If I Don't Kill Them...Who WIll?

by Beck Lewis

I thought a corporate weekend away in Wales was going to involve too much wine, awkward nostalgia and listening to Daniel Bartlesham talk about himself.

I didn’t expect to discover that most of my friends are apparently fine with revenge porn, suicide and corporate cover-ups – just as long as nobody’s bonus is affected.

My friend Eve is dead because Daniel uploaded that video of her.
And everyone at Bartlesham wants to call the whole thing an unfortunate misunderstanding and move on with their lives.

I’m not having that.
Which is probably why I’m currently locked in the boot of a car. Daniel’s mate in the driving seat is going to murder me when we stop.

But now that I’ve realised how many terrible men are protected by money, power and people willing to look the other way… I’m starting to think killing them all might be the only reasonable response.

I mean, if I don’t kill them… who will?

Genres: Thriller

328 pages, Paperback

Published May 29, 2026

Reviews

[Helen the Bassist]

4.5*
Another great book from Beck Lewis, taking a break from the Dead End Duncans to introduce corporate trainer Nicole. We first meet her, bruised and bound by bungee cords, in the boot of a (one would assume now ex-) friend's car as he drives her to her doom at a dam. That's still not the worst thing that's happened in the last 24 hours since the Barltlesham Babes (which also includes blokes) met up in their rural idyll for a weekend getaway. She's definitely seeing her friendship group in a whole new light and her 'wouldn't say boo to a goose' Grandmother soon turns out to be full of surprises too!

IIDKTWW has sone really unpleasant characters in whose demise you can rejoice, and the author has given Nicole some great turns of phrase. It's also a refreshingly different, if violent, way of portraying that certain type of entitled masculinity which really need taking down several pegs...in these circumstances with a variety of heavy duty weaponry. Nicole is only too happy to oblige!

[Sherri Bryant]

If I Don’t Kill Them…Who Will by Beck Lewis is over-the-top, intense, surprising, a little scary, and a lot of fun. The story comes with plenty of trigger warnings as the bodies begin to pile up, but I was completely invested in Nicole’s pursuit of justice—not only for Eve, but for anyone harmed by the rich, the powerful, and the bullies who expect to get away with it.

The book opens with Nicole trapped in the trunk of her coworker’s car, convinced she will be murdered as soon as the car stops. That explosive opening immediately pulled me in, and Lewis does a strong job weaving in the backstory that explains how Nicole ended up there while keeping the suspense moving forward. The tension was riveting from the start.

Nicole faces several jaw-dropping twists, and I found myself reacting right along with her. She is an easy character to root for, but her grandmother was an absolute standout. Every young woman deserves a grandmother like hers.

I highly recommend If I Don’t Kill Them…Who Will to readers who enjoy dark, twisty thrillers with sharp edges, fierce characters, and a revenge plot that does not hold back. It is intense, chaotic, and unexpectedly entertaining, with enough suspense and surprises to keep the pages turning.

Thank you to the author, Beck Lewis, for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Laura]

#JusticeForEve

This book was pure madness. I don't know what more there is to say about it. Absolutely unhinged, utterly crazy but I guess I kind of liked it.

[Sarah]

When a book begins with the main character trapped in the boot of a car and fearing for her life, you know it’s going to be a wild ride!

What follows is a quirky, funny, rather sweary story about Nicole Varkonyi and her six friends, who she knows from uni and working at Bartleshams, which is an international food distribution company.

The Bartlesham Babes are back at Eagle’s Nook lodge in Wales for their annual visit but, this time, Eve won’t be joining them as she’s split up from boyfriend, Daniel Bartlesham, son of the company owner.

When Daniel accidentally shares the link to a porn video of his ex-girlfriend, Eve, in the group WhatsApp chat, he starts off a shocking chain of events that had me wondering what on earth was coming next.

In flashbacks to the start of the weekend with her friends, we learn how Nicole becomes tied up in the boot of her colleague’s car and what led to this crazy act.

Overall, this was a great read and, once I’d got into the swing of things, I found it refreshingly different. The story is one of revenge and it’s shocking at times but also interspersed with humorous moments and funny quips from the main character. I especially liked the mentions of Nicole’s Hungarian granny.

I’ve read and enjoyed a couple of the author’s short stories and I look forward to reading Double Take, which is already on my Kindle.

[Holli C]

This book is craaaazzzy!! It starts off with main character, Nicole, who starts the story off in a boot of a car. She’s been kidnapped by someone she knows…a work colleague.

It all starts off with a group of colleagues who have a weekend away together. They’re work friends who socialise together. When one of the friends, Eve, doesn’t attend the weekend, Nicole find out via phone call that it’s because one of the ringleaders, Daniel, has uploaded videos and photos of her being intimate and has shared them with his circle of friends - the men in the group.

Unfortunately tragedy hits Eve, and when Nicole confronts Daniel about events, he remains adamant that it was a joke and that it’s all harmless fun. This upsets Nicole and she is furious. She learns that Daniel expects to get away with the revenge porn, and when he deletes the link, get legals involved and threatens her, she decides that she needs to expose him. That’s when she realise that some men are protected by money and power. Nicole has other ideas though and soon she’s risking life and limb as games get more dangerous, secrets are exposed and enemies are made.

This book captures you immediately from the beginning - sets the tone for a revenge story and a half and then turns into a woman setting the pace for all the things men have done to wrong women. It’s a great story about justice - about what men can and have gotten away with in society. It’s about powerful men and the ruthlessness that comes with having too much money, using it as a bargaining tool to overturn decisions.

Whilst the book was easy to follow and quite humorous, it was a little slow in the middle and perhaps slightly unrealistic at some points. This was a fair read and I loved the female heroine - particularly the special relationship she has with her granny!

[Janice]

I can't decide if I want to be the author, Beck Lewis, or her kick-ass character Nicole, when I grow up!
Lewis has written a book based on what so many of us think on a regular basis (come on ... own up ... you know you do): what if all those bratty, misogynistic, intolerant bigots that we're forced to deal with (far too regularly) got what they deserved? Even better ... what if you could be the one who dished it out to them?!
Nicole is part of a group of friemds known as The Bartlesham Babes. They've planned one of their regular weekends away but things aren't what they used to be. Their friend Eve has broken up with posh boy Daniel Bartlesham so isn't joining them this time.
From the start, Nicole senses that things are "off", and when a message is mistakenly sent to the wrong WhatsApp group, things quickly spiral out of control.
Think: revenge porn, suicide, kidnapping, coercion, lies, manipulation, bribery, a surprise or five (maybe more), twists galore, a generous sprinkling of rather clever dark, wry humour and a steadily rising body count and that would sum it up quite well.
I adored Nicole's Hungarian Granny who reminded me a lot of my own (now sadly departed) Hungarian Auntie, and made me crave nokedli, which I'm still not able to cook properly!
Thank you to the TBC Reviewers Group for my ARC copy of this.

[Karen Cuddy]

If I Don’t Kill Them… Who Will? by Beck Lewis is another brilliant read from one of my new favourite authors.

Written in the first person, which I love, this book is full of dark humour while also tackling serious real-life issues, including misogyny and the devastating consequences of people’s actions.

Nicole is part of the Bartlesham Babes, a group of work colleagues heading off on a weekend trip to Wales. But when an explicit video of Nicole’s friend Eve is shared in the group chat, leaving her in an incredibly vulnerable position, the consequences are heartbreaking.

Nicole is determined to find out who was responsible and make sure everyone involved is held accountable. What follows is a wacky, funny, emotional, and sometimes completely outrageous journey that had me rooting for Nicole all the way.

I loved Nicole as a protagonist, but her Granny was the standout character for me. She brought so much humour and personality to the story!

This is a quirky and entertaining read with plenty of laughs, but it also has an important message at its heart. Beck Lewis has quickly become one of my favourite authors, and this book is another reason why!

[PJ]

Absolutely brilliant. From the very first, to very last page I was hooked.

Not sure if that was because of the intricate unexpected twisted plot. Or maybe it was the very dark humour which forced me to break out into laughter as much in total astonishment at how the author could find words to so perfectly express the most macabre of scenes in such a mind-boggling way. Or the fact that I was so rooting for the lead character despite her attraction to undertaking criminal acts. Or maybe it was the engaging conversational style of the prose.
This a story that blends all of the above and, on top of all that, does so in a fast paced, roller coaster style.

I never could have imagined enjoying such a dark gruesome thriller

And if you need a further trigger for engaging in such a rewarding read, then the title alone should do it.

If I Don’t Kill Them….Who Will? Is yet more evidence that Beck Lewis never disappoints and reinforces him as one of the greats in current crime wiring fiction.

[Angie Petty]

This is a roller coaster of a story. Nicole has 7 friends who all work together and often have weekends away. They are known as The Bartelsham Babes. Eve was going out with Daniel but as they have recently fallen out she doesn’t go on this weekend away. Daniel is the son of the owners of the company they all work for and is predictably a dope. He has posted revenge porn of Eve on line and Nicole phones her to see if she is ok. Eve has taken an overdose so Nicole calls the emergency services but is too late. The story progresses from Nicole trying to do the right thing. Can’t really say what happens without lots of spoilers. The book has quite a bit of bad language in it but it seems to suit the characters. Nicole finds out secrets from her granny which opens her eyes. I like this author but this book didn’t grip me like the Dead End Duncan series and I deducted a star for the swearing and the sheer far fetched story. A good read overall.

[Lisa Toner]

Well, this was certainly much different from anything I've read before!! Our protagonist, Nicole, learns that one of her workmates, Daniel (also the CEO of the highly successful company where they work, and the son of the company's founders), uploaded a video of his ex-girlfriend Eve in revenge for her dumping him, resulting in Eve's suicide - and apparently, all of her other workmates are fine with this! Thus begins Nicole's campaign to ensure that Daniel and other like-minded privileged, misogynistic men, pay for their crimes - with the help of her granny, who is certainly a dark horse in all of this!

While the book held my attention and kept me entertained, I've only given it three stars because it was very far-fetched and truly unbelievable at times; not to mention - in my opinion, anyway - unnecessarily gruesome.

Many thanks to the author and publisher who provided me with an advance copy.

[Nikki Houghton]

Started early couldn’t get there. Just seems so silly and trite (what, our protagonist is cable tied in the boot of a BMW? Yawn….)

Started again a few days and books later and then WOW I am so glad I did - this is a huge, messy, surprising romp, with a significant and downright terrifying message about revenge pornography, female manipulation of the worst kind, abuse and casual cruelty/stalking and most of all about elites who think they can get away with anything because, well, they’re elite and entitled aren’t they?
Nicole and Granny are awesome and I adore the way Zoe and Billie ask no questions- oh to have friends such as they, eh? Good book, minus one star for losing me in the Welsh mountains at first but then pow - right back with it, and how. Cathartic, loud and occasionally hilarious but always full of suspense and surprises. Excellent work.

[Tammy S. Dewhirst]

I really enjoyed "If I Dont Kill Them.....Who Will" by Beck Lewis. The story starts hot with the main character in a predicament and examining how they got there and continues strong. As the story progresses and the bodies stack, the twists and turns make the book impossible to put down.

As the story unfolds and the characters develop, the author's mastery of the craft shines through leading me to want to take a tour through their blacklist. Beck Lewis is one of those authors that just knows how its done and the skill, flow of the work, and tracking of complex threads all comes together perfectly.

This was atruly entertaining read that I will.not only suggest to friends but also encourage my local indie bookstore to stock.

[Louise]

I really enjoyed this book, it was quite far fetched in places but in a good way. The characters were interesting and added to the feel of the story. It was easy to hate some of the characters due to the way they had been described which I think shows a good author.

I liked the writing style and the way it went back and forward at the beginning to set the scene.

The descriptions of the violence were quite graphic at times but I think it added to the story really well.

I didn’t want to put this down so I could find out how it ended and read it in a few days.
I would definitely look out for more books by this author.

[Helen Young]

This book has a similar vibe to the Sweetpea series by CJ Skuse but they're better. This had too many killings and everything just fell into place magically.....that said it was funny in places and easy to read and follow. The protagonist was likeable and was trying to be a vigilante for feminists and every man she met was dreadful so she quickly became a serial killer. Slightly far fetched, her trope was less justice more kill spree with enablers all around her. This book wasn't horrendous, just predictable but easy to read and light-hearted despite the pile of dead men.

[Aimee]

I was lucky enough to be able to read Beck Lewis' book "if I Don't Kill Them Who Will?".

Initially I was put off by how much swearing was in the first chapters. But then I was enraptured by the creative and sometimes hilarious ways that the "bad guys" met their untimely ends in the rest of the book.

With feminist themes and discussions around revenge p*rn, male 'banter' and coercive control, Lewis writes in a truly laugh out loud way which leaves you rooting for the protagonist and leaves you feeling very satisfied.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Claire-Louise Armstrong-Brealey]

What an excellent tale!!

From privileged boys and their misogynistic toys, to grannys who are not frail, to women taking power.

What would you do if someone did something so heinous to a friend of yours? Sweep it under the carpet or make them pay?

Nicole is a woman after my own heart. She makes them pay!

A good fun read with bits that are not for the squeamish. The only gripe is the use of the word 'ass' instead of arse. It's not fitting for an England based book.

[Yvette Salmon]

Wow this book has it all. Fun, suspense and scary I loved it . Beck Lewis is one of my go to authors. I really enjoyed Nicole I found her such a good character and how it opens with her locked in her co workers boot . It just gets better from then on and the dead body count .
This book has it all . What I found good was the relationship Nicole had with her granny with every thing else going on that was good to read about.
I would recommend this author and this book.

[Lorraine]

Nicole goes on a weekend break with colleagues, which should just be the usual routine, Daniel boasting about his achievements, chatting crap about himself. But things take a turn when Nicole realises that her colleagues are all fine with corruption, revenge porn and just letting things slide for a quiet life. But is she?

Such a funny story that gave me many laugh out loud moments. I absolutely loved Nicole and her Granny, such strong, powerful women = gal power XL

[Simon Leonard]

I read this whilst sitting by the pool on holiday and loved it. The book is a funny in parts, thought provoking in parts book, which deals with revenge porn, male banter and protecting the victims. It was a great book which i thoroughly enjoyed reading from the very beginning where the main character is talking to us from the boot of a car before narrating their story and how they got into the situation they now are in.

[Vicky Moore]

A corporate weekend away ends in revenge porn, suicide and Nicole being locked in the boot of her friends car. What follows is a darkly comic tale of men in power, women being viewed as less and the people who look away to save themselves.

Full if lovely little twists and turns really enjoyed this one. 5 stars would recommend.

[jhanami]

Heat wave. Brain not working. Life being bothering. Then you pick up this absolute gem of a book.
I haven’t had so much fun discovering a new author in a long time. Absolutely fricking fabulous!
Very funny, but not in a superficial way. Very poignant. I just loved it!

[Katie Ludlow]

Beck Lewis is now one of my favourite authors. This is completely different to what I’ve read of hers previously but I really enjoyed.
Nicole and her grandma are just amazing characters, I want to be them.
It’s not a serious read but perfect for something that grips you while being lighthearted.