📚 Book Description
No one is supposed to know harmless office worker Gwen Tanner is the vanished daughter of serial killer Abel Haggerty. But a low profile and a new name aren’t going to cut it when an obsessive new killer starts targeting her, in this lively and propulsive thriller with a standout voice.
Marin Haggerty, the daughter of a notorious serial killer, was only a child when they arrested her father. Ripped from her home and given a new identity, Marin disappeared.
Twenty years later, Gwen Tanner keeps everyone at a distance, preferring to satirize the world around her than participate in it. It’s for her safety—and theirs. But when someone starts sending body parts to her front door, the message is clear: I Know Who You Are.
To preserve her secrets, Gwen must hunt down the killer, a journey which immerses her in the twisted world of true crime fandom and makes her confront her past once and for all. Maybe she is capable of deep, human connections, but she’s not the only one keeping secrets. Will opening herself up to others help her find the killer, or remind her why it was necessary she hide her true self in the first place? The apple never falls too far, after all.
✍️ About the Author
- Amy K. Green grew up in a small New England town and yes — she was once struck by lightning (which I feel is a very “thriller-author” origin story).
- She started out as a CPA and then left the corporate world to work in film production and pursue writing.
- She now resides (or at least did at the time of writing) in Los Angeles.
- Her debut novel was The Prized Girl (2020) and Haven’t Killed in Years is her next major thriller.
- I find that background super fitting given the dark, twisted and layered nature of this story.
📝 My Review
This book got its hooks in me faster than I was prepared for, which is impressive. I delighted in the sheer cunningness of the storytelling. Every twist felt like it had been planted with precision, and the backstory added just enough depth to make each revelation feel earned instead of chaotic.
One thing I really enjoyed was the unusual structure. The story shifts from a single POV to dual POVs and then back again, and it worked beautifully. It kept the pace sharp, the tension high, and the emotional beats layered in the best way.
And Gwen… or Marin… our morally gray FMC with enough sharp edges to keep everyone at arm’s length? I could totally get behind her. She navigates her past with a kind of vulnerable bite that made her easy to root for, even when she’s trying her hardest to shut the world out. Her voice is sarcastic and cutting but also deeply human — and I loved watching those contradictions play out.
I also found myself wanting even more about her serial killer parents. Not as parental figures — because absolutely not — but as criminals. The hints of who they were and how they operated were so compelling that I kept hoping the story would peel back the curtain a bit more. I wanted to know what made them tick and how that legacy shaped Gwen beyond the obvious trauma.
Now the ending… let’s just say I never even began to suspect where it was going. Not even close. I pride myself on spotting a twist from three counties away, and this one still blindsided me. It’s surprising, unconventional, and absolutely not what I expected, but it fits the book’s slippery, unpredictable tone.
Haven’t Killed in Years is a lively and propulsive thriller with a standout voice, clever plotting, and a morally gray heroine who earns every bit of your investment. If you love thrillers that stay three steps ahead of you while whispering unsettling secrets the whole way through, this one belongs on your list.
All in all: a strong 4-star read for me. (Could I find little things to nitpick? Sure. Will I still recommend it enthusiastically? Absolutely.)
✅ Final Thoughts
If you like your thrillers with a twist, your protagonists complicated, and your secrets darkly delicious, then Haven’t Killed in Years should be on your list. It’s not perfect (rarely are thrillers), but it hits hard, keeps you guessing, and leaves you contemplating long after the last page.
Happy reading, friends. I’m already looking forward to what Amy K. Green gives us next.
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