When I Kill You

April 15, 2012
Gina thought her problems were over when her husband, Chico, died. Not only is she rid of her abusive partner, she also stands to gain a sizable life-insurance settlement. After losing a mud-wrestling match against her nemesis (yes, she's a semipro mud wrestler), she is soon shocked to find herself blackmailed by Marcia Beekland, who claims she saw Gina push Chico off a cliff, and finds herself agreeing to carry out a hit on Beekland's husband. Talk about a bad day. With a plot riddled with missed opportunities, the novel boasts plenty of suspense and an action-packed pace, but author Wan takes time to slow down and really chip away at her characters. Gina is a woman backed against the wall, with fate consistently dealing her a losing hand, in life and in mud wrestling, but she never gives up the fight. Wan pulls her punches effectively, keeping the reader involved to the end.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)