I enjoyed reading this book. It left me in suspense. the ending was not what I expected and had me second guessing myself as well. I do hope there is a sequel where Amber, Dot, and Grace can work together again. There was a phrase the author used throughout the book that I could do without, “honest to god”, she says it a few times throughout the book. I felt we would have gotten the feel without the phrase.

I enjoyed how all the main characters were women and they were able to get things done on their own. Men were there to help, but with no big attributes.

I would recommend this book to others. It was a quick and easy read. I could follow along well.

This book is a perfect read for the spooky season that is right upon us. This book was suspenseful and kept me on my toes at all times. I was rooting for the main character the whole time. This book was amazing.

Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon is labeled as a thriller but it's more than that. It's a road trip across the U.S., a book about female friendships, second chances, and of course, a murder mystery. The story opens with the narrator, Amber, being abducted: the latest victim in a string of murders. As the blurb describes, Amber escapes the serial killer and begins a cross-country first to escape this latest tragic incident clouding her past. During her journey, she gets caught up in a convoluted goose chase (no spoilers) that takes many twists and turns. Each character, Amber included, is a caricature of the role they are playing, over the top in every way (e.g. a serial killer that pains his victims like pokemon so that the police are playing a real life version of pokemon go). As a reader, you really have to immerse yourself in the story and suspend belief in certain elements of reality for a bit because the details at times are so theatrical. In her acknowledgments, Gagnon says more than anything she wanted the book to be fun and it is certainly so! Fun, light, and quick read, this would make a good beach or vacation read.

This book started out really funny and bizarre and I was enjoying it. It all fell kind of flat in Las Vegas. The second serial killer line didn't really take off for me and I was not at all interested in a gay romance and sex book. So, I left it at about half way through and wish the author much success with her readers.

Who knew a book involving a serial killer could be so enjoyable and fun?  A bizarre statement but you’ll agree when you meet this snarky, wisecracking, kindhearted cast of characters.
   This Thriller/Mystery starts with a hilarious kidnapping then being saved by a serial killer.  A strange “friendship" ensues between the victim and her rescuer and they then take the reader on a strange road trip with a final destination in Las Vegas.
   Your preconceived ideas of the darker side of this glamorous city are obliterated when the souls that reside in this lesser community all collaborate and become scouts, spies, handlers; all to help locate a dangerous killer. They are a family and it shows.
   There’s another family interaction that is really the basis of the story and is abounding in twists and turns till the final page.
   Totally entertaining in spite of the subject matter.

I had not previously heard of this author and went into the book pretty blind. What I found was a really good mystery/thriller. It was at times dark and a bit twisted, but also laugh out loud funny. I really loved these characters and the story was a bit of a different take on a thriller. The noir vibe was perfect for this time of year as well. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this advanced copy. Highly recommend this wild ride of a story!

Oh. My. God.

(I received this ebook as a NetGalley ARC! Thank you for this opportunity!)

I will be talking about this book for the rest of my goddamned life because I think I'm in love. If you told me a few months ago that one of my favourite reads of 2022 was a Mystery/Thriller as well as a Comedy, I would have laughed. But this? This is brilliant.

This book starts with our main character kidnapped. And I was already fighting a smile because how on Earth am I one page in and already finding it hilarious? Every moment of this book was put together so well and the climax had my nervous as I ate my bagel. Applause to Gagnon because bagel-eating time is supposed to be relaxed.

I adore Amber and Ski Mask and holy hell I am ready and waiting for the sequel!

Can't wait for everyone to read this in May. It's incredible.

An absolute page turner with so many plot twists and turns that made me laugh often. Amber, Dot, and Marcella were such lovable characters. While the subject matter was heavy and dark, the dry humor and personalities of the characters balanced it out perfectly. It kept me on my toes and I wasn’t ever able to predict what would happen next, which is something I really value in a thriller/mystery.

I could not enjoy this book at all. It was fun, but the writing felt childish and unpolished like I was reading an adult's book written by a children's writer. The plot was insane: a murder victim who used to be a scam artist gets embroiled in schemes in Las Vegas. Drama and twists ensue, all of which gave me whiplash, but less in a wow-I-never-saw-that-coming way, and more in a that-makes-no-sense-what-is-she-talking-about-way. I gave this two stars instead of one, because I got into the plot just a little towards the last 10% of the book, with all the incredulity of it all, but it wasn't enough to rescue it. A Wattpad murder-comedy, if you will.

4.5/5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐆𝐢𝐬𝐭": Amber is kidnapped by a serial killer, stripped naked, shaved head to toe, and painted blue... and that's just in the first chapter. 🤣 After escaping her captor, she flees to Vegas to find that, 𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺, ANOTHER killer is after her. With her team of misfits (a noir-obsessed motel owner, a serial killer huntress, and a prostitute) Amber is determined to stop this guy once and for all. ⁣
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𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 💭: Dang. This was enjoyable. 🤣⁣
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With a cast of quirky, loveable characters, a Las Vegas setting, and actual laugh out loud moments mixed with moments of true nail-biting suspense...I promise you haven't read a thriller quite like this one. ⁣
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Because this book is so outlandish (in a good way!) you definitely need to suspend belief a bit to get through some of the more out-there moments. But if you can do that, you're really going to love this!⁣
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Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review! This was such a fun and crazy ride!⁣
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𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝗪𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞 👍:⁣
- The characters (Dot was an easy Fave)⁣
- The love/hate relationship between Grace and Amber⁣
- The humor! It perfectly offset those moments of terror and heart-pounding action. ⁣
- The way the setting was incorporated into the story was FABULOUS. ⁣
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𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 👎:⁣
- The first third of the book definitely had those moments where I was like "𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭. 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺?" I feared the story was going to go off the rails QUICKLY. Which it did. 🤣 But not in a bad way. One you get into the vibe of the book, it's hard not to fall in love. ⁣
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𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 📖: You like quirky thrillers, Vegas settings, and LGBT heroines! ⁣
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𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: R (for content and language)⁣
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𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝗪𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Drug use⁣
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𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐧 𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐟 📖: ⁣
✔️ Will keep forever and recommend to everyone!

I guess I’m just not a fan of funny type thrillers? I really tried to get into this one and just couldn’t do it. I’m more of a serious thriller type reader. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

woman. After fleeing to Vegas Amber finds herself caught up in another killers game and must work with a group of unlikely companions to survive.

This a thriller packed with humor. It was a quick, fun read. I was constantly shocked by what happened next and never knew what to believe. I enjoyed the way this book kept me on edge but was also funny and playful at the same time.

This is one of those books where it’s clearly fiction bc there’s no way all of the events would happen in real life but that is what made it such a fun read for me. I literally finished this book in a day.

I will say I don’t think this book will be for everyone, but if you like over the top plot twists and humor mixed with thriller then this is the book for you

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


Suspenseful, interesting, entertaining characters. What a ride.

5 stars!! Totally recommend this fast, fun, enticing read. A wonderful piece of snarky crime fiction with a female-forward cast of imperfect heroines. I don’t want to give any spoilers away, just want to INSIST that you read this book if you want a good time. It’s gritty and gripping, and allowed me to view a “movie in my mind”. Speaking of, I wouldn’t be surprised if this book gets optioned.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book certainly started with a hilarious bang. The main character's inner commentary and dialogue with other characters is at times downright hilarious. For me however it starts to die down. As we get towards the ending it is predictable though the author tries to throw in a few things here and there. This was a quick and easy read, not sure if it is enough to make me seek out other writings by the author but it was something to sit and look over when you manage to find the time. 

I thank Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a review.

What a fantastic read! I loved the wit and snark but it was truly a well written thriller. The characters were likable but flawed and I really got a feel for who they were. This book isn’t due to come out until next year, but I’ll definitely be recommending it to everyone!

The story follows Amber as she escapes the clutches of a serial killer only to be caught up in a cat and mouse game between another serial killer and a serial killer hunter. Amber is swept up in the game and must work with the brilliant but probably sociopathic serial killer hunter to take down a truly evil person, but she’s not sure who she can trust.

With her past life experiences, Amber seems like the last person to fall prey to a serial killer, but that is just what happens as she is abducted walking home from the library. Her failure to save herself makes her more mad than scared and unbelievably her anger grows after being rescued by a mysterious woman. Embarrassment, and a deep-seeded desire to avoid speaking with the FBI, combine to force Amber on the run where she once again finds her rescuer and falls into an even more far-reaching crime spree. This cheeky thriller has a likable cast of characters and Gagnon's creation of Amber is a winner even while she is losing.

There was a lot to like with this book. The peripheral characters (Dot, Jessie) were compelling. The story was reminiscent of an episode arc of Criminal Minds or CSI, but a smidge more complicated than I generally like. But, I love Vegas, and I love when books show some of the true side of Vegas (hi Tiki Hit!)....and there, this book hit the mark. It was a clever and intriguing serial killer story!

this was a whirlwind- i laughed from beginning to the end. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC!

Amber survives a serial killer, but that's only the beginning of the story. Amber is street smart and trying her hardest to make a life for herself. However, she also seems to attract trouble wherever she goes. She's going to have to use her wit, relationships, and every ounce of energy she has to escape the situation she finds herself in next. This is the hardest synopsis I have attempted to write because everything about this book is vital and could spoil the experience if you knew about it too early.

Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough! It is funny, thought provoking, twisty, fascinating, and even caused me to gasp a time or two. Michelle Gagnon has written a piece of art with this book and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy when it comes out. Each character is so detailed, each event makes you feel like you are there. This book has characters who feel real and flawed, but also like amazing human beings who you want to be friends with.

If I had any criticism, it would be that I believe the publishers did the book a disservice with the cover. I felt a world of emotions while reading this from sadness, to anxiety to joy and elation. It put me through the wringer in the best of ways, and yet the cover feels a little dated, flat and out of touch with the world the book brings you into.