Thank you to Peter Swanson, William Morrow, and NetGalley for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her job as an archival librarian, constantly surrounded by thought-provoking ideas and the books she loved. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured divorcee with a job that took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.

A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern—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 and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is . . . but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.


This is the third in a series and I have read the other two, but felt like this could easily be a stand alone. I liked The Kind Worth Killing more than The Kind Worth Saving, so I wasn't sure which way this one was going to go. The story piqued my interest right away and if I've learned anything from Peter Swanson's other books, it's to trust the process. A shocking twist was revealed midway and had my jaw completely open! One of my favorite parts was getting the killer's POV as one of the three perspectives. I loved being able to get in the thoughts of this psychopath's depraved mind. Lily was an outstanding, well developed character, and although I could see where there are blurred lines of sociopathic behavior, I viewed her more as a modern day vigilante. There are red-herrings, smokescreens, twists and turns and completely unexpected shocking reveal at the end. It had me flying through page by page until I reached the ending. For me, this book completely redeemed my disappointment from book #2 in the series. A Talent for Murder publishes June 11, 2024 and has proven to be an entertaining ride!

Peter Swanson is back and he gave us another Lily Kimball book. I love to see it

Martha believing that she has a love curse has been unlucky in love and always ends up heartbroken until she meets Alan. She may not give her butterflies but he makes her feel stable and cared for. At least until she notices a host of murders in the cities that he has visited. Not knowing what to do she calls up her friend from grad school Lily.

This story has layers, many murders, and you don't know who is being watched and whom is doing the watching.

This was a good one in terms of twists that were realistic and a good healthy layer of characters that are psychopaths. Quick read that I couldn't put down.

AVAILABLE June 11, 2024

Thank You to William Morrow for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley.

Lily Kintner and Henry Kimball are back! I was so excited when this book was announced because I loved The Kind Worth Killing and the sequel, The Kind Worth Saving. I enjoyed this one but the first book will always be my favorite. The first chapter was gripping and the last chapter was shocking though!!

I knew going into this one that Swanson would throw curveballs at me with his twists, but I was still shocked when they were revealed. He leads you on to where you think you know who is who and where things are going then NOPE WRONG. The multiple POVs and unreliable narrator makes the book so much more entertaining because you can't trust anyone! I did hate that the chapters didn't tell you whose POV it was so you had to read into it before figuring out who was talking.

I recommend reading the first two books before diving into this one. There are references to past characters and events, so I highly recommend getting through the other books so you better understand the circumstances in this book.

🔪♥️𝙰 𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙼𝚄𝚁𝙳𝙴𝚁🔪♥️
𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛 & #𝟹 𝚒𝚗 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝙺𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙹𝚞𝚗𝚎 𝟷𝟷, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺
𝙼𝚢 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 𝟺.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...A newlywed librarian begins to suspect the man she married might be a murderer

♥️🔪♥️🔪♥️🔪♥️🔪♥️🔪♥️🔪♥️

💭𝙼𝚢 𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚛𝚊𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚜..This was my fav so far in this series! I mean the other two were solid 4 stars but this one just had me hooked from the beginning to the end! 🙌I went in completely blind like I do to {almost} all thrillers & with this being Peter Swanson why would you spoil anything when you know it’s gonna be good?!? This is a completely different story, but includes the two veteran characters..Lily & Henry so you really could read this as a standalone. If I were you though I would read all of these & just enjoy the ride! 🎢So good! Thanks for the fun 🤸@petermswanson! 🥳Thanks for the arc @williammorrowbooks @netgalley ♥️

I love Peter Swanson, and especially love the Kimball/Kintner books of the last few years. This did not disappoint!

I did not realize that this was the third book in a series... luckily it is a loose storyline where I didn't feel like I was missing out on much.

The title, the cover, and the author being Peter Swanson all drew me in and made me want to read this instantly. I had a great time getting to know the characters, despite not realizing there were other books based around these characters.
Certainly! Here's a summary of the synopsis:

One of the main characters, Martha ,discovers a suspicious bloodstain on one of her husbands shirts, her curiosity transforms into suspicion. Investigating Alan's travels, Martha uncovers a disturbing pattern of unsolved murders in the cities he visited. As doubts about her husband's innocence escalate, Martha seeks counsel from an old friend, Lily Kintner, who uncovers shocking truths about Alan that exceed their darkest suspicions. This initial idea drives the narrative at break neck speed and makes it a delight to read! You can't help but feel like you are trying to connect the pieces together to determine who the murderer is.

The overall plot felt like it needed to be tightened up a bit and I felt like things happened to the characters not that they were direct enough to be major points of the plot. This made it feel a bit off but with Swanson's writing and the way things started to come together towarrds the end it all ended up being okay.

I would recommened this book to any mystery/ thriller fan. Peter Swanson is a great starting off author for anybody.

This was my first book by Swanson. When I requested it, I didn't know that it was the third book in a series, and I didn't read the first two. But It was fine. I didn't have any issues and I believe it's totally fine to read as a standalone.

Martha is newly married and her husband has been leaving for work trips throughout their marriage. When she notices things that seem pretty out of the ordinary, she suspects that her husband could be a serial killer. Not knowing what to do, she contacts an old friend, Lily, that had helped her with a previous abusive relationship. Lily agrees to meet Martha's husband and see if she can get to the bottom of it.

I really liked this one. I liked getting the POV from the killer. That was an interesting perspective. I also thought there was something off with Lily throughout the book which gave me suspicion of her. I thought this book was entertaining. It was suspenseful and I was not expecting that ending. Plenty of twists in this one to keep you turning the pages. I'll have to try to get to the first two in the series.

Out June 11.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.. All opinions are my own.

received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Peter Swanson’s mysteries are great plane reads. I can usually finish one of his books in the time it takes to fly to Key West. I requested this without knowing much about it, so it’s definitely my own fault for not realizing this was a Kimball & Kitner joint. I am just not as enamored with these two as Swanson seems to be. I liked The Kind Worth Saving, but I confess not not remembering much of anything about The Kind Worth Killing. And again, I just find these two kind of dull - how many “old friends” does Lily have anyway??

The story opens with a woman named Josie - she’s an art teacher at a conference, and she’s mostly excited about the prospect of testing out her new open marriage and hooking up. Which she does. With a guy who pushes her off the balcony. Then we cut to Martha, a librarian whose husband is a traveling salesman - one of those guys who sells novelty t-shirts to teachers (the kind with math puns). They got married late in life, and Martha enjoys that he’s not around all the time. But then she starts to suspect something isn’t quite right about Alan. He comes home with blood on his shirt, and he’s been acting weirder than usual. So she enlists (sigh) her college pal Lily Kitner to assist in the investigation. Because Martha’s a librarian, she’s great at research and cross referencing, and she figures out that at several of Alan’s last conferences, there have been deaths or attacks. It’s too many to be a coincidence. But as Martha gets closer to uncovering the truth, she puts herself in even more danger.

This was fine, but it felt like two different books shoved inelegantly together. You can either make this strictly a Kimball & Kitner story, or you can let Martha be the main character and leave the other two goobers out of it. But it was like we were getting two halves of two different stories, and neither of them was all that satisfying. It was like Martha was a distraction from the story Swanson *really* wanted to tell...but I would have rather just read about Martha!

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

A twisty and dark whodunnit that gives you the twist halfway but it only amplifies the horrors that follow. It’s an incredibly engrossing thriller that doesn’t let go of you once it sinks its claws into you after just a few pages.

Full review to be posted on https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain

I loved the writing style and unexpected twists! I thought it was extremely unique and well done. It is not just your average murder mystery! I selfishly wish that one of the characters was able to stay around until the end because I think that would have provided the book more satisfaction for me as reader...but on the other hand I loved that I had no idea where the story was going! Would definitely recommend!

I enjoyed this one!!! I am typically a big fan of Swanson's. This is the third book in the Henry K/Lily K series (first book is The Kind Worth Killing which is super popular). It was only 257 pages total, so I felt like I was flying through the suspenseful pages. The book was divided into three "parts." I did find that the chapters could be a bittttt confusing because it was multiple POV, and the POV's were not labeled, but that didn't affect my overall rating/reading experience. I loved the "trust no one" vibes and narrator unreliability. It was a big web of murder and deceit; kept me interested until the last line. I recommend it!

*Posting review on IG soon!

I did not really enjoy this one but I still like the author and his other works. It lacked something in it that made it difficult for me to care about the story or characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an advance reader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Peter Swanson quickly rose to one of my favorite authors! Each year, I anxiously await his next novel! A Talent for Murder was certainly worth the wait! Swanson manages to create a wonderful original story & then add some favorite characters from previous novels! Readers are never disappointed when I introduce them to Peter Swanson & like me....they can't wait for his next work to be published!

Description
A newlywed librarian begins to suspect the man she married might be a murderer—in this spectacularly twisty and deviously clever novel by Peter Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of The Kind Worth Killing and Eight Perfect Murders.

Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her job as an archival librarian, constantly surrounded by thought-provoking ideas and the books she loved. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured divorcee with a job that took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.

A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern—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 and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is . . . but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.

After being introduced to Peter Swanson through "Every Vow You Break", I was once again impressed with his writing. He had a great take on this genre with his own unique twist. The suspense and build up is well worth it. Great book.

I liked this one a lot. Any time Peter Swanson decides to revisit Lily, I am happy with that decision. I didn't really see the ending coming so I enjoyed this one!

A Talent For Murder treats the reader to meticulous murder and unexpected twists with main and supporting characters dropping like flies.
It begins at a teachers conference. One female attendee decides on a one night stand that turns into a flight off a high balcony. Also at the conference is novelty salesman Alan, who might be a stalker/killer on the side.
Back home, Alan's wife Martha begins to suspect her husband of misdeeds, especially after seeing a bloodstain on his shirt. Martha calls college pal Lily who begins her own investigation into other conference deaths.
But wait! A clue from the women's past might produce an even more bizarre piece of the puzzle.
Told from three perspectives, Swanson's latest psychological circus pits two brave women (and an old friend from the author's past novels) into a viper pit of smokescreens and sudden death.
Who's really pulling off The Talented Mr. Ripley and will Martha and Lily become their latest victims? Dive into A Talent For Murder. You'll be satisfied right up to the final page.

Masterful

4.25 stars

A Talent for Murder is a gripping psychological thriller that revolves around Martha, a newlywed who suspects her husband of being a serial killer. She turns to her old friend Lily Kintner, whom she had previously approached for help with an ex-boyfriend. Together, they uncover shocking revelations that lead to unexpected turns, resulting in a deadly confrontation.

The story is narrated by Martha, Lily, and a few other characters who share their perspectives. I didn’t even realize that Lily was a featured character until I was at least ¼ of the way in. Henry Kimball also makes some appearances, and I wish the book featured him more.

The Kind Worth Killing

This was such a fun read--I loved how the plot and the narrative unfolded. It starts out strong but gets even stronger as the plot develops. Where it ends isn't a place I could have even imagined from where it starts.

Packed with suspense and tension, my heart was beating out of my chest during the final confrontation. I couldn't predict how things would end. However, the very end loses some steam. Nevertheless, the conclusion is satisfying and ties up the loose ends nicely. Intricately plotted, Swanson takes the cat-and-mouse game to another level--highly recommended!

TW: Sexual assault

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and William Morrow in exchange for an honest review.

I rediscovered Peter Swanson after reading and loving last year's holiday book, and I knew I needed to read more from him. This book continued my streak of Peter Swanson winners and cemented my status as a new fan. This is the 3rd book to feature a few of these characters, but not having read the prior books it also worked well for me as a standalone story.


What do you do if you begin to suspect that your husband is keeping dangerous secrets? What if the man you believed your husband to be is, in fact, a carefully constructed facade? Or what if you're being paranoid and are totally wrong with your suspicions? What do you do? Who can you confide in? These questions begin this suspense tale about Martha and Alan, a newly married couple who are either living a happy, peaceful life or else Martha is being played for a fool. 


A Talent For Murder is a classic psychological thriller that was pure reading fun from start to finish. I love how the author threw a major, unexpected twist our way midway thru the book, but thanks to intriguing characters with unpredictable behavior and one final startling reveal at the end the pace didn't let up and the intensity didn't falter. I was glued to this thriller thru the final page. 


Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book.

Henry Kimball, teacher, turned cop, then private investigator, and Lily Kintner, a smart and complex woman, reunite in A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson coming out June 11. This time, Lily is helping a graduate school friend, Martha Ratliff, decide if it is possible that Martha’s husband Alan Peralta is a serial killer.

Martha, an archival librarian, was happy in her singleness, and she was fine with just having a relationship with Alan, but he pushed her into marriage, saying his Catholic mother expected it. Alan was a pleasant and agreeable traveling salesman, peddling humorous T-shirts and trinkets aimed toward educators.

Martha’s suspicions about Alan began when unpacking his suitcase to do the laundry after he returned from a teachers’ conference where he had a booth. Because his white shirt had a blood stain, Martha decides to look at the news in each city he has visited, and she finds five unsolved murders of women. Martha reaches out to Lily who reaches out to Henry, and together they start investigating Alan.

In a devious twist, another murder occurs, and Lily finds herself in a precarious situation, one in which Henry needs to come through for the save. How can Henry put the pieces together in time? Is Alan the mild-mannered man Martha thought he was, or is he a serial killer?
This is Peter Swanson’s third book in the Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner series. His twisty novel The Kind Worth Killing, his first book in the series, has been optioned for a movie. Swanson lives in Somerville, Massachusetts.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting April 9, 2024.

I would like to thank William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.