A thoroughly good mystery!

Petra is a journalist in an ever demanding world; the constant pressure to come up with new stories and, most importantly, to beat every other journalist to them. Having already lost two jobs in this competitive world, she is horrified that another sacking is on the cards - unless, of course, she can come up with something which will create revenue for her employers. Petra pitches investigating the unsolved murder of a student who was known to her and which remains unsolved. With the promise of a podcast if she can come up with the goods, she sets off absolutely determined to get a result and keep her job.

I rather liked this one! There is just enough of Petra's personal life included to make her human without it overshadowing the investigation. I loved the competitiveness between colleagues on the paper; we all know that it's all about the story for newspaper journalists and it's a cut-throat world and Matt Witten shows this perfectly. I really appreciated that the investigation wasn't straight-forward as it gets a bit unbelievable when every turn in a mystery is right. This one has disappointments as well as successes and I found myself riveted and desperate to find out 'whodunnit'! Thoroughly enthralling, and well worth 4.5*.

MY THANKS TO THE PUBLISHER FOR MY COPY AND APOLOGIES FOR THE LATE POSTING OF REVIEW - DUE TO A HEALTH ISSUE.

This book was crazy, exciting and page turning. I couldn't put this down as the story was so fast paced it took me on a ride from start to finish.
Petra is doing her best to not get laid off another newspaper. She will literally do anything. When she comes up with an idea to solve the murder of someone she used to be close to, she pitches it to her boss just as he is about to let her go. She finds herself promising a podcast too.
Things just get crazier from there. What a wild ride!

**A copy of this book was provided by the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

As a big fan of Matt Witten’s first novel, The Necklace, I had really high hopes for Killer Story when I started it. I was hoping I’d get that suspense I loved so much from his first novel and a twisty, keep me guessing tale weaving through this book. Witten… did not disappoint.


The story follows Petra, who is a small town journalist with a little bit of PTSD from being fired or laid off repeatedly. With that she is trying really hard to justify her position at her current job and wants to help solve the murder of her friend. The issue is the crime is supposedly solved, but she disagrees. Right off the bat I find Petra slightly annoying. She was way too antsy for my liking, and constantly making promises to things she had no idea if she was going to be able to keep. Not the type of people I typically like, but she was desperate. Witten has a way, which is yet again seen in Killer Story, to make you feel really strongly for the characters in the book. There’s not a single one that I can just brush aside with a “they’re okay” feeling. I either love them, hate them, or are highly suspicious of them. Sometimes more than one of those.

The story flowed really nicely. While the mystery itself that she was working on was suspenseful and interesting, I found myself incredibly drawn by Petra’s own story. She was doing a lot of things most reporters do not do and cutting corners she shouldn’t. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time waiting for the consequences of these actions to hit. It was like suspenseful, but from multiple angles. Double suspense? Either way I was anxious for what seemed inevitable and completely rapt in the story. Way to hook me, Witten!


Killer Story really hooks you right from the beginning and even though I really didn’t like Petra as a person, her story was incredibly interesting and her behavior made me flip pages as fast as I could to see what was going to happen next and in response to her actions. Completely enthralling and a must read for all thriller lovers!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review .

Oh my what an epilogue!.

The first few pages had me shocked and intrigued and asking what the hell?, what started off as a nice sweet story about a camp councillor and a teenager she met at camp turned into anything but.

The writing style of the story kept me hooked, it was like Petra’s diary so we went through everything with her as she investigated every lead and tried to contact everyone involved.

It’s also very thought provoking about the ethics of journalism, some do whatever it takes to get the story even though the lines are blurred and does the truth even matter at all?.

A childhood tragedy, the unsolved murder of her of father, propelled Petra to want to be an influential investigative journalist. Unfortunately her dreams haven’t come true and now she’s on the verge of losing another job…that is until she makes a desperate pitch to her boss. What’s the pitch? To look into the cold case of a young college YouTuber who was murdered years earlier and produce a true crime podcast. A girl who Petra had a past connection with. So who really killed Olivia? Was it her boyfriend (who was the original suspect), was it someone who disagreed with her alt-right politics, or was it something even darker and more disturbing? Dark and disturbing definitely describes much of this story. Killer Story features fast paced, well told, gritty, multi-layered, twisty story…and a lot of unlikable characters. I don’t really mean that as a negative, just stating a fact. Even our ‘heroine’ is questionable at times, though honestly that made everyone feel all the more real. While it deals with some seriously uncomfortable subject matter that might be tough for some to deal with, I found it engaging from start to finish. I’d like to thank Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Matt Witten’s Killer Story.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1YU9TEPI1JWO4/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Killer Story
Matt Witten


Matt Witten’s new novel, Killer Story, is a timely crime chiller about a newspaper reporter who in an attempt to save her job reopens a cold case murder investigation and in the process turns from idealistic journalist to resorting to unethical and at times barely legal ways to tell her story making the novel engaging and one that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. Matt gives readers a tight nail-biting plot and flowing narrative, plus his use of podcasting in his storyline gives the novel a modern feel making the characters seem more authentic. And of course the murder of a young radical is always a hot topic for thriller lovers. Of the eclectic stable of quality characters Petra is definitely the star, unfortunately it’s not always for the right reason as she falls down the rabbit hole of deception and deceit convincing herself the end justifies the means and leaving readers to wonder if she will or even want to redeem herself. The other stand out characters are her boyfriend Jonah who at times acts as her conscience, and her co-worker/nemesis Natalie. Killer Story will stay with readers long after “The End” and is perfect for fans of Hank Phillipi Ryan, JT Ellison and Harlen Coben.

No one knows better than Petra Kovach how hard it is in this day and age to be a successful newspaper reporter and when she discovers she’s about to be fired from yet another job she comes up with a way to convince her editor to keep her, which involves reopening a murder case that’s gone cold that she may just have new evidence about.

Petra’s been obsessed with the two-year-old cold case murder of Olivia Anderson, a right winged podcaster and Harvard freshman, someone Petra had known very well and was still a mentor to even though Olivia became so radicalized. Petra and Olivia met at a journalist boot camp when Petra was a senior at UCLA and Olivia was fourteen. The girls shared many ideals and as it turned out many tragic life events and soon were sharing secrets, hopes and became as close as sisters. But when Olivia became a right-winged conspiracy theorist Petra wondered what happened to the idealistic young girl she once knew. So when Petra runs into Olivia’s older brother Eric and he confesses to know “unknown” secrets about Olivia’s murder Petra knows she’s got the perfect ammunition to save her job.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Matt Witten - 4.5 stars!

Petra Kovach is determined to succeed at her latest journalism job because she's been laid-off or fired too many times in the past. But as she's being let go once again, she pitches the idea of a cold case podcast to her boss. The story will be focused on the death of a popular alt-right YouTuber, Olivia, someone that Petra knew years ago as a camp counselor. Her boss agrees and gives her a short deadline, but she has to bend a few of her ethical guidelines to get a story. When the podcast becomes a hit, she crosses even more lines.

I thought this was an intriguing mystery - I didn't guess the culprit. But it was also a somewhat disturbing look into what we as a society want from our news. We want instant access, breaking news, all the gory details. But are those stories published before all the facts can be verified just to ensure being the first to print? Has social media blurred even more lines with the drive for more likes and shares? And the sad state of print journalism - is it a dinosaur in today's instant access world? I love a good mystery that also brings up pertinent issues that make you think - this one definitely fits the bill!

Petra has been consistently fired from her job as a journalist and decided to create a true-crime podcast, and to keep her audience coming back she lies, commits crimes, fabricates information, and does everything that a good journalist should not do. Killer Story is not far from reality today, most unfortunately, and I felt like I was reading the news with information regarding the background.
I thank the author, his publisher, and NetGalley for this book.

Thank you to Matt, Oceanview Publishing, and Netgalley for an advance copy of Killer Story. This is the second Matt Witten that I’ve had the pleasure of reading early. For my review on The Necklace, please click here.

Petra has dreamed of being an investigative reporter since she was a child and witnessed a traumatic murder go unsolved. As an adult, she’s tried to scrap her way up the ladder, but three moves and two terminations later, she’s struggling. She thinks she’s found her place at a Boston newspaper, but when she is told that she is yet again on the chopping block, she’s blindsided. In a last ditch attempt to save her job she pitches a podcast (which she’s never done before, but says she has) about an unsolved murder in which she has new evidence on (this is also not quite true). The case is controversial to say the least – an alt right YouTube star was murdered in her dorm room minutes before releasing a video that was guaranteed to shake things up. Another tidbit about the murder – the victim was someone that Petra had previously mentored and had a close bond with until she got a little too politically extreme and Petra had to distance herself.

Petra works hard to find suspects, and she does…several. The problem is that there are holes repeatedly punched in her theories, a boss that doesn’t quite trust her and isn’t the most ethical, and a co-worker determined to outshine her. While her personal life takes a dive, and she struggles to keep her job, she will also do whatever it takes to solve this case and finally put her deceased friend at peace.

I thought this was fun and creative. I really liked the idea of there being a politically-driven plot without politics actually playing a large role in the story. We see so much negative news everyday surrounding politics that I really don’t like it in my ‘escape’ time, but this was handled really well and with no real political agenda pushing. I am also very into books that use podcasts to tell their story.

Let’s just say it – Petra was insufferable. She started out as a really solid MC that I could get behind. But good lord did she descend into awful character territory quickly…and I think that was intentional. Obsession and ambition can be very ugly traits and when taken to the extreme, they can turn a good person bad in no time. I think her decline was written well, it didn’t come overnight, there was some internal struggle, and there was some remorse (barely, but it was there) when she did do things that went against her initial moral compass.

I did take a jab at Petra finding several suspects a couple paragraphs up, which makes her sound like a pretty shitty investigative reporter (isn’t everyone when they’re too close to a case?), but Matt really had me stumped for awhile there too, thinking that literally any of the people we’ve met could be involved. Eventually I did solve it, but only because I was listening to a true crime podcast (ironic, yah?) that brought up something that turned on a lightbulb in my head.

As I said above, this is the second book I’ve read by Matt Witten and I really enjoy his work. It’s quick-paced, it’s twisty without being confusing, and it’s just all around enjoyable.

This book started off with a bang and a super-fresh premise. I was immediately hooked…and I remained hooked, even as I got more and more confused. Eventually I went from raising my brow, to eye rolling, to laughing, and then the last chapter was perfect.

Petra is a journalist on the struggle. Like so many print journalists over the past couple decades, she keeps getting fired or laid off for not getting enough clicks on her lame city council stories. She has a great boyfriend, Jonah, who follows her around the country as she pursues her dreams- but when she gets fired yet another time, she’s worried he’s going to leave her.

The plan? Get unfired by pitching a podcast about the cold case murder of an old friend. Petra was Olivia’s camp counselor and the two remained close, until “Livvy” started a right-wing hate speech platform on YouTube. They drifted apart, then Olivia was murdered in her Harvard dorm room. The case was solved, at least in most people’s minds. A professor was having an affair with Livvy, and he was charged with her crime but found innocent. Petra believes the killer is still out there and that she can use her firing to reopen the case.

The next part is when the eye rolling started. I won’t give up too much, but you’ll soon realize that Petra is THE MOST STUPID REPORTER ON EARTH. Whether that’s because she’s really that daft, because she’s blinded by potential podcast fame, or because she’s relentless about finding her friend’s killer is up for you to decide. Eventually, I just started laughing at her “investigations” and “gray areas”. I’ll say one thing though, it was definitely entertaining.

This book IS entertaining, and I enjoyed it despite how ridiculous the main character is. The author wrote an epilogue talking a little bit about how he came up with the idea of Petra, but it still didn’t clear anything up for me. I thought it was a parody of what social media does to people, but I’m not sure. Just taking this at face value though, this was well-written, entertaining and the final chapter made me laugh the hardest! 3.5/5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Oceanview Publishing, Matt Witten and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

Talented and idealistic young reporter Petra Kovach 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.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

Petra is about to be fired from her third job as a newspaper reporter, so in desperation, she pitches an idea to her boss about creating a podcast to investigate the unsolved murder of a friend. Her boss gives her two weeks to prove herself in order to save her job.

I liked Petra until she went to record the first episode of her podcast. Then she started making one bad decision after another. She lied and manipulated, violated journalism ethics, and broke the law. Even though she became such an unlikable character, this book was fast-paced, and I was anxious to find out who the killer was. I was happy with the ending and thought it wrapped the story up very well.

Thank you, @netgalley and @oceanviewpub
for the gifted e-arc of this book!

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for this advanced reader copy.

This week’s headline? Fame over integrity
Why this book? Synopsis sounded interesting as I like crime podcasts
Which book format? ARC
Primary reading environment? Couch
Any preconceived notions? I think I’ll like this?
Identify most with? Ugh
Three little words? “any conscious decision”
Goes well with? Coffee, and lots of it
Recommend this to? I don’t know
Other cultural accompaniments: Serial
Grade: 1.5/5
I leave you with this: “Tonight’s show will be a little different from what you expected”

📚📚📚

Sometimes I wonder why it is that most men are incapable of writing a believable woman character. I’m not sure what I expected when I began reading this but I ended up disappointed. I don’t know what more I can say as I read this quite a bit ago and can’t remember much else besides that and I didn’t care for the main character, which means this book is pretty forgettable.

Killer Story will be published on January 17, 2023.

Okay, I know the true crime podcast trope is everywhere right now. In fact, this is the third book I've read just this month that uses that trope, but if it's done well, I'm not sick of it yet!

What I liked: I loved the pacing of this story. It was a super quick read for me, and it sucks you in right from the beginning, with each chapter propelling you forward. I also liked some aspects of the investigation, and I liked how the story is set in today's climate.

What didn't work for me: Petra, as a character, is awful. I don't mind an unlikable character, but there has to be some redeeming quality that makes me want to root for them. Petra is extremely unlikable, to the point where I was hoping she would fail. I also found her interactions with other characters--mainly her boyfriend - to be difficult to believe. The story felt a bit repetitive as well, and if I were listening to the podcast she was putting out, I would have stopped with the second episode, because it got silly.

Overall, this was a quick, easy read for me. I didn't love the characters and had some issues with the storyline, but if you love the true crime podcast trope and don't mind some extremely unlikable characters, check this one out. It's out now!

4.5 stars. This was a pretty powerful read about the pervasive problems that abound with press, social media, influencers, cancel culture. You have to be willing to go above and beyond in the cutthroat news business, but how far is too far and do the ends truly justify the means? I think our main character was a good person who was trying to do the right thing, but she frequently saw herself at odds between her personal morals and what she was willing to do to get to the truth, and I feel she made some pretty poor (albeit understandable) choices until she was against the wall and had to make life-altering decisions. This was a very immersive story and a definite page-turner.

I love podcasts. I really do. But I would hate one by this protagonist. She has no moral compass and takes the medium to a whole new low. I wish she could have been redeemed. Most of the characters suffer from being stereotypes in a now saturated theme.

Matt Witten you have a really good book with Killer Story. This is a suspenseful thriller that will have you question the reliability of journalism and the press. A fast paced story with characters you will love to hate or maybe just dislike. Mr. Witten’s writing made it hard to put this one down. The characters helped to pull you right into this one! This is my first book by this very talented author. I enjoyed the way he involved the social media and podcast aspect, I learned a lot from this one. There are other aspects going on, including murder, violence, toxic relationships and more. The way he put this one together was fascinating. I look forward to reading more from Matt Witten.

Thank you NetGalley, Matt Witten and Oceanview Publishing for this compelling novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
#netgalley #killerstory. #mattwitten #arc #oceanviewpublishing

Killer Story by Matt Witten

I’ve been a bit behind this year but also trying to give myself more grace when things don’t happen as planned. So cheers to that!

Killer Story follows a journalist who is about to be laid off from her 3rd paper and to save her job she pitches a story/podcast combo in which she solves the murder of an alt-right YouTuber who was killed in her dorm room, a girl she also happened to know.

But so determined to prove herself and keep her job Petra starts destroying other peoples lives left and right, puts herself in danger, and repeatedly makes the wrong choice.

Will she solve the murder? And if so at what cost? Find out when Killer Story release tomorrow 1/17.

Thanks to @netgalley and @oceanviewpub for this advanced reader!!

#BookReview #Bookstagram #MattWitten #KillerStory #OceanviewPublishing #BookishLife #Reading #Bibliophile #BookPhotography #BookRecommendations #Instabooks #BookNerd #Thriller #Fiction

At first I was excited to read this book because books about true crime podcasters seem to be the flavor of the fiction world currently.
I quickly grew to despise the main character, Petra Kovach. Desperate to keep her “journalist” job she casts aspersions on anyone and everyone without credible evidence without nary a care about who she shits on and destroys. This book is labeled fiction but the media describes it in fits the drivel spewed today that is passed off as news.
Petra deserved a much harsher punishment than what she received and she truly was a vampire of lies, deceit, innuendoes, and fabrication.

Killer Story is an incredibly fast-paced mystery that has countless twists and turns in the plot. Petra Kovach is a newspaper journalist in a world where traditional newspapers are dying. But she has a case she wants–no needs–to solve. Two years ago, a girl she mentored was murdered, and her killer was never caught. Petra is about to pitch this story to her boss when he fires her because of cutbacks. She convinces him that she has new evidence in the case, and he keeps her on his payroll to create a podcast about her friend’s murder.
This book is a highly politically charged thriller. It seems like this book touches on all the potential triggers for a reader. Petra will do whatever it takes to find Olivia’s killer. But at what cost? It isn’t too long before she throws all pretense of journalistic integrity out the window. I cringed at some of the difficult and, quite frankly, disgusting decisions she makes. She ruins lives for her podcast. She does this under the pretext that she wants to find Olivia’s killer, but it seems like it’s truly her ambition and desire for fame that drives her.
Petra lies a lot to get leads, exaggerates evidence, and burns her sources. As the book progressed, my mild dislike for Petra transformed into an intense hatred. She should have been less excited about disturbing leads in the case and instead taken the time to mourn someone she claimed was like a younger sister. It got to the point where I was genuinely rooting for Petra’s house of cards to come tumbling down around her. This book was unputdownable for this reason, along with the fast-paced, easy-to-read writing style.
All in all, this is a plot-driven novel that reads like a briskly paced TV show, but it has a despicable protagonist who makes despicable decisions.