Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her job as an archival librarian, constantly surrounded by thought-provoking ideas and the books she loved. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured divorcee with a job that took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.

A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern—five unsolved cases of murdered women.

Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is . . . but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.

Warning: this story may induce symptoms that include whiplash and raised arm hairs. Proceed with caution, reader. Just when you think you’ve lost the ability to be surprised by a book, Peter Swanson writes twist after turn in A Talent for Murder.

Martha suspects her husband is hiding a major secret. There is something off about his mannerisms and things feel stranger every time he comes back from a business trip. He stows away his unpacked bag in the closet. One time Martha even finds a bloodstain on his shirt. And then she notices a suspicious news article, and then another. One murder for each trip.

As coincidences grow too frequent to ignore, Martha reaches out to her college friend for help. Lily once saved her from a bad relationship, and a bad man. A relationship that left her so scarred that Martha grew to believe she was cursed in love. Now, she fears the man she married is a serial killer. While Martha must hope her friend does not need to save her again, Lily must hope she can.

Peter Swanson’s talent for suspense permeates this story: it is chilling, disquieting, and eerily smart. A gripping psychological thriller, A Talent for Murder will make you want to sleep with the lights on, become a detective, or both.