Peter Swanson is a go to author for me and so I couldn’t wait to read A Talent for Murder.
When librarian Martha marries Alan she feels that although he is a nice man he still feels like a stranger to her. She becomes suspicious when his visits to educational conferences as a stall holder begin to coincide with murders of women- is the man she married a serial killer ?
Martha contacts Lily Kitner, a university friend who she hasn’t seen for a decade to help her uncover the truth.
This is another excellent thriller from Peter Swanson. I loved how the first half builds up the tension and draws the reader into the story until the unexpected twist. I read this part of the novel holding my breath and raced through it over a few hours. The second half has more action as we follow Lily’s quest to solve the murders and we meet Henry Kimball who fans will remember from previous novels.
Peter Swanson is a hugely talented writer who is the master of twists, turns and evil characterisation. This is the third in the Lily Kitner series but easily read as a standalone. Recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC,

The book opens with a young woman eager and scared about what she views as real adult life. She did not see what happened to her coming. The book then turns to other characters and finishes with a solution.
This was an easy crime read and at the same time I had to concentrate a bit to remember the characters and how they linked together.

I devoured this book in almostt one sitting it was so good. It kept me engrossed from first to the last page. Interactions between the characters brilliant, the storyline blew me out of the water! Wow!

A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson is the third in a (loosely linked) series. I hadn't realised that and - as I've read eight of Swanson's usually-twisted books - I only discovered belatedly I'd read the previous book in the series (The Kind Worth Saving) though not remembered the series's namesakes in any detail.

Despite knowing of his proclivity for twisty-ness I was thrown a little in the early stages of this book as Swanson puts us in the heads of several characters he then wantonly kills off. It was a little disconcerting as I'd identified with them, not realising they weren't going to be our main narrators.

I liked Lily and her eccentric parents so I really must go back and read the first book in this series as I'm keen to get a bit more backstory as I enjoyed the banter and relationship the father and daughter (in particular) shared here. I'm also intrigued by the relationship between Lily and Henry though the latter only appears in this novel towards the end (and it seems it was the opposite in book two with Henry leading the show).

There's a bit of finger-pointing and suspicious behaviour though Swanson shares the whodunnit about halfway through (which he also did in book two). Time is then spent explaining the why, and that was important here as the motive (well, the killer's agenda) felt kinda weak. And then their end goal is thwarted (they act prematurely when I'd expect them to savour the moment) making the killings redundant anyway. I think I would have preferred they just stick to their original killing game rather than deviate on this side project motivated by old anger.

That aside, I liked Lily and enjoyed Swanson's storytelling and need to go back and read the first book in this series and Lily's 'origin story'. 

3.5 stars

A Talent For Murder is the 3rd book in the Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner series. When I first received an ARC of this book, I didn't realize it was part of a series. However, once I found out, I moved "The Kind Worth Killing" up my reading list and finished books 1 and 2 before diving into this one. Although you can read them separately, I believe you'll have the best experience if you read them in order.

I found great enjoyment in this book, despite its predictability at times. The continuation of the series brought me immense pleasure. What truly captivates me about Peter Swanson is his talent for leading readers to believe they understand the story, only to surprise them with unexpected plot twists. "The Kind Worth Killing" remains my favorite work by this author.

Really intriguing book, with lots of twists and turns. Love that the story is told from multiple different viewpoints. Enjoyable book to read, modern day America with a murder or two! thrown into the mix. Id recommend a read.

This is #3 in the Kimball Kintner series by Peter Swanson.

Martha believed she had a love curse put on her in highschool, meaning she would never find love. Her relationships thus far supported that, but then she met Alan.

Newly married to Alan, believing all is well with their relationship, she finds one of his shirts with blood on it. Alan, a travelling salesman, spends a lot of time out of town. Martha has no idea what he gets up to while he's gone.

This was an interesting, twisty read, with a lot going on. We follow several main characters in the storyline, and I enjoyed each of their POVs. There were enough twists to keep it exciting, and hold my attention. It was a quick read for me because I wanted to know what happened next after every chapter.

I would love another sequel to this book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before I review this book there are two things I should probably mention.
1: Prior to this, I had never read anything by this author. Am I likely to read anything else by this author? You bet I am.
2: I didn't realise A Talent For Murder is the third book in a series. Obviously, I haven't read its predecessors (see above), but this in no way impeded my enjoyment of the book.
And so to my review. A Talent For Murder is enthralling. I was hooked from the very start. Swanson knows how to keep the reader turning the pages, as he ramps up the tension. A thoroughly engaging read.
Thanks to Faber and Faber, and Netgalley for the digital ARC.
Publication date: 04/07/2024

This was the first Peter Swanson book I have read and although it is part of a series I think it stands on its own. A fast paced all action book that you can read in a day. I only received my copy two days before publication. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

A Talent for Murder was gripping stuff!

First came A Kind Worth Killing, then A Kind Worth Saving, and now we have A Talent for Murder, and all three have totally and utterly bowled me over with their shocking and unpredictable twists, and fast-paced, edge-of-my-seat plots. Just like the first two books in the series this suspenseful domestic noir thriller can be enjoyed as a standalone, but you'd be missing out on some screwed up, mind boggling character histories if you intend to skip them.

I recommend going into this one blind, so I've decided to skip a synopsis in order not to give a thing away. All I'll say is that one page in and I was already engrossed in Josie's story. In this series pretty much all of the characters are unlikable, and untrustworthy, but their predicaments suck you in, and some of them you just can't help caring if they live or die. There was quite a bit of ‘tell’ rather than ‘show' backstories included, but they were exciting, tense, and interesting enough for it not to bother me.

I have no hesitation in recommending A Talent for Murder. Just don't get too attached to anyone, as you never know what direction the story is going to take.

I’d like to thank Netgalley UK, Faber & Faber, and Peter Swanson for the e-ARC.

UK Release Date: 4th July 2024.

Martha and Alan got married after a whirlwind romance. Martha is a librarian, while Alan travels around to teaching conferences. But Martha is starting to question how much she really knows her husband. On returning from a conference one night, she sees his mask slip briefly. Who exactly is she married to? And what exactly has been going on at these conferences?

Peter Swanson is one of those authors that I've heard a lot about, but never actually got around to reading. This is book #3 of the Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner series. It can definitely be read as a standalone though. There were only a couple of mentions of past incidents.

As someone who reads a lot of thrillers, they can get very predictable after a while. Not so with this book. There were at least 2 genuine jaw-dropping moments that I never saw coming. I also really enjoyed Swansons writing style. The character of Ethan is truly disturbing, which I love to see in a thriller. The characters of Henry and Lily came across really well, even though I'd not read the first 2 books. I am really looking forward to going back and finding out there backstory.

I highly recommend this book to all thriller lovers, whether familiar with Swanson's previous works or not. Thank you very much to NetGalley and Faber for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After a short time dating, Martha says ‘yes’ to Alan’s wedding proposal. He’s a safe pair of hands at the end of the day.

Until that is, Martha discovers another side to him. As Alan travels for conferences, Martha grows suspicious and enlists her old college friend, Lily, to uncover the truth.

Together, they are determined to find out what's really happening, but Martha needs proof before confronting Alan and risking their marriage.

This is my third Swanson novel, and like the others, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Swanson’s writing style is captivating, keeping me hooked from the start.

The plot twists were truly unexpected, and the well-crafted, complex characters kept me reading way past my bedtime! I particularly enjoyed Lily’s character and plan to read the rest of the series.

The multi POV narrative and short chapters added to the tension and helped flesh out the characters.

If you're in the mood for a dark, twisty thriller, I highly recommend this one!

A huge thanks to Faber and Faber and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book for review consideration.  All opinions are my own.

Martha and Alan didn’t know each other existed two years ago. Now they’re married and happy… well, one of them is. Alan attends multiple conferences across the United States and while she enjoys the solitude, she’s not convinced by his actions. In fact, she thinks there’s something deeply awry about her husband. Teaming up with an old school friend, Martha plots how she’ll find out what Alan is really up to. But things begin to fall apart and you’re left wondering if anyone is worth trusting…

This is the third book in this series and, for maximum enjoyment, you really should read the first two first. The Kind Worth Killing and The Kind Worth Saving. Especially as they are both cracking books in themselves!
We start with Martha, a mousy librarian who, after years of thinking she'd end up a spinster with cats, found love with travelling salesman Alan. They married and have been ticking along relatively nicely. Until that is she finds blood on one of his shirts after coming back from a conference in Denver. She is bemused by this and, with the other feelings she has about him, starts to look into where else he had been and if there were any matching incidents. What she finds is shocking and she start to wonder who exactly she has married. So she turns to an old friend for help, Lily Kintner, who once helped Martha out of a tricky relationship...
And that's all I'm saying as you need to go in as blind as you can for maximum shock. And I do mean shock as wowsers, I really never saw some of the punches delivered by this story coming in a million years, and I read north of 300 books a year, mostly of this genre. So... take a bow My Swanson for completely flummoxing me! Once again!
And if all this wasn't enough... the ending had me gasping and on the edge of my seat and wondering how in the heck the author would get the characters out of what he put them into. And, oh my day, he smashed it out of the ballpark once again. Leaving me exhausted but staisfied.
So... if you have already read the previous books, this is a no brainer. If you haven't then, check them out and then this will be a no brainer. You won't regret it.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

A good page turner and holiday read. Some interesting twists and turns throughout. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for the arc of A talent for murder by Peter Swanson

5 stars 🌟!!- if you loved Peter Swanson's other book then your in for a ride with this one! Highly recommend so gripping and captivating had me on the edge of My seat wanting more and more devoured so quickly! I loved Peter's other books so knew this would be no exception and I was right! Loved all the twists and turns it had me from the first page and it is so addictive and compelling I LOVED IT HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

Fabulously dark but written in a matter of fact style which is now giving me a twitch in case someone I know is also a serial killer. Ha. I love the fact that the killer is so nonchalant as though it could easily be a hobby such as stamp collecting and that the MO of the killings are designed to look as though they were accidents. Some lovely twisty bits where he cleverly sets someone on the periphery of his knowledge to look very much like they are the killer and in doing so draws his past acquaintance into the danger zone themselves.
Quirky, almost fun in style and beautifully original, I very much enjoyed this one.

I have loved all the books I have read by Peter Swanson and this book lived up to that! It was such an exhilarating read throughout,

An author new to me. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of the book as was described in the blurb. Lots of twists and turns aad kept me engaged. I shall definitely ce a fan of the author. Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Talent For Murder - Peter Swanson

I am a huge fan of Peter Swanson’s work - and was delighted to be able to read this ARC from NetGalley.

A couple of really big twists along the way that took me by surprise - this three part book has it all.

Murder, second guessing, tension and a deliciously evil and warped protagonist - an awesome recipe for success!

I’m sure fans will love this when it hits the shelves!