What Sweetpea is
Sweetpea (sometimes written Sweet Pea) is a dark comic thriller by C.J. Skuse, first published in 2017. It is the opening book in a series about Rhiannon Lewis, a woman who looks ordinary on the surface and has a taste for murder. Many readers compare the tone to a mix of a workplace-and-dating comedy and a serial-killer story. One reviewer described it as “Bridget Jones meets Dexter,” a shorthand that fits the voice well.
Premise (spoiler-free)
Rhiannon is in her twenties, works a dull job as an editorial assistant and lives with her boyfriend. She feels overlooked and puts up with a stream of everyday irritations. Beneath the surface she keeps a secret list of people she would like to see dead. The book follows her daily life and what happens when she acts on those thoughts.
Format and tone
The novel is written as a first-person journal. Reviewers highlight the lists she opens each chapter with, and the sarcastic, confessional voice that makes her both funny and unsettling. One reviewer noted that the early pages feel mundane before the story turns, which is part of how the book sets up its first shock. Another pointed out that the book does not dwell on elaborate planning or evidence-hiding; the tension comes from Rhiannon’s personality and her past being revealed in pieces.
Spoilers: did Sweetpea get caught
Spoiler warning, though we keep specifics light.
The novel does not wrap up neatly. Reviewers describe a cliffhanger final chapter, which is why many readers move straight on to the sequel, In Bloom. In other words, the first book is better thought of as the start of an ongoing story than as a complete case that ends with a verdict. If you need a resolved ending, be aware that this is a series.
Hints about Rhiannon’s childhood and a past event that made her briefly well known are dropped gradually. The book also explores how she hides her real self from friends and family.
Book versus TV series
The 2024 television adaptation starred Ella Purnell as Rhiannon. Summaries of the series describe it as a six-episode dark comedy-drama. Adaptations often change plot details, tone and characters, so do not assume the show and the novel match. If you have seen the show and want to know how the original compares, expect the book to lean harder on Rhiannon’s inner monologue and journal structure.
Series and what to read next
The follow-up to the first book is In Bloom, and the series continues beyond it, so check the author’s page for the current list. If you like the idea of a protagonist working through a list of targets but want something grim and action-heavy rather than comic, look at our review of The Terminal List. For domestic suspense with a more psychological bent, see the Golden Couple summary.
Other books people confuse it with
- The Obsession is a separate novel by a different author and has no connection.
- Sweet Bean Paste is a gentle Japanese novel with a very different tone, not a thriller.
Content notes and who it suits
The book contains violence, and the humor is dark. If you enjoy unreliable or morally flexible narrators, a snarky voice and short, punchy entries, it is a good match. If graphic content or murder-as-comedy is not your thing, it is probably best skipped.