The talented crime writer Peter Swanson once again writes his trademark twisty, intriguing, and captivating mystery, featuring the wonderfully complex amd chilling Lily Kintner, living with her parents, and PI Henry Kimball. It all begins with Josie at a teacher's conference...... Martha Ratcliff lives in New Hampshire, a director of a public library in Kittery in Maine, comfortable in her single status which she does not forsee changing. So it comes as a surprise when she meets travelling salesman, Alan Peralta, liking him and charmed by him sufficiently to marry him, but does she really know him? A question that is to preoccupy and consume her.

Martha catches the marked shift in the expressions on Alan's face, prior to entering their home after being away at a conference, and then there are the curious blood stains on his shirt. An uneasy Martha embarks on looking at where he had been in the past, the city locations, where it appears there are deaths, could her husband possibly be a serial killer? As she ponders this thorny pressing issue, Martha remembers a graduate library science course she had attended long ago, a course in she had found herself trapped in an emotional quagmire, a nightmare in which another student, Lilly, had played a key role in extricating her from. Martha had not been in touch with Lilly since those days, but she has no hesitation in asking for her aid now in her present predicament.

Lilly agrees to help, only to find herself caught in a unexpected web of twists and turns that have her bringing in limerick loving Henry and have her facing the gravest of challenges and dangers. This is an intense, dark, gripping and exciting thrill ride that will appeal to the author's huge number of fans and to new readers alike, although I would urge new readers to read the others in this astonishingly good series. A brilliant read! I look forward with great anticipation to whatever Swanson writes next, hopefully the next in this series. Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

Swanson’s books never disappoint. Murders and plot twists mount up and Lily Kintner and Henry Kimball arrive on scene to sort things out. Full of quirky characters, this thriller will hold your attention until the bitter end. Not for the faint hearted!

After thoroughly enjoying the two previous books featuring the ruthless avenging angel that is Lily Kintner, along with her friend, former police officer turned PI Henry Kimball, I was intrigued to learn what Peter Swanson was going to do next with this quirky pair.
What he’s done doesn’t disappoint!
The book opens with a murder at a teacher’s convention, then switches to Martha Ratliff, an old college friend of Lily who is concerned her husband might be a serial killer. Years before Lily had rescued Martha from an abusive relationship so Martha decides to try and get in contact with Lily for advice.
Once Lily starts investigating she realises someone else from their past may well be involved too.
I couldn’t put this book down, it’s occasionally grim particularly in the second half when it delves into the mind of a sociopath, my blood truly did run cold at times. It’s also entertaining with multiple threads and twists and turns and just when I thought it was all resolved the author comes up with yet another mind boggling ending.
A clever book fully deserving of 5 stars, can’t wait for the next one.

Many thanks to NetGalley & Faber and Faber Ltd for an ARC

A Talent for Murder is the 3rd book in The Kind Worth Killing series. While it could be read as a standalone thriller, I highly recommend reading the books in order so you can fully appreciate the characters and storyline arcs.

Lily is one of my favorite characters in modern literature, and once again she shines in this book! The ending felt a little bit rushed but I do appreciate how it closed up the story and would recommend this!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
 
Having thoroughly enjoyed both The Kind Worth Killing and The Kind Worth Saving, it was fun to return to Swanson’s fictional world for a third installment.
 
I don’t want to say anything about the plot so as to not spoil the first two books, but what I will say is to read this if you enjoy the following: a fast-paced thriller full of twists and turns, multiple points of view, great characters, slick writing, short chapters, and a tense plot.
 
Some people are reading this as a stand-alone, but to really enjoy it, I would say it’s essential to have read the first two books, The Kind Worth Killing and The Kind Worth Saving, beforehand! In my opinion, A Talent for Murder is the weakest of the three, but it was still a fun, fast thriller, and I liked revisiting two ultra-cool characters.
 
Thank you kindly to @netgalley and Faber & Faber for letting me read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I enjoyed this but thought the ending was quite abrupt.

I just finished A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson, and I must say, I was thoroughly engrossed from start to finish. Swanson's writing is exceptional, drawing you in with ease and holding your attention throughout. The shifting perspectives of the various characters add a dynamic layer to the narrative, and I enjoyed the ebb and flow as their stories intertwined and evolved.
Nothing in this book was predictable; every twist and turn kept me guessing and eager to find out what would happen next. Even after finishing it last night, I find myself still thinking about the plot and its intricacies. Swanson has a talent for creating characters who are strange in the most intriguing ways. They are complex, flawed, and utterly fascinating, which adds depth to the already unique plot.
The story is fast-paced and thrilling, yet it maintains a dark undertone that sets it apart from typical thrillers. It's a fun ride, but with a shadowy edge that keeps you on your toes. Overall, A Talent for Murder is a standout read that I highly recommend for anyone looking for a gripping, well-crafted, and thought-provoking novel.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley and Faber for allowing me to read “a talent for murder” early!

Hearing we wore getting another story with lily and Henry involved was the most excited I’ve been about a thriller book!
Both lily and Henry are quickly becoming some of my favourite characters of all time!!

I absolutely loved the fact that we got a little preview of this story in “kind worth saving” and then get to have the full story!!

I’m greedy so I really hope we get some more stories with lily and Henry!!
A solid 5 star read!!

A really well written book with multi layed plots filled with plenty of tension.I really enjoy the author's stylish writing his descriptions and easy storytelling always make a good read, and this one was a great contemporary thriller.
Lily is a favourite of mine she’s a very complex but someone I'd like on my side anytime.
The twists were unique and unexpected a quick but suspenseful read.
RECOMMENDED
Thanks to Netgalley and Faber&Faber Ltd for the ARC.

A thoroughly well written book with plenty of twists and turns and interesting characters which kept me involved in the storyline.

It took me a little while to get into it but was a good read overall.

Thank you to Netgalley and Faber & Faber for this ARC which I can recommend.

This entertaining novel explores the eternal question of how well we ever really know anyone. Marriage is a complex beast, and even after years together, people can discover unexpected sides to each other. Not always good ones.

So when Martha marries Alan after a whirlwind courtship, she probably expects that there will be some things for them to discover about each other. What she doesn't expect is that one of those things may be tied to a pattern of deaths of women in different places that could correlate to Alan's work travel patterns...

And even though she helped her to escape from a toxic relationship at an important juncture in the past, Martha does not know the person whom she turns to for help as well as she thinks she does, either!

Swanson reminds us why the advent of a new book from him is always a pleasure to be anticipated, delivering yet again in this engaging read that will have no problem in keeping the reader glued to the book.

Going into this I was interested to see what was next for Lily and Henry. While this doesn't really have Henry in much I still enjoyed it.
The story itself was my least favourite from this series. But I was intrigued throughout. Trying to figure out what was going on and why.

What a roller coaster of a book. The twists and turns were unexpected to say the least. This is the first book I had read by this author, and although I realized that this was not the first book in a series it works well as a stand alone story. There were not too many references to the previous titles.
Not the last I will read by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the advance copy of this book

Looking at the other reviews I will be Billy No Mates on this one. Everything about it felt alien, the writing style, the language, the cultural references , the characters. Almost from the begining I felt distanced from it.
I couldn't really believe the plot or the characters. So disconnected I will not read anything from this author again. Shame as it sounded good but then often hard to tell

In her past, Martha had been in a bad relationship. Unhappy, and unsure of how to end the relationship, she turns to her friend Lily for help. Lily obliges, and Martha continues her quiet life. Over the years the two lose touch. Martha has a job as a librarian, which she enjoys, and has married, a man called Alan, who is a travelling salesman. Alan spends many weeks on the road, but Martha doesn't mind her own company, and is always happy to see Alan when he is home. She is content, until one day she finds herself wondering if Alan is simply playing a part of the loving husband. His words and actions appear rehearsed, as if he is on stage. She decides to monitor the places he travels to more closely, maybe he is having an affair. She does not find evidence of any affair, but she does find that each place Alan has been, a murder has occurred. Worried, and unsure what to do, Martha decides to turn to her old friend who helped her in the past, Lily.
I really enjoyed this book, the author was new to me, but I shall definitely look for other works. The plot kept me guessing, even though I was certain I knew what would happen, I was so wrong. 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date is the 4th July. This is the first book I’ve read from this author I’m now a firm fan! I love this authors writing style!

This plot was full of unexpected twists and turns that made it impossible for me to put down I raced through the pages!Overall, I’d highly recommend this book! 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I am a huge fan of Peter Swanson - his books suck you in and leave you breathless until the very end! Extremely gripping and written in three parts and also from different viewpoints, I loved how all the characters are not what they first seem and all have their own agenda. Definitely Peter Swanson at his best, an excellent psychological thriller which I could not put down.

Thanks to Peter Swanson, Netgalley & the publisher, Faber and Faber Ltd., for the ARC. When I requested this book, I did not know this was a third book in a series that I just did not care for. I thought the second book was a dud, so I thought this would be one too. However, I actually really like this. Swanson redeemed himself in my eyes with this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who made it through the first two books.

Thi is absolutely brilliant! It's one heck of a plot masterfully crafted. Extremely gripping and written in three parts and also from different viewpoints, I loved how all the characters are not what they first seem and all have their own agenda. Definitely Peter Swanson at his best, an excellent psychological thriller which I could not put down.

Librarian Martha has found a husband! Having been convinced that that a love curse had been put on her whilst in college after kissing a classmate’s boyfriend, Martha has always believed that she would never find love. She’s not sure this is actual true love, but she does love Alan in her own way. Alan is a travelling salesman, visiting college towns and campus’ throughout North America selling educational related merchandise to teachers at conferences. When Martha begins to suspect that all is not as it would first appear on Alan’s little jaunts, she calls long lost college pal Lily, who once, many years ago, helped her out with another relationship problem.

This is another Lily and Henry book by Swanson, and like the others is very entertaining. Great characters, multi layered plot and always a twist. Fabulous writing, a book to recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Faber and Faber.