Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh is a fast paced psychological thriller. The story uses the Hitchcock Strangers on a Train premise when two women decide to kill for each other. However the plot doesn’t end there and there are two big twists that are unexpected.

This is the first Steve Cavanagh book I’ve read and I definitely enjoyed it. It was fast paced and kept me guessing until the end. Definitely a recommended read for psychological thriller fans!

I think this is going to be a very unpopular opinion but this book was not it for me. I feel terrible saying that because the first half had me hooked. But then something happened and the second half fell completely apart- the plot felt outrageous and totally unbelievable. Even the writing just stopped clicking for me. I found myself irritated with the characters and rolling my eyes at the plot. Again, this is an unpopular opinion because I’ve seen so many 5 star reviews. I know this book will continue to be loved by many even if it wasn’t for me. Thank you so much for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. I am a huge Steve Cavanagh fan! He never disappoints, so of course this was exactly what I needed to read and of course I’m not in a book slump.

This is the best novel to go in blindly to, but I will say that all the twists and storylines were so satisfying.

Thanks again, and I can’t wait for the next book Cavanagh writes.

This book made my night! I started this book at 3am and finished it by 6am.
A new take on Strangers on a Train this book kept me glued to my kindle.
The characters are flawed but still relatable. I felt drawn to them and invested in the outcome of their stories. It is told from multiple POV.
I normally guess the bad guy but in this book I was blindsided.
Just pick it up and read it! Especially if you love thrillers!
I received a ARC of this book, all opinions are my own!

Kill For Me, Kill For You was the first book I've read by Steve Cavanagh and now I want to read more. I'm definitely a sucker for a revenge story, and this was a fun one! Were some parts a little predictable and far-fetched? Yes, but that didn't take away from the entertainment of this book. I'd recommend to anyone looking for a bingeable, twisty thriller.

*Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy via NetGalley

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

**Make sure to grab yourself a copy when this one is released on March 19th!**

After losing her daughter to murder and husband to suicide, Amanda White will not rest until the man who killed her daughter is brought to justice. Amanda meets and befriends a woman named Wendy at her grief support group. After a night out of drinking, they hatch a plan to take justice into their own hands by killing the two men that ruined their families for each other. In another part of city, Ruth is home alone when her house is broken into. She’s then attacked by a man with piercing blue eyes who gets away. She fears she may never feel safe again until the man is caught. Will these women find their peace?

First and foremost, special thanks to NetGalley, Steve Cavanagh and Atria for this ARC read!

YALL. This book had a chokehold on me from the very beginning! It was so hard to put it down, and when I wasn’t reading it, I was still thinking about it. I haven’t had a thriller make me audibly gasp, sit up in shock, have my heart pounding at multiple parts, keep me guessing, AND give me a little bit of the heebies jeebies in SO. LONG. I CANT WAIT for y’all to get your hands on this book March 19th!! Run. Don’t walk.

👍🏻: multiple POVs, two main characters had such compelling stories, this book put the thrill in thriller, great writing, a full circle ending, murder swap, suspenseful, THE TWISTS

👎🏻: Literally no notes. I am speechless.

Ugh I really wanted this book to be a five star read for me. For the first half of it, it was on track to be! Unfortunately, the last half fell flat for me.

I enjoyed reading the dual points of view and the stories of Amanda and Ruth. I kept wondering how they were going to tie the stories together. I think once they did tie the stories together, that's when the book lost its spark for me.

The book quite honestly gave me nightmares 😂😅 it was quite graphic and described a couple of murders in grave detail. I'm not used to reading a novel that has actual murders that take place in it.

Overall, I thought it was worth the read, but would have liked more to the back half of the book.

“You’re not paranoid if there’s a good reason to be afraid.”

If you kill for me, I’ll kill for you…

Every single thriller I pick up I am looking for the WOW factor that I got from The Silent Patient. And I haven’t found it since…until this book. Holy hell this book has me gobsmacked.

It is just the perfect thriller! It has short chapters, multiple POV, a weaving and complex plot line, and enough drama and action to keep me staying up way past my bedtime. Did I mention the wow factor?! Genius.

This is one of those books I wish I could reread for the first time to experience its brilliance again. 10/10 would HIGHLY recommend.

Thank you so much to Atria Books and the author for the gifted copy.

3.5 Stars

I grabbed this book from Netgalley as a Read Now because it sounded good. It was a super fast paced book and easy to get through there was just something and I can’t quite put my finger on it. The story is told in multiple POVs and initially we as the reader have no clue on the timelines, it reads like it all happening at current which I think the author did that purposely. At the beginning I felt like I was connecting with our female characters and feeling bad for them and siding with them in their plans. When we learned our first twist is kind of when I felt the mood change and I didn’t like it as much. It felt like the author was trying to hard to make all of these stories that connect but the reader doesn't know it or won’t guess. So I didn’t guess that part but the other twist I felt coming. I still don’t know completely how I’m feeling about the book overall, most people seemed to like it so I could just be an unpopular opinion lol. I think I would still recommend it to others because maybe if they haven’t read as many books as I have they wouldn’t pick up on the same parts I didn’t like and they wouldn’t notice it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Atria books for letting me get the chance to try this read out.

I unfortunately did not enjoy this book. I knew it was a thriller and so I expected there to be murder and violence. I read thrillers. And yet, this felt needlessly dark. Whenever I see a thriller or horror book where the synopsis mentions the murder of children, I steer clear of them. It's not a story I have any interest in reading, I do not enjoy those stories. The synopsis for Kill for Me, Kill for You did not mention that the revenge plot was catalyzed by the murder of the characters' children. It was an unpleasant and unwelcome surprise for me.

I found the plot to be unrealistic and improbable. I could not buy into the characters' motivation. I did not like the characters. I predicted the big twist. And I was not satisfied with how the book ended.

I will say that I must be an outlier when it comes to this book because I've seen a lot of positive reviews for it.

Thank you to Atria Books for sending me an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

WHAT?! This was a wild ride! I binged this book basically in one sitting because I could not put it down. I had no idea where this one was going until the big twist was revealed. It was honestly hidden in such a clever way too. Without giving anything away, there was something that was very randomly mentioned throughout that I was getting a little annoyed about, but then it turned out to be a huge part of the big reveal. This was definitely a super unique take on a serial killer mystery. I loved it and will be highly recommending!

It was just ok. It felt very unrealistic and was unnecessarily dark, which is saying a lot coming from me. I will give it the twist factor, there’s a lot of them and some I definitely didn’t see coming. Thank you to @ssatria for my copy!

Although it started slowly, the author weaves enough suspense into the story to keep you reading on. The characters are well developed, believable and likeable for the most part. In the search for revenge for the loss of her husband and daughter Amanda will encounter all kinds of people. None of them are whom they appear to be. The suspense is maintained until the very end where the author inserts a deliciously wicked twist.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

3 Stars
One Liner: Okay… not impressed (kinda outliner)

New York City
When two strangers, Amanda and Wendy, meet by chance, they discover they have a lot in common. Their lives have been ruined by men who escaped justice in the hands of law. Soon, they make a pact – one kills for the other, and neither gets caught.
In another part of the city, Ruth and her husband Scott have a routine life until that night when an intruder with startling blue eyes changes it forever. Can Ruth ever feel safe and get back to her life with the intruder still running free?
The story comes in the third-person POV of Amanda and Ruth, with a couple of chapters from Scott and Farrow.

My Thoughts:
It’s been a while since I read a thriller, and this book has great reviews. Seemed like a good idea to read it. Well, the results are mixed.
Using a popular premise requires additional twists and shocks to keep the readers hooked. While some of it works here, the rest feels a bit too unbelievable. Yeah, this is fiction, but you can’t leave those gaps open.
There’s no timeline for both tracks, which is a way to retain suspense. Of course, readers can still figure it out. But there’s a ‘reveal’ that negates the theory, which makes readers wonder what’s going on. I was fooled for a minute but decided to stick to my original theory.
Things start to come together after 70%, followed by some action and more reveals and twists. Again, some of it worked, but the rest didn’t make me go wow! I was still hopeful, only to realize that some questions would not be answered. I should accept what’s being told and move on. Not done!
The pacing is uneven due to the filler content. It gets better in the last quarter, where things need to happen fast. The filler should have helped in relating to the main characters. Yet, that doesn’t happen. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t connect with any of them. I did feel sad for Amanda and Ruth, but I wasn’t able to empathize with their situation (I blame it on the writing).
The detective pair has some character development, which is surprising in a standalone. Maybe this will become a series (what’s the point in all that back pain if it goes nowhere).
Still, the book highlights important themes like injustice, moral dilemmas, victim trauma, etc. It would offer quite a bit for book club discussions.

To summarize, Kill for Me, Kill for You is an average thriller with some moments. How you like it will depend on what kind of thrillers you prefer. This will work great for some readers, so check out other reviews before you decide.
Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

***
TW: Mention of pedophilia, suicide, depression, trauma, assault, bullying (mentioned)

KILL FOR ME KILL FOR YOU - STEVE CAVANAGH

5⭐

PLOT
Amanda and Wendy are 2 strangers who meet and realise they have much in common esp the desire to take revenge against men who destroyed their families and they device a play if you kill for me I'll kill for you.
In another part of city Ruth is home alone when she is attacked by a man with piercing blue eyes. Will she ever be able to feel safe again? Will Amanda and Wendy's perfect plan work out perfectly for them?
MY THOUGHTS
Fans of twisty can't figure out the twists this one is perfect for you! I couldn't read it fast enough to know what's exactly the connection is and ofcourse couldn't figure it out till it's finally revealed only for the final twist to leave you stumped and finally coming to a perfect end for the story.
Multiple POVs and each chapter ending at a cliffhanger will compel you to continue and you won't stop till you finish ! Definitely check this one out!!

Strangers on a Train is one of my favorite classic movies. If two strangers commit murder for each other, there is no way to connect them to the murders and they can get away with it. Steve Cavanaugh takes this idea and raises the bar, providing a story that will keep you guessing to the end. In this case Amanda’s six year old daughter was kidnapped and murdered and Crone, the man responsible, walks free. She meets Wendy in a counseling session. Over drinks, Wendy tells her that her teenage daughter was murdered by her teacher, who also walked free. Wendy will take care of Crone if Amanda will agree to murder her daughter’s killer. When Amanda gets the call that Crone is dead it is her turn, but the hit goes horribly wrong. While Amanda fulfilled her part of the bargain, she discovers that Crone is still alive and Wendy has disappeared. She returns to the scene of the crime to discover just who she killed and is almost captured by the police. She is rescued by Billy, who has been watching her. Billy had lost his wife and in his grief he was almost tricked by the same woman. He just could not go through with murder. The woman’s name was Felicia, but that was one of many false identities used by the woman calling herself Wendy. Billy needs Amanda’s help to find her and stop the murders.

Cavanaugh alternates Amanda’s story with that of Ruth, who was attacked and barely survived. As Amanda and Billy race against time to prevent murder, the two stories begin to tie together. There is twist after twist up to the final confrontation and in the final pages Cavanaugh leaves you one more surprise that you will not see coming. This was a wonderful twist on the classic story and is highly recommended.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
One evening, while her husband Scott is out with friends, Ruth is brutally attacked in her New York City home. Meanwhile, Wendy and Amanda, two strangers who met in a support group, decide to take revenge on the two men who destroyed their families: Wendy will kill for Amanda, and Amanda for Wendy. It’s the perfect plan. Until it goes terribly wrong.
What a great book. Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train” with a twist. Told from different points of view it never let up. I could sense the different stories were all linked together in some way, and I could not turn the pages fast enough to find out how. This is the kind of book you read in one seating. Loved it!

This was such a fun thriller for me! It follows four characters. Amanda lost her husband and daughter, and is looking for justice. Farrow is the cop assigned to her case. Ruth was assaulted and lives in fear. Scott is her husband who just wants to protect her.

Truly can’t get too much more into detail without spoiling anything. However!! I’d love to read this again to see the clues I missed throughout the book. I did guess a couple of things but others were surprising to me! Loved the twists and turns this story took. The writing was really well done and the chapters were short. I flew through this one tonight because I couldn’t put it down!

That ending had me shook!! It was so so genuinely perfect for this novel.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fabulous thriller! I have read Thirteen by this author and didn’t love it, but he knocked it out of the park with this one.

Alternating POVs between Ruth, Amanda, and Detective Farrow. I’m embarrassed to admit how long it took me to figure out how they all related. The first half was somewhat slow, a lot of build up, but it really picks up in the second half. So many twists and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

OOH! This one sucked me in and had me guessing and questioning right from the start.
Murders and revenge, do not think this is a remake of Patricia Highsmith's book Strangers on a Train because this is soo much more!
Several characters are victims of hideous crimes, and they are living in misery. When brought together in therapy groups they find solace and maybe, maybe they find justice.
A great twist on a classic this was a mystery to visit again and again!