Book Review: Her Every Fear

HER EVERY FEAR | Peter Swanson
01.10.2017 | William Morrow
Rating: 5/5 stars

Kate Priddy has always been a bit on the neurotic side. Recently things have escalated in the wake of her now ex-boyfriend kidnapping and almost killing her. When her distant cousin, Cordin Dell, suggests a house swap, Kate decides to take a leap. She enrolls in art school in Boston and says goodbye to her current life in London.

After a flight across the Atlantic, Kate finds herself in Corbin’s sprawling Boston apartment. What could possibly go wrong in such a luxurious area? Kate soon finds out that life isn’t perfect anywhere, as Corbin’s next-door neighbor, Audrey Marshall, is found murdered. The police instantly start to question Kate about Corbin. Curious about this former neighbor, Kate starts her own investigation with another resident, Alan Cherney. Alan fills Kate in on Corbin and Audrey’s intimate relationship, which Corbin has claimed never existed. Did Corbin only agree to house swap with Kate to avoid a murder charge? Who can Kate trust?

Earlier this year I started exploring Peter Swanson’s work after several bookworms told me he was one of their favorite writers. Often when asking which specific book hooked these readers on Swanson they would reply with HER EVERY FEAR. While I chose to start with other books, which I loved, I finally see what all the fuss was about after reading this one!

HER EVERY FEAR is a combination of plot devices and characters that make a crime fiction reader’s heart sing. There are alternating narratives between the main characters of Kate and Corbin, as well as a few others I won’t mention to avoid spoilers. Swanson smartly alternates the narratives at just the perfect moment to provide a multi-dimensional story. For example, in one section of the story Kate is investigating Corbin’s life and finds something of interest that she can’t quite explain. In the next chapter Swanson will switch the narrative to Corbin explaining either the context or the background on that object Kate has found.

The shifts between narrators and perspectives does create a bit of a timehop, however, it isn’t a jarring transition for the reader. It is quite obvious when a narrator has chosen to shift a recollection back in time to connect it with something in the present timeline. These transitions between timelines work to furnish a more lush story for the reader in addition to the alternating narratives. There is no guessing about what happened in the past or present because we are gifted the luxury of multiple angles.

While Swanson is the master of plot devices to propel the reader’s interest and commitment to this story, that would all be pointless without the fact that the actual storyline of this book is amazing! The mystery at hand seems straightforward, but it is anything but that. Swanson had me guessing all over the place where things were headed and who to suspect. I love when authors leave me guessing and create a puzzle I can’t solve!

HER EVERY FEAR is a timeless piece of crime fiction that belongs in the hands of any reader whether new to the genre or a seasoned reader. I’m absolutely loving exploring Swanson’s body of work and can’t wait to pick up THE KIND WORTH KILLING NEXT!

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.