In this novel, our protagonist is Petra — a forever “aspiring” print journalist, frequently laid off by cross-country newspapers (mostly budgetary reasons), but who has an incredibly loyal boyfriend who has a job that makes it fairly easy to pull up roots and follow her from state to state. Petra just might be at her last chance place of journalistic employment in Boston. In order to avoid another layoff, she pitches a local story about a friend who was murdered 4 years ago. Her boss wants her to turn it into a podcast. Her friend was Livvy — who was a talented 14 year old when they met while Petra was mentoring at a teen writers’s camp at UCLA. And Livvy was extraordinarily talented — she was admitted to Harvard and became, to Petra’s dismay, a right wing firebrand (think Tomi Lauren) and influencer with millions of followers, who was murdered just off-screen after her last live broadcast. Someone was arrested and surprisingly acquitted, but Petra increasingly isn’t so sure that the presumed killer got away. Faced with various personal crises, she decides to write about Livvy’s end days, her “killer story.”

Matt Witten’s characters (as in “The Necklace”) aren’t totally drawn in black and white. Petra finds herself crossing ethical lines to get others to reveal secrets (like considering burning a confidential source). She puts herself in questionable situations to “get the story” and she’s not totally forthcoming with a fiancé who deserves her full honesty. There are times when Petra is more concerned with her quippy exit lines instead of realizing she just received another version of “no comment.” This podcast will revive her career and possibly make her famous. How far is she willing to go? Will justice actually be served? Or will the episodes be tailored for drama instead of truth?

I was caught up in the grayish aspects of the story — like real life, solving mysteries is messy and so are the challenges of 21st century journalism. How much is about the truth and how much is about the potential number of clicks? Rather than dwelling on the real murderer, I found myself thinking a lot about Petra’s methods. She was definitely a flawed heroine. 4 stars for a multi-layered thriller!

Thank you to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Natalie, the rival, has greenish eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The Boston home of Petra and Jonah has roses and sunflowers out front, but it wasn’t specifically said they co-existed at the *same* time (fairly impossible since roses are June blooms and sunflowers are August flowers).

I would like to thank Net Galley for this ARC. I was initially interested in this book because the premise seemed relevant to today's current events. It was also something I had not read yet, the murder of a popular you tuber. However, I felt like something was missing in the book. Some of the details didn't seem to go together. For example, Petra felt close enough to Olivia that she wanted to find her killer, but had no idea what her posts were about or her political beliefs. I felt that the evidence that Petra uncovered was too convenient especially when the police could not find the same evidence. It was a fast paced novel, which i enjoyed.

Received an ARC from NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing

in exchange for an honest review

Trigger warnings: talk of sexual assault, acts of physical assault, gun use, suicide, hate speech.

Petra is the main view the story follows. She is a journalist who is going to be laid off so she presents a new take on an old story. Two years prior Livvy was murdered, and the killer was never found. Petra was a camp counsellor in college and one of the campers she came to know well was 14 year old Livvy. Years later Livvy was in college and became a person with alt-right political opinions and used her social media platforms to spread hate, Petra having immigrated herself found it hard to believe this was the same girl she knew and at the time her and Livvy drifted apart. Now two years later she had the perfect opportunity to try and catch the killer and hopefully keep her job. With just two weeks to solve this case, Petra does things she's never done in her career before.

I understand what this story was about and what the aim was, however Petra was just an awful person. I know a lot of journalists do some awful things, but I felt

some of the things Petra did was a little extreme. She was constantly trying to play the victim card while she was hurting others and she'd turn the bad things into good to advance her career- as well as justifying it as good for the podcast and helping to catch the killer. Petra would do anything for the story from wrongfully convicting someone of it, ruining her personal relationships, committing crimes, and spreading false information even at the expense of

those people. She came off as a very whiny person- when she would have to share her story she was very jealous of the other person and wanted it all for herself, she had no problem being selfish thinking everything would work out for her.
I'm giving this a solid 3. The story was great and the way it played out, but Petra was a very dislikable person and it was sometimes hard to get past that for the story when she's the POV you read.

Wow! Another great read by Matt Witten! Loved this storyline and the different POVs. So many great surprises. Characters here are amazing and kept me totally invested. Complex story told with precision and care.
Highly recommend!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

This is a really fast paced and exciting crime thriller!
It’s so well written that I had to keep reminding myself it wasn’t based on a true crime.
The topic of podcasts is so current it makes it very relatable, and I found myself not wanting to put it down.
An easy 4 star rating 💫

There were many aspects of this book that I enjoyed a lot, most of these prompted me to keep reading. I will list these in an orderly fashion, and then continue with the things I found difficult about this book.

01: I thoroughly enjoyed the reporter aspect of this, it was very refreshing to see a realistic approach to how cruel journalism is in our current time! It was lovely to see Petra’s undeterred passion throughout this book, and to see what truly goes on behind newspaper publishing companies. This was definitely one of the things that kept me going!

02: The mystery was very complexly built, right when I thought I knew who killed Livvy, Petra would discover new information that blew my theories to bits. It was super exciting following the story with her, learning about all these other issues such as Sarah’s rape and Brandon’s sexuality along with her. The suspense kept building up, and by the end I was dying to know who had killed her.

03: It also raised awareness about very sensitive and important topics as I’ve aforementioned, and I think those play a key role in making this book relatable and realistic.

However, there were also certain things I would like to bring attention to that ruined the thrilling flow of this story.

01: The dialogue. At times, the way the characters spoke were very informal and they used a lot of our newer society’s slang. I found it very often placed among normal speech to appeal to younger readers, but I think it really was a bad attempt at connecting with “Gen Z Readers”. Sorry!

02: At the beginning of the book, Petra told a disturbing amount of lies. In my opinion, it was quite alarming how casually she could make up things to manipulate other people. As I’ve finished this book, I now see how it relates to the ending (a very perfect ending, I must mention). However, I think at the beginning of the book there are a few unnecessary lies that she tells that could’ve been cut out to avoid making her seem like a bad person.

In conclusion, I think there are a few things I would change about this book, mostly the occasional informal tone, but the mystery and the main ideas of this story were original and exciting. The pros, for me, outweigh the cons, but I would recommend reviewing certain parts to secure larger satisfied audience rates! A very good read!

melisteee reviews <3

I read Matt Witten’s debut novel The Necklace and was blown away. It went straight into my top five books of 2021. When I heard his second novel was available I knew I had to read it.

The prologue introduced us to the main character Petra who launches a podcast to investigate the murder of controversial YouTuber ‘Livvy’ who she loved like a sister.

What I love about Matt Witten’s writing is it’s very on trend. He pulls you straight into the story by using current themes in the news and on social media. The use of podcasts was a main theme and it’s what encompassed the whole story as news reporter Petra tried to break the story of the century.

The author is a master at character building, pulling off a female teenager and Petra too was a great character. The dialogue is wonderful and has a really authentic feel between the characters.

My only criticism is this book was more of a slow burn through the middle of the storyline compared to his debut.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what comes next.

I thought overall this book was very good, It was one of the best books I have read over the summer so far. The best part about this book is the ending which was surprising. Overall, Loved it.

Petra is a struggling journalist with an inside source on this years most sensational murder. Can she ride this inside knowledge to achieve the success and glory that has eluded her? How far is she willing to go?

Loved the premise, really didn’t like or identify with the characters. Solid mystery that kept me guessing until the end. Overall, entertaining read.

My thanks to Net Galley, Oceanview Publishing and Mr. Wooten for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Killer Story in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

This was a thrill ride that never let up. I grew really attached to Petra and her struggles in finding Olivia's murder felt like my own. Admittedly, the first like, 10% of the book is a massive info dump, but once that's over and the story gets rolling, it's hard to put it down. The ending is going to divide people, I think, but I enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for letting me read this copy, but my thoughts are my own.

I always enjoys when author writes books that relates with technology or social development situations. This is my first read from Matt Witten and I am sure not the last. Killer Story is a thrilling story about journalist who tried reopen cold crime case. I enjoyed my reading time I spent with this book and let me break down some of the points about it.

1. Struggling journalists with grey morale as main character who torn between journalists ethics, get big popularity and save her career, or genuine solve her old friend murder. I am glad after all emotion up and down, she take the best route to being honest with her self.
2. An annoying youtuber as victim. Yes this story give alot spotlight about how fast growing internet and social media as public medium to spreading some informations also sensitive issues, ruining someone's life and to help some crimes investigations.
3. Real passive aggressive competition in workplaces. I personally enjoy the idea using true crimes podcast style as way to open cold cases and solve all mysteries. And I always enjoyed good competitions plot.
4. The pace is my most favorite, very fast and keep kicking me to edge chair this end of the book. The plot and all twists successful keep me intrigued.

This is a thrilling story of a crime that must be solved. You guess immediately who did it. After reading a bit more it was someone else. But go on reading, you recognize that it was a third person. This keeps up until only on the very last page when you discover who really is the culprit. Or do you? The author keeps the story going at a crisp pace so that it is difficult to put the book down. As a byproduct of reading, you will learn about modern podcasting as well as present day journalism.

Thanks @netgalley for read number 67 of 2022. While I’m not a fan of true crime, I do love some novels about true crime podcasts. This one did not disappoint. Although I anticipated a twist at the end, I did not guess the ending. I did struggle with some views of the victim and some choices that the reporter made, but it was interesting to hear the thinking throughout. Lots of great cliffhangers in here. This book was hard to put down. I’m still debating on if I wanted a little more from the conclusion. This was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 read for me. A very enjoyable summer read! (Do note that there are quite a few typos, but this is still the unproofed copy. It can make it a little harder to read at times, but I kind of liked the challenge.) I need to check out this author’s other book.

I am a new reader to author Matt Witten and am thrilled to have been introduced to his work! This story is one that is complex and winding, but keeps you engaged the entire time. I found it hard to walk away or put the book down!

Most books, movies, and TV shows that portray podcast hosts cast them in a very Hollywood light. Petra's character here was relatable and seemed to be the most real portrayal of what an investigative journalist may face personally and some times even morally while working to create content and do their own investigation. Petra goes to great lengths (sometimes too great of lengths) to solve a murder while trying to make a name for herself. You find yourself cheering for her and hopeful she continues on her path, even though she has faced many obstacles and roadblocks along the way. While her choices aren't always the best, you keep hoping the best for her.

After reading this book, I will definitely be checking out Matt's other work(s)! I can't wait to see what he puts out next.

Matt Whitten did it again with this nail biting thriller. We are in the era of the podcast. True Crime and Murder Mysteries reign supreme. But just how far are the creators willing to go for content?

Petra gives us an in depth and behind the scenes account of the volatile world of journalism. You will see just how blurred the lines can become chasing your next piece of evidence for the latest episode.

This story seriously had me doubling back, rereading chapters and scratching my head with every turn of the page. The moment you think you’ve figured it out you’re right back to square one.

This is one will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you looking at podcasters and journalists in a whole new light. Prepare for one hell of an ending!

How far will she go to catch the killer—and make her podcast a hit?
Petra Kovach, a talented and idealistic young reporter, is on the brink of being laid off from her third failing newspaper in a row. To save her job, she pitches the launch of a true crime podcast about a sensational, unsolved murder.
Years earlier, an alt-right YouTuber was killed in her Harvard dorm room, and the case went cold. Petra knew the victim—she was once her camp counselor and loved her like a little sister, despite their political differences.
Petra's investigation gets off to a rocky start, as her promising leads quickly shrivel up. In her passionate quest for justice—and clicks—Petra burns sources and breaks laws, ultimately putting her own life on the line. Even as her star rises, she worries it could all come crashing down at any moment if her actions are exposed.
When her machinations start to backfire, there's only one way to fix everything and solve the murder—even though it may cost her everything she loves.
Since I had read The Necklace, I was eager to read Killer Story. It did not disappoint. Petra Kovach is the type of person who knows what a podcast needs and she is bound and determined to make it work. She ends up vying for her job with Natalie and Dave working against her. I got caught up with Petra's story from the beginning and finished reading it in one sitting. I am looking forward to my next Matt Witten story as he is a remarkable writer. Thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for a copy for an honest review.

THE KILLER STORY follows struggling journalist (and absolute bloody nightmare) Petra Kovach, who resolves to escape the crosshairs of her third consecutive layoff by launching a true-crime podcast investigation into the unsolved murder of Olivia Anderson, an infamous alt-right YouTube influencer whom Petra mentored at journalism camp when she was younger. While Petra scrambles to unmask Olivia's killer and secure enough views to justify keeping her job, she also reckons with various personal trials, the pressures and inconsistency of Internet fame, and a moral consciousness that flips with the wind.

The one thing this book has got going for it is its compulsive readability; as many problems as I had with it, I could not force myself to put it down. The plot and chapters are structured in such a way as to just naturally keep kicking you from one movement into the next without interruption, and actually the pacing of it all felt really strong. In that respect, this was a super quick and easy read. (I'd hesitate to call it a 'thriller', though; it's more of a procedural, in a really basic, fanfiction-y kind of way. But I can see where other readers might disagree.)

Unfortunately, Petra's character... I mean, to put it plainly, she sucked. My disbelief is not capable of the Olympics-level gymnastics that would be required for me (or any reader, I think) to come out of this book believing that even the smallest, minutest segment of Petra's behaviour was okay or justified. She made so many terrible moral choices and violated so many professional ethical standards that it became almost exhausting to continue pretending to care about who killed Olivia, because past a certain point all I really wanted was for somebody to kill Petra. And it would be one thing if I felt like hating her was the point, but there were so many awkward references to "Olivia deserving justice" and "Olivia was my best friend", so many invocations of Petra's own requisite Tragic Backstory, that I really do think the author was trying to convince me that her whole investigation was some sort of ultimate service to truth. And that destroying lives without proof, publishing material and interviews without consent or corroboration, is totally fine as long as you actually get the guy in the end. (It isn't. And umm, sir, Petra is the literal worst.)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a digital copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

This thrilling novel follows a journalist who displays deep hunger and passion for the potential to discover the truth behind the murder of her well-known acquaintance, an infamous YouTuber. In a desperate attempt to save her reporting career, Petra Kovach pitches the idea of a true-crime podcast, one that explores the depth behind this unsolved murder, and her trials lie within both her office, as well as weaving in between the lies that are told by each potential suspect. The realistic and riveting tale of the web of suspicion that is a part of journalism becomes foggily clear in this deliciously captivating novel as Matt Witten provides thrills with every sentence.

I am potentially a biased and unreliable source to be considered a reviewer of this phenomenal book, due to my fascination with the law, justice, and true crime. But that only mirrors the realistic unreliability and emotional instabilities of a narrator and protagonist such as Petra Kovach. The first-person perspective of this story can pull the readers in as the thematic strands of corrupt justice systems and the unrealistic standards of the press are explored, especially as it ponders the question: How far is a reporter willing to go for fame? The realism is only the beginning of such a riveting tale, as the plot continues with the moral and ethical instabilities that are displayed in each character as their turn in the spotlight for murder, becomes highlighted by such a "justice-hungry" reporter like Petra Kovach. While I usually read thrillers with some hesitation, because I often obsess over the facts, the author's mindset, and formulate evidence charts in my head for extended periods of time, so much so that I discover the culprits within only a few chapters, this book captivated me in ways that almost no other thriller could. I had my suspicions proven right and right again, but reading the author's expression of such drastic events made the novel itself unable to leave my hands, from start to finish. I was so eager to give this five stars, but it was sadly missed by just a little mark. There was not enough closure at the end and I firmly believe that with at least 7 more pages of closure, my rating would have been at its maximum point, rather than being a solid 4.5 stars.

Overall, I think that everyone should read this book. I'm not kidding, there's so much interest within these pages that I desperately want more people to come across them. The questioning about the reliability of the press and journalists is something that has fogged the mind of almost every individual, and I think that this novel does a magnificent job of touching on such a current-day topic. This book is highly recommended by me, and I truly hope that it gets the love that it deserves upon publishing. I am eternally grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with the opportunity to read this phenomenal story.

Petra Kovach, a struggling journalist trying to protect herself from yet another layoff, lands upon the bright idea of launching a podcast to explore a shocking unsolved murder. The victim? An up and coming young alt-right YouTuber named Olivia Anderson, a college freshman at Harvard who Petra had mentored in a summer journalism program several years earlier. Scrambling to solve the murder while creating podcast episodes that would attract a massive audience, Petra struggles to maintain control of her project. Along the way she violates every possible professional ethical standard, causes serious harm to innocent people, destroys all of her personal relationships and most of her professional ones, and actively obscures justice to create a storyline that better serves her twisted purposes.

I struggled with this book because of the main character's willingness to completely abandon any sense of morals or ethics in pursuit of a story that would launch her into journalistic fame. From reading the author's note, it doesn't seem likely that this book was intended to shine a spotlight on the corrupt, sensationalist nature of the true crime entertainment industry, but if you used to enjoy true crime and are horrified by what it's become as more people turn to it for quick profit and fame, you might enjoy reading what happens to Petra by the end of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

As a true crime fan, I was really excited to read this story. I was hooked right away, and there were so many twists that I stayed hooked. Petra’s character definitely had good intentions but wow did she make me mad a few times. You always hear how reporters are sleazy, and she definitely fit the bill once or twice. Overall, this was a quick and entertaining read and definitely something I will recommend to other suspense and/or crime fans.