Kill For Me, Kill For You was a fun read. The plot was intense and the characters were fascinating and strange, so I finished the book in no time. Some of the plot twists were a bit too predictable for me, but I loved it either way.

I had the privilege of diving into "Kill for Me, Kill for You" courtesy of NetGalley and Atria, and what a thrill it was. Steve Cavanagh masterfully weaves multiple perspectives, including those of Amanda, Ruth, Detective Farrow, and Scott, creating a tapestry of intrigue and suspense.

At its core, the novel delves into the theme of revenge, drawing readers into a web of interconnected lives where justice and peace of mind hang in the balance. As a mother, I found myself quickly identifying with Amanda's quest for vengeance and her righteous anger.

The short chapters and shifting viewpoints kept me engaged from start to finish. Cavanagh expertly blindsided me with unexpected twists, keeping me on the edge of my seat and eagerly flipping pages to uncover the next revelation. The ending left me reeling, a testament to Cavanagh's skill in crafting a truly unforgettable thriller.

With its gripping plot, compelling characters, and jaw-dropping twists, "Kill for Me, Kill for You" has undoubtedly secured a place among my top reads of the year. Fans of thrillers won't want to miss this one.

Interesting, but not sure about the ending. I felt that some of the twists existed just to be shocking and didn't really benefit the story. Are we meant to empathize for a serial killer who enjoys brutally attacking innocent women? Problematic.

This book is a fast paced psychological thriller that follows multiple different POVs. I definitely felt like the first half of the book was a little slow and at times confusing with the different POVs, but the last half was a fast read and I could not wait to see what was going to happen!

Ruth and Amanda definitely stole the show. I felt like one of the twists at the end was pretty obvious, but the other twist I did not see coming to the very end and I was very pleased with how it turned out. I would rate this book a 3.5/5 stars, but round up to 4 for netgalley.

If you like serial-killer psychological thrillers, then this book is for you!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steve Cavanagh does it again! If you are a fan of her books, you will not be disappointed in this new one. The book sucks you in from the get-go and you will find yourself thinking about the characters long after you finish it. Do yourself a favor and get this book!!

Thank you to Atria Books and Simon Audio for the copies to review!

Y’all. This book. It was WILD in the very best way. It was a little slow to build in the beginning, but my goodness, once it got going, it did not stop and the twists! Holy cow! I did not see them coming and that ending!? OMG. I don’t want to spoil this one, but it is absolutely in my top reads for the year. The audio is excellent as well, and I really enjoyed reading it this way. I’ve included the synopsis below for you, but definitely do not pass this up if you have not read it yet, it is a must read!

This was multiple perspectives which I love. Told from the points of view from Amanda, Ruth, Detective Farrow and Scott, I wanted to see how the stories would connect. This book was all about revenge, and I was here for it. I enjoyed the relationship between Amanda and Wendy, and all I wanted was justice and peace of mind for Amanda. As a mother, I identified quickly with her wanting revenge and being angry.

The chapters were very short, and I enjoyed the changing perspectives along the way. I did not see a lot of the twists that came, and I liked that this one was not easily predictable. I liked that as the book went on, I was so invested, I didn’t have time to stop my head from spinning with all the twists that were thrown my way. Steve Cavanagh definitely had me flipping the pages until the very end. The ending left me shook, and as a thriller queen, that is not easy to do. This is definitely one of my top reads of this year!

A solid 4.5 stars! A very faced paced thriller.

I went between listening and reading this and i couldn’t stop until It was finished. A twist on Strangers on a Train, two grieving women meet at a support group and agree to take justice in their own hands for each other, but It quickly goes awry for Amanda.

This book is fast paced with lots of twists. The author does a great job of writing suspense - leaving little cliff hangers at the end of each chapter. The ending!!! Left me shook, poor Ruth.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early read of this book. My opinions are entirely my own.

4.5 stars. It took me a long time to get into this book but in the end I really enjoyed it. Amanda is grieving the tragic murder of her young daughter and suicide of her husband when she meets another grieving woman at a support group. They click and eventually make a plan to kill someone for each other but things don't go as planned. I was a bit confused with all the storylines at the beginning and how it was all going to tie together but it was all wrapped up at the end. There were twists that I didn't see coming and ultimately the book was a good psychologic thriller. Definitely recommend.

This was a bit far fetched. Like what are the odds this could happen? It was still a decent story and definitely well written. Cavanagh almost made me believe it could happen, which I guess is the point in reading fiction.

Two women, one goal- carry out justice for their children. Amanda and Wendy agree to trade murders in order to rid the world of two evil men. Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Ruth is haunted by the memory of a man with piercing blue eyes who tried to kill her. “Kill for You, Kill for Me” by Steve Cavanagh brings a unique twist to Strangers on a Train.
This thriller was one of those books that you’re instantly invested in. Each woman is dealing with the question of justice and how it should be served, which makes how everything tied together that much more interesting.
In the end, this book was 4.5 stars for me. I love trying to piece together how all the women were connected and I felt like the ending was everything I wanted it to be. Definitely a great BOTM pick! Also big thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh is marketed towards fans of The Silent Patient, Gone Girl, Verity and The It Girl - with all those boxes getting ticked and then some!

This thriller was one twisty and well executed ride, the plot beyond tight and well thought out! I had a hunch at the first main twist, but found myself more surprised as my thought played out, (pleasantly) shocked that Cavanagh's writer mind actually went there. Other twists left me additionally awestruck and gasping at their execution.

It's graphic, but not overtly so. There are characters to reluctantly side with, and those to loathe. The twists start early and continue deep into the third act.

If you're looking for a thriller to knock your socks off, this is the one that will do it! Just trust me: dive into it with as little information as possible!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the complimentary copy to read and review.

What a fantastic thriller. I was hooked from the beginning. Steve Cavanagh had quickly become an auto read for me. He has the ability to grab you from the beginning and keep your reeling until the end. I highly recommend this thriller!

In a Nutshell: An interesting psychological thriller with regular twists along the way. Inspired from the classic murder swap “Strangers on the Train”, which I haven’t read/watched and hence I could enjoy this as a fresh story. The ending might not work for everyone. An entertaining ride if you follow the golden rule of contemporary thriller reading: Do not overthink!

Plot Preview:
New York City. Ever since Amanda’s daughter and husband died, she has been focussed on avenging their deaths while still struggling to cope with her loneliness and grief. At a counselling session, she bumps into Wendy, who is also intent on a revenge plan against the man who destroyed her family. As they unburden to each other, they come up with a plan: You kill for me, I’ll kill for you.
Ruth, who also lives in NYC, had been a confident professional until the day a stranger with piercing blue eyes entered her house and attacked her. It was just luck that she survived, but her attacker has been untraceable. Ever since the traumatic incident, Ruth is petrified to be alone, though her husband Scott assures her that she’s safe.
How will Amanda and Wendy’s mutual-revenge plan work? Will Ruth ever feel safe again and will her attacker be found? What is the connection between the two arcs?
The story comes to us in the third person perspectives of Amanda, Ruth, Scott, and Farrow – the detective who worked on both Amanda’s and Ruth’s cases.

I had two advantages before beginning this read:
👉 No first-hand knowledge of any murder-swap book, even the one this is supposedly based on: Patricia Highsmith’s ‘Strangers on the Train’. I haven’t even watched the Hitchcock movie based on the classic. Thus I had no idea how the plot would go.
👉 No experience with any Steve Cavanagh book prior to this. This is the first time I’m reading his work.
As such, I went in blind, with no (great) expectations about anything, despite the hype surrounding this novel. Plus, I prepped myself to suspend disbelief – a mandatory requirement for contemporary thrillers, which seem to thrive on OTT scenes, an overload of coincidences and minimal common sense. All of this worked in favour of my reading experience.

Bookish Yays:
🤩 The perfect title for such a plot. It tells you everything you need to know and then shows you how little you know.
🤩 Amanda and Ruth – two women so caught up in their past that they can’t even face the present with their whole minds. They are flawed, impulsive, and broken. More importantly, both had their grey areas. I loved the imperfection of their characters, portraying how devastating the impact of grief can be, and how people handle trauma differently.
🤩 Farrow was an exceptional character. He is the kind of detective who uses his head as well as his heart, a pleasant change from the usual depiction of focussed and professional officers. I also love how his chronic back pain was used as a plot device, and not just in the action scenes. In most books, injuries and illnesses are conveniently forgotten after a couple of chapters, but here, it is actually a vital part of the plot throughout. Farrow’s partner Hernandez is also an effective character.
🤩 The portrayal of grief and PTSD: I don’t expect deep introspective writing from psychological thrillers, so it was a surprise to see the realistic way in which the emotional upheaval after a tragedy was depicted.
🤩 A steady build-up to the story, going slow in the beginning and consistently revving up the pace until the final showdown. I like how it took its time to establish the backstory for its characters, though this might not satisfy those readers who seek pacy action from the start.
🤩 Plenty of twists along the way. Though not all of them were unexpected, they were still enough to keep me entertained and hooked.
🤩 There are some clues that help figure out the link between Amanda and Ruth, but the journey is still enjoyable. The discovery of the expected truth didn’t reduce my surprise.
🤩 Many chapters end with mini-cliffhangers, making it tough to keep the book aside.

Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 The violent scenes are pretty gruesome, but the author handles them with care and doesn’t dwell on them too long. That said, in one particular instance, I have no idea how the target survived after an attack with that kind of weapon.
😐 Implausible circumstances, unbelievable actions, impulsive decisions – all these are eye-roll-inducing, but present in almost every thriller nowadays, The difference is that these felt toned down and hence not so frustrating in this story, at least to me.
😐 There are several barbs against the then-US president that seem unnecessary, Though the significance of these comes out later, the political jabs are still distracting.
😐 I am a tad unsure about the final twist. I mean, I WAS impressed! No way I saw THAT coming and I just went slack-jawed at that reveal. It was a brave writing choice. But it is also not a settled ending, so if you like all things neatly tied, beware! I love how the story kept some things dangling (Life doesn’t always end at the perfect endpoint; why should books?), but I wasn’t entirely convinced by the revelation made as this final reveal negates the said person’s earlier behavioural pattern.

Bookish Nays:
🙄 This line: “They [serial killers] are the great white sharks of the human species.” NO! Sharks don’t kill for fun or for an adrenaline rush; humans do. Let’s not insult sharks and further spread such myths.
🙄 The writing is overly descriptive at times, especially when it is focussing on the physical actions of a character. This affects the pace.


All in all, my initial response after completing the novel was quite positive. But as I dwelt on the plot, and especially on the ending, the questions start popping up. I should have remembered my policy: don’t overanalyse!

Though I am not too convinced about certain turnarounds in the characters’ behaviour, the book still offers an entertaining ride. The atypical ending that leaves some things unsaid, will probably be a dealbreaker for some readers. But IMHO, authors have the right to decide what fate they want for a character they created, and just as in real life, karma doesn’t always work.

Is this ending leaving an avenue open for a sequel? Not sure. But if yes, I’m definitely in.

Definitely recommended to thriller fans, if you remember to go with the flow, don’t mind the slow-ish start, and are okay with unsettled character arcs.

3.75 stars.

My thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “Kill for Me, Kill for You”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

I thought I knew what this book would be about when I picked it up, but was I ever wrong! This book kept me turning the pages and guessing until the very end. So much suspense and such a great story! Steve Cavanagh has become one of my go to authors. This will be one of my top books of 2024 and I highly suggest if you have been on the fence about reading it that you pick it up immediately!!

5 Stars!

4.5 Stars

I loved the concept of this one! Two women meet and both want revenge so they swap murders…if you k*ll for me, I’ll k*ill for you.

I couldn’t put this one down. It was unique and for a thriller the character development was so good. The book kept me on my toes - it was twisty and full of suspense and I loved the ending. If you’re a thriller lover, then you definitely need to pick this one up!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kill For Me, Kill For You was a pretty great read. It was a great page turner that keeps you on your toes from start to finish. Chapter after chapter I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen and how everything played out. I started putting the pieces together, but didn’t connect the dots until the very end.

You get to really know Amanda & Ruth at the very start of the book to know what they’re dealing with. Losing a child and husband is life altering. Getting assaulted in your own home is such a violation of privacy you’ll never feel safe there ever again. This book takes you through the twists and turns of new characters, how they play a role with Amanda & Ruth and how everything ties together in the end. It’ll keep you on your toes until you finally figure it all out.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Steve Cavanagh for the ARC of Kill For Me, Kill For You.

A really fun mystery thriller with lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed it so much! Definitely recommended.

Woah! Strangers on a train turned on its head ten times over. This thriller had more twists than a pretzel shop!

This novel starts when Amanda and Wendy meet in a grief support group and then decide to murder the individual who has caused the grief for one another. I really thought this was going to go down the predictable path of following close to Hitchcock’s plot but oh boy was I surprised!

Steve Cavanaugh has written a few of my favorite legal thrillers, he has a real talent for leading you one way and then punching out a truly shocking surprise.


Five stars!
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When a killer destroyed Amanda's life and then walked free, all she could think of was revenge. Then one day a woman named Wendy joined her grief support group with a similar story to her own, and they agreed to take vengeance on their respective killers, each committing a murder for each other.

This book went in so many directions from that which I had expected. Amanda was likeable and easy to sympathize with, and the story of Ruth and what happened to her that was interspersed with that of Amanda and her present-day interactions with Wendy was sympathetic as well. The reader felt just as betrayed as the characters with the twists and turns of this novel. I appreciated the ending too, it was really satisfying.