I received a gifted copy of HOW I’LL KILL YOU by Ren DeStefano for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and PRH Audio!

Publication Date: 3/21/2023
Rating: 4 / 5
HOW I’LL KILL YOU follows Jade or Sissy or who really knows her actual name. She is one sister of identical triplets who lead a very interesting life. They travel from place to place to find a man to fall in love with, a relationship with a ticking clock. Each relationship begins with the end in mind, an end that will leave the man dead.

This time it is Sissy’s turn to find a man and plot his murder. In the past she has been the one to help her sisters clean up their messes, but this time she’s ready and she’s she’s put a lot of thought into the whole plan. Problem is, she didn’t expect to actually start to fall for the chosen man. She also didn’t expect some of the twists that get thrown in her path.

This premise instantly intrigued me and following along in Sissy’s mind was a wild ride. This isn’t a book full of likeable characters, but it is one that really made me question whether I did like Sissy or not. I loved the loyalty the triplets had to each other. They had a rough time growing up, abandoned as infants and separated into different homes for most of their lives. Sissy had the most stable upbringing, but even with that she was still pulled into her sisters’ horror stories.

It was really interesting to see how the sisters put each other above everything, stepping into one another’s’ shoes and lives time after time. Even as you know what they are doing is wrong, they are still compelling characters. Quite a few of the turns this story took weren’t entirely surprises, but how everything fit together still kept me engaged throughout!

Whoa! Just whoa! This book is one very dark trip that is completely insane. That is what kept me hooked, my nails bitten to the quick, my breath coming out in short puffs, my heartbeat rapid in my ears. Ren DeStefano has written an incredibly unique story, that will make you question everyone that comes across your path. What happens when a set of triplets are left abandoned in a stroller at a rest area when they are infants? No identity, no names, no one laying claim to them. Unwanted, abandoned, completely and utterly alone, motherless, left to the will of the state. The three of them pulled apart. Bouncing from foster home to group home until they aged out of the system. None of them knowing all of the horrors the others went through. Just knowing that all that matters is the three of them. They are the only ones they can depend on, the only ones they can trust, and the only ones they can be loyal to.

What happens when the three are reunited as adults? They go on a spree going from man to man. Charming him, making him fall in love, the only one who matters in the world is whichever triplet is pulling the strings. He won't live, their plan is to kill him, so he cannot leave them. They cannot be abandoned again. Sissy the youngest is currently working on her first mark. She is struck by the first glimpse of Edison. She knows she needs him; she needs to feel loved, and all that encompasses. She has six months with him, the plan is in place, his final resting place chosen. Will she be able to go through with it, her sisters need her. It all comes down to loyalty and trust of your family.

This book blew me out of the water. It is told from Sissy's perspective. The unknowing thoughts of her sister always coming into play. It is addictive, intense, and beyond anything I have imagined. The characters are fantastically written, their pain and anguish splashed across the pages. This is definitely not a book I will soon forget. Thank you to Red DeStefano and Berkley Books for my gifted copy.

This is one of my favorite books of 2023. I loved the plot, the characters, the surprising romance element, and the entire pacing of the story. I would read this one over and over again and have already ordered a physical copy.

How I'll Kill You is a fast paced read about three sisters who are serial killers and to date have never been caught.

Can their luck hold up?

Sissy is our narrator and she has found her mark. How will she kill him.

Trouble is she is falling in love with Edison.

Her sisters Iris and Moody are watching her every move.

That's all I will say as I don't want to leave any spoilers.

Pick up your copy, put your disbelief on hold ( though you never know) and enjoy the wild ride.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for a twisted read.

When I read the blurb for this debut novel, it was a quick YES from me! It's a unique premise and I felt like nothing I'd read before.

Identical female triplet serial killers! Say what? This premise grabeed me immediately. And then we meet Jade, Iris and Mood and start learning about each of them and their backstories. They were left abandoned on the side of the road, and as children were raised separately in foster homes.
They would occasionally be reunited in group homes, only to be separated again. As adults, they vow to never be separated again.

At age ninetten, they had their first kill. Each woman had their own specific niche when it came to the kill. We are told the story from Jade's POV. And while she has never had "a kill", she is the one who cleans up the mess afterwards.

But the time has come for Jade to pick a mark to be her first love AND her first kill. She has six to make someone fall in love with her and then murder him, and this time her sisters will clean up.
But Jade is a bit different and she break the rules a bit. She starts to make some friends. She meets and man and actually falls for him. This is forbidden and something her sisters just do not do.

This book shows the bond between siblings, more specifically multiples. And also the strange twisted relationship between people when murder is involved. Also, I wasn't sure how the ending would play out, but it shocked me a bit!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and Let's Talk Books Promo for including in this Berkley Buddy read and for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Oh my… where do I start? The premise of this thriller was very different. How I'll Kill you is 100% a dark PSYCHOLOGICAL thriller, but some may put it in the dark romance genre. Either way you look at it, was very different for me and I tend to genre jump often.

It’s twisted that’s for sure. As the synopsis says… sisters out to kill. Triplets at that! We have three sisters, Iris, Moody and Sissy.
Without spoiling it, I’ll say the plot itself was intense enough to have me on the edge of my seat. Sissy is the only sister that has yet to kill out if the three and well, she’s being pushed to make her first kill. Enter Edison.

This was well written and unexpected. I might have guessed at some things, but it didn’t take away from the story for me at all. I enjoyed it!

I found one of the sisters to be more disturbing than the other, but in the end they were all pretty messed up. I can totally see this as a movie. I’d watch it for sure! It wasn’t fast paced nor did it drag if that makes sense. The author hooks you pretty fast and takes you along for a twister ride and into the life of three sisters with one who is torn and actually falls for her chosen kill.

Like I said, I don’t want to spoil it because it’s so much more than that.
Would I recommend? Yes! If you enjoy a good psychological thriller with a bit of a twist to it, Pun intended) then this is a great read!

This is one whacky set of triplets. They each have a skillset and have been working together for six years. Their traumatic experiences in the foster system have resulted in a lack of empathy for anyone except each other -- that is until they come to Rainwood, AZ. Our narrator is called Sissy by the other two sisters and has adopted the identity of Jade for this "assignment." It is her turn to choose a mark, to make him fall in love with her, and then end it before the relationship can become tarnished. A forever love in her heart, if not in the flesh. One interesting aspect to this book was the amount of time Jade and her boyfriend Edison spend at their church and with their church community. If Edison had shown a biblical attitude toward sex outside of marriage, I would have given this book another star. I do not see his church time in his lifestyle and for me that does not ring true. All in all, an entertaining read that started out strong, meandered a bit in the middle, and ended on a strong and positive note.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was bonkers and highly messed up. But I liked it. 🤷🏼‍♀️😂

Short Synopsis:
Sissy, Moody and Iris are identical triplets and have a passion for killing their boyfriends. Sissy’s the only one that hasn’t yet, so the three sisters move to a small town, Sissy picks her mark in Edison and plans to add him to their list in 6 months. But instead she falls in love with him.

My Thoughts:
This is not a book for the faint of heart. There were plenty of graphic scenes that had shocked. But it was highly entertaining and I couldn’t stop reading to see what Sissy and her sisters would do next.

Read if You Like:
🔪 Thrillers
🔪 True Crime Podcasts/Shows
🔪 Karin Slaughter/Jennifer Hillier books
🔪 Slow Burns
🔪 A Girl with a Plan

This was a wild ride of a story and one I won’t soon forget!

This book starts with a unique premise and I never quite knew what was going to happen with each sister. The individual backstories were helpful and added depth to the story.

Overall, a good read!

I absolutely loved this premise, triplet female serial killers?! AMAZING. Say no more, I’m all in. I was instantly pulled into this one and I know a huge part of the reason why I was so invested so quickly is because of how original the setup was. Of course none of this is plausible but who cares when you’re on such a wild ride? The book being set in Arizona was such a treat for me, I’ve only read a handful of books set in my home state so that was really fun. I love reading about unhinged characters and the fact that all three sisters are the very definition of unhinged was so fun. Sissy narrates the entire story and her voice was just so strong and well developed. Speaking of narration I listened to part of this one audio and Karissa Vacker is queen. Grab this is you want a fast paced thriller that is wholly unique and wildly entertaining.

AS CAWPILE:
Characters: 2 | Atmosphere: 5 | Writing: 5 | Plot: 8 | Intrigue: 8 | Logic: 5 | Enjoyment: 5
Total: 5.43
This was an interesting thriller format. A killer who has no desire to kill, but is willing to do so for her sisters. I liked Sissy, but her incessant fantasizing finding its way into reality was irritating at best, and eye-rolling-ly childish at worst. I found it hard to separate myself from reality as well when it came to this book, as the likelihood that these triplets were able to get away with this for so long - even with the best clean up was so absurd. Regardless, the pacing here is done well and I enjoyed the plot at a surface level. This is definitely a low investment, and interesting thriller, as long as you can pull yourself from reality enough to disregard rules.

Iris, Moody, and Sissy are triplets who were abandoned by their mother as infants and grew up in the foster care system. Sissy had the most nurturing upbringing but always felt guilty about her sisters' circumstances, so as an adult, she'll do anything to keep them together, even if it means cleaning up after their string of murders.
Now it's Sissy's turn to make a man fall in love with her, and then kill him. In this dark, psychological thriller, we follow Sissy's journey to creating a love story that she knows will end, while dealing with the casualties her sisters leave in their wake.

Triplets with a taste for murder. Sissy, Moody, and Iris have a very special bond and will stop at nothing to protect each other including, murdering their boyfriends and disposing of the body parts in remote locations. They're experts at their chosen craft, boasting numerous kills and no loose ends. That is until one of them falls for her mark.

The description pulled me in immediately and I was curious to know how and why three sisters could pull off such heinous crimes in the name of love and loyalty. Their dysfunctional backgrounds—being separated and placed in foster care—were sad to read about, but interesting character details nonetheless. I found the most disturbing scenes involving them casually killing people and cleaning the crime scenes without any emotion. The tone of the book definitely offset a lot of the gruesomeness, including when Sissy's friend, and neighbor, Dara, accidentally commits a crime and needs her help to clean up the mess in her state of shock. The way the protagonist justified her crimes felt relatable which made it all the more disturbing. Sissy's detached nature was chilling, even more so when she unexpectedly falls in love with her mark, Edison—a newly widowed man she and her sisters have set their murderous sights on.

The characters were complex, Sissy in particular, and I always suspected she was a little different from her sisters. Her relationship with Edison left me feeling conflicted, especially after he learns of her background, including the plot to kill him and bury him in the desert. To my surprise, he asks her to show him the hole in which she'd (hypothetically) dump his body, and in spite of all this, he accepts her and loves her unconditionally. It was a satisfying ending for Sissy's character since she finally met a man who could deal with her murderous nature and crazy siblings, but a somewhat conflicting one regarding the authenticity of how it might have played out in real life. But that's what makes interesting fiction in the end!

Even though the character development was more of a slow burn for me, the plot was action-packed and filled with interesting secondary characters and background details. Definitely a fun spin on the serial killer trope, sibling relationships, and romance.

3/5⭐️⭐️⭐️

To readers who enjoy complex female characters, chilling family bonds, and dark secrets.

WOW. Total binge read and worth a sleep-deprived night!

How I'll Kill You is surprisingly the first novel from DeStafano. I point this out to say I am utterly surprised by this. HIKY feels like a novel by a seasoned author. I was entrenched with her characters and the inner dialogue of Sissy/Jade. Think Netflix's You combined with the relaxed flow of Nora Roberts. It feels easy and natural. The juxtaposition between the sisters and their relations with each other was perfectly thrilling with an eerie undercurrent that took hold and forbid me to stop reading. I tried twice to put my kindle down but was denied via my need-to-know. I just couldn't bring myself to stop till I knew how it ended. I think this will be topping the book charts this spring!
~Tanja

Summary: This is a book that’s best when you go in blind. I’ll leave it at this - read it asap.

Thoughts: This is such a fun and binge worthy book! I love a bad guy/gal you can root for, and the author definitely gives that to us here. Although there are some similarities to The Kind Worth Killing (if you enjoyed that one you’ll also enjoy HIKY), I feel like the lines are a bit blurrier and emotions more nuanced in this one. I was often torn between rooting for these characters and hoping they were caught.

I also think this book offers a lot of depth and detail on the sisters’ backstory and how they came to do what they do. While I might have liked a bit more on certain aspects of their past, I can definitely see the motivations behind their original pact. The character development overall was strong and the pacing (one of the most important aspects of a thriller) was perfect.

Read if you like:
•domestic/psychological thrillers
•morally grey characters
•serial killer plot lines
•bingeable reads
•the kind worth killing (Peter Swanson)

Thank you Berkley Publishing and PRH Audio for the advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

4.5★

I loved the thrilling premise to start. This author did a great job with adding little twists throughout. I enjoyed reading about the sisters and Sissy added so much to the story. This focuses on family, murder, a romance side plot and finding out who we are. So good and twisty!!!

I wanted to like this book and it started off interestingly, but it got graphic, unrealistic, and boring. I don't really understand if we are supposed to empathize with the main character, like yay you didn't kill anyone, good job? and her messed up bf too? really weird.

This was a thrill-ride from the very first page. I read this in fits and starts, often late at night, both intrigued and creeped out by the idea of these murderous triplets. At the end of the day, Sissy comes off as something of an cipher - you understand why she was motivated to do what she did, but it also just requires a lot of suspension of disbelief - I get that her circumstances have damaged her, but have they really damaged her to the extent this book wants you to believe? Regardless, it's an interesting premise, and a novel twist on the genre. Recommend for fans of thrillers, especially ones who aren't squeamish about a little explicit gore.

A set of triplets who were abandoned at birth and separated into different foster homes while they’d were growing up have managed to find they way to each other at various points over the years and are now grown and back together for good. The catch-they’re now serial killers who prey on vulnerable men. They settle into a new town, pick out a man and get him to fall in love with one of them and then murder him in cold blood. Sissy, the youngest of the three, usually does the clean up work for the other two sisters, but they’ve decided that it’s time for her to do have her first kill. The only problem is, Sissy is finding herself falling for her victim. How can she murder the man she loves? How can she talk her sisters into letting her keep him alive instead?
This is a thriller/suspense but there’s a very big romance side story. As much as I had figured out what was going to happen, there were plenty of things I didn’t see coming. A fun popcorn thriller.
Thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

HOW I’LL KILL YOU by debut author Ren DeStefano is serial killer “lite”. The story follows identical triplets who have a knack for deceiving men into falling in love with them only to meet their swift demise at the hands of these salacious slasher sisters.

While Moody and Iris have taken the lead with previous boyfriend murders, Sissy has been behind the scenes on clean up duty. The time has come for virtuous Sissy to claim her first target. Sissy expects the thrill of the chase but doesn’t expect to fall in love with the man she intends to take out.

Yes these characters are manipulative man-killers, but don’t head into this story thinking you’re getting a popcorn thriller. This book is more of a character study on the motivations of the heart and the bond of sisterhood.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:
-A unique premise with lighthearted dark humor
-Sister Stories
-An interesting exploration of loyalty and betrayal

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: March 21, 2023

Many thanks to Berkley and for an electronic ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks based on assigned Berkley Blog tour schedule.