#BookReview of #KillForMeKillForYou by Steve Cavanagh

‘Together, they have the perfect plan.‘
– Kill For Me Kill For You

[ About Kill For Me Kill For You ]

One dark evening in New York City, two strangers meet by chance.
Over drinks, Amanda and Wendy realise they have so much in common.

They both feel alone. They both drink alone.
And they both desperately want revenge against the two men who destroyed their families.

Together, they have the perfect plan.
If you kill for me, I’ll kill for you…

[ My Review ]

Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh published July 20th (digital) with Headline (August 3rd it will be readily available in the shops) and is described as a ‘breathless new thriller‘.

Amanda is obsessed with hunting down the man who she is convinced killed her daughter, although the judicial system says otherwise. The man in question is from an affluent family, providing him with plenty of support and ultimately keeping him out of jail. When he took her daughter’s life, he was also the catalyst in her husband’s death. Now Amanda wants justice. Amanda wants revenge.

Wendy has her own story to tell. Trapped in her own personal nightmare, Wendy is barely existing as she too looks to avenge the person who she feels is responsible for destroying her life. Wendy has lost so much and will stop at nothing in search of the peace she craves, that moment when she can forget, even if just for a short while.

Amanda and Wendy cross paths and immediately sense a connection. Their relationship becomes intense very quickly as they compare notes of their very fractured lives. This instantaneous bond leads them to making a shocking deal, a plan that will salve both their pain, with a possibility of freedom and hope for a future that is now barren and lonely. The plan is simple “If you kill for me, I’ll kill for you…” meaning that both get justice and both walk away with an alibi and a life lost.

Now in theory this might sound like a solid enough plan but obviously it’s based on some very loose assumptions. What happens when the plan goes awry?

This is a novel with an interesting moral dilemma at its core. What would you do if your life had imploded and you were presented with a way to find some peace in your days? How far would you be willing to go? How desperate would you have to be to murder someone?

Kill For Me Kill For You is a fast-paced read but there were definitely parts of the plot that I found somewhat implausible, where my imagination was possibly stretched just a little too far. If you are willing to just accept and go along for the ride, then the misdirection and twists should make up for it and you will certainly be well entertained.

[ Bio ]

Steve Cavanagh has sold over a million copies of his novels in the UK alone. His eight books have all been nominated for major awards and many are international bestsellers. His third novel, The Liar, won the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year 2018. 

Thirteen won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2019. Fifty-Fifty was a Richard and Judy Book club choice and was also selected for the BBC ‘Between the Covers’ book club. Twisted, Fifty-Fifty, The Devil’s Advocate and The Accomplice were all Sunday Times Top 10 bestsellers.

Twitter ~ @SteveCavanagh_