Publishing Date: March 5, 2019
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 368
Young Adult Contemporary Thriller
The Premise from the Publisher: "17-year-old Kim never expected to plot a murder. But that was before her boyfriend dumped her for another girl. Now, Kim's stuck on a class trip to London with him and his new soulmate and she can't help wishing he was a little bit dead, even if she'd never really do that. But when Kim meets Nicki, a stranger on the plane who's more than willing to listen to Kim's woes, things start to look up. Nicki's got a great sense of humor, and when she jokes about swapping murders, Kim plays along-that is, until Kim's ex-boyfriend mysteriously dies. Blackmailed by Nicki to fulfill her end of the deal, Kim will have to commit a murder or take the fall for one" (HMH).
My overall thoughts and review: I've been a fan of Eileen Cook's writing for a while now. I can always count on her to deliver on really interesting contemporary mystery/thrillers. This one is no different, and it's a modern take on the classic Strangers on a Train. The story follows Kim, who is stuck going on a class trip to London with her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. Feeling alone and still hurt by their breakup, Kim finds an friend at the airport named Nicki. They both hit it off straight away and they joke about if Nicki killed Connor (the ex bf) for Kim, Kim could kill Nicki's mother in return. It seems like harmless fun, and once Kim arrives in London, she feels better and ready to leave Connor in her past. She even begins a relationship with a guy named Alex (I really liked this character!!). However, things get complicated when Connor ends up dead, and Nicki comes to collect on their supposed deal. It becomes dark and twisty, and you really see how far Nicki is willing to push Kim, and how far Kim is willing to go to protect the ones she loves. I really liked that Kim deeply struggled with this, and that she didn't just abide by everything Nicki put forth. Despite the dark context, I quite enjoyed the back and forth between the two characters and how they both see the world. I did find some of the plot things predictable, in terms of how Nicki was threatening Kim, but I thought the pacing of the novel was good and it wrapped up quite nicely in the end. Although the text begins in Vancouver (I loved all the references since I was recently there), the novel moves across the pond. London makes a great backdrop for the story and I liked that places were named along the way. All in all, a great twisty thriller that I was able to devour quite quickly, and a really adorable love interest! Would definitely recommend checking it out, especially if you are a fan of Eileen's previous books, The Hanging Girl and With Malice.
My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮ (4/5 stars)
Available for purchase at:
Chapters/Indigo, Kobo Books, Amazon, and Book Depository
Author Question & Answer
Q: Between Nicki and Kim, which character do you relate to most, and which character did you have the most fun writing?
A: I relate most to Kim. Growing up I was insecure and tended to rely WAY too much on what others thought of me. I determined my value by other’s opinions instead of my own. I needed other people to think I was kind, or funny, or creative, in order to believe it was true. It’s Kim’s insecurity that gets her into a lot of the trouble that she finds herself in. It’s only when she’s pushed that she begins to grow and believe in herself. I wished I could have learned that lesson earlier in life, but I’m glad I never had to get through a murder investigation to do it!
However, hands-down the most fun character to write was Nicki. She’s so delightfully evil and bad. I like to think that in real life I’m a good person and kind, but I will admit then when writing it’s fun to let out all the not-so-nice side. It was interesting to see what she would do or say in situations.
Don't forget to stop by the other blogs for more content from Eileen! :D
Disclaimer: An advanced reader's copy of the book was provided by Raincoast Books for participation in the book tour. All opinions of the book are my own.
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