Jazz will stop at nothing to save her brother. Their foster mother, Carol, has always been fanatical, but with Jazz grown up and out of the house, Carol takes a dangerous turn that threatens thirteen-year-old Joaquin’s life. Over and over, child services fails to intervene, and Joaquin is running out of time. Then Jazz gets a blocked call from someone offering a solution. There are others like … There are others like her–people the law has failed. They’ve formed an underground network of “helpers,” each agreeing to eliminate the abuser of another. They’re taking back their power and leaving a trail of bodies throughout Los Angeles–dubbed the Blackbird Killings. If Jazz joins them, they’ll take care of Carol for good.
All she has to do is kill a stranger.
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A chilling, clever plot combined with highly original characters makes Wendy Heard’s THE KILL CLUB a surefire winner. Relentlessly paced, elegantly written, diabolically twisted, you will not be able to put it down. Heard is a true talent.
You’re gonna want to get comfortable when you read this book, because once you start, you *will not* be able to stop. THE KILL CLUB, Wendy Heard’s sophomore thriller, is a breathless, chilling adventure through an LA terrorized by a series of murders the police have dubbed the Blackbird Killings. Jazz would do anything to protect her much younger brother Joaquin, so when she receives an anonymous call from someone offering a permanent solution to her problem with her abusive foster mother, Jazz can’t pretend she’s not interested. The problem is—in order for her foster mother to be “taken care of,” Jazz herself must murder a stranger. What follows is a pitch-dark, terrifying story that explores what we’re capable of when our backs are against the wall. A lot of books are slapped with the label “thriller,” but I’ve honestly never read a novel that deserves the classification more. With intricate and masterful plotting, surprises around every corner, and an ending that chilled me to the bone, Wendy Heard has delivered a brilliant, original story with thrills for days. Beyond all the ways this book will give me nightmares, though, I was so absorbed by the poignant relationship between Jazz and Joaquin. The love between them is realistic and palpable, and it makes us root for Jazz even harder as she sacrifices nearly everything for her brother’s safety. Jazz is a vividly portrayed and exciting heroine; her wit and snark continually made me chuckle, even when another gasp was only a page away.
Some stories are dark, some stories are fun, and some are both. Wendy Heard’s THE KILL CLUB is a deliciously sinister thriller that turns ordinary people into villains… or heroes, depending on which side you’re on. Heard’s fresh voice makes this compelling novel a roaring read from start to finish.
Wendy Heard, author of Hunting Annabelle, does it again in this original crime thriller. What would it take to get you sucked into a murder scheme? How far could you go to keep the ones you love safe? This book will keep you hooked until the final page.
Jazz, Wendy Heard’s heroine from her upcoming release, The Kill Club, is the kind of badass you don’t just root for, but would take a bullet for if she asked you, which she never would. No offense, she doesn’t trust a lot people, and with good reason. Fighting through life with two strikes against her, Jazz isn’t only a product of the disparity of Los Angeles, California, she’s also a champion for anyone the system ever failed. Working overtime for one purpose only – to protect her younger brother Joaquin from an abusive foster mother who believes diabetes medicine to be less effective than prayer – Jazz goes to the authorities, teachers, and child services, but no one will help. Days away from watching her brother die, she gets a call from a disguised voice asking a question – Just how far would Jazz go to save her brother?
Portions of The Kill Club emulate the high-stakes tension of Strangers on a Train and the gut-wrenching twist of an episode of Black Mirror, but more importantly, Heard fuels Jazz’s nightmare situation with a realistic look at the sacrifices people without economic freedom have to make on a daily basis to provide for their loved ones. The Kill Club is an adrenaline-pumping thrill-ride across the streets of Los Angeles where no one walks away without blood on their hands. Grab a bag of snacks from Trader Joe’s, lock your doors, and turn off your phone, you’ll want to finish this book in one night.
The Kill Club by Wendy Heard will be available from Mira Books on December 17, 2019.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Mira Books at #thrillerfest19 in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a nonstop nail-biter with such an amazing premise, which I’m going to keep vague here as to not give anything away. The pacing was spectacular — I read it in a single sitting, and couldn’t put it down. The short chapters kept me like, “Just one more chapter… okay just one more, nope one more…”. I was HOOKED. And by the end I was literally gasping (my husband actually asked from the other room, “Are you okay?” Ha!).
And while this was action-packed, the characters all felt really fleshed out. I absolutely loved Jazz’s voice, and was rooting so hard for her and her brother. I also really enjoyed the multi-POV style. This is a must-read thriller, and I’m so glad I got to read it early. Thanks Mira/HarperCollins for the ARC!
What a voice! Wendy Heard captures the tone and character, not only of her protagonist Jazz but of Los Angeles itself. This is an L.A. most people will never know, and Jazz’ story is a twisting descent to a satisfying and surprising conclusion. Loved it!
I loved this book. Jazz is such a great character; her love for her brother is palpable. And the kill club is such a unique premise. The twists and turns are surprising, but make total sense in the end. Heard deftly weaves the different perspectives into the story, creating more tension as the story progresses. A deep exploration of how far we will go to protect the ones we love…
5 stars
Omg!I love this book & I am totally stuck on this author! I Read ‘The Kill Club’ in just a few short hours & Jazz became so real to me that I am saddened by the fact that she’s fictional! The whole world Wendy Heard created is still very much alive in my mind, almost 2 weeks after the last page turn! I would love for Jazz to have a follow-up ….sequel…series …novella…anything- just more Jazz! She is one of my most favorite characters ever! I can’t wait for Wendy Heards’next awesomely addictive page turner. I mean seriously, I literally cant wait!Her writing is the style I look for but rarely find: its engrossing, descriptive while keeping a lightening fast pace, short chaptered with every word holding meaning, her writing has a vibe all its own and its definately all killer no filler!if a perfect thriller exists, this would be it! This novel is mind blowingly awesome, with full fleshed characters that are not only life-like but even more importantly, relatable. It is brilliantly witty in scope, with a wonderfully unique prose, & is a high octane unapologetically dark & captivatingly twisted thrill-ride! So much so that, “Edge of your seat suspense” is a dull phrase to describe this novel! I 100% recommend ‘The Kill Club’.Go into it blind!Do not ruin it with review babble! Just go pick it up & get lost in all its dark glory! I usually recommend the public library but IMHO: gotta have a copy for the personal home library- this ones’ a keeper!
Favorite Quotes:
“Okay,” I say, and in that one word is contained an ocean of acceptance. This is where I am. This is what I’m doing.
I think about what the reporter said, that the people who have been killed have had records of stalking, domestic violence. It actually sounds like the voice on the phone is who they say they are. They invented a serial killer. The police are searching LA for a murderer that doesn’t exist.
I don’t know how I feel about this, morally. Is it bad to kill someone like Carol? Does she deserve the death sentence? Do I have any feelings about her being dead? … I remember the guy I saw die at Villains. I heard him scream. It’s definitely not painless. But then I remember Carol with her baseball bat crunching through my bones like glass, and I think, Good.
How is she so put-together at six in the morning? When I work early shifts at Trader Joe’s, I look like an orphan in a Christmas movie.
My Review:
This book was devilishly clever and fiendishly addictive, I was taut with tension and unable to put my Kindle down without deeply resenting the intrusion to my reading. The main character of Jasmine was deeply flawed and horribly unlucky, and though well-intentioned she was a total screw up in every arena. I cringed for her while simultaneously wanting to give her a smack to the back of the head. The storylines were highly active, heartbreaking, twisted, brutal, gripping, and fraught with tension with unexpected and greatly welcomed glints of snarky levity and sharply edged wit. This was my first exposure to the cunning storytelling of Wendy Heard and I was an instant fangirl, I greedily want to amass all her clever words.
I am still mulling over the events in this book after finishing a day ago. Definitely a page-turner that kept me on the edge of my seat.
The premise seemed straight forward. You have been repeatedly abused by someone. You receive an anonymous call. There is a permanent solution to your “problem” – All you have to do is kill a stranger first. But somehow it all goes wrong. Unable to trust anyone, our protagonist Jazz is hell-bent to protect Joaquin however she has to.
In the second half of the book there were just too many twists and turns, in my opinion, to maintain the integrity of the story. And while we may like to see the evil pay for their behavior surely we want to know what they did. As the bodies build up in the story we are not told why they deserved to die. That bothered me. And above all there was no real explanation for the biggest twist that came about halfway through the book. Contrived twists thrown in just because unexpected twists are all the rage now just does not work for me. There has to be a reason for the twist – it has to make sense.
The author did a great job in blurring the lines between killing that is justified and killing from anger. I often asked myself what I would do at that point of the story – and the answer sometimes scared me.
Thank you to the publisher for providing the advance egalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
The protagonist, Jazz, is dark, gritty, and determined, with a wicked sense of humor and an occasional tender side, but she certainly doesn’t need anyone to save her… A knock-out thriller. Buckle up; you’re in for one hell of a ride.
AMAZING… One dark, addictive thrill ride of a book. It’ll make you think about how far you would go to save someone you love… and make you a little paranoid about that stranger standing too close to you at Trader Joe’s.
The Kill Club is dark and twisted and grabbed hold from the very beginning. This one is definitely a thriller with its many sit up and take notice scenes as we follow Jazz from one crazy situation to the next. Whether we should or not, it’s easy to empathize with the vigilantes in this one, including Jazz and her determination to save Joaquin. The story does move at a fast pace with a steadily rising tension with the exception of a few lags here and there, and we also get a couple of solid twists. I’m usually pretty good at guessing the big bad in these types of stories, but I admit that I didn’t see the big reveal coming, although looking back, I should have. We do have some hints if we’re looking for them, but they aren’t obvious by any means, and you have to think outside the box a bit to get there. I do think the story went on a bit longer than necessary after that reveal, and the extra twist at the end really wasn’t needed. The book was already good, and the added twist at the end was just overkill in my opinion. Nevertheless, the story did hold my interest, and Jazz is a truly great character, one who is easy to like and root for. She’s got a great sense of wit and sarcasm, and it shows up with perfect timing. In the end, this one did have a couple of issues with the lags and that extended ending, but I still enjoyed the thrill and would have to say that The Kill Club is my favorite book from Wendy Heard so far.
How far will you go for agency, love, or freedom? In this Strangers on a Train world, the women of LA have an answer to the testosterone-fueled black-market justice of Fight Club, and no one is safe. Explosive, compelling, and one hell of a good time, do not miss Wendy Heard’s propulsive dive into revenge noir.
3.5/5 … While I enjoyed this novel, when I finished it, I felt like something was missing. I’ve thought about it for a few days now and can’t quite put my finger on what was missing … I liked the premise of the book. I think it had the potential to be a really awesome thriller but that “wow” factor was missing for me. It was almost a let down at the end. As a new writer, I’m not giving up on Wendy Heard. I’ve read both books now and am interested to see what she comes up with next.
Thank you #netgalley and #HARLEQUIN – MIRA (U.S. and Canada) for the eARC.
Favorite character: Joaquin Benavides Coleman
Joaquin is a 13-year-old boy to whom life handed a basketful of lemons. Instead of letting those lemons define him, he rose above them and is a paragon of all that is good. He proudly displays a Miley Cyrus poster, loves hanging out with his friends, and cannot wait to attend a STEM high school in the fall. Good-natured and kind, he also shows an enormous amount of inner strength that earned my admiration.
What I Like About The Kill Club
The Kill Club is an excellent psychological thriller that will leave you with an unsettled feeling when it ends. There is the traditional, what-will-the-person-with-mental-health-issues-do-next. But also, that creepiness that takes hold when you realize the lengths that ordinary people (people who stand near you in a store, on public transportation, or any other general location) will go to in extreme situations. The fear of “could it happen to me” has a way of staying with you.
I loved the unexpected plot twist that is jaw-dropping and intense. I am rarely surprised by where plots go, but this story completely caught me off-guard. I love being surprised, and The Kill Club is full of surprises.
The story is about exploring moral ambiguity – more importantly, how far you would go to save the life of a loved one. Is it okay to kill someone if a loved one could die if you don’t? Not cut and dry self-defense case but situations that sit solidly in a moral gray area. For instance, is it okay for someone to steal medicine from a drug store that a loved one needs to survive if he/she can in no way afford it?
The novel demonstrates the plight of the everyman within the legal system. It’s easy to ignore the injustices that happen every day unless you are forced to confront them. The Kill Club seeks to bridge that gap and bring awareness on a much larger scale.
The characters are very well developed. The main character, Jasmine or Jazz for short, is someone you can empathize with even if you have nothing in common with her. She’s grown hard and edgy as a response to life’s challenges, but she has pure love for Joaquin, which is redemptive on many levels. I struggled right along with her when she must decide in a morally ambiguous situation.
What I Wish
I wish for more books like this one. Books that are thrilling, action-packed, jaw-dropping stories and still manage to shed light on social problems that occur across our country and need to be addressed.
To Read or Not to Read
If you love an action-packed thrill ride and can handle psychological creepiness – this is the book for you. I can’t say enough positive things about it! It’s a haunting tale that you will not be able to put down.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Jazz is determined to remove her brother, Joaquin, from their foster mother’s home. Carol refuses to make sure Joaquin gets his much needed insulin. Plus, Carol is abusive in more ways than one. Jazz has had enough! When she receives an untraceable phone with an untraceable text message, Jazz takes a huge risk.
My heart went out to Jazz throughout this whole story. She is one tough lady just struggling through life. She gets kicked around but keeps getting up and fighting back. Then, when the Kill Club contacts her, she struggles with what is the right thing to do. I admired her in more ways than one. Not sure how I would have responded in her situation.
Talk about intense! This story just gets better and better as it moves along. Then…there are these crazy twists and turns which throws the reader for a loop! Just when I thought I knew how this story was going to turn out…it did a complete 180 degree turn! This is a lightening fast read and not to be missed!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
How far would YOU go to save the people you love?
That’s been the central question in a number of things I’ve read/watched lately, and Wendy Heard’s take on the topic was a trip through the dark that demonstrated just how badly the “system” often fails the very people who need it the most. When it does, someone/something always steps in to try to address the failure – and The Kill Club is what happens when that someone/something plays out…
This was a fabulous and fascinating consideration of justice – in the personal, biblical, eye-for-an-eye sense. We like to think we are all civilized, living in a civilized world. But the veneer of civilization proves pretty thin when it is OUR loved ones at stake. Heard capitalizes on that realization here and populates her utterly engaging novel with the types of “system failures” that statistics render cold and dispassionate but that are, in actuality, warm-blooded examples of the vast unfairness that so often populates modern society.
Jazz is a fantastic protagonist and voice for this truism. Her struggles are described in painful detail, rendered all the more real by her arch tone and the pain that underlies it. She is surrounded by a parade of horrible stories, each as desperate as her own, and the way Heard manages to find the hidden inner strength in all of these victims of a system that over-looked, over-ran, or over-abused them is brilliant and heart-breaking. It allows the reader to cling to the thinnest shred of hope that somehow justice will prevail, despite the force-feeding of brutal reality that shrouds the tale like oil on water…
It’s sometimes a difficult read, but for all the right reasons.
I loved everything about this one – the premise, the characters, the writing, the ultimate resolution… It was a marvelous find and Wendy Heard is DEFINITELY on my to-watch list now!
Thank you to the author and publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Kill Club” by Wendy Heard, Dec. 2019
Wendy Heard, author of “The Kill Club” has written a chilling, captivating, intense, and intriguing novel. The Genres for this novel are Thriller, Mystery, and Suspense. The timeline for the story is in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes her characters as complex, and complicated. Some are evil. mean-spirited and quirky.
Jazz has been looking out for her younger diabetic brother Joaquin, who lives with his strange foster mother Carol. Carol has embraced religion and often neglects Joaquin. Before Jazz left Carol’s home, she had been abused and beaten. Child Services and Social services ignore any attempt to look out for Joaquin. Jazz has to sneak in to make sure that Joaquin gets his insulin.
Who can protect Joaquin and other innocent people from an inadequate justice system? Jess gets a call from a stranger who promises to remedy this situation, and free Joaquin from Carol, permanently. It appears that there is a network or organization of people willing to perform justice. If Jazz is willing to join this network, she has to perform a deadly favor.
The author has written the novel with twists and turns and had me at the edge of my seat. I basically did figure who was the head figure who was in charge of this group. That was until, the author provided more details, and everything changes again. There is tension, and action in this novel. I would recommend this novel for those readers who enjoy a chilling thriller.