What would you do to save the one you loved? Would you go to extremes and help pull off a stranger on a train scenario? The Kill Club by Wendy Heard had this vibe as I read it. I have been in a bit of a thriller mood lately as other titles have just felt blah. This was a good read as we first meet Jazz whose sibling was adopted by their foster mother. The thing now is that once Carol got ahold of what she wanted, she kicked Jazz out of the house and threatened her with Joaquin. If she doesn't follow Carol's rules then Jazz will never get to see him again. Jazz can't bear losing him and is offered an opportunity to get rid of Carol. All she has to do is join a secret society called Blackbirds and kill someone else who deserves it and in return, someone will kill Carol on her behalf. The group doesn't give second or third chances though and normally if someone fails then they end up the target. Jazz's first two tries have failed and now she is being hunted if she's not careful she will not only be framed for murder but she could risk losing the one person she cares most about in this world - Joaquin. In a way, I did enjoy this book but in parts, Jazz frustrated me as she had a moral compass but not quite. I have always wondered what I would do for the person I love most, would I kill for them? I'm not quite sure as I have never been pushed, but I believe if push came to shove - most of us would kill to protect the ones we love if their life was on the line and even more so if it was them or a stranger. Just remember people, the first rule of The Kill Club is the easiest - do not talk about The Kill Club.

This is a psychological thriller I will definitely recommend! I did need to read several chapters that were a bit confusing but after that each chapter kept me glued to the book more and more, not wanting to put it down till I got the end!

RATING: 2.5 STARS
2019; Mira/Harlequin

I really wanted to like this one as it seemed like an edgy mystery, but it fell kind of short at times. While I understood why the point of view needed to shift, it sort of made it a bit hard to get attached to anyone to feel invested. I neither liked or hated the characters, but found them a bit wooden. I do like action films and romance stories, so I do give a lot of leeway to plots. This one started intriguing but then just seemed a bit too much.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

This was so good. There were twists and turns at every step, and just when you think you have it figured out, there's yet another twist.

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this at the moment. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

Jazmine Benavides is the sister that we could all want. She makes it her mission to protect her brother Joaquin from an abusive foster mother that neglects him by withholding medication due to her religious beliefs. Jazz gets a call that makes her ponder “How far will you go to protect a loved one?”. Enter the Kill Club a network of killers who will help her, but in order to get into this clique, she must take a life to save a life.
Kill club was a fast-paced thriller that I enjoyed. It was a quick read that even though it was told by multiple POV, flowed well and the author tied the plot and characters together nicely. Even though the book is a suspense/thriller the author touches on the topics of bisexuality, the foster care system, and homelessness, which you don’t typically see. I think this book has something for everyone.


Thank you to Harlequin/MIRA for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

Jazz is in a bit of a mess. Her younger brother is still stuck in the foster care system and living with their abusive foster mother Carol. He is diabetic and Carol refuses to give him his insulin. Jazz will stop at nothing to protect Joaquin, even though she's a grown adult and not living under the same roof anymore, it won't stop her from going to the ends of the Earth to save him. Though this time, she'll be cutting it close, Child Services refuse to step in and no one will listen to her. She's at her wits end, until she receives an anonymous phone call from a blocked number with the person on the other end offering her a solution to her problem. An underground network of people are out helping take out the abuser of another person in the network, the police think it's a serial killer, but those involved with the organisation know better, the murders are dubbed the Blackbird Killings, and they've asked Jazz to join them. Someone will take care of Carol, all Jazz has to do is kill a stranger, easy, right?

I originally requested this because of the blurb, it intrigued me so much. A secret, underground organisation of people who murder the abusers of others and no one knows who the others are? It sounds complex and in depth and I'm here for it. It didn't disappoint either.

Jazz is around the age of 30, she's been out on her own for a while thought but obviously is still doing her best to care for her younger brother Joaquin because their foster mother is off the rails. She's gotten heavily back in with her shady church and believes that Joaquin's diabetes will be healed by God, therefore not believing in giving him his insulin. Jazz almost lost Joaquin once before from a similar situation and doesn't want to risk it happening again. This kid is all she cares about in her life. She lives in a dangerous part of town, and is known at the health care centers by name because she's forever getting patched up after ending up in a fight. It's one of the reasons why Child Protective Services wouldn't allow her to adopt him, or so she believes anyway. So when she ends up with an old flip phone in her possession she thinks nothing of it, until a guy dies at one of her band's shows, and she thinks she might have encountered the murderer as they were making their getaway. Once she receives a phone call from the head of the Blackbirds, she starts on a slippery slope in order to save Joaquin, however things don't exactly go to plan and this was where the pacing really started to pick up.

The book wasn't boring really at any point, and I honestly felt the desperation and terror that Jazz was experiencing throughout the entire story, I won't lie, it was setting my anxiety off a little because I just didn't know how she was going to get out of it. The story was relatively fast paced and kept you guessing. I had no idea who the head of the Blackbirds were, I had a suspicion fairly early on but I ended up being wrong. It wasn't until the reveal that everything fell into place and made total sense, and I didn't guess it before this so it's a massive win in my book.

The story takes a look at the horrors of the foster care system and I guess the red tape and trouble that people have when attempting to deal with child protective services, at least in the states. This is a story of a desperate woman who's just trying to do her damn best even though she knows she'll probably fail because she has such a low level of faith in herself that it's terrifying at times.

The set up of the underground network is absolutely brilliant and makes me wonder if something like this has actually happened before, and if it hasn't'...how come? I don't want to go into too much detail because I feel like it's better not really knowing a whole lot going into this story. All I'll say is that it was fast paced, I was rooting for Jazz the whole way and she was such a believable character full of flaws, which I love. You really can't help but hope with all your might that she'll come out the other end victorious, but honestly, you just don't know if she will most of the time.

The story jumps between perspectives a fair bit, though the majority of the time we're reading through Jazz's eyes, we do experience things from the police detective's points of view, as well as some of the other Blackbirds points of views when they go on their killings. It could get a little confusing at times but overall it wasn't TOO hard to follow what was going on. It rounded things out a bit more and I guess gave us more of an understanding as to the kinds of people in the organisation and how much of a normal person they really are.

While this book was enjoyable, and I felt like the story was a fresh one in the psychological thriller/crime genre, it didn't give me that good book vibe that I search for, though in writing this review I've actually decided to bump it up to a 4 star read because 3.5 felt a bit too harsh.

Wendy Heard is such a great author! This book kept me hooked the whole entire time. She creates characters who are flawed but you root for anyway.

The Review
The tension and action that makes a great thriller are present from the first page, jumping out at the reader and introducing this new world that truly tests a person’s morality. The question of whether taking a life to save another is justified really comes to life as the reader dives further and further into this world.

The character development and relationships are what really makes this novel so great, highlighting the tough reality of the law being unable to prove the harmful acts people inflict on one another, and those who take the law into their own hands as a result. The desperation to save those individuals that people love from harmful individuals can drive them to do the most chilling things and is showcased throughout the entirety of this novel.

The Verdict
A must-read thriller during this holiday season, The Kill Club by Wendy Heard is filled with suspense, fantastic character arcs, and a shocking twist that will change the nature of the novel moving forward, leaving fans on the edge of their seats. Be sure to grab your copies today!

Well written captivating thriller, well developed, good pace, interesting from page 1.

Would love to see this as a movie!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I surprising foray into the world of vigilantism. Scary, but plausible...the best kind of fiction! Will recommend!

I really enjoyed every page of this suspense/thriller book and couldn't seem to read fast enough! I really enjoyed this one a lot with all of the plot twists you didn't see coming!

This book is absolutely BRILLIANT, I cannot believe I waited so long to read it! It is so difficult sometimes to find a thriller or suspense book that truly surprises me, and yet, this one kept me on my toes from start to finish, and did NOT disappoint!

I love the way Wendy writes, the story was so incredibly fast paced that I couldn't stop reading it once I started - every chapter left me desperate to know more and to see what would happen to everyone involved.

This book blew my socks off and I cannot WAIT for what is next!

Thank you, Harlequin for my gifted review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, I snagged this one as soon as I could get my hands on it. The storyline is dark, twisty, gripping, and right up our alley. Love the characters in this one & I could hardly keep up with all the turns & surprises. This one definitely sucks you in.

Thank you for the opportunity to be an early reader.

Fabulous thriller, absolutely loved this book and it was a total page turner. Would definitely recommend this read.

"First rule of the murder club. Don't talk about murder club. Got it. "

New to me author Wendy Heard captured my attention with her "murder club". You're invited to participate, to name a person making your life miserable, and take your assignment. Agreed that you need to kill someone and get away with it; a syringe of poison, a disguise, instructions on how to and your life is changed. You become a member of the "Blackbird" club, an agent of change.

At the center of the story is Jasmine "Jazz" Benavides, and she stands to protect her brother Joaquin from a foster mother and neglects him by denying medical care he requires, and the abuse she has endured for yours at her hand. The invitation to the club first goes declined, but Jazz gets pushed a little too far, and her world begins to spin out of control. Mistakes are doubly deadly, and soon Jazz finds herself on the run from a powerful fore, that seems to know where she is , what she thinks and how she'll react. But they don't count on Jazz's determined natured, the depth of passion and love she feels.

This story is fast-paced, sitting on the edge of your seat, read, that culminates in a twisty ending yet sublime ending. I found myself completely engrossed in the characters and the ethical dilemma that partaking in the "murder club" leaves them in. There's a myriad of characters to follow, keeping the story and relationships dynamic. I highly recommend this to readers of thrillers and mysteries alike. 4.5 stars!

This is a thrilling read! I love a revenge plot and this is one of the best. Jazz and her Brother are victims of a sadistic foster Mother. Jazz received a call to join a vigilante group where a member must murder a abuser for another and then her problem will be taken care of. Jazz enters a darker world to save her Brother. Soon Jazz is running for her life and determined to save her Brother.
This is such a exceptional well crafted story. The plot is multi layered and the action kept me turning pages into the night. A very enjoyable read. I look forward to further work by the author. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. I highly recommend this book.

I had just finished reading The Chain by Adrian McKinty, and when I started The Kill Club I feared it was two versions of the same plot. Thank goodness I was wrong. This tale of a young woman's fight to save her brother from his abusive adoptive mother is gripping and heart-wrenching. Jazz is a refreshing protagonist: smart, street-wise, damaged, focused and self-supporting. She doesn't have time to lament the shit deal she has been given because her sole focus is saving her brother. When she is offered a seemingly foolproof opportunity to save Joaquin, the only thing standing in her way is her moral compass and the mysterious Kill Club who threatens to destroy her if she doesn't adhere to their rules.

I couldn't put The Kill Club down once I started it, and it remains one of the best books I've read this year.

This is the story of Jazz who would do absolutely anything for her little brother Joaquin. Worried about his safety at the hands of their diabolical foster Mom, who refuses to give him his insulin because "God" will manage his diabetes, Jazz has run out of options. She then receives a phone call with a solution to end it all and make her brother safe again but with one condition. The Kill Club asks - how far would you go to protect someone you love?
Author Wendy Heard creates unique, compelling characters and the story pretty much had me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book.
This is an intense story with crazy twists and turns!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin/MIRA for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

A product of her decisions within a harsh justice system, Jazz does her best to protect her little brother Joaquin from his adopted (her foster) mother’s irresponsible religious response to his diabetes. Approached by a vigilante via phone, she resists at first, but gives in to the exchange of murders, though her first two attempts are thwarted, and she is then targeted. That the killings are obvious murders belie the idea that there’s an elaborate secret killing machination in place, especially since it does not seem to include an effective contingency plan. I received a digital copy from the publisher Mira Books through NetGalley, my request based on my appreciation for her previous book Hunting Annabelle, which I found brilliant.