‘When instinct tells you no one can be trusted, who should you fear the most?‘
– The Killing Sense
[ About The Killing Sense ]
Danger is closer than you think…
Single Mum Kate Wilde has escaped an abusive marriage and hasn’t had a holiday in years, so when she wins a five-day trip to Paris to learn about perfume – in a competition she can’t remember entering – it’s a dream come true. Or is it?
Almost as soon as she arrives, Kate’s ex texts with evidence that he’s in Paris too. Kate can feel she’s being watched, and she’s sure someone has been in her apartment. Then she discovers that there’s a killer in the city focusing on red headed women like her. And his kill count is rising.
Who should she fear the most?
All Kate’s senses are on alert. But can her instincts keep her safe?
[ My Review ]
The Killing Sense by Sam Blake publishes with Corvus (Atlantic Books) January 2nd and is described as ‘a brilliantly unputdownable twisty thriller set in Paris‘.
When Sam Blake approaches the research for her books she takes a very thorough approach. With The Killing Sense, she visited Paris, absorbing the atmosphere, taking perfume classes and even doing a tour of the famous Parisian sewers – now that’s dedication! The exactness of descriptions throughout the plot of all her novels adds a very authentic element to her writing that shines through every single time.
In The Killing Sense Kate Wilde receives news of an unexpected win of a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Paris. Kate has been through the wringer and is encouraged by her sister, Orna, to hop on the Eurostar and embrace this adventure. After checking the authenticity of the prize, Kate packs her bags, leaving her young daughter in the care of Orna. Kate has no recollection of entering this competition but the prize is outrageously luxurious and too good an opportunity to miss out on. Kate has had to deal with a violent ex in an abusive marriage for many years and now this breath of fresh air in a different country might just put a little magic back in her life.
On arrival into the centre of the city, Kate sets off in search of her accommodation and is soon overwhelmed by the sheer beauty and style of the apartment that has been booked for her. Kate settles into her holiday with nervous enthusiasm and when she begins the complimentary perfume course that is part of the prize, she finally feels that this is her time. But Paris has other plans for Kate that she is totally unaware of.
The prologue of the book sets a very different scene as Sam Blake takes us down into the sewers under the Parisian streets, where a grim discovery has been made. The smell permeates off the pages of the rot and decay, establishing an immediate threat. As Kate embarks on her journey, she meets Daniel Langton, a wealthy British ex-soldier, on the Eurostar. Their brief encounter triggers unanticipated feelings within Daniel leaving him with a peculiar need to protect her.
In a nearby café, Agathe Delevingne, a student, works part-time, but she is distracted. Her friend, Sandrine, hasn’t been seen for a few days and Agathe is concerned for her wellbeing. Her uncle is a journalist and she asks for his assistance but initially it is assumed that Sandrine is a grown woman and will show up in due course.
Agathe and Daniel are part of a whole diverse ensemble of characters that, with Kate, make up this layered tale. As their paths intersect, threads get connected and a sinister element really begins to take hold. With intricately referenced details and very visual descriptions, Sam Blake takes the reader on an extraordinary journey through the streets of Paris. Although a dark and twisted mystery, I couldn’t help getting itchy feet about a future trip back to this glorious city. So very atmospheric on every page, Sam Blake captures the beauty of The City of Lights but also takes the reader into the dark and malevolent thoughts of a stranger, as Kate starts to feel exposed and watched.
The Killing Sense, is a threatening thriller that is both compelling and disconcerting in equal measure. The authenticity of the setting adds to the overall atmospheric nature of this novel that will have you up way past your bedtime as you, almost voyeuristically, follow Kate as she fears for her life and that of others. With vivid depictions of Parisian landmarks and culture, The Killing Sense highlights the city’s beauty while also revealing how beneath its glamorous surface a chilling darkness lurks. This ominous undercurrent filters through the chapters as Kate’s dream trip takes a very disturbing twist and soon becomes her worst nightmare. The Killing Sense is a sophisticated and intelligent tale, a superbly researched, taut, contemporary thriller with a strong Parisian flair, another cracker from Sam Blake.
*Thanks to Sam Blake and Corvus Books for an advance copy of The Killing Sense in exchange for my honest review
[ Bio ]
Sam Blake is a multiple No 1 bestselling Irish crime writer. She has been shortlisted for Irish Crime Novel of the Year three times, and for Irish Teen and YA Novel of the Year. Her second YA novel, Something’s About to Blow Up, was released in the summer of 2024 and was the Winner of the International Education Services Teen & YA Novel of the Year 2024 at the An Post Irish Book Awards. The Killing Sense, her next adult thriller, is set in Paris and is published January 2025.
Follow Sam on social @samblakebooks or find out more at www.samblakebooks.com, where you can join her Reader’s Club and receive her adult thriller High Pressure for free. Sam is the founder of Murder One, Ireland’s International Crime Writing Festival and she relaunched National Crime Reading Month for the Crime Writers Association where she was a board member. She is currently the Chair of the Board of the Society of Authors.
