Peter Swanson is one of my favorite writers working today. With the release of his latest novel, A TALENT FOR MURDER, I am pleased to say that not only has Swanson hit it out of the park again, he has produced a story that both amazed and confounded me.

The opening chapter is told from the point of view of Josie, an attendee at a teacher’s conference who has an open marriage and actively seeks out a male partner for sex. Following a tryst in her hotel room, the scene ends abruptly and shockingly as a naked Josie is tossed over the balcony to her death.

"Peter Swanson proves once again why he is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to psychological thrillers. The fact that he has created something fresh and new shows that he is capable of anything as a writer."

We then meet newlywed librarian Martha Ratliff. Her husband, Alan, is a vendor who travels to different teaching conferences around the country and happened to be at one where a young woman died by suicide by leaping from her hotel room. This initially means very little to Martha until curiosity gets the better of her, and she decides to research if similar tragedies have occurred at other conferences Alan has attended.

Martha originally becomes suspicious when she finds blood on one of Alan’s shirts from the last conference. When she confronts him about it, he acts aghast and asks if she thinks he’s some sort of serial killer. Unsure of what to do next, Martha reaches out to an old college friend she has not spoken to in a while. Lily Kitner had played a big part in getting Martha out of an abusive relationship, so she has no problem asking her for advice regarding Alan.

Lily agrees to track Alan at an upcoming conference in Saratoga Springs. She plans to bait him and see if he flirts with her or shows any proclivity for murder. She meets with him and comes on strong, but he plays it cool while at the vendor table. Later on, while following him along the streets at night, Lily notices something quite alarming. Another person is keeping tabs on Alan, and it turns out to be Ethan Saltz, Martha's abusive ex-boyfriend from college.

It is at this point that A TALENT FOR MURDER takes a completely unexpected change of direction as the second half of the novel focuses on Ethan and who he really is. It features an ultra-deadly game of cat and mouse between Ethan and Lily. Lily has teamed up with a friend posing as a private investigator to uncover everything they can about Ethan, and the results are terrifying. He is a more than formidable opponent who somehow remains a step ahead of them at every turn. If Lily does not watch out, she may find out why murder is not beyond the realm of possibility when facing off against someone like Ethan.

There is so much more I would love to say about A TALENT FOR MURDER, but I'll stop right here as I don't want to spoil this incredibly ingenious novel. Peter Swanson proves once again why he is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to psychological thrillers. The fact that he has created something fresh and new shows that he is capable of anything as a writer.