You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by lindsaynixon
The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson
2.0
Gah, this was terrible. DNF @ 81%
Normally I devour Peter Swanson books. The Kind Worth Killing (#1) is my favorite by this author and it was also a top 10 book that year--it might even be in the top 20 of all time for suspense/psyche thrillers for me, but this is more than a "least favorite." I nearly hated it.
Overall it was very very boring and the school shooting felt either gratuitous or like trauma porn which made me ill.
I also loathed the narrator. His voice isn't desirable to begin with but he also sounds like he's well into middle age (55+) but the character is 32-35. It didn't work.
Mostly the story is just BORING with almost no mystery/thriller and you don't care about literally anyone. It was all throw away. Lazy writing, unrealistic characters, MULTIPLE overly convenient situations to advance the plot (more on that) that are also unbelievable, attempts to be twisty or clever and an author who must think I'm stupid. Am I really supposed to believe one person can know this many sociopaths and they all live in small-ass-town Massachusetts?
What really set me off was the "clue" Kimball comes across that helps him "figure things out." It was absurd! I can't even imagine something more dumb.
I am sorely disappointed but glad I waited for a library copy instead of buying it. (I almost bought it when it was released; I was stoked/anticipating it that much!)
SUMMARY: Kimbal is on his third career as a PI, after being a disgraced police officer (the story in #1) and for one year before that a HS english teacher; having left that career when one student (James) shot and killed another student (Madison) and then himself in Kimbal's english class.
In the present, Joan, who was a student in Kimbal's class, and also Madison's friend, has hired Kimbal to snoop on her husband, who she believes is having an affair with a woman from work (Pam).
While Kimbal is investigating, he gets a little too close to Pam (this is a real problem for him, he became obsessed with a suspect, Lily, in #1 which is why he's not a cop anymore) and sleeps with her (whoops!).
The next day Kimbal follows Pam to where he believes she's going to rendezvous with Joan's husband (Richie) only once he gets there he hears two gun shots. OH NO! Once inside, Kimbal finds what appears to be a murder-suicide (Richie killing Pam, then himself). What terrible luck Kimbal has this happened to him all over again!
In other chapters, we flash back to when Joan was 15 on summer break and meets Richard (not the future husband) and the two of them (both sociopaths) plot and then kill Richard's cousin, Duane.
In the "now" chapters, Kimbal starts becoming suspicious about the Richie-Pam murder, and calls upon, you guessed it: Lily! for help. Kimbal also reads a poem (I can't make this shiitake up) which makes him realize Joan killed Duane and GASP! Maybe she is behind the Pam murder and maybe somehow she is involved in the James-Madison school shooting! oMGEEEE
At this juncture Richard (the friend, not the dead husband) is introduced as a new narrator and he's your typical cartoonish murder-happy sociopath. Predictably, someone gets nervous about Kimbal putting things together and tries to kill him which leads to Lily taking over as narrator and case-solver, or some shit.
I gave up at this point. I couldn't force myself to listen to another minute, even though I was on a long car ride without any other options (lesson learned: download a backup book!)
Maybe there is some twist at the end that makes this not total trash, but I doubt it.
Normally I devour Peter Swanson books. The Kind Worth Killing (#1) is my favorite by this author and it was also a top 10 book that year--it might even be in the top 20 of all time for suspense/psyche thrillers for me, but this is more than a "least favorite." I nearly hated it.
Overall it was very very boring and the school shooting felt either gratuitous or like trauma porn which made me ill.
I also loathed the narrator. His voice isn't desirable to begin with but he also sounds like he's well into middle age (55+) but the character is 32-35. It didn't work.
Mostly the story is just BORING with almost no mystery/thriller and you don't care about literally anyone. It was all throw away. Lazy writing, unrealistic characters, MULTIPLE overly convenient situations to advance the plot (more on that) that are also unbelievable, attempts to be twisty or clever and an author who must think I'm stupid. Am I really supposed to believe one person can know this many sociopaths and they all live in small-ass-town Massachusetts?
What really set me off was the "clue" Kimball comes across that helps him "figure things out." It was absurd! I can't even imagine something more dumb.
I am sorely disappointed but glad I waited for a library copy instead of buying it. (I almost bought it when it was released; I was stoked/anticipating it that much!)
SUMMARY: Kimbal is on his third career as a PI, after being a disgraced police officer (the story in #1) and for one year before that a HS english teacher; having left that career when one student (James) shot and killed another student (Madison) and then himself in Kimbal's english class.
In the present, Joan, who was a student in Kimbal's class, and also Madison's friend, has hired Kimbal to snoop on her husband, who she believes is having an affair with a woman from work (Pam).
While Kimbal is investigating, he gets a little too close to Pam (this is a real problem for him, he became obsessed with a suspect, Lily, in #1 which is why he's not a cop anymore) and sleeps with her (whoops!).
The next day Kimbal follows Pam to where he believes she's going to rendezvous with Joan's husband (Richie) only once he gets there he hears two gun shots. OH NO! Once inside, Kimbal finds what appears to be a murder-suicide (Richie killing Pam, then himself). What terrible luck Kimbal has this happened to him all over again!
In other chapters, we flash back to when Joan was 15 on summer break and meets Richard (not the future husband) and the two of them (both sociopaths) plot and then kill Richard's cousin, Duane.
In the "now" chapters, Kimbal starts becoming suspicious about the Richie-Pam murder, and calls upon, you guessed it: Lily! for help. Kimbal also reads a poem (I can't make this shiitake up) which makes him realize Joan killed Duane and GASP! Maybe she is behind the Pam murder and maybe somehow she is involved in the James-Madison school shooting! oMGEEEE
At this juncture Richard (the friend, not the dead husband) is introduced as a new narrator and he's your typical cartoonish murder-happy sociopath. Predictably, someone gets nervous about Kimbal putting things together and tries to kill him which leads to Lily taking over as narrator and case-solver, or some shit.
I gave up at this point. I couldn't force myself to listen to another minute, even though I was on a long car ride without any other options (lesson learned: download a backup book!)
Maybe there is some twist at the end that makes this not total trash, but I doubt it.