Wealth, thrill, the net closing in around a somewhat likable protagonist, and the gamification of murder come together in Brian Parkin’s Manifesto for a Serial Killer. Jessica Harper, a wealthy 23-year-old Australian socialite, has killing as her major hobby. A formidably intelligent and driven woman, self-taught in coding, hacking, and various other useful skills, Jessica designs an app, the Manifesto, to generate a series of random targets, murder weapons, locations, murderer characteristics, and budgets for each kill such that the cases are wholly unconnected. Detective Inspector Rob Franklin and Detective Sergeant Leanne Wilson stumble onto her trail and attempt to prove her guilt in over twenty cases of serial killing that have occurred in the entire continent of Australia.

This thrilling book is single-minded in its description of Jessica’s meticulous habits and preparations for each kill and the many aliases adopted by Jessica (the middle-aged builder, the grunge university student, the businesswoman, the inconspicuous everyday persons, the housekeeper, the photographer) are always described as separate characters. Following both the police in their hunt for the serial killer’s identity, as well as Jessica in her methodical erasing of her trail, leaves the reader almost rooting for both sides, certain that, as with most thrillers and mysteries, the police will prevail.

Manifesto for a Serial Killer by Brian Parkin, while it is an engrossing and quick read with a purposeful narrative style matching Jessica’s single-mindedness, her character does fall flat sometimes, leaving the reader wishing for a more nuanced perspective. However, Jessica remains a protagonist that the reader surprisingly finds themselves rooting for. The author’s knowledge and research of Australian geography, locales, and slang (doona being my favorite) are insightful, and a sequel to this book would definitely be a good addition!

Pages: 185 | ASIN : B00QHRCWE2

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/01/20/manifesto-for-a-serial-killer/