Think Strangers On A Train, but with a serial-killery revenge twist in a Hitchcockian fashion.

This book has multiple characters, crimes, and POVs, and the reader has to figure out how they're all tied together.. I'm generally not a fan of books with vigilante justice- especially when the evidence against the baddies is circumstantial- but I was interested to see where this read would take me. Honestly, I found it slow going at first and it didn't pull me in until well over 100 pages. There is a huge twist halfway through- which I kind of saw coming and therefore it wasn't a huge surprise for me- but that's when the plot really started to get good. There were some other twists and turns I didn't foresee, but for some reason I wasn't too shocked by the ending.

I've seen really great early reviews in favour of this book, so I think it may have been a case of it being over-hyped in my mind and I expected to be blown away and was slightly disappointed when I wasn't. Additionally, while this was touted as a feminist revenge thriller, I didn't feel this was an accurate description. It did give me The Silent Patient vibes though, and I see how it could appeal to fans of that book. Overall, a well-thought out, past-paced crime novel that I knew many readers will enjoy. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for my early review copy.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

The story first introduces us to two heartbroken and angry women - Amanda and Wendy. They meet and bond at a support group. They have both tragically lost family members and the people responsible for killing them have not been caught. One night, a plan is put into place. They will each take revenge and kill the men responsible for destroying their families. Essentially, " if you kill for me, I’ll kill for you"

The story then flips over to married couple Ruth and Scott. Scott heads out for the night and while he is gone, Ruth is brutally attacked in their home and wakes up in the hospital lucky to be alive. From the attack, she vividly remembers the piercing blue eyes of her attacker. Once she is released from the hospital, she is too traumatized to be in public. So when she finally goes out for the first time and finds herself locking eyes with the blue eyed man, she is terrified.

From the beginning to end, I was hooked. The twists, the turns, the revelations all blew me away! The way the stories weave themselves was genius. When things were spelled out for me, I did a head shake, wondering how I was blindsided.

This was an action packed, heart pumping, wide eyed read. It was intense. It was spine-chilling. It was worth the read.

5 solid stars. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Atria Books for providing an advanced electronic reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Format: 📱thank you for my ARC @atriabooks + @bookofthemonth pick this month!
Read if you like: twisty thrillers // THE KIND WORTH KILLING // Harlen Coben // stories of revenge
Pub date: March 19th

If you happened to snag this in your BOTM box this month then you did good! 👏🏼 This was one of my most anticipated reads for the entire year and it didn’t disappoint!

About two ordinary women who make a dangerous pact to take revenge for each other after being pushed to the brink - sounds like something you won’t be able to put down right? Right.

Here’s why I loved it 🔪
• The pacing is perfect - with the short chapters and multiple POVs you will race through these pages!
• The twists!!! There were some that I could see coming, but a couple of them were done so well and left me speechless.
• The characters were captivating to me - between their back stories, and their present situations I couldn’t get enough.

This is undoubtedly one of the twistier books I’ve read and you have to suspend belief for a few things, but it didn’t change how I felt!

Amanda has experienced the unimaginable. Her daughter and husband are dead. While she and even the police know who the killer is, it is an impossible case that Detective Farrow wants to see come to justice. In a grief support group, Amanda meets Wendy, also dealing with a similar loss and the desire to seek justice from a killer who walks free. In a Patricia Highsmith-inspired plan, they decide to murder the monster lurking in each of their lives. We also learn of Ruth, who is dealing with her own trauma. She is trying to recover from being attacked by a man with piercing blue eyes. Detective Farrow is also on the case. Through multiple perspectives, their stories unfold. Will the devious double-murder plan work and protect them from the police? And how does Ruth fit into the story?

This is the first book I've read from author Steve Cavanagh, a very popular and acclaimed UK writer. After reading Kill for Me, Kill for You, I am now a fan. This book was released overseas last year, and I am so glad that it is now being released by a U.S. publisher. This book is a great example of why I love mystery thrillers. I was kept on the edge of my seat. It was so much fun seeing how all the pieces of this twisted puzzle came together. The classic 1951 movie Strangers on a Train, adapted from Highsmith's 1950 murder swap novel, is a favorite that I've seen multiple times, so I knew I was going to enjoy reading this book. Gripping, jaw-dropping, heart-pounding. I could go on and on. Don't pass this one by.

Oooo this is a twisty one! When based on STRANGERS ON A TRAIN you would assume you know where this is going but I was so, so wrong. I really enjoyed the cat and mouse aspect this had and loved seeing the characters work through their issues. There was a few unnecessary characters who didn’t add anything more than dialogue to the story so there isn’t a ton of character development in this one. At the end of the day though, Cavanagh has written a compelling and thrilling story that surprised me.

Steve Cavanagh does it again. "Kill for Me, Kill for You" will keep you on the edge of your seat starting from page one. Just when you think you know what's coming Cavanagh will throw you a curveball you didn't expect. I really enjoyed the pacing of this book. I loved the multiple POV's. It allowed the reader to understand how complex each character was and the emotions each one was battling. This book will be an instant hit that you will not want to miss out on.

You won’t regret this read!!

I’d go in blind if I had the chance all over again.


Alternating POVS, easy to follow and very engaging cliff hangers often!

Wowza the twists! That ending left my head spinning and definitely didn’t see ALL that coming!!

Really enjoyed Amanda, the unfolding of the mystery and the big reveals!!

Few uses of G***amn throughout, violent attack and murder as far as triggers to be aware of.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria books for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own!

Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh was a spellbinding and suspenseful thriller.
This book was so damn good! I just couldn’t put it down until I finished it!… Had me hooked right from the start. The characters are also well fleshed out making the reader need to read another chapter.
The writing was fabulous, a great page turner, fast paced and a sharp, clever and brilliantly executed thriller.

Thank You NetGalley and Atria Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thanks to Atria for the eARC
This was my first Cavanagh and it won't be my last. In the beginning, I wondered exactly what was going on and where this story was going. However, I just knew that the plot points had to come together, and it so paid off in the end. This story was an interesting take on and commentary on revenge murder. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I gasped at some of the well thought out twists. I liked how the author danged just enough to keep me going. I binged this in a day. Also, bravo on that ending. There were things I truly did not see coming, which left me with lots of feelings about it. I know it's an ending I will be thinking about for a while. I can't wait to explore this author's backlist while I wait for his next novel .

Although there was a plot twist that I didn’t fully see coming, the writing style wasn’t for me. It took a while for things to get moving, and it felt like there was quite a bit of unnecessary filler and commentary. I appreciate the opportunity to read this early!

2.5 stars rounded up. I had a hard time rationalizing any of the decisions made by any of the main characters, but if you like thrillers with lots of twists and morally ambiguous characters, this may be for you. Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

This is my favorite book of the year so far. I have been struggling with reading as much and this book was just what I needed. I could not put it down. Awesome twists and turns that kept me in my toes.

I enjoyed this propulsive popcorn thriller! It’s full of twists and turns that kept me guessing, and I liked the way the author took the murder-swap concept from Strangers on a Train as an inspiration for the vigilante justice the characters engage in.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy!

This was such a surprise read for me! At first, I struggled to read this one. I couldn’t connect the characters and I found myself questions which characters were which. The book picked up around 30% for me. But once the book picks up, it’s so good. I had to know how this one ended! 4⭐️

4.5⭐️

Now that was a wild ride. As a fan of Alfred Hitchcock, I loved the Strangers On a Train style murder pact that two of the main characters formed in this highly suspenseful tale. A fast pace and so many twists kept me on the edge of my seat from start to shocking finish.

Thank you Steve Cavanagh, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 overall!

This was definitely a twisty popcorn ride of a thriller! It did start out slow for me and a little repetitive at times but once it hit the twists it took off. I loved the multiple POV’s and how each chapter left off on a mini cliff hanger. It really added to that popcorn thriller feel and made me want to keep reading until the end. The twists were wild and I loved seeing everything connect at the end.

Overall, I highly enjoyed this wild thriller and it gave me similar vibes to Just Another Missing Person!

Kill for Me, Kill for You was an absolute wild ride and I loved every second of it. I recently have been in a reading slump, and this fast paced thriller brought me back to life.

If you are a fan of Hitchcock’s Strangers On A Train, then you definitely need to pick up this book. Who doesn’t love a little murder swap, vigilante style?

Not everything is as it seems, and the twists along the way will keep you guessing and not wanting to put this book down.

This is the second book using Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train as a stepping stone that I have read this year, and I wondered what my reaction would be. It is a testament to Highsmith's iconic story and Cavanagh's skill that I finished Kill for Me Kill for You with a big smile on my face.

This fast-paced, plot-driven book may leave you feeling as if you're strapped in a car on a wild and woolly roller coaster ride. However, where most plot-driven books fall short in characterization, Kill for Me Kill for You doesn't. It's all too easy to put yourself in the shoes of the grief-stricken Amanda, Ruth, and Scott, and all too easy to hope that Farrow, the homicide detective, will put all the pieces together for some sort of justice to triumph.

Since so much hinges on the marvelous plot twists, I can't say much about this book without giving something away, but I will say this: Read it, and don't be surprised if it puts a smile on your face, too.

New from Steve Cavanagh is Kill for Me, Kill for You - also a March Book=of-the-Month pick.

"Two strangers meet and over drinks and discover they have much in common - including a desire to get rid of someone who hurt their family.

In another part of the city, Ruth is attacked in her home by a man with piercing blue eyes. Will she ever feel safe again with the blue-eyed man still out there?"

Cavanagh acknowledges early that this is a well known trope. The characters even talk about it when they discuss Strangers on a Train. The question becomes - how does he make the story his own? And he definitely does! Just when you think he's just following a straight plot line, he dashes off madly in an unexpected direction. It's a trope-buster! Twists and twists that you will not see coming.

This is a fast-paced book with a wild ending that you will not want to put down. Great new book from Cavanagh.

Kill for me kill for you is a psychological thriller based off of a hitchcock story but with some twists and turns. The story is told from several different points of view but mostly from two women. We have Amanda whose spouse and daughter are head and Ruth who is brutally attacked in her own home while her husband is out for the night. Amanda meets Wendy at a support group and they pretty quickly form a pact: kill for me, kill for you. The story is an easy read and filled with twists and turns that lead you on a wild ride: every time i thought i knew exactly what was happening a new twist was thrown in. Pick this up if you love a thriller. Thank you to netgalley for the arc. Four and a half stars rounded down as I always do because to me five star reads are rare.