A Talent for Murder is a psychologically dark narrative that’s equal parts thrilling and creepy. You’re going to feel that uneasiness under your skin while you’re driven to read through the unsettling story.
Martha Ratliff had made peace with the fact that she was cursed in love. She lived alone and was content with it until she met Alan. Against her own prejudices, she finds herself saying yes to Alan’s proposal and soon, they’re married and living a cozy life, albeit a bit distant. When Martha discovers a spot of dried blood on Alan’s shirts and a news clip stating a woman was killed at one of the conferences where Alan had been over a weekend, she can’t get out of her mind the possibility that her husband may be a killer. Her investigation leads her down a dark rabbit hole where more murders come up in all the areas Alan has frequented. Does she really know her husband, or is he hiding an ugly secret underneath the sweet divorcee facade? As Martha seeks the help of an old friend, it seems that the past may not be as distant as it may seem.
Peter Swanson does a phenomenal work of creating a strong lingering aura of paranoia and fear in the subtle scenes he portrays between Martha and Alan, but all powerful in their underlying tension and subtext. There’s always this gnawing sense that what the clues may be hinting at isn’t what’s actually going on behind the scenes. It’s one of the rare suspenseful thrillers where finding out the secret of the killer doesn’t kill the intrigue, but amplifies all the actions that follow. Swanson is a master at eliciting genuine fear out of the reading folks with his twisty approaches to the mystery thriller genre and he makes sure to tick all the boxes that one wants ticked when picking up a fast-paced captivating and believable mystery in tune with all the quirks of our society.
If you’re looking to be captivated by a tense mystery thriller that grabs your attention with its sinister theme and paranoia-inducing narrative due to the gritty realism of the characters and situations, A Talent for Murder is a great way to spend the weekend.
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Purchase A Talent For Murder
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Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
