True crime is so hot right now. Whether in the form of podcasts, Netflix series, or books, we’re all serial killer-obsessed. So much so that we’re starting to get mail from serial killers.
Subscription box Hunt a Killer is tapping into the cultural wildfire of this genre and allowing people to join a gritty investigation without being in real harm’s way or losing your mind a la Brad Pitt yelling “What’s in the box?” (Although you might end up saying that here, anyway.)
Hunt a Killer was born from the question, “What if a serial killer delivered a package to your doorstep each month?” Boom, the niche subscription box service was born.
First of all, a serial killer subscription box is such a rad idea as we’re getting tired of receiving beard balms and bacon. (Just kidding about the last one. Send all the bacon.) Launched in January 2017, Hunt a Killer sends a monthly membership box (at $30 per month) to subscribers filled with clues, codes, and ciphers related to a larger serial killer plot.
Once you get a box of clues from your killer, you must use logic, real-life research, intuition, and problem-solving skills to crack the case. A new box is shipped on the 22nd of each month with more clues, codes, etc., and slowly but surely you become a homicide detective of sorts.
There are multiple storylines developed for Hunt a Killer by professional murder mystery writers on staff, so rest easy knowing whichever caper you get won’t be an easy solve. In fact, there are Facebook groups and chat boards aplenty dedicated to making sense of the clues. One killer, for instance, is a young man named Jasper Flowers. He’s obsessed with clocks, has violent tendencies, and was convicted of murder and dismemberment. Have fun with that one.
Each story has six “episodes” or boxes, so clear out your home office and get ready to obsess. (Add red string and thumbtacks to the grocery list.) “Think of each episode as part of a season with each monthly episode building upon itself. It’s up to you to use the clues provided to put together the story and see it through the end — and solve the crime,” says Hunt a Killer’s website.
With the subscription, you can cancel any time or become a “premium” subscriber and drop $99-$227 a month for specially developed storylines that are made to “binge-solve.” Regular subscribers say the ordinary subscription stories are already super dense, intricate, and addictive. Either way, let your imagination take hold and believe you’re pen palling with a legit sociopath.
If you’re more into paranormal stories and shows, the subscription box Empty Faces, which functions in the same way as Hunt a Killer, might be more your style. They prompt: “What if an evil spirit found its way into your home each month?”
Not into murder and spirits and hauntings? Stick to your outdoorsman subscription box and call it a day.
