Freak

by Jennifer Hillier

Overview

In a Pacific Northwest town where one killer’s stranglehold has ebbed, another one rises from the shadows in this finale to the “truly scary” (Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author) Creep series.

The bodies of naked young women, each carved with letters and numbers, are turning up dead all around Seattle. The letters match the initials of Abby Maddox, in prison for the attempted murder of a police officer. Maddox is on the verge of being indicted for her involvement in the Tell Tale Heart killings from a year ago but is she really capable of such violence? At least one obsessed fan wants the charismatic Maddox freed—and is determined to continue a murder spree until she is...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781668081525
Publisher:	Gallery Books
Publication date:	07/01/2025
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Jennifer Hillier is the USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of Things We Do in the Dark, Little Secrets, Jar of Hearts, The Butcher, Freak, and Creep. A Filipino Canadian born and raised in the Toronto area, she spent eight years in Seattle, which is where all her books are set. She now lives in Oakville, Ontario, Canada with her husband and son. Visit her on the web at JenniferHillierBooks.com.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“The second book in this series leaves readers hungry for the next. Taut and fraught with surprise twists, Hillier’s thriller is addictive.”—Kirkus

" This book freaked me out – in a good way. In a word, “frightening.” Jennifer Hillier creates a truly scary killer in Abby Maddox, the female version of Hannibal Lecter – smart, cunning and wickedly evil. I was engrossed on page one, couldn’t put the book down and breathless at the ending. Be prepared for a late night's reading. Then sleep with the lights on – if you can. This one blew me away."

—Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of Murder One

“Freak is an exhilarating serial killer thriller…fast-paced…a shocking final twist.”—GumShoe Review

“Freak is difficult to put down.” —National Post

Editorial Reviews

Readers are advised to read Hillier’s frightening 2011 debut, Creep, before this so-so sequel, which features many of the same characters. In the previous book, Abby Maddox, the girlfriend of serial killer Ethan Wolfe, went to prison for nearly cutting the throat of PI Jerry Isaac, a former Seattle policeman. In the year since that assault, the authorities have been trying to link Maddox to Wolfe’s murders. With both the mental and physical scars still all too fresh, Isaac is horrified to learn of a new horror from his former Seattle PD colleagues. After strangling a young woman with a zip tie, someone carved “Free Abby Maddox” into her torso. The search for the killer inevitably connects to the previous crimes. Efforts at humor (“There was one simple reason Jerry didn’t like cemeteries. They were full of dead people”) do little to enhance a familiar serial killer story line. Agent: Victoria Skurnick, Levine Greenberg. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

" This book freaked me out - in a good way. In a word, "frightening." Jennifer Hillier creates a truly scary killer in Abby Maddox, the female version of Hannibal Lecter - smart, cunning and wickedly evil. I was engrossed on page one, couldn't put the book down and breathless at the ending. Be prepared for a late night's reading. Then sleep with the lights on - if you can. This one blew me away."
--Robert Dugoni, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Murder One"

"Freak is an exhilarating serial killer thriller...fast-paced...a shocking final twist.""--GumShoe Review
"

"Freak is difficult to put down."" --National Post
"

" This book freaked me out in a good way. In a word, frightening. Jennifer Hillier creates a truly scary killer in Abby Maddox, the female version of Hannibal Lecter smart, cunning and wickedly evil. I was engrossed on page one, couldn t put the book down and breathless at the ending. Be prepared for a late night's reading. Then sleep with the lights on if you can. This one blew me away."
--Robert Dugoni, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Murder One"

Freak is an exhilarating serial killer thriller fast-paced a shocking final twist. "--GumShoe Review
"

Freak is difficult to put down. " --National Post
"

The second book in this series leaves readers hungry for the next. Taut and fraught with surprise twists, Hillier s thriller is addictive. "--Kirkus"

"The second book in this series leaves readers hungry for the next. Taut and fraught with surprise twists, Hillier's thriller is addictive.""--Kirkus"

From the Publisher

"Free Abby Maddox, 2/10." Carved into the back of a murdered prostitute, these words resurrect a violent story that everyone thought had ended. Picking up where Creep (2010) left off, the latest from Hillier reassembles a cast of characters facing the aftermath of serial killer Ethan Wolfe's death. Dubbed the Tell Tale Heart killer, Wolfe had seduced and tortured psychology professor and recovering sex addict Sheila Tao. Now that Wolfe is dead and his girlfriend, Abby Maddox, has been incarcerated for attacking Detective Jerry Isaac, Sheila believes she can rebuild her life. Retired from the force and estranged from his wife, Jerry struggles to regain his confidence after Maddox's attack. The scar she left on his throat is simply the physical manifestation of the scars within his psyche. Suddenly, the wary peace is shattered, and Jerry's partner calls him back to help with a murder case. The corpse bears a strong resemblance to Maddox, and the killer has strangled her with a zip tie. The message carved into her back prophesies nine more victims. Who is willing to kill for Maddox's freedom? Twists and turns reveal a website devoted to freeing Maddox, a trash bag full of fan letters to Maddox and a mysterious young man hiring prostitutes online. Jerry isn't quite ready to cope with this case, particularly when the only leads seem to lie in Maddox's hands. Even more strange, Maddox wants to talk to Sheila. Luckily, Jerry has a new intern, Danny. Studying to become a criminologist, Danny is, of course, intrigued by the case. Her fresh-faced interest, energy and technological skills rejuvenate Jerry's hunt. Yet as the kill count mounts, he has to begin to wonder: Is someone orchestrating everyone's every move? The second book in this series leaves readers hungry for the next. Taut and fraught with surprise twists, Hillier's thriller is addictive.

Kirkus Reviews