The Death Row Club by V. A. Vazquez

 

Nicole Fischer's life has been in freefall since her father was convicted of murder; she had no idea he was the serial killer who terrorised their small town twenty years earlier. An invitation to a retreat for the children of serial killers offers her the opportunity to seek solace with people in a similar situation.

The premise of The Death Row Club by V. A. Vazquez is a compelling one. I will be honest and admit that I had never really thought about the impact on families when a serial killer is convicted. While therapy must go some way to helping, surely the only people who truly understand the torment they are going through is those who are in a similar position.

At the beginning of the story, Nicole is living alone following her father's conviction. A true crime TV series about the case is being shown, making Nicole a target for the media. She is also being shunned by her local community, as the TV series implies she must have known what her father was up to.

When the strange invitation arrives, Nicole sees it as a way to escape the intrusive media that is camped at her door. It will also give her the opportunity to confront Greer Woods, the woman behind the series, and someone she thought was a friend.

An isolated location, surrounded by woods, no electronic devices, and a group of people raised by serial killers sets the scene. You know from the outset that something chilling is going to happen; the big question is, how much of a bloodbath will it be? You wonder if the danger is lurking out in the woods, or is it inside the retreat?

To add to the unsettling feeling, there is a secondary character, Steffani, whose story is interspersed with Nicole's. I was intrigued as to how the two stories were connected, particularly when Steffani's background and the situation she finds herself in are revealed. There are multiple twists as all of the plot lines converge in the frantic and hair-raising conclusion, leading us to realise that not everyone has been entirely truthful and that ulterior motives have played a large part in their actions.

The Death Row Club by V. A. Vazquez will be published on 18th June 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to Simon & Schuster UK for a review copy.

Author Details

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.