Book ~ "A Talent for Murder" (2024) Peter Swanson

From Goodreads ~ Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her job as an archival librarian, constantly surrounded by thought-provoking ideas and the books she loved. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured divorcee with a job that took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.

A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern - five unsolved cases of murdered women.

Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is ... but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.

Matilda has no friends and is happy being alone. When she meets Alan, they start dating and eventually he asks her to marry him. She feels he is still a stranger but likes him (maybe even loves him) enough to say "yes". Alan works as a travelling salesman so he's not around a lot which suits Matilda fine. 

One night Alan comes home from a sales trip and Matilda is watching him from the window unload his car. He does something odd so the next day she starts tracking his previous sales trips and discovers that women have been murdered near where he's been. She suspects her husband might be a serial killer. Not wanting to accuse him in case she is wrong, which would ruin their marriage, Matilda contacts Lily, a friend she hasn't talked with since university, who had helped her out of a bad situation years ago. Lily agrees to check out Alan and asks Harry, her private investigator friend, to help.

I thought this story was okay. It was farfetched at times but I went with it. As with this author's other books, there are fun twists and turns. I thought it was odd how Matilda jumped to the conclusion that Alan was a serial killer because of a single random gesture. It was sad that when Matilda needed help the only person she thought to turn to was Lily, someone she hasn't had any contact with in many years ... and assumed Lily would want to help ... and Lily jumped into action, risking her life. I liked the ultimate ending but not how it was carried out (I thought it was a bit lame).

This is the third in the Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner series ... it works as a stand alone but it helps if you've read that first two (I have) to know the history and dynamics between Henry and Lily. It's written in first person perspective in Lily's voice and third person perspective otherwise (sometimes even when Lily is in the scene). Usually I don't mind the mixing of perspectives but I found this a bit confusing at times. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.