Librarian Martha has found a husband! Having been convinced that that a love curse had been put on her whilst in college after kissing a classmate’s boyfriend, Martha has always believed that she would never find love. She’s not sure this is actual true love, but she does love Alan in her own way. Alan is a travelling salesman, visiting college towns and campus’ throughout North America selling educational related merchandise to teachers at conferences. When Martha begins to suspect that all is not as it would first appear on Alan’s little jaunts, she calls long lost college pal Lily, who once, many years ago, helped her out with another relationship problem.

This is another Lily and Henry book by Swanson, and like the others is very entertaining. Great characters, multi layered plot and always a twist. Fabulous writing, a book to recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Faber and Faber.

A Talent for Murder (Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner #3) by Peter Swanson

I love Peter Swanson’s books and was very excited to be selected to read his latest novel.

Martha is a librarian and has been married to Alan for about one year, Alan is a modern travelling salesman and is away from home a lot, he goes to teacher’s conventions around the country to sell subject themed items like T-shirts, ties, pins etc. When Alan comes home after one of his business trips Martha notices a blood smear on his shirt and curiously does a search of the town where the conference was held just to see if any news stories come up. She finds that yes, a woman was attacked and murdered. Could it be a coincidence or was Alan involved

Martha then makes a list of all the places Alan has travelled to and then searches to see if there were any other attacks. She finds that there are five unsolved murders and all the victims were women. Martha is stumped, should she confront Alan? but if he is innocent and she accuses him he will never forgive her and she has ruined her marriage, if she does nothing and Alan is involved then other women will be killed.

Martha calls her friend from her college, Lily Kintner, for advice. In their college days Martha remembers Lily rescued her from a very toxic relationship with an old boyfriend, Ethan Saltz. Lily is surprised to hear from Martha but is happy to help and at Alan’s next conference Lily starts her investigation.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Faber and Faber for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review

4.5 rounded up
Lily Kitner and Henry Kimball #3

Alan Peralta and Martha Ratliff meet and later marry, however, although obviously she thinks he’s a nice man, part of her feels as if she has married a stranger. All her instincts tell her that he makes no sense. She begins to observe him more closely and starts to suspect he’s not only acting a part in his life with her but of much, much more. Later, this suspicion deepens and she does some investigating and what she discovers is very alarming. Has she married a killer? Is he living a life of pretence to cover up his crimes? Lily Kittner is Martha‘s friend from university, Lily having saved her from a toxic relationship. She might just be the perfect person to discuss her concerns with and so she does. Lily is on the case and later she involves Kimball.

Peter Swanson does it again! This is so good, it’s a glide through read and a series I love. Lily is fascinating and it’s fair to say that she’s not the usual brand of central protagonist and her relationship with Kimball is also unusual but there’s trust between them. Lily’s perspective illuminates Martha’s past and her personality, which takes the storytelling into entirely different territory. There are several pull you up sharp moments during Lily’s quest to discover the truth which sends my mind into a tailspin and asking a multitude of questions.

Herein lie games. Deadly ones. There’s manipulation. Masterful and skilful. There are evil intentions. Calculated and cold. Lily and Kimball are on the trail of a truly awful, wicked and vindictive killer, perhaps the most dangerous they have been encounted to date. The investigation gets as twisted as, the tensions at times is off the scale and there are moments of breath inhaling suspense.

The first half pulls you in as it’s full of curiosity, The second half socks it to you although the conclusion could perhaps have been a bit stronger although the ultimate ending is a very satisfying just desserts.

Overall, it’s a really entertaining, multilayered read and a classic Swanson novel. He’s an author I admire and will always want to read especially this series.
It’s dark obviously (well it is Kitner and Kimball), but it is utterly gripping. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Faber and Faber for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I love Peter Swanson books and was thrilled to get the chance to read A Talent for Murder.

Lily Kintner, who features in other Peter Swanson books, is approached out of the blue by Martha, a woman she went to Graduate School with. They lost touch over the years but Martha reaches out because she strongly believes if anyone can help her, it’ll be Lily Kintner because she had helped her before back at Grad School.

When they meet up Martha shares her concerns and suspicious that Alan, her travelling salesman husband, might not be the person she thought he was and that he could well be a danger to women.

Lily Kintner is just a brilliant character and it was great to read another book featuring her. With all Peter Swanson’s books there are some real jaw dropping moments that I didn’t see coming. This is a real page-turner and I devoured the book in a day.

I can’t wait to read the next instalment from Peter Swanson.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Faber and Faber Ltd, for making this e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It's not uncommon for wives to occasionally be suspicious of their spouses,sometimes they suspect they might be having an affair or maybe have a secret gambling habit, librarian Martha suspects that husband Alan,despite his Mr Nice Guy persona, might be a serial killer.
Martha ,needing advice, remembers old friend Lily Kintner from their schooldays as someone with experience of difficult relationships,not realising that Lily is also the ideal person to investigate Alan as she's also had a lot of experience of killing people.

Regular Peter Swanson readers will know sociopath Lily from ,"The Kind Worth Killing" and, "The Kind Worth Saving" and renews her complex relationship with Henry Kimball when it appears she might have met her match.

This is a gripping tale with twists that come from nowhere and often the reader is led down blind alleys by a master storyteller. The shocks don't so much creep up on you as blindside you with a sucker punch . Peter Swanson's books are a step above the average crime novel,not only are they vastly entertaining but also very clever,what you see is rarely what you get in the end.

Another excellent book from one of my favourite authors.

Peter Swanson is a ‘drop everything, read ASAP’ author for me. I don’t even read the blurb.

As with most authors, I like some of his books more than other, the reimagined literary murder mysteries such as Nine Lines and Eight Perfect Murders aren’t my favourites. Give me his cool psycho thrillers such as The Kind Worth Killing and The Kind Worth Saving, now you’re talking!

Imagine my sheer delight to find Lily Kintner, one of the coolest sociopathic anti-heroes, star of The Kind Worth Killing is a main character in this book, I was hollering with joy.

Martha thought she had married a nice man, Alan, a travelling salesman selling novelty T-shirts at conferences. Martha begins to suspect the conferences might be a cover for something more sinister and calls up her old friend Lily to try and help investigate.

Wow! This book flows so smoothly, fast and slick, threat and tension, completely unpredictable with twist after twist. Lily, of course, is as cool as ever.

Just a brilliant and hugely entertaining thriller. A wonderful return for Lily, but make sure you read The Kind Worth Killing and The Kind Worth first.

Read it ASAP!

Thanks to Netgalley and Fabre and Fabre Ltd