“Every town has a Main Street. Now every town is a target.
Four murders. Four weeks. One impossible connection: every victim lived at 138 Main Street.
FBI Special Agent Ben Walker and rookie officer Zoe Hill know the killer’s next address. But with more than seven thousand Main Streets across America, they have no idea where he’ll strike.
Then the Main Street Killer releases his manifesto – and the murders become a warning.
His threat is nationwide. His deadline is closing in. And unless Ben and Zoe can find him, the heart of every town in America will become a killing ground.
The ultimate needle-in-a-haystack thriller, perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay.“
Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of 138 Main Street by Gavin Bell. 138 Main Street was published by Simon & Schuster on 7th May 2026 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow. I chose to read a free eARC of 138 Main Street but that has in no way influenced my review.
Seriously, how impossible is that cover and blurb to resist? I couldn’t. As soon as I saw this book, I HAD to read it. This is my type of story. These are the type of serial killer books I LOVE. Gimme, gimme, gimme! 😂
There’s been a murder! But for Special Agent Ben Walker, that’s pretty much an everyday thing. When a second murder takes place, it doesn’t look as though they’re linked at first. But as the details are processed, a surprising similarity emerges. The address was 138 Main Street. Both murders happened in different states, but shared the same street name and identical house number. The only problem is, there are thousands upon thousands of Main Streets in the country. How does Walker know which residence will be targeted next? It’s an impossible feat. With the help of local cop Zoe Hill, it’s down to Walker and his team to find the smallest needle in the largest haystack. Which state will be next? Will a killer come knocking on your door…?
138 Main Street needs to be made into a TV series or a movie. It would work so well on the screen with its high-tension, non-stop action. I really enjoyed the concept of this one. A seemingly random killer selecting their victims according to their home address. Lovely stuff. And I was also looking forward to it because of the author. Gavin Bell has been writing for a while now, but under several different names (this is the first under Gavin Bell). I’ve been meaning to pick his books up for YEARS. Literally years. There was no way on earth I could let this one pass me by though.
I enjoyed the characters. I was left asking myself if this could be the start of a new series featuring Walker and Hill as returning characters. I had a quick Google but couldn’t find anything to suggest they would be, which would be a shame. I feel the author has the beginnings of something rather promising with this duo. I warmed to both Walker and Hill. I enjoyed how underdog Hill rises through the ranks, leaving her male colleagues in the dust. The investigation really is a needle in a haystack, and I loved how wonderfully impossible that feels to the characters at times. How do you start with something like this? Where do you start? Yet despite the large canvas the killer has to work with, the book also felt a little claustrophobic. Some of the residents aren’t able to leave their homes due to lack of finances, poor health or just plain stubbornness. These people were trapped and, potentially, a sitting duck for a cold-hearted killer. Could their luck have finally run out?
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. 138 Main Street (or 138 Main in the US) is a tension-laden, full-on thrill-ride of a novel. Alongside the investigators, we get to see inside the heads and lives of some of the 138 residents. The apprehension, the fear that they could be next. It all adds beautifully to the overall intensity of the novel. The characters are well written and, as I said before, I hope they make a return in the future with an equally complex and baffling case. I was able to guess one aspect, but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the novel overall. I think the author has done an excellent job of keeping the reader involved in the story with the fast-paced narrative. All in all, I very much enjoyed 138 Main Street and look forward to more from Bell in the future. Gripping, highly readable and thrilling throughout. The type of serial killer thriller I need more of. Recommended.
I chose to read and review a free eARC of 138 Main Street. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
Gavin Bell is the author of 138 Main Street, published in 2026 by Simon & Schuster.
Under the pseudonym of Mason Cross, Gavin wrote the Carter Blake series of thrillers published by Orion. The first, The Killing Season, was published in 2014 and was longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. It was followed by four further novels in the series, including the Richard and Judy Book Club selection, The Samaritan. He has also written standalone thrillers as Alex Knight, including Hunted and Darkness Falls.
He lives in Glasgow with his wife and three children.
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