A Talent for Murder: A Novel | 
Picked this up from the library yesterday and told myself I was gonna finish one or both of the books I am currently reading. I lied. I couldn‘t wait to start this one lol. Peter Swanson is one of my favorite authors, so idk why I thought I could wait to start this. 🤣
End of year wrap up.
#BookSpinBingo - thx for hosting @TheAromaofBooks
Storygraph - read less books this year but DNF'd more books - so I think it evened out in that I read more books I really enjoyed 😂
Thanks for a great year everyone 🌟
bailedWell this is a bummer to #dnf, as I really enjoyed his previous books which are somewhat connected to this one. However, a reveal at the 50% mark made me no longer care what happened. Up til then I was quite riveted. Is the second half worth continuing? I‘m guessing no as this book has very little buzz. #hailthebail
pickAn enjoyable thriller. I did not realize it was third in a series. There was clearly some history between two private detectives, but Swanson clues the reader in on bits of the past, and it holds up fine as a standalone. I liked it enough that I‘ll go read the first one, The Kind Worth Killing.
so-so⭐️⭐️💫
I loved the first thriller in this series, bailed on the second due to a particular plot element, and personally found this third one okay, but forgettable. The twists don‘t hit as hard when familiar with this author‘s style. 🎧
pickA woman reaches out to an old friend when she starts to suspect that her husband may be a serial killer. This was so good and kept my interest throughout!
#HauntedShelf #DeadSerious #bookscavengerhunt #blood
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pickAt first, I wasn‘t sure if I could stick with it with slow investigating but once it picks up, you‘re really intrigued to figure out whodunnit
pickI kept inventing chores for myself to do today so I could finish this audiobook 😆. The first 2 hours or so were mildly interesting, then it took a sharp turn into serial killer territory and I was hooked! I‘ve read the other 2 books in this series and really enjoyed them and didn‘t realize right away that they were connected. A very solid thriller and I will be grabbing more of his books soon. #audiobook #thriller #suspense
pickThis is the third book featuring the character of Lily and I quite enjoyed it. The series has great plot twists. While they do not shock me quite as much as I am getting used to Swanson's writing style, they are still very good. It is a short, fast paced novel and I look forward to more adventures with Lily. Although not necessary, reading them in order will certainly add to the enjoyment. Thanks to Edelweiss+ for the digital ARC. 4/5 stars
pickThis was a good thriller, I just can‘t believe I didn‘t realize it was book 3 in a series. I have the prior books and haven‘t read them yet, whoopsie! It definitely reads as a stand-alone if you haven‘t read the others yet like me. #BOTM
Book 40 of 2024
pick“He was truly evil, just a mistake of nature, I think.” A ‘good enough to keep my interest‘ mystery made for the mystery peeps. I won‘t seek out books by Swanson, but if I run across some in a LFL or thrift store, I‘ll pick them up. Solid read.
pickThis one was so good i devoured it. Vlad was a bit more literal. I didn‘t realize this one was third in a series. It read as a stand alone. There is quite a plot twist in the middle of the book that I certainly didn‘t see coming. Turns out I‘ve read the first in the series so now will go back and read the second. Hope to read more of these characters in future books. #catsoflitsy
pickThis book caught me completely off guard. It started off as one book and morphed into another book, but still the same book. Also, how was I not aware that this was the 3rd book in a series? So now I have to start with book 1. Anyway, murder, murder, who‘s done the murder(s)? And don‘t mess with Lily Kintner. Wow. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
pick4⭐
𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐒⇩
-The narration was fantabulous
-Henry Kimball & Lily Kintner are back.
-I loved the intricacies of Peter Swanson‘s plots; this one is no exception.
𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒⇩
-This one didn‘t hit quite like the first two in this series did…but I still really liked it.
-The story stalls out in the middle but the end came through for me.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book took me by surprise. I didn‘t expect the way the plot took a twist right in the middle of the book. While not the most exciting characters I was def hooked. Very quick read. UPDATE: I had zero clue this was a series. It was a BOTM pick and this cleared up a little confusion I had toward the end. This IS a pet peeve of mine for sure. But, oh well.
pickThis was my June BOTM pick and was a fast paced mystery with a surprising (at least to me) mid novel plot twist. Perfect for summer beach reading. I really enjoyed it!
pickIt‘s rare that I enjoy contemporary thrillers. However, this was a 5/5 star pick for me! Fast paced and just the right amount of creep factor for a horror fan like myself.
Bonus: This was also my BOTM club pick for June!
pickOh I thought this was all sorts of creepy, twisty fun. I hadn‘t read the previous two books in the series, but never felt that knowledge would have mattered to this story. That said, those first two books have now been added to my TBR!
It's a rainy Saturday, which has put me in a mystery/thriller mood. So I'm starting the #botm.
so-soHmm. This felt a little like a bait and switch, like the story started as one thing and then veered off course in a less interesting direction. It wasn‘t a home run for me, though I usually like this author a lot.
Relaxing with sunshine and a good book today! What are you reading today?
so-soIt‘s alright…I would‘ve much preferred to read something closer to the advertised plotline than what Swanson ultimately delivers.
June #botm books are live! I went with the new Peter Swanson. I can't resist a book with a librarian main character. And then added Joe Nuthin's Guide to Life and Leather & Lark.
pickLoved this latest thriller featuring Lily Kintner and Henry Kimball. They are such compelling and conflicted characters and this was another great page turner. So happy to have a sneak peek at this #ARC that releases on June 11th. Highly recommend, though it is helpful if you‘ve read the first two in the series. #netgalleygroup @AllDebooks #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
