Tasha Coryell in conversation w/ BJ Hollars.
Credit: Julian Emerson
Jayson Coleman
On a warm Thursday evening, dozens of Eau Claire area residents stayed inside to take in the ruminations of a woman in love with a murderer.
Well, in a fictional sense.
On May 1, 2025 at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Library, St. Paul-based author Tasha Coryell discussed her debut novel Love Letters to a Serial Killer. While snacks, drinks, and book signings were all provided, the headline of the event was Coryell herself, who read an excerpt from her novel and answered questions about the book, its origins, inspirations, and path to publication.
While Coryell has already published a short story collection and has written many full-length novels on her computer, Love Letters to a Serial Killer is her first published novel. The book follows Hannah Wilson, a lonely true crime fanatic who immerses herself in forums about murder cases. One day, she comes across the case of William Thompson, a handsome lawyer. Learning about the crimes he’s committed, along with her own personal frustrations with life, inspires Hannah to write him “a series of angry letters”, and she is shocked when William responds back. As William’s letters make Hannah feel understood for the first time, she faces the dilemma of whether to pursue him. He could be her next partner, but she would also risk being his next victim.
Coryell said she would recommend the book to anyone who enjoys reading romance novels and/or thrillers, with the book appealing to her own personal taste of “books about kissing and murder.” In Love Letters to a Serial Killer, however, Coryell takes this mix of genres and adds a humorous edge.
“ I was like, ‘What would happen if a woman fell in love with a serial killer and he turned out to be boring?’ That was the root of the book.””
“I was really interested in women who fell in love with serial killers,” Coryell said when sharing her inspiration for the novel, “and I started pondering. I was like, ‘what would happen if a woman fell in love with a serial killer and he turned out to be boring?’ That was the root of the book.”
The novel’s strong humor and storytelling, however, make it an engaging read or listen for anyone, even if romances and thrillers aren’t their preferred genres.
“This was my first time being able to hear what the book was about, and I thought it was really fun,” said Sara Hefty, a frequent attendee of Writers Guild events. “Usually crime novels aren’t my thing, so it got my attention. I also really loved what she shared about this being an outlet to navigate all the chaos that we’re going through right now. Originally, I picked this up for my sister-in-law, but I’m like, ‘oh, maybe I’ll get two copies!’”
While Love Letters to a Serial Killer is largely focused on comedy, Hefty also said she was interested in the social commentary that the novel’s concept provides.
“What I thought was really interesting in the book was the woman’s point of view,” Hefty said, “listening to it from a systematic violence perspective, and then obviously the serial killer is right there. I thought it was really telling of our society how she was describing [Hannah’s] dating, how she was describing her jobs, how she was describing the life that women live and what led her to start dating the serial killer in the first place.”
While Love Letters to a Serial Killer was the focus of the event, Coryell also took some time to discuss her second novel, Matchmaking for a Psychopath, which will be releasing in July.
“Matchmaking for a Psychopath is about a woman whose fiancé breaks up with her for her best friend,” Coryell said. “She’s a matchmaker, and she finds herself getting really involved with some of her clients. And then all these body parts start showing up at her door and she has to figure out if someone’s out to get her while she’s still trying to win her fiancé back. There’s a whole situation.”
Coryell’s audience left the reading excited to experience more of her book. For Coryell herself, that appreciation was mutual.
“My brother went to Eau Claire for college, so it’s really nice being able to be here,” Coryell said. “I love doing readings in the Midwest. There’s a really great reading and writing community here, so it’s been great to come!”
Click here to learn more and purchase Love Letters to a Serial Killer.