One dark evening on New York's Upper West Side, two women find common ground in their grief, their loneliness, and their need for revenge on the men who destroyed their families. As they talk, they come up with the perfect plan: If you kill for me, I'll kill for you.
In another part of the city, Ruth is home alone when her beautiful brownstone is invaded. Against the odds, she survives her knife-wielding attacker, but will she ever feel safe again while the blue-eyed stranger who left her for dead is still out there?
Fear. Grief. Loneliness. Revenge. All very powerful motivations...
~
This is the second book using Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train as a stepping stone that I have read this year, and I wondered what my reaction would be. It is a testament to Highsmith's iconic story and Cavanagh's skill that I finished Kill for Me Kill for You with a big smile on my face.
This fast-paced, plot-driven book may leave you feeling as if you're strapped in a car on a wild and woolly roller coaster ride. However, where most plot-driven books fall short in characterization, Kill for Me Kill for You doesn't. It's all too easy to put yourself in the shoes of the grief-stricken Amanda, Ruth, and Scott, and all too easy to hope that Farrow, the homicide detective, will put all the pieces together for some sort of justice to triumph.
Since so much hinges on the marvelous plot twists, I can't say much about this book without giving something away, but I will say this: Read it, and don't be surprised if it puts a smile on your face, too.
Kill for Me Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh
eISBN: 9781668049365
Atria Books © 2024
eBook, 352 pages
Thriller, Standalone
Rating: A+
Source: Net Galley
This one sounds like a high-octane read, Cathy! And the premise is interesting. I've always thought that Patricia Highsmith showed real genius in the way she developed that plot idea.
ReplyDeleteSo do I, and I'm really appreciating how many ways writers are using it as a stepping stone.
DeleteI've enjoyed books by HIghsmith so perhaps I would enjoy this one, too. Color me curious.
ReplyDeleteCurious enough to read it, I hope!
DeleteHmmm. Sounds good. I like his Eddie Flynn books, but this sounds scarier, but worth the read with all the light on.
ReplyDeleteYes, with the lights on!
DeleteI'm aware of the general plot of Strangers on a Train, though I've never read any Highsmith. (Nor even seen the Talented Mr. Ripley film, which is surprising given the presence of Matt Damon.) So I know just enough to be intrigued by the premise, and drawn in even more by your review. So it's just a question of whether to read it myself when I get through the current TBR piles and can put it on hold, or to save it for a book group discussion, since there should be plenty to talk about ...
ReplyDeleteI would imagine that it could be a great book group choice. Someone's bound not to like the plot twists... ;-)
DeleteI tend to avoid revenge-plot books, but you certainly have me rethinking that with this one!
ReplyDeleteWell... something(s) go wrong with their plotting! ;-)
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