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

I have been a huge fan of this author’s for years so I was excited to read this book but unfortunately I found myself disappointed. I checked my reviews of his books and apparently I forgot how bad the last few were and how often he interjected politics into his books which kept annoying me in this one. Reading is an escape, especially fiction, but the author kept bashing your American President over and over again. Which obviously detracts from the story but also frankly annoys me since the author is not American. The author can write really well and he can be an excellent storyteller so I wish he would stick to writing engaging, twisty stories.

At times the story was very engrossing but at others I had to push through so it’s a very inconsistent read. Be warned there is a very sad backstory of the reason for the revenge which is hard to get through. He does create a character you will sympathize with and care for despite a lot that is very hard to believe.

This is one of those books that will have you HOOKED from page 1 up until the last sentence. I couldn't put it down! And I may have yelled "WHAT IS GOING ON" one too many times. Sorry not sorry!

There's emotion, thrills, revenge, and twists you wouldn't even imagine. My jaw was on the floor.

This book is told in multiple POV's. Amanda a mother whose daughter was kidnapped and murdered, Ruth who suffered a physical trauma, and Farrow a detective in charge of their cases. Steve Cavanagh does a great job keeping you hooked through multiple POV's and connected through all of them.

This is a unique thriller based down to revenge and what you would do to get that revenge.

Honestly one of my favorites this year! You need to read it!!!

Thank you to Atria Books for the free book!

Bingeable! I ripped through this intense and clever psychological thriller in a day. It is inspired by Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train and the Hitchcock film adaptation, where two strangers agree to "trade" murders. In Cavanaugh's version, women who have endured unimaginable tragedy and been denied justice eventually agree to do the same to help each other exact revenge. I don't want to say more because I recommend going into this one blind if you can.
This was sharply written and masterfully plotted. Told in multiple POVs by flawed and intriguing characters, each storyline was gripping, and I felt genuine fear and apprehension for the characters as their narratives unfolded. Whenever I thought I knew what was happening, Cavanaugh ripped the rug from underneath me. The tension and suspense had my heart racing, especially towards the end, and what an ending it was! Cavanaugh is on top of his game with this one. It is clever and highly entertaining. If you enjoy a dark, twisty thrill ride, you'll want to add this to your tbr!

Brillant! I love books where I audibly gasp at something I didn't see coming, and this is such a book!

Amanda and Wendy, two women who meet in a grief support group, have had incredible losses in their lives and wish revenge on the people who caused them pain. Based on the movie Strangers on a Train, they each decide to enact revenge on each other's target and have a concrete alibi for themselves at the same time.

In the meantime Ruth Gelman is a women who was violently attacked in her NY abrownstone by a man with crisp blue eyes, and is struggling to overcome such a brutal event and wonders if she will ever feel safe again.

Positives:
multiple perspectives done very well
incredible plot twists
suspenseful
Kept me hooked until the very last page
Satisfying conclusion

Negatives:
I had to think very hard about a negative. Maybe that there were quite a few names to keep track of.

An excellent book with unexpected twists and turns. I can't wait for it to be released so I can talk to others about this 5-star read.

Hot Diggity Dang, I love a good revenge thriller, and Steve Cavanagh delivers one that's hot, intense, and emotionally messy, just the way I like one to be. While I'm not always a fan of the 'stranger on the train' trope, Cavanagh proves himself to be the right author to handle it, crafting a unique, unpredictable, and thrilling page-turner with his explosive, game-changing reveals.

BUT Steve Cavanagh does push the believability element by complicating things for a few pages, which almost lost me until he tightened up the narrative and got back on track.

From start to finish, this revenge thriller had me on the edge of my seat, eagerly anticipating each twist and turn. The climax is particularly exhilarating, with tension mounting until the jaw-dropping reveal that caught me completely off guard, making the ending a truly satisfying payoff.

Wow! This was a great thriller!!! If someone took away those you love, would you rest before getting revenge? I imagine the need for justice would be overwhelming. So when two hurting people meet and decide to “swap” murder victims, it sounds like a win-win for everyone…right? Read this great book to find out!

So you think you’ve got it all figured out? You DON’T. This is definitely a read that will keep you surprised and shocked down to the very end! One hell of a page turner with multiple POVs, and cliff hanging chapters so you can’t stop reading. There were some really tough topics touched in this book, and it made me really think about what I would do in a similar situation. When I reflect on this book two words really come to mind: revenge and redemption. There were questions racing through my mind as I was reading and I am so happy to note that they were all answered, the author did not leave us wondering which I regard HIGHLY in a standalone book. If you’re in the mood for a heart wrenching, gripping and mind boggling book….Kill For Me Kill For You is THE one. I highly recommend!

MURDER BY PROXY ?

Steve Cavanagh’s psychological thriller, “Kill for Me, Kill for You,” takes an unexpected trip into the ‘Twilight Zone’ of temporary insanity (or perhaps complete madness) as it delves into the agony of several characters who are experiencing insurmountable personal losses.

These characters continue suffering long after the tragedies. They go to counseling, yet cannot move forward in their lives. Their only priority is obtaining revenge on their tormentors—who they hate because they’re walking around freely instead of being punished by God or the government. Retaliation is the focus of these blighted souls lives—how, when, and where to kill their enemies is paramount.

Unlikely answers to each of their prayers appears from other anonymous victims of similar situations. They will each kill the other’s nemesis like in the classic Hitchcock movie, “Strangers on a Train.” Gruesome as this premise is, worse could be finding that it’s a set-up—a trap.

The person pressuring you to kill for them, lied, and never killed your target. Why? What’s really going on? How many others have been tricked into needless murder by proxy? Who is the manipulator behind all of these killings? What’s the motive?

Not to give away juicy details to solving this multiple murder mystery, nonetheless, dear reader, I must refer you back to Alfred Hitchcock—the suspense master himself. Known to dangle a “MacGuffin” (a special thing that pushes the narrative along) in his work, so did Mr. Cavanagh. This Hitchesque story note jumped out at me immediately. Many of you suspense junkies will catch it as well.

“Kill” is a wickedly twisted thriller of a Gordian Knot with lots of complex plot tangles and interwoven character developments. Keep your eyes open for the tiny solution hints throughout that can explode into clarity at the end. This was really fun!

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Steve Cavanagh, and Publisher Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.: Celebrating 100 Years of Publishing in 2024, for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

This book was twisty, tense, and had me in an absolute chokehold during the few sittings it took me to read this. Seriously though, I was sweating reading this in a bookstore and constantly getting weird looks for my wild reactions that I couldn’t keep in.

If you enjoyed The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson or other similar strangers on a train premise, definitely give this one a preorder for its release March 19th! Huge thank you to Atria Books and Steve Cananagh for my early review copy.

Thank you to Steve Cavanagh, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

For fans of The Silent Patient and Gone Girl, a razor-sharp and Hitchcock-inspired psychological thriller about two ordinary women who make a dangerous pact to take revenge for each other after being pushed to the brink.

One dark evening on New York City’s Upper West Side, two strangers meet by chance. Over drinks, Amanda and Wendy realize they have much in common, especially loneliness and an intense desire for revenge against the men who destroyed their families. As they talk into the night, they come up with the perfect if you kill for me, I’ll kill for you.

In another part of the city, Ruth is home alone when the beautiful brownstone she shares with her husband, Scott, is invaded. She’s 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?

Initially this book starts out slowly building, and normally slow burns lose my attention, but not this one. About 1/4 of the way in, it's turns absolutely crazy, tense, nail biting...you get the picture. Cavanagh has a way of creating multiple twists and shocking revelations, but not revealing them to you until he is ready for you to know! When Amanda and Wendy meet in the support group, they both are suffering and working through some intense and raw emotions concerning those who have done them wrong. Wendy agrees to kill for Amanda and Amanda agrees to kill for Wendy. When I really thought about how realistic not only the emotions were, but the desperation for seeking justice, I didn't have a hard time having empathy for and relating to both women. The story played out in my mind like a good thriller movie. I found myself saying to the characters don't go there or don't do that. The intensity builds until your panic meter is high and your anxiety has to know how this will all end. This book is the definition of an edge of your seat, nail biting, unputdownable, can't sleep until it's over type of suspense.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun book. I wouldn't consider this a fast paced thriller but I was intrigued throughout the entire thing. There was definitely a few parts that even had my heart racing.

One of the twists I figured out right as it was starting to unravel and the other twist I never saw coming. It literally made me gasp out loud.

4.5 stars rounded up

I stayed up way too late last night finishing this and it was SO good!!! I could not put it down. There were a few twists- a couple that I saw coming- but the ending shocked me. It was so well done. I read Steve's other book Thirteen in 2019 and absolutely loved it. I love how he writes. If you enjoy crime thrillers, then you will eat this one up. It did not disappoint!

Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thrillers haven’t blown me away in awhile, but this year’s releases have been impressing me, and this one was no different. This was the true definition of a page-turning thriller. The pacing was perfection, the different POVs were smart, and the plot was thick.

The characters had motivations that made sense. The cops for the most part were believable; there were a few times that I had to dive into my suspension of disbelief. The plot, while absolutely bonkers, felt real to the world the author created. Also, the ending was one of my favorites; it just really worked for me. I’m keeping it intentionally brief as to not accidentally reveal anything because I think readers should go into this as blindly as possible.

If you enjoy many different POV thrillers, vigilante justice, and cat-and-mouse reads, this one will check your boxes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced thriller! This had everything I love in a thriller - interesting plot, characters you're not sure you should root for, short, multiple POVs, and short, pulse-pounding chapters. This is my first Steve Cavanagh book, but I will definitely be back for more. What a fun ride this one was!

This was my first book by Cavanagh and holy smokes. This was fantastic! I was immediately hooked. I loved the multiple viewpoints and I audibly gasped when I figured it out. It came together beautifully. Highly recommend this one!

Kill for Me, Kill for You is a new twisty thriller that follows three women. Amanda recently lost her little girl and husband after a terrible attack. The man who is guilty of this is free in the streets and Amanda wants to kill him. She meets a woman at her support group who also lost a daughter to murder and the killer is loose. When the two women decide to “swap murders” and kill each others men they want dead, things quickly go downhill. There is also a third woman we follow that is somehow tied to all of this.

I loved this book! It was so twisty and fast paced. I read it in only 2 sittings. Some of the twists were predictable or unrealistic, but I still really enjoyed it. The twists just kept coming and I couldn’t put this book down! The characters had some sad back stories and were instantly likable. I loved the different point of views throughout and the quick chapters.

If you’re looking for a twisty thriller, I would recommend this one! I will definitely be looking for more by this author!

Thanks so much to netgalley and Atria books for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I think this book could have been just as wonderful if there wasn't such hard to read moments with child kidnapping and murder on top of multiple suicide mentions and a suicide in the family. Maybe the author was trying to make it more like a horror because it was so detailed and emotional. I just think the emotional sides of this book took away from the overall plot.

If you are looking for a good thriller that will have you turning pages, following multiple characters, with twists and turns and and ending that you won't see coming then this is the one for you. Kill for Me, Kill for You takes the premise of Strangers on a Train and runs with it. I love a good thriller that keeps my mind reeling trying to come up with who done it and slotting those missing pieces into place. This kept me guessing and puzzling the whole way through. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going I was wrong. The way the story was pieced together was brilliant and kept the suspense at its peak. We are following Amanda & Wendy who meet at a grief support group and later at a bar. They both are struggling with the inability to deal with their losses and the fact that the perpetrators have never been brought to justice. The grief, loneliness and desire for revenge have them coming up with a sinister plan to right each others wrongs. We also are introduced to Ruth who is attacked in her home and brutalized but somehow survives. See swears that she will never forget the face of her attacker and his piercing blue eyes but that isn't enough for a conviction. I loved the alternating point of views and those twists were perfection!

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for an ARC of Kill for Me, Kill for You in exchange for my honest review. It was a wonderful reading experience.

Steve Cavanagh does it again!
This was such a fast paced thriller. I love a revenge trope, and this did not disappoint. The different POVs really kept me hooked. I don’t think I put this book down until I was half way through it.

I had so much fun reading this.

Thank you Atria Books for allowing me to receive this early copy in exchange for my review.