Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Bantam for providing the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.
Great revenge story! There were at times I felt that the plot felt a little rushed, while there were other parts that could have used a little speed. I did enjoy the book overall!

Dylan Darcy's best friend has been murdered nearly a decade ago and as she and the two other friends, Priya and Isabel are finally coping. The man, Peter Miles, who killed Doctor Rebecca Grant (Beck) comes into the Aces of Space, where Dylan works Dylan is relieved that he does not recognize her. After all, they’d spent only about two minutes together nearly a year ago. The other issue Peter Miles is a cop and was only a person of interest in Beck's murder.

As Peter continues to visit the bar, Dylan realizes that he must die for what he did to their best friend and a plan arises among the three best friends as to how they can kill Peter get away with and hopefully not crack under pressure. Each friend played their role and each one had their different pressures and it kept me wondering if one of them would cave to police pressure. This book had you wondering who will take the fall right up till the end as someone had to be arrested for Peter's murder.

After so many chapters you read from “Someone” who wrote a chapter from inside a prison – which girl was it?

The story is raw and powerful, filled with twists, secrets, and tension that builds up. It explored grief, guilt, and the price of revenge in such a realistic way

Thank you to Bantam Books and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

It was fine. The alternating points of view were interesting, but I had a hard time getting engaged.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Darkly clever and wildly addictive!

Peter Miles Has to Die is one of those rare thrillers that grabs you with its title and delivers on every page. Katie Collom has written a sharp, edgy, and unputdownable story that’s equal parts dark comedy, suspense, and psychological drama.

If you like psychological thrillers with a wicked twist and characters you love to hate (or hate to love), this one’s a must-read.

Peter Miles Has to Die is a fast-paced, emotional thriller that pulled me in from the first page. Katie Collom writes with intensity and heart, following three friends who take justice into their own hands after losing someone they love.

The story is raw and powerful, filled with twists, secrets, and tension that builds with every chapter. I loved how it explored grief, guilt, and the price of revenge in such a realistic way. The characters felt real, their choices haunting and I couldn’t put it down.

A bold debut that sticks with you long after the last page. I’ll be watching for whatever Katie Collom writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine and Bantam for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Peter Miles Has to Die grabbed my attention with the blurb and kept it throughout the reading, primarily through its excellent mystery prisoner reflecting from the ‘future’ and tracking back to the book’s present throughout the story.

Dylan, Isabel, and Priya are mourning the loss of their friend Beck whose murderer has not been found - though the girls know who it was. As they target Peter and then try to get away with their crime, we also catch some glimpses of Beck leading up to the murder, which I also enjoyed. This is a darker story but entirely satisfying and the last part will especially be unexpected but so good after trying to guess the mystery prisoner and seeing what happened to Beck.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
What a shocker! Four girls are best friends until one is killed and then there are three….. .and this is the reason Peter must die! Can they do it? Can they live with it?

Three friends plot for justice after one of their friends is killed by a cop she had dated. A lot of the book was the plot and a lot of the rest of the book was the aftermath of them figuring out how to live with what they did. There were adults but seemed sometimes like teenagers so the book read as young with not as much depth as I would have liked. It was fine, never really grabbed my interest but did finish it to see how it played out but wanted more.

Not going to lie, I was a teeny bit wary about this one at first 😅 BJT, I am so glad I picked up! This is going to be the revenge read of the summer! It packed a punch for a debut and left you asking yourself, in that position, what would you do? It kind of gave me Big Little Lies vibes in that sense, and I enjoyed it! Readers looking for a unique thriller on the market will definitely enjoy this one! Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this book in exchange for honest review!

Four childhood friends until one is killed leaving Dylan, Priya and Isabel together in grief and in believing the killer, Peter Miles, a local cop got away with murder. Their combined believe leads them to kill Peter Miles, revenge so sweet but is it? Killing Peter changes each one of them, and when each person starts receiving threats, will the trio stick together or will the threats and the police investigation be their undoing.

This was a bit of a slow read for me. It took until almost half the book before I got into the story and wanted to know how it ended. The twist at the end I figured out just a few chapters before it was revealed. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, the writing style was good, the characters were written as young, immature-ish types, I mean really spitting into the beer of the deceased. The plot isn’t a who-dunnit but rather the aftermath of murder, how it affects each person and what does hiding secrets do to a life.

With all the twists and turns this book is a real winner. Strong women characters who believe in vigilante justice. It is no only men who can be tough women can also.

That twist! The psychological guilt that tortures the teens leads to an interesting discussion about blame and guilt and what has long lasting effects

I really liked this book. It was fast-paced and I didn't guess the ending. I liked the era-early 90s, that it was set in. It was a good example of how strong female friendships and bonds can be. Thanks for letting me read this!

Review of Advance Reader’s Copy

When the man who killed Doctor Rebecca Grant comes into the Aces of Space, the bar where she works, Dylan Darcy is relieved that he does not recognize her. After all, they’d spent only about two minutes together nearly a year ago and her then-blonde hair, now grown longer, was currently died black.

But Beck had been her best friend; since her death, Dylan thought about her almost all the time. But she was finally coping . . . until her killer walked in and sat down at the bar.

=========

Vigilante justice is alive and well as three friends seek to avenge the murder of their friend. Their staggering loss still feels overwhelming; their decision they make is problematic. The characters are well-defined, believable and relatable.

Fast-paced and intriguing, the thought-provoking tale pulls readers in from the outset and keeps them guessing as the plot takes several unexpected twists. Suspenseful and captivating, the unfolding narrative explores friendships and guilt as it races toward a denouement many readers will not see coming.

However, the unnecessary use of a particularly offensive expletive may be off-putting for readers; it lowers the rating for the book.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Ballantine / Bantam and NetGalley
#PeterMilesHastoDie #NetGalley

This book has good suspense and keeps entertained throughout as three friends avenge their murdered friend. This is Katie Collom’s debut novel and I cannot wait to read more from her. You get to feel the pressure that each trend is under as they try to keep going and stay ahead of the police.

3.5 Not what I expected at all! The characters had much more going on than just plotting to kill Peter Miles. Good suspense and an interesting twist.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

i support women’s wrongs

thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

this book was INTENSE and fun and twisty and satisfying. i love books with strong female characters and friendships

the three main characters are connected through friendship but also through a devastating loss and an even more devastating decision after that. their feelings of loss and guilt feel so real, it all jumps off the page.

the ending was immensely satisfying. this book was fast-paced and well written.

i’ll be keeping an eye out for more books from this author

Interesting premise, engaging cast of characters, and a very quick and entertaining read. The payoff at the end wasn't quite as satisfying as I hoped, but this was a great choice novel for a long flight.

Three friends set out to avenge their murdered friend, and Peter Miles is their target. Can these three pull off a murder and keep their secret or will one of them crack under the pressure? Right from the start I loved the plot of this book and the writing kept me engaged throughout! I fully admit I did not expect the outcome but I was satisfied with the ending. This book was thought provoking and suspenseful and I could not stop reading because I just had to know how this one was going to end. I like that each friend played their role and each one had their different pressures and it kept me wondering if one of them would cave to police pressure. This book will have you wondering who will take the fall right up until the end.

I really enjoyed this debut novel from Katie Collom and I'm looking forward to reading more from them in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine | Bantam for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Peter Miles Has to Die by Katie Collom due to be published August 12, 2025.
Peter Miles must die. And Dylan Darcy, Priya Shah, and Isabel Guerrero—a bartender, a nurse, and a student—must be the ones to kill him. He murdered their best friend and got away with it. The murder is easy – the hard part is afterwards. When they start being investigated, they start to panic a little. Will they get away with it, or will the detective find out they did it?

What a great read! After the murder, the three women acted so differently. Would they give in to the pressure, or be able to cope with it? “Someone” wrote a chapter from inside a prison every six or seven chapters – which girl was it? Or was it someone not even related to this case? It certainly kept me guessing until the end – I loved it!
#NetGalley #KatieCollom #Ballantine #PeterMilesHasToDie