No Home for Killers by E.A. Aymar

No Home for Killers Reviews

• 
  Jennifer

  E.A. Aymar’s NO HOME FOR KILLERS is a breathtakingly paced thriller; a character-driven journey of rage and justice that will leave you pondering the subtleties between good and evil, and right and wrong. Violent yet sensitive, Aymar’s command of the noir thriller is on full display here, in what is absolutely his best book yet. — Jennifer Hillier, USA Today bestselling author of THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK and LITTLE SECRETS
• 
  Margaux B

  4-4.5⭐
  
  This book grabbed me from the first sentence and kept my attention until the last. I especially enjoyed reading about strong female characters who kicked ass in all ways. Best part was I never knew where it was going. No character was safe and that added to the suspense. There were sections that came across as VERY unlikely but I went with it due to the fascinating storytelling. This is not a book you will forget anytime soon.
  
  On the surface, it’s a murder mystery of who killed Markus Peña, a charismatic musician with an underground following. Will his sisters reunite and follow the clues left? We meet Emily (the rebel with anger issues and a mysterious college “incident”) and Melinda (the burnt out social worker and advocate for abused women who has secrets of her own). The more I read about Markus, and his many betrayals, the less I wanted his killer found. And underneath it all, simmering behind every word, is the threat of more violence. “Those threats between Emily and Isabel felt like bees hovering, and they stung when she remembered them.” Even intimate moments are not immune, “What Emily wanted to do…was undress him completely and gnaw on his body until her jaw was sore.” Ummm.
  
  The reader is surrounded by violence. Words and imagines pecking away at one’s comfort, waiting for what comes next.
  
  Be prepared for a dysfunctional family, but in a way that is not beyond redemption. Forget the vigilante called Three Strikes, forget human trafficking, forget the man locked in a trunk...(or at least try :), the bones of this story is the meaning of family. While we meet a few families, the Peña family is its spine: a distant and stern father, but one who role-modeled helping others and giving back to the community; a quiet mother who held the family together and the effects of her passing; and, three siblings who all end up surrounded by violence.
  
  I enjoyed the play in the title, No Home for Killers. An argument could be made that only three characters disqualified. And I really liked how it ended on a note of hope for the Peña family, despite their serious flaws.
  
  For BOOKCLUBS: There are heavy issues of domestic abuse and human trafficking but never graphic; however, violence (R) is a core theme so fair warning. Most thought it added to the story rather than detracted. Much discussion revolved around the idea of redemption and which characters were redeemable along with the quote, “Everyone has three lives: a public life, a private life, and a secret life.” We also discussed what makes a “home”; the idea of “doing the right thing” and morality vs law vs vigilantism; blood being thicker than water, parents having favorites, casual racism, mental health risks for some jobs, normalization of violence, social media as source of info; who is reflected in the sunglasses? (Victor); and much more.
  
  Highly recommend it!
  
  [Thanks go to the author and publisher, or their representatives, for allowing me the privilege of reading in return for an honest review.]
• 
  Erin

  3. 5 stars
  
  It had been two years since the three siblings had last spoken, two years since the awful incident that had led their separation to grow, solidify like sunbaked mud. But, despite this, Melinda had always felt a connection with Emily she hadn’t felt with Markus, their older brother.
  
  This was a title that was offered in the January Amazon Original selection from Kindle Unlimited.
  
  The songwriter brother of Melinda and Emily, Markus has died and murder is suspected. The novel follows each sister as they try to bring their brother's killer to justice.
  
  More psychological suspense than thriller, I didn't really feel hooked until halfway through the novel. There is a lot of violence in this one and so I am not sure that it will be everyone's cup of tea. After finishing it a little bit after midnight, I told my boyfriend " I just finished a book that was unsettling and read like a Scorsese or Tarantino script." Please know that is a compliment, not a criticism.
  
  No Home for Killers hits bookstores on Tuesday, February 1st.
  
  Goodreads review published 13/01/23
• 
  Anessa | Uncorked Thriller

  I really wanted to like this book but I found it hard to follow along, and kind of confusing. It felt like it was all over the place, which made it hard for me to want to keep reading. It also didn't grab my attention and keep me invested. I need books to pull me in and not let go. I really wanted to like this book as the description was so promising. However, I unfortunately just couldn't.
  1/5 Stars
• 
  May

  Astonishing, propulsive, and breathtakingly original, NO HOME FOR KILLERS confirms E.A. Aymar as the king of both complicated female and male characters. A masterful, twisty thriller but also a heart-wrenching--and at times wickedly funny--family drama, NO HOME FOR KILLERS sucked me in from the first page, holding me hostage until I reached it's explosive conclusion.
• 
  Jamele (BookswithJams)

  I have not read this author before and flew threw this enjoyable page turner of a thriller. Two sisters are trying to solve who murdered their brother, Markus, and the entire family is dysfunctional to say the least. This was quite a wild ride, with no one being innocent and each sister fighting her own demons, it is graphic at times but I didn’t mind it at all. The ending was not what I expected and I mean that in a good way. I listened to this one via audio and thought the narrator did a great job, and I was able to listen to this in a couple of settings.
  
  I will definitely be reading more of this author and recommend thriller readers add this one to their list! Thank you to Sabrina Dax PR and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy to review.
• 
  Stacy40pages

  No Home for Killers by EA Aymar. Thanks to the author for the signed copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  
  Two sisters, different as can be, try to solve their brother’s murder.
  
  This one grabbed me from the beginning. I saw some reviews that it was all over the place. I didn’t think so. I was able to follow who was who and what was going on. I liked the two sisters and their differences. There was some humor too, despite the trauma and violence; a good mix. I also loved that it took place on my local area and I recognized some places!
  
  No Home for Killers comes out 2/7.
• 
  Paul

  3.5 stars.
  Interesting family drama with some suspense thrown in for good measure. Read as Prime First Reads and feel a solid 7 out of 10 stars.
  Really liked the character of Emily, the other characters were good but slightly less well rounded.
• 
  Tara

  Aymar's latest doesn't disappoint. The book is fast-paced, but Aymar also takes time to create fully developed characters whose motivations, passions, and fears feel real. I love how the song lyrics resonate with the themes and action in the story, and I really enjoyed the sisters' relationship. There is violence in this book, but it never feels gratuitous. Another hit out of the park from a talented, rising star.
• 
  Connie

  (POSSIBLE VAGUE SPOILER ALERT) I will say this book was a page-turner. It was well written and easy to read and follow. However, I did not enjoy the story, and I basically detested every character. The twist near the conclusion was the clincher for me. It left me angry and with my mouth wide open. WTF just happened!!??
• 
  AMY

  I'm almost speechless. Unable to stop reading, unable to wait for what comes next. I was transfixed by the characters, so different than the people I know, so ready to fight. A good mystery, a revenge tale, a tale of forgiveness, and loss and love. I literally could not stop reading. Finished in one day. There are some pearls of wisdom in there. And lots of darkness. And I love when women defend women! What nerve they have, standing up to evil men! THAT'S the redeeming virtue of it all.
  
  Quotes: “Everyone has three lives: a public life, a private life, and a secret life,”
  
  “I wasn’t unhappy.” Emily studied her. “That’s a low bar.”
• 
  Stephanie Bennett

  Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. I was hoping that this book would be a good family psychological thriller. Bud sadly for me there was little nuancing around the characters and I had difficulty keeping up. I found it too in your face - and could not finish it. It’s not a hard read probable pitched at a younger American audience.
• 
  Lucia Delves

  Finally finished this. Took much longer than expected due to not really be able to get into it. Only 2 stars due to the twist at the end. Otherwise it would have been a 1 star for me l.
• 
  Tash (tash_turns_pages)

  This sounded good! Love a family drama and it started off strong. Melinda and Emily’s brother die and no one thinks it’s by accident. Unfortunately, this story didn’t work for me. I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. By the end I was skimming just to see where it would go. I didn’t guess the twist, but it didn’t blow me away.
  
  Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for my arc in exchange for my honest review.
  
  Publish Date: Feb 1, 2023
• 
  Christina Faris books_by_the_bottle

  When Jazz musician Markus Pena is murdered, his sisters Emily and Melinda are sad but not surprised. They hadn’t spoken to him in years and knew he had been tangled up with some question people and activities. Melinda and Emily have their own secrets and try to keep them under wraps as they search for Markus’ killer.
  
  I listened to the audio for this one and went into it blind, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Overall, it was a heavy read for me. I felt a lot while I was listening to it; I felt sad, I felt angry and I found myself rooting for characters I didn’t think I would normally. But while I felt those things, I just didn’t love the book. I felt like it was longer than it needed it be, and found some elements of the story to be far-fetched.
• 
  Magen • Bone Chilling Books

  This is a dark family drama, and a more suspenseful mystery than thrilling.
  
  The pacing was even throughout, the storyline was different than others of this genre which I appreciated, the narration was good, and the enjoyment was good.
  
  I gave it a three because while it wasn’t an absolutely outstanding book, I thought it was well written. There are many characters, so it was a bit difficult to keep track of who’s who. I also found it to be predictable, but I’m not sure if that’s because I read so many thrillers or not.
  
  I think this book would be perfect for those just starting out reading this genre.
  
  Looking forward to more books by EA Aymar.
• 
  Britney

  Good book
  
  This book has a lot of twists and turns so you definitely have to make sure you are following along really good. There are several characters that you have to know. Emily is a vigilante, Melinda is an ex social worker and her sister, and Markus is their brother who was a singer and took advantage of women that were in a vulnerable state that Melinda was trying to help. The ending was a bit crazy but good!
• 
  Chantal Tseng

  Haiku
  ...
  
  A family torn
  Psychopaths these days
  A song for your thoughts
  .
  .
  The trauma unfolds
  For there is blood, guilt and death
  Scars run deep and throb
  .
  .
  An abusive world
  Wheel of fortune needs more coins
  Also, men are pigs
• 
  Tracy Gaudette

  There are very few books that have made my jaw literally drop and eyes pop open wide in true surprise. This book did just that. I love when a book doesn't take the easy and safe way and really takes you on a journey. Thank you.
• 
  Megan | _The.Brunette.Bookworm_

  3.5 ⭐️’s
  
  This was an ARC I received and I enjoyed it!
  
  It has a lot of characters to follow and there is A LOT of fighting, gore and death. I would love to give this book more of a review, but I didn’t love the ending and wished someone else lived. The writing was GREAT though. Story line, characters and such were well done and enjoyable.
• 
  Jackie McMillan

  "People could rarely hide being born into wealth or poverty. Upbringing clung like a stubborn accent." Well that's a hopeful opinion for those of us that would like to change our lot in life or distance ourselves from those who raised us. No Home for Killers is my first novel by E. A. Aymar. It centres upon the story of a trio of siblings, Markus, Melinda and Emily Peña, who have a troubled relationship. The novel starts with musician Markus dead, Melinda cheating on her partner with her boss, and Emily passing her evenings as a "DC-based vigilante" beating up men who are violent with their wives and don't get convicted for their actions. Guessing the siblings' upbringing might not have been ideal either...
  
  "That was Markus, but with emotions. Bathed in emotions, like a weary warrior bathed in blood. And they informed his music, broke his voice into glinting shards others longed to gather."
  As the sisters renew contact with each other at the death of their brother, they are drawn into the backstory of his less than savoury life and troubled relationship with women, including his former lover, Rebecca.
  
  "Rebecca reminded Melinda of those women. Those women who had tried and failed to understand why violence was done to them." Melinda isn't particularly likeable or deep, with primitive insights into herself and her own actions, and a bit of a saviour complex with the sex workers she used to work with in a social work capacity: "Melinda had seen this before in her work with broken women. So much in their lives was emotionally compartmentalised that their thoughts were broken into fragments, as if different people assumed different roles."
  
  I found both the thinking, and the writing a bit pedestrian, the character development was lacking and unbelievable, particularly for the female characters, and it made reading the whole book a bit of a chore. I couldn't imagine this story ever happening.
  
  With thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for sending me a copy to read.
• 
  Jasmine

  something missing
  
  While this wasn’t a bad book (I’ve read much worse) it didn’t scream thriller to me. There was one point where I thought “okay this is getting good” and then it fell flat. I feel like there was room for much more.
• 
  Trisha

  Family, sometimes it's better to cut ties than reconnect. Markus is a famous singer/song writer and he's been murdered. Emily and Melinda, his two sisters, have been estranged from both him and each other since their mother's death and their afternoon of telling truths and their fight.
  
  What a twisted story this was. I enjoyed getting to know Melinda and Emily and how they each had their motivations, experiences and goals. Each of them had responded to Markus' fame differently and how their childhood with him had affected them. I liked the different paths this story too and how I was swept up in the audiobook narrator and all the turns the story took. I didn't anticipate the ending, even if I should have, but I enjoyed the journey. It held my attention and kept me guessing. Another well-done story by this author.
  
  A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
  
• 
  Charlee

  For the month of January, Prime members got to pick two free Amazon First Reads books. Normally, I'm excited about that but sadly this month it meant that I got not one, but two, DNF novels. Here's hoping February has better choices.
  
  To start off, this book was absolutely painful to read, which is why I stopped. What do I mean by that? Well, it was quite boring and not even in the realm of believability. All of the characters were unpleasant and I couldn't relate to, nor did I care, about any of them.
  
  With that, I vowed a long time ago not to let a book waste my time. Having already struck out with my other pick, I just don't have the energy, or the desire, to write a longer review.
• 
  Mike Walter

  I Wish I Cared About The Characters More
  
  The most important thing in a thriller is creating characters that the reader roots for. Without that, apathy sets in and it’s just a story. The excitement is gone because the reader doesn’t really care who lives and dies. Unfortunately, for me, such was the case with No Home For Killers. It just didn’t really matter to me who, if any, of the players, made it to the end. By the final 50 pages I was just reading so I could say I finished the book.
• 
  Christal

  This book was a bit of a roller coaster, with small bits being somewhat predictable but other parts being so unexpected. I’m not going to give away any spoilers but just wanted to note that I enjoyed this story.