US pub date: 3/19/24
Genre: thriller
Quick summary: Amanda and Wendy find themselves joking about a Strangers on a Train scenario of trading murders - but it turns out only one of them was joking...

I discovered Steve Cavanagh's thrillers with THIRTEEN, and I'm excited to see him make a bigger splash in the U.S. This book has been a bit polarizing among my friends - you either love it or you hate it, and I ended up loving it. It's definitely on the darker side as far as thrillers go, but I loved the twists and thought it all came together really well at the end. I read it in less than 24 hours despite the 400+ page length, and I thoroughly enjoyed the wild ride. 4.5 stars rounded to 5 for the entertainment value!

Thank you to Atria Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐: 4.9/5

DAMN HELL THIS BOOK!!! was SO GOOD!!

OMYGOSH!!🤯

That twist was GOOD!! LIKE DAMN FREAKIN’ GOOD!!

This is my first book by the author, and I do have some of his books listed in my TBR list but I’m so glad that I chose to read this!

This book is literally phenomenal! Like literally!! I am not kidding you! The way this story is executed especially that freakin’ twist was something that never crossed my mind. It LITERALLY made me gasp! The story is just AMAZING!👏👏 I loved every second of how it all was connected and how it kept me turning the pages.

From my reaction itself, you should know that this book is DAMN GOOD!🤣

I can’t talk about characters much without giving spoilers but my favorite character 👏 Amanda White👏 Damn her character was good! Her thoughts, emotions, reactions, and character were absolutely well-written! Also Detective Farrow! I love him!

There’s only one thing that I was unsatisfied with and that was Ruth. I do like her character but there is a scene where her emotions or should I say reactions didn’t give off any tension needed in that scene which is a scene I can’t share without giving spoilers. I wish she had more tension in that scene and then it would have been absolutely perfect!

It releases on March 19 and when it does, GO GRAB IT! because it’s freakin’ good!! I highly highly recommend it!

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a fantastic read! Kill for Me, Kill for You was the perfect reimagining of the classic Strangers on a Train. I love that the book made this reference and then updated the theme to make it a bit more modern with some unexpected new twists along the way. There were twists and turns through the whole book leaving no dull moments.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher I can not say enough good things about this book. I was so exited when I got this arc copy I think I was jumping up and down.. this is one of my favorite tropes in a book 2 strangers meet and decide to swap murders . Love love loved.

This. Was. Amazing.

Did I figure out a couple twists along the way? Yes. Did it detract from this tour de force in any single way? Absolutely not.

Steve Cavanaugh has always been brilliant but this, in my opinion, is next level.

Wendy and Amanda each have a grudge. They each have someone they want to pay for a crime they were never convicted of. When they realize their similarities, they agree to commit a murder for each other. But when Wendy disappears, Amanda will stop at nothing to find her.

Twists and turns galore, Cavanaugh once again proves himself as a force to be reckoned with in Kill for Me, Kill for You.

With time running out, what lengths would you go to in order to get revenge?

Amanda has been wronged & justice has NOT been served - she doesn’t feel like her life can be about anything else until there’s some retribution, & she’s getting desperate since she lost her job & is running out of money. Wendy, a complete stranger, feels the same way. The two women cross paths & get to talking, brainstorming about how to get away with taking matters into their own hands…. & a flawless plan is formed: they’ll carry out each other’s vendettas.

Ruth has managed to survive a brutal stabbing after a break-in at her home, & the doctors tell her she’s lucky to be alive - but she doesn’t feel lucky, & she doesn’t feel safe anywhere knowing the blue-eyed man who attacked her could be out there waiting to finish what he started…

This was a dark book, & for the first half I wasn’t sure what these two storylines had to do with each other until a major reveal was made. As I kept reading, the plots continually thickened, & I could not believe how the hits just kept coming - these women go through a LOT. I’m still not over that ending.

Side note, I loved the reference to Ruth reading a Patricia Highsmith novel (the author of Strangers on a Train).

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

3.5*/5*

This book started out pretty slow for me. It was kind of hard to be interested in either storyline at first and I wanted to know how they connected. About 50% of the way through, the story picked up and eventually did suck me in. I never got to a point where I thought about DNF'ing it but I was slowly losing hope before the action picked up. The storyline was a little bit out there and it isn't the type of book where everything works out for everyone. I didn't see any of the twists coming, which I did enjoy a lot. Overall, I did really enjoy this book and am definitely going to check out more books by Steve Cavanagh.

If you love thrillers and are into serial killers, definitely give this book a shot! I will say if you aren't into multiple POVs, it may not be for you.

This book had a synopsis that grabbed my attention. Two women meet during a grief support group and form a chilling alliance. A page turning good time with strong characters and plenty of twists and turns.

A twist on 'Strangers on a Train' brings Steve Cavanaughs lastest gem.

Amanda and Wendy meet in a grieving loss of family group. Amanda lost her 6 yr old daughter to a horrid murder and her husband committed suicide after he blamed himself. Wendy talks of losing her own teenager to murder by a pedofile teacher. The two women hatch a plan as they share their stories that resulted in the loss of a loved one. They plan to help each other out - "Kill for me Kill for you" they carefully structure their alibi to evade law enforcement.

Just when you thought you knew what was happening, Steve is a master at flipping the plot on its head, with strong well development characters you are invested and will power through this book to find out..... how will it end.

My first 5-star of the year, and it is still making me think...

I wasn’t sure how this would stir together- very clever. A good and quick read even during an exhaustive daily travel trip

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

This book is a take on Strangers on a Train with a few extra twists. I guessed most of the twists in the story in advance but it's still a page turner. Better than a lot of books in this genre.

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 plan: if you kill for me, I’ll kill for you.

WOW. This book hooked me in from the start and did not let go. I loved the different character’s POV and found it very easy to keep track of who was who. The way that the characters tied in together was flawless and the twists had my jaw on the floor. I absolutely recommend picking this one up when it comes out on March 19!

THANK YOU to Netgalley, Atria Books and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thrillers have not been my friend lately 😂 I can say, that this was a great book! Really enjoyed this thriller! There was a couple of twists I had no clue and I kept waiting to see how it would all come together. While reading I gasped, laughed and was on the edge of my seat. I never read a book by this author, but I will start looking at his back list. This will definitely be a book I’ll recommend this year.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for my e arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publish Date: March 19, 2024

Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh
Publishing date - 03/19/24
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for this e-ARC. Loved it!

Synopsis - Two women meet in a grief support group and decide to take revenge and agree to kill for each other.

This was a clever and twisty thriller! definite recommendation if you’re looking for a twisty thriller.

This book. Wow. So unique and tangled and twisted. Loved every second, and couldn’t really put it down.
I don’t want to give anything away because the set up of this book is brilliant. Just read it. It’s amazing.
Amanda’s family tragedy has her going to a support group where she meets Wendy, who has experienced a similar trauma both without justice. They decide to help one another start new lives by killing the people they believe are responsible for their family member’s murders.
Seriously, this book is insane. Read it!!!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Two women meet in a grief support group and decide to take revenge for each other in hopes of committing the perfect crime, then all hell breaks loose. This was like a Strangers on a Train retelling with some extra twists and turns. Make no mistake, this story is VERY dumb and convoluted but it was incredibly entertaining and I could not put it down. I have no choice but to recommend.

This takes the Strangers on a Train concept, with two people agreeing to kill for each other, but it ends up being so much more. I feel like there are many books lately labeled as thrillers that aren't thrilling, but this one starts with a woman attempting to murder a man in the middle of a crowded subway and goes on from there with lots of edge-of-your-seat action.

I did have one theory that ended up being correct, but I definitely did not guess all of the twists and turns here. This was the type of book that you just want to fly through to get to the end because you want to know what's going to happen next immediately. A definite recommendation if you're looking for a twisty, action-packed thriller.

Kill for Me, Kill for You was chosen as my next read by bookstagrammers, I was NOT DISAPPOINTED. Let me say now, Steve Cavanagh, otherwise an unknown to me author, is now on my auto buy list for standalone books. I devoured this book in a day.

What in the plot twists did I just read? Two women, each on the receiving end of a horrific loss or crime, meet at a grief group. Ok, so far, so good. They break the rules and tell each other their real names and more about their loss due to crimes against them or their families. Uh huh. Then they make a pact, I'll kill your perp, you kill mine. Wait! What! And the train leaves the station from there.

Be prepared for breakneck speed of twists and turns and yes, violence. Comparisons to Alfred Hickock's Strangers on a Train are apt. What caught my attention is the gotcha blurb for those that enjoyed The Silent Patient and Gone Girl. I came for the blurbs, I stayed for the crazy thriller that unfolded before my eyes.

Everything doesn't have to make complete sense to me to be thrilled with a thriller. It just has to have enough reality, originality, and velocity to keep me turning pages. Kill for Me, Kill for You had that and more. It's edgy and smart.

Make room on your TBR because this one is coming out on March 19th.

Thank you to Atria books and Netgalley for early access to an e-copy. All opinions are mine.

Thank you to Atria for a Netgalley.

Well this was quiet the twisty suspense novel. Many moving pieces, but not so many that you cannot keep up. Ruth's story was extremely intriguing and watching that story unfold was entertaining. Cavanagh slowly released piece by piece with Ruth and it was well executed.

Amanda's story was also interesting to read. As we watched her work through her own grief and her friendship with Naomi, you just knew it was not going to be that simple.

I enjoyed the ending as well even though one piece of that ending made me just go "Nope. Never."

Highly recommend for thriller/suspense fans.

I really liked this one! Short, very fast paced chapters told from multiple points of view, keep the story moving quickly. Serial killers and the ramifications/effects on the their victims’ families lays the premise for this twisty tale. I read it in 2 days. I look forward to Steve Cavanagh’s next book.
Thank You to NetGalley and to Atria Books for the invitation to read an ARC of Kill for Me, Kill for You. I thoroughly enjoyed it.