Book Review: The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to review this book! It is one of the best books I have ever read. Many of you have probably devoured it by now but if not, you are in for a treat.

The Kind Worth Killing* by Peter Swanson is a well-crafted psychological thriller which begins on a night flight from London to Boston. Ted Severson meets Lily Kinter and a slightly tipsy yet innocent game of truth turns into a plot to kill Ted’s cheating wife. Ted and Lily’s bond grows stronger when back in Boston but there are many unknown things about Lily’s past that makes this a game they can’t both survive.

I was absolutely glued to this book. I read it while on holiday in Madrid, where I found myself awake at 6:30 am to finish it! The Kind Worth Killing is written in a way that suits the story. There is no doubt that it is a chilling story and the fact that it is so straight to the point and extremely graphic adds to that. Throw in chapters that alternate between characters to the mix and you have a book that really keeps you at the edge of your seat.

However, the icing on the cake is certainly Lily. Judge me how you will but she is one of my favourite literary characters. It’s eerie just how calm she is but underneath is a woman who doesn’t believe in forgiving and forgetting. Yet she is likeable somehow and I found myself rooting for her despite the despicable things she does.

It is hard to write everything I want to about The Kind Worth Killing without giving away spoilers so I am going to sum it up like this: this is how you write a thriller. This is how you completely mess with the minds of your readers. This is certainly how you throw in excellent red herrings and there is no doubt that Swanson has provided some of the best dark character developments I have ever read. Rumour has it that The Kind Worth Killing will be made into a film so now is the perfect time to get your hands on this masterpiece.

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