17-year-old Kim never expected to plot a murder. But that was before her boyfriend dumped her for another girl. Now, Kim’s stuck on a class trip to London with him and his new soulmate and she can’t help wishing he was a little bit dead, even if she’d never really do that.

But when Kim meets Nicki, a stranger on the plane who’s more than willing to listen to Kim’s woes, things start to look up. Nicki's got a great sense of humor, and when she jokes about swapping murders, Kim plays along—that is, until Kim’s ex-boyfriend mysteriously dies.

Blackmailed by Nicki to fulfill her end of the deal, Kim will have to commit a murder or take the fall for one.







I knew I had to read You Owe Me a Murder. With a title like that? I was hooked. Plus, thrillers are some of my favourite stories to read. Although I'd never read a novel by Eileen Cooke (an oversight on my part!) I knew straightaway that this book would be my brand. 2019 has, after-all, been really good to me in terms of great literary offerings.

When I think of my experience reading You Owe Me a Murder, I could see the story playing out vividly in my mind. Cook has a bleak and tense tone to her writing that keeps you hooked and in place for the duration of the novel. It's quick and effective--very engrossing. If you like high paced, high stakes, stories that will keep you guessing, Eileen Cook's got you covered.

Further, Cook's writing is more than just engaging. It's unexpected and coherent, completely clever and indulgent. When I say that her writing is brilliant, I'm not exaggerating. You Owe Me a Murder has a quality that so many YA thrillers are lacking. This is the sort of thriller you read in one go and feel a serious literary hangover in the days that follow.

I genuinely liked (and in some cases, feared) the characters in You Owe Me a Murder. They were each impossible to forget and I wouldn't have it any other way. If the plotlines don't sell you in terms of thrill factor, these characters will. While thrillers have to have suspense to succeed, Cook goes above and beyond by surprising readers with twists, turns, cleverness and completely gorgeous characters.

The perfect spooky read to dive into this spring and summer--especially on days that offer up thunderstorms.