AS CAWPILE:
Characters: 2 | Atmosphere: 5 | Writing: 5 | Plot: 8 | Intrigue: 8 | Logic: 5 | Enjoyment: 5
Total: 5.43
This was an interesting thriller format. A killer who has no desire to kill, but is willing to do so for her sisters. I liked Sissy, but her incessant fantasizing finding its way into reality was irritating at best, and eye-rolling-ly childish at worst. I found it hard to separate myself from reality as well when it came to this book, as the likelihood that these triplets were able to get away with this for so long - even with the best clean up was so absurd. Regardless, the pacing here is done well and I enjoyed the plot at a surface level. This is definitely a low investment, and interesting thriller, as long as you can pull yourself from reality enough to disregard rules.

Iris, Moody, and Sissy are triplets who were abandoned by their mother as infants and grew up in the foster care system. Sissy had the most nurturing upbringing but always felt guilty about her sisters' circumstances, so as an adult, she'll do anything to keep them together, even if it means cleaning up after their string of murders.
Now it's Sissy's turn to make a man fall in love with her, and then kill him. In this dark, psychological thriller, we follow Sissy's journey to creating a love story that she knows will end, while dealing with the casualties her sisters leave in their wake.

Triplets with a taste for murder. Sissy, Moody, and Iris have a very special bond and will stop at nothing to protect each other including, murdering their boyfriends and disposing of the body parts in remote locations. They're experts at their chosen craft, boasting numerous kills and no loose ends. That is until one of them falls for her mark.

The description pulled me in immediately and I was curious to know how and why three sisters could pull off such heinous crimes in the name of love and loyalty. Their dysfunctional backgrounds—being separated and placed in foster care—were sad to read about, but interesting character details nonetheless. I found the most disturbing scenes involving them casually killing people and cleaning the crime scenes without any emotion. The tone of the book definitely offset a lot of the gruesomeness, including when Sissy's friend, and neighbor, Dara, accidentally commits a crime and needs her help to clean up the mess in her state of shock. The way the protagonist justified her crimes felt relatable which made it all the more disturbing. Sissy's detached nature was chilling, even more so when she unexpectedly falls in love with her mark, Edison—a newly widowed man she and her sisters have set their murderous sights on.

The characters were complex, Sissy in particular, and I always suspected she was a little different from her sisters. Her relationship with Edison left me feeling conflicted, especially after he learns of her background, including the plot to kill him and bury him in the desert. To my surprise, he asks her to show him the hole in which she'd (hypothetically) dump his body, and in spite of all this, he accepts her and loves her unconditionally. It was a satisfying ending for Sissy's character since she finally met a man who could deal with her murderous nature and crazy siblings, but a somewhat conflicting one regarding the authenticity of how it might have played out in real life. But that's what makes interesting fiction in the end!

Even though the character development was more of a slow burn for me, the plot was action-packed and filled with interesting secondary characters and background details. Definitely a fun spin on the serial killer trope, sibling relationships, and romance.

3/5⭐️⭐️⭐️

To readers who enjoy complex female characters, chilling family bonds, and dark secrets.

WOW. Total binge read and worth a sleep-deprived night!

How I'll Kill You is surprisingly the first novel from DeStafano. I point this out to say I am utterly surprised by this. HIKY feels like a novel by a seasoned author. I was entrenched with her characters and the inner dialogue of Sissy/Jade. Think Netflix's You combined with the relaxed flow of Nora Roberts. It feels easy and natural. The juxtaposition between the sisters and their relations with each other was perfectly thrilling with an eerie undercurrent that took hold and forbid me to stop reading. I tried twice to put my kindle down but was denied via my need-to-know. I just couldn't bring myself to stop till I knew how it ended. I think this will be topping the book charts this spring!
~Tanja

Summary: This is a book that’s best when you go in blind. I’ll leave it at this - read it asap.

Thoughts: This is such a fun and binge worthy book! I love a bad guy/gal you can root for, and the author definitely gives that to us here. Although there are some similarities to The Kind Worth Killing (if you enjoyed that one you’ll also enjoy HIKY), I feel like the lines are a bit blurrier and emotions more nuanced in this one. I was often torn between rooting for these characters and hoping they were caught.

I also think this book offers a lot of depth and detail on the sisters’ backstory and how they came to do what they do. While I might have liked a bit more on certain aspects of their past, I can definitely see the motivations behind their original pact. The character development overall was strong and the pacing (one of the most important aspects of a thriller) was perfect.

Read if you like:
•domestic/psychological thrillers
•morally grey characters
•serial killer plot lines
•bingeable reads
•the kind worth killing (Peter Swanson)

Thank you Berkley Publishing and PRH Audio for the advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

4.5★

I loved the thrilling premise to start. This author did a great job with adding little twists throughout. I enjoyed reading about the sisters and Sissy added so much to the story. This focuses on family, murder, a romance side plot and finding out who we are. So good and twisty!!!

I wanted to like this book and it started off interestingly, but it got graphic, unrealistic, and boring. I don't really understand if we are supposed to empathize with the main character, like yay you didn't kill anyone, good job? and her messed up bf too? really weird.

This was a thrill-ride from the very first page. I read this in fits and starts, often late at night, both intrigued and creeped out by the idea of these murderous triplets. At the end of the day, Sissy comes off as something of an cipher - you understand why she was motivated to do what she did, but it also just requires a lot of suspension of disbelief - I get that her circumstances have damaged her, but have they really damaged her to the extent this book wants you to believe? Regardless, it's an interesting premise, and a novel twist on the genre. Recommend for fans of thrillers, especially ones who aren't squeamish about a little explicit gore.

A set of triplets who were abandoned at birth and separated into different foster homes while they’d were growing up have managed to find they way to each other at various points over the years and are now grown and back together for good. The catch-they’re now serial killers who prey on vulnerable men. They settle into a new town, pick out a man and get him to fall in love with one of them and then murder him in cold blood. Sissy, the youngest of the three, usually does the clean up work for the other two sisters, but they’ve decided that it’s time for her to do have her first kill. The only problem is, Sissy is finding herself falling for her victim. How can she murder the man she loves? How can she talk her sisters into letting her keep him alive instead?
This is a thriller/suspense but there’s a very big romance side story. As much as I had figured out what was going to happen, there were plenty of things I didn’t see coming. A fun popcorn thriller.
Thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

HOW I’LL KILL YOU by debut author Ren DeStefano is serial killer “lite”. The story follows identical triplets who have a knack for deceiving men into falling in love with them only to meet their swift demise at the hands of these salacious slasher sisters.

While Moody and Iris have taken the lead with previous boyfriend murders, Sissy has been behind the scenes on clean up duty. The time has come for virtuous Sissy to claim her first target. Sissy expects the thrill of the chase but doesn’t expect to fall in love with the man she intends to take out.

Yes these characters are manipulative man-killers, but don’t head into this story thinking you’re getting a popcorn thriller. This book is more of a character study on the motivations of the heart and the bond of sisterhood.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:
-A unique premise with lighthearted dark humor
-Sister Stories
-An interesting exploration of loyalty and betrayal

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: March 21, 2023

Many thanks to Berkley and for an electronic ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks based on assigned Berkley Blog tour schedule.

This is the story of Jade, her first love, and her first time.

But Jade isn’t her real name. And this isn’t so much about her first sexual experience as her first murder.

Jade (also known as Sissy, though that’s not her real name either) has come to Rainwood, AZ for her first kill. She isn’t a stranger to murder, she’s cleaned up after several, but this will be the first time she actually commits the act.

There’s a formula: find the mark, make him your lover, murder him, move on. It’s a system that Jade and her sisters—identical triplets—have followed for years. But Jade can’t help but imagine different futures with Edison—her mark. And from the beginning, things don’t go as smoothly as planned.
With her sisters growing increasingly anxious for Jade/Sissy to kill Edison, the pressure is increasing. Does she stick with her family or risk committing the worst crime of all: disappointing her sisters?

How I’ll Kill You is an amazing new thriller from Ren DeStefano. It’s a fast paced, immersive read that will leave you deeply disturbed and craving more with every turn of the page. It’s truly got some dark and troubling story threads, so if that’s not your style look elsewhere. But if you love dark, twisty, appalling plot lines, this is the book for you. It’s so intense on the “will she or won’t she” scale and the serial murderer sisters dynamic is so captivating!
I love this book in the most dark and terrifying way.

How I’ll Kill You comes out March 21, 2023.

*I received a copy of How I’ll Kill You from Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

How I'll Kill you is a dark psychological thriller with a helping of dark romance. 25 year old triplets Iris, Moody, and Sissy have had a troubled life growing up in foster care after being abandoned as babies. While, Moody and Iris have both killed before, it is at their push that Sissy identifies her first victim. She has six months to make him her boyfriend and then kill him. She didn't expect to fall for him.

This is a twisty, unique, disturbing story that was honestly a bit unsettling to read. The author created a story that will linger in my mind for a long time.

Thank you Berkley Publishing for the advanced copy

How I'll Kill you.... wow, where do I begin?! This book was really good, one of the best psychological thrillers I have read in quite awhile.
Identical triplets, abandoned at birth and raised in foster care, grow up to become serial killers. Working together, they manage to pull it off time and time again; but then it's Sissy's turn. She wants her first kill to be special, and it is - she falls in love with her mark. She is now torn between her new love and the promise of this new life, or loyalty to her sisters and accomplishing the task she set out to do.
I wasn't sure how the author could pull of a good ending for this story, but for the most part it really works.
Yes, it might seem a little over the top, but it's fiction - it's supposed to be. So sit back, relax, ignore the lack of depth of the characters, and enjoy! Because this book was really fun.

How I’ll Kill You by Ren DeStefano

Published: March 21, 2023
Berkley
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pages: 352
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Ren DeStefano lives in Connecticut, where she was born and raised. When she’s not writing thrillers, she’s listening to true crime podcasts and crocheting way too many blankets.

“The only predator in those four walls last night was me.”

Sissy knows that her life is unorthodox. She knows what she and her sisters do is not normal or alright. But it’s her turn, and she is excited. Moody and Iris are nervous about Sissy’s feelings, so they must continuously test her. Edison is a work in progress but is also fairly fragile.

I loved how this book was written. It was such a neat way to tell a story, and I enjoyed it. This was a hard book to put down. I didn’t want to sleep or focus the next day!

The characters are unique, being that they are triplets. But Sissy is our main character and I kind of love her. She really tried to be everything for everyone, but ultimately her heart won, and I love that. Moody was sneaky and bossy, much like I imagine an “older” sister would be. Iris was my least favorite triplet; she just seemed violent and angry.

Edison was flawed but trying, and I loved him for it. I love how he saw Sissy, and even when he was unaware of the plan, he loved her.

This book was intense. It would make an excellent series if done correctly. The plot was wild, and the characters were all well-defined. I was hooked from the first page.

I enjoyed the build-up; just when you think things can’t get any worse, they do. Because, of course, they do! This was such a powerful story of head versus heart and standing alone, even against the family.

This was a deliciously twisted anti-hero thriller featuring three identical triplet sisters who enjoy killing their partners for fun. Things get complicated though when one of the sisters falls for her mark and the other two don't take it well. I mean if you can't trust your sisters who can you trust?? Excellent on audio narrated by Karissa Vacker and perfect for fans of How to kill men and get away with it. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and PRHAudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!

I was not fully prepared for how unique of a premise How I'll Kill You was going to be. I've read a lot of thrillers, but this was certainly the first time the book centered around the serial killers. Yes, serial killers - they are triplets. It was very different to see the story from their points of view, and why they are doing what they do (spoiler and trigger: trauma, child abandonment, abuse.)

The sisters fall in love and then proceed to kill their boyfriends. However, Sissy has yet to fall in love or kill, and when it's finally her turn, she begins to feel protective of Edison and has second thoughts.

I didn't expect to enjoy this story as much as I did, and while parts of the ending were expected, others were not.

If you're looking for a different kind of read, I encourage you to check out How I'll Kill You.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!

"Your next stay-up-all-night thriller, about identical triplets who have a nasty habit of killing their boyfriends, and what happens when the youngest commits their worst crime yet: falling in love with her mark."-I didn't need to read the read of the blurb because I. Was. Sold.

The plot:

Sissy and her sisters were once famous for being abandoned as infants. Now in their mid-twenties, they now bounce around the country as they've bounced around foster homes, protecting each other in the most brutal way possible: by murdering the men who have broken their hearts. Except now, it's gone as far as hunting these men before they can hurt them. Sissy, having only cleaned up her sister's carnage, now finds herself next in line to make a kill. They settle in a small town in Arizona and she finds her mark: a church-going hottie named Edison. But her relationship with Edison as well as his stepdaughter and neighbor threaten to unravel Sissy's real identity. She's falling for Edison, but her sisters have other plans.

The characters:

Utterly ruthless. Sissy, Iris, and Moody will do anything for each other. They spent years apart in foster homes before finally being able to reunite and they will stop at nothing to protect one another. I especially loved Sissy's inner monologue when it comes to imagining the things she wanted to do to Edison. Her growth from seeing herself as just another one of her triplet sisters to being an individual with her own wants and needs was great to see.

Edison is more than a mark. He's recovering from both alcohol and the loss of his wife a year ago. He's such a good guy that I was almost scared for him.

Overall thoughts:

This book was a wild ride and everything I didn't know I needed in my life. It's violent yet heartwarming at the same time (HOW???) This will definitely become one of the best reads of 2023.

Thank you Let's Talk Books and Berkley Books for having me on the book tour for the twisted and fantastic book!

Of the more than 100 books I read and review each year, probably 99% are in the mystery/thriller/crime genre. And although it's unusual for me to find one I really, really don't much like, it's a downright cause for celebration to find one that's really, really something I haven't read before. That it is also riveting makes it even more special. Where else, I ask, might you find a set of serial-killing triplets?

But they're here, and they've been on a deadly path for a while now. Moody, Iris and Sissy - not necessarily their real names - emotionally scarred by years of abandonment, separation and abuse in foster care, are on a revenge rampage that focuses on identifying and coercing a lover and then doing him in. Moody and Iris have their first kills under their belts, with Sissy expertly handling clean-up chores. Now, it's Sissy's turn - but her experience takes a turn of a different sort: she falls in love with her intended victim. Now, she's torn; she loves her sisters, toward whom loyalty is never questioned - till now.

Woven in between are backstories of the sisters' lives, interactions with each other and Sissy's thoughts as she navigates new emotional territory with her new guy, all while trying to remain under the radar so they can continue their life of taking life from others. Readers get an in-depth look at Sissy's dilemma: if she betrays her sisters, will they betray her in the worst possible way?

All of that leads up to an exciting ending, although I confess I'm a little disappointed with it. As the climax approached, you see, my mind conjured up at least two scenarios for what I considered to be fitting under the circumstances, and both were just as macabre - maybe even more so - than the rest of the story. Neither came to pass, and what actually did was somewhat of a letdown in my mind. That aside, though, this whole adventure was a heck of a ride, and I offer more than one thank-you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me on the train via a pre-release copy to read and review. Definitely a winner in my book!

I just finished How I'll Kill You and read it in a day. It was so completely twisted that I felt as if I was watching it live.
Three identical triplets who get "off" by hooking in a man and then killing him is their past time. They take turns on picking the "mark". Sissy is given the opportunity to pick her first "mark" and she has every intent on killing him, until she doesn't.

Filled with angst, there are themes of parentlessness, foster care, mental illness and sisterhood.

Crazy premise yet carried out well.

4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) “For murder to be committed well, it must first be an act of love. And so many vile people in this world are not worth loving. The key is to find someone who is, and to give that person all your heart. Kill them with passion, bury them with love, obsess over every detail the way that only a lover could, and you won’t make a careless mistake.”

I’m still reeling from this one! In the best way. It’s a ride that is dark and twisted and fascinatingly horrible.

It’s best to go into this one blind, only knowing they are identical triplet sisters that kill their lovers. You don’t need more than that, just read it!

Something about the cadence of the writing felt familiar and comfortable. Considering the subject matter, that’s saying a lot. But I think that’s what drew me in. The writing made it so understandable. So justifiable. I debated with myself the entire book why I was loving this. It’s the writing. She drew me in and made Jade relatable, real and honest. Even if she was a sociopath.

“If someone in this world had wanted us, our lives might have been different. But we learned the truth at the very beginning, which is that there are three of us—only three—and there will never be room for more.”

There are details of their past, their foster care and how it changed them. The abandonment they felt with the only thing keeping them sane- each other. There are details of how they live; where the money comes, how they pull off the cons that lead to murders. The manipulation is brilliantly and effectively done. This is what I want. Those tiny details that fill in all the empty spaces in my head. It fell into place and I could see their world, feel their love for each other.

Even now I debate my love for this book because it feels.. wrong. But oh I ate this up and loved every second. Call me crazy!

“If I had a daughter, I would tell her the truth, which is that the whole world is bad and you had better learn how to use anything at your disposal as a weapon.”

“There’s no shortage of people who deserve to die, and if I tried to kill them all, I’d be caught in a heartbeat; we’d all go down together if one of us did.”

“He understands that goodness is more of an image and less of a human characteristic.”

“It isn’t just the ones who walk down alleyways at night. It can be the woman pushing a baby stroller in the grocery store, or the man in the three-piece suit waiting for the crosswalk signal to turn. All it takes is someone with an insatiable need, and by the time such a person has chosen you, it’s already over.”

“Nothing takes more strength than loving someone.”

Thank you to Berkley and Shelf Awareness for the giveaway win!

The book releases March 21, 2023