Title: Secret Vigilante Series (Books 1–2)
Author: D.B. Stephens
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
The Secret Vigilante series dives straight into morally gray territory, exploring what happens when justice fails and the people left behind decide to take matters into their own hands.
What begins as a support group for women with shared trauma slowly transforms into something much darker, raising uncomfortable questions about justice, revenge and how far is too far.
And the unsettling part? It doesn’t feel that far from reality. When you consider that roughly 1 in 3 women worldwide experience some form of violence, the idea that some would lose faith in the system and seek their own version of justice stops feeling like pure fiction.
This series leans into that tension, making it both compelling and deeply uncomfortable at times, especially when you catch yourself rooting for characters who are clearly operating outside the lines.
Book 1: The Serial Killer Support Group
Release Date: November 21, 2024
Blurb
When Jess Pendle agrees to attend a support group for women who have survived abuse and been failed by the system, she doesn’t expect much.
The group is meant to be a safe space, until... everything turns out to be not what she expected. Behind closed doors, the women begin to support each other in a very different way… one that involves taking justice into their own hands.
Review (audiobook)
This was such an entertaining listen… but also quite a sad one at the same time.
I experienced this as an audiobook; the narrator did a great job bringing the story to life. It made it really easy to get into, and I ended up flying through it.
The concept itself is wild, in a good way. What starts as a support group for women who have been failed by the system slowly turns into something much darker, as they begin taking matters into their own hands.
And while this definitely leans into morally gray territory, which I don’t mind at all, I couldn’t help it… I was unapologetically rooting for them to succeed.
But what really stood out to me is the deeper layer underneath the story. The reason this group exists in the first place is because the system failed these women. Authorities didn’t do enough, laws didn’t protect them, and that aspect makes the story feel a little too real at times.
It’s one of those books that works on two levels. On the surface, it’s engaging, fast-paced and entertaining. But when you stop and think about it, it becomes much more unsettling.
⭐ 4.5 stars
Book 2: The Serial Killer Support Network
Release Date: April 24, 2026
Blurb
For six months, someone known only as The Caretaker has been committing crimes against those who have wronged. Now, women across the country have been inspired to take control of their own lives and seek revenge on the people who hurt them. The Caretaker is more than just a killer, he’s become a movement, and the serial killer support group have found themselves at the heart of it…
Review
After flying through book one, I was really excited to jump straight into this.
And this time, things go bigger.
What started as a small support group has now turned into a full network, more people, more reach, more chaos. It’s definitely interesting to see how things evolve and how the movement grows.
That said, unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first book.
I think a big part of that is because once the story expands into a larger network, it loses some of the personal connection that made book one work so well for me. In the first book, I felt more connected to the women and their stories. Here, with the focus spread wider, that bond just wasn’t as strong anymore.
The pacing also felt slower, and overall it wasn’t as entertaining for me. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the back-and-forth between Jess and the detective. That dynamic felt more frustrating than interesting, and it didn’t really add much for me.
The vibe felt a bit different too. Not necessarily bad, just… off compared to the first book.
Still, it’s not a bad installment by any means, and the ending definitely left me curious enough to want to continue with book three.
⭐ 3.5 stars
ARC Disclaimer
I received an advance copy of Book 2 via NetGalley (HarperCollins widget), and this is my honest and voluntary review.
Final Thoughts
For me, book one was the stronger of the two because it felt more personal, more unsettling, and easier to connect with. Book two takes the idea and expands it into something much bigger, which is interesting, but it also loses some of the emotional impact along the way.
Even so, I still find the overall concept of this series really compelling, and I’m definitely curious to see where book 3 goes next.
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