The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

On a night flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning and mysterious Lily Kintner. Sharing one too many martinis, the strangers begin to play a game of truth, revealing very intimate details about themselves. Ted talks about his marriage that’s going stale and his wife Miranda, who he’s sure is cheating on him. Ted and his wife were a mismatch from the start—he the rich businessman, she the artistic free spirit—a contrast that once inflamed their passion, but has now become a cliché.

But their game turns a little darker when Ted jokes that he could kill Miranda for what she’s done. Lily, without missing a beat, says calmly, “I’d like to help.” After all, some people are the kind worth killing, like a lying, stinking, cheating spouse. . . .

Back in Boston, Ted and Lily’s twisted bond grows stronger as they begin to plot Miranda's demise. But there are a few things about Lily’s past that she hasn’t shared with Ted, namely her experience in the art and craft of murder, a journey that began in her very precocious youth.

Suddenly these co-conspirators are embroiled in a chilling game of cat-and-mouse, one they both cannot survive . . . with a shrewd and very determined detective on their tail.

Oh boy, this book does not hold its punches. It begins fast, making readers dive straight into the story of Ted Severson and his desire to kill his wife, then slowly lulling as he makes those plans, and continues to balloon and spiral into an absolute wild ride of twists.

The Kind Worth Killing interweaves various narrators and their perspectives. It's not linear, which adds a confusing element when trying to piece together the story, but learning their backstories and motivations, as well as the seamless storytelling makes it all worth it.

You can't help but root for Lily; she's the driving force of the book and a psychopathic mastermind. She never quite strays from human morality or reasoning, even if she takes a drastic approach to revenge. She abides by an unwavering philosophy - we all die anyway, so what difference does it make if some bad people die early? - and you can't help but nod in agreement when reading this book and understanding her justification for killing. What kind of people are worth killing? Lily can answer that for you.

I was rooting for her to get away with it all, even if she was being risky, even if I thought that murder was not necessary at all. She's not a hero nor a villain, but a “virtuous do-gooder” willing to take that (morally wrong) extra step that most of us never will or want to do. What makes her a compelling character is how she's such a normal person despite her actions, with feelings and moments of reflection and perhaps even small bouts of guilt.

As for the other primary characters, the only decent one was Ted (albeit a bit boring). I rolled my eyes at Miranda's superficiality, and felt an immense desire to beat the living daylights out of Kimball. These two characters were just terrible people with no redeeming factors; it was so easy to hate them. I can't help but also criticize the men here for constantly sexually objectifying women, treating the women in their lives without love, care or respect. There was not a single man in this book that didn't make me want to punch them (yes, even you Ted, the only decent man here). Reading about a female character who doesn't let men get away with their disgusting behavior was quite gratifying, so I appreciated Lily a lot.

My only small gripe with this book the excessive writing/scene descriptions and the abrupt ending. It was wrapped up a bit too fast in just one chapter, so I would've loved to read a bit more especially since something big just happened. Perhaps we'll find out in the second book.