Book Review: The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson (Henry Kimball / Lily Kintner #2)

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Kind Worth Killing remains my favorite Peter Swanson book to date, but The Kind Worth Saving is definitely a worthy a worthy addition to the series, featuring Henry Kimball, now a private investigator, and Lily Kintner who is as just as sharp and devious as we remember her to be.

When Joan Whalen, (nee Grieve) an ex-student from his decades-old short stint as a high school English teacher which ended in a horrific tragedy, enlists his services to find proof of her husband’s infidelity Kimball has no idea what he is getting into. Joan is confident that her husband is cheating on her and also claims to be sure of who he is romantically involved with. All she wants is proof of the same. As Kimball begins to follow Joan’s husband and the woman he is supposedly having an affair with, he finds himself unwittingly drawn into a tangled web of murder, manipulation, deceit, lies and old secrets. It takes one to know one, so Henry turns to the only person he knows who can help him figure out what’s actually going on.

Twisty, suspenseful and fast-paced, The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson is a gripping read that I thoroughly enjoyed. While there were a couple of eye-rolling moments, I was too busy turning the pages to care. The narrative is shared from multiple perspectives, which does well in keeping you engaged with the story and the characters. Swanson’s characterizations are superb and the multiple perspectives allow us to get to know these characters, their backstories, connections and motivations. All of his characters are seriously flawed individuals and for the most part unlikeable but the author compels you to choose your favorites among them and root for them. The narrative flows seamlessly and Swanson does a fine job of weaving the past and present together in a tight-knit plot that keeps you hooked till the very last page. I enjoyed how the plot developed and found the ending more interesting than neatly tied up and satisfying. (I’m guessing we’ll be seeing more of some of the characters in the future!)

I would recommend reading The Kind Worth Killing before reading the sequel to fully understand Henry’s and Lily’s characters and their backstories.

I received a digital review copy of this novel from the publisher via Edelweiss . All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due to be released on March 07, 2023.