Top Five Fictional Serial Killers
By Crime HQ
Read on for James and Darren's list of their favorite fictional serial killers, and leave a comment on this post to enter for your chance to win 1 of 3 hardcover copies of The Stowaway!
It’s fair to say we’ve both read or watched the best thrillers during the last thirty years. In our opinion, obviously! And there’s one thing we always agree on: what scares us the most is serial killer with clear motives and a detailed plan. A relentless murderer who won’t stop until they’ve realized their grand vision.
The scariest characters are always complex. A contradiction of barely understandable motives mixed with cold-blooded solutions to their problems. Mindless killing on a multiple scale is gruesome but doesn’t chill us to the core. When we created The Stowaway and the terrifying character of Wyatt Butler, we wanted our killer to match the most frightening of the last three decades. Here’s our top five fictional serial killer list:
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John Kramer – Saw (2004)
Everything in John Kramer’s life was good until a series of incidents pushed him in an alternative direction. His wife was pregnant and lost their child. He sunk into depression and his relationship fell apart. The final straw was being diagnosed with terminal cancer after the results had been mixed up. Kramer attempted suicide by driving off a cliff, but he survived. And at that moment, his renewed will to live meant he crawled free of the wreck. From then on, haunted by his past, Kramer decided to test other people’s will to live in terrifyingly designed life or death scenarios.
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John Doe – Se7en (1994)
John Doe was the ultimate pessimist with an obsession with how immoral people were. He considered each of his victims worthy of death because they had breached one of the seven deadly sins. He clearly had a deep insight into human thought and reaction because of how his unnerving plan was executed, and how it eventually played out in the desert. Despite his revulsion with humanity, Doe always remained calm and confident.
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Arthur Mitchell – Dexter (Season Four)
Nicknamed ‘The Trinity Killer’, Arthur Mitchell is uniquely different from everyone else on this list. He was a surburbanite, and on the surface was happily married with two children. Beneath this pleasant veneer, he was mentally scared and abusive. When he was a child, his sister died in front of him after a tragic bathroom accident. His mother took it hard and committed suicide by jumping off a bridge. This left young Arthur with his alcoholic father, who was eventually found bludgeoned to death in a back alley. Arthur began using the different building program locations to keep this kill cycle going every year, killing a woman in a bathtub, making a mother jump to her death, and bludgeoning a father. He also buried a child alive to symbolize his innocent self. Until he ran into Dexter Morgan…
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Patrick Bateman – American Psycho (2000)
The investment banker yuppie makes the list for his obsessive nature. He has a rigorous fitness routine, spends a lot of time trying desperately to fit into corporate society, and often slips into long narratives about music. His drive for everything he desires makes him stress over business cards, restaurant bookings, and anyone who appears to be progressing above him. His casual sexual encounters usually end up in death for the prostitutes, and in work circles, Bateman killed anyone who made him feel inferior.
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Jame Gumb – The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
No list would be complete without one of the two killers from this novel and movie. Jame Gumb felt like he’d been born a woman in a man’s body, but was refused sex-change surgery because of his violent past and mental instability. His answer? To capture overweight women, starve them in a basement well, then murder them for their skin to make a suit. His nickname ‘Buffalo Bill’ was crudely given to him by the Kansas City police because of the way he ‘liked to skin his humps’. Gumb inserted a Death’s-head moth into the throat of each victim as he was interested in the insect’s metamorphosis. Just like how he wants to transform into a woman.
Drawing inspiration from all our favorites, our character of Wyatt Butler is a watchmaker, obsessed with the correct and orderly flow of time. He applies the logic, perfection, and precision of a watch to life as a whole. And anyone who interrupts that precision needs to be dealt with, in terrifying ways. We hope The Stowaway becomes one of your favorites as well!
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The Stowaway Comment Sweepstakes: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A purchase does not improve your chances of winning. Sweepstakes open to legal residents of 50 United States, D.C., and Canada (excluding Quebec), who are 18 years or older as of the date of entry. To enter, complete the “Post a Comment” entry at https://www.criminalelement.com/top-five-fictional-serial-killers/ beginning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) September 20, 2021. Sweepstakes ends at 8:59 a.m. ET October 4, 2021. Void outside the United States and Canada and where prohibited by law. Please see full details and official rules here. Sponsor: Macmillan, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
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Great post!
The Stowaway sounds like a wonderful variation of the locked-room mystery. Thanks for your generous offer
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Ooooh I am so ready for a story like this!
me to take me away
Looking forward to reading this book.
This looks super good!
Thanks, dying to read and review this, so fingers crossed!
Excited to read this!
I have read numerous excellent reviews. Can’t wait to read the book.
This book sounds like a great read! Can’t wait!
Will read and review
This sounds like a great read
I would love to read these
The serial killer I most love to hate killed Sweet on the tv show Bones. I cried like a baby.
This looks very interesting.
The Stowaway sounds very interesting. I must admit that I didn’t think Murr would be into writing a serious book, let alone a thriller. However, I look forward to buying it and reading the reviews!
Sounds good
great list to pay homage to
always happy to try a new author
I love thrillers. Thanks for the chance.
Generally, I stick with mysteries, but The Stowaway sounds great.
Sounds like a good “spine tingler”!
I’m really intrigued with The Stowaway.
When I saw that “Murr” co-authored a book, I was like, sign me up! I’ve watched Impractical Jokers since it began, and know how intelligent James is, so this is awesome!
Captivating and fascinating thriller.
Intriguing and enthralling mystery.
I look forward to reading tgis. Thank you for the opportunity.
Would love to win this book! Thank you for the chance.
An avid reader of cop procedurals, spy/espionage, and mystery/thrillers, I enjoy reading new to me authors. Time to add “The Stowaway” to the list.
Sounds like a great read for my Goodreads review page
Would LOVE to win!!
Can’t wait to read this book!!
Stowaway is definitely on my must read list.
I’ve been hearing a lot about this one, sounds good!
I’m glad that serial killers are mostly fiction.
Would love to add these to my winter reading stack!
Thank you so much for the opportunity to win a copy of THE STOWAWAY! This book looks really intriguing and definitely one to add to my TBR list.
This sounds so good! can’t wait to read it.
I definitely didn’t see #1 coming. Fun list!
Sounds like a great thriller.
Sounds exciting!
I have become enthralled witb thrillers & would love to read & subsequently add to my LITTLE FREE LIBRARY!
Sounds good
The Stowaway sounds like my kind of book. The main character seems to be very intriguing!
Looks like a great read! Would love to win.
Definitely excited to read this!
This would be a good book to take on my cruise in Dec.
on my to read list-would be great to win this fantastic sounding book.
I have enjoyed all your books so far and got my family hooked on them as well – keep writing please!
I can’t wait to read this!
This sounds great
Sounds like a great thriller! Thanks for sharing!
This book is on my wishlist. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
Been waiting for this one.
The Stowaway sounds like a page-turner! Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy.
Thank you for this chance to win 3 copy’s of your book that sounds exciting 📖😊
This book sounds great. Would love to win
Soo excited to read this book! Looks really good!
Sounds really good!
Would be very interested to read this.
This sounds like a great read! Thank you for this opportunity!
I would love to win this book!
Sounds like a fascinating read to me.
Go Murr!
I woulld love to read this book!
The Stowaway sounds wonderful. I love Murr, I didn’t know he wrote a book. Awesome.
This book sounds really interesting!
Sounds like a unique and fascinating version of the classic Locked Room Mystery which Agatha Christie introduced.
I think you missed a couple of better #1 candidates, The Tooth Fairy and, of course, Hannibal Lector. Interesting the they are all from the mind of Thomas Harris.
Can’t wait.
Murr is an author?! Very cool, I’m excited to read this!
Sounds like a great read, I’d love to win a copy, and signed too!
Love that these top five fictional serial killers are the inspiration and the secret ingredients to this enthralling STOWAWAY, and would love to read this thriller! Thank you for the giveaway!
I’m a cruiser and this sounds exciting!
Can’t wait to be able to read this. Thank you!
It sounds like a stay up all night reading book to me. I got the recliner a glass of wine and my 3 cats waiting for book night. Just need the book GLTA
Would love to read and review this awesome sounding book!
This sounds like an awesome book. I’ll ask my library to get your book.
The Stowaway sounds like just the book for me -thanks
I found “Saw” very scary!
creepy list
5 of my favorites also. Looking forward to diving into the Stowaway to get inside another tortured mind.
I’d find this an engrossing read.
It would be a thrill to win this thriller of the plot in this book… My favorite genre!
Many thanks, Cindi
Don’t forget Robert Mitchum’s preacher with LOVE HATE tattooed on his clasped fingers
What an intriguing premise for a thriller!
Sounds like a great book!
I’m excited to read this book. I love Impractical Jokers and Murrhas always been my favorite!!
WooHoo!! Sounds like a really good read! Would love to be one of the three winners. ❤️
I’d like to win a copy of this book.
Terrific list. Two characters are real standouts for me. Both John Doe and Jamie Gumb really caught my imagination. They’re terrific role models for any successful killer to emulate. Hope the book is another fabulous hit. Thanks for the chance to win a copy of the book.
Looks to be an incredible read. Fingers crossed!
This would be amazing to win. would love to read it.
Looks really interesting.
This sounds like my kind of book. Suspense and Mysteries love them. My favorite part is trying to figure out who the killer is before it is revealed.
This sounds good! Thak you for the chance to win a copy.
Please and Thank You!
I’d love to receive a copy!
Can’t wait to read it. Murr is my favorite Impractical Joker!
looking forward to reading this thriller
I would enjoy this story.
This sounds like a great read! Thank you for the giveaway chance.
This sounds so interesting. I am curious and would love to read how the Impractical Joker handles not-so-funny subject matter.
I would love to read The Stowaway—thanks for the chance to win a copy of the book!
I can’t wait to start reading!! Thank You!
I am excited to read this mystery book and figure out who did the crime on the boat. It offers a way to travel in these times of global pandemic
Look forward to reading this!
Looks and sounds amazing!!!!
This sounds interesting. Looking forward to reading Murr’s novel.
Can’t wait to read – hope I win!
Book looks great! Looking forward to reading it! Thanks for the opportunity…
The serial killers you listed are also some of my favorites. Insanely clever are they! Can’t wait to read The Stowaway!
Sounds great!
I love reading novels from authors I haven’t read before 🙂
Great list! John Kramer is top of mine, so diabolical & sadistic. Really looking forward to The Stowaway, would love to win a copy! Thank you for the chance.
Sounds like a great book by a multi-talented young man.
This looks good!!
Thanks for the opportunity. This looks really good. Also, Buffalo Bill is an excellent choice for number 1.
Absolutely love the cover of this book! Looking forward to reading this exciting (and frightening) mystery!
The Stowaway sounds like it will be a thrilling read. Can’t wait! By the way, American Psycho scared the mess out of me!
would like to read this : )
Follow him on Impractible Jokers would love to read book
Adding this to my to read list
Thank you for the chance to win!
Thank you so much for the chance! Can’t wait to read this book…and to see Murr at Spooky Empire!!!
I enjoyed reading this post because I agreed that the scariest serial killers are complex characters who have a definite plan, a clear agenda and understandable logic. As I was reading this post, I remembered all the murder mystery novels I had read in the past and I remembered the ones I enjoyed reading the most. “The Stowaway” sounds like it’s going to be an excellent novel!
Serial killer books are fun!
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