... a deftly crafted noir ... If you love nothing more than curling up with an atmospheric murder mystery—or binging a Hitchcock marathon on TMC—Every Vow You Break delivers on all counts ... Swanson imbeds unpleasant truths about marriage and money, and whether or not we can truly know another person.
Every Vow You Break is not a murder mystery like Swanson's last book, but rather a psychological thriller. Some of the tropes deployed to achieve those thrills feel shopworn (an isolated retreat with no wireless and cell service?) but for the most part there is more than enough going on to keep us gripped and absorbed. Just when we think we have an idea of what Abigail is up against, Swanson pulls the rug away from under us. Strange events give way to sinister revelations and chilling encounters. The last act cranks up tension to the breaking point. Sit back, suspend all disbelief, and watch those pages fly by.
... dramatic things are happening left and right ... Mr. Swanson...has a talent for gradually, disturbingly shifting his characters’ perception of what’s going on ... Mr. Swanson’s shape-shifting saga is reminiscent, by turns, of such foreboding films as Vertigo, Fatal Attraction and The Wicker Man. Ultimately, Every Vow You Break reveals itself to be a violent melodrama, one which the author sees surehandedly through to a satisfying conclusion.
... a lot like a Hitchcockian thriller ... a vivid and cinematic atmosphere that amplifies Abigail’s steadily mounting dread. Dedicated thriller fans likely will pick up on some of the clues before they’re revealed, but almost certainly will be surprised by one or more of the many twists and turns that Swanson employs. If you’re headed to a wooded cabin or a beach resort this spring or summer, Every Vow You Break would be a perfect companion. Just be prepared to check the locks and windows while you’re there!
Lots of thriller writers know how to set a hook, but Swanson isn’t satisfied with just one; the further we go into his devilishly twisty tales, the more hooks he sets, and the harder we tug on the line ... The woman-in-peril theme is in grave danger of overexposure right now, but Swanson does force the resourceful Abigail to run a doozy of a gauntlet, and we’re panting along beside her all the way.
... a good match with Lucy Foley’s psychological wedding thriller, The Guest List. Readers will bask in the creepiness of being stranded on a remote island, considering how far some might go to punish those who break sacred promises.
... suspenseful ... Credible, fully realized characters and tense situations compensate for plot twists that aren’t as memorable as in Swanson’s best work. Many readers will devour this page-turner in one sitting.
