When Joan turns up at private investigator, Henry Kimball’s office, he can’t help feeling skeptical of her situation. Joan, who knows Kimball from his past life as an English teacher, wants him to investigate her husband who she is certain is cheating on her. But, when Kimball finds two bodies during his investigation, he must return to one of the worst days of his life to solve several crimes committed. With the help of the devious Lily Kintner, from the Kind Worth Killing, Kimball must uncover the truth about a killer and the potential of a murderer creeping closer and closer into his life.

After reading about Lily Kintner & Henry Kimball in The Kind Worth Killing, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on his new release! This one was just as devious and dark as the first! Filled with murder, lies, twists & turns, the shock factor and the tension never let up, even when you knew what was about to happen. I would have enjoyed a few more actual plot twists in this read, but it definitely did not lack the “wow” factor by any means. I can sense another Kintner & Kimball read on the horizon and I can’t wait.

If you love a book filled with suspense, shock, tension, and murder, this one is for you!

"The Kind Worth Saving" is the next novel by Peter Swanson and the sequel to 2015's "The Kind Worth Killing." Picking up two years later, the story focuses on Joan and her relationship to Richard. Joan believes her husband, Richie, is having an affair with one of his real estate coworkers but wants proof. She hires her former high school English teacher, detective Henry Kimble, to help her gather evidence. However, as his investigation furthers, two bodies are found dead in a home for sale. Kimble recruits his old "friend" Lily Kintner to answer some questions that have been bothering him about his case.
I liked this book even more than "The Kind Worth Killing." I couldn't read this book fast enough. The former was very dark for me, and even though this book is still very dark, it wasn't as unsettling. Perhaps this is because you spend a lot more time with Detective Kimble, our fun-loving limerick writer.
Similarly to the previous book, this story had a few twists and turns thrown here and there. Though I didn't feel like there were as many as the first book, these twists were still great and caught me by surprise. Swanson really knows how to play with a reader's emotions!
My favorite thing about this book was how it went back and forth with the timelines. We get to spend a good amount of time with Joan and Richard when they are young and then we see them again in present day. I really enjoyed that back and forth and how much time we spend on both.
The only possible negative thing I have to say about this book is how one connects with these characters. They are so unrelatable and unlikable. I can't really empathize with anyone. But that is also what makes this book special. Unlike many thrillers, "The Kind Worth Killing" and "The Kind Worth Saving" both put you in the heads of the killers. You're not looking for the killer. You're with them as they are plotting and executing.
I would recommend this book for people who like books about obsession, secret pacts, and becoming a killer.

A Showdown Between Sociopaths

3.5 stars

The Kind Worth Saving is a dark psychological thriller about a tangled web of murders and murderers.

Joan Grieve hires Henry Kimball, a former teacher, and a former police officer, to find out if her husband, Richard, is cheating. The result is an investigation embroiled in secrets, murder, and many lies!

The narrative alternates between the past and the present--I don’t want to share too many details because I don’t want to move into spoiler territory. Told from alternating perspectives of Joan, Richard, Kimball, and Lily, I enjoyed some characters more than others. There is one character brought in later who changes the game, but at the same time, I felt their entrance was a bit forced and out of place.

The first 70% had me riveted; rife with tension and intrigue, I wasn’t sure what would happen next. I was surprised by the first twist. But an event occurs that changes the balance and tone of the story. It moves from a cat-and-mouse game to a cat vs. cat game. At the same time, I enjoyed the final showdown.

I wouldn’t classify this book as a sequel to The Kind Worth Killing . Lily and Kimball will be familiar to those who read that novel--their stories converge and are not wholly resolved. However, the majority of the novel focuses on the Joan Grieve case. One doesn’t have to read one book to understand the other.

My expectations were super high for this book. The Kind Worth Killing was a 5-star read for me, but this one is lacking in the charisma of the characters and the tightly wound execution and cleverness of the plot. However, it is still a riveting read, oozing Swanson’s style--so while it was a letdown in one sense, it was still a satisfying read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and William Morrow in exchange for an honest review.

In preparation for The Kind Worth Saving, I decided to re-read The Kind Worth Killing (for anyone wondering, it wasn’t necessary to re-read but it helped me enjoy some small nuances) which held up well the second time around - and six years after my initial reading. TKWS is a good follow up to the first and I truly enjoyed returning to some old characters and meeting all the new devious ones.

Thank you to William Morrow for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I'm a big Peter Swanson fan, and I was very excited to see a sequel to The Kind Worth Killing. The Kind Worth Saving was a wonderful second book in the series!

I requested this book not realizing it was a sequel to another story but it did not take away from my enjoyment of the plot and the characters. Rather, it made me want to go back and read the first book in the series!

Wow! Lily is BACK! Hoping it’s advertised as not ti be read as a standalone bc reading the first one helped build co text.Some heavy topics and would hope there is a CW for shooting. So good and satisfying ending!

Calling The Kind Worth Saving (Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner #2) a semi-sequel, author Peter Swanson follows up the psychological thriller The Kind Worth Killing (2015). Due out in March, the book continues the story of Henry Kimball, teacher, turned cop, turned private investigator, and Lily Kintner, a smart and complex woman who injured Henry in the first book in the series.

This time around, Kimball encounters one of his former students who was the queen bee at her high school, Joan Grieve. She hires Kimball to confirm that her husband Richard Whalen is cheating, although she has something more devious in mind that calls for the help of a former classmate.

During his investigation, Kimball follows Whalen and Pam O’Neil to their love nest, where he hears three gunshots. What he finds triggers a post-traumatic stress episode from his first and only teaching year. What he thought was the worst day of his life -- a school shooting in his classroom -- has competition from the events happening now.

In the aftermath of the gunshots, Kimball becomes suspicious of Joan. What secrets does she have about the death of her husband and his mistress? How are these murders linked to the school shooting years ago? What could be the link to a supposed accidental drowning that happened when Joan was just a teenager?

As Kimball draws nearer to the truth, he soon finds himself in great danger from Joan’s partner in crime. When Kimball has to step back, Lily Kintner steps up to continue investigating how all the people who have died are linked to Joan.

Peter Swanson’s twisty novel The Kind Worth Killing has been optioned for a movie. He writes short stories, poetry, and features as well as novels. His work has been printed in Asimov’s Science Fiction, The Atlantic Monthly, Measure, The Guardian, The Strand Magazine, and Yankee Magazine. The Girl with a Clock for a Heart, his debut novel, is still my personal favorite. Swanson lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, with his wife and their cat.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting December 5, 2022.

I would like to thank William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

I have to admit I have a love hate relationship with this author. I have read a total of 9 books by him and either I absolutely love them or hate them! This one surprisingly falls right in the middle. I honestly think if I would have read The Kind Worth Killing closer to this one, I would have enjoyed this one more. This is not a sequel but we do have some familiar characters and I just can’t remember enough about them to appreciate their roles in this one! We have Henry Kimball who is an ex teacher, ex cop and current private investigator working with a former student named Joan Whalen who wants to find out if her husband Richard is cheating on her. At the same time we are learning about Joan and Richard’s friendship when they were teens. They have some things they want to do and Henry may be a part of their plans!

I am a big fan of Peter Swanson and “A Kind Worth Killing” was one of my favs from him. So I was really excited for “A Kind Worth Saving”! I would recommend to read “A Kind Worth Killing” first if you haven’t already. It is a very good standalone book but some of the great characters from the first book are brought back and this makes it even better! The twists and turns that you have come to expect from expert writer, Swanson, are all there. Swanson is extremely gifted and, again, has written a fantastic mystery about a group of people who come together to become players in this bizarre, enthralling, story. As a fan of “The Kind Worth Killing”, this follow up was most welcome and satisfying. I enjoyed reading it and I thought it was a clever way to bring back the old characters in this new twisty tale. The ending left me wanting more. Thanks to Peter Swanson, Netgalley and William Morrow for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. I look forward to seeing what Peter writes next.

I love this author I love this story. Back to his old roots, Mr. Swanson took us down a winding pathway down a story of two people who have known each other for almost all of their life and the secrets they share. A well-developed story that I devoured. Highly recommend it to anyone that loves a good mystery.

Peter Swanson has become an auto buy for my library. He never fails to disappoint and all of his novels are unique with a twist.
In this thriller, a former high school teacher turned private detective is hired by a former student to get proof that her husband is involved in an extramarital affair.
Despite his suspicions that Joan, his former student, is hiding something, and that he feels she could be be dangerous, he takes the case.
A simple case of possible infidelity turns into a possible murder suicide, with Joan the possible architect of these 2 and possibly 2 other past murders. Detective Kimball starts to unearth the sinister and twisted history of Joan. Could she also be responsible for the school shooting perpetrated by a disturbed student that ended his teaching career? As well as the death of a teenager in a coastal beach town previously thought to be a tragic accident?
As the cat and mouse game becomes more and more dangerous, who, if anyone, will,survive?
While I enjoyed this riveting novel, I felt like I had heard or read this story before. Peter Swanson will still be a favorite author, but this title was lacking the usual intensity I have come to expect from Swanson.

Thank you to Peter Swanson, William Morrow, and NetGalley for my E-ARC in exchange for my review.

The Kind Worth Killing has been one of my favorite suspense novels that I have, so when I saw that this book was coming out I was very excited to read it. I love that this book tied itself to the original and loved to see Lilly in this book as well. Peter Swanson has excellent writing style, and I love that he exposes several twists throughout the book that makes you look forward to reading it to the end.

Some of the things that I did not like about the book was one of the main characters Kimball. I found him to have no personality and his chapters were bland and boring. I also found some of Joan's story to be a bit unrealistic, however I do always love a female killer. While the writing is excellent, the book felt a bit slow and was not as fast paced as I usually like to read when it comes to suspense novels.

This one fell a little flat for me. Didn’t live up to The Kind Worth Killing, although I always love a remorseless female killer.

A fast paced suspense novel told through multiple voices using the recurring character of Henry Kimball. Great read

4.5/5⭐ thrilling stars!

I loved The Kind Worth Killing so I was thrilled to receive the ARC of The Kind Worth Saving.

It picks back up from the prequel several years later, with Henry Kimball. He is now a private investigator, and Joan seeks him out to investigate her husband as she suspects he is cheating with Pam, her friend and his co-worker. Kimball remembers Joan as a former student of his, how could he forget as she was a student of his during a school shooting in his classroom. Grateful for a paying job, he accepts the job, and starts investigating her husband, and Pam.

During the investigation - Kimball walks in on what is ruled as a murder/suicide, but Kimball feels something is off.

Told through dual timelines, in three parts, from multiple perspectives - this is a thrilling, gripping book that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I thoroughly enjoyed this, it was fast-paced and I could not put it down. I highly recommend!

Special thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC, I loved it!

This was one of my most anticipated reads and it did not let down! Swanson never fails to creep me out and keep me on my toes. I loved that Lily was featured in this books from The Kind Worth Killing. The past time lines from Joan were so fast paced it made it hard to put the book down. And Kimball has grown on me!

I requested this without knowing it was a follow-up to The Kind Worth Killing, so I made sure to read that one first. While this book can technically be read and enjoyed as a standalone, do not read this one before The Kind Worth Killing! It completely spoils that story and plot twists. If I had to pick between the two of them, I preferred the first book. Both were amazing, though!

Swanson is a true master at writing an intricate mystery with shocking plot twists and morally grey characters. This one had returning characters from the first book and I thought the character development, particularly that of Henry Kimball, was very well-done. Kimball is a failed poet, then failed teacher, then failed detective, and now struggling private investigator. What makes his story so interesting is that he is highly intuitive and has great instincts, plus I can’t get enough of his hilarious limericks. One of my favorite components of this series (unsure if all of Swanson’s books follow the same formula) is the timely shift of POV so the reader is always aware of a character’s true motives and his shifting of timelines to give us background on the story at hand. I loved the past timeline that was a deep dive into Joan and the return of TKWK’s Lily. Swanson has a captivating, easy writing style and I couldn’t put this one down. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a dark, modern mystery!

4.5 ⭐️

When I first read EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS by Peter Swanson I immediately added him to my auto-buy author list! Then I read THE KIND WORTH KILLING a year ago and I still haven’t been able to stop thinking about it! So I was THRILLED when I was approved to read an advanced copy of THE KIND WORTH SAVING!

If you have not read THE KIND WORTH KILLING, I highly recommend that you read that one first!

TKWS brings back a couple of characters from TKWK. I don’t want to say much more about them as I might ruin something for you from the first novel. However, in this novel, Joan, a woman with a tie to the past, arrives at Detective Kimball’s office and asks him to investigate her adulterous husband. Soon, Kimball happens upon a suspicious murder/suicide that leads him straight back to Joan.

This one has a great storyline, well-developed characters and the twists and surprises I have come to expect from this author.

My sincere thanks to @williammorrowbooks and @netgalley for my digital copy. My thoughts are my own.

Remember Lily from The Kind Worth Killing (book #1)?

Well, she is back and just as cunning and devious as ever!

Joan thinks her hubs is cheating. She can feel it. She has also suspects who his afternoon delight is, but she wants proof. Enter Private Investigator, Henry Kimball. Joan meets with him and it could possibly be the worst day of his life! He can't quite put his finger on the chilly feeling that she brought in with her. He decides to help her investigate her hubs and the cat and rat chase begins...........

It was an uncomfortable and tension filled ride, like when you can hear thunder, you just know the storm is coming soon.

Someone is obsessed. Someone has evil in their heart. Someone is plotting murder and revenge....

"Would you really kill if you could get away with it?" hmm, "It's the perfect plan". Really?

I think it will work as a standalone, but if you've read the first you'll remember a few of the characters and their modus operandi. The bad poetry is back too. I would have enjoyed some humor and lighter moments to balance out the dark tension. Also, the end seemed unfinished like I wanted a little more.

CW - (view spoiler)

It was a highly engaging plot that had very intense moments, some shock, creepy moments, and once when I even said out loud, "No way!"