Wow! What a great debut by Katie Collom! Filled with murder, mayhem and incredible female energy. Brilliant characters that kept me flipping pages long into the night. All round great read and wonderful debut.
Thank you NetGalley, Katie Collom and Bantam Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A fast-paced story of loss, tragedy, vigilante justice, revenge, guilt, and more. When the justice system fails, friends Dylan, Pri, and Isabel, decide to take it into their own hands and dole out the punishment they believe Peter Miles deserves for killing their friend, Beck. But can they actually get away with murder and live with the guilt or will one (or more) of them turn themselves in? I didn’t see the ending coming.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A layered, slow-burning thriller that explores the unraveling of a friendship under the weight of justice, secrets, and revenge.

Peter Miles Has to Die is a compelling debut that weaves past and present timelines to tell the story of three women who take justice into their own hands after their friend Beck is failed by the legal system. The alternating structure—between the planning stages, the aftermath, and prison reflections—creates a smart rhythm that heightens suspense and keeps the pages turning.

The novel's biggest strength lies in its emotional stakes and thematic undercurrent of female rage in the face of injustice, especially within the context of the 1990s. The friendships are complex, and I appreciated the realism in how guilt, fear, and trauma chip away at their bond. Dylan emerges as the most fully developed character, while Priya and Isabel lack some of the same nuance.

The pacing is mostly consistent, though it slows toward the final quarter. The ending, while surprising, could have benefited from more detail—particularly around Beck’s death, which was built up but not fully unpacked. Still, the twist was well-earned and grounded in the story’s logic.

Overall, this is a solid thriller with a strong emotional core, smart structure, and just enough surprises to satisfy fans of character-driven suspense.

This was an engaging story and a great debut novel for the author. A tangled web of emotions - angry, revenge, regret and remorse. These women who decide to take justice in their own hands find out that sometimes the avengers suffer also.
This plot was well done but for me it was slow moving. I found myself skimming over some pages to get ahead to the deeper part of the story. The characters were well defined, some likeable and some definitely not. But the reader did get a feel of the emotions of the women involved. And the ending was definitely an interesting turn. Was justice served? I'm still on the fence on that one!

Thank you Negalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

Rebecca Grant was murdered ! Her best friends know it ! It's a cold case now. And the Chief wants it solved pronto. And he doesn't seem to really care who did it. No one seems to care who the victim, Rebecca really was ! But her friends do ! Now, they have a conflict of interest ! They wanted to pay Miles, they just don't want it to be them. They begin to have regrets about the murder but not right away. But the chief wants it solved now and off his desk pronto. Its a mess he says. He has NO idea just HOW messy it's about to become. Enter Detective Bree Righetti and her partner Detective Mike O'Malley. Totally opposites but both interesting in their different personalities and police methods. Loved them. Especially how Mike didn't' try to sexualize her, look down on her or dismiss her. He has sworn off new tech, like his pager which does make things more difficult. Unlike fellow Detective Taylor who was in their squad room.He didn't mind making things more difficult for Bree. No sure, not one bit. I disliked him right away. And the author did such a good relating of Bree's distaste and how I felt about him too ! That's not easy to do.
BOTH Bree and Mike each hold interesting secrets and I liked how over time they unfolded. This is a Serious story. Hey, it's a Murder. But it's also got some Humor in it too.
There are several recurring good questions that pop up the story. Like, "Is Bree a friend or not?" Several good reasons for this question too ! This intense story just keeps going in the best way and never let me go. Speaking of intense. Dylan Darcy. Intense, controlling, smart and secretive. Wow, what a lethal combo. I didn't like her at first. But as things began to unfold more, I liked her, sympathized with her and over her. I didn't want her to get caught ! I didn't want any of them to get caught !!!
There is an infrequent flash back to the 1990's which at first I found confusing but it didn't take too long to think, Oh I get it now. It's The Before and After in the story. Each person shares there own point of view in the book. And it was needed and emotional and intense also.
The ending comes with STUNNING TWISTS. Emotional, tearful, and I think I just might have to read it again to catch some of the subtle parts of the story.
In the end I loved it !

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

I really enjoyed the first two thirds of this novel, it was the conclusion I had a problem with.

Without giving away any part of this story, let me just note that up to 50% of homicide cases currently go unsolved, regardless of the victim - the solve rate is at an all time low.

Perhaps it's just me, but I didn't want the worthless killer in this story ruining anyone else's lives. I have a criminology background, and everyday there are so many crimes that destroy everyone's lives but that of the worthless perpetrator.

That said, this is an amazingly addictive and well written book, and I definitely will be looking for more from this talented author.

After reading the premise of this book i was really excited to get started. These friends start out as the very definition of “ride or die” friends. Then the heat starts to turn up and things get a bit dicey. I am looking forward to more of what this author writes.

What a debut novel by Katie Collom?!? This book was all and then some! Mysteries and thrillers are my jam and ones with large female presence makes them even better! There were points that the book drug on a little for me and that’s why I couldn’t give it a 5 star but Katie really keeps us captivated most of the book!! The book is based on 4 best friends that become 3 best friends. Those 3 best friends are bonded by love, loss and by the middle of the book MURDER. There are points you think the friendship is going to implode and I guess at one point it almost did BUT Bree (detective) took matters into her own hands since she didn’t so long ago and made sure the 3 best friends didn’t go down for the death of Peter Miles. The book brings to light what some people would do for revenge, what others do for regret/remorse and what others would do to protect a dirty or other dirty cops. All around great debut novel and I look forward to reading more books by this author! Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine publishing for allowing me to read and review this book! I truly enjoyed it and it is getting a well deserved 4/5 stars!!

Peter Miles Must Die has a great premise, but it didn’t quite land for me. There were too many character viewpoint switches early on, which made it hard to keep track of who was who, and the slow start didn’t help either.

The story really gets stuck in chapters that don’t seem to go anywhere. I get that the characters are grieving and angry about their friend’s murder, but after a while it just felt repetitive and kind of exhausting to read.

By the end, those things took too much away from the experience. I wanted to love it, but it just didn’t quite deliver.

Absolutely engaging and twisty. This book had me guessing until the end and had some great surprises along the way. It’s a perfect summer read and would make a great miniseries. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Peter Miles Has to Die is a sharp, fast-paced thriller about three friends plotting to kill the man who murdered their best friend. As they get closer to revenge, secrets unravel and loyalties are tested.

Tense, twisty, and morally complex, this story keeps you guessing to the end. A few parts stretch believability, but it’s a gripping read perfect for fans of dark, character-driven suspense.

Perfect for fans of twisty thrillers with a dark edge.

We all know a guy like Peter Miles, don't we? I thought this was a really good thriller and enjoyed it a lot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Peter Miles Has to Die starts with a bang. Three women, fueled by grief and rage, decide to take justice into their own hands after their best friend is murdered by a corrupt cop who walks free. The setup is undeniably compelling, and Katie Collom does a great job of exploring the emotional weight of revenge and the bonds of friendship under pressure.

The story is fast-paced and morally complex, with a strong feminist undercurrent that I appreciated. The Texas setting adds a gritty, atmospheric backdrop, and the rotating perspectives, especially the chapters from an unnamed prisoner, add intrigue.

That said, I found myself wanting more depth from the characters. While the plot kept me engaged, some emotional beats felt rushed, and the fallout from the murder didn’t hit as hard as I expected. The tension builds well, but the resolution left me with more questions than closure.

Overall, it’s a solid debut with a lot of promise, especially for fans of twisty, character-driven thrillers. I’ll be curious to see what Collom writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. The book is a fast read although I wouldn’t say it grabbed me right away. There were a few twists and turns that kept me going. I had a hunch I knew how it would end and my hunch was right. I find it tough to read any book about abuse in relationships and appreciate that this took a different angle.

Peter Miles has to die was witty, thrilling and had me hooked from the get go.

Three best friends set out to avenge the death of their best friend…and the hand of a crooked cop. When they succeed, their bond is tested and it’s a fight for their lives to keep their secret without cracking under pressure.

The character development was fun, and twisted. I couldn’t believe the plot turns in this book.

Highly recommend.

Tense, fast-paced, and morally murky, this revenge thriller grabs hold from page one and doesn’t let go. The trio at the heart of the story—Dylan, Priya, and Isabel—are flawed but compelling, and their decision to take justice into their own hands sets off a chain reaction of suspense and psychological unraveling. The narrative is tight and suspenseful, exploring the aftermath of violence with nuance and dread. While some twists are more telegraphed than surprising, the emotional stakes remain high throughout. A gripping, character-driven story about the price of vengeance and the weight of guilt.

Thanks, Netgalley, for the chance to read this early.

When Beck is murdered, her three friends are devastated and angry. Very, very angry. The man who brutally killed her is still walking free. He’s a cop and cops protect one another. There’s only thing to do - Peter Miles has to die.

The three friends underestimated the cost of retaliation. They forget to think about how the guilt would eat them alive. As each of them deal with their remorse and anguish, the police are getting closer to the truth. Someone needs to pay, even if Peter Miles deserved it.

This book is so well written and engaging. With topics of sexism and abuse, it’s easy to see how some of the choices are made by the women in the story. Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC.

I received an ARC of this book from Ballantine via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I am going with 3 stars, as there were aspects I liked as well as others I did not.

The beginning moved much too slowly for me, basically until around 40%. At that point, when an important event occurred, I was much more drawn in and interested to find out what happened.

The actual premise seemed farfetched to me. I definitely get the women being enraged about what happened to Beck, but from there to murder is just quite a stretch. There were also periods of what seemed liked filler - Priya's dog being described in detail, Dylan's regulars at the bar - they didn't add anything to the story.

I did like the setup, with chapters focusing on various characters as well as "before" and "after." And I was curious to see who it was narrating the "after" chapters. But when the reveal came, I was just kind of like "yeah, OK." It was not super exciting, and I can't quite explain why.

This was an OK read, but I would not give higher stars due to all the above.

This was an emotional, morally tangled story about friendship and revenge. I felt the weight of the characters’ grief and desperation, and the premise pulled me in right away. While I wanted more depth from the characters and tighter pacing, the book kept me thinking long after I finished. A solid, thought provoking read.

When a friend dies violently and you think the killer has gotten away with with the crime, what would you be willing to do? For Dylan and her friends, Priya and Isabel losing their friend Beck was traumatic. Making it more traumatic was it appears Beck was beaten to death, and the lead suspect is police officer Peter Miles. But without evidence the police can do nothing and as time passes the girls decide to take matters in their own hands.

Peter Miles Must Die has a great premise but tends to get bogged down in chapters that don’t seem to go anywhere. Page after page of woman feeling angry about their friend’s murder can be moving but it can also be repetitive and draining. In the end that took away too much from my reading experience.