This was a so so psychological/domestic thriller. I expected a bit more out of it but it was lengthy and sometimes hard to follow.

I chose to read a free eARC of How to Kill with Kindness but that has in no way influenced my review.

A young couple who are having a tough time of it stumble upon a quaint Oxfordshire village. The village, Nether Appleford, claims to be the kindest village in England, with an elected Kindness Committee ensuring the village lives up to its high standards. The committee also reviews all applications from potential new residents and approves those they think will add to their community. After several unsuccessful rounds of IVF Tessa and Andy know they need to make a big change in their lives, so they submit an application to the committee and ask to move to Nether Appleford. They're shocked when their application is accepted and hastily leave London, and hopefully their heartache, behind. But life in their new village isn't quite as Tessa expected. Andy seems to have made a good name for himself. Tessa, not so much. Life in Nether Appleford isn't the tranquil, picturesque dream come true Tessa had hoped for. So much so, that it could become her worst nightmare...

How to Kill with Kindness is the third book I've read by S.R. Masters. I enjoyed the author's first two books but this dark and twisted tale is definitely my favourite! It's full of unexpected twists and turns. There's a wonderful sense of menace running through the narrative as things begin to spiral out of control and I couldn't look away! I just had to keep reading to find out what awful thing was going to befall our protagonist next. It really is one thing after another for poor Tessa. She's not the most likeable of characters (no one in this book is!) but I did like how tough she was. The first half of the novel is a little slower in pace but stick with it because things really ramp up in the second half. All in all, a compelling, compulsive thriller that I couldn't get enough of. As a resident of Oxfordshire I completely believed the setting. I'm pretty sure we have a few strange, little (although hopefully not as deadly!) villages hidden away somewhere in the county! Intriguing, engrossing and very difficult to put down for any length of time. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of How to Kill with Kindness. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Review will be published on 9th January 2025]

the thriller is definitely an interesting idea, but it feels underdone, like a pancake that's just a thinshell covering uncooked batter. not a bad story, but not v good

It just seems that One More Chapter books are really hit and miss these days. This one is a solid take it or leave it story for me. This 400 pages book was bogged down by making the reader work way to hard to understand what was going on. As well as the many cuss words that feel like they are happening every 5 sentences or so. For me this one was just way too much and too long.

Andy and Tessa, a couple of ten years, have been struggling with infertility and are on their final round of IVF. During a weekend trip, they discover Nether Appleford Manor, a village famed for its kindness. Intrigued, they participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt and are charmed by the village's ethos of gratitude and community.

Tessa, drawn to the village’s charm and affordable rent, convinces Andy to move despite his reservations. She is thrilled to find a music studio in their new cottage and agrees to create a promotional piece for the village. Meanwhile, Andy becomes actively involved in village life, which causes a rift between them.

As Tessa settles in, she notices unsettling occurrences and finds a recording of a threatening message in her music room. Suspicion grows when local cop Leo appears to be pressuring a teenager into a confession, which Tessa doubts. She begins to suspect that the village's facade of kindness may conceal darker secrets.

The book presents a gripping blend of suspense and intrigue, with a long but engaging narrative that keeps readers guessing about the true nature of the village.

3.5/5.

A captivating premise that unfortunately lacked in execution. I found the plot to be extremely slow and tedious. The characters were dull and nothing drew me to them. So much potential, but this book just wasn't for me.

A chilling psychological thriller that explores the darker side of kindness, in a fascinating and disturbing world. Acts of kindness can have deadly consequences.
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately this book was just too unrealistic for me. There was way too much swearing. I dont mind swearing but this was over the top and started to grate on my nerves. It was also repetitive.

This book took me a while to get into as I found it slow paced. Set in a village where everyone is kind…or are they?
There were twists and turns and I did enjoy the read
It was original

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review

Is this story about kindness or a story about survival. This is a worthwhile quirky thriller based in a quaint private pretty little English village. The village tenet is kindness but all is not what it seems. Your kind deeds could end up getting you killed. There are sinister forces at play and there is a killer on the loose . Who will survive.
4 stars

A book with a very interesting premise, but overall failed to deliver up to my expectations

It was fun but I really wished for more oomph

How To Kill With Kindness is a book with a slow start but stick with it as it picks up to be a dark twisty read.
The book is set in Nether Appleford, Englands kindest village!? Tessa and Andy have unexpectedly been accepted into this village, a village where everyone is kind, the owner gives the, a very low rent on their cottage, there is tree in the middle of the green that people hang hearts on saying what kind things other villagers have done, but don’t be sapped in this is the exact opposite of kindest village. Tessa’s life goes downhill almost as soon as she arrives in the village whereas her husband Andy has a fabulous time and is loved by everyone. No matter what Tessa tries it’s always the wrong thing, then she starts to suspect something isn’t quite right and the more she looks the more she finds and the more twisted things become including her life.
This was a book I enjoyed, I did feel there were parts that could have been chopped as it is quite a long book. I liked Tessa and rooted for her, the storyline was very twisty and kept me thinking, I hadn’t guessed who the person was who has an anonymous chapter throughout the book so this was a bonus.
I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I really thought I would enjoy this book but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I found the characters annoying and the pace of the book was too slow.

The chilling beginning seems at odds with a village supposedly founded on kindness. Tessa and Andy find it amusingly quirky but compelling. At an emotional low, they decide to try and rent a cottage in the village. Once there, it's clear that the people are not kind, but it's antithesis. I like the toxic ethos created at odds with what the village purports to be. The pacing is gentle, and the characters are mostly unlikeable, but it is immersive, and you have to keep reading to see what will happen.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The story took turns I wasn’t expecting, in a good way.

I liked the book and was pleased with how it ended. I did feel that some parts were unnecessary or went on a little longer than needed. I expected a bit more ‘thrill’ to see a little more in terms of Killing With Kindness.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ is still good though, just not a 5 star read for me personally.

I received a copy of this book as an advanced reader copy for free and have provided my review absolutely voluntarily.

How to Kill with Kindness by S. R. Masters is a great slow burn thriller.
This kept me on my toes. I thoroughly enjoy Masters writing, characters, and plots.
This book had a nice number of twists, turns, and a terrific reveal.

Thank You NetGalley and One More Chapter for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Nether Appleford is hailed as England's Kindest Village. This is what the residents try to hammer home to everyone. It's such a nice place where everyone is kind to everyone. JUST BE KIND. There's a yew tree where people hang hearts stating what nice things people have done. Oh what a lovely nice place to live. Mmmm, yeah right think again. I knew this place was dodgy as soon as Tessa and Andy decided to move there and had an interview with the Kindness committee. Red flags people, run quick.

The mysterious narrative interspersed in the story was good. And everytime I thought I'd worked out who the narrator was. S R Masters hoodwinked me again.
The whole undertone of darkness and what was really going on kept me on my toes with story. And I really enjoyed the whole process. My only qualm is bringing in the Benson Boys 🤔 personally I would have liked to keep the story linked to the residents of Nether Appleford. The narrator was specific in their choosings. But, so be it.

A great read and I'll definitely read some more from this author.

Unfortunately, I could not connect with this book, It was slow going and was not piquing my interest. Sadly it was a DNF

Overall, the storyline of this book was pretty interesting. It had some mystery and some good themes.

Mostly, this book moved really slow for me. I think it could have done without at least 25% of the content. It felt like it dragged on forever.

Part of what made this book drag so much was that there were so many side characters and subplots, I felt it was difficult to follow and a lot of it felt irrelevant to the main plot. It was convoluted and made me lose interest.

At baseline, this is an interesting thriller. I just think it got a little mucked up for me.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harper Collins One More Chapter for the gifted copy of this book!

I am shocked. This book has a slow start, but halfway through, it truly picks up! I'm glad I stuck it out as the last half was amazing! There were so many twists I didn't expect. There are so many shocking moments. I was on the edge of my seat and dying to know what was going to happen next! Jayden was truly my favorite character. Tessa was great as well! I just loved all of it, and the ending was truly a perfect way to wrap it all up! It's truly worth pushing through as stuff truly starts popping off and gets wild!

I received this ARC from NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.