This was fun and very entertaining. The plot fell a bit short for me because from the jump, it was just too unbelievable. The best thrillers, in my opinion, are grounded in reality, which is what makes them all the more thrilling. Still had fun with this queer Bonnie and Clyde romp.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the e-ARC!
This was such an entertaining premise! Filled with humorous spontaneity and electric fun, it follows the story of an SAT tutor stumbling upon (and escalating) a wildly developing crime scene.
There were many elements of the story I liked: it was full of action from the beginning, was well-written, and had a charming romantic dynamic between the main characters. But, ultimately, my main criticism is that the book felt unrealized by the final act.
From the beginning, you can guess the main plot twist fairly easily, but the witty writing and action-packed flow made the convenient twists and predictable plot development too enjoyable to nitpick. In the final part of the story, the slow build of the first two acts started to feel rushed and the plot gets a bit lost in itself as we start to gain clarity of the situation our main character has found herself in. This element in particular left the story, while originally building as a promising thriller, to become more of a psychological character study - still intriguing, but not quite as captivating by the end.
Still, this was a great debut! I’ll definitely check out Hannah’s future works!

I don’t read many thrillers, but the premise of KILLER POTENTIAL hooked me—an SAT tutor, Evie, shows up at her client’s house to see the teenager’s parents murdered. A stranger cries out for help, and Evie tries to rescue her, only for someone to arrive at the house, making it look like Evie committed the crime. She and the stranger go on the run, but nothing is as it seems.

The reason I often don’t go for thrillers is that they can feel formulaic. Killer Potential was anything but—not because it was hard to guess the killer (although it took me a while to get there), but because the characters are flawed, layered, and complex. The plot drives the book forward, but the story deviates into motive and character sometimes in a way that only further informs the plot. I thought this book was incredibly well crafted and vividly written, and I found myself underlining some of the insights the main character has about human nature.

At times, the book was a bit graphic for my personal taste, so be aware of that going in. Maybe it’s to be expected with a thriller, but that was the one thing that decreased my enjoyment slightly—I wanted more musings and less head wounds, but that’s just me. If you enjoy thrillers, definitely pick this up—but even if you’re reluctant, Killer Potential might surprise you.

I really wanted to love this book. It started off good, I liked Evie and the scenario she found herself in was intriguing. Plus I was super interested in finding out about the woman in the closet, so I was engrossed. That is until Jae started talking and their relationship took a huge leap all of a sudden. For me the romance component took away from the suspense and excitement the story had.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of this book.

After perfect grades and a degree from an elite university, Evie Gordon is set for a life of success. Yet she finds herself drowning in debt and lacking the motivation to do much other than be a SAT tutor for the rich in Los Angeles. The Victors are some of her wealthiest clientele.

Evie is thrown one Sunday when she arrives for her tutoring session to find the Victors brutally slain in their backyard, and she discovers a mysterious bound woman in their closet. Evie frees the unknown woman, yet they are spotted by someone as they try to escape. The pair are forced to embark on a cross-country road trip, trying to remain hidden as they become the targets of a nationwide manhunt.

This is such a genius idea for a thriller, and I loved every second of it. Evie is such a snarky and unlikeable narrator at times, yet is so darkly funny and relatable. Her relationship with the mystery woman is fascinating to me, and the commentary on class and success will stick with me. I really can't wait to see what this author puts out! I read a lot of thrillers, and this one was a bit of a palette cleanser for me as weird as it is to say. It is quick, fun, and will leave you wanting more. It is absolutely for us burnt out gifted kids.

Killer Potential is an enjoyable and fast-paced story. I put myself in Evie's shoes, and while I wouldn't have reacted in the same way she did, I went along with the ride she took me on and I wasn't disappointed. To say that I was hooked from the beginning is not an understatement. This was a fun and entertaining read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Whoa, hang on. This was not what I was expecting - this was a blast! Fast paced and exciting, this book exceeded my expectations and honestly, I couldn't get enough. Much thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance!

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.