This thriller was a gripping, fast-paced ride where nothing was as it seemed. Each twist and turn came out of nowhere, keeping me hooked and on edge. The unpredictability of the plot made it all the more exciting, and just when you thought you had things figured out, it flipped everything upside down again. The pacing was spot-on, moving quickly without ever feeling rushed, making it hard to put down.

What really stood out was the atmosphere. It had this subtle, melancholy tone that added to the tension without overwhelming the excitement. It wasn't sad, but there was a certain weight to the story that made it feel deeper, heightening the suspense. It’s tough to say much more without giving away the surprises, but the way it all unfolded left me completely satisfied. If you're looking for a thrilling read that keeps you guessing, this one delivers in every way.

✨Book Review✨
A Talent for Muder by Peter Swanson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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This book was really more of a 3.75. Pretty standard thriller. Kept my attention and made me want to keep reading. I already don't remember much about it so I don't think it will stick, but if you have liked Swanson's other works I think you would enjoy this one, too. I listened to the audio and liked that there were multiple voices.

3.75 out of 5 stars
Pros: I love the character of Lily. She’s a freak, dispensing justice as she sees fit. Her attitude is refreshing- in her eyes some people don’t deserve to live. She’s fine with giving out some vigilante justice. I like her and her odd parents. I also enjoy the relationship between Lily and Henry. I read the first book in this series and enjoyed it. It was nice to see these characters again. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC.

Henry Kimball and Lily Kintner take on another case in this latest from Peter Swanson. A serial killer is on the loose and the two join forces to find him. There are an abundance of twists and turns and a lot of suspense as the killer wreaks havoc both physically and psychologically. This was an absolute delight to read. For fans of Michael Robotham and J. T. Ellison.

This is the first book I have read by Peter Swanson.
I had no idea that one of the characters features prominently in other titles by this author.
It reads well as a stand alone but I wish I would have read the others in the series first - just to understand the backstory a bit better.
Highly recommended to fans of twisty mysteries.

I didn't realize this was third in a series until I finished it and went to enter it on Goodreads. It reads well as a standalone. There are some parts that made me wonder, like when Lily alluded to her relationship with the detective. But I would recommend this even to those who haven't read others in the series.

What I enjoyed most about this was that nobody was sacred. It reminded me of Stephen King, how you can't get too attached to any character because they might be the next to go.

The mystery was well done, and it parts it was deeply creepy.

Highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I purchased for my library and will recommend at events.

How can you not love Lily. I always enjoy a good Lily/Harry story. I was wondering how they would come about when I started reading this book. It was enjoyable and quick to read for me. I love all of Peter Swanson’s books so I will definitely be looking forward to the next book!

I've enjoyed several of Peter Swanson's other novels and was excited to read something new! I didn't realize that this was part of a series, but I found the story easy to follow without the backstory. It made me want to read the others in the series. This fast-paced and thrilling mystery follows a love-cursed librarian who thinks her husband may be a murderer. She enlists the help of a former graduate school classmate to investigate.

This was a solid mystery and I will recommend it to readers!

When I requested this book, I didn't realize that it was the third book in a series. While I would have preferred to have read the prior books, this one did make sense as a standalone novel, The author creates plausible scenarios, though it did take me a bit to get into the story. It is a good example of how someone's past is not necessarily left in the past. I enjoyed the fact of the story is told from both Martha's and Lily's points of view, as well as some insight from the killer. The ending tied up in a satisfactory manner. I had been expecting a bit more with this story, as well as with character development, as they did fall a bit flat. There was also some overdetailing that could have been cut to have made things a bit tighter. I would consider going back and reading the two prior books.

I had no idea that Peter Swanson was planning to bring back Lily Kintner after A Kind Worth Killing, let alone twice! She's one of my all-time favorite thriller characters, so I'm always happy to read more about her.

I was hooked from the start with the premise--a woman suspects her husband might be a serial killer, so she calls up her old friend (Lily) to ask her opinion. While readers of Swanson's books get why Martha would come to Lily with this, it's certainly an odd thing to contact someone you haven't spoken to in 15 years over.

I couldn't wait to see what Lily would find out. While the book makes some leaps in character's motives and with some coincidences, it's still a thoroughly enjoyable read.

While is this technically a continuation of the Lily Kintner series, I don't think that was very well publicized to those who aren't Swanson fans. You could read this book and thoroughly enjoy it without reading the previous two books, but the events of the previous two books are spoiled in this one. I definitely recommend reading them in order, given that A Kind Worth Killing is one of my favorite thrillers. Let me know if you want a link to my recaps of the first two books!

Peter Swanson is one of my favorite mystery authors. I have almost read all of his books at this point aside for one. Always 5 stars for me. A Talent for Murder was excellent. Lily fascinates me as a character. I would read 100 books on her. He does such a good job of developing characters and setting the mystery up but not too obvious. Kept me entertained and guessing!

Interesting concept for a book that I haven't read before. I enjoyed and did not see where this was going.

Read Complete 6/18/24 | 3.5 stars

Do I need to read Books 1 & 2 before reading this book? Technically, no. The characters of Lily and Henry do appear and have some increasingly larger roles in the book as it progresses, but you can read this first if you want as the plot is independent. If you plan on read THE KIND WORTH KILLING, then this may spoil parts of that book. You may also feel a little lost being thrown into these two characters without the context and history to back it up, but the plot stands alone.
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I actually really liked the beginning of this book and was quite interested in it. I wasn't really keen on another Lily Kintner/Henry Kimball book, so I was pleasantly surprised when Lily was involved but just on the peripheral. She did have her own POV, but the story was really about an old friend Martha and her husband who she thought might be a serial killer.

The first half of the book was really interesting and I really liked the story! I was really connecting with it for a while, and I actually really liked the twist that took us into the second half of the book, but it lost me from there.

The second half of the book lost its momentum and this is where Lily and Henry really pick up the story. I was pretty irritated by it because I honestly don't care about them anymore and was enjoying Martha's story and everything that she was discovering. I would have rather had Lily & Henry make smaller appearances or not be in it at all and this could be a stand alone. It just really killed the pacing for me and the ending was all a little too easy in some ways. I did like how at the *very* end, things did circle back and everything was wrapped up well.

I did enjoy the read but honestly, Lily & Henry being big parts of it made it worse instead of better for me. Mixed feelings on this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy. The plot is intriguing and pulled me in. Some parts were definitely predictable, but I love short chapters and hearing from each character's point of view. I didn't realize this is a third in a series and would like to read the others.

A feeling like the author of A Kind Worth Killing should be on auto 5 stars. That will forever be one of my favorite books of all times, and this one is just as good! I can't thank him enough for bringing these characters back. Amazing novel with amazing characters.

Thank you Net Galley and William Morrow for the arc!

Lily Kitnter & Henry Kimball team up to help Martha uncover if her husband has a talent for murder.
Highlights:
✨Suspenseful Cat & Mouse game
✨Cleverly plotted
✨Good Twist
✨Binge-able quick read, don't need to read previous books in the series, but why wouldn't you!

Bottom Line: Highly Entertaining, perfect beach read!

"A Talent for Murder" by Peter Swanson is a gripping thriller that keeps you guessing at every turn. Newlywed librarian Martha Ratliff starts to suspect her charming husband, Alan, might be a serial killer after discovering a bloodstain on his shirt. As she investigates, she uncovers a pattern of unsolved murders in cities he visited. Martha enlists the help of an old friend, Lily Kintner, whose discoveries lead to even more shocking revelations. While the plot is deviously clever and full of twists, some elements might feel a bit predictable. Nevertheless, it's a page-turner that will leave you questioning everything until the very end.

Thank you to William Morrow for the digital copy to review.

Well hello there Henry, it’s nice to see you and Lily again! I was so excited to read this new book by Swanson as he is an auto buy / auto read author, but when I heard these two were back in his newest I might have squealed. And boy, were they ever back!

This was quite a tale, one of suspicion and a little cat and mouse and a lot of why don’t people ever trust their gut?! But I guess we wouldn’t have this book if they did. I read this on the beach in Mexico a few weeks ago and it was perfect, I paired it with the audiobook and both were excellent reads, I am an audio lover but you can’t go wrong with either medium here. I loved every minute of this and tried to balance wanting to know what would happen with not wanting this to be over, but ultimately I could not put it down and this was perfect all the way through.

Swanson is such a talented writer, balancing the creepy and suspenseful with the perfect amount of intensity, and this was five stars and will be a top read of the year for me. Loved, loved, loved!

A newly married librarian begins to suspect her traveling salesman huusband of murder. After finding that there has been a murder in some of the towns he has visited, while he was there. She contacts an old friend to run her ideas by and they start their own investigation. The beginning of the book had me hooked, but as it went on it became rather ordinary, and more violent.

5/5 stars

Thank you William Morrow for the advanced reading copy!

SYNOPSIS -- Martha Ratliff never expected to find a life-partner, until she met Alan. Sweet and good-natured, Alan was the perfect amount of dorky and kind for Martha, and, a year in, their marriage is feeling solid. Martha never had an issue with Alan's traveling, until a mysterious streak of blood shows up on his shirt one day after a conference, and Martha discovers a concerning pattern: unsolved cases of murdered women track with Alan's conferences. Convinced her beloved husband is a serial killer, Martha contacts her old friend from graduate school, Lily Kintner. The only friend Martha has every really had, Lily steps up to help her investigate Alan, but what they uncover is even more twisted and confusing than they could have expected.

After reading both The Kind Worth Killing and The Kind Worth Saving, I wasn't expecting to love this one as much as I loved those, but I was so wrong -- this was my FAVORITE in the series!! While it is marketed with "standalone" potential, I think you really have to read the other two to have the background information on the characters in order to really care about them/the story. While the spoilers of other books aren't major in this one. I don't think you'd connect to the story as much without knowing who these people are and who they have been.

All of that being said, I really enjoy Peter Swanson's writing style, especially in these books. It's a lot more straightforward than a lot of the writing in this genre, and that's a breath of fresh air. This book leans towards mystery/suspense more than it does thriller, and it was fun to try to figure out the truth of the story while it was unfolding. As with all the books in the series, this had surprising twists and a really clever premise, making it a fun and quick read. I think this was my favorite because it was way heavier on Lily than it was Henry. Henry is fine and doesn't really bother me, but I don't care about him/his character arc like I do Lily, and it was a joy to have more of her in this one. The whole series is worth the read IMO, especially to make it to this one!