It has been a long time since I read a book like nothing I've ever experienced before — but hot dang, Killer Potential is a brand new thing! I'm frankly shocked this book got published. Shocked and thrilled. Fantastic. Brilliant. Compelling. Sexy. Queer. Hilarious. Infuriating. Absolutely biting social commentary in the best possible way. I was hooked from the first page and wasn't let down by even a single chapter. I'm going to push this book onto everyone I know for the rest of the year!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

Thank you to @libro and @harper audio for my audio copy. I so wanted to give this one a 5, I was so close, but the ending just kind of fizzled for me. I adored this book on audio, I been struggling some with audiobooks lately and enjoying them, but this one was just perfect. I loved the 2 narrators, they brought so much life and emotion to the story. This is one of those stores that translates so well to audio. You feel like the narrator is just sharing her story with you, so good. The audio version definitely enhanced my overall opinion of this book.

The story was great too. Modern day Thelma and Louise. Super impressed that this was a debut, I will absolutely jump at the chance to read this authors next book, and hope another one will be on the way quickly!

What an interesting look at a piece of life that we’re all enthralled and terrified of: making one bad decision that then takes our lives in a completely different direction. It showcased how having that one moment can change your viewpoint too.

One thing that was really cool was how this book was invariably completed before Luigi Mangione made the news, yet it talked about having a Robin Hood killer. Very timely subject matter!

I appreciated the growing relationship between the two MCs. It felt complex and real, and was full of false starts. I also appreciated all the moral ambiguities.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read with good character development and enough suspense to keep the reader interested. This is a book which I would recommend to all who enjoy a good mystery.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought the author did an excellent job with the story and characters. I will admit that I was hooked from the beginning, and I couldn't put it down. There was so much in this book from spice to humor, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I can't wait to read more from this author. I definitely recommend this book to other readers.

Thank you Net Galley, William Morrow, and Hannah Deitch

This is a wild ride and a strong debut!

Evie Gordon arrives at the Victors wealthy estate where she tutors their son. But instead of facing a reluctant teen, she finds both parents murdered in their backyard. As she is fleeing the scene, she discovers a woman tied up and trapped in the house. Evie frees the woman and they escape together. They instantly become fugitives and America’s Most Wanted in this murder investigation. What follows is a cat and mouse chase across the country as these women avoid the law.

This was a fast paced thriller with strong ‘Thelma and Louise’ vibes. It was a lot of fun to read if you can suspend disbelief and just enjoy the adventure!

Thank you Netgalley, William Morrow, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on March 18, 2025

This. Is. So. Good.
I zoomed through this book, licking up every delicious morsel! Evie and Jae are both deeply unreliable narrators which makes it all so much more fun. This was sexy and funny and such a good thrill ride! I certainly recommend and can’t wait to read more by this author.

This book was one wild ride.
While I really enjoyed some parts, I didn’t love others.
Evie is just a tutor trying to make it in the world.
When she comes to the home of her student, and finds her student’s parents brutally murdered, she runs. But not before making some big mistakes. On her way out the door she hears someone call for help, and discovers a woman tied up in a closet. The two embark on a journey as wrongly accused, wanted women. It’s insane and crazy and really good. Loved most of it.
Thank you netgalley for this arc and libro.fm for this listen!

"Killer Potential" is a fast-paced adventure that I found to resonate with fans of Emma Cline's "The Girls" and the film "Thelma and Louise." I also believe that readers who enjoyed Maggie Thrash's "Rainbow Black" would appreciate this suspenseful, Be Gay, Do Crimes-themed novel.

The story follows Evie, a 29-year-old former "gifted" child who struggles to live up to her potential. To make ends meet, she ends up tutoring the privileged children of the wealthy elite on the SAT. Her life takes a sudden turn when she stumbles upon a crime scene. In a twist of fate, she rescues a mysterious woman, but they must flee to avoid being suspected by the police. What follows is a chaotic journey filled with friendship and adventure.

I read this book in one sitting. It was filled with anticipation, and I didn’t feel that it glamorized violence. Instead, it illustrates how quickly situations can spiral out of control and how easy it is to rush to judgments, particularly in an era dominated by a 24-hour news cycle and the desire for viral moments. A big thank-you to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing this witty, gripping read.

Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch is a sharp, fast-paced debut that combines the suspense of a thriller with biting social commentary. The story follows Evie Gordon, a bright, ambitious scholarship student who graduates from an elite university only to find herself stuck in a dead-end job as an SAT tutor for the ultra-wealthy. However, her life takes a dramatic turn when she stumbles upon the bloody aftermath of a double murder at the Victors’ Beverly Hills estate. What begins as a horrific accident quickly spirals into a manhunt, with Evie and a mysterious woman at the center of it all.

Evie’s life turns upside down as she becomes the prime suspect in the murder and finds herself fleeing across the country. What starts as a desperate attempt to clear her name soon morphs into a deeper journey of self-discovery. As she unravels the complex layers of the case, Evie must confront her own perceptions of success, class, and identity.

Deitch weaves together a compelling narrative that is both a thrilling chase and a critique of the societal pressures surrounding ambition and success. Killer Potential stands out for its insightful commentary on social mobility, the American Dream, and how people are often defined by the stories they are told about their potential. The novel’s dark humor and introspective moments elevate it beyond a typical thriller, making it a thought-provoking read that challenges the reader to question the price of greatness.

Hannah Deitch delivers a fast-paced, engaging mystery in Killer Potential. From the very first chapter, she pulls you into a web of suspense, leaving you questioning who can be trusted. The character development is rich, with complex motivations that make each twist feel earned and thrilling. Fans of crime thrillers will appreciate the sharp prose and unexpected turns, all leading to a heart-stopping conclusion. It's a page-turner that's hard to put down!

A grisly murder scene and lots of twists….sounds like the perfect thriller. Many people will love this one, but something about this book just wasn’t for me. I struggled to get through it. I do think it’s a good debut!

Wasn't wild about this one.

The premise was intriguing, and I even enjoyed the twist, but it felt like there was a lot of wasted potential here. Even though there were long stretches where nothing happened, I still didn't feel like the "love" between the two characters was earned at all, and the end of the book was all telling no showing.

I liked this book a lot! It wasn't too much romance, though it got bogged down a bit in the middle. Ultimately, a really good read, especially if you're feeling lost in your 20s.

This thriller was just too dark for me, unfortunately, but I do think it will work for many other readers! I think trying to read this in January was a massive mistake on my part so I’m tempted to try again on spring break. The plot set up was very clever and the writing was excellent.

4 stars

this was incredible, especially for a debut. if you're a fan of donna tartt's writing, or murder mysteries with an unreliable narrator, this novel is perfect for you. i absolutely DEVOURED this story.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc!

i really wish deitch had more books, because i'd 100% read them all. her style of writing had me hooked - i couldn't put my e-arc copy down for less than an hour. and even then, my brain was still wandering, thinking about the story.

the premise itself hooked me; i thought it was incredibly unique and interesting. i didn't want to wait until its release date to read it, and i'm so glad it was available to read on netgalley. it was just what i needed to get me out of my reading slump.

evie and jae are both very layered characters. the story itself is complex, and the intrigue kept me glued to the page. i liked the descriptions of everything - from the people to the places... especially the backstories of each of the characters.

i am usually good at predicting plot twists, but even i was surprised at the plot twist that unfolded. the last half of the book was surprising, and i was excited to see how the story would resolve.

as a whole, i definitely would recommend this book! i really, really liked it.

Trigger Warnings: murder, drowning, death, violence, gun violence, blood, car accident, imprisonment, implied sexual assault

“I was once a famous murderess. I killed a wealthy family, Manson-style, and then I went on the run. But my thing wasn’t about starting a race war to reach the land of milk and honey, or secretly wanting to be a Beatle. According to the news, I was just another fame-hungry killer, desperate to carve my face on the Mount Rushmore of great American psychopaths.”

So begins Hannah Deitch’s delightfully dark debut novel, Killer Potential. Follow along as SAT tutor Evie Gordon sets out on a Thelma and Louise-style roadtrip to escape allegations of murder after discovering the dead bodies of her employers. Her unlikely companion? A mysterious woman she frees from a closet in her employers’ home, bruised and haunted and unable to speak.

Killer Potential is sharp and thrilling, and more than incidentally funny. With equally lyrical prose and tongue-in-cheek humor, it is a fun, quick read for anyone who enjoys the crime thriller genre. With the added bonus of unapologetic queerness, what’s not to love?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

i love womens rights and womens wrongs and especially lesbians, the book was interesting and i love stories about rich ppl and their problems

Killer Potential is a thriller/mystery book that blurs the line between justice and moral good. We follow Evie, who is drawn into a classic case of “right place, wrong time,” turning reality on its head. She is forced to grapple with questions of personal fulfillment, survival, her future, and whether the law will be on her side.

With suspense, plot twists, and complex characters, this book provides a lens into our hierarchical society and the limitless opportunities available to families at the top, regardless of their mistakes—while for others, a single mistake can drastically stain their lives.

Evie’s role as an SAT tutor—someone who is stubborn, ambitious, and intelligent—really resonated with me. The fact that she gets caught up in a terrible crime leads us to question whether Evie truly had a choice in ultimately going down that path.

This book accomplished what it needed to: it kept me hooked until the very end. Seeing Evie slowly unravel the mystery of the crime scene and narrate her progression from a place of high potential (private school, university) to ultimately accepting her fate and track record really showed immense growth. It goes to show that life is never predictable.

If you’re looking to dip your toes into mystery/thriller, this is the perfect book, with its social commentary, reconciliation of moral choices, and questioning of the future.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book! Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. I ended up DNFing because I wasn't invested or connecting deeper with it. I do think that there is an audience out there for it though. I think I'll probably be in the minority. I still recommend it to others that I think would really enjoy it.