Amanda and Wendy meet at a group counseling session in NYC and bond over their tragic losses. Each have lost family members and feel broken and alone. In another part of the city, Ruth is brutally attacked in her home one night while her husband is out, and she worries she will never feel safe again until her blue-eyed attacker is caught or dead. The women all have one thing in common: their deep desire for revenge.

This one was so good. There were twists at every turn and I loved the multiple POVs as it allowed me to get to know each character in depth and learn their backstories. I was left feeling sorry for each character while also not knowing who I could trust. This is a very bingeable popcorn thriller that I think many people will enjoy. Highly recommend!

Thank you Atria for me eArc and physical ARC!

Loosely based, or perhaps inspired is a better way to put it, by Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train, this book starts with women dealing with trauma and the desire for revenge. Like in the original material, they meet and decide they should take on each other's killing so as to get away with it. Yep, and that is where it detours dramatically. As a reader, you know going in that it can't follow the original story completely but when the twists start coming, they somewhat take your breathe away. As the pieces start coming together for the reader, there are a myriad of "ooooh" moments where you either conscious or subconsciously praise the author for their cleverness. I can't quite get this book to a 5 star, but it is probably as close to one without being one as it can be. I think I need to read more from this author. Any suggestions where to go from here? This set a high bar.

Amanda suddenly loses her family and her life shortly crumbles in the aftermath. She ends up meeting another woman, Wendy, who has a similar story of tragedy. The two quickly strike up a deal to take revenge on the men that got away with crimes against their families. An if you kill for me, I’ll kill for you pact. This quickly spirals out of control for Amanda when she realizes just exactly what she has gotten into.

This book was SO clever! I walked into it thinking it would be one thing and instead I was completely surprised with each twist. It’s a classic stay up way past your bedtime because you need to know what happens type of thriller read 😳 I could not recommend this one enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC! Look out for Kill for Me, Kill for You as it releases next week on March 19, 2024! 📚

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of Kill for me Kill for You by Steve Cavenaugh. This was a fast paced, twisty turning read. I read it in one sitting and couldn’t put it down. There were some surprises and twists. I liked how it was told from multiple points of view and the stories wove together. You couldn’t trust anyone. I did have the ending figured out, but it didn’t detract from the book.

Amanda and Wendy have both had their families destroyed by men. In a chance meeting in a bar, they decide to kill for each other. Ruth was brutally attacked in her home and her husband decides to jell to get revenge for her. She can’t rest after the attack.

I adore Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series, and have read each and every one. I am honestly wondering if this is the same author??? This was an enormous disappointment for me.

One: thin characters who are unlikeable to the nth degree - could have cared less about them and the connections amongst such disparate people were hilariously implausible
Two: the plot has been done, mostly by the oft-mentioned Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith, and no, I did not find this a creative replay of that plot where two strangers kill for each other while supplying alibis. Nope nope nope, silly and implausible
Writing: I am used to the humor and nuance of the Eddie Flynn books; sadly, this book had choppy writing that lacked any fluidity or compelling reason to keep reading.

And yes, I finished it, hate reading until the end, hoping for redemption than never came.

I am sure others will like the twisty thriller but it just did not meet my expectations.

Talk about a revenge story?! This book was amazing. A beautifully twisted revenge? Or just some terrifying trauma? How would you react? I guess you don’t know until you’re brutally attacked or your family is dead.

Thank you to netgalley and Atria publishing for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review

The concept of Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (two strangers swap murders to avoid being the prime suspect) gets turned on its head in this propulsive, edge-of-your-seat thriller. In this version, the two strangers are grieving women who meet in a trauma group and bond over the limits of the justice system.

There’s a lot else going on, but to say more would spoil much of the fun. And this was a lot of fun, even if it did veer into melodrama and the dialogue often felt clunky. I did figure out the twist fairly early but then was convinced I was wrong until it became clear I was right. Ultimately, it kept me guessing and I couldn’t put it down—an enjoyable reading experience even with a somewhat lackluster ending.

This book is a classic “Strangers on a Train“ situation. Two women meet, and make a pact to each kill somebody for the other. I’ve seen the Hitchcock movie and I’ve read a couple of other books with the same premise, but this one was NOT the same. This has a major twist that makes it unique to those other similar stories.

Amanda’s six-year-old daughter was kidnapped and murdered, with the killer never to be found. Since he was the one watching Jess at the park that day, her husband couldn’t handle the guilt and killed himself. Amanda is now completely alone, and has been sent to a therapy group for the grieving after doing some light stalking turned that insane towards the man she believes killed her daughter.

At the first unwanted bonding session, she meets Naomi (who goes by “Wendy” in the anonymous group). Naomi’s daughter was also murdered, and though her diary told of an affair with her teacher, Mr. Quinn, it wasn’t enough to convict the man of murder. Both women have been robbed of their daughters, and neither got to see the person responsible get any consequences for their actions.

The women have a few drinks after group, and that’s when they hatch their plan. They are doing the world a favor - there is someone killing people all over New York City, and maybe one of these men is the culprit. There was even a night where three women were brutally attacked and only one made it out alive - Ruth, who we also get to hear from. The book’s narrative is also rounded out by the two officers in charge of the cases, Farrow and Hernandez.

This took a classic story and made it fresh after flipping it on its head. My jaw dropped at least three or four times, as I definitely didn’t see any of the twists coming. I loved Amanda’s character, as well as Farrow, oddly enough. I loved how the chapters jumped between different characters, and the ending was great. I can’t think of much I would change about this one, so it gets the five stars!

(Thank you to Atria Books, Steve Cavanagh and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on March 19, 2024.)

This was everything I love in a thriller and more! I really enjoy Steve Cavanagh's writing and this did not disappoint. Multiple POV's, fast paced and twist after twist.

This tells the story of two women who meet in a grief support group after experiencing a traumatic life event. They meet up after group, share their stories and bond over their shared experience. This leads to a conversation of "kill for me, kill for you".

There are so many twists and turns. Just when you think you know what the twist is you are knocked off your feet and get thrown a complete curve ball. It was amazing, fun to read and kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending was spectacular.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Steve Cavanaugh has done it again and this just may be my favorite. It is suspenseful with some surprises and an unexpected ending while also including well developed characters to root for.
More sensitive readers will appreciate that there is very little ‘adult’ language and no sexual content. I also liked the fact that the story had a limited number of characters so I didn’t get confused about who is who!

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this one in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This truly never went where I thought it might go.

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I thought the morally gray/blurred lines between good and evil was executed quite well. I was a bit nervous because I didn't enjoy the last book I read by Cavanaugh, but since I was invited to read and review this title I went for it, and I am glad that I did!

Amanda and Wendy were absolutely fascinating and they made me think of None of This is True by Lisa Jewell. Women with a weird amount of things in common!

Without giving anything away, the storyline with Ruth and the blue eyed stranger was kinda weird and I wasn't as invested in that part of the book as much.

A supercharged version of Strangers on a Train! There's so much happening in this book, the suspense grabs you in a death grip and doesn't let go. And the twists are brilliant leaving you gasping and grinning. This is the first book I've read by Steve Cavanaugh but definitely not the last! I'll be checking out his backlist and looking forward to more in the future. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of the book.

This started so strong and unique in premise, I loved the first 20% of it, but unfortunately, it went downhill from there.
I guessed every single twist, even the very last thing I thought "Oh would it be fun if this and this happened" and bam, it truly happened. With that said, I do not consider guessing the twist as a bad thing. However, in this story, most of them made next to no sense, and half of the characters' actions made no sense either. Yes, it is fiction, but I need to be somewhat plausible on some level. What turned me off the most is how the author wrote Amanda and her POV.
Overall, I do not regret reading it; the story itself, and the writing were fun. The chapters had just enough cliffhangers for me to continue reading, and I loved how the ending got wrapped up.

Two women – both struggling following recent tramas – meet at a support group. Over drinks, they come up with the perfect plan. I’ll kill the man who destroyed your life and you kill the man who destroyed mine. What follows is a dark, tension-filled psychological thriller with an intricate plot and twists that’ll make you audibly gasp. You won’t see it coming.

Kill For Me, Kill For You was so much more than I expected. The book blurb does not do this book justice. I’m struggling to find a way to express how great this book is without giving anything away. It’s a bit slow going the first fifty pages and then it flies. Hair blowing in the wind fast. My one big nitpick with the book is the ending. Not sure how I feel about it.

This is the first time I’ve read Steve Cavanagh and won’t be the last. Kill For Me, Kill For You is a tour de force and has my highest recommendation.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Kill For Me, Kill For You!.

This book grabbed me from the beginning! I was worried, with taking so much inspiration from "Strangers on a Train" that this might be a bit predictable but wow was I wrong. With a strong plot, demanding your full attention to keep up and final ending twist (I love those) "Kill For Me, Kill For You" was a pleasure to read!

Honestly the only negative I can say about this book is I felt there was a lot of characters and I never really got to know any of them. But in hindsight I don't really know how much that mattered because the driving force of this book wasn't so much the characters but the story line.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

4.5 stars!

A slow start that ended up gaining incredible speed! Insanely well-plotted and clever, with two major twists that I didn’t see coming.

This is very plot-heavy. There isn't much character development, especially considering there were so many different characters and POVs. Thankfully, what it lacks in character development, it more than makes up for in a massively entertaining, fast-paced plot. The chapters a fairly short, and there are small cliffhangers at the end of each one, which kept me eager to keep reading.

For what it's worth, it was obvious while reading that this book was written by a UK author. There were a few things that stuck out to me, but mainly grammar and a misunderstanding of New York/US culture. Most notably, there were quite a few references to "Thanksgiving Eve" as though it's a day almost as important as Thanksgiving Day. It's nitpicky, but it did distract me from the story.

Highly recommend picking this one up! A brilliant thriller. I'll be picking up more from this author!

Read if you like:
👪 Multiple POVs
🌪️ Major plot twists
🚂 Strangers on a Train

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It is a fantastic story, exhilarating plot, well developed characters, and a well executed shocking ending. I read in one day, unputdownable and very addictive. Recommend to every thriller reader.

Huge thank you to Atria books for the e-arc of this book! The following review is my own and was not influenced by this.

Oh. My. Gosh.

This book is insane in the best way possible. With a vague synopsis about revenge and a home invasion, Steve Cavanagh moves forward and weaves one of the BEST thrillers I have ever read in my life. We meet Amanda, a grief-stricken woman who's world has fallen apart piece by piece as the days pass,. She meets Wendy, someone who seems to be on the same level as her, and from there, it just spirals.

If you want a book that smacks you with plot twist after plot twist, this is definitely the one for you. At no point did I have any idea where this storyline was going. Cavanagh has made, in my mind, a masterpiece with this. I was hooked from the start and found it impossible to put down.

Just when you think you've got it all figured out, think again! This twisty thriller will keep you guessing and trying to figure out who, what, when and where. I had a hard time putting this book down as I had to try and put the puzzle pieces together. This book is captivating, thrilling, and down right amazin! Do yourself a favor and read this ASAP! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kill for Me, Kill for You

Two strangers, Wendy and Amanda, meet by chance. As they talk into the night, they come up with the perfect plan: if you kill for me, I’ll kill for you.

In another part of the city, Ruth is home alone where she is attacked by a man with piercing blue eyes, who disappears into the night. Will she ever be able to feel safe again while the blue-eyed stranger is out there?
 
Kill for Me, Kill for You gripped me and kept me turning the pages late into the night. This book was right up my alley. Furrow was my favorite character, and I could feel the pain and loss of each person. I could not stop thinking about the blue-eyed stranger his piercing eyes were haunting me and I could only imagine what Ruth went though.
 
Steve Cavanagh is one of my favorite Authors. I love his Eddie Flynn Series and this book did not disappoint. This novel was right up my alley. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs from Amanda, Wendy, Furrow, and Ruth. Cavanagh takes a fresh hot take on the premise of Strangers on a Train and made this classic into something new and exciting.
 
What I loved
Following multiple characters
Twists and turns
Ending that you won't see coming
 
I do wish I was more invested in the characters, but I enjoyed the ending, and I thought it all wrapped up nicely. I was entertained and it helped me forget real life for a while!
 
I would recommend the book to Thriller, Hitchcock, Multiply POV, Suspense Fans.

Thank you, NetGallery, the Steve Cavanagh and the Simon & Schuster for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review