The Kind Worth Saving
'Nobody writes psychopaths like Swanson.' Mark Edwards
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4.0 • 15 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
TWO'S COMPANY, THREE'S MURDER
'I loved it!' GILLIAN McALLISTER
'Nobody writes psychopaths like Swanson.' MARK EDWARDS
When private detective and former cop Henry Kimball is hired to investigate a cheating husband, he senses all is not quite what it seems, and before he knows it he's gotten far too close to the other woman.
As the case rapidly gets ever more dangerous, he's forced to turn to the only person he can trust, the sociopathic Lily Kintner, the woman who once stabbed him, but with whom he shares a peculiar bond.
'Swanson has made me fall in love with plot twists again.' DOUG JOHNSTONE
What readers are saying
***** 'Definitely one of the best books of the year!'
***** 'Wickedly delicious!'
***** 'A thrilling, gripping book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.'
***** 'Fantastically twisty'
***** 'Wow, this was a nonstop whirlwind!'
***** 'Oh my goodness I couldn't put it down'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bestseller Swanson (Nine Lives) cleverly plays with genre conventions in this twist-filled mystery. Boston PI Henry Kimball's two previous jobs had bad endings. He'd been a Massachusetts high school English teacher but left after a student pulled a gun and killed a classmate before turning the weapon on himself, leaving Kimball tormented by thoughts he could have prevented those deaths. His time with the Boston PD ended after he formed an unhealthy obsession with a homicide suspect, penning "multiple unsavory limericks about her." Kimball's past resurfaces when he's retained by former student Joan Whalen, who wants him to prove that her real estate broker husband, Richard, is unfaithful. The detective isn't convinced that his client is being completely truthful. Flashbacks to the couple's first interactions when they were teenagers and their families were both vacationing in Maine up the ante, as does Kimball's discovery of two bodies in an uninhabited house with a for sale sign outside. Swanson's especially good at capturing the complexity of Kimball's inner life. Readers will be hard-pressed not to devour this in one sitting to ascertain whether, and how, past and present connect.
Customer Reviews
Takes one to know one
3.5 stars
The author is a best-selling, and award winning, American crime writer. This, his sixth novel, is a sequel of The Kind Worth Killing (2015), in which unlikely people team up to commit the perfect murder, make that several apparently perfect murders, in leafy New England, and an equally unlikely duo solves them.
The murderous couple this time (no one is aware they know each other) have form previously, which Mr Swanson reveals in parallel with the current narrative where they bump off the cheating hubby of the chick. In the second half of the book, he shows us how private investigator Henry and the unrequited love of his life Lily, a serial killer in her own right, work out what happened and get it sorted. Think John Luther and Alice Morgan in the TV show Luther.
As is frequently the case with Mr Swanson, there’s a Stephen King vibe about the location and the plot. In case you didn’t pick up on it, several of the characters read or talk about novels by Mr King at various stages. Tension builds gradually (it’s a psychological rather than an action thriller) to a satisfactory denouement. If you haven’t read the first book in the series, fear not. The author provides sufficient detail of Henry and Lily’s backstory to be going on with. For what it’s worth, I thought The Kind Worth Killing was better.
Brilliant, Twisted & Jaw Dropping
Smart, immersive and twisted, Peter Swanson's The Kind Worth Saving doesn't disappoint. It was a dose of nostalgia for me, for my first Peter Swanson book was The Kind Worth Killing. You do not have to read book one to begin this one. Peter's ability to capture narcissism is at its finest with a character like Joan. The pacing was brilliant and diverse, with Henry Kimball dominating the first half and the OG Lily Kintner making an impactful return. The simplistic plot of a former English teacher, now private investigator (Kimball), helping his former student, now client (Joan), in catching her husband having an affair with his co-worker intricately branches out to unlikely alliances, high school memories and an unfortunate accident. I devoured this book in one sitting and could never anticipate the ending that was simply jaw-dropping. I am still thinking about all the puzzle pieces coming together with such simplicity and yet delivering a power punch read.
Do not skip this one if you're a fan of domestic/marriage noir etched with twists and turns.
A big thank you to NetGalley & Faber and Faber for giving me an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.