Thank you ThrillerbookloversThePulse / HTP Books, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of A Killer Motive in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: MIRA
Published: September 9, 2025
Summary:
You never know who’s listening.
To Stella Dixon, sneaking her teenage brother out of their parents’ house for a beach party was harmless fun—until Max disappeared without a trace.
Six years later, Stella’s family is still broken, and she can’t let go of her guilt. The only thing that keeps her going is helping other families find closure through A Killer Motive, her true crime podcast.
In a bid to find new sponsors and keep making episodes, Stella goes on a local radio show. But when she says on air that if she had just one clue, she’d find Max and bring whoever hurt him to justice, someone takes it as a challenge.
A mysterious invitation to play a game arrives, with the promise that if Stella wins, she’ll get information about what happened to Max. Stella thinks it’s a sick joke…until Max’s best friend vanishes. And she’s given new instructions: tell nobody or people will die.
Desperate and unable to trust anyone, Stella agrees. But beating a twisted, invisible enemy seems impossible when they make all the rules…
My thoughts:
All my friends over at @thrillerbookloversthepulse have been chatting this book up and for good reason. Hannah Mary McKinnon is a favorite and this one is not to be missed!
I adore this author and this latest book just might be my new favorite of hers. It combines some of my favorite tropes in the thriller genre and kept me guessing all the way through. From a cold case to the podcast element to missing people to family dysfunction to secrets upon secrets, I was glued to the pages.
This one is dark, and even had me flinching a time or two – maybe a first with HMM’s books – but I loved it all the same! Our main character, Stella, is such a layered character and I felt the anguish as she finds herself in such complicated situations. Yet it is her drive to seek answers that motivates her…and this comes across so clearly. Her opponent is evil, make no mistake about that and I suspected just about everyone at one point or another. And even getting anonymous chapters gave nothing away about this person’s actual identity other than adding more dread and tension to an already tense story. Well played, HMM, well played!
There were quite a few twists that completely blindsided me and these coupled with the red herrings we get along the way really kept me on my toes. This is such a smartly plotted, uber-addictive read and I highly recommend picking it up when it comes out in September!
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