Letters to the Purple Satin Killer by Joshua Chaplinsky

Synopsis:

Jonas Williker is considered one of the most sadistic serial murderers of the modern era. This epistolary novel explores the aftermath of his arrest and the psychological trauma of those who lived through it. The Pennsylvania native brutalized his way into the zeitgeist during the early part of the new millennium, leaving a trail of corpses across five states before his eventual arrest. All told, Williker was responsible for the rape and murder of 23 women, and is suspected in the deaths of dozens more. His calling card—a torn piece of fabric found on or inside the bodies of his victims—helped popularize his now ubiquitous nickname. The Purple Satin Killer.  In the years following his arrest, Jonas Williker received hundreds of letters in prison. Collected here, these letters offer a unique glimpse into a depraved mind through a human lens, including contributions from family, the bereaved, and self-professed “fans.” They represent a chilling portrait of the American psyche, skewering a media obsessed culture where murderers are celebrities to revere. What you learn about the man from these letters will shock you, but not as much as what you learn about yourself.

Trigger Warnings:

My Edition:

ARC provided by the author (thanks, Joshua!)

My Thoughts:

I’ve read a lot of serial killer fiction in my time – but this is definitely one of the most unique. And upsetting. Epistolary novels can be challenging for some, but I promise you this one is worth your time. If you only read one epistolary novel in your life, let it be this one. You’ll want to set it down more than anything at points, but chances are good your brain will just refuse to send that command down to your hands. That big ol’ brain of yours is gonna want to see how this whole thing plays out.

I mean, on the one hand – we already have a pretty good idea, right? Jonas Williker, the Purple Satin Killer, is already in prison for his heinous crimes. But on the other hand, the world is a wild and ridiculous place and nothing is ever really certain. In the words of John Bender, “Screws fall out all the time. The world is an imperfect place.”

Here’s the thing that really freaks me out about this book: there is truly no limit to how fucking weird and unpredictable humans can be. You will plumb the gooey depths of them in Letters to the Purple Satin Killer. And they are WILD. Serial murderers just draw the unhinged to them, it seems. I mean, we’ve seen this play out plenty of times in real life, and that has just been skimming the absolute tippy-top of the garbage pile. I mean, I can’t imagine the things that aren’t known outside a small circle surrounding the convicted killer. We might just learn about one or two of the hybristophilia personalities (a word I learned reading this book – it involves having a sexual interest in and attraction to those who commit crimes. a.k.a. “Bonnie and Clyde syndrome”), and the ones who end up marrying the convicted person. Underneath the scuzzy foam of hybristophilia, there is an entire, somehow squickier underbelly. Have fun checking that out!

In all seriousness though, you never hear from the Purple Satin Killer himself, which is always a plus. But one person you here a LOT from is his mother. And her grief, and possibly her general way of existing in the world has made her a hot mess of delulu soup. Her letters are honestly among the most unsettling bits of writing in this otherwise settling (it’s not settling at all, I’m lying) collection of text.

Rating:

Letters to the Purple Satin Killer
By Joshua Chaplinsky
CLASH Books
Publication Date: August 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781960988096
Paperback
340 Pages