Would you know if you had married a serial killer?
Of course you would, you think, by which you mean you would never have married him. But before you scoff too vigorously, you should know that Sonia Sutcliffe had no idea. One day, when her husband returns from a weekend away, Martha watches him put on a smile before he heads into the house. It’s a tiny moment in their lives, but Martha can’t forget it. How much does she really know about the man she married?
What’s it about?
Martha Ratliff, conscientious librarian and contentedly newly-wed, begins to suspect that her husband’s sales trips may be a cover for more nefarious activities. Building on minor details – a single bloody fingerprint, a smile that had to be assembled – she begins to collate a group of murders committed at locations and times that match with her husband’s travelling pattern.
Concerned that she might be building castles in the air, Martha seeks help from an old friend, Lily Kintner. Can Lily help her find more evidence, or is Alan actually innocent?
What Martha has forgotten, is that Lily has a dark side of her own…
What’s it like?
Delightfully twisty. Mostly satisfying. A fun read, especially when Lily is challenging a certain character towards the end of the book. I enjoyed the odd snarky moments of humour and the sudden shocks throughout. I also enjoyed the contrast that Swanson develops at the end between two particular male character’s attitudes towards their secret selves.
‘Jean was apparently under the impression that because Martha read so much she would also be able to write a publishable book.’
Arguably, the premise is daft (Martha, seriously, you’re basing all this on a man freshly home from a busy weekend, taking a moment to put himself in the right frame of mind before greeting his wife?) and the development even more silly (Lily, really, you’re going to immediately head over to see someone you’ve had no contact with for ten years because their husband had a stain on his shirt?) BUT, actually, it all makes perfect sense in light of Martha’s history with men and with Lily. What history, you’re asking? Ah well, you’ll have to read ‘A Talent for Murder’ if you want to find out…
Final thoughts
I had no idea that Lily Kintner and Henry Kimball had featured in previous books by Peter Swanson, but my failure to read the preceding two stories was not a problem. In fact, it might have been more of an issue if I had read them, as Kimball only really appears near the end of the book and established fans might have expected to see more of him!
I really liked the structure of this book. Swanson opens the story with Josie, an art teacher enjoying a conference. She’s hoping for a fun weekend, though of course the reader swiftly realises that she’s being lined up as the opening corpse. Fittingly, her story recurs near the end, giving the whole storyline a wonderfully dark closure.
Having previously read and not really liked Swanson’s ‘Every Vow You Break’ (too dramatic / ridiculous and misogynistic for me), I’m glad I took the advice of my book group to try another of his books.