Title: A Talent for Murder

Author: Peter Swanson

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Publication Date: 4th July 2024

Rating: 5/5

Cover:

Summary:

Two years ago, Martha didn’t know that Alan existed. Now, they’re married – it was easy to say yes to someone so sweet.

But when Martha thinks she sees Alan’s mask slip, she starts to fear that the conferences he travels the country to attend might be a cover for something far more sinister.

As her research unearths a string of dead women, she enlists the help of Lily Kintner, an old friend from grad school. What Martha doesn’t know is that Lily has a dark side of her own . . .

Review:

I love Swanson’s books – they are always fabulously twisted and dark, with plenty of red herrings and fascinating characters – A Talent for Murder is no exception! In this book we meet Lily Kintner again, a phenomenally complex character previously seen in The Kind Worth Killing and The Kind Worth Saving. A Talent for Murder definitely works as a standalone but if you haven’t read them yet then I’d highly recommend both in the series. This latest instalment focuses on a librarian, Martha, who begins to suspect her husband, Alan, may be a serial killer. She turns to an old friend from grad school, Lily, to help her investigate and things evolve from there.

Peter Swanson has such a particular style and it’s one I just love. He creates disturbing and dark characters and twisty plots that grab you and won’t let go until the end, but there’s also a wit and slight quirkiness that gives his books a real edge. There is something so chilling and yet completely addictive about his writing and I couldn’t put A Talent for Murder down. I loved meeting Lily again, she’s such a brilliant character, clearly having her own darkness and her own set of rules on morality, and yet I somehow find myself rooting for her again and again. I don’t want to give any plot details away for fear of spoiling anything but let’s just say I highly recommend picking up this excellent and thoroughly, darkly, engaging thriller. Swanson remains one of my favourite writers in this genre.

★★★★★

Huge thank you to Tara and Faber & Faber for having me on the tour and sending me a copy of the book. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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https://amzn.to/4f1njnQ

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