Peter Swanson never fails to deliver a deliciously chilling story filled with moments of thrills, but even more importantly, schooling his readers on great works of literature! Bravo!

Peter Swanson once again writes a psychological thriller which takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of characters and murders! As usual he leads you to believe you know who the suspect is, but then he leads you down another path. This book was fantastic! Thanks for advance read.

Martha, a newly married librarian, begins to suspect that her traveling salesman husband might be a serial killer. She calls upon Lily Kintner, her friend from grad school, to help with her dilemma.

This is billed as the third book in the Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner series, but I’m not familiar with that series and though there are some references to previous cases one need not have read earlier books to get along fine with this one. And this one is all Lily. The story didn’t go where I was expecting but I very much enjoyed it. Recommended.

Lily Kinter is one of the most memorable book characters I’ve come across and I was thrilled to see she was returning for a 3rd book! I thought this was a great way to introduce a new character who was a college friend of Lily’s, calling on her skills and creating a reason to reach out to Henry Kimball as well. I thought this book was a little more predictable than the others, and kept waiting for the big twist to come. It was still a quick and entertaining read that held my interest the entire book, just a little more straightforward than I’ve come to expect from the author.

This could easily be read as a standalone, but I do think you will enjoy it more if you know Lily’s backstory. Plus The Kind Worth Killing and The Kind Worth Saving are both amazing books!

Thanks William Morrow Books and NetGalley for the DRC! A Talent for Murder will be out June 11, 2024.

I didn't know this book was the third book in a series, but it didn't affect the story at all for me. I do want to read the other books in the series after reading this one. This book sucked me in right from the beginning! It was a little dark and twisted, but I really, really liked it!

Such a fun addition to the series. I love getting to know more layers of Lily. I neeeed Henry and Lily to have a more developed relationship. I need them to be together.

The Kind Worth Killing is the book that got me into thrillers so many years ago. Lily Kintner is one of my all-time favorite characters, so I was excited to be back in her world.

This series has been fun to read, although the first book will always remain my favorite. A Talent for Murder is a fast-paced, twisty, and unputdownable addition to the series. In true Peter Swanson fashion, there is a mic-drop ending that left me speechless.

Thank you, Netgalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy!

Dark, twisty, oh-so-murdery! I couldn’t put this book down. The Lily Kintner/Henry Kimball series has gotten better with each book. Swanson is an auto-read author for me, but I’d place “A Talent for Murder” on my top three list of his books to date. Bring on the next one!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this!! Peter Swanson is one of my auto-read authors so I was thrilled when I got the chance to read this ARC. I started as soon as I received approval and couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was an excellent edition to Lily Kintner’s story. Less twisty and more straightforward than the previous books but still a fast paced, gripping page turner with so much suspense and action. I think Lily is a bad ass character and it was fun learning more about who she is and where she came from.

Having read the earlier 2 books with Lily and Henry, I knew it would be good and I couldn’t wait to start it! I was right! Fantastic! I was really excited to read more about Lily and her life. She is definitely main character material. You don’t want to like her at first but she grows on you. Thank you so much for the ARC. It’s a pleasure to read Peter Swanson and I plan to go through his backlog soon!

Lily's back! The Kind Worth Killing is one of my favorite novels ever so I was thrilled to see it become a series. The sequel was pretty good, but this one is even better! There were some major twists, and I did not guess the direction the plot was going at all! I loved seeing Lily as a central character again with Henry in a supporting role. A Talent for Murder is fast-paced, well-written and hard to put down. The final chapter was amazing! Lily is such a great character and I hope we see more of her soon. Peter Swanson is a talented author, and he continues to captivate me with his twisty plots and intriguing characters. Highly recommended!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC!

I didn't realize this was yet another entry in Swanson's 'Kind Worth Killing/Saving' series (of sorts), but it mostly works as a standalone (though you can clearly tell that MC Lily has more depth explored elsewhere). I found the writing here really, bizarrely basic, and I found the plotting equally basic but also goofy as hell. This book wasn't for me, and I think I'm learning I should stop picking up later-day Swanson books.

Firstly, I must confess my unwavering fandom for "The Kind Worth Killing," the book that introduced readers to the eccentric, highly unique, and very dangerous yet intelligent Lily Kintner, along with the once-police-officer-turned-private-investigator Henry Kimball: the poet of disturbed limericks. That book blew my mind, and its predecessor, "Kind Worth Saving," proved to be a riveting and mind-bending sequel. While it didn't shake me to the core like the first book with its clever twist, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

When I discovered that Peter Swanson was bringing back this unusual duo for another intriguing mystery with a compelling plot—a meek librarian suspecting she's married to a serial killer—I couldn't contain my excitement. I would have traded anything for an early copy of this book. Thankfully, William Morrow gave me the amazing opportunity to dive into this digital reviewer copy, making me scream "Yessss" and pump my fist in the air Judd Nelson-style at the end of Breakfast Club while "Don't You Forget About Me" played in my head!

I must admit, I wish I hadn't devoured this book so quickly, but I simply couldn't help myself. I was hooked from the opening scene: a teachers' convention, a polygamous and eccentric young teacher, Josie Nixon, seeking a quick hookup that ends in tragedy. We are then introduced to Martha Ratliff, an old friend of Lily from college, who works as an archival librarian and ties the knot with a sweet, man of few words, a little odd but always kind salesman. He spends half of the year at various teachers' conventions selling quirky merchandise. When Martha finds a bloodstain on the back of her husband's shirt, she becomes alarmed. Her rich imagination and obsession with investigating mysteries lead her to connect the dots, discovering that each time her husband goes on a business trip, a murder occurs nearby where he stays. Could these incidents be mere coincidences, or is there something sinister about her husband that she needs to uncover? Could it be connected to the curse her college friend placed on her?

Martha decides to seek help from the person who saved her from a sexual predator she was dating. Enter Lily, recently moved to her childhood home to live with her divorced parents, who reluctantly share the same house for financial and health reasons. Lily, currently between jobs, is pen-palling with Henry Kimball. When Martha shares her story, Lily gets intrigued and decides to visit the next teachers' convention to meet Martha's husband in person. Little does she expect to be drawn into something even twistier that requires her to call on Henry to team up against.

Overall, the ending was spectacular! It's always a pleasure to read a new Lily Kintner/Henry Kimball book. Aren't they a match made in heaven? I need another sequel ASAP! And I hope the next book will be a little longer, or I'll practice reading a little slower.

A heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing one of my most anticipated books' digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

I didn't realize this book was part of a series I enjoyed in the past, so I was thrilled to once again spend some time with a complicated character I like a lot. Although it's not really a mystery since the reader finds out the murderer halfway through, it is a suspenseful and full of surprising twists.--couldn't put it down! Please write another Lily Kintner book!

Peter Swanson delivers again with a psychological murder mystery that takes the reader into the mind of several killers.

Back at it! Peter, Lily and Henry. Lily and Martha were friends back in college. In college Martha had a boyfriend Ethan that was not good to her and years later Martha suspects her husband is a murderer. Enter Lily who saved her from Ethan and investigates her current husband Alan. The investigation leads to Alan’s misdeeds and Ethan showing back up in their lives. There is murder and lots of juicy twists in this one. Will everyone get what they deserve in the end? Have to read it to uncover.

Peter Swanson does it again! His books get better with each new book. I absolutely could not put this book down. So many twists that I didn't see coming. Looking forward to recommending this book this summer...it will be a great beach read. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

I haven't read Peter Swanson in a while but after reading this, I'm wondering why not! His books always have me on the edge of my seat and this one was no exception. Such a great high concept premise. I devoured it in 2 days. I didn't see any of the plot twists coming and even if I had, it wouldn't matter since the characters were all so fascinating, especially Lily. Swanson does such an excellent job with complex plots and characters you think you know but then you're thrown for a loop again and again. Highly recommend to anyone who loves twisty thrillers, devious characters, and intricate story structure.

Martha, a newlywed librarian, is starting to have suspicions that her traveling salesman spouse may be a serial killer after finding blood on his shirt and learning if murders in the cities where he had recently traveled.
She enlists the aid of a college friend, Lily, who had helped her out of a previous dangerous relationship, to see if her fears are valid or if Martha is wildly overreacting.
What starts out as a hunt for the truth leads Lily down a dangerous path where it seems all is not what it seems and she realizes that the past has a way of surfacing in dangerous and deadly ways.
I loved this book. I read it in one sitting and could not put it down! From the straightforward (I thought!) premise to the insane and incredible finale, I have to say that this is my favorite book by far that I’ve read in a very long time!! Also love how Peter Swanson is bringing back past characters. This is not necessarily a series because the books can definitely stand alone - you learn more about these fascinating characters with each novel and I am here for more!