A Book A Week

It starts with a chance encounter at an airport bar.

Ted spots the stunning Lily sitting alone, nursing a martini, and strikes up a conversation. One drink turns into two, then three, and before long the alcohol has loosened Ted's tongue. He tells Lily all about his troubled marriage to Miranda. He's the wealthy businessman. She's the free-spirited artist who he suspects is having an affair with the contractor building their dream home. Frustrated and more than a little drunk, Ted jokingly admits that sometimes he wishes Miranda were dead.

Lily doesn't laugh.

Instead, she calmly tells him she'd be happy to help.

It's the kind of classic setup ripped straight from Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train. But in the hands of Peter Swanson, it becomes something that feels surprisingly fresh. The Kind Worth Killing begins with the familiar premise of two strangers plotting a murder, then gradually becomes a tense game of cat-and-mouse. Shifting perspectives reveal hidden connections, buried motivations, and enough surprises to keep the story constantly one step ahead of the reader. Throw in a detective determined to untangle the truth, and you've got a novel that's nearly impossible to put down. I just had to know how all of these pieces would come together!

Sure, a few of the connections stretch believability, but I was having far too much fun to mind. I accidentally started this series with its third installment, A Talent for Murder, last year, so I knew I'd eventually work my way back to the beginning. I'm glad I did. The Kind Worth Killing works perfectly well as a standalone, but it also reminded me why Peter Swanson is one of my must-read thriller authors. It won't be long before I move on to book two.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2026, 61)