V. A. VAZQUEZ
V. A. VAZQUEZ was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, where she currently teaches English. She received her BA in English from Barnard College and used to live in Scotland in a town inhabited by more sheep than people.
THE DEATH ROW CLUB
Gallery/Scout Press — July 14, 2026
A dark, dazzlingly original thriller about a woman invited to an annual weekend getaway for the adult children of serial killers...but when one of the participants ends up dead, they begin to wonder if someone among them might be carrying on gruesome family traditions.
When Nicola Fischer’s father is arrested for the murder of five women—including her best friend—the entire world watches it unfold on To Catch a Killer, the hit true crime show hosted by Greer Woods. Overnight, Nicola becomes a pariah: fired from her job, drowning in debt, and shunned by everyone she knows. And to make matters worse, Greer—once a budding friend and fellow child of a serial killer—hasn’t returned a single call since the show aired.
Then comes an unexpected invitation to the Death Row Club, a secret retreat for the adult children of serial killers—founded by none other than Greer herself. Desperate for answers and human connection, Nicola agrees to go. At first, it seems like exactly what she needs. The club members are strange but welcoming, and Greer seems eager to mend their fractured friendship.
But when a mysterious girl arrives, claiming her father is a killer too, the club’s fragile peace is shattered. By morning, the girl has vanished. By afternoon, one of the club members is dead.
Now everyone is watching Nicola. After all, she’s the daughter of a monster. And monsters raise monsters…don’t they?
Praise for tHE dEATH rOW cLUB
An Amazon Editors Pick
A Goodreads Most-Anticipated New Book
A Jordy’s Book Club Most-Anticipated Summer Read of 2026
A She Reads Most-Anticipated Thriller of Summer 2026
A Scared Straight Reads Most-Anticipated Thriller
“Debut author Vazquez makes a splash with this intense and canny story featuring the distraught daughter of a serial killer . . . [she] makes good on her provocative premise, delivering chills and surprises with aplomb. Readers will be eager to see what the author does next.” —Publishers Weekly
“Vazquez turns the serial killer trope on its head in this fascinating debut . . . Nicola’s voice grabs the reader on the first page and doesn’t let go.” —Booklist
“It roped me in from the first chapter and did not untie me until the final page . . . My favorite part of doing monthly book reviews for BookPage is happening upon an author’s debut novel and finding it to be unputdownable. The Death Row Club is Unputdownable with a capital-U.” —Bookpage, starred review
“Vazquez creates an intriguing hook in her psychological thriller, with a dual-point-of-view narrative that pulls the audience in and keeps readers guessing until the end . . . The premise and pace of Vazquez’s novel are both well done, and the story holds readers tight..” —Library Journal
“Vazquez has written an enthralling story about the adult children of serial killers. A darkly fascinating look at the usually unspoken horrors that killers leave behind which asks how far you’ll go to protect yourself and your family.” —Indiex Next List
“[A] striking debut . . . Part description of life as the child of a serial killer and part thrilling mystery, it is an outstanding story written with empathy, tension and style.” —Daily Mail (UK)
“The set-up for this one is irresistible: murder at a weekend getaway for the children of serial killers. That’s all the information I need to know how thoroughly I’ll enjoy it!” —Crimereads
“There are books you read slowly, savoring every page, and then there are books that grab you by the collar and don’t let go. The Death Row Club is firmly the second kind. This is a debut novel, and it reads like Vazquez arrived fully formed.” —The Gloss
“Readers will have to stay on their toes to keep up with this tense, tightly wound, and layered thriller . . . [a] unique and intricately crafted debut.” —firstCLUE
“Vazquez creates an intriguing hook in her psychological thriller, with a dual-point-of-view narrative that pulls the audience in and keeps readers guessing until the end . . . The premise and pace of Vazquez’s novel are both well done, and the story holds readers tight..” —Library Journal
“Compelling, provocative, and absorbing. Vazquez thrills with a fresh and unforgettable premise.” —Karin Slaughter, New York Times and #1 international bestselling author
“The Death Row Club’ is addictive, smart, and at times terrifying—in the very best way. It's the kind of book that takes a terrific concept and executes it flawlessly. I couldn't, wouldn't put it down. V.A. Vazquez is definitely one to watch.” —Clémence Michallon, internationally bestselling author of The Quiet Tenant
“The Death Row Club’s fresh, enticing premise is sure to draw you in, but what’ll keep you turning the pages of this brilliant debut novel is V.A. Vazquez’s deft handling of her characters’ complexities and complicities as they grapple with how to forgive their parents, each other, and — most challenging of all — themselves. This is my favorite kind of thriller: nailbiting action mixed with plenty of substance, plus a delicious side dish of sapphic romance!” —Layne Fargo, bestselling author of The Favorites and They Never Learn
“Dark as sin and voicey as hell, The Death Row Club is one of the most audacious, jaw-dropping, and morbidly funny thrillers I’ve ever read. With her morally gray serial killer progeny in tow, Vazquez streaks onto the scene bright as a comet, one of the freshest and most promising new voices in crime fiction. This twisted delight is bound to be a megahit.” —Ashley Winstead, USA Today-bestselling author of This Book Will Bury Me
"A debut so accomplished and propulsive that it is guaranteed to be the thriller everyone is talking about. Twisty and addictive, I was on the edge of my seat from the first sentence until the last!" —Sian Gilbert, author of She Started It
"Victoria Vazquez has a wicked and wonderful imagination, and a masterful ability to tell a story. I already cannot wait to see what she’ll do next." —May Cobb, bestselling author of The Hunting Wives
"A locked room thriller featuring the adult children of notorious murderers, The Death Row Club delivers on its fascinating premise with a story that’s equal parts tense and twisty. V. A. Vazquez’s nuanced focus on victims—both dead and living—as well as her moody but empathetic prose and diabolically clever plotting make this debut a killer." —Megan Collins, author of Cross My Heart and The Family Plot