The Mermaid Killer

Name: The Mermaid Killer
Price: 22.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781735992662

✍️ Joseph Miguel

Reader Score

4.4

(1 review)

$22.00

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A thriller about a woman who believes she is a mythical killer.

The narrative centers on Holly St. James, who commits crimes due to delusions of being the Mermaid Killer. Detective Scarlett McNamara investigates these acts while dealing with her own past trauma. The story explores how madness and the supernatural collide in a twisted landscape. Both protagonists face chilling games that challenge their perception of reality.

Key Themes

trauma identity sanity

Literary Context

The Mermaid Killer draws on horror, gothic, and supernatural fiction traditions. It fits within the US bookshop category of Horror Reads. The work engages with themes of abuse, misery, and mythical figures from folklore.

Difficulty

●● Medium

Recommended For Fans Of

Thomas Harris · Daphne du Maurier · Stephen King

👻

Ghost Stories

🏛 Joseph Miguel Art 📅 2026 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781735992662

📝 Description: The Mermaid Killer

Joseph Miguel writes The Mermaid Killer, a crime novel that examines the intersection of mental illness and supernatural belief. The story follows Holly St. James, a woman haunted by abuse who suffers from delusions driving her to commit crimes. She identifies as the mythical Mermaid Killer, possessing power that blurs the line between reality and madness. Detective Scarlett McNamara, a seasoned investigator with her own dark history, pursues this elusive suspect. Her investigation reveals the fractured state of Holly’s mind. The narrative operates as a cat-and-mouse game where both women confront their deepest fears. The plot builds toward a climax where sanity dissolves completely. This book suits readers interested in psychological thrillers and gothic fiction. It appeals to those who enjoy stories about trauma, identity, and the fragile nature of reality. Readers seeking straightforward police procedurals without supernatural elements may find the premise confusing. The text is described by Kirkus Reviews as a richly imagined if overwrought cat-and-mouse crime novel. Miguel presents a pulse-pounding narrative that forces characters to face their darkest impulses.

💎 Our verdict on The Mermaid Killer

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Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Joseph Miguel crafts a richly imagined if overwrought cat-and-mouse crime novel that blurs the line between reality and madness. The narrative effectively explores how delusions driven by past abuse can manifest as mythical killer personas, creating a tense atmosphere where sanity dissolves completely. Detective Scarlett McNamara’s pursuit adds depth through her own dark history, mirroring the protagonist’s fractured mind. While the premise may confuse those seeking clear-cut police procedurals without supernatural elements, it succeeds as a psychological horror. The book delivers a chilling exploration of trauma and identity, appealing to readers who appreciate complex character studies within a twisted, suspenseful framework.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers interested in psychological thrillers and gothic fiction will find this book compelling for its examination of trauma, identity, and the fragile nature of reality. It appeals to those who enjoy stories where madness and the supernatural collide, offering a twisted landscape that challenges perception. The narrative provides a pulse-pounding experience as characters confront their darkest impulses. However, it is best suited for audiences open to ambiguous premises rather than straightforward police procedurals. The book offers a richly imagined cat-and-mouse game that forces an engagement with the intersection of sanity and delusion.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.4

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Joseph Miguel crafts a richly imagined if overwrought cat-and-mouse crime novel that blurs the line between reality and madness. The narrative effectively explores how delusions driven by past abuse can manifest as mythical killer personas, creating a tense atmosphere where sanity dissolves completely. Detective Scarlett McNamara’s pursuit adds depth through her own dark history, mirroring the protagonist’s fractured mind. While the premise may confuse those seeking clear-cut police procedurals without supernatural elements, it succeeds as a psychological horror. The book delivers a chilling exploration of trauma and identity, appealing to readers who appreciate complex character studies within a twisted, suspenseful framework.