Author: Hannah Mary McKinnon
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 400
Date of Publication: September 9, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
In this thriller for fans of Ashley Elston and Jeneva Rose, a manipulative kidnapper gives a true crime podcaster one week to locate her brother’s best friend. If she succeeds, she’ll learn the truth about her brother’s disappearance six years ago, but if she fails, his friend will die.
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.
In a bid to find new sponsors and keep making episodes, Stella goes on a local radio show. But when she says on air that if she had just one clue, she’d find Max and bring whoever hurt him to justice, someone takes it as a challenge.
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.
Desperate and unable to trust anyone, Stella agrees. But beating a twisted, invisible enemy seems impossible when they make all the rules…
BUY LINKS:
Bookshop.org | B&N | Amazon
MY THOUGHTS:
“Better than average understanding about crime, criminals and the inner workings of the justice system.”
Stella Dixon has been grappling with the unresolved mystery of her brother Max’s disappearance for six long years. The guilt gnaws at her as she recalls the night he vanished, the night she helped him sneak out of the house for a beach party.
Stella and her business partner, a formidable duo, host a popular podcast called A Killer Motive. Their podcast has been instrumental in solving crimes, and Stella’s appearance on a radio show that could bring her bigger opportunities presents a chance to finally find closure. However, her hopes are shattered when she receives a call from an aggressive caller. Could this caller be the key to bringing Max home?
The call Stella received at the radio show is just the beginning of a series of unsettling encounters. The caller remains anonymous, determined to torment Stella and keep her on edge. Their game escalates, creating a rift between Stella and her husband, Jeff, and others around her. Stella is torn between her obsession with the case and her growing sense of dread. Each call is more stressful than the last, leaving her trapped in a web of fear and uncertainty.
A Killer Motive is a gripping and suspenseful novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat. With its relentless pace and Stella’s vulnerability, the story unfolds at a breakneck speed. Hannah Mary McKinnon’s exceptional writing skills shine through in this thrilling tale, showcasing her ability to craft compelling and suspenseful narratives.
Many thanks to MIRA and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Please enjoy the following excerpt:
Chapter 1
Stella
My pulse thudded in my neck like Morse code. A steady tap-tap loosely translating as come on. Shoving my hands under my thighs, I slid farther down the passenger seat and peered over the dashboard toward the darkened house at the end of the street.
For ten minutes I’d willed the motion-activated porch lights to stay off. Hoped the heavy living room drapes with the silver ring print I’d been mesmerized by as a kid would remain closed, allowing us to stay undetected.
Tap-tap. Already 9:47 p.m. Where was he?
The cloudless Maine sky had long transitioned from bright blue to bubble gum pink before enveloping our corner of the East Coast in a blanket of rich black velvet. A cool breeze drifted through the open car window, providing a welcome break from the searing early August temperatures.
Rain was on its way for Portland and beyond tomorrow, which would be a welcome relief. For now, the sound of buzzing cicadas filled the Friday night air while this summer’s hottest anthem played on a radio somewhere in the distance.
The classic smell of freshly cut grass invaded my nostrils, conjuring memories of picnics in the park, running through sprinklers, and hands sticky from melting strawberry popsicles. Like those lazy days years ago, tonight would be perfect. All I needed was for my brother to show up.
“Do you think he changed his mind, Stella?” Jeff said, his voice a gentle rumble.
Glancing at my boyfriend, I took in his dark blond hair, straight nose, and the sculpted stubble accentuating a set of epic cheekbones. I let my gaze sweep across his toned biceps and chest. Underneath the faded-but-somehow-still-fitted Alanis Morissette T-shirt was a set of rock-hard abs I couldn’t wait to run my hands over again. Part of me almost wanted Max not to show up so we could go straight home.
I reached for Jeff’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “No, he’s too excited for the party. I bet he’s waiting for Mom and Dad to fall asleep in front of the TV.”
Jeff laughed. “Way to make them sound ancient.” My parents were fifty-one. I was about to reply that compared to Jeff’s twenty-four years and my twenty-two, that was ancient, but the sight of Max emerging between a pair of fir trees stopped me. With a mischievous grin on his face, he speed-walked toward us, his hands tucked into the pockets of a Simpsons hoodie.
I smiled at my baby brother. Baby was slightly unfair considering his eighteenth birthday was under two weeks away, but I’d forever tease him about being four years younger. Max didn’t mind. He knew that from the moment I first saw him in the hospital, swaddled in a bunny-print blanket, his plump cheeks rosy red, I vowed I’d be the best big sister in the world.
Tonight, my solemn promise meant busting his grounded ass out of his minimum-security prison, aka our parents’ house, so he could join Jeff and me at what would be the coolest party of the weekend. Lighthouse Beach was a twenty-five-minute drive from Deering, the Portland neighborhood where Max and I had grown up, and now I couldn’t wait to get going.
Max slid into the back seat of Jeff’s old red pickup truck. I turned around, laughing at my brother’s beaming face and the perpetual impish twinkle in his green eyes, which looked so much like mine.
“We were about to leave,” I deadpanned. “Thought you’d chickened out.”
Max snorted. “As if.”
“Are we picking up Kenji?”
“He’s at his girlfriend’s so he’ll meet us at the beach,” Max said, before jokingly adding, “He’d better, considering he’s taking off next week. Some best friend he is, leaving me behind.”
“Hey,” I shot back with mock indignation. “I thought I was your best friend.”
“Are you two sure about this aiding and abetting?” Jeff cut in before Max could throw a good-natured sibling zinger my way. “Your mom will go ballistic if she finds out.”
Max shrugged. “I don’t care. She’s way overprotective.”
“You know her reasons,” Jeff said.
We all did. Mom’s older brother died when she was nine and he was seventeen. It was terrible how some asshole truck driver had run over our uncle, killing him instantly. Still, Max’s rebellion tonight was fueled by the fact Mom had banned him from going to California with Kenji, saying it was too far away, and Max was too young. They’d had a massive argument about it, which led to my brother being grounded for the weekend, hence tonight’s great escape.
“I told them I was heading to bed,” Max said. “They never check, but I stacked my pillows under the duvet just in case. Nobody will notice.”
“If they do, I’ll take the full blame.” I patted Jeff’s hand. “Max, we’ll drive you home. No after-parties with Kenji, got it? What Mom and Dad don’t know can’t hurt them.”
“Sir, yes, sir.” Max gave me a salute. “Anyway, I’ll need some sleep. I’m volunteering at the clinic tomorrow. Woolly had a mass removed and I want to be there for him.”
“Woolly?” Jeff said. “Dog or sheep?”
My brother grinned. “Giant Angora rabbit. He’s awesome.”
“You’re such a softie,” I said before letting out a whoop. “All right, let’s go. Lighthouse Beach, here we come.”
A KILLER MOTIVE
by
Hannah Mary McKinnon
Available September 2025 from MIRA.
Copyright © 2025 by Hannah McKinnon
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
SOCIAL LINKS:
Author website: https://hannahmarymckinnon.com/
X/ Twitter: @HannahMMcKinnon
Instagram: @hannahmarymckinnon
No comments:
Post a Comment