First off I just want to say thank you to Harlequin Audio and the author Heather Graham and NetGalley for this audio copy of the murder machine by Heather Graham. The narrator Tim Paige also did a wonderful job.
This was a fun story to follow. What isn’t interesting about an AI killer right? Someone is hacking into systems like in the beginning of the book when Marcy’s smart house that she created killed her. Everyone is believing that these are accidents but special agent Victoria and special agent Jude seem to think differently. These two are paired up to solve these murders. Can they when it’s all through AI?
A number of killings happen in this book. We follow the agents as they follow every lead through on their hunt to find the killer.

I didn’t feel like I connected well with the characters I really loved the concept of the book though and I noticed the reference to other serial killers in there but over all I liked the story also I didn’t think the romance was a great addition to the book.

The premise of this book was that the new "smart home" was involved in the killing of a woman. I found the book kind of dull and felt that the characters were all unlikable or boring. I was hoping for an engaging futuristic thriller but this missed the mark.

The Murder Machine starts off with a bang and an interesting concept: what if a technologically advanced house could be hacked and manipulated into killing you? While I was immediately intrigued by a fresh modern twist on a domestic thriller, I felt a little bit letdown by how little technology played a prominent role in the plot overall. After the shocking murder in the first scene, the book veers into a traditional police procedural with a surprisingly low-tech vibe. I found myself wishing this were a dual POV with insight into the hacker's actions as well. There were a few plot holes that niggled at me, and I found the romance thread wasn't very believable either in chemistry nor professionalism. Overall, this was a book with a strong start and a rapid fizzle. Tim Paige did an excellent job on narration for the audiobook format. 2.75 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and Heather Graham for an advance copy for honest review.

Unfortunately as intriguing as this book sounded, I found it extremely boring and just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, Harlequin Audio for an advanced audio copy in exchange for a review.

FBI agent Jude Mackenzie is called to investigate a murder that appears to have been carried out by a woman's smart house. Mackenzie teams up with Special Agent Victoria Tennant to try to solve who may have programmed the AI system to perpetrate not only this murder but other recent murders via hacked systems. The two must find the murdered, while they avoid getting in the middle and killed as well.

I was so excited to be approved for this ALC, as Heather Graham has been one of my favorite authors of the past. I haven't read any of her vooks recently, but I was excited to get back into them with this listen.

The Murder Machine, however, was not the book I was hoping it would be. The idea of AI and hacking machines for murder was an intriguing concept, but the novel just did not have a captivating execution. Nor the strong thriller feeling I have come to expect from Graham.

Thank you Harlequin Audio, NetGalley, and Heather Graham for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

A little goofy. This would probably be good for a light easy beach read. The premise was interesting but overall it just wasnt that GOOD.

Interesting premise.
How safe are smart homes? Smart appliances?
And what happens when someone loses control of one? Is that even possible?

We OPEN up with a young woman in her home….asking her smart home/appliances to do simple things…. And then, things just go sideways…. And she ends up dead. This is the OPENING of the book! 😮😮

No. I’m not giving anything away. This is within the first couple of minutes…. And things keep getting crazier from here!

So, the FBI starts investigating, but they also need a cyber specialist… so we have Jude and Victoria. They are terrific in their respective areas, but they’re not sure they can actually make this work together…. But, eventually, they figure it out. And, they have to be on their best behavior, as the crimes continue and start to intensify!!

The crimes all seem to revolve around people in a law office, so, they need to figure out who is behind this and why. But they keep hitting walls…

Crazy stuff that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#TheMurderMachine by #HeatherGraham. Narrated nicely by #TimPaige.

This has NOT YET BEEN RELEASED!! *** LOOK 👀 FOR IT ON 4/29/25 !!! A few days from now !! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and & #HarlequinAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

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On paper, The Murder Machine had a modern, relevant premise — machines rising up and wreaking havoc should’ve been a slam dunk. Instead, it stumbled right out of the gate and never really recovered.

The story is narrated by Jude, and to a lesser extent, Victoria. I didn’t dislike the characters — I connected with them just enough to be curious about how their storylines would shake out. But the connection wasn’t enough to save the deeper problems here.

The biggest issue? The writing. This wasn’t my first time reading Graham, and this awkward, uncomfortable style is not typical for her, but it seriously derailed the book for me. The so-called "romance" between Jude and Victoria was more unsettling than swoon-worthy — Jude, after knowing Victoria for less than a week, is calling her “pretty lady” and encouraging her to flirt with suspects using her “gorgeous” looks. It didn’t read as romantic; it read like creepy old uncle energy at a birthday party. Victoria falling for it made her look desperate and honestly, it diminished her character.

Even setting aside the awkward flirting, the dialogue was choppy and unnatural, making the characters sound naive and unintelligent — not exactly ideal for protagonists investigating murder. And while the premise had potential, the ending was painfully predictable, wrapping things up in a way that felt more lazy than satisfying.

The Murder Machine had a lot of promise, but that’s pretty much where my enjoyment stopped. I’m still on the fence about giving Graham another shot, but if I do, I’ll be hoping for way more polish and way less cringe.

In the age of AI being everywhere, this was a very well-timed novel! I thought it was an easy and entertaining listen. I recommend for any tech and mystery lovers!

Can an AI driven house commit murder? When a woman is found dead in her home, there are no finger prints, no clues, all the evidence points to the AI ultra smart kitchen. FBI agent Jude Mackenzie and Victoria Tennant work the clues to solve this extremely entertaining thriller. From Florida to Tennessee, no clue is left uninvestigated. Very fast paced. The chemistry between Mackenzie and Tennant is off the charts.

4 stars

Thank you to HTP / MIRA Books / HarperCollins  / Harlequin Audio for the ALC.

This is my first Heather Graham book and I liked it. The concept of the book really drew me in but some of the events that happened didn’t seem realistic. I had a feeling about who the killer was but I wasn’t certain until the killer was revealed. I was lucky enough to get the ebook copy and the audiobook. I really enjoyed the narrators voice. Overall, I thought it was ok. Not great but not bad.

2.5 stars, rounded up

The premise of this book drew me in immediately. With technology constantly evolving, the idea of a smart home turning deadly felt timely and eerie in that this could happen kind of way. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite live up to the potential.

While the action kicks off early and rarely slows down, the mystery quickly takes a backseat to a romance subplot that felt out of place and overemphasized. I was hoping for a more suspenseful dive into AI, cybercrime, and the chilling possibilities of tech misuse—but instead, the emotional focus diluted the tension.

This had all the elements for a gripping, tech-driven thriller, but for me, it fell flat.

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 3.5

As a tech enthusiast I was curious how the author would use AI in this mystery thriller where “accidents” seem to be happening with smart devices. The story has many thought provoking moments about how we use AI today.

The pairing of “old school” Jude with cybercrime Vikki made sense except that “old school” was only in his thirties. Was this a comment on how quickly new things become old? Jude and Vikki complemented each other professionally it seemed but for me the romance seemed forced and awkward.

The mystery was good at first but I figured out who did it and most of the why long before the agents did. It didn’t stop me from continuing the story though. The prolific author is not one I have read before given my preferred genres but this one stuck out for me.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #MIRA and #HarlequinAudio for the opportunity to do an early read and share my thoughts on the story.

Happy Reading!

Excellent book! This had a futuristic-AI-gone-wrong feel like John Marrs' "The Passengers" mixed with JD Robb's "In Death" series. Fast Paced and action packed, this book had me hooked from the first line. The narrators captured the characters perfectly.

ARC Review

The Murder Machine

The idea behind this novel seemed so new and intriguing that I was very excited to dig in and see where this story went. Unfortunately that is the only good thing I can say about it. This was the epitome of a cheesy police procedural. Every crime scene erupts in gunfire, revelations come immediately, “untouchable” suspects confess within minutes-it just had my eyes rolling. I really disliked the amount of dialogue in this story and it was weird and choppy making the agents come off as unintelligent. The worst part was the dynamic between the main characters. I see it was meant to be hints of a budding romance but it was uncomfortable, unprofessional, and bordered on sexual harassment in my mind. Unfortunately this book was not for me and just seemed like a huge missed opportunity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the chance to listen to this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

**2.25 stars**

**Things I liked:**
- A killer premise—smart house meets murder investigation
- A spooky setup that *could’ve* been really effective
- The narrator gave it everything they had (and deserved better material)

The concept had promise, and the first few chapters had me hopeful. But pretty quickly, it devolved into a clunky, slow-moving procedural that felt more like a low-budget crime show than the gripping tech thriller I was expecting. The AI angle, which could’ve been chilling and complex, came off more like reading a Wikipedia page than suspenseful storytelling.

The formatting in print was chaotic—so many random exclamation points (!!) so i switched to the audiobook.

The characters didn’t help. Vikki is “hot”—that’s her defining trait, mentioned over and over again. Jude is 33 but acts like a retired detective on his last case. Their chemistry was nonexistent, and the pacing just dragged.

The *only* bright spot was the narrator. They brought energy, clarity, and emotion to every line—seriously, gold star. But even the best narrator can’t save a book that doesn’t deliver on story, character, or suspense. This one had potential, but it just didn’t stick the landing.

Smart House meets murderous intent. I reaaaaally loved the idea of this story and in the beginning I was totally hooked. The middle was a tad repetitive and made me lose that initial spark. I stuck it out in hopes that the end would match the beginning, but that also fell a little flat for me. This book is very topical in regards to all of the AI discourse that’s currently happening. I wish Graham had leaned even further into the chaos. There’s a lot of potential here. Jude was a big point of contention for me. Everything he said felt dipped in misogyny

The villain in this thriller murders remotely, by using technology to kill: a smart house attacks its owner ( a receptionist) with an electric carving knife and toaster, a self driving car drives a judge into a tree at high speed and the car’s airbag fails to deploy, and a boat explodes killing its captain and all aboard. The FBI team is charged with figuring out how all these disparate victims are connected. The young handsome FBI team are immediately attracted to one another and the cringey dialog gets rather tiresome. Warning: this novel includes a nauseating and very very graphic description of a double murder.
All that aside, it was a quick read and moved along at a good pace. The audiobook was read by Tim Paige, an accomplished narrator.

I didn’t like the narrator. This was the story that I liked in physical form, but not the narrator. This was the audio that I couldn’t get into because of the narrator’s voice. So this I couldn’t finish bc it just didn’t do it for me. sorry.

The idea behind this book is intriguing. AI is becoming more and more prevalent in our day to day life, so a murder mystery based on AI interference is well timed. I am typically on board for any type of crime thriller. There was nothing wrong with this book, I just didn't have anything overly excited or gripping.

There is plenty of action, several characters to get connected to and the crime aspect wasn't horribly done. For me, everything was just kind of bland. Even the romance sub plot felt monotone and odd....we get both characters POV and it felt more like "oh hey, you are attractive and understand my career enough for me to jump in bed" then BAM, we get some internal dialogue with love thoughts? I didn't really feel true chemistry between them. The mystery component was decent but a little predictable and the climax was again, decent.

This is my first experience with this author and I do think I will give her another try. Overall, it wasn't bad at all, just not anything exciting I am going to remember within a few months.