The Kind Worth Killing - Softcover

Swanson, Peter

4.01

186,784 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 006245031X ISBN 13: 9780062450319

Publisher: William Morrow & Co, 2016

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A devious tale of psychological suspense so irresistible that it prompts Entertainment Weekly to ask, "Is The Kind Worth Killing the next Gone Girl?" From one of the hottest new thriller writers, Peter Swanson, a name you may not know yet (but soon will), this is his breakout novel in the bestselling tradition of Paula Hawkins' The Girl on the Train--and is soon to be a major movie directed by Agnieszka Holland.

In a tantalizing set-up reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith's classic Strangers on a Train... On a night flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning and mysterious Lily Kintner. Sharing one too many martinis, the strangers begin to play a game of truth, revealing very intimate details about themselves. Ted talks about his marriage that's going stale and his wife Miranda, who he's sure is cheating on him. Ted and his wife were a mismatch from the start--he the rich businessman, she the artistic free spirit--a contrast that once inflamed their passion, but has now become a clich�.

But their game turns a little darker when Ted jokes that he could kill Miranda for what she's done. Lily, without missing a beat, says calmly, "I'd like to help." After all, some people are the kind worth killing, like a lying, stinking, cheating spouse. . . .

Back in Boston, Ted and Lily's twisted bond grows stronger as they begin to plot Miranda's demise. But there are a few things about Lily's past that she hasn't shared with Ted, namely her experience in the art and craft of murder, a journey that began in her very precocious youth.

Suddenly these co-conspirators are embroiled in a chilling game of cat-and-mouse, one they both cannot survive . . . with a shrewd and very determined detective on their tail.

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Review:

"A fun read, full of switchbacks and double crosses... With classic misdirection, Swanson distracts us from the details - changing up murderers and victims fast enough to keep us reading. And, implausibly, rooting for the cold-blooded killer at this thriller's core."--Boston Globe

"[Lily] becomes my favourite sociopath--and believe me, there are plenty of them in this very convincing, tightly-plotted novel of revenge and betrayal. . . . Very entertaining."--Daily Mail (UK)

"A wicked tale full of wicked characters... Sublime writing and more than a few sit-up-straight surprises."--Huffington Post

"A terrifically hypnotic page-turner that marks Peter Swanson as an exciting new talent."--Good Housekeeping, Thriller of the Month (UK)

"From its initial nod to Strangers on a Train onwards, this is a homage to Patricia Highsmith, but in some ways it outdoes the queen of queasy in sheer nastiness. . . . [Swanson] continually juggles narrators and pulls off surprises."--Sunday Times (UK)

"Nothing and no one are as they first appear in this deliciously twisted and devious thriller... A classy, slick and stiletto-sharp thriller that builds to a nerve-shredding climax."--Sunday Mirror (UK)

"[There are] many surprises in a plot that twists and turns like a jack-knife."--BBC Radio 4 (UK)

"An extraordinarily well-written tale of deceit and revenge told by a very gifted writer. . . . The characters [] seem normal on the outside, but are deliciously abnormal on the inside. The twists are not just in the plot; they are also in the heads of the plotters."--Nelson DeMille

"The next Gone Girl? . . . There aren't just two unreliable narrators, there are four. There isn't just one enormous, game-changing twist. Try three. . . . You'll also lose count of all the sociopaths . . . they're each deranged but oh-so-compelling."--Entertainment Weekly

"Grabbed me right from the beginning, and kept me hooked until the end. . . . The author did a great job pulling off a difficult challenge and writing style. The uniqueness of this, and the skill with which it was executed, made for a really great book."--Mysteryplayground.net

Book Description:

Peter Swanson returns with 2015's most compulsive thriller.

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