"Sometimes people are only good for part of their lives, and then they move on. Or we move on without them."

This was a bit of a slow burn but that last sentence was so worth it. I really enjoyed the layout of the book, we meet Wendy and Thom when they’ve already been married for 20 years and then the book goes back and shows us key moments in their lives in both of their perspectives that shows what lead them here. I had a lot of fun reading this one and it’ll stick with me for a while.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review

Labeled as a reverse murder mystery, in a nutshell, Wendy and Thom are married and in the very first sentence we learn that Wendy is actively trying to kill her husband. Why? You have to read backwards to find the answer to that. This is definitely an engaging story with the drama and suspense building throughout and yet the whole sordidness really does get to be a bit much! I thank Netgalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A slow burn tale of domestic suspense, Kill Your Darlings centered around one heck of a dastardly pair. Told in reverse order starting with the end, it was a classic Swanson move to focus not on the growing love story, but the demise of it instead. You see, this sweet romance ended—or should I say started—off with quite the bang. Instantly grabbing my attention with the promise of many a dark secret, I flew through this novel in only matter of hours. After all, with quirky characters, plenty of dark humor, and a gasp-worthy last page, it had all of the pieces to make it an out-and-out winner, including one heck of a twist, even if it took a while to get there.

Unfortunately, though, there was plenty that let me down between the attention-grabbing start and shocking last page. The definition of a slow-boiling suspense/thriller, while there was tension imbued within every page, we found out the big plot points way too early on. My biggest pet peeve, though, was how unattached I was to the handful of characters. Perhaps it was due to the original format, but the stop-and-start narrative kept me from really connecting. Alongside of unnecessary details and a repetitive feel, I’m truly sad to report that this newest release by one of my all-time favorite authors landed with a thud rather than a bang.

All said and done, despite being less than blown away by this clever spin on a love story’s undoing, I was nevertheless hooked from beginning to end. Was this down to my preexisting love for the author—or the tension and intrigue that oozed from the pages? I’m not sure I’ll ever be 100% sure, but I am positive that while this wasn’t my favorite by Swanson, it was still an overall good read. An intense character study of the dual POVs as well as marriage, it made me think long and hard. Just the same, it wasn’t the slam dunk that I was expecting, as I much prefer Swanson’s edge-of-your-seat thrill rides over this somewhat puzzle-like read. Rating of 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Peter Swanson, William Morrow Books, and NatGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Peter Swanson's latest is a cleverly constructed psychological thriller that dares to move in reverse - literally. In 'Kill Your Darlings', we meet Wendy Graves in 2023 as she calmly decides to murder her husband. From there, the story rewinds through their turbulent marriage, revealing the choices, secrets, and shared sins that have bound them together - and now threaten to destroy them.

Told backwards, each chapter peels away a layer of their history: the cracks in their relationship, the compromises made, and a dark secret dating back to their early twenties that holds them in an increasingly toxic bind. The structure is ambitious, and surprisingly effective - it mirrors how memory works, how we try to justify present actions by revisiting past events.

Wendy is a fascinating character: sharp, scorned, and complex. Thom, her husband, is equally layered, more passive than sinister, but clearly hiding just as much. Swanson plays with perspective and time to excellent effect, forcing readers to constantly reassess what they think they know about this couple and their marriage.

Though the book leans more into slow-burn psychological suspense than high-octane thriller, the payoff is worth it. Fans of Gillian Flynn or Alice Feeney will appreciate the dark domestic dynamics and moral ambiguity.

The premise might make you think that this is just another domestic thriller, but this story is actually told in the reverse order. So you already know what happens right away and you are working your way backwards in putting the puzzle pieces together.
The pacing was a little slow at times but picked up around the half way mark. This felt more like a dissection of a marriage than a thriller, and the husband's actions were pretty repetitive throughout. I still think that the concept of this book was very well executed and it kept me engaged until the end. I also enjoyed the little pop culture references for each year, that was so fun to read!

Oh my! I always enjoy a Peter Swanson book, and this one has me thinking about so many different aspects. It has an interesting set-up as it starts at the end and moves back through the years to the beginning, 2023 to 1982. We meet some sick, crazy people, but did their actions ruin them or were they always this bad? The travel back in time lets us see. There are plenty of secrets, internal struggles and poor behaviors. Even though the characters weren’t always likable, the storyline kept me glued. It would make a great book club read. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the digital ARC.

Thom and Wendy have been married for more than 25 years. Wendy wants to murder her husband. Everything that happens has to do with the beginning. We learn about their marriage in reverse and learn about what has bind them together since the beginning.

I was a little bored in the beginning, but then I was sucked into the story. The ending twist took me a reread to understand. I think the format of the reverse plot line made it a little difficult to follow.

Thank you to Peter Swanson, William Morrow, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a slow burn mystery that I couldn’t quite figure out where it was going. It was a strong four stars throughout the book because the writing was flawless and the plot was well developed. I kept wondering okay how is it going to end because it’s told in reverse so you already know how the story ends at the beginning of the book….. but do you?

Look…. when I got to the end I literally laughed because I didn’t see that coming at all. It was GREAT! I can’t say any more without spoiling it but trust me it was well worth it! FIVE STARS!

Peter Swanson knocks it out of the park again with Kill Your Darlings! This dark, twisty mystery kept me hooked from start to finish. I loved how well Peter built tension throughout the story, I understood the direction the plot was going in, but I never saw the twists coming. The unpredictability of it all was a true testament to Swanson’s genius storytelling. The characters were complex, and the narrative was gripping, with that signature eerie atmosphere that makes his books so hard to put down. If you're a fan of suspenseful mysteries with jaw-dropping twists, Kill Your Darlings is a must-read. Peter Swanson continues to deliver brilliant thrillers that leave me eagerly anticipating his next book.

Thom, an English literature teacher in his mid-fifties, struggles with alcoholism and aspirations of writing a bestseller. His wife Wendy is a published poet who inherited wealth from her first husband. She does not partake in vices and dislikes the changes she sees in Thom. Recently, Wendy attempted to remove Thom from her life but was unsuccessful. Their relationship raises several questions: Why does Wendy want to end their marriage? Why is Thom heavily drinking? They were once childhood sweethearts. What led to their current situation? The book gradually reveals the answers, starting from their early years. Interestingly, readers will only understand their story by reading the last chapter, which details how they first met.

I loved the reverse storytelling, making it a real page-turner. Some readers may need patience with the narrative, but it is truly worth it in the end.

My thanks to William Morrow Publishing, The Author, Peter Swanson, as well as NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Kill Your Darlings.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC

I enjoy Peter Swansons novels and was excited to receive an advanced copy of Kill Your Darlings.

Unfortunately this story just didn’t do it for me. The reverse timeline is an interesting concept but it felt to me like it took away the entire mystery. Idk. Nothing felt “shocking” or even “surprising”.

Swanson had an interesting concept with this slow-burn story of a marriage: start in the present with a wife murdering her husband, then take the narrative backwards through time until the husband and wife first met as middle schoolers. There are a lot of secrets, betrayals, and bad behavior along the way, but I just felt tuned out and didn't care about Wendy and Thom at all. I didn't really understand the point of telling the story this way; Swanson didn't do anything magical or shocking as we traveled back in time with the characters, and even the clever little "ta-da" at the end felt like a let down. I had no need to like either character, and I didn't, but I still needed something to make me invested in the story being told. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for a digital review copy.

This book has such a unique angle, it’s told completely in reverse.
We start with a woman wanting to murder her husband. Right from the beginning you know who was murdered and who did it…and then slowly move backward through their marriage to uncover how they got there.
I liked the concept of how it peeled back the layers of this long, complicated and messy marriage.
I will say I had to read the last chapter twice to catch a small twist! So be sure to catch that.

I was given this book from BookClubGirl and NetGalley for an honest review. I did read the whole thing but I just didn’t connect with the characters or the way the author wrote a reverse timeline story of Wendy and Thom’s relationship. I felt like I already knew too much of the general story and there weren’t any outstanding plot twists to keep me wanting more.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 284 / Genre: Psychological Thriller
Release Date: June 10, 2025
🥳#HappyPubWeek!🎉

After 25 years of marriage, Wendy Graves has had enough of her husband’s drinking and cheating. Already wealthy from inheriting her first husband’s family fortune, she doesn’t really see the need for her current husband.

I think because none of the characters in this story are particularly likable, it made it easy and fun to watch their psychotic antics without any feelings on of guilt. This story is even more interesting in that it was told backwards. You slowly see how these people got to be who they are and exactly what they did in their past to get them there. Definitely worth reading.

Thank you, @PeterMSwanson and @WilliamMorrowBooks for my free advanced copy.

I would give this book 4 stars for the creative way it goes back in time and 3 stars for the story itself. Wendy and Thom's story is told in reverse, including all the "darlings" they've killed along the way. We start off in 2023 when Wendy and Thom are a bit fed up with their marriage, and the story ends in 1982 when they first meet on a school bus at 14. The years in between are periods in their life that are momentous with secrets they both must take to their grave.

This was a cleverly written book, but it does take some work when reading it to keep putting yourself back in time. I love how Peter Swanson always weaves in other iconic psychological thrillers (books, movies, poems)... they are like little Easter eggs for your reading entertainment.

This was unique storytelling at its finest! I was skeptical about how the narrative was going to move backwards (how do you do suspense when things happen in reverse) but it was so twisty and engrossing. Seeing the breakdown a marriage this way was definitely interesting - it’s like you can’t pinpoint the exact moment where it all went wrong. The character development still works in this format as you see change throughout.

Thank you to William Morrow Books via Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A married couple meets at age 14, lives life, then meets again and eventually gets married bound by a major secret. After 25 years of marriage and their son all grown up, Wendy wants to murder her husband to ensure that their secret goes with him to the grave.

This book was definitely a slow burn and at times had me confused since it is a backwards timeline. It starts in the present and goes all the way to the beginning of their relationship at the end. The end was great I only wish some questions were answered that I have, but I don’t want to add spoilers. It was an interesting perspective for a story just a little slow for me. The twists are fantastic and while you can guess some of them others are great and made me gasp out-loud. Definitely worth the read if you like domestic thrillers and slow burns. I will definitely be trying out some of this authors other books.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Peter Swanson. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Thom and Wendy Graves have been married for over twenty-five years. They live in a beautiful Victorian on the north shore of Massachusetts. Wendy is a published poet and Thom teaches English literature at a nearby university. Their son, Jason, is all grown up. All is well….except that Wendy wants to murder her husband. What happens next has everything to do with what happened before.

This was such a creative way to tell this story and I thought it was wonderful. We begin in 2023 and work our way back to 1982, when Thom and Wendy were 14. The reader is privy to the key moments in the couple's lives and that secret that they share. This book makes you think, because each chapter backwards fills in more of the puzzle, all up to that final/beginning chapter. I felt like I wanted to read it over again starting from the end to see if I missed anything, but bravo on such a creative twist!

Told in reverse from 2023 to 1982, Kill Your Darlings follows the toxic unraveling of Wendy and Thom Graves’ marriage. It’s an ambitious concept—part Inception, part The Postman Always Rings Twice—with plenty of secrets, betrayals, and bad behavior.

While I appreciated the unique format, it didn’t fully work for me. The major “twist” felt predictable early on, and the reverse timeline meant the story lacked a traditional climax. It’s a slow burn, with lots of repetition and drawn-out reveals, but there are a few clever moments—especially the final detail—that kept me reading.

Wendy and Thom are terrible people, but their messy descent from passionate twenty-somethings to marital disaster is oddly compelling. It’s not my favorite Swanson novel, but it’s entertaining enough—especially if you enjoy watching relationships implode in reverse.

A big thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.