The Death Row Club by V A Vazquz #TheDeathRowClub @vavazquezwrites @simonschusteruk #BookReview #SerialKillers #CrimeFiction

 

SOME THINGS RUN IN THE BLOOD…

A darkly twisted debut thriller for fans of Riley Sager and Jessica Knoll. At an annual retreat for the adult children of serial killers, paranoia turns deadly when one of the guests is murdered.

Nicola Fischer’s father has just been convicted of killing five women - including her best friend. Shunned by her town and obsessed with the true-crime host who exposed him, Nicola jumps at the chance to join the Death Row Club: a secretive weekend getaway for people exactly like her.

But when an unexpected guest arrives at their remote wilderness retreat, tensions flare. By morning, one of them is dead.

And everyone is asking the same question:

If the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…which one of them is a killer?

The Death Row Club by V A Vazquez is published on 18 June 2026 by Simon & Schuster. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

I read this one whilst I was on holiday in Portugal last month and found it totally entertaining. The idea behind The Death Row Club is really creepy; a retreat for the adult children of serial killers sounds like the sort of thing that could go very very wrong before the welcome drinks are even poured!

Thankfully for us readers, the author takes this brilliantly dark premise and turns it into an addictive, twist-filled thriller that had me eagerly turning the pages to find out more. 

Nicola Fischer is a fascinating central character. Her life has imploded after her father’s conviction for multiple murders, and her emotional fallout feels very real. The author skilfully looks at how Nicola deals with  her inherited guilt and the how the public judge her. Despite this, it is always entertaining and the tension tightens, with some really unsettling moments that made me have a little glance over my shoulder .... just in case!  

The remote wilderness setting is excellent and so  claustrophobic; it's isolated, atmospheric and packed with people who all have secrets of their own. Honestly, if someone invited me to a secluded retreat filled with traumatised strangers connected to serial killers, I’d fake a migraine and stay home with a family-sized bag of crisps. Nicola, however, is braver than I am.

The dual narrative works beautifully, adding depth and momentum without ever slowing the pace. And while I’m saying absolutely nothing about the twists, I will say this: this author really does know exactly how to keep readers guessing.

Dark, clever and hugely entertaining, this is a superb debut that deserves a place on every thriller lover’s shelf.

V. A. Vazquez was born and raised in Buffalo, NY where she currently teaches English. 

She received her B. A. in English from Barnard College and used to live in Scotland in a town inhabited by more sheep than people.