🎙️ ARC BOOK REVIEW 🎙️

PUB DATE: Sept 8th 2025

My Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ 💫 3.8 Thrilling Stars

Who loves a good 🐈‍⬛ & 🐁 chase ?

A Killer Motive was a killer thriller that will keep you turning the pages long past midnight 👀

This story started off as a slow burn for me and then at the half way mark things heated up quickly and I was burning through the pages!

Stella has helped sneak her brother out of the house Max and takes him to a party at the beach .🏝️

Everything was going great until she wakes up and Max is missing 👀

Now six years later Max is still missing and Stella has to live with that tragic night lurking over her every waking hour .

Stella has a crime podcast and one day she receives a mysterious email from someone named AL.

As time goes on this cat & mouse chase ensues and AL is tormenting her playing some sort of sick game and threats of “ if you don’t play along they die”!! …but who is they ??

Stella starts sleuthing on her own and if Stella is not careful she could end up missing just like her brother Max ☠️

If you like books with mystery, podcasts , high stakes pursuit and a SHOCKING ending then I definitely recommend this one !

Thank you @netgalley , @harlequinbooks and Hannah Mary McKinnon for this nail biting ARC!

Stella Dixon, the protagonist of A Killer Motive, has suffered from relentless guilt since her brother disappeared six years earlier. She has reason to berate herself for his unsolved disappearance, though she's pursued every available lead to find him. When pivotal details emerge years later, Stella follows each clue no matter where they take her. The path to the truth is dark, difficult, and dangerous.

Fans of Hannah Mary McKinnon will likely enjoy this story of sibling loyalty and redemption. The novel is well-written and the plot moves forward at a good pace. Most surprising for this reviewer is the story conclusion that caught me completely off guard. I didn't guess the ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Mira for providing an advance copy of the book to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews.com at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

Hannah Mary McKinnon has truly outdone herself with A Killer Motive. A longtime fan of her books, I was floored by this intensly dark psychological thriller. This edge of your seat madness had me holding my breath with every twist and turn.

Stella helps her younger brother Max sneak out to attend a party he is forbidden by his parents to attend. That's the last time he is seen. Six years later, Stella, the creator of a true crime podcast, is still looking for answers to what happened to him. When the chance opportunity arises for her to get a clue in his disappearance, she must decide how far she can be pushed to find answers.

As a true crime junkie I loved the premise of this book and McKinnon delivered, keeping the suspense flowing throughout the entire book. This is true psychological suspense to its core. I devoured it in one sitting. The chapters are short but packed with action and suspense. If you haven't yet discovered Hannah Mary McKinnon do yourself a favor and check her out. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Mira for the advanced copy

This was my first book by Hannah Mark McKinnon, but it won't be my last. I FLEW through this one. I just had to know how it was going to end. Trust, you won't see the twist coming. I tried, and tried but was still taken aback. READ!

Stella is searching for answers regarding her brother’s disappearance when a stranger contacts her wanting to play a game of cat-and-mouse. In this who-dunit thriller Stella known for her podcast show A Killer Motive which she started because of her missing brother Max who loved true-crime series has waited six years for answers.
…
For six years Stella placed the guilt upon herself for defying her parents rules the night Max disappeared. For two years Stella looked for her brother. The end results led to dead-ends. Stella began a true-crime podcast A Killer Motive because she wanted to understand why people commit heinous crimes.
…
Stuck in a state of limbo and unable to rebuild the relationship with her mother Stella forces herself to focus on the podcast show in tribute to her brother. Stella and Vivian have earned a huge fan base of listeners, yet the show is in need of funding. To gain awareness and funding they joined a radio show to talk about their podcast which led to a caller harassing Stella about her brother’s disappearance.
..
A Killers Motive is about Stella using whatever means necessary to investigate the disappearance of her brother. Her amateur detective skills aren’t bad considering the detective who was assigned the case six years ago hadn’t procured any leads. At least Stella has the good sense to talk with people she’s networked with.
…
Try as I might, Hannah Mary McKinnon was always one step ahead of me. My mind conjured many possibilities with me settling on one that I’m hoping will be correct. Nope. Not even close. That ending packed a punch. Ingenious concept executed exquisitely. Written in a way that allowed my mind to conjure movie reel scenes.

I love Hannah Mary McKinnon's book. This was a fast read, because I was so into this book. I needed to know what was happening!! I loved how Stella was doing her own investigation. I LOVED the twist. I didn't see it coming at all!

“Killer Motive” is a psychological thriller masterpiece that had me so wired with tension, I’m convinced I won’t need Botox or a face-lift for at least a decade—every nerve in my face was pulled taut with suspense. But don’t be surprised if I now smile like I walked straight out of Edvard Munch’s The Scream painting.

Reading this book was like strapping in for a high-speed rollercoaster in pitch darkness, with no idea when the next drop was coming. It gave me more jolts and adrenaline spikes than a day at Six Flags or binge-watching the entire Mission: Impossible franchise—sorry, Tom Cruise, but Hannah Mary McKinnon just delivered a literary ride so gripping, so disturbing, and so emotionally raw that you might need a support group afterward. It’s dark, it’s sinister, and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart—but for thriller lovers like me, it was everything.

The structure of the novel is airtight. The pacing never drags for a second. McKinnon expertly weaves secrets, lies, trauma, grief, guilt, and shocking twists into a story that feels both character-driven and utterly explosive. Her characters breathe on the page, especially Stella, our complex, guilt-ridden heroine. The psychological tension is masterfully calibrated—the kind that builds and builds until you're practically vibrating from the pressure. The cat-and-mouse mind games between Stella and her anonymous tormentor had me holding my breath. I didn’t just read the final chapters—I devoured them, heart pounding, hiding from the world, completely entranced and spooked.

Here’s the chilling setup:
When Stella was in her early twenties, she made a split-second decision that would haunt her for years. One summer night, she and her boyfriend Jeff helped her younger brother Max—just days away from turning eighteen—sneak out of their overly strict mother’s house to join them at a lakeside party. Stella drank too much, argued with Jeff, and passed out. When she woke up, Max had disappeared. Just… vanished. Nobody knew what happened. Did he run away, drown, get kidnapped? The mystery tore Stella’s family apart and left her living with unresolved guilt and endless questions.

Now, six years later, Stella is married to Jeff and co-hosting a hit podcast called Killer Motive with her best friend Vivien, helping other families find closure in cold cases. But her own trauma still lingers. Then, during an appearance on a local radio show hosted by sharp-tongued journalist Charlene Thornton, a cryptic caller asks Stella: Why haven’t you investigated your own brother’s case? The question sends her spiraling—and then the emails begin.

From there, the story explodes. The anonymous sender doesn’t just want Stella to remember—he wants her to play a twisted game. One that promises answers… if she’s willing to face the darkest parts of her past. But as the stakes rise, and another person close to Max goes missing, Stella realizes she’s dealing with someone far more dangerous than she imagined. Someone who might be closer than she thinks. Someone who’s been watching her. Waiting.

The atmosphere McKinnon builds is suffocating in the best way: layered with dread, dripping with secrets, filled with moments that make your skin crawl and your heart ache. But it’s not just a story about suspense—it’s about grief, guilt, sisterhood, motherhood, and the weight of unspoken truths.

Final thoughts:
This book shredded my nerves and left me breathless. I was hyperventilating through the last third, eyes glued to the page, completely incapable of doing anything else. After finishing, I needed to binge a stack of romcoms and eat an entire pint of ice cream just to emotionally recover. But was it worth it? One thousand percent, YES. This is a brilliant, beautifully written, twist-filled, jaw-dropping thriller that belongs at the top of your TBR pile.

Thank you endlessly to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for the digital ARC of this unputdownable psychological thriller in exchange for my honest thoughts. Hannah Mary McKinnon, you’ve outdone yourself. This is hands down one of the best thrillers of the year.

This was a solid thriller that I really enjoyed. It was really long but fast-paced enough that I didn’t mind. The characters were compelling, the setting was just right for the story, and the twist was one I didn’t see coming. Overall a very entertaining read.

This will be a win for thriller lovers.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I look forward to McKinnon’s book because I know they will keep me glued to the pages.

I think most people have had some level of rebellion when they were a teenager.

Stella sneaks her teenage brother out of the house to attend a beach party. Unfortunately her brother disappeared. No leads to his disappearance and the case goes cold.

Six years go by and she runs a true crime podcast, A Killer Motive. She wants to help other families, all the while hoping to find out what really happened to her brother Max.

This one is another hit for me and I have always enjoyed Cold Cases with the hopes of an outcome as DNA has come a long way.

McKinnon weaves another novel and we feel the desperation and guilt Stella holds onto.
4 likes

Max was supposed to be grounded, but his sister, Stella, and her boyfriend, picked him up and took him for a summer beach party at Lighthouse Beach. And that's the last time Stella saw Max, as he just vanished.
Six years later, Stella and Vivien are podcasters for true crime stories, bringing up any cold cases that haven't found any answers.
Hoping to make a new sponsor for their podcast, they go on local radio show, and here is when Stella gets an email, challenges her to 'play a game', with a promise that she'll get an answer about Max.
The story expands wider into another abduction, past murder case, and lots of theories spread out throughout the book.
And even after the culprit was revealed, you'll still be kept wondering of the killer motive. This book will really get you thinking. 😄

A Killer Motive really gets going with a beach party that ends with the disappearance of Stella Dixon's younger brother Max who is just 18. Flashes forward six years and Stella, along with best friend Vivien, is now hosting the true crime podcast, A Killer Motive, which delves deep into new crimes weekly. When Kenji, Max's childhood best friend, goes missing, Stella embarks on a mad dash to save him, and hopefully, find out what happened to Max so many years ago.

Author Hannah Mary McKinnon does a great job at making A Killer Motive action packed and throwing in enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing (I was wrong with my multiple attempts to uncover the murderer).

With a great cast of interesting characters, engaging, multi-faceted and fallible, the action is continuous. The setting is also a great addition to the plot--Maine here being portrayed as secluded and mysterious is its own character at different points in the story. A gripping thriller that will keep you guessing throughout its many twists and turns. 4 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

4.25 stars!

I will never tire of authors who actually KNOW about the areas they set their stories in! This was full of towns and areas in Maine and I could see it all play out in a sense. Loved that.

This is a twist filled read about Stella, a woman whose brother Max disappeared from a party she snuck him to six years ago. He was never found and in her quest to figure out what happened, she started a podcast, helping others uncover answers that she still doesn’t have about Max.

On a radio show talking about the podcast, a caller asks her about Max, antagonizing her, and starting with her a game she has no choice but to play… With each step, she wonders if she could be closer to finding out what happened to Max, but when Max’s childhood best friend disappears, Stella realizes this is no joke. More lives could be at stake here and Stella has to figure out who she can trust.

This was so well paced! Every new tidbit you learn about Max, or Stella’s relationships with friends and family, or really any of the characters was so juicy! I had such a fun time with this book.

Thank you to Hannah Mary McKinnon for the ARC! We are loving this book over at Thriller Lovers the Pulse.

Six years ago, Stella snuck her younger brother to a party on the beach only for Max to disappear without a trace. Haunted by the fact that she was the last family member to see him, Stella can’t let go of her guilt. The only thing keeping her going is her true crime podcast, A Killer Motive. Through it, she helps others find closure. One day, she says on air that if she had just one clue, she would find Max and bring the person who took him to justice. Before long, a mysterious invitation arrives. If Stella wants to see Max’s best friend alive, she must play this game…

It’s no secret that I love Hannah Mary McKinnon, but this book truly took things to the next level! With its intricate plot and fast pace, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Told primarily from Stella’s point of view, her desperation and the guilt she feels is palpable. I also love the podcast trope, and seeing how Stella’s work played a part in her life and vice versa. The tension in this story never let up, and if I didn’t have real life responsibilities I could have easily read this in one sitting. Without giving any spoilers, I was absolutely floored with the ending!

“A Killer Motive” releases September 9, 2025. THis review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

A missing person situation gets chaotic AND there's a podcast/radio show involved!

This book was a super quick read. I also felt like the set-up for this story was different than you normally see and I appreciated it. I did find that the ending was not very satisfying though, at least, not for me. The ending felt a bit random and a bit sudden, like it wasn't fully fleshed out and led up to.

We follows Stella, she helps her younger brother sneak out, but then he goes missing. She is struggling with a lot of guilt over that, wanting to find him and solve the mystery. Years pass, she starts a podcast to discuss true crime and similar situations, but then everything is brought to the surface again. She finds herself in a little game, almost a cat-and-mouse situation.

We also get little chapters (like a page or two at a time) from the person she is playing this cat-and-mouse game with and those are spooky. Those were a nice little touch. They didn't always feel necessary, but they were a really nice touch! They really added to the foreboding veil over the whole story and Stella's stress.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

This is my first read by Hannah Mary McKinnon, and I will be back for more!!! I couldn't put this book down. I had to know who was behind everything. There are so many twists and turns, I just loved it!

Stella's seventeen-year-old brother, Max, goes missing at a beach party that she helped sneak him out to. Six years later, she's still searching for him while also hosting a true crime podcast helping other families find closure to their cold cases. In addition, Max's best friend, Kenji, has turned up missing!

Then she gets a mysterious call saying that if she plays a game, she can get a clue to get information on what happened to her brother and can possibly save Kenji. The phone calls had me on edge the entire time trying to figure out who is calling her, who took Kenji, and was he responsible for her brother's disappearance six years ago.

I highly recommend this exceptional novel by Hannah Mary McKinnon.

You never know who’s listening. To Stella Dixon, sneaking her teenage brother out of their parents’ house for a beach party was harmless fun until Max disappeared without a trace. Six years later, Stella’s family is still broken, and she can’t let go of her guilt. The only thing that keeps her going is helping other families find closure through A Killer Motive, her true crime podcast! Great read! This book had chilling suspense, murder, mystery, intriguing, action, and some shocking twists! The story was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thank you MIRA for the gifted digital copy!

Right now The Pulse Pals are buzzing about this one, but as early reviews continue to come in I think many will agree this is McKinnon's best book yet. I was IMMEDIATELY sucked in, and had I not had life responsibilities (boooo adulthood), I would've finished this book in one sitting.

The podcast element in thrillers is very prevalent these days but I enjoyed that McKinnon didn't use it as a focal point of the story. It's a unique and refreshing way to include a new and popular trope.

There were twists and turns galore, and the ending damn near gave me whiplash! I love a story with several secrets to untangle and this one had that in droves.

You're not gonna want to miss this one, my friends. A Killer Motive pub date is September 9!

Stella’’s Brother Max disappeared after she had taken him to a beach party. She has spent years looking for information about him. Now someone is calling and texting her teasing her with clues. I was totally surprised at the ending. This book had me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend it.

When A Killer Motive begins, we get a bird’s eye view of the night everything changed.
Teenager Stella Dixon sneaks her younger brother Max out of the house to join her and her boyfriend at a beach party. When Stella wakes up alone on the sand the next morning, Max is gone and her world falls apart.

Six years later, Stella is still searching for answers. She’s found purpose in her true crime podcast, helping other families navigate the pain of the unknown. But the podcast isn’t paying the bills, and she and her partner agree to do a local radio spot to generate interest.

Everything shifts when a caller claims to be connected to Max’s case. Stella alerts the police and finds herself in a deadly cat-and-mouse game with someone who knows far more than they should.

Who is behind the call? What really happened to Max? And how far is Stella willing to go to find out?

Fast-paced, emotionally sharp, and full of twists.
#AKillerMotive #HannahMaryMcKinnon #HarlequinTrade #ThrillerReads #TrueCrimeFiction

This was my first book from this author and I really enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for any book that features a true crime podcast as a main element, and it worked great here.

I liked reading a book that featured an established couple, and the fact that it showed them in crisis for various reasons. While we knew that the FMC was hiding, it was obvious that the MMC had his own secrets. The FMC here is 100% flawed, and I think that makes her a little more relatable, but honestly she was still a frustrating character.

I appreciated the chapters from the Unsubs POV. I think it really added to the story and upped the creepy factor. I feel like the book ends on a little bit of a cliffhanger, and I do think it would be interesting it this turned into a short series.