What a fun twisty murder thriller. The first half you think, ok, I know this, Strangers in a Train. But then you notice you're barely half way thru and it seems to be wrapping up, so of course the twists keep coming. I don't love that a baddie got away in the end, but this was a quick fun read. ( )

Kill for Me Kill for You is Steve Cavanagh's latest book - and it's a doozy!

Have you ever watched Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 movie called Strangers on a Train? The premise is that two strangers will execute a murder for the other, thereby creating an unbreakable alibi for each another.

But Cavanagh puts his own spin on things, with more characters, more killing, and my favorite - more twists and turns! Just when I thought I had nailed down my choice for the whodunit, I was proven wrong. I love it when I can't guess how a plot is going to unfold. There's no down time in Cavanagh's writing!

I chose to listen to Kill for Me Kill for You. The narrator was Stephanie Cannon and she was fantastic! There are many characters in the book, but Cannon has created a voice for every last one - male and female - that are believable. You'd swear that there are two people having a conversation. I don't know who she can flip back and forth. Cannon speaks clearly and enunciates well. The speed was just right. She captured the tone of Cavanagh's work. A wonderful performance! And I'll be watching for Cavanagh's next book. ( )

Kill for Me Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh is one of the craziest mystery, suspense, thriller that I have read in quite a while.

From the description, I thought this was just going to be an homage to Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, with some details changed up like the main characters being female...but this was SO MUCH more than that. I spent at least the first half of the book trying to figure out how Ruth & Scott connected to Amanda & Wendy. The only thing I could come up with was Detective Farrow, and it just didn't make sense. There were so many omg and wtf twists and surprises that I almost got whiplash from trying to keep up!

I'm not even going to go into character development or writing or whatever else people usually put in their reviews.

All in all, the only thing I have to say is go read this book! If you like mysteries, psychological thrillers, suspense, twists & turns, or crime fiction told from the points of view of a great cast of characters, then this is definitely for you! If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. Run, don't walk to your nearest bookstore, online retailer, or audiobook seller.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @AtriaBooks for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own. ( )

Suspenseful and unputdownable psychological thriller -- don't miss this one!

Two emotionally traumatized women, Amanda and Wendy, meet in a bereavement group and devise what they think will be a foolproof plan for them to get revenge and justice. On the other side of New York City, Ruth is the target and victim of a home invasion that she barely survives.

This was fast, fun, and based in part on the premise of Patricia Highsmith book, Strangers on a Train. After the women come to an agreement, the action escalates, and the story takes off. Finely and deftly plotted, this is a book that kept me glued to the pages as I read while also listening to the audiobook. The characters were interesting and well-developed as their emotions and reactions to their past experiences are explored. I thoroughly enjoyed this and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a twisty and shocking murder mystery. I was almost holding my breath until the end.

Thank you to Atria Books for the e-book ARC to read and review and to my local library for the audiobook. This would make a great TV series or movie. ( )

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.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) ( )