Lucy V Hay, under her thriller-writer pseudonym Lizzie Fry, gives Kill For It a captivating protagonist in Cat Crawford – a reporter who takes an obsession with her job too far. Ambition may be a healthy trait, but Cat’s approach to work is less so, as she stresses over being considered not good enough. In time, she latches onto a toxic friendship with another reporter – Erin Goodman, who she hero-worships. A scene with the two women at breakfast, where Cat simply copies Erin’s menu choices, feels almost voyeuristic to read.
Kill For It flits between Cat and Erin’s POV, in this way informing us of their respective mindsets and approaches: how they present themselves, versus a more realistic understanding. It also switches between first person, for chapters dealing with Erin’s perspective, and third person, for Cat’s sections. This works smartly, as a way of portraying what is ultimately Erin’s story, and could even infer that Erin (a reporter, one must remember) is in fact telling both sides from her perspective.
Fry’s writing is unpretentious and concise, leading you through difficult situations and sometimes making you face uncomfortable truths. The first few chapters unfold in a fairly predictable way, introducing us to the leads as they drift into each other’s worlds. However, once things are set up and the ball is rolling, it very soon spins out of control, and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep everyone guessing; I definitely didn’t see them all coming, and Kill For It certainly didn’t end in the way I expected.
Kill For It, Lizzie Fry (Sphere)
Price: £9.99. Info: here
words BILLIE INGRAM SOFOKLEOUS
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