Synopsis
'The first attempt at killing her husband was the night of the dinner party.'
After forty years, Thom Graves has become an incredible disappointment to his wife, Wendy - he drinks too much, flirts with other women, and worst of all, is in danger of revealing their dark secret. But how far is Wendy willing to go to stop him?
Starting at the end, and ending at the beginning, Kill Your Darlings is an ingenious mystery about two people's life together, and the secrets which fatally bind them.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Faber & Faber
- ISBN: 9780571393121
- Number of pages: 288
- Dimensions: 234 x 153 mm
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
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Topsy turvy
Being a lover of this authors work I was really excited about reading this one. However, I was left slightly disappointed. The story is told in reverse so ... READ MORE
Kill Your Darlings
Maybe it's me not "getting" this book. Which is a shame cos the author is one of my favourites and I usually love his books. But this one just fizzled out ... READ MORE
A great story told in a really interesting way
I really enjoy Swanson’s brand of crime fiction. He stages his stories in ways that are new to me, and with his killers being characters you wouldn’t expec... READ MORE
When you are dissatisfied with your marriage what do you do Kill your husband
When you push your husband down a flight of stairs, it wasn't intentional was it ?
Is this the first accident? Looking back over the marriage from meeting... READ MORE
Highly recommended!
Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson
Wendy and Thom were teenage sweethearts and are now in their 50s. How has it come to be that Wendy now wants to mur... READ MORE
Murder past and present
You can always rely on Peter Swanson to write well-crafted, complex thrillers with a twist. This one too is a fine story about a couple bound by a crime co... READ MORE
Sorry it didn't work for me
I have read several other books by Peter Swanson and really enjoyed them. But kill your darlings just left me confused.
Thome and Wendy Graves have a gre... READ MORE
an okay book
This was an okay book, the USP was obviously that it is told backwards in time so the reader knows near the beginning that Wendy murders Thom and then we f... READ MORE
An ending before the beginning
This is a cleverly written thriller, with the story moving backwards. I can see this being a ‘marmite’ love it or hate it read, as early on you find out ... READ MORE
Family drama
This is the story of Thom and Wendy Graves who have been married for forty years, and were childhood sweethearts for a while too. They share some terrible ... READ MORE
A powerful novel
4-5 stars
This is Thom and Wendy Graves’ story. They’ve been married for 25 years and live in New Essex in Northern Massachusetts. Wendy is a poet and T... READ MORE
Loved it!
Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson
Wendy and Thom were teenage sweethearts and are now in their 50s. How has it come to be that Wendy now wants to mur... READ MORE
Would make a good film
I loved this topsy turvy tale and think it would make an interesting film. If I had a complaint it would be that that it was repetitive but in a way I can’... READ MORE
Intricate captivating plot
A clever telling with. The end at the beginning was a brilliant concept leading the reader to ponder what brought this death to occur. No spoilers! The sto... READ MORE
Dark secrets
Eagerly devoured this new Peter Swanson thriller. It’s a love story told in reverse. Wendy and Thom are bound together by dark secrets that threaten to str... READ MORE
Clever, twisty thriller
Very cleverly written plot with almost a unique feel making a trusted genre seem quite refreshing.
Finished in only two sittings which is always a good si... READ MORE
Inventive!
Another inventive and oh so clever book from Peter Swanson which (unusually) starts at the end and finishes at the beginning. Wendy and Thom meet at High ... READ MORE
Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson
I always look forward to the publication of Swanson’s next book (because I’ve read everything he’s written to date!). His thrillers have strong characters,... READ MORE
“I wanted to like this book”
I couldn’t wait to pick up this book from Waterstones, having waited for it to be published and on sale. Peter Swanson is one of my favourite authors. Sa... READ MORE
A dark read .
Thom and Wendy have been married for more than twenty five years , it’s not a happy marriage but what binds them together?
This story is a dark and distur... READ MORE
Four stars!
Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson follows Thom and Wendy Graves, a married couple of over twenty-five years living in a beautiful Victorian house in Mass... READ MORE
Disappointed
The beginning of this book was so good and it immediately drew me into the story. As I went along I found myself less and less intrigued with the story and... READ MORE
Not my favourite!
I generally like Peter Swanson’s books so was excited to receive a review copy of this, his latest.
This is the story of a dark romance between Thom Grave... READ MORE
Lacks the tension of a thriller
Kill Your Darlings is a slow-burn study of the relationship between Thom and Wendy. Neither of them are likeable characters. The book is written with a rev... READ MORE
Great backwards narrative and an intimidating main character
I started this novel and thought it would be gripping, with a strong female character and a dual narrative perspective. It was so much more! The backwards ... READ MORE
Interesting concept for a thriller
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 y... READ MORE
Thrill ride told in reverse!
I have been a huge fan of Peter Swanson's writing ever since reading The Kind Worth Killing, one of three books in the Henry Kimball series (if you haven't... READ MORE
Good read
I did enjoy this book and the characters and I can recommend it as a good read. However, the jumping backward and forwards between the different time zone ... READ MORE
Absolutely fantastic ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book. But it surpassed anything I’d presumed. It’s take that starts at the end and then goes backward. And the final... READ MORE
This was 5 stars for the ending alone. I don’t think I’ve ever read such a satisfying ending to a book.
I’m absolutely blown away by this book. The characters are perfect. You’ll love to hate them! I’ve never put a book down and smiled broadly. DID NOT SEE TH... READ MORE
Slow burn
This novel is told backwards, as the first chapter is the end of the story. We meet Wendy and Thom, once childhood sweethearts, now middle-aged academics. ... READ MORE