I went into this mostly blind, but I was expecting a fast-paced thriller about a couple wanting to kill each other. However, this is an unusual story that unfolds in reverse.

This didn't work for me. The pacing was very slow, with nothing happening for most of the book. This is also not a thriller but more like of a marital drama which was very repetitive. The characters aren't likable and they keep discussing the same things revolving around the same themes. Thom drinks and is guilty. Wendy is secretive and resentful. I just wanted to be done with it

If you're looking for something different, are a fan of Peter Swanson or into character studies, and are fine with unlikeable characters, you should give this book a shot.

Thanks to Negalley & Faber and Faber Ltd for the e-copy.

2.5/5

I've never read a book before where the chapters are told completely in reverse. It took me a while to realise this was the format of Kill Your Darlings but once I did it became an interesting journey backwards through time.

Kill Your Darlings starts with setting up and executing a murder and ends with an explanation - and a delicious twist. For me, a lot of the middle story seemed to drag a little and it didn’t help that each of the 2 main characters became less and less likeable as the story wore on. All that said, the ending definitely made this book for me!

This is a back-to-front crime, mystery and thriller story. It starts at the end of the story and then works backwards. Beginning a story at the end gives you a couple of insights, but it is not until you get to the end of the book that you realise how things are connected.

Thom and Wendy have been together for many years, and they live comfortably. They have a shared secret, and it is something that keeps them united and together. But with Thom's drinking, Wendy is wondering how long it will be before he blurts something out that will reveal what they have done.

This is a clever story that fills in the gaps of the couple's past. I liked the concept, and although a lot is going on, the author maintained control, making it all make sense while reading. They seem like a normal couple, have friends, and entertain. But beneath the veneer, they are not all they appear to be. Their marriage is starting to fade, they come across as being happy, but there are signs that they are not. As the author tells more, you can see how they are bonded by something that is not sustainable.

I enjoyed this story and the unique layout of the plot. The characters are not the most likeable and this fits with who they are and what they have done. It is full of suspense as the pieces are gradually drawn together and the sense of the bigger picture forms as you get towards the end. The story has twists and shock moments.

If you are looking for something different, then this is something you may be interested in. While it is a crime and mystery story, it is also one about a marriage that is failing and how this came about. What one person wants to do to change things and how secrets can be the downfall. Interesting, addictive and well laid out story that I would be happy to recommend.

I enjoyed this. A long married couple have a dark secret and as time passes and the husband drinks more and becomes forgetful, will the secret be exposed?
Then, we are taken back to the beginning of their relationship and we learn more about what they have been hiding and how their marriage has evolved.

I found it to be an interesting, well written, solid Good Read and am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers, Faber & Faber for the opportunity to preview.

As a longtime Peter Swanson fan, I was so intrigued by the concept of Kill Your Darlings. It’s a thriller told in reverse about a woman who starts off in the book by wanting to kill her husband. What we read is a story of a toxic marriage and a plot to murder that unravels as we go back in time. The concept is smart and the tension subtle, but it didn’t hit quite as hard as I’d hoped. I did enjoy the reveals and the way the story was crafted, definitely an interesting twist on his usual style and very clever, but it lacked the usual big bang ending.

I found this was a really interesting read that I wouldn’t have particularly picked up but found it highly interesting and well written

3.5 ⭐️
The first attempt at killing her husband was the night of the dinner party.

This is a unique story about a married couple, Thom and Wendy charting their history together, their relationships and secrets.

I enjoyed the concept of the story which started at the end of their relationship and progressed through to how they met, with some twists along the way

Although I quite enjoyed this book, it was a little slow at times.

However, this was an interesting and clever mystery in reverse!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

Kill Your Darlings is a clever murder mystery by Peter Swanson.
In short, Wendy has had enough, her husband Thom drinks too much, flirts too much and it’s getting tricky because they have a dark secret which is in danger of being revealed by him…so it’s time to silence him!
I simply love all Peter Swanson’s books, all very original and unexpected. Kill Your Darlings is another page turner, the story starts at the end and ends at the beginning …a brilliant flip. It’s an in depth story of two people who were destined to be together. Both having significant events which are told in a backwards timeline….with all eventualities bringing together the reasoning of the finale at the beginning but leaving a twist at the end! Clever. There’s one line which resonates with the story, ‘the happiest people are the ones who are able to forget the past!’
Big thanks to Peter Swanson, Faber & Faber and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

My first time reading this magnificent author. So brutally honest and relatable. I felt empathy with the best and worst of the characters. Brilliant thankyou!!

I hadn't read any Peter Swanson titles before this one, something I shall have to rectify! Telling the story of a murder backwards was an intriguing concept and I wasn't sure how this would be handled, but the narrative was gripping. Knowing the identity of the murderer from the onset meant that Wendy very much commandeered the action (and character development) but I loved how we saw her and her husband's lives unfolding and the almost inexorable unfurling of events from the very first inciting incident to the ultimate murder of her husband Thom. The small but perfectly formed twist in the tail was a gem! Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but unfortunately, I had to give up around the halfway mark. I tried—multiple times—but just couldn’t push through beyond 50%.

It wasn’t one specific issue that turned me off; rather, it was a combination of things. The pacing felt sluggish, the dialogue came across as dull, and I struggled to connect with the characters—especially Thom and Wendy. They lacked depth and didn’t feel believable or engaging. Overall, the story just didn’t have the substance I was hoping for.

It’s disappointing because I went in with high expectations, but sadly, this one just didn’t work for me.

I'm a huge fan of Peter Swanson so have been eagerly anticipating Kill Your Darlings and I'm so pleased to say that it exceeded my very high expectations for it! This novel starts in the present following Wendy and Thom who are both a bit jaded with their marriage but they're muddling along. One night when Thom is drunk Wendy gives him a small push at the top of the stairs, this doesn't kill him but it sets off a chain of events in their lives. The novel then goes gradually back in time as we learn more about this couple, and there is way more to them than I ever imagined. Neither of them are quite what they seemed and there is a lot of darkness. I love the way the novel was written, each time we go back in time it fills in a blank from a previous chapter and you start to see how the dots join up. The ending of the novel was unexpected to me but oh so satisfying! I loved this novel and would like to re-read it in the future, it may even be my new favourite by this author! I highly recommend it!

I liked this story of a couple facing up to events that happened many years ago. It was cleverly structured and I got a clear sense of their characters. I can see why it has been popular. If you like a ‘whydunnit’ you’ll enjoy this.

This should read 4.5 stars. An absolute page turner. Thom and Wendy have been married for 40 years. They don't particularly seem to like each other, but they have secrets that bind them irrevocably. The story cleverly starts at the end and winds back through their lives, uncovering their secrets and the passion for each other, The characters cleverly evolve and their behaviours make more and more sense as we understand their history. A captivating, entertaining, clever read.

Intriguing, gripping, a page turner that kept me hooked and guessing
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thom and Wendy Graves have been married for 25 years though they met as teenagers some 40 years ago but lost touch for a while. Now Wendy is getting tired of Thom's heavy drinking and flirting with other women. However when she discovers that he's about to reveal a dark secret from their past she decides the only option is to murder him.
This latest book by Peter Swanson is quite different in that it starts at the end and ends at the beginning so the reader knows from the start that Wendy goes ahead with her plan but then the book travels back in time, highlighting events from their lives such as their marriage and birth of their son. I've enjoyed all of the author's previous books so was delighted to receive an advanced copy of Kill Your Darlings which was also an excellent read and has an unexpected ending...or should that be beginning!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading an ARC of this book,

Marriage, murder and revenge: Swanson at his sinister best.

Kill Your Darlings is a sharp and psychologically charged domestic thriller that asks: what if the person closest to you used your darkest secrets as inspiration for a murder novel?

Starting at the end and ending at the beginning we uncover the years chapter by chapter. Set in Goose Neck in New Essex, the story begins with a seemingly innocent dinner party, which results in the first time Wendy considers killing her husband. After decades of slow marital decay, Wendy and Thom are shadows of the couple who first kissed in Georgetown 40 years ago.

Then Thom announces he’s writing a book. A novel about a murder. When she goes digging, Wendy instantly recognises the plot. It’s their story. The past they vowed to bury. The sin they swore never to share. Now, she’s furious.

Swanson masterfully draws a portrait of a long marriage rotting from the inside. Wendy starts to dream of escape. What it would be like if she was free to do what she wants: eat more fish, the house to herself, remote control freedom, find a better man, or no man at all. The bad dreams. The black moods. The affairs. The drinking. Loathing simmers beneath the surface.

Laced with Swanson’s signature wit and layered with emotional complexity, Kill Your Darlings is a slow-burning thriller full of psychological nuance and moral ambiguity. It’s a cracker of a page-turner and I couldn’t put it down.

With a washed-up detective, a vengeful wife, and a husband who may finally be getting what he deserves, this is a novel about guilt, punishment, and how far someone will go to finally feel free.

A must-read for fans of domestic noir, psychological thrillers, and anyone who’s ever fantasised about revenge. And then plotted it. Juicily dark and deliciously satisfying.

#Netgalley

Kill Your Darlings is the latest book from psychological thriller bestselling author Peter Swanson. I’ve had a love/hate relationship with his books over the years; he writes prolifically but I don’t always click with his stories. The ones I have loved always draw me back to him though, so here we are again!

Wendy and Thom are a middle aged married couple. Their son is grown up and as Thom continues his lifelong irritating behaviour (flirting with other women, and drinking heavily), she begins to think about removing him from her life..in a permanent fashion.
They each hold dark secrets about the other that can’t come to light but is Wendy capable of being responsible for Thom’s demise?

Well, only one way to find out.

The book cleverly starts at the end of the story where they are now in the present day, and ends at the very beginning of their lives together, as love struck teens.

This is a VERY slow burn and is repetitive at times.

That said, it’s also a solid character study and had Ira Levin (A Kiss Before Dying) vibes at times, which I’m always here for.

Swanson is a great man for a thought provoking twist, and this was no different. I may have said “AHA!!” out loud on the plane home while I read it, and to be fair to me, it was deserved.

If you don’t mind a slower paced story where you really have to piece it all together, then I think you’ll enjoy this too.

With many thanks @netgalley @faberbooks for my early copy. #KillYourDarlings is available to buy now. All opinions are my own, as always.

What a fabulous read !
Thom and Wendy have been married for 40 years
and Wendy is not happy
Luring her husband to a place that has fond memories for them both - only one of them returns
We start the story at the end of their marriage and work our way back to when they first met
Loved the ending !!!

Thankyou NetGalley for an ARC in return fior an honest review

Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson

Peter Swanson’s Kill Your Darlings is a clever, twisty thriller perfect for fans of suspense. It tells the story of a marriage in trouble, but told in reverse, a twist I really enjoyed.

Set in Massachusetts, the novel starts in 2023 with poet Wendy Graves deciding to murder her husband of many years, Thom, an English professor—a novel opening that immediately subverts traditional suspense. The story moves backward through time, gradually uncovering pivotal events like the couples first meeting, the birth of their first child, and the crime that bound them together. Swanson skillfully uses this method of reverse chronology as a powerful device to reveal character and build tension, illustrating how years of buried guilt and secrets slowly destroyed their marriage. I really enjoyed this novel from one of my go-to authors who never fails to impress. A solid 4 star read.

With many thanks to @netgalley and @faberbooks for the advance copy in return for my honest review. Kill Your Darlings was published on 3 July.

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