Peter Swanson’s debut novel, THE GIRL WITH A CLOCK FOR A HEART, was full of anticipation for surprises and presented a story that never disappointed from first page to last. THE KIND WORTH KILLING, his sophomore effort, meets and exceeds the high-water mark that its predecessor established with a tale that will keep you guessing and perhaps leave you worried afterward.

There have been comparisons made between THE KIND WORTH KILLING and Patricia Highsmith’s classic, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN. It does indeed seem like an update, with the strangers --- Ted Severson and Lily Kintner --- meeting not on a train but at a bar in an airline hospitality suite at Heathrow Airport. Ted is intrigued with Lily almost from the jump, and given Swanson’s descriptive powers, who wouldn’t be? The pair strike up a conversation, the kindling of which is set afire with multiple martinis --- first at the bar and later on the flight to Boston, which the two share. They begin playing a boozy game, each telling things about themselves to the other that would be better left untold even in more familiar company. Ted eventually begins describing his dissatisfaction with his marriage to Miranda. He is an extremely successful businessman and thus has the financial wherewithal to build the fantasy dream home that the artistic Miranda wants.

"The narrative bounces back and forth and around in time and place, though one never gets lost, thanks to Swanson’s surefooted guidance throughout."

Unbeknownst to Miranda, Ted has witnessed her engaging in a sexual betrayal of their marriage. He is feeling hurt and angry, and as he reveals to Lily, he would love to kill Miranda for her betrayal. As it develops, Ted has come to the right place. To his surprise, Lily offers to help. She has an extremely interesting philosophy: that everyone is going to die anyway, so what if the inevitable is hastened along a bit? The reader may not agree with her somewhat blasé attitude towards mortality, but she makes an interesting if twisted point: Most people don’t really want to die now, so how do their wishes enter into it? If one notices the room temperature going downward while reading, it may not be your imagination.

The two new friends strike an agreement and begin what appears  to be a well-thought-out plan. Naturally, neither has engaged in anything that approaches full disclosure. About halfway into the story, something extremely unexpected happens, leaving the reader with absolutely no clue as to what will unfold next. Talk about unsettling! The floor underneath the novel doesn’t just shift, it turns upside down. Let’s just say that there are depths to Lily that one can hardly imagine, and the effects of her actions --- and Ted’s --- will resonate all the way to the end of the book.

The narrative bounces back and forth and around in time and place, though one never gets lost, thanks to Swanson’s surefooted guidance throughout. I will confess that --- with a sadistic streak firmly in hand --- I recommended THE KIND WORTH KILLING to a friend of mine who is building a house somewhat on the scale of that contemplated by Ted and Miranda. While they haven’t noticeably cooled toward me, we don’t talk quite as often since then. Of course, they may be busy reading this top-notch thriller, which has enough twists and surprises for three books.