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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The only problem I had with this book is finding out 2/3 of the way through that it's the third in a series! AHHHH! I still finished it anyway, but I already have the first two requested from the library.
Peter Swanson doesn't disappoint, and I'm glad to make my way deeper into his titles. This offers everything I expect from one of his reads: twists and turns, characters you can't fully trust, and even when you know the killer you still don't know what to expect! And of course, book recommendations sprinkled here and there throughout!
Peter Swanson doesn't disappoint, and I'm glad to make my way deeper into his titles. This offers everything I expect from one of his reads: twists and turns, characters you can't fully trust, and even when you know the killer you still don't know what to expect! And of course, book recommendations sprinkled here and there throughout!
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First off, I loved the straightforward murder mystery aspect. This relatively slim novel hooked me right away and was a fast paced read. This was the third in the series, I had no read the previous two, but the story was still easy to follow. Martha Ratliff, a sedate librarian living in Maine has begun to suspect that her husband is up to no good when he travels the coast selling his wares. She doesn't think it's infidelity, but she does think it involves murder. Is her charming husband a serial killer?! Marth enlists the help of Lilu Kintner, a former college friend to help her dig deeper, she doesn't want to come out and accuse her husband, what if she's wrong? What Lily and her partner Henry discover goes much deeper than anyone thought. Chilling and dark, I need to check out the rest of the books in this series.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quick thriller read. I was able to guess some of the twists, but it was still a good book.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Was a third book in the series necessary? No. But did I eat it up like it was literary crème brûlée? Absolutely.
A Talent for Murder is a deliciously unsettling thriller that tiptoes between domestic suspense and psychological mind games, with just enough noir to keep you second-guessing your instincts. Swanson delivers a story that starts with a quiet librarian, Martha, and her too-good-to-be-true husband, Alan—a man whose travel schedule suspiciously overlaps with a trail of murdered women. Casual, right?
The plot thickens when Martha enlists Lily Kintner, a morally ambiguous friend with a shadowy past, to investigate. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game layered with deception, unexpected alliances, and a few gasp-worthy reveals. Swanson’s signature move—revealing the “whodunnit” halfway through—works surprisingly well here, shifting the tension from mystery to motive.
What keeps this from being a full five-star read? Some of the twists stretch believability, and the killer’s endgame feels a bit rushed. But the pacing, the morally gray characters, and the eerie sense of “what would you do?” make this a standout in the genre.
4.25 stars for a thriller that’s clever, compulsively readable, and just the right amount of unhinged.
A Talent for Murder is a deliciously unsettling thriller that tiptoes between domestic suspense and psychological mind games, with just enough noir to keep you second-guessing your instincts. Swanson delivers a story that starts with a quiet librarian, Martha, and her too-good-to-be-true husband, Alan—a man whose travel schedule suspiciously overlaps with a trail of murdered women. Casual, right?
The plot thickens when Martha enlists Lily Kintner, a morally ambiguous friend with a shadowy past, to investigate. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game layered with deception, unexpected alliances, and a few gasp-worthy reveals. Swanson’s signature move—revealing the “whodunnit” halfway through—works surprisingly well here, shifting the tension from mystery to motive.
What keeps this from being a full five-star read? Some of the twists stretch believability, and the killer’s endgame feels a bit rushed. But the pacing, the morally gray characters, and the eerie sense of “what would you do?” make this a standout in the genre.
4.25 stars for a thriller that’s clever, compulsively readable, and just the right amount of unhinged.
This wasn't incredible but a fun listen. Weirdly, it is book 3 in a series which isn't evident in the description at all which is frustrating, as a TON of context isn't clear. The fact that Lily didn't tell police about the list makes me so frustrated. It is selfish and makes me kinda despise her, I'm not sure I want to read more in this series because of it