Lilibet Bombshell's Reviews > With a Kiss We Die

Finally, finally, a podcast-based suspense/mystery/thriller I could actually engage with and say I enjoyed! This has never happened to me before and I’m seriously pleased.

Every single book I’ve picked up in this genre that involved podcasts before has either been a DNF or has been an absolutely mediocre read. With a Kiss We Die, though, was an intelligent, well-plotted, believable, and engaging read that had the foresight to not follow the more pop-culture true crime podcasts that handle true crime like it’s a joke but skew more towards investigative journalism.

The podcast format used in With a Kiss We Die actually reminded me of my favorite true crime podcast, To Live and Die in L.A., which runs in that same “we’re going to start here, with this rough outline, but after that it’s going to be out of our hands where the case takes us but we’re going to follow this to the end of the road” vein.

Even so, the podcast aspect of this book is the weaker aspect of this book for me. The stronger aspect is the story is Jordan and Victoria, their relationship, and the suspense of whether or not they committed the crime they’re accused of. Slightly less strong but still compelling than watching these two charismatic chameleons is spending time with the determined and persistent podcaster and investigative journalist Ryanna Raines, who is invested in these people, in this case, in her podcast, in the truth, and in justice for the victims.

Is this book full of surprising twists and turns that will make you gasp and gawp? In my opinion, no. I wasn’t surprised at all. Sometimes the twists and turns felt like they were coming straight out of an episode of “Law & Order”. The beauty was in the way they were written and presented in the text.

So, while With a Kiss We Die doesn’t break new ground, it’s still a really enjoyable read.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Amateur Sleuth/Crime Thriller/Literary Fiction/Murder Thriller/Psychological Thriller/Suspense Mystery