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THE NOVEL KILLER

a psychological crime thriller by Kate Shelton

Having your work copied is any content creator’s biggest fear. But imagine someone copying your deadly plot lines in real-life…

Bex and Ana are sisters living together in Denver, Colorado. Ana is a full-time, but struggling, murder mystery author, and Bex is her much more successful and driven counterpart. 

Together, they share a true-crime podcast where the sisters dissect unsolved cases from around the US each week.

Their banter is addictive and they’ve developed a strong listener base of committed fans. However, the show is a flashpoint for the sisters. Ana just wants to write, Bex wants to make it big.

When their podcast engineer, James, alerts Ana and the police that someone has copied a murder detail-for-detail to her first book, Ana assumes it’s nothing more than a coincidence. However, the story doesn’t stop there.

The media dubs serial murder, The Novel Killer, and for the first time in her life, Ana sees the success she’s always wanted. Her work begins to top bestseller charts and the podcast is reaching audiences Bex only dreamed of.

Despite their differences, the sisters have always relied on each other, and only together can they figure out the true identity of the killer, but the information comes at a deadly cost. 

THE NOVEL KILLER is a set of novels within a novel that leads readers through both Ana’s writing and the terrifying work of the copycat serial killer. This book is a tangled web of dark familial secrets, psychological twists, and an outcome no one will see coming.

The Novel Killer will appeal to readers in the genres of true-crime, mystery/crime, and psychological thrillers in the style of Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) and Mary Kubica (Local Woman Missing); as well as books within books, such as Shea Ernshaw’s latest (A History of Wild Places).

The Novel Killer manuscript is written and thoroughly edited. It is currently in the querying phase of publication.

Hello, I’m Kate!

Welcome, welcome. Grab a cup of tea (chai, preferably) and stay a little while – I’m so glad you’re visiting.

I’m Kate Shelton – a soon-to-be author and bookaholic to the core.

So you’re probably wondering how I got here? Well, I’ve loved reading since I can remember. I used to escape my big, loud (and wonderful) family in the pages of a book and somehow never stopped.

I cut my teeth in marketing and somehow found a niche in freelance writing. For years, I’ve written copy for magazines, blogs, and small businesses. Somewhere during the pandemic, I knew I was ready for more.

Thus began my journey to become a published author. I’ve written a total of five full-length books but as of yet, my fifth – The Novel Killer – is the one that’s *nearly* ready.

This project began as a hobby but it’s quickly turned into a passion. I can’t wait to share it with all of you.

Be sure to join my email list for updates about my work!