I’m not really sure what to say about Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch. In theory, this story should be one that I like. Evie is an SAT tutor for rich kids in LA. One day she arrives to tutor one of her regulars and finds the parents brutally murdered. For what seems to be unclear and piss poor reasons, Evie goes on the run. I tried, for over a week, to care about this book. The main characters are obnoxious. The prose is pretentious. The story goes off on meandering side tales that are tedious and unnecessary. I didn’t read the whole book, so there could be redeeming qualities that I missed. I made it over 100 pages through it and was having a bad time, so I skipped through the rest. I fully read the last chapter. I don’t feel like I have lost anything by skipping this. I am done trying to force myself to read something I can’t find any interest in. I don’t have a star rating for it since it is a DNF. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me access to an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Publication date March 18th, 2025. This review will be found on Instagram, StoryGraph, and Goodreads indefinitely.

At first I found this book slow paced and the narrator just way too much in her head. But I persevered though all the endless personal anecdotes and very bad decisions and in the end found this an interesting and touching story that had a lot to say about the millennial generation and their discontent with the world.

Just another ordinary Sunday for Evie as she goes to her student’s rich house to tutor her for the SATs. Until she stumbles on one body, then another, and then a woman tied up in a closet looking half starved and bleeding. When her student walks in all hell breaks loose as Evie tries to explain that she’s not the killer. She tries to defend herself and the kidnapped woman from a distraught and scared young girl when…oops. Guess, she can’t say she’s not a killer anymore.

The cover by Elina Cohen is everything. It’s eye-catching and makes you think, “killer on the run”. It’s what made me want to read the book.

Hannah Deitch takes us on a wild ride! Literally across the country we go as the cops and the press decide Evie’s fate. One predicament after another as Evie flees and tries to figure out who really killed the Victors. I want to say so much, but I don’t want to give anything away either (chuckle).

I thoroughly enjoyed this suspense mystery. I read it in one sitting and it was awesome. I will confess that I guessed the killer, but that’s just because I’m a suspicious person and not anything the author did. EVERYONE is a suspect in my mind. I watch Lifetime movies (chuckle).

The book is written mainly from Evie’s point of view. At one point, we do get the voice of the killer but that is because they are talking to Evie. There were many times I wished I could hear her companion’s voice because seriously, Evie was tripping and she just seemed so calm, but look how Evie found her. I didn’t really form an opinion of the characters themselves, other than Mr. Victor (ick). Maybe it’s because of how the book starts, where you feel like you are in the beginning of the movie and it’s as if Evie just doesn’t give a shit that everyone is dead. It makes you not care about her either.

As for the kidnapped woman, I actually related to her nonverbal communication. I spend a lot of time alone and after a while you just stop talking. She has been through one experience after another and speaking just seems like too much…until she does. (I’m trying so hard not to give any part of the story away, but when she says how she ended up in the Victor house (damn).)

I don’t even know how to end the review because I don’t want to give anything away. I even tried to write the review by throwing in some red herrings (chuckle). Read the book. It’s road-trip crazy and you wonder: what would you do if you were in Evie’s shoes. Me? I’d try not to kill anymore people, but then I’m not Evie.

This was such an impressive debut novel! I was hooked pretty much right away and became totally invested in these characters. Evie and Jae gave off Thelma and Louise vibes, but with some romance thrown in. I was rooting so hard for Evie to have her name cleared, but she kept running into one mess after another. There were so many twists, and I didn't see the big one coming at all!

How did she go from SAT tutor to brutal killer?

It started off as just another Sunday for Evie Gordon, the day of the week when she went to the Victor family's Tudor style home in the Los Feliz hills to tutor 17 year old Serena (whose SAT scores needed lifting to get into the college of her dreams). On this particular day, however, the front door is wide open and no one responds to her greetings. She finds the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Victor dead outdoor near the pool, apparently murdered, and even as her instincts tell her to leave the property ASAP she stops when she hears a voice, the sound of a human being in pain begging for help. Evie traces the voice to a cupboard underneath the stairs and opens its door to find a woman, bound and bruised. She unties her but before the two women can escape they are spotted by newly arrived Serena, who assumes that at least one if not both of them is a threat and an altercation ensues. Serena is left (possibly dead) on the floor and Evie and her new companion Jae speed away in Evie's car (but not before being spotted by Serena's boyfriend). Evie is convinced that no one will ever believe in their innocence and the two begin a cross-country trek, hoping to find the real killers and clear their names while their notoriety ramps up. During their trek a complex relationship develops, and they do what they have to do to survive. Will they have a future and if so, what kind awaits them?
Killer Potential features the wry and biting voice of Evie, someone who excelled in school and was told so often that she was destined for greatness that she came to believe it, that if she just worked hard enough and took out the loans needed to attend an elite university, that success was sure to follow....only to find that life doesn't always work that way. She finds herself deep in debt and tutoring the children of wealthy LA families whom she resents more than a little; they live in beautiful homes, go to the right schools, and play at being counterculture kids knowing they will end up just like their parents....not the life for which she thought she was destined. There is more to Jae than Evie expects, skills that help them succeed in evading the authorities and secrets may end up becoming a wedge between them. The story is threaded with issues of class differences, the chasm between potential and outcome, and a voracious media that creates villains and invents backstories to ensnare their viewers regardless of how much (or how little) truth there is to the tales they tell. Evie and Jae are neither heroes nor villains but rather something that falls in between the two. The writing is sharp and the characters engaging, and while the pacing of the plot is at times inconsistent and the plausibility of the duo's antics in evading law enforcement is difficult to completely swallow Killer Potential is an interesting take on societal myths that will keep most readers easily engaged, Fans of authors like Emma Cline, Katy Hays and Gillian Flynn should give this novel with its hint of the Varsity Blue scandal a try; I am rating it at 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to a 4. My thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me access to this debut from author Hannah Deitch in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to love this book. The premise is fantastic—Evie, a struggling SAT tutor, walks into a crime scene and suddenly finds herself on the run with a mysterious woman, Jae. The media turns her into some kind of class-war villain, and she’s forced to unravel the truth while dodging the authorities. Sounds amazing, right?

And in some ways, it is. The opening hooked me, and I was totally on board for the wild, high-stakes chase. But the further I got, the more I struggled. Evie makes one absolutely insane decision after another, to the point where it stopped feeling thrilling and just got frustrating. I also had a hard time buying into some of the plot twists—they require a lot of suspension of disbelief.

Then there’s Evie and Jae’s relationship. I liked the idea of it, but it also shifted the focus in a way that made the tone feel a little off. I wanted more of the murder mystery and less of the emotional entanglements that sometimes slowed everything down.

That said, the book is well-written, and I had to know how it all ended. I just wish the big reveal had hit harder—I saw it coming and was hoping for something more layered.

This was a fun, fast-paced read, but not one that totally stuck the landing for me. I liked it, but I wanted to love it.

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and William Morrow for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book has a great ending! I truly enjoyed it and highly recommend it! I loved the twists and suspense!

3.5 stars, rounded up. Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch presents an intriguing premise, following two unlikely fugitives—a tutor and a freed captive—on a cross-country escape. The narrative offers a blend of dark humor and suspense, drawing comparisons to "Thelma and Louise." However, I felt the plot lacked depth, and the character development was insufficient. While the story provides an engaging escape, it did no engage me as thoroughly as I thought it would.

While I really liked the premise of this book, and was excited to read it, it ended up being not what I had hoped it would be.

The book follows Evie Gordon, an SAT tutor that stumbles into a double murder scene, and looks guilty as hell when caught being there. She goes on the run with another person from the crime scene, and has to figure out who the real killer is before the police catch up with them.

Pros:
-interesting premise and a solid start to the book
-the characters were interesting and not what I expected them to be

Cons:
-there seemed to be a bit of an tone identity crisis to the book, where it just shifted too many times
-why did Evie just flee? It still seems like I had to suspend a lot of belief for this one
-the pacing was tricky, I found myself skimming a lot of pages just to get to some action
-the twist of the book didn’t feel like a real shocker, I thought we already knew that?
-it felt like the author didn’t know how to land the plane, and the end of the book felt disconnected and detached and unclear

Overall it just wasn’t for me, but I can definitely see lots of potential in this debut novel.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was so fun! I knew I would like this because of the comps: The Guest by Emma Cline and My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, and as a former "gifted" child who felt really connected to the main character. It's one of those novels that starts off elevated and just continues skyrocketing from there.

Evie Gordon is paying off her student loan debt by tutoring the wealthy in LA. One day, she arrives at one of her lessons to find the parents of her tutee murdered and someone asking for help behind the walls.

From there, her life spirals out of control as she and the woman she rescued go on the lam because she is now suspected of the murders.
What unfolds is a Thelma and Louise-like road trip of crime, except if Thelma and Louise also ate each other out at night haha. I enjoyed this novel and didn't expect it to be a well-written blend of social commentary on wealth inequality, the justice system, and humor.

Killer Potential was such a gripping and suspenseful read! From the very first chapter, I was hooked by the eerie atmosphere and the sense of unease that built with every page. The main character’s struggle with their past added some emotional depth, which I appreciated.
The plot was well-paced, with plenty of twists and red herrings that kept me guessing. I especially loved how the author slowly revealed the backstory, making me question who I could trust. The writing was vivid, creating a tense and immersive setting that added to the book's chilling tone.
The only reason I’m giving it four stars instead of five is I figured out the twist.
Overall, Killer Potential was a thrilling, atmospheric read with plenty of suspense and surprises. I’d definitely recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers and twisty mysteries!

What a lot of fun! The writing is solid, with Deitch taking potshots at educational privilege, academic success, and trust. A great character study as well as mystery. The ending surprised me and is bound to be controversial.

a fast-paced thriller with crazy turns that i read in one sitting

killer potential follows evie gordon, a sat tutor who flees with a strange woman after she's spotted at the scene of a grisly murder. as evie and the woman's run grows crazier and crazier, the two of them start to get closer as they navigate the chaos of the world they're in.

this book is super fast-paced. from the start, we're dropped into this dizzying action, and i found myself holding on for the ride. the writing is short, crisp, and staccato, and there were times where i found the plot almost implausible. there were a lot of crazy turns in this icl like there was one big one where i was gagged as hell. i was sitting in my bathroom mouth dropped. nevertheless, i was deeply immersed in the world deitch had built. there's a lot of dark humor and commentary on social expectations. the relationship between the two women was romantic and captivating, and while it's a little rushed, i think being in their circumstance makes sense for the relationship to be so rushed.

the ending...pause i was so shocked. a funny, crisp, and smart thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. a killer debut and a great thriller to read.

thanks to netgalley and william morrow for the arc!

This is the best thriller I’ve read in a while. It begins with the main character walking in on the scene of a double murder. Flash forward an hour or so, and she’s on the run with a woman she doesn’t know and who isn’t speaking. The relationship between these two women is at the center of this book, with all the action of being cross country fugitives.

I did get a little bored with them being on the run by the midpoint of the book, and the events that got us into part three were welcome.

One caution to readers is that this book gets pretty dark, with some explicit violence on the page. The comparisons to Thelma and Louise are apt, but the overall mood is darker. Otherwise, this book is a thrilling ride.

This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was gripping, bloody and full of suspense.
Evie is far from a perfect person, and yet I couldn't help but root for her and connect with her. Her relationship with The Woman is fascinating. The way their survival skills complement each other and they have this symbiotic, yet somehow toxic relationship, added a wonderful layer to this story.
Anyone who has feelings about the way the U.S. media and the public consume true crime, especially female killer, will love the commentary this book offers. And for anyone who's always making up stories about everyone else's back story, you'll connect with Evie the same way I did.

Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch is a mystery/thriller debut novel that is darkly humorous and will keep you turning the pages.

Evie Gordon has always been labeled talented and gifted. Straight A student in all AP classes, she then goes on to an elite college. But after graduating she finds herself floundering in the real world. Her job as an SAT tutor for the uber rich of LA is alright but she is still drowning in debt. One day Evie arrives at her clients house for her normal tutoring session. What she finds will change her life forever. The parents of the teen she tutors are dead outside. As she goes to leave the house, she hears someone calling for help. She finds a woman tied up underneath the stairs. But things go from bad to worse when the teenager Evie tutors comes home and finds the two women in her house and her parents dead. Quickly going from SAT tutor to suspected murderer in the eyes of the law and media, Evie and the woman start their escape across the country eluding police and wondering how did things get so messed up.

This is such a great debut novel that is thought provoking and insightful. The writing is very solid and I love the blend of dark humor with the tension of our two main characters. The way Deitch masterfully explores the themes of sexism and academic success and privilege really makes this debut a standout in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Deitch, and William Morrow for this ARC. Expected publication date is March 18th 2025.

📚: Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch
⭐️: 3/5

Evie Gordon: formerly a talented and gifted student turned deep-in-student-debt SAT tutor. Everything turns upside down when she arrives to her Sunday afternoon client to find the front door open, the parents of the home dead in the backyard, and an unknown woman stashed away in the house, tied up. What ensues? A Thelma & Louise style tale throughout the USA.

This was a completely addictive page-turner of a read that falls apart at its conclusion and doesn’t quite stick the landing. I was so into this for both parts 1 and 2 (even with a very heavy dose of predictability), but the ending left me underwhelmed.

Thanks to William Morrow via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Killer Potential is out today, 3/18.

Upon first reading this, I was immediately drawn in. Then I thought I wouldn't like it because the story seemed played out, you know the same old Thelma and Louise story. Then I found myself drawn in again with the interesting love story that started developing. While I did guess the twist about halfway through, I did overall enjoy the story. The writing was well done and the character development was incredible.

WHAT A RIDE!

I am voluntarily leaving my honest review..

This book went left so quickly, all gas no brakes! I love a good whodunit, and the sapphic element was very tastefully written.

There is so much I want to say, but I can't without spoiling it. All Hannah had to do was stick to her first mind, but no! She picked door #2 and tossed her life upside down! I was so invested in this story that I finished it in one sitting. I had to know the outcome. I thought I knew, then I didn't, then I did. I was completely on the edge of my seat the entire time!

This was a good time.

Thank you to Netalley, William Morrow, and Hannah Deitch for the ARC of this book.

Thank you @williammorrowbooks and @netgalley for the e-ARC.

Let’s go on a road trip. Evie Gordon is an SAT tutor for the super rich in Los Angeles. One day she shows up for a session and literally walks into a murder scene. On her way out she hears someone calling for help and finds a woman tied up under the stairs. She unties her and they flee the scene worried they’ll be accused of murder.

And they are. Evie, at least. The other woman isn’t known to anyone. They go on a road trip across America trying to outrun the authorities.

Phew! This is a debut. It’s a little dark, a little funny, and very twisty. Evie is super smart and witty and the entire book is highly entertaining. It’s definitely more of a popcorn thriller. You have to suspend belief. There’s also a romance that I didn’t need (as an FYI I never need romance - but I especially despise what feels like a forced romance). Overall, great for a debut and I was entertained throughout.