Thom and Wendy Graves have a picture perfect life. They were high school sweethearts who reunited as adults and have been married for 25 years. Wendy is a poet, while Thom is a professor of English literature at a New England college. They live in a beautiful Victorian in Massachusetts and have a successful adult son. Everything is perfect, except Wendy wants to murder Thom. This is a unique thriller exploring the complexities of marriage and whether or not we really know the people we are closest to.

The most unique thing about this book is that it is told in reverse. The reader already knows that Wendy is sick of her husband and throughout the story we come to learn why she is sick of him and what secrets really brought the couple together. It's an interesting way to tell the story, but it also takes quite a bit of the tension out of it, I think. I also would have liked it if we had gotten to be in the characters' heads a bit more. It's told in the third person and we do get some of their thoughts, but I think we could have gotten to know the characters better and that would have added to the story. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job with it. I would recommend this one to people who enjoy stories about complicated relationships or relationships that span decades.

This is the story of Thom and Wendy Graves, opening in their 25th year of marriage. They have many things in common, including their birth date. They are not an ordinary couple - they have secrets. Secrets that bring them closer together. Or will they tear them apart?

Told in reverse chronological order, this was a juicy thriller of a ride. Kept having my mind blown by twists and turns. I listened to the audiobook - thanks to NetGalley for the advance listen and the chance to share my thoughts. The narrator was great, and his timing and delivery were impeccable. This is the type of book that makes you wonder who other people truly are, if the appearance of normalcy is just a facade, and what’s going on behind that facade? Great listen

I couldn't figure out why it needed to be written backward, but by the end it finally made sense. However, it wasn't a particularly interesting story. I have read every single book Peter Swanson has written, and sadly this is going to go down as my least favorite. He's a great writer, I just didn't care at all about the characters and I didn't feel like they were ever fully developed, particularly Wendy.

I don’t even know where to start with this one. Kill Your Darlings is a captivating, clever psychological thriller, and Swanson absolutely deserves all the praise for it. If you can, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook; the narrator did a phenomenal job and truly brought the characters to life. If you’re a fan of thrillers, just read this book. Go in blind and enjoy the wild, twisty ride.

Swanson is a great suspense writer, and this is no exception. We meet married couple Thom and Wendy, and follow their story backwards to see how we got to Wendy wanting to kill Thom. We find out Wendy and Thom's dark secrets from their past as we reverse back through their story. Steven Weber did a great job narrating this! This was a unique way to write the story, and I really enjoyed it.

Would you like to know how a book ends before you read it? Most readers try to avoid SPOILERS so that they can have an authentic reading experience.

Peter Swanson’s Kill Your Darlings turns this notion on its head by telling this domestic suspense story in reverse order. Intriguing concept, but is this plot device successful?

Nope, it didn’t work for me!

Why?
1. I already knew the ending, so I was less invested in the characters and the plot.
2. It was difficult to get my brain to remember that the story was being told in reverse!

I listened to the audiobook which is expertly read by one of my favorites, Steven Weber, while following along with the Ebook. I enjoyed the audiobook and believe that it is what helped me finish it.

The twists were also not as exciting as I had hoped, and it took a very long time to get there.

Peter Swanson is a hit or miss author for me (with more misses than hits), so I might be taking a break from his work for a while.

2.5/5 stars rounded up

Expected publication date: 6/10/25

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss, and the publisher for the ARCs of Kill Your Darlings in exchange for an honest review.

Peter Swanson is a hit and miss author for me, but I still look forward to all his new releases. Kill Your Darlings fell kind of middle of the road for me. The story and the way it was told was interesting but I didn't connect and get as much into it as some of his other ones. Eight Perfect Murders and The Kind Worth Killing I think will always be my favorites!

Because the format of this book is written in reverse, it lost the tension that usually comes with a thriller. Viewing this as not a thriller, but more of a story of a marriage falling apart, makes it a more interesting read. There is a reveal/twist that I really liked here. I enjoyed the narration of this story.

Thom and Wendy have been married for a almost 25 years. Raised one child, had some ups and downs... and are now settling into being empty nesters.. except that Wendy despises her husband and wants him dead.
In a flurry of flashbacks documenting the very start of Wendy and Thom's relationship as teens, the death of her first husband, Wendy and Thom's re acquaintance as adults, right through to the very end, Swanson write's the slow burn death of a romance I didn't know I desired.
Fun, fascinating, and a little terrifying!

This one started out strong, but I have to say as it went on, I really struggled to connect. I did really enjoy the very clever premise of a story told in reverse. I was pulled in immediately, but then things just seemed to become monotonous. Nothing was happening, and I was ready to get to the meat of the story. By the time the mic drop ending did occur (and it was pretty amazing!), I had just really become too distracted to fully connect.

The saving grace here is the narration by Steven Weber. His voice is just perfect for any book.

I do really enjoy this author and will continue to read his books, but this one really confused me, I’m sorry to say.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I'm not a big reader of Peter Swanson, but I know many who are. After reading in Kill Your Darlings, I can understand why he has a loyal following. The writing of this book is excellent, and I can appreciate his skill in building both character and plot. Unfortunately, the structure of this book wasn't quite as successful for me. I enjoyed it a great deal at the beginning and was fascinated by the craft of putting it all together. However, as the book went on, it became a bit predictable in its tracing back of what happened. The structure (for me) turned this book into a thriller with utterly no suspense. For listeners of the audiobook, the narration is excellent.

This has a very unique premise in that the plot is told in reverse chronological order. I have only read one or two other books who followed this format and it creates an abundance of intrigue and suspense. The story centers around a couple who have been married for many years. The beginning of this alludes to an event that took place years ago but readers are not privy to this information until the very end. The narrator deftly portrays all the characters and this is easy to follow along with. The plot held my interest but wasn't my favorite by this author. Nevertheless, I think fans will enjoy this because it is something different.

This is the story of a marriage and a secret past shared by the unlikeable couple. Starting in the present, each chapter is further back in the past until secrets unravel. Interest way to tell a story. Steven Weber as the narrator...fantastic!

I enjoy Peter Swanson's writing, and this one didn't disappoint. This book tells the story of a marriage in reverse, a marriage that was doomed from the start. I didn't mind the reverse order of the story. I found it different and refreshing. The narration of this book kept me engaged..I do wish there had been an epilogue, but I also like that there wasn't one, if that makes sense...It was worth the read. I'll read/listen to anything Peter Swanson writes!

Thanks to Harper Audio & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Peter Swanson has been on my list for awhile; what better time to read him than when Steven Weber is doing the voice acting?

This story tells the ins and outs of a longstanding relationship in reverse: the characters are in their late 50s in the beginning, then we go waaaay back to their teens. It's a gamble, but for me, it worked. If I had been reading the physical book, you would've seen me slipping back to the beginning, as there is a LOT that goes on in the first few chapters, but of course we don't know exactly why it's happening. There is a little twist at the end which I found to be rather clever, it's not a Freida McFadden style situation, it's much more subtle.

Cons: timeline can be confusing for some, characters are pretty awful people and tough to root for
Pros: did I mention Steven Weber? He's alarmingly good, possible able to unseat George Newbern

4 stars

I love a slow burn and different timelines. There are no likeable characters, but their stories are fascinating. Telling the story in reverse with the jaw-dropping ending added to my enjoyment of the novel.

Thom and Wendy first met on a field trip to Washington DC when they were teens. They had their first kiss at the stairs in Georgetown, famous for being the scene of the priest's death in The Exorcist. They didn't see one another again until years later when circumstances are perfect for their reunion. Thom is single and Wendy is a widow. They are ready for their happily ever after with just one problem - Wendy wants to murder Thom.

It was an enjoyable story, but as it was told backwards it was a bit hard to follow.

Between 3 and 3.5 for this one. I loved The Kind Worth Killing and Nine Lives, but this one wasn't as jaw-dropping/surprising for me, which is what I love most about thrillers. I had a hard time keeping up with the timeline for the first half, with it going back and forth across the years (though I think this was just because I was doing audio format). It did keep my attention, and I felt the suspense, which is the reason it was at least a solid 3 star! I enjoyed the narrator. My favorite part was how it went back to detail Wendy's childhood and the reasoning for what transpired in her adult life.

Thom Graves and Wendy Eastman have know each other since they were 14 years old. They have been married for twenty-five years and have a secret that no one can find out about. Kill Your Darlings tells the story of Thom and Wendy Graves from present day and continues backwards to the day that they met on the school bus and shared their first kiss together. As with all of Peter Swanson's books I was hooked by the first chapter. This book will not disapoint anyone and the format is unlike anything that I've read before. Iwould like to thank both NetGalley and HarperAudio for letting me listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook

I love the writing in this book and thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. I would recommend to all who like the family drama/psychological fiction genre.