HOW I'LL KILL YOU

5 stars out of 5

Of the more than 100 books I read and review each year, probably 99% are in the mystery/thriller/crime genre. And although it's unusual for me to find one I really, really don't much like, it's a downright cause for celebration to find one that's really, really something I haven't read before. That it is also riveting makes it even more special. Where else, I ask, might you find a set of serial-killing triplets?

But they're here, and they've been on a deadly path for a while now. Moody, Iris and Sissy - not necessarily their real names - emotionally scarred by years of abandonment, separation and abuse in foster care, are on a revenge rampage that focuses on identifying and coercing a lover and then doing him in. Moody and Iris have their first kills under their belts, with Sissy expertly handling clean-up chores. Now, it's Sissy's turn - but her experience takes a turn of a different sort: she falls in love with her intended victim. Now, she's torn; she loves her sisters, toward whom loyalty is never questioned - till now.

Woven in between are backstories of the sisters' lives, interactions with each other and Sissy's thoughts as she navigates new emotional territory with her new guy, all while trying to remain under the radar so they can continue their life of taking life from others. Readers get an in-depth look at Sissy's dilemma: if she betrays her sisters, will they betray her in the worst possible way?

All of that leads up to an exciting ending, although I confess I'm a little disappointed with it. As the climax approached, you see, my mind conjured upat least two scenarios for what I considered to be fitting under the circumstances, and both were just as macabre - maybe even more so - than the rest of the story. Neither came to pass, and what actually did was somewhat of a letdown in my mind. That aside, though, this whole adventure was a heck of a ride, and I offer more than one thank-you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me on the train via a pre-release copy to read and review. Definitely a winner in my book!

How I'll Kill You by Ren DeStefano (Berkley, March 2023); 352 pp.