far, especially if the sentence structure or phrasing has passed into common usage.

This was a tongue in cheek, dark look at the inner workings of a psychotic mind. Grazine is certainly an atypical serial killer. Female serial killers are rare, and those that use more violent means than rarer still. Grazine was a very violent female killer. There are sections before and after the talk show that are focused on Grazine, sometimes with a victim, sometimes not. The ending had a twist I wasn’t expecting, though I really shoulda. I spent time researching serial killers. I wish the story had been longer, to dig deeper into Grazine’s workings. It would have been interesting to read about all of her victims, and the symbolism behind them.

***Many thanks to the author for providing an ecopy in exchange for a fair and honest review.