This is one of those books I will think about for a long time to come. The characters were well written and the plot twists kept me on my toes with the last twist really being jarring. I really liked the writing style of this author and will definitely be looking to read more of his books in the future. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Cavanagh does it again! He puts a creative twist on the old Hitchcock movie Strangers on a Train. This was a page turning suspenseful mystery that really did keep me guessing with all its plot twists. I will recommend this to all mys customers, it is that good!

KILL FOR ME, KILL FOR YOU
Steve Cavanagh


In KILL FOR ME, KILL FOR YOU we are in New York. This time we are following Amanda and Wendy, and sometimes Ruth.

Amanda and Wendy meet at a group therapy session neither of them wants to be at. Soon after they agree to meet for drinks. That night after a few cocktails they start to discuss in detail how each of their families was destroyed by loss, how it affects them, and how much they wish they could seek revenge.

Before the sun sets on that New York night they come up with a Hitchcockian plan to enact revenge on those who they feel hurt them the most.

Across town, on a different New York night Ruth is attacked in her home during a home invasion. Leaving her barely alive, fighting for her life and sanity, and trying to put the pieces of her life back together. She is now haunted by her attacker. She is plagued by fear and soon her life is claimed by a fire lit from within.

SPOILER: This is my first Steve Cavanagh title, and it will not be my last. I loved the ode to Patricia Highsmith and the old Hitchcock classic STRANGERS ON A TRAIN. I’m reading KILL FOR ME KILL FOR YOU with my book club. If you are not yet a member of the Under The Radar Book Club, now is the time.

Cavanagh did such a great job reinventing and adding to something already well-established. I enjoyed the story, how it unfolded, and every surprising twist and turn.

The women of KFMKFY are unforgettable. I love how they were constructed so differently yet with one big thing in common. Seeing how each of them chooses to respond to their situations is interesting and being a bystander to the madness was a lot of fun.

KILL FOR ME, KILL FOR YOU is enjoyable whether you know the origin story or not and I think it would be a great read for newbie thriller readers and will surprise even the most experienced thriller lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy! It was a pleasure.

KILL FOR ME, KILL FOR YOU…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was a fabulously pleasant surprise for me! I went through most of it believing what I was reading. When the first twist hit I totally understood it. When the final twist hit, I was FLOORED! Loved this book.

A perfectly fine book, but it just didn't work for me and I can't put my finger on why. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

I liked this book, I just didn't love this book. I had a hard time with the reality of most of it. It still held my attention and I am glad I read it but just not my favorite. You couldn't help but feel for the women in the story but hard to believe that all that hatred and revenge would actually happen.

4.5 stars* wow! i really enjoyed this thriller! super fast-paced, and has multiple POVs and situations that keep you guessing without being confusing. the twists also actually surprised me, which is difficult to accomplish because i’ve read so many thrillers.

even though this book is coming out in the US in 2024, it will be one of my top thrillers of 2023 (along with another book from this author, Thirteen, which i also read this year). this book was so well-written and explored themes of corruption, justice, and revenge through the fleshed-out characters. they all felt like real people, and i understood all of their motivations. the NYC setting around Thanksgiving was perfect.

my only gripe (hence half a star taken off) was that some things seemed a little too convenient, but it wasn’t anything that had me suspending my disbelief *that* much. i will be diving more into Mr. Cavanagh’s backlist and will keep my eyes peeled for what he comes up with next!

Kill for Me, Kill for You comes out in the US on March 19, 2024. a huge thank you to Atria Books, Steve Cavanagh, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Title: Kill for me. Kill for You
Author: Steve Cavanagh
Publisher: Atra Books
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: March 19, 2024 - First published July 20, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages 415


Amanda and Wendy are strange who meet at a support meeting in New York City. They end up having a drink alone and soon a conversation is started and they realize they have a lot in in common.
They both want revenge against the two men who destroyed their families.
They come up with ~ If you kill for me, I'll kill for you..

It is perfect as they don’t know the victim.
The idea isn’t new but it got my attention.
I was more than half way in and I asked myself – why isn’t this working for me?
I hung in there and was glad I did as I did like the ending.
.
Want to thank NetGalley and Atra Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Re-Release Date scheduled for March 19, 2024.

Kill For Me Kill For You by @sscav - ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟
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We've all heard the premise of Strangers on a Train, right? You want someone dead. I want someone else dead. So we trade murders and no one is the wiser. Cavanagh takes this premise and turns it on its head with deadly (no pun intended) precision. I thought I knew where this train was going, but that train was not only derailed but also set on fire in a ditch 🤣 I was guessing until the very satisfying end. I will be watching for blue-eyed intruders in my kitchen every night I go get a glass of water for the rest of eternity.
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I read Th1rt3en last year, also by Cavanagh, and was utterly engrossed the entire time. I will make it a point to go into 2024 with some of his backlog on my TBR, because the man's twists are better than a Mickey pretzel at the front gate of the Disneyland castle. 🥨
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Special thanks to @netgalley and @atriabooks for allowing me to have this arc. All opinions are my own. Definitely go pick up a copy of KFMKFY when it releases next year! You will not regret it, except for when you're so engrossed you don't want to get up to do other "adulting" chores. That's always a struggle.
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🏷️: #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagram #bookreviewer #booklovers #booksofinstagram #KillForMeKillForYou #stevecavanagh #bookreview #netgalley

In the realm of heart-stopping psychological thrillers, Kill For Me, Kill For You is an absolute work of art. Crafted by the brilliant Steve Cavanagh, this tale of loss, revenge, and murder hits you like a freight train, leaving you dazed and electrified. Cavanagh weaves a Hitchcock-esque narrative bursting with gut-wrenching blows and unexpected turns that'll have you exclaiming "oh shit" at every twist.

Ruth's New York City brownstone becomes a battleground when she survives a brutal attack, but the ordeal leaves her forever altered, robbed of her sense of safety. Meanwhile, her guilt-ridden husband, absent during the assault, is desperate to restore normalcy to her shattered world.

In a different corner of the city, Amanda, grappling with grief and a court-mandated counseling program, connects with Wendy, a fellow sufferer. United by their shared tragedies and a burning desire for revenge, they concoct a plan to eliminate each other's tormentors. But as they dive into the murky waters of murder, complications arise at breakneck speed.

Kill For Me, Kill For You is a symphony of suspense, expertly orchestrated to keep readers teetering on the precipice until the final curtain. It delves into the depths of trauma, fear, and the struggle for control in the aftermath of unimaginable loss. The narrative challenges conventional norms, exploring the lengths individuals pushed to the brink might go to reclaim their power – even if it means embracing the taboo.

Cavanagh's strength lies in his portrayal of morally ambiguous characters, each flawed and vulnerable. This complexity adds a layer of realism that makes it effortless for readers to connect with and invest in the characters. Empathy isn't just handed out; it's earned, especially when rooting for women seeking retribution through unconventional means. It's a testament to Cavanaugh's skill.

Every chapter oozes relentless, heart-pounding suspense, crafting a narrative that grabs you by the collar and refuses to let go. Kill For Me, Kill For You immerses thriller enthusiasts in a riveting saga of vigilante justice, deception, and the blurred lines between right and wrong. This novel is a tour de force, a must-read that will leave you breathless and begging for more.

I usually love Steven Cavanagh, but this book just didnt do it for me. I found the book kind of repetative and did not even want to finish it. I cannot give many details because it did not even leave behind any talking points.

Steve Cavanagh's KILL FOR ME, KILL FOR YOU is riveting from the first page. There are mostly two perspectives: 1) Amanda, who needs to right the injustice that Wallace Crone killed her daughter Jess, which spurred her husband to commit suicide, and 2) Ruth, a woman who narrowly escapes death after a man breaks in and attacks her. (There is also an occasional perspective from a detective, which doesn't add a whole lot, but breaks up the narrative a bit.)

Amanda meets Wendy at her grief group, and Wendy approaches her with a plan that seems suspiciously similar to Strangers on a Train, with the two women killing the man responsible for the other's loved one's death.

I enjoyed how the author connects these two plots, and I particularly liked the character of Billy when he was introduced in the second half.

I had been familiar with the author's novels that take place in the courtroom, so I was happy to find out that this one mostly takes place outside the courtroom. Nice change of pace!

This is an outstanding thriller that has a couple twists, but isn't completely outlandish. It is very propulsive, and I read it in a day!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

OMG!!! This book had me at the edge of my seat right from page 1. I honestly don't think I expected any of the twists for the first time in a thriller. If I could erase my memory and reread this one for the first time again, I absolutely would.

Thank you for this ARC. Loved the twists and turns in this one and couldn’t put it down. Makes you really think about what love and revenge will make you do.

4.5 ⭐️When I found that this book is a standalone, rather than part of the Eddie Flynn series, I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy it, as I wasn’t a huge fan of Cavanagh’s earlier standalone, Twisted. I am happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the roller-coaster ride of this book! I loved the way that the plot lines came together. I’m still mulling over the choices made by most of the characters, but I like that. In his author’s note, Cavanagh expresses his hope that he has kept the reader entertained, and I have to respond, “Mission accomplished!”

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

First book I’ve read by this author and WOW! What a page turner. This book kept me engaged from beginning to end. The author did a fantastic job with the characters. I loved every second of each of the twists! When I thought I had it figured out another twist happens and it completely blows your mind. This is one of those books where you’ll be up all night needing to know what happens next. If you enjoy psychological thriller’s that’s like a puzzle you will enjoy this.

I thought this might be the trendy genre where friends kill for each other to avoid getting caught...but this was a much bigger twist! Two parallel stories are told which finally come together to a climactic ending.

Oh how I loved every moment of this twisted goodness. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I didn’t! I adore books like this one, where I think I know where it’s all going and turns out I was completely and utterly wrong.

The delicious, wicked and awful characters that peopled this book were so real in my mind. What fabulous writing that enabled them to come alive for me. There was such tragedy here and such evil. It felt like a study in human behavior, what would someone actually do in this situation? And from that standpoint it was so fascinating. But mostly it was a cat and mouse, revenge filled, and absolutely unputdownable thriller and I loved every moment of it. I don’t often come upon a book that I read straight through anymore but this was definitely one of those books for me.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat and turning pages. This was a winner for me!

Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this Arc. All opinions are my own

This book was a page turner for sure. The author made sure that you paid attention to the characters in following the flow of the dialog. Very entertaining and thought provoking!

Well crafted thriller with excellent twists. Read this if you enjoy psychological thrillers that offer a good puzzle.