I actually have met this next debut author and just adore her!! We spent some time together last spring at Thrillerfest and I have already read her debut thriller – spoiler alert…it’s fantastic!! You can find my review here.
The Death Row Club by V.A. Vazquez
Publisher – Gallery/Scout Press
Pub Date – July 14, 2026
Summary:
SOME THINGS RUN IN THE BLOOD…
A darkly twisted and wonderfully original debut thriller for fans of Riley Sager and Jessica Knoll – at an annual weekend getaway for the adult children of serial killers, the participants begin to wonder if somebody’s continuing the family tradition when one of their number turns up dead.
Plenty of people have lousy parents, but Nicola Fischer’s father has just been convicted of murdering five young women, including her best friend. Fired from her job and hounded by reporters, Nicola passes the time by doomscrolling and drunk-dialling Greer Woods, the alluring host of the hit show To Catch a Killer, who cracked the case and turned Nicola’s life upside down before disappearing along with her so-called ‘best intentions’.
When an email from Greer finally shows up in Nicola’s inbox, there’s no apology or explanation, just a cryptic invitation. The Death Row Club is an annual weekend getaway for the adult children of serial killers – and Nicola is the newest reluctant member. Desperate to escape her small town, she accepts the offer with barely a second thought, forging tentative bonds with her fellow club members, most of whom seem intriguing, and only slightly unhinged.
But when an uninvited guest shows up at their remote wilderness retreat, everyone is put on high alert, and the next morning paranoia turns to outright fear. Because one of their own is dead, and the rest of them are left with only one question.
If the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, which of them is the bad seed?
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About the author:
V. A. (Victoria) Vazquez was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, where she currently teaches English. She received her BA in English from Barnard College and her MS in Teaching from Fordham University. She’s currently pursuing an MFA in Fiction from Spalding University. A former Fulbright Distinguished Teacher at the University of Glasgow, she spent five years living in Scotland, in a town inhabited by countless baby sheep.
THE DEATH ROW CLUB is her debut novel.
Follow V.A. Vazquez on social media:
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Praise for The Death Row Club
“Addictive, smart, and at times terrifying—in the very best way. It’s the kind of book that takes a terrific concept and executes it flawlessly. I couldn’t, wouldn’t put it down. V.A. Vazquez is definitely one to watch.” —Clémence Michallon, internationally bestselling author of The Quiet Tenant
“Compelling, provocative, and absorbing. Vazquez thrills with a fresh and unforgettable premise.” –Karin Slaughter, New York Times and #1 international bestselling author
“Dark as sin and voicey as hell, THE DEATH ROW CLUB is one of the most audacious, jaw-dropping, and morbidly funny thrillers I’ve ever read. With her morally gray serial killer progeny in tow, Vazquez streaks onto the scene bright as a comet, one of the freshest and most promising new voices in crime fiction. This twisted delight is bound to be a megahit.” —Ashley Winstead, USA Today-bestselling author of THIS BOOK WILL BURY ME
“The Death Row Club’s fresh, enticing premise is sure to draw you in, but what’ll keep you turning the pages of this brilliant debut novel is V.A. Vazquez’s deft handling of her characters’ complexities and complicities as they grapple with how to forgive their parents, each other, and—most challenging of all—themselves. This is my favorite kind of thriller: nailbiting action mixed with plenty of substance, plus a delicious side dish of sapphic romance!” —Layne Fargo, bestselling author of The Favorites and They Never Learn
“A debut so accomplished and propulsive that it is guaranteed to be the thriller everyone is talking about. Twisty and addictive, I was on the edge of my seat from the first sentence until the last!” –Sian Gilbert, author of She Started It
“Victoria Vazquez has a wicked and wonderful imagination, and a masterful ability to tell a story. I already cannot wait to see what she’ll do next.” —May Cobb, bestselling author of The Hunting Wives
“A locked room thriller featuring the adult children of notorious murderers, THE DEATH ROW CLUB delivers on its fascinating premise with a story that’s equal parts tense and twisty. V. A. Vazquez’s nuanced focus on victims—both dead and living—as well as her moody but empathetic prose and diabolically clever plotting make this debut a killer.” –Megan Collins, author of Cross My Heart and The Family Plot
“Debut author Vazquez makes a splash with this intense and canny story featuring the distraught daughter of a serial killer . . . [she] makes good on her provocative premise, delivering chills and surprises with aplomb. Readers will be eager to see what the author does next.” —Publishers Weekly
“Perfect for fans of Riley Sager and Jessica Knoll, bringing a take on friendship, loyalty, and parenthood.” —Parade, “Your July Won’t Be Complete Without These 11 Perfect Books”
“I tore through V.A. Vazquez’s addicting debut…This is a haunting, absorbing read that handles the psychological complexities of its characters with care. I was hooked through the book’s final pages.” —Amazon Book Review, Best of the Month
“A twisting and unputdownable mystery…two stories marry to reveal an extremely satisfying and cleverly foreshadowed twist…This darkly satisfying novel is a fresh take on a locked room thriller, thanks to expert pacing and misdirection…The Death Row Club touches on a myriad of issues related to familial love, guilt, accountability, and the relative strength of nature versus nurture. It does so with not one, but two strong female protagonists.” —Crimespree Magazine
“Vazquez turns the serial killer trope on its head in this fascinating debut . . . Nicola’s voice grabs the reader on the first page and doesn’t let go.” —Booklist
“A remarkable, twist-filled narrative that at once pulls you in and pulls the rug out from under you…Audacious, fresh, and full of genuine surprises, The Death Row Club is the addictive new thriller you’ve been waiting for. Just be sure to leave the light on when you read it.” —Booktrib
“It roped me in from the first chapter and did not untie me until the final page…Unputdownable with a capital-U.” —Bookpage, starred review
“Enthralling…A darkly fascinating look at the usually unspoken horrors that killers leave behind which asks how far you’ll go to protect yourself and your family.” —July 2026 Indie Next List
“[A] striking debut…Part description of life as the child of a serial killer and part thrilling mystery, it is an outstanding story written with empathy, tension and style.” —Daily Mail (UK)
“The set-up for this one is irresistible: murder at a weekend getaway for the scions of serial killers…More charming than any story involving serial killers has any right to be!” —Crimereads
“There are books you read slowly, savoring every page, and then there are books that grab you by the collar and don’t let go. The Death Row Club is firmly the second kind. This is a debut novel, and it reads like Vazquez arrived fully formed.” —The Gloss
“Vazquez creates an intriguing hook in her psychological thriller, with a dual-point-of-view narrative that pulls the audience in and keeps readers guessing until the end…The premise and pace of Vazquez’s novel are both well done, and the story holds readers tight. For fans of Gillian McAllister and Alex Finlay.” —Library Journal
“This stunning debut psychological thriller . . . explores themes of inherited evil, a critique of modern true-crime culture and exploitation and society’s fascination with serial killers. The claustrophobic setting in a remote area contributes to [Vazquez’s] relentless fast pacing and unsuspected twisty reveals that ultimately lead to an exhilarating denouement…This gem will appeal to the legion of Riley Sager fans.” —Deadly Pleasures
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Hope I have enticed you to consider picking this one up! I loved this one so much – you can read my review here!!! In the meantime…you can check out my feature for this debut on my Instagram account, where V.A. shared a quick video. Head here to see!
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