"People could rarely hide being born into wealth or poverty. Upbringing clung like a stubborn accent." Well that's a hopeful opinion for those of us that would like to change our lot in life or distance ourselves from those who raised us. No Home for Killers is my first novel by E. A. Aymar. It centres upon the story of a trio of siblings, Markus, Melinda and Emily Peña, who have a troubled relationship. The novel starts with musician Markus dead, Melinda cheating on her partner with her boss, and Emily passing her evenings as a "DC-based vigilante" beating up men who are violent with their wives and don't get convicted for their actions. Guessing the siblings' upbringing might not have been ideal either...

"That was Markus, but with emotions. Bathed in emotions, like a weary warrior bathed in blood. And they informed his music, broke his voice into glinting shards others longed to gather."
As the sisters renew contact with each other at the death of their brother, they are drawn into the backstory of his less than savoury life and troubled relationship with women, including his former lover, Rebecca.

"Rebecca reminded Melinda of those women. Those women who had tried and failed to understand why violence was done to them." Melinda isn't particularly likeable or deep, with primitive insights into herself and her own actions, and a bit of a saviour complex with the sex workers she used to work with in a social work capacity: "Melinda had seen this before in her work with broken women. So much in their lives was emotionally compartmentalised that their thoughts were broken into fragments, as if different people assumed different roles."

I found both the thinking, and the writing a bit pedestrian, the character development was lacking and unbelievable, particularly for the female characters, and it made reading the whole book a bit of a chore. I couldn't imagine this story ever happening.

When singer/activist Markus Pena is murdered, his two sisters, Melinda, a former social worker and Emily, a self-taught vigilante who punishes abusive men, are plunged down the dangerous rabbit hole of the criminal underworld. Confronting the truth of Markus's death also means confronting their own painful pasts including their painful childhood demons.

Aymar's NO HOME FOR KILLERS is both a thriller and a psychological study in the way trauma and violence inform the lives of women and in a broader sense, families. Aymar's characters are complex and incredibly well-drawn. They feel authentic and lived-in, the voice of each character worthy of a book of its own, distinctly different from its counterparts. As always, Aymar treats the subject of violence against women with honesty and sensitivity. Also worth noting is how deftly he handles family dynamics. Dysfunction takes many forms and shapes each family member differently and that is beautifully and heart-wrenchingly demonstrated in this gritty tale.

Aymar is at the top of his game in this bold, high-stakes thriller where no character is safe. It's excellently written, thought-provoking, intense and gripping with enough shocking twists and turns to keep you fully immersed until its stunning end. Don't miss this one!

A tense read, made more-so with excellent characterisation, solid writing and suspenseful unraveling of a mystery.

Deep, interesting characters who were all so well fleshed out. They added a fantastic and mysterious element to this already tense story. Murder, but not unexpected, though questions still linger. The mystery and unraveling of it was clever and gripping.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Thomas & Mercer and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles. I really not the opportunity!

I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

Wow, I really enjoyed every minute of reading this book! It hooked me from the beginning and kept me hooked the whole time. It was hard to put down!