I loved this thriller! It's very fast-paced and perfect for getting out of a reading slump. The twists were twisting!! I was (attempting) to guess what would happen next throughout the entire book. It's a bit dark (i.e. death of a child) so reader be aware. You may need to suspend disbelief a bit. It will make your reading experience all the more enjoyable! I highly recommend this one from Steve Cavanagh. It comes out in one week (3/19)!

4.25 stars

This is truly one of the absolute best books I have read in a while. I could NOT put it down, and I mean that literally. I ignored my chores, my husband, and my children because I refused to tear myself away from it. A perfectly paced and flawlessly written thriller with an utterly phenomenal twist. Wow.

Have you ever wanted to avenge someone’s death, someone you loved more than life itself? Given the chance, would you kill for them? Kill the one who killed them? The one that caused their death? Take a thrilling ride within the pages of Kill For Me, Kill For You by Steven Cavanagh. It has easily moved to the top of the list of best books read! Thank you NetGalley for another astounding ARC!

While this is my first Steven Cavanagh book, it is definitely not my last. Wow. I loved everything about this book. My jaw dropped numerous times…but that ending…my jaw is still hanging open! 😮 This book had all the twists and turns I love in a psychological thriller. What an absolutely shockingly amazing book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Happy reading, y’all! 📚❤️📚

#KillForMeKillForYou
#StevenCavanagh
#NetGalley

I enjoyed this twisty thriller! Many of the twists were predictable, but this was still so fun to read!

A very clever plot with suspense filled pages. There were many twists that I didn’t see coming.
Many thanks to Atria and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was my first book by Steve Cavanagh and I can definitely say it will not be my last. This book kept my attention, the plot was clever and I did not see the twists coming. There were points in the book where I had to stop and regroup because the direction of the story totally changed. This one was a very entertaining read that kept me guessing! I only give 5 star ratings to books I can’t put down and this was definitely that!!

Although I recognize some of the titles attributed to Steve Cavanagh (Thirteen, The Defense), I can’t recall reading any…but when I read that Kill For Me, Kill For You would be great for fans of Silent Patient or Gone Girl, I thought I’d give it a try (loved Gone Girl, neutral on SP).

It’s a fascinating premise: two strangers, Amanda and Wendy, happen to meet. Over a few drinks, they share eerily similar stories about their trauma and desire for revenge against the men whose actions destroyed both their families. Their “perfect plan” is that each of them will kill the others’ hated enemy. And in another part of the same city, a woman named Ruth is attacked in her home, leaving her terrified.

As you might expect, these stories intersect, and there is a terrifically twisty plot with some surprises. The story can be summed up with a quote: “Trauma changes you. Losing a loved one to violence provokes a response. There are two common responses: either thy don’t want anyone to ever hurt like they do, of they want everyone to hurt like they do.”

It is well written, with some memorable lines: “Some people, those with money and the ear of power, never pay for their rimes the way ordinary people do.” And “Amanda was coming around to the view that what was legal and what was right were often two different things.”

I don’t often want to immediately reread thrillers, and there were some things that were a bit too neat—not to the point of seeming contrived, but just enough to make me want to figure out if I missed something, or (often more accurately for me) “how did I miss that?!?!?”

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review. Four stars.

This was a solid thriller and reminiscent of Peter Swansons A Kind Worth Killing. It definitely stands on its own though and made for a quick and entertaining read. It went in directions that I didn’t predict for which I appreciate as an avid thriller reader: This is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

4.5 stars

Oh. My. Gosh. If you need a book you cannot put down and will binge until the very end, this is the one for you!

I feel like I can’t dive into it without giving too much away, but stayed up way too late because I needed to finish this! I love the different POVs and the twists were so unexpected. As someone who reads mostly thrillers, mystery, crime and suspense- this book was unlike any other!

Amanda and Wendy meet at a group counseling session in NYC and bond over their tragic losses. Each have lost family members and feel broken and alone. In another part of the city, Ruth is brutally attacked in her home one night while her husband is out, and she worries she will never feel safe again until her blue-eyed attacker is caught or dead. The women all have one thing in common: their deep desire for revenge.

This one was so good. There were twists at every turn and I loved the multiple POVs as it allowed me to get to know each character in depth and learn their backstories. I was left feeling sorry for each character while also not knowing who I could trust. This is a very bingeable popcorn thriller that I think many people will enjoy. Highly recommend!

Thank you Atria for me eArc and physical ARC!

Loosely based, or perhaps inspired is a better way to put it, by Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train, this book starts with women dealing with trauma and the desire for revenge. Like in the original material, they meet and decide they should take on each other's killing so as to get away with it. Yep, and that is where it detours dramatically. As a reader, you know going in that it can't follow the original story completely but when the twists start coming, they somewhat take your breathe away. As the pieces start coming together for the reader, there are a myriad of "ooooh" moments where you either conscious or subconsciously praise the author for their cleverness. I can't quite get this book to a 5 star, but it is probably as close to one without being one as it can be. I think I need to read more from this author. Any suggestions where to go from here? This set a high bar.

Amanda suddenly loses her family and her life shortly crumbles in the aftermath. She ends up meeting another woman, Wendy, who has a similar story of tragedy. The two quickly strike up a deal to take revenge on the men that got away with crimes against their families. An if you kill for me, I’ll kill for you pact. This quickly spirals out of control for Amanda when she realizes just exactly what she has gotten into.

This book was SO clever! I walked into it thinking it would be one thing and instead I was completely surprised with each twist. It’s a classic stay up way past your bedtime because you need to know what happens type of thriller read 😳 I could not recommend this one enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC! Look out for Kill for Me, Kill for You as it releases next week on March 19, 2024! 📚

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of Kill for me Kill for You by Steve Cavenaugh. This was a fast paced, twisty turning read. I read it in one sitting and couldn’t put it down. There were some surprises and twists. I liked how it was told from multiple points of view and the stories wove together. You couldn’t trust anyone. I did have the ending figured out, but it didn’t detract from the book.

Amanda and Wendy have both had their families destroyed by men. In a chance meeting in a bar, they decide to kill for each other. Ruth was brutally attacked in her home and her husband decides to jell to get revenge for her. She can’t rest after the attack.

I adore Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series, and have read each and every one. I am honestly wondering if this is the same author??? This was an enormous disappointment for me.

One: thin characters who are unlikeable to the nth degree - could have cared less about them and the connections amongst such disparate people were hilariously implausible
Two: the plot has been done, mostly by the oft-mentioned Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith, and no, I did not find this a creative replay of that plot where two strangers kill for each other while supplying alibis. Nope nope nope, silly and implausible
Writing: I am used to the humor and nuance of the Eddie Flynn books; sadly, this book had choppy writing that lacked any fluidity or compelling reason to keep reading.

And yes, I finished it, hate reading until the end, hoping for redemption than never came.

I am sure others will like the twisty thriller but it just did not meet my expectations.

Talk about a revenge story?! This book was amazing. A beautifully twisted revenge? Or just some terrifying trauma? How would you react? I guess you don’t know until you’re brutally attacked or your family is dead.

Thank you to netgalley and Atria publishing for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review

The concept of Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (two strangers swap murders to avoid being the prime suspect) gets turned on its head in this propulsive, edge-of-your-seat thriller. In this version, the two strangers are grieving women who meet in a trauma group and bond over the limits of the justice system.

There’s a lot else going on, but to say more would spoil much of the fun. And this was a lot of fun, even if it did veer into melodrama and the dialogue often felt clunky. I did figure out the twist fairly early but then was convinced I was wrong until it became clear I was right. Ultimately, it kept me guessing and I couldn’t put it down—an enjoyable reading experience even with a somewhat lackluster ending.

This book is a classic “Strangers on a Train“ situation. Two women meet, and make a pact to each kill somebody for the other. I’ve seen the Hitchcock movie and I’ve read a couple of other books with the same premise, but this one was NOT the same. This has a major twist that makes it unique to those other similar stories.

Amanda’s six-year-old daughter was kidnapped and murdered, with the killer never to be found. Since he was the one watching Jess at the park that day, her husband couldn’t handle the guilt and killed himself. Amanda is now completely alone, and has been sent to a therapy group for the grieving after doing some light stalking turned that insane towards the man she believes killed her daughter.

At the first unwanted bonding session, she meets Naomi (who goes by “Wendy” in the anonymous group). Naomi’s daughter was also murdered, and though her diary told of an affair with her teacher, Mr. Quinn, it wasn’t enough to convict the man of murder. Both women have been robbed of their daughters, and neither got to see the person responsible get any consequences for their actions.

The women have a few drinks after group, and that’s when they hatch their plan. They are doing the world a favor - there is someone killing people all over New York City, and maybe one of these men is the culprit. There was even a night where three women were brutally attacked and only one made it out alive - Ruth, who we also get to hear from. The book’s narrative is also rounded out by the two officers in charge of the cases, Farrow and Hernandez.

This took a classic story and made it fresh after flipping it on its head. My jaw dropped at least three or four times, as I definitely didn’t see any of the twists coming. I loved Amanda’s character, as well as Farrow, oddly enough. I loved how the chapters jumped between different characters, and the ending was great. I can’t think of much I would change about this one, so it gets the five stars!

(Thank you to Atria Books, Steve Cavanagh and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on March 19, 2024.)

This was everything I love in a thriller and more! I really enjoy Steve Cavanagh's writing and this did not disappoint. Multiple POV's, fast paced and twist after twist.

This tells the story of two women who meet in a grief support group after experiencing a traumatic life event. They meet up after group, share their stories and bond over their shared experience. This leads to a conversation of "kill for me, kill for you".

There are so many twists and turns. Just when you think you know what the twist is you are knocked off your feet and get thrown a complete curve ball. It was amazing, fun to read and kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending was spectacular.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Steve Cavanaugh has done it again and this just may be my favorite. It is suspenseful with some surprises and an unexpected ending while also including well developed characters to root for.
More sensitive readers will appreciate that there is very little ‘adult’ language and no sexual content. I also liked the fact that the story had a limited number of characters so I didn’t get confused about who is who!

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this one in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This truly never went where I thought it might go.

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I thought the morally gray/blurred lines between good and evil was executed quite well. I was a bit nervous because I didn't enjoy the last book I read by Cavanaugh, but since I was invited to read and review this title I went for it, and I am glad that I did!

Amanda and Wendy were absolutely fascinating and they made me think of None of This is True by Lisa Jewell. Women with a weird amount of things in common!

Without giving anything away, the storyline with Ruth and the blue eyed stranger was kinda weird and I wasn't as invested in that part of the book as much.