When a mysterious caller asks Stella why she isn't out looking for her brother, Stella is shook. Not once has she mentioned her brother's disappearance on her true crime podcast but someone out there knows something six years on. As the games begin, Stella is promised information. As much as she doesn't want to play, she will also stop at nothing to find out the truth....especially since it was her fault her brother went missing in the first place.
If you're looking for a thriller done right, look no further. This book was fantastic. It was dark, it was chilling, it was addictive. My heart was in my throat throughout as Stella discovered little snippets about her brother and I just had to know what happened so I admit that yes I binged this one very quickly. With so many twists and cleverly written, I cannot recommend you pick this one up enough.

This is my first book by this author and I loved the flow of her writing. Each chapter weaves beautifully into the next. The chapters are a great length, not too long! It is told mostly in present day from Stella’s point of view. Although we see small chapters from the point of view of the villain, which makes you guess every single character of the book. I loved that the face of this book never seemed to slow.

Stella Dixon brings her younger brother, Max, with her to a beach bonfire party. At the end of the night, she can’t find him. Fast forward six years, Max is still missing. Stella’s family is struggling with grief. Stella is struggling with guilt. She is the co-host of a podcast called Killer Motive, which is sadly starting to sink due to financial strains. Her and her cohost and friend go on a television show with strict instructions not to bring up Max. But a caller does. When Stella gets home she finds a mysterious email invitation to play a dangerous game. The prize is information about Max’s disappearance. Oh and did I mention Max’s best friend, Kenji, has gone missing in the present. What will happen if Stella fails?!

This was such a great twisty read, perfect for any thriller lover. I felt like I was on the edge of seat throughout the majority of the second half of the book. Let’s talk about Stella. I could literally feel her emotions seeping through the book: grief, anxiety, guilt, desperation. Her only flaw, she was sometimes dangerous and oblivious. And the cover is stunning too!

Did you ever start reading a book and find yourself 30% in without even realizing it? That was this book for me. I was so invested in this story and the characters. What happened to Max that night on the beach? If Stella really had just 1 clue could she solve it? This was a fast paced psychological thriller that I could not put down! Also, this book features one of the most diabolical villains I’ve ever read about. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Suspenseful, unique, and gripping, this was a hard to book to put down because I had to know what happened! Highly recommend for a good weekend read.

The initial quarter of this psychological thriller unfolds at a measured pace. However, the tension escalates significantly as the story progresses. By the final quarter, it becomes an undeniable page-turner that I found impossible to set aside.

Stella, a true crime podcaster, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her teenage brother, who vanished from a beach party she attended with him six years ago. The narrative takes a turn when Stella receives a phone call followed by emails taunting her with potential information about her brother's fate. As the plot thickens, her brother's best friend also goes missing, leading to a web of deceit that begins to unravel among those close to Stella. Amidst this chaos, her own secrets threaten to resurface and confront her.

I would rate this gripping tale, "A Killer Motive," with four stars.

A Killer Motive is a tightly woven, tension-filled cat-and-mouse game that had me hooked from the first chapter. Hannah Mary McKinnon masterfully builds suspense, dropping clues and red herrings as we follow Stella, whose brother Max vanished without a trace.

Now, years later, Stella is hosting a true crime podcast—a move that stirs up secrets, lies, and more questions than answers. The narrative is deliciously unreliable, keeping you guessing who’s telling the truth and who’s hiding behind a carefully crafted facade.

The pacing is sharp, the stakes are high, and the ending? Absolutely worth the ride. I thought I had it figured out, but McKinnon pulled off a twist I never saw coming. This is the kind of thriller that messes with your head in the best way.

Thank You NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions, are of course, my own.

📚Book Tour ARC Review📚
A Killer Motive by Hannah Mary McKinnon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Getting lost in "A Killer Motive" is like diving into a suspenseful and mesmerizing scavenger hunt that you just can't resist.

Shoutout to Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse for knowing how to derail my weekend plans! Once I cracked open Hannah Mary McKinnon’s latest gem, I was hooked. It kicks off with a sister wrestling with guilt over her brother’s disappearance. It quickly escalates into a nail-biting psychological tug-of-war with a mysterious caller who clearly has too much time on their hands. Each chapter is a tiny dose of dread that keeps you up way too late, tricking you into thinking one more chapter will be enough!

Stella, a tormented podcaster, gets sucked into a twisted scavenger hunt to uncover what really happened to her brother Max. The true-crime element perfectly blends voyeurism, desperation, and danger. The “invisible enemy” pulling the strings is terrifying.

The pacing is ruthless, the clues are creative, and that final reveal is a knockout. If you think you know where it’s going, you don’t.

I would’ve loved more behind-the-scenes drama of podcasting—it’s such a juicy angle! But that’s just me nitpicking because the rest of the story hits all the right spots.

As the oldest sibling, I totally vibed with Stella’s big-sister energy. Who wouldn’t want an older sister cool enough to sneak you out for a night of fun? Sisterhood, trauma, suspense? Sign me up! "A Killer Motive" proves that Hannah Mary McKinnon is an author to keep your eye on!

Thank you to the author and #HTPBooks for providing this gifted eARC through #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Sit back and think what would you do for your missing loved one? Stella thinks nothing of helping her teenage brother Max sneak out of their parents house I mean didn't we all do that when we were young and taking him to a beach party sounds like the best party ever! Until he disappears, the unthinkable comes about. Stella decided to take her brother Max out for a party but somehow her brother goes missing and she has no idea what happened to him. Stella has her own true crime podcast that she runs to help others find answers to what happened to their missing family members & Stella really wants to find her brother. Out of the blue Stella receives an invitation that if she plays and wins this game she will get answers to what happened to him. Who wouldn't jump right in for your blood relative! Such a good twisty read!

•Six years ago, Stella’s brother Max disappeared without a trace. Fast forward to present day and Stella is the host of her own true crime podcast, A Killed Motive. While trying to promote her new podcast, she appears as a guest on a radio show. A mysterious stranger calls in and asks about her missing brother, and she hesitantly answers, not really wanting to discuss it. A listener, however, decides this will be the beginning of a dangerous cat and mouse game.

•I really enjoyed this book. I was captivated from the very beginning. Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Mary McKinnon, and Harlequin Trade Publishing/ MIRA for this ARC. It will become available on September 9, 2025.

Book Review
A Killer Motive by HMM

What Its Got
✅ Missing person
✅ Cat & Mouse psychological games
✅ Unsolved true crime
✅ Podcast
✅ Trauma, Grief
✅ Secrets upon secrets
✅ Multiple timelines- past and present
✅ Multiple POV

Main Characters
Jeff- childhood sweetheart and Stella’s husband, EMT , fiercely loyal
Max-Stella’s brother,missing for 6 yrs
Stella- True Crime Podcaster, persistent amateur detective, seeking redemption
AL/ Anwir - loves to manipulate, plays a deadly end game

Quote
“ ….if I got caught, it would mean giving the psychiatrists and forensic psychologists what they always looked for, what Stella constantly wanted to find: a killer’s motive”

Thoughts
📕 HMM planted one hell of a Fucked up twist I didnt see coming
📕 Loved the pacing and timing of events, the way the tension and suspense quickly ramps up
📕 Loved how Stella is relentless in her pursuit of the truth, she is not always honest with herself or others but her moral compass is pointed straight
📕 Loved the twists and turns, they left me breathless and anxious and kept me
Turning the pages
📕 Loved the addition of “Anwir” chapters, I couldnt wait to read his perspective, these all too brief introspections gave me chills
Made me wonder what motivates a monster
📕 that ENDING!!! HMM gives us the answers we seek BUT not quite ALL the answers

Thank you to MIRA, @netgalley , HMM and @thrillerbookloversthepulse for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own

Six years ago, Stella’s brother Max disappeared at a party after she snuck him out of the house. Max has never been found and the case is pretty much cold at this point, but Stella has never stopped trying to find him, which has led to her hosting a podcast called “A Killer Motive” where she tries to solve cold cases. One night, the podcast receives an unsettling call asking her aggressively about Max, which is just the first domino in a long cat-and-mouse game in Stella’s desperate bid to find out what really happened to Max that night.

Hannah Mary McKinnon’s newest book is a smart, pacey thrill that’s loaded with tension. Stella’s adversary is evil and diabolically clever, and the short chapters that we got from that anonymous perspective really heightened my sense of dread. The plot is tightly woven and full of twists and red herrings, leading me to suspect everyone and their best friend but still leaving me shocked at the big reveal!

It’s been a while since a thriller really got me, but A Killer Motive totally delivered. I was hooked from the first few pages and genuinely couldn’t put it down. I kept trying to guess what would happen, but the twists kept catching me off guard, in the best way. It’s one of those rare reads where you think you know where it’s going, and then it completely surprises you.

The pacing was great, the suspense was constant, and I was totally invested in figuring out what was going on. The only part that didn’t quite work for me was the family planning subplot. I didn’t love how Stella handled that whole situation, but it didn’t take away from the overall ride.

If you enjoy thrillers that keep you on your toes and are full of unexpected turns, this is definitely one to add to your list. I’m already looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you harlequin trade publishing for an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Wow! What a great read that kept you on thr edge of your seat. The plot and pacing of this were great and I really loved trying to unravel the entire mystery as I went. I loved how many of my predictions throughout the book came true but not necessarily in the way that I thought. Overall I liked Stella's character but did find her a little annoying at times. I do wish there was just a tad bit more that either drew to Charlene or cold cases or even solved cases that seemed to point to the killer. The ending did pack in a lot and I had some trouble tracking but overall it was a very entertaining read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this wickedly good eARC.

In A Killer Motive, Hannah Mary McKinnon delivers a pulse-pounding psychological thriller that’s as much about guilt and grief as it is about the chilling games people play. At the heart of the novel is Stella Dixon, a true crime podcaster whose own life was upended six years ago when her teenage brother Max vanished after a beach party she helped him sneak off to. Now, haunted by guilt and driven by a need for justice, Stella uses her podcast to help other families find closure—until the past comes calling.

When Stella receives a cryptic invitation to “play a game” that promises answers about Max’s disappearance, the novel shifts into high gear. What begins as a desperate hope quickly spirals into a high-stakes psychological cat-and-mouse, especially when Max’s best friend also vanishes. The rules are simple: tell no one, or people will die. But the game’s architect is anything but predictable.

McKinnon’s writing is razor-sharp, and her pacing is relentless. She crafts a protagonist who is both emotionally raw and fiercely determined, and the podcasting angle adds a timely, voyeuristic layer to the narrative. The setting—coastal Maine cloaked in fog and secrets—feels like a character in its own right, amplifying the novel’s eerie tension.

What elevates A Killer Motive beyond a standard thriller is its exploration of moral ambiguity. Stella’s choices are often questionable, but always understandable. The novel asks: how far would you go to uncover the truth, and at what cost? The final twist is both shocking and thematically satisfying, leaving readers with a lingering sense of unease.

Fans of Ruth Ware and Alice Feeney will find themselves right at home here. McKinnon has crafted a story that’s amazingly twisty (I was SURE I had who the killer was figured out, but I wasn't even CLOSE) it's also emotionally resonant.

A Killer Motive is a thriller with a beating heart and a killer hook; I read numerous psychological thrillers, but this one left me stunned and reeling on the ropes!

This was an intense, hold-on-to-your-seat psychological thrill ride! I loved the cold-case premise and the sinister game of cat and mouse. Stella is a smart one-although I found myself shaking my head at some of her decisions, I just had to put myself in her place and consider what I would do to find my missing loved one. The story drops many red herrings, which I loved because I always enjoy a good guessing game, and A Killer Motive definitely kept me guessing all the way to the shocking end!

📚✨ Book Review: A Killer Motive by Hannah Mary McKinnon ✨🔪
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

If you love twisty thrillers with true crime vibes and a podcast hook, you need to add this one to your TBR. Told mostly from Stella’s point of view, "A Killer Motive" wastes no time pulling you into her unraveling world, and by the 50% mark...... whew, things get wild.

This book has that perfect bingeable feel: short chapters, steady tension, and enough suspense to keep you guessing. Yes, it taps into the familiar podcast trope, but it still feels fresh thanks to sharp details and ever-building tension.

The last few chapters left me reeling. You’ll definitely want to talk about this one when you’re done!

🎧 True crime lovers, podcast junkies, thriller fans, this one’s for you.

Bless her heart! Poor Stella has had it rough for quite some time then the hits just keep coming, especially from those closest to her!!!! But she is far from a beacon of honesty herself, those secrets....... It took a minute to get into this story but if you stick with it, you'll be rewarded. Parts of it were a bit far-fethched but it could happen. Once they start, the twists and betrayals don't stop. I was pleased with the ending, too. Very suspenseful, good luck guessing the culprit(s?) in this one. Four solid stars.

I'm giving this book a resounding 5 stars! From the very first page, I was completely swept away into a truly masterful and exceptionally suspenseful thriller. The premise, centered around true-crime podcaster Stella Dixon and her desperate quest for answers about her missing brother, is nothing short of brilliant. I was immediately invested in her journey as she's forced into a chilling, high-stakes game orchestrated by a sinister, anonymous figure.
Hannah Mary McKinnon has crafted a narrative that is both intelligent and relentlessly gripping. I found myself completely immersed in Stella's world, feeling her fear, her determination, and her profound guilt over her brother's disappearance. The characters are incredibly well-developed, and the psychological depth of the antagonist is truly unsettling, keeping me on edge throughout.
This book is an absolute page-turner, with a pace that never lets up. The plot is intricately woven with layer upon layer of secrets, delivering twists and turns that I absolutely did not see coming. Every time I thought I had a handle on things, the story would pull the rug out from under me in the most satisfying way. There were no contrivances here; every reveal felt earned and impactful.

The author excels at building tension and creating an atmosphere of constant dread. This isn't just a mystery; it's a deep dive into the psychological impact of loss and the lengths one might go to for closure. I genuinely couldn't put it down, devouring each chapter eager to see what shocking revelation awaited me next. This is a must-read for anyone who loves an expertly crafted, high-stakes psychological thriller with an unforgettable villain.

My sincerest thanks to NetGalley and MIRA Books for providing me with an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this exceptional novel.

Hannah Mary McKinnon does it AGAIN.

This one had me up late flipping the pages. I love a good podcast twist in thrillers, and this one nailed it! It’s dark, tense, and super addictive.
Stella was such a layered character. Her guilt, her grief, her drive to get answers… I felt all of it. I kept thinking I knew where it was going… NOPE. Twists for days.
If you love a thriller that’s clever, packed with tension and twists, be sure to pick this one up!

Guilt, trust, secrets, and lies – so many lies – are the reasons Stella acts on her own when she thinks she has a chance to save her brother’s best friend and finally find out what happened to Max. The author ramps up the tension as little by little the lies become larger, the mistrust becomes all-consuming and one by one you will question the innocence of everyone. This thriller will definitely get your heart rate up.