"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." -- 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.