Heather’s Bookshelf: Letters to the Purple Satin Killer
Author: Joshua Chaplinsky
Released: 10/29/24
Genre: Fictional/satirical crime
“There was something illuminating about the distillation of Jonas Williker as presented in the letters written not by him, but to him. A happy accident, an alchemy he could have never predicted. It was the closest thing we ever got to emotional honesty from the man.”
“Letters to the Purple Satin Killer” is a fictional compilation of letters written to Jonas Williker, the “Purple Satin Killer”.
In the early 2000’s, Williker was convicted of killing and raping 23 women over 5 states. The brutal killings began in his home state of Pennsylvania, leaving the area in a panic until his capture, arrest, and prosecution.
The letters are compiled in chronological order while Williker is awaiting his trial, during the trial and then while on death row. Included are correspondence from those closest to the case (his mother, his ex-girlfriend’s daughter, a juror, an escaped would-be victim, etc.) as well as some from the most fanatical, and still others that delve into the self-serving or bizarre.
Trigger Warning: reference to violence, assault, kidnapping, rape, murder, adult language, sexual language (it’s a book about letters to a brutal serial killer- so yes -rated R or NC-17)
Overall, this is one of the most unique books I have read in a long while. The concept is quite interesting and the direction of the letters explained well by the author himself in his “author’s notes”. It’s not the first epistolary novel I’ve read, but it was new to me in this capacity, tone and content. The whole book is written as if it’s a true crime and the author is so convincing. The letters are all written in voices unique to their characters that all individually evolve over the course of the book. The letters from Williker’s mother had the most clear voice, for me. I could almost see an interview with this oblivious lady and felt sadness for her denial and sense of loss. Comments about missing pets and other disturbing behaviors will be red flags for anyone familiar with early warning signs of serial killers. Even more engrossing are the allusions to many other famous serial killer cases including BTK and Bundy. Some of the voices in the letters and details of the killings were a little much for me at times, but I guess that’s part of the author’s point. And while I liked the format overall, I found some of the letters to feel a bit redundant by the end. I also found the list of characters in the front of the book to be less accessible in an ebook version, though I could see how it could be useful in a print book. I wish there was a link back and forth when you were in the chapter to the character description that wouldn’t cause you to swipe 100 pages back. The postcards was an exceptionally creepy detail and I found the ending wrap up to be just as disturbing as the depictions of the serial killer.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A unique concept that is executed well and in a convincing way. A false true crime that’s quite convincing and pulls from real cases. Disturbing content warning!
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Joshua Chaplinsky
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here
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