Amber is back in Las Vegas for Dot’s wedding. She had left after what happened and set up a nice life in San Francisco with a new girlfriend. Once again a dangerous killer is in Las Vegas and it’s up to the old gang to get to the bottom of it. Slaying You is the follow up to Killing Me and just as entertaining. Great cast of characters that will make you giggle and turn the pages wanting more. I’d love to see more of Amber and Grace!


*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

I literally squealed out loud when I saw there was a sequel!

Michelle Gagnon checks ALL the boxes in this darkly humorous follow-up to to Killing Me. Dark humor, quirky cast of characters, fun and familiar setting, insane plot - but we all have that one friend who this would absolutely 100 percent happen to, and of course bald heads.

Following up months after the events of Killing Me (this is not a standalone novel, and you will both need and want to read the first in the series), the gang is back together in Las Vegas for Dot and Jim's wedding and Amber arrives with a wealthy foreign girlfriend in tow to show that she has put her serial killer victim days behind her. Or has she? When a prison bus accident sends a known serial killer directly in her path, Amber's life is literally on the line...again. Hopefully third time's not the charm.

I absolutely tore through this book with gusto. It is the perfect blend of edge of your seat - what is going to happen next, along with a very strong attachment to the characters (Can I be an honorary member of the Femme Fatales?). The humor is dry, subtle, and most definitely dark - but there is also so much heart in this story. I loved getting more of Grace's backstory as well as Amber's, even though I saw the one twist from a mile away.

Although the main characters is queer, there is little to no spice as this is not a romance.

Simply put, I cannot wait for the next installment in this series. Please, please let there be more. In the meantime, I'll be recommending both this and Killing You to everyone I know.

For fans of Killing Me and mystery/thrillers such as the Finlay Donovan series.

Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Michelle Gagnon for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely LOOOOOOOOVE this series. It’s funny and fast paced and the characters are so so good! I mean, I would love it if all of these characters were my friends! Amber kind of reminds me of the girl who played Vic McQueen in NOS4A2. I have no idea why, but once it was in my head, it was the only way I could see her. She has that same snarky attitude and internal damage. Dot, on the other hand, reminds me of a middle aged Peggy Bundy, and oh man am I here for it! I can’t remember the last time I loved a B-character so much! I was so happy to see she got more “screen time” in this book.
Like Killing Me, this story was part insanity, part holy crap, and all adventure. Leave it to Amber and Grace to continue to attract serial killers, but this time, they go on the offensive in a big way! They get pretty much all of the service and performance industry in Vegas involved! Having lived in Vegas a few years, I loved reading about all the places that were regular haunts for me while I lived there. I got a huge kick out of the mention of Dino’s because that was one of the first bars I went to when I moved there. It is every bit as fun as it sounds, and I was sober! Something about being able to picture and recognize the places in the story make something great even more amazing than you thought it could be. Who knew hunting serial killers could be so much fun!

I genuinely hope this series continues because it’s so good and I just can’t get enough of it! Do yourself a favor and read this book because it’s incredible and I’d give it ten stars if I could!

Huge thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

After loving Killing You- I was super excited to get an arc of the follow up book!

Overall- I enjoyed the sequel! I appreciated that the author gave a lot of reminders about the last book as I can never retain the plots. However, this one felt a lot less unique and fun. I enjoyed revisiting the characters but I’m not sure this installment was necessary. I saw most of the twists coming and the pacing was a little off (very slow to start and then a lot of action at the end). I still had fun reading it but it wasn’t as good as the first.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

More serial killers, more Vegas, and more hilarious hijinks! The gang from Killing You is back for Dots wedding and there’s another serial killer targeting the women. If you loved Killing You, you will love this one too. Such a fun ride! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Slaying You is the much anticipated sequel to Killing Me, which was one of the most entertaining and enjoyable books I read last year. I had high expectations for this one. While it didn't have as interesting of a plot as the first book, it was still enjoyable. This book has the same lovable and intriguing characters, with a few new additions. The first part of the book starts slow, but then around the 30% mark things start to pick up and get more interesting. I would highly recommend reading the first book before diving into this one. As much as I would love more of Amber, Grace, and entourage...it seems from the author's note this may be the last we hear of them. Fingers crossed for more!

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 rounded up!

I was a huge fan of Book 1 (Killing Me) loving everything about it from the characters of various walks of life (a retired grifter, a Las Vegas native who's seen it ALL, a sex worker and a tech expert who's also the sister of a serial killer) to the author's ability to make mayhem funny. I was sooooo hoping for a sequel but now that my wish came true... well, now I'm hoping that someday we'll see a third because I truly can't get enough of Dot, Amber, Grace and Marcella.

In addition to having all the danger and fun plotting we enjoyed from Killing Me, in Slaying You, we also see a lot of character growth and heart!

I love that our MC Amber is not perfect and she's not a pushover. Her reaction to her pi$$ed off girlfriend was priceless and totally something I would do!

Amber also reminds us that when blood fails us, love is all we need to make our own family.

This book publishes 5/13/25 so if you haven't read Killing Me yet, you have time!! Bump it up to the top of your TBR so you'll be ready for Slaying You!

Thank you so much for the ARC!!

3.5 stars

Compulsively readable and morbidly funny, Slaying You is a worthy follow-up to Gagnon's 2023 novel Killing Me. While the first book really focused on delivering and thrills, this book shifts its lens to the relationships between its colorful characters as they all reunite for a Las Vegas wedding to remember. Considering this shift, I did find myself wishing we had more explicit reflection by the characters; much of their development is driven by external circumstances that they are forced to put off thinking about because of the many plot beats that they have to take care of. That being said, Gagnon has created such a deliciously cynical character in Amber that I can honestly overlook the minor issues that I had with this installment. I'm excited to see where Gagnon takes her Fatal Femmes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

When will book three be published? I loved Slaying You just as much as the first book in the series! Bring on more of Amber and her friends!

Another absolutely amazing book by Michelle Gagnon! I read Killing Me a few years ago and have been anxiously awaiting this book. Slaying You gripped me right from the start, with the prison bus and the wildfire. She painted such a vivid picture, you felt like you were right there, on the bus, feeling the suffocating air. The multiple storylines that followed were great transitions into what the main storyline was going to be and it was so awesome to be visiting these characters again. Amber, Dot, Marcella and Grace- I freaking love them. This story is Grace centric and watching her character development throughout the book was awesome. I like how she let go of some of the control she held on so tight to and trusted Amber when she needed to the most. The ending I hope leads to more books about these babes, because I already want to read the next one.
If you like Finlay Donovan- you’re going to love Amber Jamison!


Also- the epigraph…. So fitting.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

Absolutely loved this book. I struggled at the beginning because I forgot all the characters' names, but got into it very quickly after a skimmed refresher of the first book. There was a point about three quarters through where I thought, "Wow this book is great." I remember thinking the first would make a great film and I feel the same about this one. I didn't see how the first could have a sequel, and the way Gagnon conceptualized a sequel that doesn't feel forced is impressive. This one was clearly opened at the ending for more adventures, and I'll be ready for them. I'm so glad the first was recommended to me by Netgalley. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The first book in this series "Killing You" was a quirky, fun, humorous read and I was expecting the same from this one. While we do get some of the same feel as the first book, this one moved a bit slower and I found myself struggling to get into it as quickly as the first. I enjoyed this story overall and it was still entertaining but I preferred the first book to this one.

Fans of the Finlay Donovan series will find these books to be similar in humor if a tad bit darker.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series but somehow this one didn't work for me. It felt forced to me, trying to be humorous and ironic rather than it being more intrinsic to the characters and story. It was still a fun fast read. I would read others by her but was disappointed in this one. Humorous thrillers are a hit or miss for me in general, not my favorite,so this is my bias

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for sending me an ARC of Slaying You in exchange for an honest review.

The gang from Killing Me is back in Las Vegas, six months after that book, this time for Dot’s wedding. Amber, a two-time serial killer survivor, has her new girlfriend Kat with her, so it’s fine—just fine—that Marcella also has a new girlfriend. Grace is there too, not just to celebrate but also to help Dot and the Fatal Femmes catch a man who is drugging and shaving the heads of women on the Strip. But when Amber’s grifter parents show up unexpectedly, Amber’s simple trip spins out of control and, eventually, puts her in the path of yet another serial killer.

As with Killing Me, Slaying You is going for both laughs and thrills. The serial killer mystery is pretty straightforward and predictable (though the climax is solid and funny), but the mysteries involving Amber’s parents are more subtle and unexpected. Amber and Grace continue to have their cynical, sarcastic relationship, but there’s more warmth as each helps the other with some parental drama. And Amber and Marcella continue their slow build towards each other. Perhaps things will work out for them in the next book. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Recommended.

It has been nearly a year since I read Killing Me, the first Amber Jamison novel, so my memory may have forgotten a few details or characters. Regardless, I enjoyed it so thoroughly and tried to convince many of my friends to read it. I was so excited to receive a copy of Slaying You (which also happens to be releasing on my birthday) and I was not disappointed.

Slaying You picks back up with Amber in San Francisco, where she seems to have matured and is in a new relationship. Then the drama begins. She is returning to Vegas for a wedding where we get to meet up with several of the campy characters we grew to love in Killing Me. Murders take place, sex workers seem to be targeted and Grace and Amber are back at it with their usual crew.

These books and characters are such a breath of fresh air and I will forever recommend them to anyone who loves a fun kitschy read with a bit of murder/crime solving/conning. I'd compare it to Butcher and the Blackbird minus the spice and fewer trigger warnings and with a bit more humor. I can't wait for the next one. I'm a Michelle Gagnon convert.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Slaying You.

I enjoyed the first book in the series so I was pleased my request was approved.

Grace and Amber are back...to celebrate a friend's wedding in Las Vegas.

But the festivities takes a back burner when the duo discover a new serial killer is on the prowl...and this time it's personal.

The second book in the series offers more insight into Amber and Grace's background, namely family drama is the focus.

I wasn't sold on the family drama and the trouble their appearances kicked off; we all have drama but I was hoping for a more straightforward serial killer hunt like in the first book.

I like Amber, but I still haven't warmed up to Grace. I don't dislike her, but I wouldn't want to hang out with her in real life.

I understand she had a tumultuous upbringing and it's clearly reflected in her personality. I respect that.

I figured out who Kat was early on and all the family drama involving Grace and Amber was too coincidental for me to suspend disbelief for. It dragged the pacing and suspense was lacking in the narrative.

I wasn't a fan of the silly love triangle and found this subplot distracting and unnecessary filler.

I love Dot; she's loyal, kind, warm, friendly, and supportive and always ready to get her hands dirty (pun intended).

I love the ending; don't you just love it when bad people get their just desserts, especially when they're 'family.'

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the free eARC!

First off, I totally overlooked that this was the second part of a series. Didn’t realize it until I had already started this. Haha. Luckily, Michelle Gagnon does some solid recapping throughout the story.

I really enjoyed this! The dialog was very snappy and witty, and it definitely carried the story along. Tons of eccentric and quirky characters abound in this story that takes place in one of the most eccentric and quirky places around…Las Vegas.

Definitely check this one! I’m going to go back and read the first book in the series soon, and I love forward to seeing these characters again in the future!

Slaying You is the sequel to Killing Me, which was one of the most entertaining books I’ve read, so anticipation was high for the second book featuring Amber and her serial-killer killing friend Grace. Both woman find themselves back in Las Vegas for the wedding of their friend, and quickly become enmeshed in a hunt for an escaped killer with ties to Grace. The old crew reunites, along with some new characters, and they all pick up where they left off without missing a beat. The first half of the book moves a little slow, but there’s still that welcome banter between the girls until the plot picks up steam. That first book was a tough act to follow, and the plot here isn’t as interesting, but this is still a fun read with hilarious characters and dialogue. Although it can be read a standalone, I highly recommend you read the first book (you won’t be disappointed) so you’re up to speed. Hope to see more with this duo. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't met a Michelle Gagnon book I didn't love and read from cover to cover in one sitting. It's just that good! And Slaying You was no exception. I re-read Killy You right before diving into this one and that made a huge difference. There were little clues and things that I'd forgotten since reading the first book in the series. Just like the first book, Amber was amazing and can't wait to read about her in a 3rd book - if there is one in the series.