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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
•Six years ago, Stella’s brother Max disappeared without a trace. Fast forward to present day and Stella is the host of her own true crime podcast, A Killed Motive. While trying to promote her new podcast, she appears as a guest on a radio show. A mysterious stranger calls in and asks about her missing brother, and she hesitantly answers, not really wanting to discuss it. A listener, however, decides this will be the beginning of a dangerous cat and mouse game.
•I really enjoyed this book. I was captivated from the very beginning. Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Mary McKinnon, and Harlequin Trade Publishing/ MIRA for this ARC. It will become available on September 9, 2025.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
📚Book Tour ARC Review📚
A Killer Motive by Hannah Mary McKinnon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Getting lost in "A Killer Motive" is like diving into a suspenseful and mesmerizing scavenger hunt that you just can't resist.
Shoutout to Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse for knowing how to derail my weekend plans! Once I cracked open Hannah Mary McKinnon’s latest gem, I was hooked. It kicks off with a sister wrestling with guilt over her brother’s disappearance. It quickly escalates into a nail-biting psychological tug-of-war with a mysterious caller who clearly has too much time on their hands. Each chapter is a tiny dose of dread that keeps you up way too late, tricking you into thinking one more chapter will be enough!
⁉️If a stranger sent you a mysterious message claiming to know a family secret, would you engage with them to discover what it is?
🅰️I’d probably try to find out because I’m pretty nosy about that stuff!
Stella, a tormented podcaster, gets sucked into a twisted scavenger hunt to uncover what really happened to her brother Max. The true-crime element perfectly blends voyeurism, desperation, and danger. The “invisible enemy” pulling the strings is terrifying.
The pacing is ruthless, the clues are creative, and that final reveal is a knockout. If you think you know where it’s going, you don’t.
I would’ve loved more behind-the-scenes drama of podcasting—it’s such a juicy angle! But that’s just me nitpicking because the rest of the story hits all the right spots.
As the oldest sibling, I totally vibed with Stella’s big-sister energy. Who wouldn’t want an older sister cool enough to sneak you out for a night of fun? Sisterhood, trauma, suspense? Sign me up! "A Killer Motive" proves that Hannah Mary McKinnon is an author to keep your eye on!
Thank you to the author and #HTPBooks for providing this gifted eARC through #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Guilt, trust, secrets, and lies – so many lies – are the reasons Stella acts on her own when she thinks she has a chance to save her brother’s best friend and finally find out what happened to Max. The author ramps up the tension as little by little the lies become larger, the mistrust becomes all-consuming and one by one you will question the innocence of everyone. This thriller will definitely get your heart rate up.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Stella thinks nothing of helping her teenage brother Max sneak out of their parents house and taking him to a beach party. Until he disappears.
Six years on, the case is pretty much dead. But Stella can't give up. She hosts a podcast called A Killer Motive, where she talks about cold cases and often helps solve them. When her brothers best friend Kenji goes missing, Stella is certain the two disappearances are connected but no one believes her.
When she is contacted by the mysterious Anwir, she knows she's right. And now she is certain that her brother is still alive....
Due to some crap going on in my life this week, it took me a little longer to get into this one than normal. But by the time I got to about 50%, I was so invested that I found I couldn’t put it down. I flew through the last half.
This was a twisty read that had me questioning pretty much every character. I genuinely didn't see the ending coming, nor did I guess who the kidnapper was at any point. I thought I knew, but I was completely wrong. I always love a book that can keep me guessing.
A definite must read, and my first from this author. I look forward to reading more from her.
Six years on, the case is pretty much dead. But Stella can't give up. She hosts a podcast called A Killer Motive, where she talks about cold cases and often helps solve them. When her brothers best friend Kenji goes missing, Stella is certain the two disappearances are connected but no one believes her.
When she is contacted by the mysterious Anwir, she knows she's right. And now she is certain that her brother is still alive....
Due to some crap going on in my life this week, it took me a little longer to get into this one than normal. But by the time I got to about 50%, I was so invested that I found I couldn’t put it down. I flew through the last half.
This was a twisty read that had me questioning pretty much every character. I genuinely didn't see the ending coming, nor did I guess who the kidnapper was at any point. I thought I knew, but I was completely wrong. I always love a book that can keep me guessing.
A definite must read, and my first from this author. I look forward to reading more from her.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
I love Hannah Mary McKinnon's books! And this one is so good! It was a fast read and I didn't see the ending coming! I liked the podcast elements and the peaks into the killers mind. I also liked how Stella was doing her own investigation.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m a sucker for a thriller with a podcast element so I couldn’t wait to read this book. It started off strong with a disappearance but it dragged just a bit in the middle. I had my theories but I ended up being way off.
I DEVOURED this book in 2 days! It would have been faster if I’d had more time to sit down and read. There was nonstop tension and I was so far on the edge of my seat that I almost fell in the floor! I’m being a bit dramatic but this book was really good. It’s one I’m going to be thinking about for a while, and the way it ended doesn’t help. If you love twisty thrill-packed rides then pick add this to your list!