Book of The Month discussion

A newlywed librarian begins to suspect the man she married might be a murderer—in this spectacularly twisty and deviously clever novel by Peter Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of The Kind Worth Killing and Eight Perfect Murders.

Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her job as an archival librarian, constantly surrounded by thought-provoking ideas and the books she loved. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured divorcee with a job that took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.

A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern—five unsolved cases of murdered women.

Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is . . . but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.

Wow, that's a shocking first chapter and beginning!!

Here we gooo!

I sure hope you like it! I waited to post any comments until somebody else was on here to chat with. lol I can't wait to hear what you think. And it's a short and a quick read!

Yeah, I think you read it way early! lol

8 chapters
(view spoiler)[ wow, I can't imagine wanting to try to save a marriage that I thought he might be capable of killing a string of women. I mean, if I'm thinking it, this relationship is probably already over.

I like Lily. I kind of wish I'd known her before - I assume she's the POV in the other books? I'm not sure, haven't read them, but I like how feisty she is.

Everyone needs a Lily in their life - scary enough to save you AND scare the guy hurting you. lol (hide spoiler)]

We are at Costco looking at computers so I can’t read your comments, but one thing I wanted to say that I found interesting and I wonder what your thought would be on. It is how it was third person when they were talking about Martha and then it jumped to first person With Lily‘s POV. What are your thoughts on why they switched over POV’s and being told from third person to first person?

Based on your chapter 8 comments, those were my sentiments exactly! lol

(view spoiler)[I can't imagine thinking my husband was possibly a serial killer and then having sex with him, especially when her thoughts aren't just a quick, hmm...is it possible? They were more like she really thought he did the murders. And his practice smiling, etc. was too freaky.

I like Lily too. I think her first person POV is really interesting and possibly illustrates her importance to the overall plot. Martha is the MC, but her POV wasn't in first person. Just interesting. (hide spoiler)]

I think the difference in POV might be because

this is actually Lily's series - this is at least book 2 with her in it (I'm not sure if she's in book 2, but she's one of the MC's in book 1)

but I think Martha might be a new character, so maybe that's why the 1st person vs the 3rd person.

Yes, possibly. It sounds reasonable. I just found it interesting.

through Part 1

(view spoiler)[ wow, so it's some guy from college. what a weird thing to set your whole life for - framing some random gf's husband. that's weird. who would care that long? lol

and why kill Martha? Or did Alan do that, have her killed? It would seem odd if Ethan did that, why frame the hubby only to kill Martha.

I still like Lily - she's so feisty and I like how open she was with the guy at the bar. let him know you're about to do something rude but that you don't mean it. I'm all about honesty (hide spoiler)]

through Part 2

well, that took a turn
(view spoiler)[ meh. I find it silly that Ethan was so successful and suddenly devoted his life to framing Ethan to show Martha she was cursed - that just feel so silly. She was barely a blip to him

and then he goes and kills her? before he can even see his plan come to true? oh well

That was horrible, Martha dying. I wonder about her husband. we followed them for the first half of the book, I hate that we just drop them but hopefully we'll get an update

Part 2 is where I definitely feel that I haven't read book 1 and 2 so don't know the history with Henry. but I like their banter and that he's helping

she just got pulled, though. I guess Ethan's new goal would be to pin all the murders on Lily? Or just to kill her? (hide spoiler)]

and I'm done

(view spoiler)[ meh, it was okay
I thought Ethan being so chill about the murders and waiting 15+ years to go after Martha was just a bit odd
and I find it hard to believe that either Alan or Ethan made so much money they could just fly and travel and do what they wanted. lol
Were both men killing women while also LIVING off women's money. Just gross

and I thought the ending was rushed - getting Alan to jump like that (hide spoiler)]

Through Part 1

(view spoiler)[Right? LOL I definitely did not consider Martha getting murdered! At that point, it seemed like it couldn't have been Ethan because Lily had just seen him. But maybe time had lapsed and I didn't pick up on it. It's not often an MC is murdered. And I really liked Lily too. (hide spoiler)]

Through Part 2

(view spoiler)[Yeah, I agree with you. It does seem far-fetched that he's have waited 15+ years. I read the first two books, but I'll be darned if I remember much about Henry so it didn't help me. lol You, on the other hand, might've remembered more and it might've helped. (hide spoiler)]

Trisha wrote: "and I'm done

meh, it was okay
I thought Ethan being so chill about the murders and waiting 15+ years to go after Martha was just a bit odd
and I find it hard to believe that either Alan or Ethan ..."

(view spoiler)[I see your point for sure, but even though it was a bit rushed at the end I did like it more than you did. I liked the conversations between Lily and Martha and how quickly Lily was to help her "ex-friend" from so many years ago. I thought if anything that Ethan would go after Lily since she "broke them up." But he was suspect to me from the get-go since he was said to have been violent. (hide spoiler)]