Kill For Me, Kill For You is a superb example of retelling a classic story. While other books shamelessly steal themes from popular works, this new book from Steve Cavanagh breathed new life into the renowned tale of Strangers on a Train. He gave Patricia Highsmith her rightful kudos, and Cavanagh crafted a unique story that deserves a spot on the bestseller list. Kill For Me, Kill For You is a well-plotted novel full of unpredictable twists, making it a must-read for all suspense and thriller fiends!

Kill For Me, Kill For You plays out across two storylines. The first follows Amanda, a grieving mother and widow who lost her family at the hands of a violent child predator. Struggling to survive her grief, Amanda sets her mind on a singular mission: kill the man who killed her child.

A parallel plot tells the story of Ruth, a victim of a violent home invasion and assault. Her assailant is a serial killer, and Ruth is his only survivor. Terrified that "Mr. Blue Eyes" will return to finish the job, Ruth becomes a recluse. She knows she will never feel safe until her attacker is behind bars... or dead.

Broken up into easily digestible chapters, Steve Cavanagh expertly propels readers through his new book. Each plot twist lands at just the right moment and keeps you guessing until the very end. You don't want to miss this book!

I had one (minor) critique. There are a lot of erroneous details. Several scenes are overly explained, making the background of the narrative a bit tedious.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book started off with a bang and ended with a OMG. Two women with tragic life circumstance decide to kill for one another and the rollercoaster begins. 5⭐️s

In the movie Strangers on a Train, two people met and agree to swap murders. After reading this book I feel like that train hit me.

The plot unfolds much like the movie (it's even referenced) but then swerves in a completely unexpected way. The narration comes from multiple POVs and a couple of them don't seem to be related at all to the main story, until they are most emphatically linked.

The ending is shocking and I'm quite torn by it. I really don't want to give away any spoilers by explaining that comment. I even went back and reread several chapters and I'm still conflicted. Cavanagh didn't give us a neat, tidy, conventional ending - it's one you need to read in a book club so it can be debated and discussed.

I'm very pleased with the book and quite thankful to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This one easily made it to my top favorites of 2023. I stayed up late and woke up early just so I could finish. Amanda and Wendy meet at a group counseling session and decide over drinks to kill each other's predators. We also have a storyline from Ruth who is the victim of a terrible crime and as a result never feels safe. I couldn't help but wonder how Ruth was connected to Amanda and Wendy. The stories start to come together in a very surprising and unexpected way. The pace is quick the chapters are told from multiple POVs. I will definitely be checking out other books from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for the copy of Kill For Me, Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh. This isn’t the first book with this premise I have read, but it is the cleverest. I understand now why people rave about Cavanaugh’s books. The characters’ backstories were compelling. One storyline didn’t seem to really fit but once the crucial missing information was supplied everything began to make sense. I’m conflicted about the big reveal and the ending. I think if you like big twists, you will love it. This is a well-paced, superbly-plotted and skillfully written book that was a pleasure to read.

This is a must-read for any mystery/thriller fan. It’s a modern day Agatha Christie/Hitchcock rolled into one. The beginning sets the story and characters up nicely. It’s a lot of information, but it does not drag at all; rather, it keeps pulling you in. Once the plot is set up, the twists start coming and it’s a rollercoaster to the last page. I don’t want to say too much because this book is best with less information going in. Thank you for the opportunity to read. This was a pleasure!

Wowza!!! This book was so much fun! It was gripping, intense, and so hard to put down! I read it in 1 day.

This was the first book I’ve read by Steve Cavanagh & it did not disappoint. This book allowed me to escape reality & truly get lost reading it because it was so compelling! I loved the storyline & the characters, multiple POV’s…I should have a favorite character but I loved them all.

Overall, I LOVED Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh, & can't wait to read more books by this author in the future!

My thanks to the publisher Atria Books via NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy to give me the opportunity to read, enjoy & honestly review this book.

Well, yes, it is like “Strangers on a Train”, to the nth power.
What. A. Ride!
On the surface, the story tells of two women who meet randomly through group grief counseling, both of them coping with violent losses in their lives. Although not encouraged, they form an extraordinary bond of empathy, fueled by anger and despair. On one night they whisper their dreams of vengeance, and slowly the “Strangers on a Train” idea takes shape……….
At the same time another story is being told in tandem, of a woman brutally attacked with a knife in her home by a serial killer, but this woman does not die. Miraculously she survives, but her survival is only the beginning; she cannot put her foot forward, see a future. She is mentally and emotionally crippled, and her beloved husband is unable to help her.
What is the connection, the intersection of these lives?
The common connection is a dogged homicide detective known to all the persons in this story.
I had no idea where this story was going or where everyone would meet. It is sad, heavy, but also crackling with fear, power, and freedom. The characters are fully formed with reasonable motives for their daily actions. It really is “unputdownable”. I highly recommend this story.
And yes, Mr. Cavanagh, I did forget my troubles for awhile.

Loved this fast paced twisty thriller that had a unique twist of strangers on the train. I liked the multiple points of view from Ruth and Amanda. Both woman are suffering after events in their lives and having a hard time letting go and moving on.

Amanda meets Wendy at support group and is happy to make a friend who understands her grief and suffering. Could they actually get away with murder if they each swapped and killed for the other person?

This had so many different things going on that I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. I devoured this book in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Kill for Me, Kill for You.

The premise is based on a familiar premise, the Strangers on a Train plot, but this time with a twist

This isn't the first Strangers on a Train rehash I've read in the last couple years (and it won't be the last, I'm sure), but it's one of the better ones.

I've never read this author before and though I like his writing style and tone, the writing is a bit heavy handed exposition-wise.

I actually guessed one of the twists correctly, but not how Wendy relates to the story overall, and that's because the author purposely doesn't reveal the timeline.

This is a popular literary device, and I'm wary when it's used.

I always feel it's a form of trickery hiding vital information from the readers, but I understand authors use it to shock/surprise the reader.

I did like the ending, though it took me a bit of effort to suspend disbelief to believe.

But, for the sake of the story, I rolled with it.

WOAH, Buddy! That book was AWESOME! This is my first book by Steve Cavanagh, and I am looking up his others right now! Easily ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 glowing stars—well done!!

The writing was well done, and the plots were intriguing. The first 25% of the book was slower paced as it set the story up over a few characters’ POVs, but once the pace picked up, it was full steam ahead! There were several red herrings and even better jaw dropping twists. Just an awesome thriller all the way around. The ending even leaves you wondering if there could be a sequel (PLEASE MAKE A SEQUEL!!) 😆

Easily my new favorite book this year! I am going to be ordering copies for friends and finding others who have read it to talk about it with. Such a GREAT book!! Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and Steve Cavanagh for allowing me to be an ARC reader! I LOVED this book and am ordering more from this author today!

I am a big fan of the author's previous work so I was keenly looking forward to this one. And he does not disappoint. This is a pulse pounding thriller with twists galore.

I really enjoyed this book. Multiple story lines that seamlessly come together throughout the book. There are a lot of twists and turns but it ends up making you feel at peace in the end. A great story of a grieving mother and wife finally finding justice.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review. While a notch below the quality of Cavanagh’s excellent Eddie Flynn series, his latest stand-alone is still an entertaining ride. Two women reeling from tragedy meet, and decide to pull a “Strangers on the Train” to get justice for their loved ones. Meanwhile, in a seemingly unrelated storyline, a woman is attacked in her home and struggling to recover physically and emotionally from the brutal experience. As expected, everything is not what it seems, and there are some surprising twists in the later sections of the book that I didn’t see coming. Overall, a very solid and enjoyable read. Three and a half stars, rounded up to four.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Another amazing book by Steve Cavanagh. I finished this in 2 days, just wanting to know more and more. I loved the setting of the book, in NYC, as I’ve lived there and live close by now. The back and forth narrative is great, I always love hearing from different characters. This was a great mystery and had me stumped till almost the end. (I didn’t a lot coming though, and I almost always figure out the main plot by halfway through a book) There were a lot of twists and turns and aha moments that are just plain clever. I can’t sy a lot without ruining the plot, but trust me, you’ll want to red this one.

𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥. 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐠𝐮𝐧. 𝐀 𝐥𝐚𝐰-𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

The "Strangers on a Train" trope has been explored in so many thrillers that at first I was hesitant to pick this one up, but I'm SO glad that I did. This book took that familiar trope and reimagined it in such a sharp and unique way.

The characterization was exquisite. The first storyline that we follow is that of Amanda, who has suffered an unimaginable tragedy. She encounters Wendy in a group meeting and is initially put off by Wendy's coldness, but when the two women run into each other later outside of the group meeting, they begin to talk, and they realize their rage over their loss is something they share.

There is a third storyline, Ruth's story, that recounts her harrowing ordeal as a victim of a brutal home invasion. How the diverging storylines come together was nothing short of brilliant, and I read this book in record time.

Besides being an action-packed thriller, this book delved deeply into the morally gray area that I love to explore. Is vigilante justice ever the correct justice? Would the guilt of taking someone's life, even if warranted, be something you could live with?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this stunning early copy. This book will publish March 19, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley for this copy of “Kill for Me, Kill for You” by Steve Cavanagh.
Amanda and Wendy meet at a support group and find out they have one thing in common – to get revenge on the man who wronged each of their families. Their plan – you kill for me, and I’ll kill for you.
Meanwhile, Ruth has been viciously attacked in her home by “Mr. Blue Eyes”. Her husband, Scott, feels guilty he wasn’t there to protect Ruth.
What do these women have in common?
Since I loved the Eddie Flynn series, I knew I would like this book by Steve Cavanagh. It did not disappoint – I read it in two days and could not put it down until I finished.
Another one out of the park for Steve Cavanagh – I totally recommend it!

I love Cavanagh's books so was delighted to get this one! And of course it did not disappoint as I can never tell where his novels are going! This one involves Amanda and Ruth, two "broken" women for very different reasons but both determined to rectify situations over which they feel they have no control. There is murder, suicide, support groups, therapy, mob guys, crooked cops, and mistaken identity: what's not to enjoy? It's a superbly, convoluted story that kept me on the edge of my seat until the end! Awesome as usual!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

4 stars, at least! The beginning of the ending got a little wonky, which is my only hesitation. Who doesn’t love a new take on the Strangers on a Train trope? This was so well done. The pacing was incredible and I couldn’t look away! Highly recommend