This was fun and unbelievable but that’s okay because I simply could not stop turning pages. The perfect palette cleanser of a book or something to throw in your beach bag this summer. I would continue to read everything Cavanagh puts out!

One of my most anticipated reads for March! I read Thirteen by Cavanagh about two years ago and loved the twists and turns in the author’s storytelling. When I saw that Cavanagh had published a new standalone mystery/thriller, I knew it wouldn’t disappoint. Thank you Atria Books for the ARC!

The plot behind Kill For Me, Kill For You is inspired by the movie Strangers on a Train and the novel of the same title it was adapted from. Amanda is still reeling from profound loss when she meets Wendy, whose rage has been simmering for years. Both women want vengeance, and they hatch a perfect plan to kill each other’s targets. Across the city, Ruth is attacked in a home invasion and though she survives, her sense of security does not.

As the stories of these three women spun wildly to a fever pitch, I was white-knuckled along for the ride. I started and finished this book in about a day and could not get enough! Some of the twists were expected once I got a hang for the story, but other ones took my breath away. Parts of the story may be a little far fetched, but this is fiction y’all! I do caution readers about the content of the book, including some violent (but not too graphic) scenes and one scene involving a suicide.

Overall I really had fun reading and listening to this book and am delighted that it met my high expectations. I definitely recommend this one!

✨RATING: 4⭐️

✨REVIEW: Thank you NetGalley for an eARC of this just in time for me to realize I had ordered from BOTM AND audible 🤗 can’t have too many copies of a good book, right? And that’s just what this was! I was immediately riveted with the storyline of these women. Two meet over drinks and decide to kill for each other so they wouldn’t be linked to the man, while on the other side of town a woman is attacked in her own home. Parts of this was predictable, but only when the author wanted to reveal that twist. The ending still made me wish there was more!! I felt as though I had to “digest” the ending before being able to post this review. And after all, it still captivated me and was one of my fastest reads this year!! I had to dock a star because personally I wanted more 🤭

✨PROS: multi-POV, short chapters (ALWAYS a win in my book!) and twisty!

This was my first experience with Steve Cavanagh’s work, although he’s definitely been on my TBR. In this fresh take on Strangers on a Train, Cavanagh explores the lengths people will go to to get closure after loss and trauma. I read this in a single day because I could not put it down. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This was the perfect thriller to binge read! The premise was so interesting, and while I'm not too familiar with Hitchcock's movies, except for Psycho, I knew this was going to be a good one, Amanda and Wendy meet for drinks at a bar after meeting at a grief support group. After many drinks, they agree to exact revenge for each other and take down the men who had ruined each other's lives. Elsewhere, Ruth's apartment is broken into and she is attacked while her husband is not at home. Anything more about the plot would give it away. This book starts off fast paced and stays that way throughout. I love thrillers that are engaging, and this book had me turning the pages and grabbing the audiobook from my library so I wouldn't have to stop reading.

The twists and turns throughout the book are done really well! I read a lot of thrillers and I find that I am usually able to guess at least some of the twists, but there were definitely some surprises with this book! I liked how the reveals were done and I thought the shock value was there without overdoing it. There is a good amount of suspense that builds throughout the book and sets the stage for the ending. I liked all the different POVs (I think there are four in total) and I liked that each provided a different perspective to the story. If you're looking for a fast paced thriller that will keep you entertained throughout, definitely add this one to your TBR! I would definitely recommend it and will be reading more from Cavanagh in the future!

This is, by far, one of my favorite books I’ve read all year. The twist is incredible, and the author ties all threads together with ease and skill.

WOW!! Kill for Me, Kill for You sure was a wildly fun Strangers-on-a-Train trope ride. I can easily see this being one of my favourite thrillers of the year. Lots of twists I didn't see coming! Thank you for the opportunity to read this e-galley.

This was a fun, fast read that I wanted to keep picking it up. At times the dialogue felt inauthentic and the characters didn’t always feel consistent. Specifically, I felt like the main character Ruth was two different characters based on how she responded and acted in the different scenarios. I also didn’t love how it all came together in the end and I felt absolutely no connection to the police officers. All that to say, the story was engaging and I didn’t find it predictable so I enjoyed it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I hadn't read anything by this author, but was still excited to receive an ARC of Kill for Me, Kill for You! This book was a wild ride that I absolutely could not put down and passed along to a friend immediately after finishing. It was suspenseful and extremely fast paced, with a ton of twists I didn't see coming. I don't usually love multiple POVs but it really worked in this one. I'm looking forward to diving into this author's back catalog and also seeing what he does next! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy!

This book was way too long and really exhausting. I almost dnf'd at 20%, because, frankly, I was just bored with the painfully slow build. I read some reviews, mostly good ones, and I decided to stick it out, but it really never got any better.
Spoilers ahead! Turn back now.
The writing was super repetitive. Entire pages were dedicated to explanations of grief and desire for suffering that had already been explored, at length. I also don't feel the perspective of Farrow added anything to the story.
Yes, they had been through terrible stuff. No, they didn't deal with it properly. Yes, the justice system can sometimes be a dead end and that really sucks. But the book was easily 150 pages longer than it needed to be to accomplish what it did.
The revenge murder swap thing seemed like a highly terrible idea, but you're desperate, okay. When I almost dnf'd that part was spoiled for me because I read some reviews that gave away the con, but the way Wendy just was like yeah he's dead you have to do it for me now and pressured her so much... that made it obvious on it's own.
This book had a few fast paced thrilling moments, and there were a couple of clever twists but the ending, seriously, WTF. It took me longer than it should have to realize Ruth was Wendy/Naomi/etc., as I did not notice the time gap like I probably should have. I also did not see Billy coming. But the fact that Billy saves the day for Amanda/saving the world from Ruth (who arguably would not have become what she was if not for him in the first place) but is still out there being a serial killer on his own? Nope. This entire book was seriously convoluted and messed up and I did not enjoy.
I do appreciate the ARC, and thank the publishers, author, and NetGalley.

I am a huge fan of Steve Cavanagh! Being given the opportunity to read this new novel of his was exciting, and did not disappoint.

Amanda is struggling to exist in a world without her husband and daughter, while the man possibly responsible for her daughter's death is free . Court ordered to attend a grief group, Amanda meets Wendy, who shares a similar situation of her daughter's murderer roaming free. Together, they form a bond and consider what it would be like to take justice into their own hands.

Meanwhile, Ruth is brutally attacked in her home and is trying to recover from the trauma with the support of her husband Scott. These lives are all damaged by horrific violence, and sometimes the justice system doesn't offer the type of justice to help heal wounds, but does that mean that justice can be the job of those impacted? And to what lengths are people willing to go to seek justice?

It is difficult to summarize this plot because there are so many moving pieces! I think this is why I loved it so much, there was definitely an element of trying to piece how these storylines would come together. Also, the switching storylines left me wanting more with each chapter!

This is a must read for thriller lovers! Definitely adding this to my favorites pile!

I'm apparently in the minority, but this one didn't work for me. It took way too long for things to get going, and I struggled to get engaged. There were some interesting twists, but many were just implausible. The writing style was all over the place and felt very clunky in parts. There's nothing about this book that will stick with me now that the final page has been turned.

I received a paperback copy of this book from Atria.

Amanda meets Wendy at group therapy. Amanda's 6-year-old daughter was abducted and found murdered; however, the man the police think is behind it still walks free. Amanda becomes obsessed with the man she believes has ruined her life. When Amanda and Wendy start talking, they plan to follow the movie "Strangers on a Train."

Ruth is the victim of a home invasion, and she moves into a hotel with her husband Scott and can't leave the hotel, let alone her hotel room for weeks.

I had NO idea how Amanda and Ruth's story intersect. I felt sorry for Amanda and the pain of losing her young daughter and weeks later, her husband.

I can understand why Amanda spends all her time watching the man who robbed her of everything.

I also felt bad for Ruth, and although I thankfully haven't experienced a home invasion, I understood her fear.

This book has alternating chapters mainly between Ruth and Amanda, with Farrow and Scott scattered in. This is my favorite book of the year!

Thank you, @netgalley, @sscav, and @atria

Everyone reacts to trauma in a different manner. Some cries and hides from people. Some becomes indifferent and pretend like nothing happened. Some actually looks for ways to get over it in healthy ways. Ruth started with hiding from people but then her trauma turned into a disturbing obsession.

Amanda lost a child first then her husband because he couldn’t accept that what happened to their daughter wasn’t his fault. The way she handled her trauma got her in trouble with law. A deceptive took pity because he understood why she was the way she was and he also knew that the man Amanda hyper focused on was his guy. But he needed to stop Amanda from getting in trouble. He was ready to deliver her to her support group. Amanda met Wendy there and what happened after was hard to imagine

I loved how the back and forth between two main character and another narrator kept me on my toes. While I managed to follow the clues and make certain connections, the twist was slap in the face. Humankind can be incredibly creative especially when they are pain.

This is what every thriller should be. I loved it.

All you need to go know going into it is that it's a twist on Strangers on the Train. Otherwise, I would go in blind.

It's twisty, got multiple POVs, and will have you flipping pages so fast to see what happens. Many reviews have also said this - but I predicted some of the twists but that didn't affect their shock factor. Perfect book to get me out of a slump.

Interested read… from the beginning to end of the text. Since I love a good thriller, this book grabs the readers interest right away and commences to take you on a bit of a roller coaster of emotions, and constant back tracking of…. When did that happen.

This was my first book my Steve Cavanagh and it will not be my last. This is possibly my favorite thriller ever. Hands down in the top ten. It's so good.

Two women meet in a bar. Not the start of a joke either. They actually met in a group therapy session. They have both been through something very traumatic.

Amanda is grieving and can't seem to come to terms in any way with her loss. Her six year old daughter was taken. Then found in a dumpster dead. A week later her husband, who could not deal with this loss and blamed himself, took his own life. Amanda has no reason to carry on now. She's lost all of her will to live. The man who killed her daughter will never he held accountable for it. He is a murderer and has done it before. He is also mega rich. He and his dad can buy anything. Including a way out of being arrested for murder.

Ruth was alone in her home when a man broke in and brutally stabbed her. It was so vicious that she should not have survived. She won't ever forget those cold steel blue eyes. She wakes up in the hospital with her husband at her side. She's got so many stab marks and the doctor told her she would never be able to carry a baby. It might even be dangerous for her. She is so terrified she won't even leave her own home. No going outside. Her husband, Scott, feels so helpless. He should have been there. He should have protected her.

You will meet three women. Amanda, Naomi, and Ruth. Amanda and Naomi are the two who meet in a group session and later at the bar. They are the two who agreed to kill the men who destroyed their lives.

This book has all the twists and turns that make a great thriller. It has just enough emotion to bring big tears to your eyes in places also. I found myself cringing so much and even saying "Look out" a few times. lol It's one that kept me guessing all the way. Right before one part I thought I had a person pegged as bad and I was right but that was just to easy and I'm sure planned by the author. I liked most of these characters. Even though some were truly bad I felt awful for them. My heart broke for Ruth. I also loved her husband. He felt so awful and tried so hard. Amanda I also liked immensely. She suffered such a horrific loss. No mother should ever go through that. I liked the main detective on these cases also. Detective Farrow. He only wanted to solve these cases. He could not rest until things were made right. I liked him...

There are several things going on but it's so easy to follow. Lots of dead bodies. Some losses are just to painful to accept. Some losses have to be avenged.

Thank you #NetGalley, #SteveCavanagh, #AtriaBooks, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big huge stars. If you like thrillers you will love this one.

Wow wow wow wow wow.

I am an avid thriller reader so I am not always surprised by a twist. However, Kill for Me, Kill for You ticked every box for me. The dual POVs at first felt like two separate books and I was so confused on how everyone was going to come together. Then we got our FIRST major twist. I wish I could live inside of Steve Cavanagh’s head. The twists were so smart. I had to go back and reread some things to make sure I hadn’t missed anything because he really got me.

I loved this book so much and would definitely recommend to anyone.

Synopsis:

Amanda and Wendy meet at a grief support group. They decide to meet afterwards and realize they have a lot in common, especially loneliness and an intense desire for revenge against the person who put them in the situation they’re in. As they talk, they decide to trade favors, if you kill for me, I’ll kill for you.

What could go wrong?

Thoughts:

What a wild ride this book was. I thought that it was going to go one way based on how things were going in the beginning of the book, but then the twists started happening and boy they kept coming. While this book wasn’t completely original, it did have some fresh new twists that were a lot of fun. I felt the entire time I knew how it was going to go, and then it would zag when I thought zig and it was great. It kept me on my toes, and I loved it so much.

This book started at a moderate pace, but then it just picks up and gets going and you don’t want to put it down. It took a little while to get into it, but it was building things up and I enjoyed the ride. I do wish that things would have gotten to the point a little quicker, but it worked out.

My favorite part was the ending, not because it was over, that wasn’t it, but because of the final twist, it just made me go “oh wow”. Again, while familiar, it was not what I expected, so it was a lot of, and I really enjoyed it. I love it when an ending can totally take me by surprise, especially after going through the entire book and build up.

I enjoyed getting this book from a few different points of view. The two main ones were great, and I especially enjoyed the police officers’ point of view, I wish we would have had more of theirs. I often struggle when there are more than a few points of view, but in this case, it totally worked and I enjoyed it.

This is one of those books that you won’t want to put down and will leave you in awe until the last page. It’s an emotional roller coaster and not one that I wanted to get off.

4.5 stars rounded up

There is sizzling suspense in this take on the movie ‘Strangers on a Train’. Amanda is suffering the deepest pain imaginable – the deaths of both her sparkling daughter and her life partner. Anyone who has ever lost a loved one to violence will relate to Amanda, feel her anguish and need for justice. Nothing dulls her pain, not alcohol, not pills, not the bereavement support groups that are supposed to be a comfort. The detectives in her daughter’s open murder case try to encourage Amanda, but the perpetrator may not be punished. A woman at one of the support groups proposes an alternative form of justice. She’s had a similar loss without satisfactory closure. So she’ll take care of the man who murdered Amanda’s daughter if Amanda does the same for her. The plan goes awry and events spiral beyond anything you could predict of expect. The problem with revenge is that it doesn’t bring an end to the pain of loss. The story is set in New York, the perfect place to be anonymous, hide in plain sight. It is related alternately between characters as the tension builds almost unbearably. It’s one of those plots that you say ‘of course it was them! ‘ when the murderer is finally revealed. I kept thinking I should’ve seen that coming. I guessed a few details but there are multiple false leads, red herrings and so much deception it made my head spin. I felt like kicking myself for not piecing it all together. It was a great read from an author I have never read before, but he’s on my radar now.
Thank for the advance reader’s proof of “Kill For Me, Kill For You” by Steve Cavanagh, Atria Books, provided by NetGalley. These are always my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.