The Kind Worth Saving: 'Nobody writes psychopaths like Swanson.' Mark Edwards

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Henry Kimball is hired by his former student, Joan, to follow her husband who is having an affair with his secretary. She "knows" he is having an affair but wants "proof". Henry accepts the case but can't help remembering his and Joan's shared past, specifically the day that ended in tragedy. A day that haunts him, a day that he can never forget. Fans of Swanson’s work, particularly The Kind Worth Killing, will undoubtedly enjoy The Kind Worth Saving as it recaptures the twists, the pace, and the fascinating characters of the former. But as mentioned above, the earlier book does not have to have been read first. Everything a reader needs to know about the past is re-capped within the text. The Kind Worth Killing was my introduction to Swanson and remains one of my all-time favourite thrillers and The Kind Worth Saving pairs exceptionally well with it. Any reader who enjoys diving into the excitement of the traditional cat-and-mouse chase will find that plus so much more in Peter Swanson’s newest novel. But I could also argue that because the two books have a lot of similarities (which I won’t go into in this review), I found The Kind Worth Killing more surprising and enjoyable to read. All I will say is that both books are very twisty. Both books involve some very devious and amoral characters. And both will keep you guessing until the end. Former high school teacher-turned police officer-turned private eye, Henry is surprised when a former pupil comes to his office and asks him to do some surveillance on her husband. Joan Whalen (nee Grieve) thinks her other half is cheating and wants Henry to get to the truth, no matter how much it costs. Henry and Joan have a shared history – they were both witnesses when the school loner killed another pupil in English class and then turned the gun on himself. The trauma of that experience led Henry to leave teaching and go into law enforcement, until an equally dramatic encounter with Lily Kintner had him reevaluating his life and finding yet another new career. Henry Kimball is an interesting character, although I didn't immediately warm to him. As an ex-high school English teacher he was involved in a school shooting. As a policeman he was accused of stalking a suspect. Now, as a PI, he has come full circle he finds himself employed by an ex-pupil to investigate her husband, another ex-pupil.

Peter Swanson - The Kind Worth Saving

One bonus to The Kind Worth Saving is the reappearance of Lily, albeit well into the book. She’s now living a quiet existence with her father and his partner and she is a tad surprised when Henry comes a-calling. He needs to share his suspicions with someone, and Lily is just the girl. The sections where Henry and Lily are together are definitely the best parts of this novel and add some much needed spark. Their chemistry is entertaining and well-drawn, and when Lily forges off on her own the resulting scenes and situations are vintage Swanson too.

Waiting such a long period of time to release a sequel requires readers to remember the details of a book read eight years ago. (Huh?)

The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson Review: The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson

Swanson called this a “semi-sequel” and it’s a very good way to describe it. if you’re expecting another story surrounding Lily Kintner, you’ll need to adjust expectations. this book is mainly centered around Henry Kimball, the police officer turned private detective from TKWK buuuut we do get re-introduced to Lily (the MC in TKWK) and she may or may not get herself into trouble again 👀 it was so much fun reading her POV again!!! Why did Joan google Richards name randomly even though they spent years never interacting and that being how she learned about the bombing....instead of hearing about it on the news or from a neighbour??? because you know it's a bombing in her local area. people are going to talk about that. Suffice, to say, this was one of my MOST ANTICIPATED reads for 2023, and although ”The Kind Worth Killing” is a hard act to follow and it would probably be impossible to equal it- THIS WAS a satisfying follow up for me!! I really wanted to like this book and throw myself into it, but there were some developments that had me rolling my eyes in disbelief. There’s also a strange ebb and flow in the characterisations that hampers a fuller engagement, with some of the plot teetering on the edge of farce. To top that all off, there’s the distinct impression that the author may be toying with a third bite at this particular cherry. On this showing, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea… I really enjoyed this suspenseful tale and wouldn't be opposed to more books with these characters in the future.

Peter Swanson is the author of five novels, including The Kind Worth Killing, winner of the New England Society Book Award, and finalist for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, and Her Every Fear, an NPR book of the year. His books have been translated into 30 languages, and his stories, poetry, and features have appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, The Atlantic Monthly, Measure, The Guardian, The Strand Magazine, and Yankee Magazine. ABOUT 'THE KIND WORTH SAVING': There was always something slightly dangerous about Joan. So, when she turns up at private investigator Henry Kimball’s office asking him to investigate her husband, he can’t help feeling ill at ease. Just the sight of her stirs up a chilling memory: he knew Joan in his previous life as a high school English teacher, when he was at the center of a tragedy. Is it possible that Joan knows something about that day, something she’s hidden all these years? Could there still be a killer out there, someone who believes they have gotten away with murder? Henry is determined to find out, but as he steps closer to the truth, a murderer is getting closer to him, and in this hair-raising game of cat and mouse only one of them will survive.

The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson | Waterstones

Technically no, but I think you will enjoy the book more if you understand the relationship between Henry and Lily.alright lets start with how everything goes perfect for the serial killer duo. Drown the cousin, convince anther student to shoot the ex-friend, set up a murder/suicide looking crime seen. Everything goes off without a hitch... you know what that is? boring.

The Kind Worth Saving – HarperCollins The Kind Worth Saving – HarperCollins

Peter Swanson’s highly anticipated sequel introduces new characters, but also continues with Henry Kimball and Lily Kintner’s story. It contains some recap, but will likely leave readers confused without knowledge of the previous book. It was an uncomfortable and tension filled ride, like when you can hear thunder, you just know the storm is coming soon.The story then switches to Joan’s point of view, with something that happened when she was a teenager, on a rather reluctant holiday on the coast of Maine with her parents. Duane, a slightly older boy, starts to pursue her, invites her to a beach party which turns out to be just himself and Joan, and attempts to rape her. Furious, Joan hatches a plot for revenge, and involves Duane’s cousin Richard, who is only too happy to help as he also loathes Duane. All goes well, Duane is disposed of, and nobody suspects a thing. This is hardly a spoiler, as it takes place in the second chapter. But there’s so much more to come. This is the second book in the series and I recommend reading the first book in the series, The Kind Worth Killing, first. i thiiiiink this will land at 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 because nothing will quiiiiite beat TKWK for me. however, this was SO much fun, i was thinking about it every time i put it down.