oh this one was A RIDE.

I really wasn't sure where it was going to go and love a book that keeps me on my toes. That being said, the ending ultimately fell a little flat for me and I wanted more.

This was such a well paced thriller! The characters were super interesting, I loved Evie as a narrator. I think this book reached a great combination of thriller, road trip, academic achievement angst, and romance. What a fantastic debut!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is another book that wants to be fast paced but has a little too much introspection and focus on minutia. You start out with a bang and you’ve got to pay attention, but the author has you in Evie’s head, which isn’t quite sure of what she’s seeing. The author does a good job setting up the confusion of what she is walking into and how muddled it has to be. I would have loved more details on the Victor House, I couldn’t really see it clearly in my mind and the hidden halls and pathways had me intrigued.

4.25 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Killer Potential was a such a fun story about being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Evie is an SAT tutor, and when she arrives at the luxurious home of one of her students, she finds both parents murdered, and a woman locked in the closet. After some miscommunication, Evie and this mysterious women become suspects in the murders turned fugitives. There was a lot of "Thelma and Louise" vibes along with an intense sapphic romance. Personally, in my wildest nightmares this is something I always dread happening to me - something goes horribly wrong and I'm somehow accused of murder. Evie's thought process and how the split-second decisions she makes upend her entire life are honestly things I've thought about before, so in a way this book was kind of a stressful, yet entertaining read.

I did think that when Evie and Jae (the mysterious woman) were on the lam, it got a bit repetitive and dragged on a little longer than it needed to (there was a lot of detail about how they survived, from breaking into homes and stealing and hiding etc.). I also felt that after the major plot twist (which happened around 80%) of the book, the ending just kind of wrapped up neatly and I found myself wanting more than what actually happened. It lost a little bit of steam, and again, felt like it dragged afterwards since nothing else truly shocking or exciting happened.

Overall, this was a fun read and was different from the serial killer type books that have been released within the last year. I enjoyed it a lot, and it made me think about the consequences of our actions and how we just can't really predict the paths our lives put us on.

Wow, what a great debut! This was a high energy performance! The characters were spectacular and had me up reading long past my bedtime. Dark yet funny, tender yet tough as nails.
Thank you NetGalley, Hannah Deitch and William Morrow Books for the opportunity to read and review this gem of a book.

DNF.

Right off the bat I realized that I was going to have to suspend belief for a lot of this book. And Evie was almost 30 years old but still acted like a teenager with her responses. I might try this again later, but right now it's just not for me.

Thanks Netgalley and William Marrow for providing this ARC to me!

*3.75
this was so good. the writing was incredible and at times genuinely funny. evie was such a compelling main character whose POV i never got tired of. i loved The Woman as well and their relationship…not the ending i wanted for them but the one i expected can’t wait to see what deitch writes next

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Killer Potential is the debut novel by Hannah Deitch. It’s considered a mystery/thriller. The synopsis said it is darkly funny. I did not find the dark humor. I was looking for it though. This book gave me many emotions that all stemmed from the lack of communication between the characters. I remained frustrated the entire book. With that being said, this murder mystery with female suspects on the run across the US and Canada did have some exciting moments. Between stealing boats and squatting in empty homes, the action was there and it kept me in the story. Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the advanced ebook.

Enjoyed this debut. There’s a fair bit of action but the majority of the book is somewhat mundane so I would probably put this into the slower burn category. It has some twists but I didn’t feel like Deitch relied too heavily on big reveals to captivate the reader.

The book has a pretty heavy romance subplot which wasn’t my favorite aspect. The characterization with Evie and her passenger was well done and they felt very dimensional. I related well to the way Deitch seems to view our world and many of the interactions felt accurate and even humorous at times. I enjoyed Deitch’s writing but she becomes extremely meticulous at times (describe routine periods of time in minute detail) and then just fast forwards through weeks which may turn off some readers.

The story was a solid one and I definitely would want to check out more from Deitch in the future. If you appreciate more literary thrillers with a distinct voice I would recommend this one.

i had SUCH a fun time reading this book. I don't read a ton of mystery/suspense so every plot twist is actually a twist in the plot for me. the very definition of be gay do crime but what if you don't actually do crime. such a fun read y'all

A smart and thrilling debut about a gifted SAT tutor to LA's elite high schoolers who finds herself walking in on a horrific murder scene and ends up on the run with the other woman she finds trapped in a closet. This was a Sapphic road trip romance like no other that is both a clever critique of the upper class and a condemnation of the vulnerable position working class women hold. It was good on audio and I enjoyed it a lot! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch is a sharp, darkly humorous thriller that blends murder, mystery, and biting social commentary.

Two unlikely runaway fugitives with a very twisty tale.

Evie, an SAT Tutor, stumbles upon the rich parents of the student she's been teaching murdered. Upon further searching for the daughter, she finds a woman bound/held captive. With a witness and no way to prove their innocence they fled the area, but not before being identified. They embark on a cross country run that has moments of humor, spice, and a lot of twists.

Killer Potential had....potential. It's hard to nail down why it didn't work completely for me. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I was bored through a lot of the story so found myself skimming more than usual. It does have Bonnie & Clyde or Thelma and Louise vibes for sure. It does require a HUGE amount of suspending disbelief. It did have some good parts (perhaps mostly the portions from Jae's POV in my opinion) and the ending felt....cold might be the best word for it. I found Evie just a bit irritating and "entitled" and I just didn't get her. And Jae, well....I didn't quite get her either lol. In any case, I had a love/hate relationship with the story and the characters.

Even walks into what appears to be a murder scene. In a series of unfortunate events…she ends up fleeing the scene having knocked out & a girl & being a tag a long she found hiding under the stairs…like what?!? This definitely had great potential but it just wasn’t for me. It kinda just went on & on. Although I was surprised by the twist…after that it just seemed confusing & kinda blah. I know that others loved this book but it was just not my fave.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC.
This was different from anything I’ve read. I almost didn’t finish it, but I’m really glad I did, because I ended up enjoying it. It had such an interesting premise, but wasn’t executed all that well. There were a lot of thoughts from the main characters. Like a lot. Almost an excessive amount. The love story was a nice touch, and it had a good ending, though predictable, in my opinion. It had lots of action and was very exciting, though I wish there would have been more details about the road trip itself, because it was just a lot of backstory and thinking.
Overall, it was good and I enjoyed it.

overall, I enjoyed this, but I also struggled with a few things.

at the beginning I didn't fully understand why Evie made the choice to run, or at least not to turn herself in at any point before she does go to do it. like I get that she distrusts the law system but like going further in the harm she was doing to herself in terms of what she could be charged with also didn't make that much sense to me lol, especially as time went on.

I also did not like the ending, even though the twist was kinda predictable, I did not want that to be the story's trajectory. their love did not seem deep enough, especially without getting any of Jae's perspective until the end, to warrant Jae's choices there, in my opinion. the obsession was weird and I just have a hard time believing that Jae was that good at hiding her thoughts/feelings the whole time, especially because it doesn't seem like she was always able to do that (like in terms of her childhood / explanation for the change in her behavior)? idk I am not a psychologist lol

idk I think this story could use some more thought especially in the later half because the prose felt so purposeful in the first couple chapters and I did not feel that same purposefulness later on. maybe that is on me though.

I think I would recommend if you are looking for a fast-paced thriller/lesbian romance, but also maybe keep in mind that the plot may not do it for you (but it also might)

thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a free and advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review

What an insane ride! Never knew where the story was going until it got there. Author Hannah Deitch wrote a twisty, tragic, hell of a mystery. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch is a gripping psychological thriller that blends true-crime obsession with a dark, suspenseful narrative. The story follows Elise, a law student fascinated by serial killers, who begins to suspect that her charming boyfriend, Nathan, might be one himself. As she digs deeper, paranoia and reality blur, forcing her—and the reader—to question what’s true.

Deitch does an excellent job building tension, making Elise’s fears feel both irrational and disturbingly plausible. The novel explores themes of trust, obsession, and the thin line between curiosity and danger. The pacing is tight, with twists that keep you second-guessing until the very end.

If you enjoy unreliable narrators, psychological mind games, and stories that make you question your own instincts, Killer Potential is a must-read. It’s dark, unsettling, and perfect for fans of You by Caroline Kepnes or Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.