"Let's play a game..."

This book was SO GOOD! It was so captivating, I listened to it in one sitting since I couldn't put it down. I had so many theories about what was going on, didn't trust a single person, and I was wrong about all of it.

Six years after her brother disappears, Sadie is co-host of A Killer Motive, a true-crime podcast she runs with her best friend. When she goes on a radio show to promote the podcast, a caller asks why she isn't pursuing her brother's case and next thing she knows, she's receiving eerie messages from a mysterious source and her brother's best friend is missing. What happens next is a tangled web of secrets, unhinged "games," and a race against time and a monster lurking in the dark.

Written in dual POV's, A Killer Motive is like watching both sides of a cat-and-mouse game. I loved getting the insight into both POV's, it was eerie and haunting. I loved the true crime elements, and the many twists and turns.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, true crime podcasts, and / or fascinated by the serial killers, this book is for you!

The audiobook was fantastic and left me on the edge of my seat. I appreciated having separate narrators for the dual POVs, and both narrators fit the characters very well.

Thank you Harlequin Audio and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced copies of this book.

In this psychological thriller, we follow Stella Dixon, a true-crime podcaster who struggles to cope with the unsolved disappearance of her brother six years prior. She becomes a target in a deadly game orchestrated by a manipulative stranger when they promise information about her brother’s case if Stella follows the twisted rules of the game.

I am not typically a huge thriller fan, but I really enjoyed this one! I listened to this on audio while tandem reading the eARC, and it felt like I was listening to a full production thanks to the talented narrators! They all did an amazing job of bringing this story to life, and I highly recommend checking it out. I binged this book in two days because I enjoyed it so much!

The twists in this one were fun, and the pacing was perfect for a thriller. I did end up guessing the twist though, which kind of took the surprise away from the end, but I still enjoyed the author’s reasoning behind the creation of the book!

Overall, this was a fun thriller, and if you enjoy them too, you should absolutely pick this one up!

A special thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Harlequin Audio, and the author for early access to this Audiobook and eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you @hannahmarymckinnon @htp_hive @htpbooks_audio @readmirabooks #partner for the gifted copies of this book!

You know when you’ve read a few books by an author, and somehow each one just keeps getting better and better? That’s Hannah Mary McKinnon for me, and The Killer Motive was an absolute knockout! I’ve been craving dark, stressful reads lately, and wowza...this one delivered.

We follow teen siblings doing exactly what teens do best: rebelling, not listening, and doing whatever they want (haha). Stella sneaks her younger brother to a beach party their parents had strictly forbidden…and, well, what could go wrong? Turns out everything. Her brother vanishes without a trace and is never seen again.

Years later, Stella is still deep in the throws of her guilt. She’s created her own podcast, The Killer Motive, to help other families solve crimes. But when she blurts out on-air that she’d do anything to solve her brother’s case, someone takes her seriously. Too seriously. Suddenly, Stella is caught in a terrifying race against time game with someone who seems to know more than they should about her brother and her curiosity gets the better of her. She feels she has no choice but to play by their rules.

Talk. About. Stress. This book had me on edge the entire time. The pacing is warp speed, the podcast angle was done so well, and the tension is super stressful the whole way through. Just how I like it! I loved how dark and unsettling it got, and as someone super close to my own sibling, that “I’ll stop at nothing” feeling hit me right in the heart.

Secrets, lies, guilt, twists, and turns...I devoured every bit of it. If you pick this one up (and trust me, you should), clear your schedule because you will not want to put it down. Hannah, you’ve done it again! You never miss!

Loved that the story included a podcast chapters. Although I figured out the who done it, it was still a good mystery and loved hearing the "villians" backstory at the end. That was the true twist!

This was my first Hannah Mary McKinnon book, but it won’t be the last. I enjoyed the mysterious cat and mouse between Stella and the unknown caller. I would have like more explanation, but it seems like answers might come in a second book. The narrator did a great job with the dual voices.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio, NetGalley, & the author for this ALC 💘

I absolutely flew through this book. Firstly, any true crime podcast storyline is going to get my attention. I was invested in Stella’s search for answers about her brothers disappearance from the first page and throughout was absolute on the edge of my seat. The pacing in this was gripping I was *truly* so creeped out when she started receiving threats and instructions from a faceless weirdo.

The narrators were really able to bring this book to life, especially the intensely stressful scenes as well as the super creepy ones.

I was sure I had the twist in this figured out but was absolutely taken aback when I was super wrong.

Thank you to @harlequinaudio and @mira for my gifted advanced copies! When I saw a full cast on audio, I was sold! It has been awhile since a book hooked me like this one!! I started it in the morning and finished it that evening, listening every second I had the chance! I just had to know what happened and the audio is fantastic! I am such a fan of Hannah’s and this only solidified it! This book is so much darker than I had anticipated, but I loved every second! I love the podcast element in this one and how it added to the story! I found it so fast paced, addictive and filled to the brim with tension! The twists are smart and well placed and I loved the dual timelines! This is one you need to prepare to binge!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars)

A Killer Motive is fast-paced, intriguing, and full of unexpected twists that kept me hooked from start to finish. The way it ended definitely has me wondering if there could be a sequel—I’d love to see more!

This is such a good end-of-summer mystery—gripping, twisty, and impossible to put down. Hannah Mary McKinnon knows how to keep you turning the pages while constantly second-guessing everything.

Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin Audio for the ALC of this book!

I did the audio of this one and I really enjoyed it! The main character is a podcaster and I feel like that added to the enjoyment of the Audi version of this. I thought the story was compelling and I was definitely invested the whole time! I absolutely did not see that ending holy heck! I thought the narration was excellent and the chapters with the killer were freaky which had me rapt! I thought the pacing of the story and the narration were perfect!!! I would absolutely recommend this thriller!!!!

One of Hannah Mary McKinnon's best and the narration was amazing - the male narrator was so creepy and had me double checking the locks!

I was really interested in this book at first. The beginning grabbed me with its mystery and made me curious about what would happen next. I enjoyed trying to piece things together and figure out how the story would unfold.
The middle, though, was a bit too chaotic for me. There were so many twists, details, and events happening at once that it became hard to stay fully invested. It felt like the story was pulling in too many directions, and I found myself wishing it would slow down a little.
The ending was okay and gave a sense of closure. It wasn’t perfect, but it wrapped up the main parts of the story and tied some things together in a satisfying way.
Even though it wasn’t completely my thing, I liked the overall concept and the effort to keep the tension going. The mystery was the strongest part for me, and I think anyone who enjoys a twisty story would probably get a lot out of it.

I loved this twisty thriller with the cat and mouse chase feature and the cold case / podcast elements as well. I am a big fan of this author and have really enjoyed every book I’ve read by her so far!

LOVED this thriller. I thought it was so good - the pacing was fantastic, and I definitely did not see the ending coming at all. Those are my only two requirements for it to be a good thriller to me! This makes me want to read the author's backlist.

Stella lives with the regret every day that she snuck her younger brother Max out to a party, only to have him disappear without a trace. Now six years after his disappearance, Stella hosts a podcast, A Killer Motive, that covers other disappearances and helps families find closure. When Stella goes on a radio show to promote her podcast, an anonymous source reaches out to Stella with information about her brother. Stella quickly finds herself in a game of wits with the person who may be behind her brother's disappearance.

This book kept me on my toes the whole time. It is flooded with suspense and twists and turns. It definitely kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat until the very end.

The audiobook was super well done. The main narrator did a good job capturing Stella's voice and the narrator for the chapters from the anonymous source had my hair standing on end. So creepy, but in a way that made sense for the story.

Tropes
* Missing Person
* Podcast Host
* Anonymous tips
* Lots of Secrets
* Estranged Family

3.5 stars

Title: A Killer Motive
Author: Hannah Mary McKinnon
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Format: 🎧
Narrators: Amy Hall, Mei Benjamin, Nick Thurston, Bernadette Dunne. And Carol Schneider
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: September 9, 2025
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 400

When Stella Dixon 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 seventeen year-old 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. He seemed to have vanished. Nobody knew what happened. Did he run away, drown, get kidnapped? The mystery was tearing 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-with 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.
A mysterious invitation to play a game arrives, with the promise that if Stella wins, she’ll get information about what happened to Max. Stella thinks it’s a sick joke…until Max’s best friend vanishes. And she’s given new instructions: tell nobody or people will die.

When I started this I wasn’t sure it was going to work for me. I have a low tolerance for profanity; additionally struggled with liking Stella. I love a good audiobook. I wasn’t sure if my impression of Stella was because of the narrator. However, there are many narrators and they did do a great performance of the characters! Plus I have read this author and I know
Hannah Mary McKinnon usually comes through with a good read!
Aww Yes- And she DID! The story turned out satisfying!
Whodunit and why was indeed a surprise.

About the Author- Hannah Mary McKinnon also known as Holly Cassidy who write romantic comedies.. McKinnon was born in the UK grew up in Switzerland, and moved to Canada in 2010. Unsurprisingly loves chocolate, mountains and cheese, and books, of course.
She wrote six internationally bestselling thrillers.
I read The Neighbors, Sister Dear, Never coming Home, The Revenger List and Only One Survives]. I loved all but the first one – delighted I kept on reading and didn’t give up after my first one!
Author’s Note: Ms. McKinnon tells us she is a plotter- when she starts writing she has an idea regarding the plot and characters. (Her note also included spoilers so best to read after your read this thriller!)

Thank You NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 9, 2025.

A Killer Motive had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the thrills and chills I got from the store. The ending had me gasping. Highly recommend!

This was GOOOOD. lately, I’ve been finding thrillers to be a little repetitive and boring. But McKinnon did not disappoint. With characters you could easily become invested in and a plot that moves along quickly, it’s easy to get drawn in to this story. And the twist was actually something I didn’t see coming!

A Killer Motive an exhilarating, dark, and twisted tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat. With a whirlwind of unexpected turns and emotional highs and lows, it's nearly impossible to put down. Just when you think you've figured out who is orchestrating the cruel games, the book throws you another curveball. The author brilliantly weaves a tale of mystery, ensuring you'll be guessing until the very last page. For anyone who loves an unpredictable thriller, this book is an absolute MUST READ! This isn’t my first Hannah Mary McKinnon book, but it very well might be my favorite!

Audio Review: I love thrillers with a podcast theme, and they’re always better in an audio format. This book was no different. The cast of characters really brought the story to life! The short gripping chapters featuring the antagonist were my favorite. The narrator perfectly brought his true evil nature to life and really added that extra intensity I was looking for from the story.

Thank you to HTP Books and Harlequin Audio for the #gifted e-ARC and ALC of A Killer Motive. All opinions expressed are my own.

Stella Dixon and her brother Max bonded over their love of true crime documentaries. Never in her wildest dreams did she think a party one night could turn their lives into something worthy of their own episode. After Stella helps Max sneak out to a beach party with her and her then-boyfriend, he seemingly vanishes without a trace. She vows to never stop looking for him, and ends up starting her own true crime podcast with her best friend, after an unsatisfactory police investigation. Six years pass and suddenly Max’s best friend goes missing. Stella can’t help but feel that the two incidents are related. When she receives a strange call and a stranger email relating to her brother’s disappearance, any doubt she had vanishes. Now she’s dealing directly with whoever took her brother and his friend - and time is running out.

This is my second read by the author and I enjoyed it. I listened to the audiobook and thought it was narrated well. I especially enjoyed the podcast clips at the end. I thought I had the plot figured out but I was no where near it! Even with the twists, the ending was still believable and made sense, which is the sign of a great thriller to me.

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.

My friends at @thrillerbookloversthepulse have been buzzing up a storm about this one, and now I know why! 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!

Capably narrated by Amy Hall, Mel Benjamin, Nick Thurston, Bernadette Dunne, and Carol Schneider, the audiobook version really captures the tension of this twisty story!

Thank you to NetGalley, HTP Hive, MIRA Books, and Harlequin Audio for providing me an advance copy of this book.