I was wondering how there could be a semi-sequel to The Kind Worth Killing that was just as clever and thrilling, and not a disappointment. Well, I think that Swanson absolutely nailed it!!

This was going to be 4 stars for me and then by the words of the very last chapter it jumped to 4.5 stars.

I enjoyed the story and found it to be written well with multiple, unexpected twists. I love multi POV books the most, often it helps with the pacing and I think it did here too. This also includes two timelines.

One thing that stood out for me as particularly talented was the perfect reminders of relevant book 1 content - done as needed when needed, without boring the reader restating too much detail.

There are quite a few morally questionable and conflicted characters and choices in this one - it often gets one thinking deeper and is a sign of a good story IMO.

There is a MMC, Henry, who is sometimes (or often) insufferable, dull and creepy-ish. This combined with about 3/4s into the book slowing down for a bit, and some confusion in the first few chapters about timeline changes reduced my rating.

The latter gripe was easy enough to pick up on upon a quick re-read to clarify that the timeline was changing.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was one I was very excited to be approved for and it did not disappoint.

Great book for murder enthusiasts. For me, the stand out was the quirky characters involved in the murders, which meant the novel was highly engaging and original. Highly recommend!

You can’t go wrong with Peter Swanson’s books. Another very well-paced thriller - a sequel to ‘The kind worth killing’ that I read a few months ago.
Henry Kimball is back again and approached by Joan, his former pupil and … the story begins. Anything more will be a spoiler so let’s leave it like that. I enjoyed reading the book. Highly recommended for lovers of this genre.

Two for Tuesday ✌🏻 Mini reviews of the Peter Swanson Henry Kimball series 👀 Things I loved about them below. Ultimately, if you’re a thriller, suspense mystery fan, you’ll want to add them both to your TBR 🤪

🔎 THE KIND WORTH KILLING
In a nutshell: Two strangers meet in an airport bar. Ted confesses his wife is cheating on him and wishes she was dead. Lily offers to help…

- Unique genius storyline - super well executed 🫣
- Full of twists + turns… the ultimate suspense novel 🎢
- Multiple POVs (I love this!)
- Pick up if you enjoyed: THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK


🔎 THE KIND WORTH SAVING (sequel out next month)
In a nutshell: Detective Kimball from the previous book is back, now a private investigator he’s looking into a cheating husband case… but is all what it seems? Could he need help from someone from his past? 👀

- Swanson’s signature clever twists + turns ever present 🤩
- Intriguing storyline and case
- Twisted and creepy characters
- If you like cat/mouse game thrillers, you’ll love this!

💭 Have you read THE KIND WORTH KILLING? Is the sequel on your radar?

4.5-4.75⭐️

#2 Henry Kimball and Lily Kinter

Having read The Kind Worth Killing it finished abruptly without all the answers, which was frustrating, so I wondered how things would go in this book.
The only problem is it’s been awhile since I read the first book, so I’ve forgotten the questions that I needed answers to, which shows you don’t need to read them in order.

Kimball is a private investigator asked to look into what seemed like a simple case of infidelity by Joan, who he knew from his previous job as a teacher when she was a pupil. Only a few bodies turn up and things get complicated. There are dysfunctional people, murders new and historic ( sone of which are quite inventive), so there’s some pretty unpleasant characters who are well developed, I couldn’t help but get sucked into their audacity. I do like Kimball, I think he has a strong morale compass.

It’s told from several perspectives moving between when Joan was young and the present. Because the reader has all the perspectives we are ahead of Kimball in knowledge.

I can’t say that Kimball’s limericks impressed me 😂

I found this book kept it’s interest throughout, its certainly a bit different. It’s got a good pace which it kept throughout, and a satisfying ending. So a bigger thumbs up than book 1 from me.

So pleased the author chose to write a sequel to the kind worth killing which is my all time favourite book in this genre. I don't know anybody who read the first book who didn't live it. what's not to like.

We get another taste of Henry Kimball and Lilly Kintner although Lilly is not as prominent in this book but nonetheless a delightful intriguing character.

Henry, a PI is approached by Joan, an ex pupil of Henry's from his earlier teaching days who believes her husband Richard is cheating on her. she hired Henry to follow him. This is where it gets REALLY interesting and what appears to be a simple job turns murderous AND HOW! when he discovers 2 bodies. It is difficult to review this book without spoilers therefore I will leave it there.

Whilst it is not essential to read the kind worth killing first it us advisable to better understand the characters.

This is yet another twisty page turner from a real master of suspense. He writes with such ease which makes all his books difficult to put down and that is something I crave obviously books.

I highly recommend this book and this author in general. You cannot go wrong with a Peter Swanson book.

Thanks to Netgalley UK and Faber And Faber for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

The Kind Worth Saving is a follow-up to the 2015 novel The Kind Worth Killing. You don't strictly have to read the first one to enjoy this one, but I highly recommend you do as it will help you to better understand the main characters and their backstory. I am a huge fan of Peter Swanson and the first book was what started it all for me so I was eager to read this one and I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint. Swanson's writing is superb and hands down he is one of the best crime thriller authors out there. His characters are so detailed, realistic and likeable. I'd give this more than 5 stars if it was possible. Highly recommend.

Thank you Faber and Faber Ltd, Faber & Faber and Netgalley for last minute approval to read this arc. I loved it. I loved all the bad I should not. I enjoyed every secret and everything happened. Hire someone to say something is really not important but with those characters everything is interesting and it will be hard to forget. One of the book someone wants to reread someday.

I couldn't put the book down until I had finished it, that's how gripping it was. When an ex pupil, Joan, calls on an ex teacher who is now a detective, she is concerned that her husband is cheating on her, and wants to find out for sure. A lot of twists in this novel. and I really enjoyed it.

A brilliant follow up to the author’s earlier novel, A Kind Worth Killing- this is just as entertaining and cleverly written, containing some of the same characters.
When Joan Whalen walks into Private Detective, Henry Kimball’s office and asks him to follow her husband Richard and confirm that he is having an affair with a colleague, Henry takes the job.
Strangely enough he recognises her from his time as a school teacher- she was one of his students and she confirms this. He has not thought of this period of his life for some time due to an unspecified event which he witnessed in the school, something which only becomes clear to the reader as the plot moves forward.
There are also flashbacks to Joan’s teenage years described in alternate chapters. She is on holiday with her parents and sister in a beach resort in Maine where she encounters another student from her school and they seem to hit it off in a very strange way.
I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot as the story is one of the delights of this book. The revelations come thick and fast and it becomes obvious that several of the characters have a lot to hide and are not all they seem.
This is a book which is full of dark humour- at times I could scarcely believe what was happening and the author’s deft touch lightened the dark theme.
I have read The Kind Worth Killing but I don’t think it is necessary to have done so to enjoy this book. It’s fun to revisit some of the old characters, particularly Lily who was a central character in the previous novel.
Peter Swanson certainly likes creating amoral sociopaths- they seem to abound in this book and make the story all the more interesting.
This is a fun and entertaining read which I thoroughly enjoyed- I found it difficult to put down and raced through it in a couple of days!
Thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for my advance copy.

I chose to read a free eARC of The Kind Worth Saving but that has in no way influenced my review.

If you're a regular visitor to damppebbles then you may be aware that Peter Swanson is one of my favourite authors. Two of the author's books reside on my list of 'top ten books of all time' - one being Rules for Perfect Murders, the other is The Kind Worth Killing which this latest book, The Kind Worth Saving, is the sequel to. Chances are, if you haven't read The Kind Worth Killing, you've at least heard of it, because it's legendary in the thriller world. So you could hear the jaws of a million thriller fans hit the floor when it was announced that there would be a follow up. Oh the pressure! Would it be as good as the first book? Of course it would! It's a Peter Swanson novel. I loved every second of The Kind Worth Saving.

Teacher-turned-police-officer-turned-private-detective, Henry Kimball, is surprised to see a familiar face in his office. It's a former student of his, Joan Grieve, who suspects her husband, Richard, is having an affair and wants proof so she can end the unhappy marriage. Henry accepts the case and starts to stake out the real estate office Richard owns but comes up with nothing. So he turns his attention to the woman Joan believes her husband is seeing. Before long Henry and the other woman have struck up a friendship of sorts and Henry begins to feel out of his depth. Until everything changes and the case takes a shocking turn. Which is when Henry turns to the only person he trusts, the totally untrustworthy Lily Kintner...

Oh, there is so much to say about this book but I must tread carefully. There are a number of beautifully executed twists and turns to The Kind Worth Saving that, if you're not careful, may be unwittingly (or perhaps wittingly by some!) revealed to you. This is a spoiler free review so I'm going to be as annoyingly vague as possible. Please forgive me.

The Kind Worth Saving is the follow up we've all been waiting for. It's perfectly pitched, expertly written and everything I hoped it would be. And so, so much more. The plot is intricate and draws the reader into the story from the moment they crack the spine. The characters are perfection, the plot is utterly compelling and it's nigh on impossible to be parted from The Kind Worth Saving for any length of time. And in those rare moments when you are, you'll be thinking about the book. Turning over what has happened so far, thinking about the characters, trying to work out the direction the author will take the rest of the story in. But trust me on this, don't waste too much time trying to figure it all out. Just go with the flow and immerse yourself in the story.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Kind Worth Saving was well worth waiting for and it delivered in spades. I loved the characterisation, I think I'm a little bit in love with Henry Kimball and found his relationship with Lily made for an enthralling read. The story is told from two different points of view as well as in the past and the present. The settings for both the 'now' and the 'then' were unmistakably Peter Swanson, particularly the flashback scenes. Vivid, sweeping New England coastlines. Drama and danger on the crashing of the tide. Marvellous stuff! I also, once again, appreciated the very clear nod to fellow authors and their books. There often seems to be an overarching bookish theme throughout Swanson's novels and it always makes me smile. But let's not forget, this is a sequel we're talking about here. Can it be read as a standalone? Yes, I think it can. But you'll miss out on all of the shared history between Kimball and Kintner. So surely it's worth treating yourself to both books, eh? All in all, I thought The Kind Worth Saving was the perfect sequel to one of my favourite books and I relished every moment I spent with it. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Kind Worth Saving. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

4.5 stars

Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner #2 - the much anticipated, eagerly awaited ‘semi-sequel’ to The Kind Worth Killing.

Private Detective Henry Kimball is hired by an ex-student from his days as a teacher at Dartford-Middleham High. Enter Joan Grieve, now Joan Whalen who reminds Kimball of an event he’d prefer to erase from his mind. Joan wants him to follow her husband Richard to prove that he is cheating on her. He takes the case, it seems a simple one but oh boy, is he ever wrong. It becomes clear he needs to revisit the past to discover the truth about the present.

The story is told from several points of view with the storytelling cleverly flowing seamlessly between one and the other. Each helps us to connect the ever expanding plot dots and piece together to get a full picture - maybe! It’s a slow burner especially at the beginning but the author effortlessly pulls me in and it’s an immersive gripping, glued to the pages read. There’s a growing sense of horrible fascination as revelations give the reader deeper knowledge and understanding of the key characters. The characterisation is exemplary, you can really SEE these flawed individuals as you enter their minds allowing you to see how twisted some are and who should come with flashing amber warning signs ‘Danger Ahead’. There are most certainly characters here that are not the kind worth saving as they utilise and masterfully manipulate, they are smart and can play others so they skilfully, darkly and wickedly achieve the outcome they want. They appal and mesmerise at the same time and a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues but who exactly is the cat and who the mouse?

This is a very well written character driven psychological thriller which is suspense and tension fuelled as threats and danger are perceived with actions that beggars belief. Kimball continues to write his bad limericks and these help to break the tension with some making me smile but which are also insightful. You are witness to actions that are calmly calculating which makes them even more chilling. There are several really good surprising twists and one in particular is a case of well played Sir! The ending is deliciously good.

Overall, this is a clever thriller and it’s so good to reconnect with Kimball and Lily again as that relationship is one that will continue to be a source of acute interest. This sequel definitely delivers on its promise as Peter Swanson spins characters making you like those you probably shouldn’t and defies your expectations.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Faber and Faber for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

The great attraction of this book is that when you start reading you have no idea where the story is going to take you. Henry Kimball was an English teacher in a school near Boston when one of his pupils shot a girl in his class. He was unable to face returning to teaching so became a police officer. He lost that job as well. It is therefore a bit odd to find he is now private investigator. He has taken a job to check if his client’s husband is having an affair. Then he finds the couple dead. The wife who employed him has a history of involvement in deaths. As the story progresses, so do the revelations. It is an intriguing idea for a book and expertly delivered. I recommend it.

This book works as a great stand alone novel and as a brilliant semi-sequel to The Kind Worth Killing (2015) which first introduced us to Lily Kintner, a dark, complex and fascinating character with homicidal tendencies.

She resurfaces via another character from 2015, Henry Kimball, who was a detective and is now a private investigator. Kimball is hired to prove that a husband is cheating on his wife with a real estate co-worker where they both have easy access to empty houses. As Kimball investigates he discovers that all is not what it seems and he is in danger.

There is also a highly relevant back story unfolding where two of the adult characters from the present meet as teenagers on a summer vacation and begin a secretive and homicidal friendship which continues to the present.

The author treats the reader to a number of interesting POV experiences and cleverly links numerous plot points in a well-written and satisfying way.

Many thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

The author is going from strength to strength and I absolutely loved it. Am waiting for the next one with bated breath. Loved the story the plotting the pace. Brilliant!

A fantastic follow up to the kind worth killing. A incredibly written dark and uneasy book. Very clever, very absorbing. Loved every word!

"Do you remember me?"she asked as she walked into her former teacher now turned private eye Henry Kimbell's office.She wants him to follow her cheating husband and his other woman.Henry senses all is quite not what it seems and before he knows it his gotten to close to the other woman in the case.
As things turn even stranger, he turns to the only person he can trust Lily Kinter,who has dark secrets of her own.
A really good sequel to The Kind Worth Killing,told from the perspective of the main characters over a period of different timelines.
Highly addictive and devilously twisty,HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Thanks to Netgalley and Faber&Faber Ltd for the ARC.

Peter Swanson’s The Kind Worth Killing has been one of my favourite mystery thrillers for years, and I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw there was going to be a sequel. Although, I was sceptical because follow-up novels never tend to have the same charm as the original.

Nevertheless, The Kind Worth Saving is definitely an exception to that rule, as it pulled me back in again instantly. Swanson’s writing is just so easily consumable, not leaving you with enough time to guess the twists even if you wanted to. His books are fast-paced and perfect to get out of a reading slump, although that doesn’t mean he passes up on the quality.

His characters are so multi-faceted and although morally grey, I have grown such a fondness for the central characters Henry Kimball and Lily Kintner. I think about the ending of The Kind Worth Killing a lot, and it was satisfying to have some of those itches scratched.

Swanson offers interesting psychological studies of characters we’re all too familiar with in our real lives, creating a complex narrative that once again ties itself up perfectly.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves crime fiction and mystery thrillers.

Very dark and absorbing book. I hadn’t read the first in the series, but it didn’t matter. Brilliantly written with many literary references, which I loved. Not really a mystery, more of an exploration of the dark side of the human mind.

This is the book that all thrillers aspire to be like! It's worlds away from the basic, same old same old, predictable thrillers you've read a million times over. This had my jaw in the ground more than once. You have absolutely no clue who can be trusted and how it's all going to end. It's such a whirlwind that just when you think you've got a grasp on everything, the next chapters throw all your theories out the window. It's a slow build but it absolutely works! It never feels stale or boring, you need the time to get inside each of the characters heads and to process what they're up to. It's easily a must read. What an amazing book