This book was twisty and surprising. I love when I book keeps me guessing and keeps the pace of the book going until the very last page. This book delivers. The peak into the mind of a killer, a serial killer and the people around them is fascinating and creepy.

I don’t always love books in the third person but in this book it works. While it’s written in third person it changes POV often throughout the book which keeps the book flowing.

For some reason, The Kind Worth Killing didn't capture my heart or attention like it did for so many other readers and to be honest, I didn't realize that A Talent for Murder was part of a series that started there. When I grabbed a copy of A Talent for Murder and realized it was a series, I decided to listen to The Kind Worth Saving - and I loved it! That feeling held true through book 3!

This book can absolutely be read as a standalone. I appreciated knowing some backstory but I liked that A Talent for Murder really focused on Lily whereas the prior book was more focused on Henry. It made for a great balance, especially reading pretty close together.

Swanson has a great way of luring the reader in and normalizing some pretty wild scenarios (for example our murdering protagonist who we all still root for!). This book was unique, totally different from the prior two in the series, and kept me guessing. There were some pretty big scenes I definitely wasn't expecting and I appreciate when an author will make a bold move.

Lily is a badass and it's fun to work through a situation with her and read her inner monologue.

Definitely recommend this series and excited to see where it goes next.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the copy.

A solid and enjoyable thriller! I didn't see the ending twist coming. I also didn't realize this is the 3rd book in this series. It's easily a stand alone but now I want to go back and read the other two.

Martha marries Alan, a traveling salesman, after a short relationship. When he returns from one of his trips with a bloody shirt, Martha begins to dig into his whereabouts. When she sees a pattern of women being killed near the conferences he is attending, she enlists the help of her college friend Lily to help her dig in. While the two have not spoken since college, Lily helped Martha out of a bad relationship in college so Martha feels she is a good person to turn to.

I love anything Petere Swanson writes and this was no exception. While I thought the twist was a bit too farfetched, I loved the build-up and the pacing of the book so much it did not bother me. Lily was a fun character and I liked getting the insight on her and Martha's POVs.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A sequel to "A Kind Worth Killing"! I'm so happy to spend more time with Lily Kintner and Henry Kimball! A librarian suspecting she's married to a serial killer? I was hooked! As I was reading this one, I was so curious as the plot was developing and then WOW, I could not put it down. The mystery of figuring out if Martha's husband was a serial killer was highly entertaining and as with most well written thrillers, I did not figure out the ending or the big reveal at all. The moments of intense suspense has my stomach in knots and I'm pretty sure I was holding my breath. You know its a great book when it affects you physically that way!

“A Talent for Murder,” by Peter Swanson, William Morrow, 272 pages, June 11, 2024.

Martha Ratliff is an archival librarian who loves books. She thinks it’s likely that she’ll spend her life alone.

Then she meets Alan Peralta, who was married for three years just out of college, but is now divorced. They enjoy their first date. They date for awhile, then he proposes. She says yes. Alan sells novelty clothing at teachers’ conferences and is away much of the time.

After a year of marriage, Martha is content. Then Alan comes back from a conference in Denver and Martha finds a streak of blood on the back of one of his shirts. Martha begins researching cities Alan traveled to and finds five unsolved cases of murdered women.

Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend, Ethan Saltz. She calls Lily and they meet. Lily is sociopathic and a killer herself. Lily once stabbed police officer Henry Kimball, who survived. He is now a private detective.

Martha’s chapters are written in the third person and Lily’s are written in the first person. The characters are interesting and the plot is complex and somewhat dark. There are some twists and a great ending. This is the third in the Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner series, but it can be read as a stand alone novel. Peter Swanson’s fans will enjoy “A Talent for Murder.”

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I'm obsessed with Lily Kintner and Henry Kimball. There. I said it. I loved the first book, A Kind Worth Killing. I became even more intrigued with the second book, A Kind Worth Saving but A Talent for Murder caps the trifecta that is this series. I was hooked right from the start and didn't want it to end. I'm hoping for lots more to the series, because the relationship between Lily and Henry is so interesting and unique that I just need more. i know in reviews of books in a series we often see the "can be read as a standalone", which A Talent for Murder can, but my advice is to start with book one and get to know more about Henry. Then binge them all.

Wow! really enjoyed this! You know a book is going to be good when it makes your jaw drop before the first chapter even starts.

This was twisty and weird... Even the writing style was strange. It blended first person and third person but there is a reason for it which I found so clever.

This one is really hard to review spoiler free so I will conclude with this: will definitely be recommending this one and it might be my favorite of Swanson's yet!

I was excited to read this -- I've heard so much hype about Peter Swanson's work and, admittedly, I hadn't read any of it yet so I was looking forward to this latest novel. Unfortunately, I ended up disappointed. While the opening was strong, the plot seemed to peter-out for quite a while (most of the middle, tbh). The twists weren't as "twisty" as I was expecting given BookTok's love for Peter Swanson's previous works, and the twistiest part felt far-fetched to me. I'm hoping his earlier works can erase my disappointment for this book once I get around to reading them...

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

Swanson is a must read author for me and he knocks it out of the park again with this third in the Henry Kimball/Lily Kinter series. I loved the set up and premise and enjoyed seeing Martha and Lily try to find out what Alan was up to. I enjoyed how Swanson broke it into parts and multiple POVs that fit with the plot. The twist was twisting in this one and I was geniunely shocked. You could definitly read this as a standalone but I highly recommend going back to the first two in the series and starting there.

Peter Swanson's A Talent For Murder delivers a gripping tale that hooks readers with its promise of suspense and psychological intrigue. Newlywed librarian Martha Ratliff finds her seemingly perfect life upended when she suspects her husband, Alan, of being a serial killer.

Swanson excels in crafting a protagonist that readers can root for. Martha, a solitary and intellectual woman content with her quiet life, becomes an unlikely detective as she follows a trail of unsettling clues. The bloodstained shirt and the series of unsolved murders in Alan's wake set the stage for a story brimming with tension and doubt. Her journey from suspicion to investigation is both compelling and relatable, making her a character readers will empathize with as she navigates her fears and uncertainties.

The introduction of Lily Kintner, an old friend with a knack for getting to the heart of dark matters, adds a layer of complexity and intrigue. Lily's involvement takes the story in unexpected directions, revealing twists that keep the narrative fresh and unpredictable. Swanson's ability to weave intricate character dynamics and plot twists ensures that the reader's interest is maintained throughout.

However, the novel occasionally feels bogged down by its pacing. Some of Martha's investigative efforts and introspections seem repetitive, which can detract from the overall momentum. Additionally, while the conclusion offers some satisfaction, it may leave some readers yearning for a more definitive resolution to the mysteries posed.

Despite these minor shortcomings, A Talent For Murder stands out with its strong character development and engaging plot. Swanson's knack for creating psychological tension and his talent for unexpected twists make this book a worthwhile read for fans of domestic thrillers. It's a tale that explores the unsettling possibility of evil lurking behind the façade of normalcy, reminding us that the most dangerous secrets often hide in plain sight.

In summary, A Talent For Murder is a solid, enjoyable read that earns 3.5 stars for its clever plotting and well-drawn characters, though it might have benefited from a tighter pace and a more conclusive ending.

William Morrow and NetGalley offered an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to everyone involved!

What do you do when one of your favorite authors brings back some of your favorite characters for a third book? You devour it, of course!

This book lived up to the hype and met every single expectation I had. The flow was great, I enjoyed the twists and turns, and I was left scratching my head wondering how I didn’t see the signs multiple times.

Overall, this was a great book. I do suggest reading the others in the series first - but you can read this as a stand alone.

A Talent For Murder (ARC)
Peter Swanson
4.75⭐️

Pub Date: 6/11/2024

Another great read from Peter Swanson! I haven't read much of his work but I've loved every single one that I've come across. Of course lil ol me got too excited when I got this ARC and didn't realize it's the 3rd one in the series. But not to worry, this one can be read as a stand alone.

How do I even begin to describe this...?
Easiest way I could think of is that this is a murder within a murder.
We have 2 guys that are very suspicious. And the reveal was easy and early on in the story. This book focuses more on the "how" these murders were done. The title says a talent for murder and this plot did not disappoint. It's complex and things went down really well and crazy fast! It's a multi-POV book and it done so well. No indication on each chapter whose head/situation we're reading but I could easily tell. It was good to get into the headspace of the characters. The Ethan and Lily chapters towards the end were so unnerving... the way they talked and interacted with each other. Prologue and epilogue also tied up really well. Overall, this is just such a well written book! Enjoyable, fingernail-biting, edge-of-your-seat good!
Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow Books for a gifted digital ARC and physical finished copy of this book.

Unfortunately I couldn’t get into this one. The chapters were too long and I got bored. I gave up at 15%.

The Kind Worth Killing is one of my favorite thrillers of all time- and I thoroughly enjoyed The Kind Worth Saving last year. When I saw that Lily and Henry were back in this new book by Swanson, I was so excited.

In true Swanson fashion, this book was full of twists and turns, I could not put it down and I loved every moment of it.

In A Talent for Murder a librarian begins to suspect she might be married to a serial killer... need I say more? I was hooked from the opening chapter and I have always loved Lily as a character so being back in her world was so much fun.

The pacing was great, the twists were fun, and I highly recommend this one for a quick pool day thriller binge this summer!

Thank you so much to William Morrow, the author and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Pub Date 6/11

Martha Ratliff marries a traveling salesman, who she suspects she doesn’t really know at all. After making some discoveries, Martha wholeheartedly believes her husband may be a serial killer. That’s when she enlists the help of Lily Kintner, her grad school buddy, to help her get to the bottom of what’s going on.

I am a diehard fan of The Kind Worth Killing. It’s a thriller I’d recommend to just about anyone. But, unfortunately, I was not all that impressed with The Kind Worth Saving. This book redeemed the series for me, though.

A Talent for Murder sucks you in right away and the pace is relentless. Similarly to The Kind Worth Killing, there were so many twists throughout this story that genuinely caught me off guard.

This book is so short and enjoyable that I finished it in two sittings. I didn’t feel like it left anything to be desired, either - the story wrapped up nicely in under 300 pages.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced and dark thriller that has The Talented Mr. Ripley vibes, this is one to add to your list!

Swanson is a master at modern murder mysteries and I was beyond excited for another Kimball/Kintner book. While The Kind Worth Killing is still my favorite, I was completely engrossed by this one. While this one can be read as a standalone, it does spoil the previous books so make sure to read them in order! You’d be doing yourself a disservice otherwise.

A Talent for Murder is a fairly straightforward story where Martha begins to suspect her husband Alan, a traveling salesman, might be a serial killer. She reaches out to her friend Lily Kintner who helped her through a bad breakup in graduate school. Believing Martha’s story, Lily decides to help figure what’s out what’s up with Alan.

The book was divided into three parts and each one ended with a shocking twist. As usual, Lily is an excellent morally grey character and I loved her role in this. Easy, captivating writing style from Swanson. Great twists and such a good ending!

Highly recommend to all my fellow murder mystery fans in the serial killer subgenre.

An excellent entry in the Lily Kitner and Henry Kimball series (book 3). Martha Ratliff is newly married to Alan Peralta and they have a nice, if unexciting, marriage. However, when Alan returns from a business trip behaving oddly and Martha finds a bloodstain on his clothes, she begins to suspect something sinister is going on. Enlisting the help of her old friend Lily Kitner, who helped her out of an abusive relationship in college, Martha begins to investigate, and soon finds more than she bargained for.

I did not realize that this was the third book in a series, but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the story. You might appreciate some of the characters more (Lily and Henry in particular) if you've read the first two books in the series, but it's not necessary to understand the plot of this book. The action moves very quickly, and is told from a variety of POVs, which is interesting. Lily is a very intriguing character (I saw another reviewer refer to her "Dexter vibes," which I feel is accurate) and I'd pick up the others in the series just to read more about her. The actual mystery is very well plotted and there are lots of twists I didn't see coming.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Talent for Murder is book three in the phenomenal Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner Series by Peter Swanson.
First, I just have to point out how amazing this cover art is! Love it!
Second, this story was utterly intriguing!
This novel was a non-stop ride. Swanson’s creative plot twists made it almost impossible for the reader to guess the outcome.
This is a very well written character driven psychological thriller which is suspense and tension fueled every step of the way.
This book has murder, suspense, quick pace and fast chapters, lots of twists, unlikeable but quirky characters and a fun ending.
A Talent for Murder has so much adrenaline pumping through it that I felt like I needed to take a big long breath!

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

What a great 3rd book for Mr. Swanson! Loved the characters. twists, plot and the setting! Loved the familiar characters, and the eerie new ones! I sincerely hope to get more from this series!