“Truthfully, I don’t think murder is necessarily as bad as people make it out to be. Everyone dies. What difference does it make if a few bad apples get pushed along a little sooner than God intended? And your wife, for example, seems like the kind worth killing.”

My thanks to Faber & Faber for a review copy of ‘The Kind Worth Killing’ by Peter Swanson. This tense thriller was originally published in February 2015.

My apologies for the late feedback. While originally a granted wish in December 2015, my vision problems from 2016-18 left this languishing on my TBR shelf. In the intervening period I have purchased both its ebook and audiobook editions.

This was a superb and entertaining crime thriller. Just brief plot details to avoid spoilers.

When Ted Severson’s flight from Heathrow is delayed, he strikes up a conversation in the airport bar with the glamorous Lily Kitner. Over cocktails they start sharing details about their lives. Almost jokingly they hatch a dark plan. Might they actually go through with it?

Obviously there’s a bit of a ‘Strangers on a Train’ vibe to this story. Or rather Strangers on a plane.

This was definitely an edge-of-the-seat page turner. I was impressed by Swanson’s clever plotting. This was so deliciously twisty that I almost felt like I had whiplash by its final pages.

Definitely recommended.

I loved the twists and turns in this novel. Told from the perspective of various characters throughout, you are never quite sure where you will be taken next; right up to the last page where I was left with a smirk on my face as I was left to imagine what the future holds for the protagonist. A good, satisfying read.

A chance encounter at an airport, a mutual attraction and a baring of souls over a drink in the bar leads to a complicated story about murder and deceit. Lily is beautiful...and deadly! She has killed before and is happy to help Ted plot the murder of his cheating wife. However, things don't go according to plan! The story gets complicated but keeps you enthralled throughout. There is a great ending too. Well worth reading!

I’m new to Peter Swanson and so pleased I tried this book as the story is simply fabulous. Ted Severson is intelligent, wealth and unhappy, drowning his sorrows in an airport bar. He’s approached by Lily Kintner, beautiful, enigmatic and empathetic enough to get Severson to open up about his troubles. Ted’s wife Miranda is beautiful and sophisticated but unfaithful with Brad, the builder who is creating Miranda’s dream home, funded of course by Ted’s bulging bank balance. Ted is angry at this betrayal but doesn’t know what to do, although after a few more cocktails the answer is clear. He wants to kill Miranda. Lily turns out not just to be a good listener, but practical too, offering to help Ted kill his wife Miranda.

The novel also tells the backstory of the main characters, bringing to life Ted, Miranda and Lily herself. As the story developed I was quite disturbed by Lily, particularly her first cold and calculated murder, but as I found out more I started to sympathise with her and understand why she murdered a series of people. They were indeed “the kind worth killing”.

Anyway, back to Ted, Miranda and Brad - it looks like a pretty straightforward plot – Ted wants rid of Miranda, Lily will help Ted and Brad will soon be off the scene once Miranda’s gone. At this point, I was reading in a coffee shop on a Sunday afternoon wondering how Swanson was going to spin this out for the rest of the book, when Ted literally opens the door to the first of many twists, distractions, hidden links and misdirections that keep you on tenterhooks. No spoilers, but what I will say is that as soon as you think you know what’s going to happen next, you find out within 15 pages that you don’t!

I absolutely loved this novel – it had everything I want in a good thriller, starting with an uncomplicated premise that develops into a rich, sophisticated and skilfully developed plot. The characters are great and the real testament to Swanson’s skills as a writer is that I found myself firmly on Lily’s side – yes, I know she’s a multiple murderer and she’s completely amoral, but her victim’s aren’t entirely innocent – dammit, they deserve it!

Final verdict – I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this novel. For me it’s one of those few genuinely “stand out” books and a fantastic start to 2015 for crime and thriller readers. As an aside, the film rights have already been sold, which confirms just how great this book is. by Romancrimeblogger

What did I think?

Ted Severson is rich and meets the beautiful Lily in an airport lounge and he is beguiled by her, especially when she convinces him that there is a solution to his cheating wife.

Each chapters is written from Lily or Ted’s own perspective. After their first meeting they start a secret relationship that intrigued me as to how it would pan out.

It is not a gory murder story, it is a quietly, calm and well thought out plot that draws you in and gets you hooked on the side of the Ted and Lily.

Characters?

I love the characters in this novel, they are brilliant. Nobody is perfect and they are all excellently marred in some way. There is also a wonderful innocence running through which deflects from the hideous nature of people.

Lily is such a sweet thing. No, I genuinely liked her…what can I say, she may have been justified. Just saying….

Lily’s parents seemed exotically inappropriate to raise a child, her mother an artist and and her father an English novelist wanting to fill their rotting mansion with ‘creative and intelligent (and young males and females). Mostly ignored in the middle of it all was Lily. One summer her mother invited an artist called Chet to spend the summer with them.
“I remember my father calling him the homeless degenerate your mother has housed for the summer. Avoid him, Lily, I think he has leprosy. And God knows whats in his beard”

Now reading that you just know that something is bound to end badly for someone, because Chet does appear to be a bit of a shit guy. Well, it’s not for me to tell you what happens because you will just have to read and delight in the tale.

For me the beginning was reminiscent of reading Lolita the famous piece of Literature that I found disturbing.

There are lots of great pieces that says far more than the words:
My father promised to make a special trip to the store, but I watched the memory of the promise fade out of his eyes before we even finished the conversation.

I could see the places as described as well as the people. Great writing, great descriptions, great humour by Peter Swanson.

What did I like best?

Enter other characters in the The Kind Worth Killing. Strong characters too and as the plot became more complex the more the characters themselves emerged.

Best character for me was Lily herself, such a sweet girl and intelligent too. I never thought I would ever want someone to get away with so much. But I felt satisfied that it was so carefully planned. She deserved to get away with everything.

At one point I got so excited about what dark thing Lily and Ted agreed on. The fact I was so excited is disturbing in itself!

Back to reality. This is a cracking book, one which kept me intrigued all the way through.

Swanson certainly had me on my seat with twists in the plot that I did not see coming.

I can definitely recommend this one.