“Everyone has a full life, even if it ends soon. All lives are complete experiences.”
If you’re on the hunt for Peter Swanson books, chances are you’re already in the mood for tightly plotted psychological thrillers brimming with secrets, shifting motives, and those oh-so-satisfying last-minute twists that flip everything you’ve just read. Swanson has built a reputation as a master of suspense, often taking seemingly ordinary scenarios and slowly twisting them into something far darker. From morally complex characters and unreliable narrators to crimes that unfold in unexpectedly clever ways, his novels are designed to keep you guessing right up until the final page. Today at What We Reading, we’re curating the best Peter Swanson books, from his breakout hits to his more recent releases, and exploring what makes each one so gripping for thriller fans.
The Kind Worth Killing (Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner #1) (2015)
First up on our list of the best Peter Swanson books is his 2015 bestseller, The Kind Worth Killing. On a night flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning and mysterious Lily Kintner. Sharing one too many martinis, the strangers begin a game of truth, revealing very intimate details about themselves. Ted talks about his marriage that’s gone stale, and his wife, Miranda, whom he’s sure is cheating on him. Their game takes a dark turn when Ted jokes that he could kill Miranda. Without missing a beat, Lily says calmly, “I’d like to help.”
Back in Boston, Ted and Lily’s twisted bond grows stronger as they begin to plot Miranda’s demise. But there are a few things about Lily’s past that she hasn’t shared with Ted, namely her experiences in the art and craft of murder. Suddenly, these co-conspirators are embroiled in a chilling game of cat-and-mouse, one they both cannot survive, with a shrewd and very determined detective on their tail.
Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner Books In Order:
- The Kind Worth Killing (2015)
- The Kind Worth Saving (2023)
- A Talent For Murder (2024)
Eight Perfect Murders (2020)
Years ago, bookseller and mystery aficionado Malcolm Kershaw compiled a list of the genre’s most unsolved murders. But no one is more surprised than Mal when an FBI agent comes knocking on his door. She’s looking for information about a series of unsolved murders that look eerily similar to the killings on Mal’s old list. And the FBI agent isn’t the only one interested in this bookseller. The killer is out there, watching his every move.
To protect himself, Mal begins looking into possible suspects and sees a killer in everyone around him. But Mal doesn’t count on the investigation leaving a trail of death in its wake. Suddenly, a series of shocking twists leaves more victims dead – and the noose around Mal’s neck grows so tight he may never escape.
Check Out The Best Books With The Biggest Plot Twists
Before She Knew Him (2019)
Hen and her husband Lloyd have settled into a quiet life in a new house outside of Boston. Hen (short for Henrietta) is an illustrator and works out of a studio nearby, and has found the right balance of medication to manage her bipolar disorder. Finally, she’s found some stability and peace.
But when they meet the neighbours next door, that calm begins to erode as she spots a familiar object displayed on the husband’s office shelf. The sports trophy looks exactly like one that went missing from the home of a young man who was killed two years prior. Hen knows because she’s long had a fascination with this unsolved murder – an obsession she doesn’t talk about anymore but can’t fully shake either.
Every Vow You Break (2021)
Abigail Baskin never thought she’d fall in love with a millionaire. Then she met Bruce Lamb. But right before the wedding, Abigail has a drunken one-night stand with a man who refused to give her his real name. She decides to put the whole incident behind her, until the mysterious stranger suddenly appears, claiming that their passionate night was the beginning of something special. And he’s tracked her down to prove it.
Does she tell Bruce and ruin their idyllic honeymoon – and possibly their marriage? Or should she handle this psychopathic stalker on her own? To make the situation worse, strange things begin to happen. She sees a terrified woman in the night shadows, and no one at the resort seems to believe that anything is amiss… including her perfect new husband.
Nine Lives (2022)
Another one of the best Peter Swanson books, 2022’s Nine Lives, opens with nine strangers receiving a list with their names on it. None of the nine people knows or has ever met the others on the list. They dismiss it as junk mail, a fluke – until, very, very bad things begin to happen to people on the list. A frightening pattern is emerging, but what do these nine people have in common?
FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who is on the list herself, is determined to find out. Could there be some dark secret that binds them all together? Or is this all the work of a murderous madman? As the mysterious sender stalks these nine strangers, they find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering who will be crossed off next.
Check Out The Best Thriller Books From 2022
The Christmas Guest (2023)
Ashley Smith, an American student in London for her junior year, was planning to spend Christmas alone, but a last-minute invite from fellow student Emma Chapman brought her to Starvewood Hall. The Cotswold Manor horse is a dream come true for Ashley. She is mesmerised by the cosy, firelit house, the large family, especially Adam Chapman, Emma’s aloof and handsome brother.
But Adam is being investigated by the local police over the recent brutal slaying of a girl from the village, and there is a mysterious stranger who haunts the woodland path between Starvewood Hall and the local pub. Over thirty years later, the events of this horrific week are revisited in the Peter Swanson book, along with a diary from that time.
Her Every Fear (2017)
Growing up, Kate Priddy was always a bit neurotic. When Corbin Dell, a distant cousin in Boston, suggest the two temporarily swap apartments, Kate, an art student in London, agrees. Soon after her arrival in Corbin’s grand apartment on Beacon Hill, Kate makes a shocking discovery: his next-door neighbour, a young woman named Audrey Marshall, has been murdered. When the police question her about Corbin, a shaken Kate has few answers and many questions of her own.
When she reaches out to her cousin, he proclaims his innocence and calms her nerves – until she comes across disturbing objects hidden in the apartment, learning that Corbin is not who he claims to be. Could Corbin be a killer? Jet-lagged and emotionally unstable, her imagination full of dark images caused by the terror of her past, Kate can barely trust herself to solve this chilling mystery.
Check Out The Best Books Where The Protagonist Is Their Own Worst Enemy
All The Beautiful Lies (2018)
Harry Ackerson has always considered his stepmother, Alice, to be sexy and beautiful, in an “otherworldly” way. Days before his graduation, Alice calls with shocking news. His father is dead, and the police think it’s a suicide. Devastated, Harry returns to his father’s home in Maine. There, he and Alice will help each other pick up the pieces of their lives and uncover what happened to his father.
Shortly after he arrives, Harry meets a mysterious young woman named Grace McGowan. Though she claims to be new to the area, Harry starts to suspect Grace may not be a total stranger to his family. Mesmerised by these two women, Harry finds himself falling deeper under their spell. Yet the closer he gets to them, the more isolated he feels, disoriented by a growing fear that both women are hiding dangerous – perhaps even deadly – secrets.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
