"An ingenious twist on a noir classic, about the hell that awaits co-conspirators Wendy and Thom after they become a 'happy' married couple. Swanson's decision to move swiftly backward in time over 40-plus years is surprisingly suspenseful. I raced through the pages, anxious to learn the couple's last deadly secret -- and I was not disappointed." - Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author of Prom Mom
"A dazzlingly clever murder mystery, told backwards, asking the question: why would this loving wife murder her husband?" - Gillian McAllister, New York Times bestselling author of Famous Last Words and Wrong Place Wrong Time
"A feat of structural magnificence-- the instant I turned the final page, I flipped straight back to the start to put it all together again. Exhilarating and exceptionally clever, Kill Your Darlings zings with a singular sense of tension. Peter Swanson writes with the lyrical acuity of a literary master." - Danya Kukafka, nationally bestselling author of Notes on an Execution
"'I absolutely loved it. What a deliciously dark book."
- John Marrs, bestselling author of The One
"Twisty and clever. . . An addictive read brimming with jaw-dropping surprises." - Library Journal
"With a pair of deeply engaging characters, a unique story structure, and a powerhouse of an ending, the book is a sure-fire hit." - Booklist
"A fascinating exploration of the corrosive effects of guilt." - BookPage
"[An] absolute tour de force....completely ingenious." - BookTrib
"An incredible tour de force of structure and character and plot-from beginning to end! (Or, should I say, from end to beginning). Peter Swanson is a flat out genius, and his ingenious Kill Your Darlings is truly remarkable and utterly original. Relentlessly sinister and absolutely gripping, this contemporary noir is a masterclass in storytelling and brain-exploding writerly skill. Deeply psychological and impeccably structured, its deeply psychological underpinnings will have you holding your breath as you turn the pages--it's crushingly inevitable and completely haunting. And I honestly applauded at the ending. Standing ovation for this brilliant book!" - Hank Phillippi Ryan, bestselling author of One Wrong Word
"Both a meditation on comeuppance and a steely nail-biter. . . A heady, allusive, tweedy-seedy slow burn." - Kirkus Reviews
"Swanson's clever, twisty novel is a meditation on memory, marriage, and the dark side of storytelling." - Oprah Daily
"Masterful. . . [Kill Your Darlings] is a marvel of structure and pacing and delivers some of the most satisfying turns in recent memory." - Crimereads
"A topsy-turvy story that speeds toward its grim destination. The author's devoted fans will not be disappointed by this tale of karmic comeuppance." - Wall Street Journal on A Talent for Murder
"Brilliant. . . This is a masterpiece of misdirection." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on A Talent for Murder
"An ingenious puzzle." - New York Times Book Review on Nine Lives
"Hitchcockian chills and thrills abound." - O, the Oprah Magazine on Every Vow You Break
"Engagingly original... Swanson has a bent for revenge and murder." - USA Today on Eight Perfect Murders
"The inventive Mr. Swanson never lets the willing reader down." - Wall Street Journal on The Kind Worth Saving
"[It] has 'movie adaptation' written all over it. It has an alluring location, a fragile yet resilient protagonist and a thoroughly Hitchcockian storyline, replete with the requisite false starts and plot twists... High tension, lightning-fast pacing and psychological drama in spades." - BookPage on Her Every Fear
"Swanson unfolds this creepy story with the assurance and economy of a master." - Wall Street Journal on Before She Knew Him
"A taut thriller with a mounting body count and a final twist so ruthlessly clever it's criminal." - Entertainment Weekly on The Kind Worth Killing
"A twisty, sexy, electric thrill ride and an absolute blast from start to finish." - Dennis Lehane on The Girl with a Clock for a Heart
"A dazzlingly clever murder mystery, told backwards, asking the question: why would this loving wife murder her husband?" - Gillian McAllister, New York Times bestselling author of Famous Last Words and Wrong Place Wrong Time
"A feat of structural magnificence-- the instant I turned the final page, I flipped straight back to the start to put it all together again. Exhilarating and exceptionally clever, Kill Your Darlings zings with a singular sense of tension. Peter Swanson writes with the lyrical acuity of a literary master." - Danya Kukafka, nationally bestselling author of Notes on an Execution
"'I absolutely loved it. What a deliciously dark book."
- John Marrs, bestselling author of The One
"Twisty and clever. . . An addictive read brimming with jaw-dropping surprises." - Library Journal
"With a pair of deeply engaging characters, a unique story structure, and a powerhouse of an ending, the book is a sure-fire hit." - Booklist
"A fascinating exploration of the corrosive effects of guilt." - BookPage
"[An] absolute tour de force....completely ingenious." - BookTrib
"An incredible tour de force of structure and character and plot-from beginning to end! (Or, should I say, from end to beginning). Peter Swanson is a flat out genius, and his ingenious Kill Your Darlings is truly remarkable and utterly original. Relentlessly sinister and absolutely gripping, this contemporary noir is a masterclass in storytelling and brain-exploding writerly skill. Deeply psychological and impeccably structured, its deeply psychological underpinnings will have you holding your breath as you turn the pages--it's crushingly inevitable and completely haunting. And I honestly applauded at the ending. Standing ovation for this brilliant book!" - Hank Phillippi Ryan, bestselling author of One Wrong Word
"Both a meditation on comeuppance and a steely nail-biter. . . A heady, allusive, tweedy-seedy slow burn." - Kirkus Reviews
"Swanson's clever, twisty novel is a meditation on memory, marriage, and the dark side of storytelling." - Oprah Daily
"Masterful. . . [Kill Your Darlings] is a marvel of structure and pacing and delivers some of the most satisfying turns in recent memory." - Crimereads
"A topsy-turvy story that speeds toward its grim destination. The author's devoted fans will not be disappointed by this tale of karmic comeuppance." - Wall Street Journal on A Talent for Murder
"Brilliant. . . This is a masterpiece of misdirection." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on A Talent for Murder
"An ingenious puzzle." - New York Times Book Review on Nine Lives
"Hitchcockian chills and thrills abound." - O, the Oprah Magazine on Every Vow You Break
"Engagingly original... Swanson has a bent for revenge and murder." - USA Today on Eight Perfect Murders
"The inventive Mr. Swanson never lets the willing reader down." - Wall Street Journal on The Kind Worth Saving
"[It] has 'movie adaptation' written all over it. It has an alluring location, a fragile yet resilient protagonist and a thoroughly Hitchcockian storyline, replete with the requisite false starts and plot twists... High tension, lightning-fast pacing and psychological drama in spades." - BookPage on Her Every Fear
"Swanson unfolds this creepy story with the assurance and economy of a master." - Wall Street Journal on Before She Knew Him
"A taut thriller with a mounting body count and a final twist so ruthlessly clever it's criminal." - Entertainment Weekly on The Kind Worth Killing
"A twisty, sexy, electric thrill ride and an absolute blast from start to finish." - Dennis Lehane on The Girl with a Clock for a Heart