A review by nadiamasood
Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh

dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

If fast-paced, dark, twisty, and completely unhinged psychological thrillers are your thing, pick this book up STAT.

“Amanda White lifted the lid from the electric baby-bottle steriliser and stared inside at the .22 caliber revolver.”

Yep, that's the opening line, and I knew that I was going to love this book!

Persevere. The story takes off at an incredible speed after the first quarter, taking you on a wild, twisty ride. Just when you think you've got it all figured out, brace yourself because you don't. The twists are twisting!

I lost track of the "NO WAY!" moments while reading this book, and it kept me up way past my bedtime because I couldn't put the book down!

Do NOT give in to the temptation to read the spoilers unless you want to ruin your reading experience. I just wanted to share my thoughts on certain scenes and characters.

The opening scene at the subway. So Amanda's plan to shoot and murder Wallace Crone is thwarted, and she "dropped the gun, unnoticed, into the half-open golf umbrella of the businessman beside her." The police intervene and issue her a restraining order. But I kept wondering why the businessman didn’t report the gun when he found it in his umbrella. If the police had known about the gun and her intent to kill, they might have charged her with more than just assault.

Amanda trying to murder Quinn. I was surprised by how incredibly intense and graphic this particular scene was! “She felt like her eyeballs were going to pop right out of her skull. Even the skin on her cheeks burned – as if the tiny blood vessels in her face were rupturing under the strain. Her sight darkened.” And yet she had the strength to stick a screwdriver into Quinn's (a much bigger and stronger man) bicep and BURIED AN AXE IN QUINN'S CHEST!

Billy turned out to be the biggest surprise twist for me! I never expected him to be Mr. Blue Eyes, the man who attacked Ruth! Even though his character was introduced later in the book, his cover was so convincing and his story so believable that I never suspected him as a killer. Plus, he seemed genuinely kind to Amanda! But why did he attack Ruth in the first place?

Billy's letter to Amanda. In the letter, he hints at killing Wallace Crone as a return favor for her help in finding Ruth. His tone is polite and grateful, almost portraying him as a good guy! It's confusing—is he a serial killer with a kind heart? And he never gets caught, so he's still out there, possibly targeting the next unsuspecting woman to kill?


Overall, I had a blast with this book and would totally recommend it to anyone in the mood for a crazy, page-turning thriller with writing that hits all the right notes!
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