Nadia Davis is living the dream as a successful working mom with a career she loves, two adorable little girls, and a devoted husband who has no idea that she’s secretly a hired assassin and psychopath who kills certified bad guys. So when Nadia finds out she’s been “mommy tracked” by her assassin’s agency and is no longer getting the bigger, more exciting jobs, she demands an important mark…somebody worth killing.
But it turns out that big kill is the last person she expects—her husband. How is the sweet, kind, teller-of-dad jokes she’s promised her life to an evil villain who needs exterminating? Has their whole life together been a lie? Now Nadia must choose between the two things she loves most in life, the career that keeps her sane or the family she thought she knew.
If you haven’t read any of Jessica Payne’s thrillers before (like me), this is a great book to start with, especially with the buzz the book has been getting. It’s a dark comedy psychological thriller with one of the most unique and fun protagonists I’ve read in a while—a psychopath mom, devoted wife, and professional assassin. The author’s writing is straightforward, fast-paced, and easy to binge-read, similar to authors like James Caine and Daniel Hurst. And the story is packed with tropes—double life, morally gray characters, unreliable narration, a husband hiding secrets, and more!
The story is told entirely from Nadia’s first-person POV, and being inside the head of someone who openly acknowledges that she’s a psychopath and following her unreliable narration is so entertaining! She’s not completely without a conscience—she has her own moral code to only kill very bad people, which is why she works for an organization that targets them. Her loyalty to her sister, her daughters, and her desire to maintain a happy marriage (with hubby Brian) add layers to her character that make her more likable. She also has an interesting relationship with fellow assassin Ian, and her interactions with her handler are hilarious. The situations she finds herself in are sometimes over-the-top, but it only makes the story more entertaining. Add in Nadia’s suspicions that her grandmother, who’s in a nursing home, was a psychopath killer herself, along with her growing suspicions about her husband, and she becomes borderline unhinged. Even though the plot isn’t overly intricate, the multiple twists, turns, and shifting loyalties make it addictive.
The short chapters and straightforward writing make this an easy binge-read. My only real criticism is that the story could have been shorter. Some of Nadia’s inner monologues, especially those involving her husband and the impossible choices she faces, are repetitive. Still, the book remains engaging the whole way through, with a high-stakes climax that will have you on edge. The ending also leaves questions unanswered, which is a bit frustrating, but it feels like there’s a possibility for a sequel—or at least I hope there’s one!
If you’re an audiobook listener, do yourself a favor and pick up the audio edition. Patti Murin delivers an outstanding performance, perfectly portraying Nadia and all the characters with excellent pacing, emotional nuance, and lots of dark humor coming through to keep you on edge, laughing, smiling, and everything in between!
Narrator Performance
Somebody Worth Killing is read by award-winning actress and audiobook narrator Patti Murin, and her performance is a big part of what makes this thriller so entertaining!
Murin portrays protagonist Nadia with a confident, darkly humorous voice layered with uncertainty, perfectly capturing the character’s complex personality. In Nadia’s inner monologues, Murin does a fantastic job conveying her compulsive urges to kill while also highlighting her humanity beneath the surface. Nadia openly acknowledges that she’s a psychopath but has created a strict moral code to only target evil people—and Murin’s dynamic performance makes her almost likable and believable, despite how far-fetched and morally gray she is. She also makes Nadia’s devotion to her family feel genuine, making you like her a bit more.
The dialogue between Nadia and her husband, Brian, is a major highlight. Murin captures the contrast between their personalities really well. She gives Brian a kind and supportive-sounding voice, to the point where you’ll wonder if he’s as innocent as he appears. As Nadia starts investigating Brian and following him to uncover the truth, Murin’s pacing keeps you fully engaged, and every twist and revelation Nadia experiences feels vivid and compelling with lots of laugh-out-loud dark humor—elevating several scenes beyond what’s written on the page.
Murin also gives distinct voices and personalities to the colorful supporting cast, including Nadia’s sister, Piper, who sounds energetic and loyal; Nadia’s grandmother, whose memory loss and mysterious past come across clearly; and Ian, Nadia’s assassin confidant, whose intelligent, charming voice sounds almost too good to be true. The voices are done so well that it almost feels like a full-cast production!
During the high-stakes climax, Murin raises the tension and energy level, keeping you fully entertained and invested as Nadia faces dangerous situations and impossible choices. Even though the novel ends a bit flat after such a buildup and leaves questions unanswered, Murin delivers the final scenes with conviction and confidence, ensuring that the audiobook is entertaining right to the end!
Narrator Performance
Somebody Worth Killing is read by award-winning actress and audiobook narrator Patti Murin, and her performance is a big part of what makes this thriller so entertaining!
Murin portrays protagonist Nadia with a confident, darkly humorous voice layered with uncertainty, perfectly capturing the character’s complex personality. In Nadia’s inner monologues, Murin does a fantastic job conveying her compulsive urges to kill while also highlighting her humanity beneath the surface. Nadia openly acknowledges that she’s a psychopath but has created a strict moral code to only target evil people—and Murin’s dynamic performance makes her almost likable and believable, despite how far-fetched and morally gray she is. She also makes Nadia’s devotion to her family feel genuine, making you like her a bit more.
The dialogue between Nadia and her husband, Brian, is a major highlight. Murin captures the contrast between their personalities really well. She gives Brian a kind and supportive-sounding voice, to the point where you’ll wonder if he’s as innocent as he appears. As Nadia starts investigating Brian and following him to uncover the truth, Murin’s pacing keeps you fully engaged, and every twist and revelation Nadia experiences feels vivid and compelling with lots of laugh-out-loud dark humor—elevating several scenes beyond what’s written on the page.
Murin also gives distinct voices and personalities to the colorful supporting cast, including Nadia’s sister, Piper, who sounds energetic and loyal; Nadia’s grandmother, whose memory loss and mysterious past come across clearly; and Ian, Nadia’s assassin confidant, whose intelligent, charming voice sounds almost too good to be true. The voices are done so well that it almost feels like a full-cast production!
During the high-stakes climax, Murin raises the tension and energy level, keeping you fully entertained and invested as Nadia faces dangerous situations and impossible choices. Even though the novel ends a bit flat after such a buildup and leaves questions unanswered, Murin delivers the final scenes with conviction and confidence, ensuring that the audiobook is entertaining right to the end!
Somebody Worth Killing is read by award-winning actress and audiobook narrator Patti Murin, and her performance is a big part of what makes this thriller so entertaining!
Murin portrays protagonist Nadia with a confident, darkly humorous voice layered with uncertainty, perfectly capturing the character’s complex personality. In Nadia’s inner monologues, Murin does a fantastic job conveying her compulsive urges to kill while also highlighting her humanity beneath the surface. Nadia openly acknowledges that she’s a psychopath but has created a strict moral code to only target evil people—and Murin’s dynamic performance makes her almost likable and believable, despite how far-fetched and morally gray she is. She also makes Nadia’s devotion to her family feel genuine, making you like her a bit more.
The dialogue between Nadia and her husband, Brian, is a major highlight. Murin captures the contrast between their personalities really well. She gives Brian a kind and supportive-sounding voice, to the point where you’ll wonder if he’s as innocent as he appears. As Nadia starts investigating Brian and following him to uncover the truth, Murin’s pacing keeps you fully engaged, and every twist and revelation Nadia experiences feels vivid and compelling with lots of laugh-out-loud dark humor—elevating several scenes beyond what’s written on the page.
Murin also gives distinct voices and personalities to the colorful supporting cast, including Nadia’s sister, Piper, who sounds energetic and loyal; Nadia’s grandmother, whose memory loss and mysterious past come across clearly; and Ian, Nadia’s assassin confidant, whose intelligent, charming voice sounds almost too good to be true. The voices are done so well that it almost feels like a full-cast production!
During the high-stakes climax, Murin raises the tension and energy level, keeping you fully entertained and invested as Nadia faces dangerous situations and impossible choices. Even though the novel ends a bit flat after such a buildup and leaves questions unanswered, Murin delivers the final scenes with conviction and confidence, ensuring that the audiobook is entertaining right to the end!
