4.5 stars rounded up
Kill for Me, Kill for You came to me at the perfect time. After a month of cozy holiday books, I picked this up and was gripped from the opening pages. The story primarily shifts between the perspectives of 2 women, Amanda and Ruth, both living in New York City and dealing with immeasurable grief and trauma. Amanda recently lost her daughter in a horrific crime and can’t help but feel that justice was not appropriately served. She meets Wendy in a grief support group and comes to find that she too is a mother who has lost her child in a heinous crime in which the perpetrator has not been convicted. The two women devise a plan to avenge the deaths of their daughters for one another with a fool-proof plan not to implicate themselves. Elsewhere in the city, Ruth is a successful realtor with a marriage on the rocks after unsuccessful attempts to conceive when she becomes the victim of a violent home invasion. Her crime unsolved, Ruth is dealing with immeasurable trauma when she happens to spot her attacker at a restaurant one evening. Her husband, Scott, is dissatisfied with the police’s approach to Ruth’s case and decides this may be his opportunity to get some answers. Without giving away too much, what follows is a twisty, page-turning psychological thriller that I could not put down. Amanda and Ruth’s stories ultimately intersect in a way that is clever, although I did guess the connection about halfway through. This was really a fun ride and the perfect smart page-turner. Thank you to the author, Net Galley and Atria Books for the opportunity to advance read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

“For fans of The Silent Patient and Gone Girl, a razor-sharp and Hitchcock-inspired psychological thriller about two ordinary women who make a dangerous pact to take revenge for each other after being pushed to the brink.”

This is my first Steve Cavanagh book and won’t be my last! From the very start, this book sucked me in and I didn’t regret staying up late multiple nights to finish!

This story is about two women who have suffered unimaginable losses. It seems like their meeting is kismet and they find solace in each others company, both having lost a child to a senseless act of violence. One night a pact is made that changes everything. This book will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat straight through. As an avid reader of thriller books I find that I can guess what’s next. Not this time! Just when I thought I knew what was next, I was wrong and loved every minute of it! This was a great read and I highly recommend!

Kill for Me, Kill for You was an intense, twisty thriller. The passion for family, revenge and justice vibrated throughout the story. The book had several tight surprises that kept me engaged to the surprising end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you, kindly to NetGalley and Atria Books for the gifted eARC to read and review.

Welp. The second a book is compared to Gone Girl, I immediately know not to trust anyone and start looking for planted seeds, so naturally I was highly suspicious while reading this. An interesting plot and smooth prose, yes, but this one suffered from third-person narration syndrome—in other words, it would have been so much better in first-person. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Ruth’s storyline felt disjointed for most of the book, and once I understood her purpose, her actions seemed misplaced. I didn’t care for the outlandish ending and found the first half of the book very underwhelming. Overall, 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. This one has pretty great reviews though, so maybe it’s just me!

At first I was a little reluctant to read yet another Hitchcock retelling, but this turned out to be so much more than that. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this because it did have Patricia Highsmith vibes but the story was anything but predictable. I think I had more fun reading this than any other thriller in 2023, and I suspect it will be a huge hit when it drops in 2024.

The characters were really fun to spend time with, the plot wasn't too twisty or predictable, and it was full of unique psychological suspense. So may thrillers I've read fail on one of these three counts.

Like others, I suggest going in blind on this one. You won't regret it!

A great read! I read this in one sitting! I could not put it down! I needed to know what was going on and it did not disappoint! My first 5 star read in a while and I read a lot! Thought it was going one ear and then a twist! Writing was superb and characters were well written also. Definitely recommend this one! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Torn between 4.5 and 5 stars, so rounded up for NetGalley. This was a pretty solid mystery and I definitely didn't predict all the twists, which is saying something given how many murdery/mystery/thrillers I read. This was an engaging and propulsive story that had me guessing from beginning to end.

I absolutely loved this book. An arc I received from Netgalley. Amanda has been stalking her daughters killer. When she decides to kill him he attacks her and she is forced to go to mental counseling. There she meets Wendy who has also lost a daughter. When they decide to take revenge on the killers the roller coaster of twists and turns begins! A 5 star read Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh comes out in March 2024.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! If a book can stress me out, keep me up at night reading because the chapters are short and ending in cliffhangers, that is a win for me. This was my first book by this author and it will not be my last. This was a wild ride. I loved the multiple povs between this crazy cast of characters and the twists kept coming and coming up until the very end. Very well done! This should be a movie or netflix series.

One of my favorite books of the year! Wow, wow, wow! I am still thinking about this book.

I loved this book so much that I annotated it. After about fifty pages in, I had so many tabs that I decided it was definitely a book I wanted to highlight and keep on my shelf forever.

A very intense read - it’s dark, devious, and explosive. There are such devastating moments in this story, with an ending that left me reeling. The interconnectedness of the plotlines is impeccable and the story comes together in such unexpected ways.

I loved getting the different perspectives. I felt like we truly got to know each of the characters deeply. I felt their agony, despair, and bitterness right alongside them.

It was an emotional read for me - there were moments that I was laughing out loud, moments where I was terrified for the outcome of events, and other moments of heartbreak for their suffering.

Just when you think you have it figured out, get ready, because you don’t. Y’all, the twists! They just kept coming and they are so compelling. I had so many “no freaking way” and “oh sh*t” moments while reading this.

This is a masterclass in writing suspense. The narrative craft is one of my favorite things about this book. The hard-hitting lines and cliffhangers will keep you up all night trying to fit in “just one more chapter.”

I can also see this being a great book club pick because it raises so many difficult and important topics for discussion - grief, loss, revenge, justice, compassion, redemption, and righteousness. It’s a stark examination of all the ways that a person can be both good and bad.

I can’t recommend this highly enough. It deserves all the hype. I don’t know how I haven’t come across this author before, but I’m so glad that I did because he is one to watch! I will definitely be eagerly anticipating his next release.

I loved this read so much up until the last 25% which I found to be a little bit dumb to be perfectly honest. I didn’t guess the ending but I didn’t love the direction it took as much as the rest of the book. Still a wild book, super intense, addictive read and really enjoyed it!

Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh

A huge thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for my copy of Steve Cavanagh’s latest book! I am a huge fan of his thriller mystery novels. My favorites are Thirteen and Fifty Fifty. These books had a legal mystery thriller vibe. Both were part of the Eddie Flynn series but I read them out of order since I didn’t know they were part of the 7 book series. His latest novel, Kill for Me, Kill for You is a stand alone book and it did not disappoint. Two strangers who meet in a grief support group get the idea to commit murder for each other from the Hitchcock movie, “Strangers on a Train”.
Amanda, suffering from the loss of both her husband and daughter is currently stalking who she believes is her daughter’s killer. At a grief support group, she meets Wendy who also lost her daughter and knows who the murderer was. They soon bond over drinks and Wendy suggests they “swap” murders as vengeance for the death of their loved ones. No one would suspect either of them since their support group is “anonymous”, using fake names and each would have alibis if they were primary suspects. Can they pull this off? Is it too late to back out? What can go wrong? Obviously, everything but not how you think!
Meanwhile, Ruth, in a different city is a victim of a home invasion, near death assault and all she remembers is the assailant’s piercing blue eyes and his voice calling her, “sweetheart”. She is traumatized and her husband is wrought with guilt since he left her alone that night to hang out with his buddies. Does he have what it takes to seek revenge and find justice?
This story has multiple POVs/storylines and jumps back and forth. Both storylines are intriguing and leave you wanting for more but then it jumps to the other story. This is a fast paced book with lots of twists and turns. Some I predicted but then some I totally did not see coming. Cavanagh has a way of blurring the lines of justice and make you think, how far would you go? Steve Cavanagh does not disappoint! Go pre-order your copy now or put on your TBR list! Pub date March 19, 2024

This is one of those books I will think about for a long time to come. The characters were well written and the plot twists kept me on my toes with the last twist really being jarring. I really liked the writing style of this author and will definitely be looking to read more of his books in the future. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Cavanagh does it again! He puts a creative twist on the old Hitchcock movie Strangers on a Train. This was a page turning suspenseful mystery that really did keep me guessing with all its plot twists. I will recommend this to all mys customers, it is that good!

KILL FOR ME, KILL FOR YOU
Steve Cavanagh


In KILL FOR ME, KILL FOR YOU we are in New York. This time we are following Amanda and Wendy, and sometimes Ruth.

Amanda and Wendy meet at a group therapy session neither of them wants to be at. Soon after they agree to meet for drinks. That night after a few cocktails they start to discuss in detail how each of their families was destroyed by loss, how it affects them, and how much they wish they could seek revenge.

Before the sun sets on that New York night they come up with a Hitchcockian plan to enact revenge on those who they feel hurt them the most.

Across town, on a different New York night Ruth is attacked in her home during a home invasion. Leaving her barely alive, fighting for her life and sanity, and trying to put the pieces of her life back together. She is now haunted by her attacker. She is plagued by fear and soon her life is claimed by a fire lit from within.

SPOILER: This is my first Steve Cavanagh title, and it will not be my last. I loved the ode to Patricia Highsmith and the old Hitchcock classic STRANGERS ON A TRAIN. I’m reading KILL FOR ME KILL FOR YOU with my book club. If you are not yet a member of the Under The Radar Book Club, now is the time.

Cavanagh did such a great job reinventing and adding to something already well-established. I enjoyed the story, how it unfolded, and every surprising twist and turn.

The women of KFMKFY are unforgettable. I love how they were constructed so differently yet with one big thing in common. Seeing how each of them chooses to respond to their situations is interesting and being a bystander to the madness was a lot of fun.

KILL FOR ME, KILL FOR YOU is enjoyable whether you know the origin story or not and I think it would be a great read for newbie thriller readers and will surprise even the most experienced thriller lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy! It was a pleasure.

KILL FOR ME, KILL FOR YOU…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was a fabulously pleasant surprise for me! I went through most of it believing what I was reading. When the first twist hit I totally understood it. When the final twist hit, I was FLOORED! Loved this book.

A perfectly fine book, but it just didn't work for me and I can't put my finger on why. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

I liked this book, I just didn't love this book. I had a hard time with the reality of most of it. It still held my attention and I am glad I read it but just not my favorite. You couldn't help but feel for the women in the story but hard to believe that all that hatred and revenge would actually happen.

4.5 stars* wow! i really enjoyed this thriller! super fast-paced, and has multiple POVs and situations that keep you guessing without being confusing. the twists also actually surprised me, which is difficult to accomplish because i’ve read so many thrillers.

even though this book is coming out in the US in 2024, it will be one of my top thrillers of 2023 (along with another book from this author, Thirteen, which i also read this year). this book was so well-written and explored themes of corruption, justice, and revenge through the fleshed-out characters. they all felt like real people, and i understood all of their motivations. the NYC setting around Thanksgiving was perfect.

my only gripe (hence half a star taken off) was that some things seemed a little too convenient, but it wasn’t anything that had me suspending my disbelief *that* much. i will be diving more into Mr. Cavanagh’s backlist and will keep my eyes peeled for what he comes up with next!

Kill for Me, Kill for You comes out in the US on March 19, 2024. a huge thank you to Atria Books, Steve Cavanagh, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Title: Kill for me. Kill for You
Author: Steve Cavanagh
Publisher: Atra Books
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: March 19, 2024 - First published July 20, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages 415


Amanda and Wendy are strange who meet at a support meeting in New York City. They end up having a drink alone and soon a conversation is started and they realize they have a lot in in common.
They both want revenge against the two men who destroyed their families.
They come up with ~ If you kill for me, I'll kill for you..

It is perfect as they don’t know the victim.
The idea isn’t new but it got my attention.
I was more than half way in and I asked myself – why isn’t this working for me?
I hung in there and was glad I did as I did like the ending.
.
Want to thank NetGalley and Atra Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Re-Release Date scheduled for March 19, 2024.