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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
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
dark
slow-paced
I’ve liked other Peter Swanson books in the past but this one wasn’t it. I loved the premise but the plot became convoluted and confusing. The motivation of the main antagonist wasn’t convincing enough. I did enjoy the surprise twist at the very end.
mysterious
Decently written, but repetitive and tedious. If I hadn't read the previous two books, I might have rated this a little higher, but as it stands, this one was quite dissapointing. There are just too many sociopaths and serial killers conveniently orbiting Lily’s life. Also, I don't like the retrospective reframing of Lily’s character. Here she's presented more as a righteous vigilante, someone who does what "must be done", rather than the morally ambiguous, borderline sociopath we met in the first book.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
No
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was the first book I've read by this author, and I enjoyed it. There were actually some plot twists I didn't see coming, and I loved how a story about one killer ended up being a story about 3 killers.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Didn't really like this one. There's just a little bit of mystery elements in the beginning, everything after that is already predictable and the ending determined.
