"Nature and nurture, free will and coercion, a lust to be exceptional and the fear of going to hell all tussle and tango throughout this imaginatively structured and relentlessly tense work." - Wall Street Journal
"Swanson is in terrific form here: The story flows backward in time, capturing a long-term marriage-one bound by an early secret-from killing to courtship, while putting Swanson's trademark low-key but palpable humor to particularly impressive effect." - Boston Globe
"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."
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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."
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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 
