When I Kill You
Nell Masters is certain she's being followed. Silent calls, anonymous flowers, and the constant feeling of being watched have her on edge. Nell has every reason to be paranoid: she's hiding a major secret from everyone, including her new partner, Alex—who is also keeping secrets of his own.
Fourteen years ago, Nell was Elle Nugent. She witnessed a student's abduction right before the girl was murdered. Elle became obsessed with the man she was convinced was responsible, and her fixation led her down a dangerous path.
Now, Nell tries to believe it's all in her mind. But has someone from her past discovered her new identity? Has the stalker become the stalked?
- Nell (real name Elle) - Protagonist, 36
- Alex - Nell’s boyfriend, 44
- Inés - Friend of Alex and his sister
- Sadie - Nell’s assistant at work
- Elle - Younger version of Nell, 22
- Bryony - Kidnapped and murdered woman, 19
- Moss - DC, later Superintendent, investigating Bryony’s case
- Brett - Man suspected by Elle of kidnapping Bryony
- Damon - Brett’s son, 18
- Part I
- Elle witnessed a possible kidnapping. The next day there’s a newspaper article about the body of Bryony - the woman she saw - was found in a burned out car.
- A mystery narrator reveals they have been stalking Nell for months and plan to kill her.
- Elle sees the man she thinks kidnapped Bryony, follows him to his house and reports the address to the police. She finds out his name is Brett.
- Elle continues following and watching Brett, frustrated that the police haven’t arrested him.
- Brett calls the police on Elle and DC Moss tells Elle to leave Brett alone.
- Nell learns that Alex’s previous two girlfriends, Ariane and Caitlin, both died while dating him.
- While Elle is watching Brett and his family at a restaurant, Brett notices her, comes outside to confront her, and is struck by a car and killed.
- Elle is charged with involuntary manslaughter for Brett’s death but receives a suspended sentence.
- Brett’s son, Damon, begins stalking Elle and eventually pushes her toward an oncoming train. The train hits and kills a bystander who had leaned over the platform edge to see what was happening.
- Damon receives a life sentence for premeditated manslaughter and warns Elle he is going to kill her when he gets out of prison.
- Elle changes her name to Nell to escape her past and Damon's threat.
- Part II
- Inés tells Nell that Ariane thought she had a stalker.
- Nell meets with Superintendent Moss to report that she believes she has a stalker.
- Moss assures her that Damon is still in prison and can’t be the one stalking her.
- Sometime later, Moss contacts Nell with an update on Bryony’s case: they’ve arrested her killer - a lecturer at King’s College who strangled her after she rejected his advances.
- He confessed after being diagnosed with a terminal illness and knowing he wouldn’t live to go to prison.
- He was the man driving the car that picked Bryony up; Brett was never involved.
- Sadie goes to Nell's house to spend Christmas Eve with her.
- Nell confides everything to Sadie. Sadie sleeps in Nell’s bed while Nell takes the couch.
- Nell wakes Christmas morning to find the power cut and Sadie stabbed to death.
- The stalker mistook Sadie for Nell and believed they had killed her.
- Nell finally tells Alex about her past. He tells her she needs to forgive herself.
- After Sadie’s funeral, Nell stays in her house knowing the stalker will come for her. She’s determined to find out who it is and end it for good.
- That night, the stalker comes for Nell - it’s Inés.
- Inés confesses to killing Caitlin and Ariane.
- Nell stabs Inés, killing her.
- Four months later: Alex and Nell read through Inés's notebooks.
- They detail Inés's obsession with Alex and how it drove her to kill Caitlin and Ariane.
- Nell and Alex move to Washington.
B.A. Paris has done it again! When I Kill You is an intense psychological thriller. It builds tension through the slow, chilling breakdown of trust and reality. The medium pace is kept totally engaging by the mounting tension.
The best part of this book is its amazing three-part narrative structure. The book presents the past, the present, and the chilling, anonymous viewpoint from the stalker, a technique that perfectly ramps up the suspense.
The main character, Elle/Nell is exceptionally well-written. While she makes some seriously questionable decisions, I couldn't stop rooting for her. It’s easy to empathize with Nell's struggle to forgive herself for her past mistakes.
This book is an intense ride that focuses on psychological fear over graphic violence. All the tangled threads come together for a satisfying ending that fully rewards the buildup of paranoia Paris masterfully creates. This smart, character-focused thriller is guaranteed to keep readers up late turning pages, making it a definite hit.
- Nell - Alive - Happy to be with Alex and have the past behind her
- Alex - Alive - Happy to be building a future with Nell
- Brett - Dead - Hit by a car
- Bryony - Dead - Strangled by her professor at King’s College
- Sadie - Dead - Stabbed by Inés
- Inés- Dead - Stabbed by Nell
- Damion - Alive - Set to be released from prison soon
- Simon - Alive - Does not blame Nell for Sadie's death
- Jaz - Alive - Married with three children
- Stalking
- Suicide
- Murder
- Car accident
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9781250289445
Publication Date: February 17, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
