Her Every Fear: A Novel Paperback – March 6, 2018

This was a solid 3.5 star book for me.As a mega-fan of Peter Swanson's thriller, "The Kind Worth Killing" I was willing to give "Her Every Fear" a try despite the less than enthusiastic reviews.Main character Kate Priddy is a London native with a bad case of anxiety stemming from a daunting skeleton in her closet. She embarks on a house-swap with a cousin she's never met, Corbin Dell, who lives in a grandiose apartment in Boston in an effort to step out of her comfort zone. Much to her chagrin, Corbin's next door neighbor is murdered and Kate is quickly caught up in the intrigue surrounding the investigation. Was Kate's cousin somehow involved? Is someone sinister lurking around or is Kate's heightened imagination playing tricks on her?Peter Swanson managed to surprise me again with "Her Every Fear." He adeptly developed an atmosphere taut with tension, and a heavy dose of paranoia. There were multiple elements in the book that caused that spine-tingling feeling that someone is watching... always. The first half of the book was fast-paced and there is an intriguing twist about halfway through that sparks interest, but it does lag a little about 2/3 of the way in. I felt as though it could have been edited a bit more. While the characters were well-developed, I didn't think we needed quite as much information about their backstories. Coming from me this is saying a lot because I soak up character details like a sponge. Part of the problem perhaps is that I didn't feel a strong affinity towards any of the characters. I related to Kate because I too have anxiety and am learning graphic design, but overall she was a little boring. Despite her attempts at growth, she remained relatively stagnant and took on the damsel in distress archetype.In contrast, the ending was very thrilling and I enjoyed the unique character POV. As a reader, the change in perspective made my nervous anticipation build. I also liked the use of the single photograph featured in the novel. I think that aspect could have been utilized even further- I would have liked to see pictures of Kate's drawings perhaps.Overall, "Her Every Fear" was not one of my favorite books of the year like "The Kind Worth Killing," but Swanson's latest novel is still thrilling enough to merit the read.

I started to read HER EVERY FEAR and said to myself: “Oh, I know this book. It is that apartment-swap subgenre, and both participants will get into some crazy trouble via their temporary home switch. The participants are fine: Kate Priddy (of London) who still suffers attacks of anxiety due to an obsessed lover in her past, and her cousin Corbin Dell (of Boston) who had wanted to fit in at school and sought out another student, Henry Wood, as a friend. So I decided to read along, comfortable – I thought – in the familiarity of the theme. BUT WAIT! – A jaw dropping plot blow-up that turns this genial narrative into a true tale of horror. Some people say devils walk the earth—well, here we find one of them, in this book - but HER EVERY FEAR has no supernatural components.Fans of psychological mystery will not be disappointed with this read. It turns absolutely creepy-scary and will have the reader sitting on edge. It’s very disturbing, and there are shadows of menace hiding everywhere. Absolutely frightening, for readers who enjoy a good scare.I have submitted this book to my Mystery Readers Book Club, and I am certain the members will find it as chilling as I did. In honor of this book, I dedicated my recent reading to Peter Swanson, who (at this point) has written five good ones. I've read them all -- and I’m hoping for more!

Neurotic Brit Kate Priddy agrees to swap apartments for half a year with a distant Bostonian cousin whom she has never met. Within hours of her arrival, her neighbor has been discovered brutally murdered, and evidence quickly begins to point towards her cousin being the killer. Is he? Isn't he? Should she hook-up with the slightly creepy neighbor who obviously has a thing for her? Can she get past the trauma she experienced back in London? These are all the questions running through Kate's mind pretty repeatedly throughout the course of this story, and the answers to all of them will be apparent well before you get to the end. The plot itself is entertaining enough, if not sometimes a bit on the ridiculous side (one scene in particular seems like it's been ripped straight from a teen slasher movie). We certainly get to know a lot about what is going on in the characters' heads, which means they are very well drawn out. Nicely for this kind of novel, the majority of them are at least borderline likable, which means you do get some one to root for. There are a lot of creepy elements as well, especially in the 2nd half. Unfortunately, nearly every time the suspense begins to ramp up, the author suddenly flashes us back to some other event that explains how we got to where we are, killing the tension. Being sent back to rehash everything we already know from someone else's perspective just as the climax is kicking in was probably not the best idea. Still, the big reveal was enough to have me checking my locks, so that has to count for something.

This was a great read. I loved that it was told from multiple perspectives. There is a clear point when its obvious whodunnit but even so, it was still a tense read.

really liked itA girl haunted by her fears decides to move to a different country with her past giggling in her ears. She knows it will be tough, but people in her apartment helps her in her recovery. Well, you can't hope for complete relaxation with a girl being murdered next door!But, she is surprisingly calm under such circumstances. Is that because she has glimpsed through the lying eyes of the people who surrounds her or is it her absent - minded self that don't even remember of changing the features of a portrait she has just finished!I wanted my first book by Peter Swanson to be "The Kind Worth Killing" but its seller delayed in delivery and I ended picking up this book instead. And, I am glad that it was actually a really good read. However, I can't compare it with his other works. Maybe once I receive the first book, I can do a comparison.About the book, I can say that you don't have to grab to the "WHODUNNIT" question till the very end as more or less it gets clear halfway through the book. But, still, the intensity do not recede till the last pages. I liked the main character with all her imperfections. It was really funny when, with a knife sticking out of her back, she asked the cop if something was there in her back! And, I also loved the concluding period.Overall, a fascinating thriller to read in the cold, wintry evenings.

Intrigante e claustrofobico, a tratti un po’ noioso. Comunque si fa leggere anche se la personalità dei personaggi non gode di un grande approfondimento psicologico . Però alcune trovate sono piuttosto geniali...

なのではあるが、英語で推理小説を読むには良いかもしれない。これもボストンとロンドンの地理を知っていると視覚的にも面白いのだろうが、土地勘なくて残念。

I absolutely loved 'The Kind Worth Killing' so I immediately downloaded this one when I saw he'd released a new book.It was fantastic. The books never lose pace, I found myself staying awake far later than is sensible just to cram a few more chapters in. The characters are really interesting and the story is so developed. I had to shine my kindle light around the room to check for the bogeyman a couple of times because I scared myself silly, the book is quite creepy at points.It was just another really great read and I can't wait for the next one.