4.25 stars!

"Killing Me" by Michelle Gagnon had me laughing out loud from start to finish! It's one of the few books I've read this year that feels wholly unique in its execution and in its story. This is a fantastic thriller with lots of twists and turns. The plot keeps morphing and changing in unexpected, interesting ways. Sure, you may have to suspend your disbelief just a little bit, but that's alright with me. I sincerely could not put this book down. It's so fast-paced and compelling that I finished it in one afternoon, in one sitting. I loved the snark, I loved the sass, I loved the characters, I loved the chase, I loved the thrills, I loved the imagination! You will be entranced by "Killing Me" from page one, I guarantee it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Michelle Gagnon, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

What a breath of fresh air! I couldn’t put this book down, it gripped me from the start to the end. The opening was so beyond original and fun. What a kooky group of characters!

What do you get when you add a grifter who has been trying to go straight, a woman who hunts serial killers, and…a serial killer. What you get is a wild and somewhat weird book by Michelle Gagnon. Killing Me is a crazy romp through Las Vegas, as Amber (the somewhat reformed but for how long grifter), a serial killer hunter, and a plethora of characters try to track down and contain a killer.

At times this book almost left me breathless. It was funny, scary, interesting and weird all at once. The characters are quirky, sympathetic, and so varied. I really enjoyed this book simply because it’s different and original. The plot is unique, the setting is so perfect (where else but Las Vegas are you going to find such an array of people?), and the dialogue is crisp. This is a book that definitely captured my attention and the ending just felt right. This is a 4.5 stars for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Not really my type of book. I can't figure out who it's meant for, but not me.

Lots of drama as the main character is on the run.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel. #sponsored

4.25⭐
Genre ~ thriller
Publication date ~ May 16, 2023
Page Count ~ 335
Audio length ~ 9 hours 12 minutes
Narrator ~ Jaime Lamchick
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ serial killers, con artist

Imagine getting taken by a serial killer, getting rescued, going on the run from the FBI and then finding yourself trying to take down another serial killer. I was gripped from the get go with this funny, fast paced vigilante plot.

The story is mainly told by Amber, with some interlude chapters. There's a nice set of side characters that Amber meets along the way. Overall, this was quite a ride that I never wanted to end. I'll definitely be reading more from this author.

I was pleasantly surprised by this thriller. It was funny, quirky, well written and the plot wrapped up nicely, but not too predictably. 4/5 stars

Amber Jamison is a twenty-four year old psychology student with one semester left before she graduates with a full fledged honest degree that she has longed for and worked so hard to achieve with her future life all planned out and she is right now going to lose everything but most importantly she about to Die at the hands of a serial killer! How did this happen to her? Oh, no! She is lying naked on a steel table all tied up and painted blue and if the news reports are correct she will be bald as well. She is going to die any moment by the infamous Pikachu serial killer! "This can't be happening! "

Amber has always been ahead of the game with extra intuitive instincts and a sharp and cunning mind since she was raised by two grifters who made their way throughout life scamming, stealing, cheating anyone and everything using and teaching Amber all the tricks of their trade so she ended up with some of the best and most unusual survival skills that any young woman would be lucky or unlucky (depending on the situation) to own in her life's arsenal.

As luck would have it, Amber survives this unbelievable horror by a masked savior who she will be indebted to forever for saving her life. Now, the FBI are looking for Amber so she has to go on the run once again with her future career down the drain. She decides to travel to California and prays to make a new honest life again since she was given a second chance to truly be alive because she should have been dead just like the other victims of the Pikachu killer. Amber makes a stop in Las Vegas to earn some money along the way as she continues to receive helpful although mysterious text messages from an unknown number and thinks they're from her savior. Shortly after, she sets herself up in a cheap motel and once again finds herself the main target of another serial killer. How can this be humanly possible? Can anyone survive two serial killers back to back especially when the second one is deadlier than the first if that is even possible! This time Amber's luck is about to run out because anyone she befriends will now be in the killer's sights but she needs some serious help before her young lifetime is up.

What a terrific book that Michelle Gagnon has written! I can't believe how much I enjoyed and was entertained by this story. It was light, dark, comedic, dramatic, sassy, emotional and so much more! All the characters were wonderful, especially sassy Amber. The Vegas situations were just so atmospheric and picturesque through and through. I'm so happy I was given the chance to read "Killing Me" and I definitely plan to follow and read more of this author's books. I think k this book is perfect for horror and dark thriller readers as it does have quite a bit of violence, bloody, and dark situations but it was also fun with much frivolity thrown in.

I highly recommend this book! Just so, so good!

I want to thank the publisher "Penguin Group Putnam/ G.P. Putnam Son's" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating of 4 1/2 MESMERIZING AND UNPREDICTABLE 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠 STARS!!

Unfortunately I had a bit of trouble getting into this one. I think some out there will really like it, but it just was not for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is hilarious. Pretty fast paced and entertaining. You do need to be able to handle a foul mouthed sense of humor though.

Gosh, this thriller is amazing! Being the serial killers next victim? Scary!! But, a masked lady comes to save the day. Unfortunately now the victim has to up and move and create a new life. What’s the worst that could happen? A plot to catch a new serial killer, that’s what!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for gifting me a digital copy of this wonderful book by Michelle Gagnon - 5 stars!

Amber can't believe she let herself be pushed into a white van and kidnapped, about to become the latest victim of a serial killer. Until she is saved by a mysterious woman. Amber has a past, and feels law enforcement too close for comfort now, so she abandons her life and heads west. Who could believe that she would find herself in even worse trouble?

How can a book about serial killers be so much fun? Michelle Gagnon has created a character that is feisty, smart, loyal, and has a wicked sense of humor. The fact that the storyline frequently goes over the top just adds to the fun. I love quirky characters and dark humor and this one checked both boxes. Plus, the author's note said there may be a sequel - yes, please!

I thought that the premise was engaging and fresh! I was hooked on the description and very excited to read. For me, personally, I did not feel very invested in the characters and would have liked a bit more character development. But, overall, I would recommend this book based on the premise.

Amber Jamison, narrator and protagonist, has been captured by a a serial killer. “…the Pikachu Killer (yup, that’s what they called him) dumped the body somewhere weird—like a mall parking lot, or a high school football field—then sent local news networks a GPS link. Get it? Like they were playing Pokémon GO.” (Location 108 of 4704) He had already captured, tortured, and killed five other petite brunettes; Amber is number six, and she is angry. She has been drugged, and wakes to find he has prepared her body using his usual methods. There is only the final step left, but just before it’s about to happen, she is saved by a masked heroine in a ski mask, who accidentally kills him with a faulty cattle prod to the neck. She reluctantly drops the confused Amber off and promptly leaves her. But who was she, and why in the world is she hunting serial killers? Amber’s troubles are only getting started. After a too-close-for-comfort call from the law enforcement she’s been outrunning her whole life, she drives cross-country and ends up in the seedy Las Vegas motel she can afford. The owner is obsessed with noir and old films, and the only other friend she has is clearly a sex worker, but a new serial killer is on her trail. She is caught up in a twisted game, forced to partner with a person she really does not know and definitely doesn’t trust. Well, it’s Las Vegas, so it’s time to take a gamble…

This incredibly funny (plenty of dark humor) thriller (yes, I see the dichotomy) is truly an original, chock-full of colorful characters (and dialog), misadventures, unfortunate circumstances, and excitement! It’s twisted in the best possible way, and the reader cannot help but to tear through the pages to discover what (or who) will happen next. The fact that Amber is street-smart and aware leaves her more angry than afraid when she is forced into the white van and drugged (the first time). The tension builds, leads to relief that she is saved by “Ski Mask” as Amber called her anonymous savior, only to allow readers enough time to blink before the real drama (well, comedy/drama… Dramady? Comedma?) begins. I can say that the motel owner is a supportive, resourceful, and well-connected friend to have in your corner, and the reader will feel many emotions throughout, including finally being able to release the breath they didn’t know they were holding. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend this work to all fans of thrillers, noir, and comedy (if you can tolerate some murder scenes).

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Michelle Gagnon, and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Publishing for the ability to read and review this ARC.

First I would like to thank NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC.

I love serial killers and enjoying reading about them. Killing Me started off that way. Amber got captured by a serial killer but was saved by Ski Mask Girl who happened to kill the serial killer by accident.

I was okay this is good, but then it changed direction and I just got lost. Some parts were interesting, and I did keep reading but then it just started to fall flat. I'm okay with long chapters, but some of these chapters where way longer than they needed to be. Some could have been split into two maybe three chapters,

I got to about 59% through and just had to put it down. The story line just dragged and left me uninterested.
I would give it a 2 star because it does have a good story, it just needed a little more structure.

I received a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review.

Rating would be a 3.5. This was a humorous thriller mystery with serial killers. Much different than my usual reads. I didn't like all the cussing and the slight gore. Humor was great though. Never read a thriller with humor. If you're ok with my dislikes, some drug use, and LGBT then I recommend this book for you.

Hot damn! Gagnon had me by the short hairs throughout this story. What I though would be a simple story of survival turned into a roller coaster story of vengeance. The queer MC was a greatly appreciated element to the overall impact of this story. I can't wait for the sequel if we're lucky enough to get one.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a RIDE! I’m definitely starting to see more publicity for this one and it is WELL DESERVED! I thoroughly enjoyed this ARC of a uniquely told serial killer story. Can’t wait to see the continued praise online!!

We meet our protagonist tied up in the back of a van, soon to become the next victim of her town's active serial killer. She's tough and self-deprecating with a fierce internal monologue. Then things get weird. We know she escapes (read the blurb), but the how and where and who are different. Killing Me feels unique, original, in a genre filled with books like this. The twists get you, the characters are strong (you go girls!) and you're left guessing right up to the end.

The creative plot pulled me in, the spot on setting - the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas - kept me engaged. Sign me up for the sequel.

My thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a wild ride! This quirky and snarky thriller kept me on the edge of my seat and wondering what I thought I knew about the serial killers. Full of interesting and colorful (often literally) characters, perfect cons, and people serially making bad choices, Killing Me was both a homage to final girls and Las Vegas. I almost expected an Elvis impersonator to show up at the end and take everyone out, LOL. This one makes you root for the bad girl and wish you had (more) friends in low places. Such a fun read and perfectly paced. Killing Me proves that just desserts are best served in the desert!

Thank you to #NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon

It’s a sure sign that I’m completely immersed and entertained by a novel that when I learn of a sequel on the horizon – as Michelle Gagnon slyly mentions in the very last sentence of her Afterword here – I gasp loudly and dramatically in ecstatic anticipation. This was the best punctuation mark to a book I simply could not stop reading!

Our narrator Amber Jamison is keeping her head down and working towards getting her psychology degree when a serial killer abruptly derails her life. On the plus side, at least he doesn’t end it entirely, though certainly not from lack of trying. She’s saved from torture and worse by the sudden appearance of an icy blonde who accidentally kills him in the course of saving Amber's life. Ski Mask, as Amber labels the other woman, requests only that Amber keep her out of any story Amber chooses to tell the police about escaping certain death.

What Ski Mask doesn’t know is that Amber has zero interest in talking to the cops. Amber has, as a matter of fact, spent her entire life avoiding law enforcement. The last thing she needs is for the authorities to take a hard look at her and, purposefully or otherwise, explode her carefully manufactured past. But when the FBI inevitably comes knocking, Amber realizes it’s time to put Johnson City, Tennessee in the rearview mirror. On the run again and with limited funds, she thinks ruefully of how close she had been to leaving the life of a con artist behind her forever:

QUOTE
At times, the temptation to backpedal was almost overwhelming–one good scam would’ve covered at least a year’s tuition. But I was determined to go straight. As time passed, the criminal part of my life started to feel like it happened to someone else.

And yet here I was, taking advantage of a teenager for quick cash. <i>It was an emergency</i>, I told myself, repressing a pang of guilt as I drove away. <i>That was the last time</i>.

Shit, I wasn’t even good at lying to myself anymore.
END QUOTE

Her headlong flight from the East leads her to Las Vegas, where she finds an unlikely group of friends and supporters. She also discovers that another serial killer is at work in the very neighborhoods where she’s landed. Worse still, he seems to have been lying in wait for her to arrive. When Ski Mask shows up once more in hot pursuit, Amber realizes that she’s caught in a strange cat and mouse game between what might as well be a modern day superhero and supervillain.

While all her instincts scream for her to scram as soon as possible, she instead reluctantly begins to work with Ski Mask in an attempt to apprehend the killer. Ski Mask does not thaw despite the charismatic Amber’s best efforts, but grudgingly begins to respect her when she makes a major breakthrough on the case. As Amber explains:

QUOTE
“Right, so…the pattern you found with the victims? That’s like, the city level. But if you pull out further, there’s a bigger pattern you missed.”

”And you found it.”

“Yup.” It was probably wrong to feel victorious about what I’d discovered; we were talking about literally hundreds of victims here. But still, when I’d realized what I was looking at last night, I’d actually whooped out loud.

Part of me kind of understood the appeal of this game they were playing. Which was disturbing in and of itself.
END QUOTE

Armed with their varied skills, as well as with a surprisingly wide-ranging network of irregulars, Amber and Ski Mask decide to turn the tables on their foe. Trouble is, their quarry hasn’t gotten away with murder because of sheer luck. When the chips are down, whose bluff will Amber call? And what risky bets will she be forced to make in order to save her own life and those of the people she’s come to care about?

I adored this smart, sassy serial killer thriller, with its superbly written dialog and characterizations. The plot twists were truly electrifying. While the material can be heavy, Ms Gagnon writes with a light touch that balances out the darkness of the book’s themes.

Amber, especially, is such a great heroine, with believable layers and internal conflicts. I loved how she tried to use the skills she’d learned for good, and was deeply touched by a pivotal scene of forgiveness towards the end of the novel. Killing Me is an absolutely superlative queer crime caper that centers female solidarity, and I can’t wait to read more!