Member Reviews

A huge thank you to the author and publisher, for providing me with an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.
You want my honest review? This book was absolutely FANTASTIC! It hooked me from the first chapter and I devoured each and every one thereafter. We begin in Tennessee with Amber getting kidnapped by a serial killer and “rescued” by a ski mask wearing, cattle prod wielding, vigilante of sorts. “Ski mask” ends up being- a woman! She is reluctant to tell Amber how she found her and why she rescued her, she really just wants to move on. When the FBI comes around Ambers apartment, to discuss what happened to her, she knows the skeletons in her closet need to stay hidden. This leads to Amber skipping town and heading West to fabulous Las Vegas. When Amber is sent a file of recent kills in the area, “ski mask” and Amber are brought together once again and someone has a lot at stake.

I loved pretty much everything about this book. I read a lot of thrillers, and while I did guess one of the twists, there were plenty more to keep me guessing. This did have a lot of suspense, but the humor throughout made this a completely different reading experience than most. I will definitely be purchasing this book when it is released, as well as sharing my review then, and I could not recommend it more. I hope this becomes a series- I need to know what happens to Dot and Marcella! I need to know if Amber and “ski mask” reunite and use their skills to solve other crimes. Basically I just need more! So if Michelle Gagnon is reading this: please!

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This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope she writes more! I am totally hooked!

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I could not put this book down! It's the perfect cozy-ish mystery you need very campy and it balances having mystery/suspense and second guessing with humor and a touch of light heartedness. The writing was easy to get into and added to the easy way you can fly through this book. Like any other cozy mystery's I think it would be best to have a bit of suspension of belief while reading.
I will be looking for more Michelle Gagnon books in the future!

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This book drew me in with its premise and kept me reading with its humor and voice. It made me want to take a trip to Vegas and hang out with these characters. The narrator may not be entirely reliable, but as I reader I always felt that I was in good narrative hands. And I love a messy female main character. No spoilers here, but I will say the plot kept me guessing and I enjoyed every moment. This was my first book by Michelle Gagnon, but I will now be seeking out more of her work.

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In Killing Me, Amber starts out as the soon-to-be victim of a serial killer. She's rescued, but the woman who rescues her comes with her own set of complications--which instantly become Amber's problem, too. I can't say too much more than this without spoiling everything, but I can say I absolutely loved this! The humor was well-balanced, and despite having a funny edge, the book maintained tension, scariness, and delivered twists. Just when I thought I was one step ahead of the plot, nope, I was wrong. This was a great ride, and I highly recommend it.

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I stayed up way too late reading this one! A thriller about serial killers that’s also funny? A group of smart, crazy women running around Las Vegas trying to catch one of said serial killers? Psychological trauma, wild plot twists, huge grand plans to save the day? This book had so many things going on and it just all worked. I loved the whole Vegas group, the glimpses into the past, the interludes, and the fast pace at the end as everything came together. Every twist totally had me fooled, and I was smirking way more than you do reading a normal thriller. Such a good one…. and I was so excited to read “see you in the sequel” in the credits!

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Wasn't sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. I didn't know this author, and do like mysteries, so gave it a try. Some humor, pretty good pace and characters. Nice, fun book to read.

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The story starts off with Amber who is unlucky enough to be a victim of a serial killer but somehow happens to get away thanks to a mysterious woman. Darkly humorous with a lot of quirky situations shine despite the seriousness of serial murders.
I agree that the reader must suspend disbelief in plenty scenarios that are just too convenient and yes, a lot of puking puking by the main character.
The writing style reels you in though, it has a good flow and the personality of the twenty-something Amber feels believable. If you like serial killers, Las Vegas, and humor, this book is for you!

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What a fun book! It has the humor of Janet Evanovich, but I felt like the writing and story were more complex and the characters were better developed. The storyline was intriguing, the protagonist's voice was wry, but you could still feel some emotion. The book was a fast read and felt like it flowed easily. I didn't find myself bored and pushing through loads of exposition or side plots. I devoured the book in a day. If this ended up being a series, I would enjoy reading more.

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I loved the book and how it had so many twists and turns. I thought I had it all figured out but the easy the author wrote it, I had second guessed myself. The book could easily turn into a series that I would for sure read.

Great writing!

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I received an advance review copy of Killing Me via NetGalley, drawn by the playfulness of the cover and description. Despite being a thriller/murder mystery, the book offers such humor and quirkiness. The plot begins with the speaker/protagonist, Amber Jamison, facing a serial killer and somehow being saved by an unknown vigilante. These initial pages plodded along slowly with the unmistakable vibe that something more was about to happen.

I don't hand out five stars often, but I do for this book because it showed such easy prose, such fresh ideas and mixed everything into a blender and somehow spit out something palatable and cohesive. The characters have compelling back story. The side characters fall in and out of the text while somehow bringing stereotypes to three-dimensional life and gaining the reader's sympathy.

The book touches on queerness without making it a queer book, per se. The main character is a woman who dates women, and the book even offers mention of non-binary folks, but the novel itself remains mainstream.

If a murder mystery where the main character is set up to be a victim can be fun, this book is definitely fun.

The author does a magnificent job of building just the right amount of tension, danger and ridiculousness.

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I enjoyed the storyline of this book. There were a few surprises that I was not expecting! Especially at the end, it had me questioning if what I thought was wrong. I will definitely be checking out the Michelle Gagnon's other books!


Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the book and opportunity to share my thoughts.

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I absolutely loved this book! The voice is hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing at the bizarre situations the protagonist, Amber, found herself in. Normally I don't like serial killer books but a darkly comic one like this is right up my alley. I don't want to give too much away but it kept me guessing until the very end. Highly recommend to those who love wickedly funny thrillers.

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Killing Me
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 5/16/23
Author: Michelle Gagnon
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Pages: 336
GR: 4.25

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Amber Jamison cannot believe she’s about to become the latest victim of a serial killer—she’s savvy and street smart, so when she gets pushed into, of all things, a white windowless van, she's more angry than afraid. Then she’s saved by a mysterious woman…who promptly disappears. Her close call has law enforcement circling a past she’s tried to outrun. So she’s forced to flee, ending up at a seedy motel in Las Vegas with a noir-obsessed manager and a sex worker as her unlikely companions...and danger right behind. To survive, she's forced to dust off her old playbook and partner with someone she can’t trust. The odds are against her, but sometimes you just have to roll the dice.

My Thoughts: Who knew that an epic suspenseful thriller could be so darn funny? Gagnon does it so well and gracefully. Amber is a bad ass heroine that is funny, bold, sarcastic while being a kind person. The plot was set so brilliantly, you really did not know what character to trust or what events to believe. I do not want to give too much away to not spoil it for readers. Just know this book is funny, suspenseful, and fast paced! The characters were developed well with depth, humor, twisted, intriguing, and creatively woven throughout the story. The author’s writing style was complex, dark, suspenseful, funny, and just brilliant. If you love the Finlay Donovan series like I do, you will love this, so go preorder NOW! I can see this being a best-seller.

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I thank the author, Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for offering this arc. I thought the premise was intriguing, and it was. This was a good romp. The suspense was good and the flip/flops were satisfying. The author displays a dispassionate harshness toward her characters that I admire. Really.

It is, however, completely unhinged from reality, which is part of the fun. Does anyone else wonder how our heroine is constantly being hurt and manages to find healthcare despite serious injuries? That seems to be a real meme in thrillers these days. . . don't these people worry about fake indentities and no insurance cards? No deductibles? No copay? (But I digress. . . you can tell what my year has been like.) And then there's the "Oh, here's a positive surprise that you had no idea was coming that will change your life. Don't misplace it!"

So, an enjoyable romp like a frothy souffle that you can pretend you didn't love and ignore the calories. I will read the blurb on the upcoming sequel and maybe give it a whirl. And I'll check out the author's other series.

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Sex workers, drug addicts, con artists, and serial killers. What an incredibly diverse cast of kooky characters. The humor is dry and quirky just like I like it and everyone is flawed yet a few are still lovable. I had no idea where this book was going to take me but it was an enjoyable psychological thriller/dark comedy. Some of it was a bit cheesy and clichéd but it added to the charm overall. If you love books about female relationships (friends, family, and lovers), serial killer thrillers, and supremely flawed heroines, then this is a book for you.

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I wish I had more stars to give this wonderful book! Actually, 100 wouldn’t be enough! I was expecting a thriller/murder mystery, but I didn’t expect it to be laugh out loud FUNNY! I even read passages to my husband, out of context, & he laughed, too! She writes like we think, and says the internal stuff out loud. It’s real, poignant & thought provoking. But mostly, it’s a fun ride!

You can read the book’s description above, so I’ll just say that even though some of the elements were a little far fetched, I could suspend my disbelief for this book. The characters were all likable, well except for the murders, but even then, this author gave reasonable, interesting descriptions of them. To think I was almost scared off in the first 5 pages! I would’ve missed one of the best, funniest, & well-written books I’ve ever read!

I couldn’t put this book down, & at the same time, I didn’t want it to end. I look forward to the sequel, & I’m going to look up her other books & read them. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to #NetGalley for giving me an ARC copy of #KillingMe by #MichelleGagnon. I appreciate the opportunity to read it in exchange for my honest review.

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Amber has been kidnapped. She's come to terms with her fate, realizing she's going to become the next victim, left at the mercy of the Pokemon Go Killer. Aside from the crushing reality of death being on the way...like, RIGHT NOW, it's especially disheartening since she's done everything she could to rebuild her life. Her sordid past is all but behind her and she was so close to finishing up her degree, living her new life. Until she's saved. A mysterious woman swoops in, freeing Amber. But why is she chasing serial killers? Why did she choose to save Amber? Either way, the cops are involved and Amber has not choice but to flee, choosing Vegas to lay low and dodge the law. She can run but, she can't hide: someone far more sinister is hot on her heels.

Killing Me has a different energy than typical thrillers, perfectly meshing action and giggles, resulting in an over-the-top story that is consistently in motion. The foolery reeled me in immediately. I internally cackled at the Pokemon Go killer, Amber's thoughts, literally every conversation between Dot and Jess. The imagery is exciting, the text lit up in neon, I can't imagine another setting but Vegas for the plot to unfold.

Every character and relationship glows, their strength not inherently stated but, shining through nonetheless. I'm a sucker for women-centric works, and even more so when they're unabashedly themselves. There's no question each of the main characters here are bold and brazen in their own rite, a force when put together.

While some of the plot points are far fetched, the absurdity works. If Amber, Dot, and Marcella weren't depicted in the way Gagnon did, I wouldn't have believed the situations they got into (and Dot got them out of) throughout but, because of how daring they are, I didn't question it. This allowed for insane twists that had me guessing until the last 90% of the book, questioning all I'd learned up until that point.

Reminiscent of the setting itself, every story element is abuzz and over the top: campy characters, colorful dialogue, inconceivable situations. Does some of it seem unimaginable? Yes but, who cares! It's FUN! Highly recommend this when you're in a silly goofy mood but make it murder.

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Round up to 4.5

First time I read a book by this author and it won't be my last time! I read this book in one setting so fast paced and twisty and thrilling. Highly recommend ! Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for my complementary E Arc.

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Loved this book !! It’s a crazy spin on the serial killer craze. From the first page the story takes you on a wild and sometimes hard to believe ride. Lots of dry humor mixed in with murder and unexpected friendships. I’m looking for to a sequel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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