Hi everyone!
February is “Women in Horror” month, and to celebrate, I’m
sharing a look at my new release, The Route 9 Stalker. It’s technically a
mystery/thriller, but it has a strong horror element built into the plot. And
how could a story about a serial killer not be scary?
The Route 9 Stalker is a follow-up (of sorts) to The Route 9
Killer and follows Detective Jim Rourke on a disturbing new case. Although the
books share two main characters, each stands alone as an individual read, and
you can read them in any order.
Here are the book summary and links:
The Route 9 Stalker
(A Mystery/Thriller)
It started with a body in the woods — and turned into a hunt
for a deranged stalker.
Late one evening, Megan Graystone enters a police station
and reports that she witnessed a man dumping a woman’s body in the woods.
But with no concrete proof and no sign of foul play,
Detective Jim Rourke dismisses her story — until a woman’s mutilated body is
found close by. As Rourke investigates the victim’s past, he learns that she
was being stalked by a mysterious stranger — and so were several other murdered
women.
Rourke discovers that the elusive stalker is playing a
twisted game; changing identities and vanishing after each murder. With no
other option, Rourke enlists Megan Graystone’s help to trap the stalker —
although it means putting her in grave danger.
Can Rourke stop the stalker before he kills and disappears
again?
Order your copy here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GGTTNPXG
Other Platforms: https://books2read.com/u/bxll2P
Want more? Meet Detective Jim Rourke for the first time in
The Route 9 Killer. Read the book summary and reviews here:
https://www.kelliwilkins.com/the-route-9-killer
***
When I wrote The Route 9 Killer, I didn’t know I would
eventually write another book featuring Detective Rourke. But one day I was
looking through my folder of ideas for stories I might write “someday” and came
across a simple premise: A woman sees a man dumping a body in the woods, and
the killer comes after her. I thought about it for a while and began to toy
with ways to expand the idea.
I started wondering: What if this wasn’t this guy’s first
kill? Who are the women he has killed? Why is he killing them? How does he find
his victims? I started piecing the story together in my head and thought of
ways I could bring Detective Rourke onto the case.
Three years after the events that took place in The Route 9
Killer, Detective Jim Rourke has finally put the unwanted publicity from that
case behind him, and he never wants to hear about serial killers again.
However, fate has delivered him a woman’s mutilated body—the
same body Megan claimed to have seen in the woods. When Rourke’s fellow
Detective Ed Dolenz uncovers similar cold cases, Rourke finds himself hunting
another serial killer. He learns that a man is stalking and viciously murdering
women he meets on dating sites. Rourke and Dolenz are able to link the killings
to a mysterious man who switches identities and vanishes after each murder.
Is the man Megan saw in the woods connected to the murders?
Rourke thinks he might be, and he needs Megan’s help catching him. But Dolenz
theorizes that there might be more than one killer…
When I plotted the book, I decided Megan would be a focal
point of the story, and she plays a central role in helping Rourke catch the
killer. Right from the start, readers see that Megan isn’t a big fan of the
police, and she’s cautious when dealing with strangers. Although she knows
she’s potentially the target of a serial killer, she isn’t frightened off. Why?
Because she’s a lifelong horror movie fan and she follows “the rules” of
staying alive and defending herself against predators.
I intentionally played up the theme of “protecting yourself”
in the book. As a single woman living alone, Megan fits the profile of the
killer’s victims, but she’s smart and has a no-nonsense attitude when it comes
to her personal safety and boundaries. Some of that comes from mocking horror
movie heroines who make bad choices, but a lot of it comes from her
relationship with her best friend, Lori.
Throughout the book, whenever something disturbing or
strange happens, Megan talks to her friend Lori. This gives readers a break
from Rourke’s investigation, and readers can see what seemingly innocent
interactions Megan has with people turn out to be vital to the case.
Lori acts as a sounding board for Megan’s concerns (or lack
thereof) and Lori cautions her to be careful since “Rourke is using her as bait
for a serial killer.” Megan keeps reassuring everyone that she’ll be okay and
she can handle things. But can she?
Everyone isn’t who (or what) they seem in this story, and
without giving away any plot details or spoilers, I can say that Rourke, Megan,
and the killer come together in the end, and the story packs a great twist
ending.
I loved writing this book, and I incorporated a bit of
myself into the plot. As a lifelong horror movie fan (and someone who loves
Halloween), I decided to have the entire story take place the week before
Halloween. It added an element of surprise to the ending and helped build
suspense. (And yes, my best friend is named Lori. She thought the book was
great, by the way!)
I hope you will add both Route 9 books to your 2026 reading
list. Readers have asked me if I’m going to give Detective Rourke one more case
to solve and complete a trilogy. I’ve been considering it… What do you think?
If you love horror and are celebrating all things scary this
month, visit the Horror, Mystery & More page on my site:
https://www.kelliwilkins.com/horror to read about all of my spooky stories!
Until next time…
Happy Reading!
Kelli A. Wilkins
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has
published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 9
mystery/thriller/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and
she likes to scare readers with her horror, mystery, and thriller fiction.
Her latest book, The Route 9 Stalker, was published in
January 2026. This mystery/thriller is set in Central NJ and follows Detective
Jim Rourke on a disturbing new case. Meet him for the first time in The Route 9
Killer.
Kelli’s 24th romance, For Love’s Sake, an epic historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in 2025.
In 2024, she released Surreal Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this anthology.
Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her website/blog
www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list, social media links, and more.
