24-year-old Amber Jamison just wants to put her past behind her. Live life on the straight and narrow, finish her final papers and earn that college degree, maybe even meet a nice girl and get that white picket fence.

Instead she wakes to find herself bound, completely shaved, and painted blue, the latest victim of the bizarre Pikachu Killer, a serial killer inspired by Pokémon Go. The child of grifters, someone who’s been working marks her entire life, she should have been smarter than this.

Lady Luck is on her side, however, when a mysterious masked woman arrives, killing the man and saving Amber, only to vanish into the night, leaving a bald and blue Amber behind with far more questions than answers.

In an attempt to avoid the FBI (giving a report of her run-in with Pikachu would only result in some unsavory details of her life coming to light), Amber makes a break for it — a postcard on her windshield (possibly left by the woman in the mask?) brings her to Las Vegas and she soon realizes she can’t outrun her past. At least not quite yet, and to make it out alive she’ll need every trick in her con playbook.

KILLING ME was an absolute blast!! It gave serious Finlay Donovan vibes and was truly a page-turner, the pace was out-of-this-world fast — before I knew it I was finished and what a shame that was! Thankfully there will be a sequel and when I tell you it’s not a want, it’s a NEED.

KILLING ME would make for a perfect poolside read, it’s wildly entertaining, legit funny, and features a fantastic cast of characters. Something about it hit all my buttons, checked every check, and I wholeheartedly loved it…as in, a it’s a serious contender for my Top Reads of the year list. It was *that* fun. This one comes out on Tuesday and trust me, you’ll want to run, not walk, to grab a copy!!

Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon is a quirky, fast-paced, comedy/thriller that includes cons, chaos, and a serial killer. This original novel has a cast of madcap characters that become an unexpected and odd assortment of alliances. Gagnon takes you through the Las Vegas Strip both the good and the ugly on a chase to catch a serial killer. Gagnon covers it all in an entertainingly conversational tone...serial killer, kidnapper, savior, victim, and unanticipated friendships.
#ThankyouNETGALLEYforthisgreatread! #ThrillerwithatwistofDramathatticcklesyourfunnybone!

When I started this book I immediately thought, "oh no, I've made a mistake". I hate books that slander small towns (and 60,000 isn't small. C'mon) and I loathe campy books that think they're funny but aren't. However, this one turned around pretty quickly and I devoured it in two days! I loved the way the layers were exposed and we learned more about Amber! I felt her unease at dipping into her old life, and yet, pride that she still had skills. After reading the acknowledgements, I'm really excited about the possibility of more storytime with Amber and Grace because I think they're such fascinating characters! The side characters are so unique and bring such entertainment to the story. Dot and Marcella helped to give us a glimpse into Vegas life and it's such a colorful setting to support this story. Fantastic!

I absolutely LOVED this book! It is the perfect blend of fun and intrigue and there are hilarious moments sprinkled throughout that caught me off guard. The characters are fascinating onions and each layer contains new qualities and back story. It's rare for a story to really trick me with its twist but I found myself questioning my ideas over and over again. If I had to compare it to another book, I would say a darker and twistier Finlay Donovan and that is a high compliment! I can't recommend this one enough!

This is not my cup of tea. I DNFed at around the 15% mark. The first chapter was gruesome and scarring but after that, it didn't make me wanna keep reading it.

Noir books and films never try to convince you there's going to be a happy ending. When the MC is a grifter who's just been rescued from the clutches of a serial killer and ends up in Vegas, you settle in for the ride.

Amber was born a grifter, but was trying to go straight after a disastrous con that left her girlfriend dead. She flees from Tennessee to Vegas after her rescue, forced to go back to her cons since she has no money.

In Vegas, luck is a lady - Amber falls in with her motel landlord, neighbor and sex worker, and, strangely enough, the mysterious woman who rescued her from the serial killer.

Tracking ANOTHER serial killer down while evading him, because after all, he's trying to kill Amber, the women are wicked smart, funny, and self-reliant.

This is the buddy book you've been waiting for!

4.4/5

4.5 ⭐️

Okay I knew I was going to love this book from the first chapter. I love a book that has me laughing out LOUD. Amber is absolutely HILARIOUS. I am her and she is me- OK? It’s the “fuck it” attitude and turning the wildest situations into something a tad bit lighter by cracking a joke. It’s a coping mechanism apparently

One of my biggest fears is getting kidnapped and ironically that is basically how the book starts. Since it wasn’t me getting kidnapped, it was easier on me to read 😂 but I just look how this book made me feel the entire time. Constant “omg” and gasps 😩

This book is about a motel owner, a con, a hooker, and half the town of Las Vegas (not literally) getting together to track down a serial killer. I mean… does it even get any better than that?

It really shook me up in the end when he was trying to flip the script on Grace though… I was like HOLD UP 😂 never the less,Michelle Gagnon did a fantastic job writing this book. It is my first novel by her and I do plan on adding her to my library.

A thriller and a comedy combined, this book feels a little like a YA novel covering adults. It started out SO strong, with the main character getting kidnapped by a serial killer and being rescued by a mysterious figure in a ski mask…. However the book failed to keep that high intensity throughout. Lots of good twists and turns but a lot of unnecessary Vegas stuff in between and side plots that make no sense. Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me, but I can see this being a great light summer thriller!

✨Book Review - Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ STARS

Pub Date: May 16, 2023

REVIEW: Amber is a bit of a mess, but she’s entertaining and fun, chaos seems to follow her and I was all for it. The friendships Amber develops with a motel owner, a prostitute, and a computer whiz was a clever move because it was unexpected and I found it endearing.

Something I found really interesting was that the beginning of the book took place in Johnson City, TN and I know some people that live there! I immediately texted a friend saying the city was mentioned and it was just fun to read about it, even though the story quickly moved on to Vegas. Does it matter that I’ve never been there myself? Nope. But, it was a small connection I had.

If you are a Finlay Donovan fan, you might enjoy this one too. It gave me similar quirky, disorganized mayhem vibes. There was a bit of a lull in the middle, but otherwise it was a solid thriller!

SYNOPSIS: Raised by grifters and turned con artist herself, Amber is now going straight. That is until she gets kidnapped by the Pikachu Killer, only to escape one serial killer and then become a target of yet another serial killer. Determined to save her life and others, Amber teams up with some unlikely characters to take down one of the most prolific killers before they all are killed.

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amber was raised as a grifter; moving from city to city, conning strangers out of their money with her mom and dad. One day, her parents take off to a new state and leave her alone at age eleven. Surprisingly, Amber has made a decent life for herself after numerous mistakes along the way. But now, her luck is running out by narrowly escaping a serial killer dubbed, The Pikachu Killer, only to be in the crosshairs of the most prolific serial killer. What are the odds of falling victim to not only one killer, but two?!

A fun and quirky story about Amber fleeing her college life to hide out in the only city where she can blend in…Vegas! I admit, this book was corny but I loved the adventure through Vegas with Amber’s new found friends; a motel clerk, a computer genius, and a prostitute. In order to keep Amber safe they must work together to track down a dangerous serial killer and hopefully take him down before he kills again!

I really thought this book was interesting. The plot was good and I loved a few characters but to me this book got boring at times and felt too long!

If you’re looking for a fun, silly mystery, check out Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon! College student Amber is kind of a mess when she is kidnapped by a serial killer. Luckily she is saved by an interesting woman about her own age, who saves her and takes off. Because of her sketchy life, she also takes off from her small town to head towards California. She ends up in Vegas with another serial killer hot on her tail (what are the odds?!). When she joins forces with her savior and some unlikely Vegas characters, wildness ensues.

I enjoyed the story overall. It was a bit unbelievable and kind of slow at times but it was entertaining and I found the characters likeable. If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries or fun stories with a mystery vibe, check out Killing Me!

This book was a fantastic ride. It was a noir inspired book about chasing down a serial killer. There was a lot of humor for a book about death but I think it made the book better. I loved all the characters and I was so happy to read the authors note that said there would be a sequel!

OMG college student Amber is kidnapped by Boli Jessup whose name she doesn’t know at the time and soon after a woman dressed in black in a ski mask carrying a cattle prod comes into the dark dank basement room Amber is strapped to a table with medical instruments nearby she has been shaved and painted blue to resemble a Pokémon character soon her kidnapper joins them only four the new woman who will be called ski mask kills him with the cattle prod. After ski mask rescues her she has many questions but to Ambers dismay ski mass is reluctant to answer any of them. The strange rescuer tells Amber she’s going to leave and to wait five minutes and call the police but do not tell them she was there little does ski mask no but Amber also wants nothing to do with the police so she begs ski mask to give her a ride into town after a little cajoling Skimask agrees. When Skimask tries to drop Amber off a few miles out of town Ambers PTSD kicks in and she doesn’t want to be left on the dark highway alone so Amber knocks her out with the cattle prod ties her up and dogs into town she tells Skimask who was reluctant to answer her questions that she will give her her keys her gun and her car if she just answers a few questions finally Skimask agrees and they stop and have breakfast and she answers all of Ambrose inquiries or at least most of them. Soon after Amber makes it home to her crappy apartment but a few days later we’re coming home from the library she sees someone who looks like an FBI agent leave her home she soon gets a phone call telling her her name has come up in there investigation and he would like to speak to her Amber isn’t sensed because she got a text from ski mask telling her she wiped all her fingerprints out of Boli‘s house. For reasons unknown to the reader Amber must collect her things and leave town. She wants nothing to do with the FBI or the police and so she packs up and leaves Johnson Tennessee with breadcrumbs in the form of flyers she makes her way to Las Vegas and this is when things truly become weird! This is all I will say about the plot which I will tell you is the most original fun laugh out loud intelligently done best executed mystery I have read ever!!! This book was so so good it is a book I definitely highly highly recommend if you love a good mystery with great authentic lol moments on characters a lovable chosen family with a Serial Killer thrown in then you love Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon it is one of the best books most original I think I have ever read and I have read some really great books in my life this book is so entertaining and well written a book any thriller or mystery lover will love it is on put down about totally entertaining a definite page turner and I can’t recommend it enough. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This book is perfect for all you Murderinos and other True Crime podcasts fans out there. Especially if you’re sick of the “she had it coming” attitude. While this is a work of fiction I think this book beautifully addresses the “perfect victim” misconception and pokes fun in an irreverent way at who can catch a serial killer. Spoiler Alert: There’s no white night FBI agent in this one. At its core this book is about a group of societal “outcasts” coming together to protect each other and get shit done. I loved the character arcs and the way that Las Vegas almost acted as an additional character in this book.

This book is so much fun. Filled with an eclectic and interesting cast of characters. Amber is the lead storyteller and she is witty and sarcastic. For a murder mystery, you will enjoy the gallows humor which the characters use to alleviate fear. The plot is a twisted mix as the killer plays cat and mouse with Amber and Grace. Readers will not want to put the book down until they get to the very exciting end.

The first chapter of this book is a funny but terrifying way to hook the reader--Amber has just been kidnapped from her university's apartment complex and is now in the lair of a serial killer. Spoiler alert: she survives thanks to the help of Ski Mask, aka the sardonic Grace, who then leads her on a wild ride through Las Vegas to catch a killer. The subject matter is dark but buoyed by Amber's snark and the side characters she meets along the way. I wish more of Amber's past and cons had been explored, but I also appreciate the cuts to make this a shorter, tighter book.

This is a fun read if you have even a passing interest in true crime podcasts. (I'll end with an aside: there's a red herring moment later in the book that made me genuinely doubt our narrator and the information she'd learned, which is impressive.)

I have to take a point off because, apparently, it was supposed to be funny. Sorry but all humor was lost on me and at no point did I find myself even giving a small chuckle.

It was a fun read though; I loved this group of great characters coming together to solve the mystery, which was itself amazing. My choosing to read this was because I'm familiar with Michelle Gagnon's ability to write edge of your seat suspense novels. And this was just that, right when you think it's an ordinary easy to solve mystery, she'll hit you with a twist that won't let you put the book down until you get answers. She definitely knows how to keep readers reading.

This book was something else entirely! Killing Me starts off with a bang and sucks you in straight away. This is like thriller meets comedy and is so very entertaining. I highly suggest picking this up!

From the first page where Amber is already abducted, i was sucked straight into the story. She gets rescuded pretty quick and then the real story begins! The title makes it sound like a thriller and it is but it is also hilarous and very much a unique story. If you like thrillers but also dont mind laughing while reading about it, check this book out!!