Member Reviews
I do love a podcast within a murder mystery novel and this one worked really well.
I found Killer Story to be a very addictive and compelling read, with so many twists and turns it'll make your head spin! The author will be pleased to know I did not guess who the killer was.
If you love a good whodunit with a feisty female protagonist, short chapters, a killer story and a few red herrings thrown in, this is the book for you!
A big thank you to Oceanvew Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC. Expected publication date is 17/1/23
Petra Kovach is on the brink of being laid off from her third failing newspaper in a row, to save her job, she pitches a true crime podcast, and she knows exactly what crime to try solve. A young girl who was like a sister to her. As she looks for the truth, she burns bridges and breaks a few laws. Can she solve the crime and not fall into the killer's embrace and not be killed herself?
Matt Witten wrote a stunning crime novel, “The Necklace”, that put him on my list of must-read authors. His new book, “Killer Story”, is just as captivating.
Wanting to recover her career, investigative reported Petra turns to the new fad of podcasts, picking the true crime murder of her good friend in college. Years have gone by with plenty of suspects, but no definite answers. How far will a desperate young woman go to jump-start her sluggish career, and at what cost to herself and those around her?
A quick-paced and believably intricate story of who-dun-it, no matter who you hurt figuring it out. Thanks to Oceanview Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is January 17, 2023.
Compulsive page turner! This was a fun to read story with a great premise. Petra is trying to hold onto a journalism job after being let go too many times. On a whim, she pitches an idea to conduct an investigation of the murder of her protégé, Livvy, through a podcast. She uncovers some really ugly information and finds herself being threatened as she gets closer to the truth. I did find Petra’s methods despicable; publicly exposing rumors as truth and destroying reputations without batting an eye. I look forward to reading the next story this author comes up with! Thank you Netgalley, Oceanview Publishing, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is available for purchase January 17, 2023
Podcast to find a killer? Thriller
Petra, an investigative journalist, is close to losing yet another job when she comes up with the idea of doing a podcast about her friend who was murdered years ago, and no-one was ever convicted of. Her boss gives her 2 weeks to prove herself. All great except Petra exaggerated the information she has about the murder, and now she needs to find herself some material to save her job, and her self-esteem.
The lengths Petra goes to in order to get a good story, and save her job, are quite shocking, however the story is exciting and fast moving. Which of the suspects did it? How can Petra further her investigations and is she safe from harm herself? Which is most important to Petra, getting podcasts clicks, solving the murder, or behaving in a reasonable manner? Petra’s choice of methods to get information is emotive and enables plenty of twists and turns in the story. The great writing style kept me interested throughout.
There is plenty of discussion material in this thriller – great for a Book Club, indeed suggested Questions are given at the end. While I can’t say I enjoyed the story, because of Petra’s journalistic methods, I did enjoy the writing, the tension and the the story was a great idea. I was keen to see how it all ended, and was interested in the journalistic techniques included in the storyline.
This is the first thriller I have read by Matt Witten, I shall certainly be back for more.
Petra Kovach is like many of her generation: getting fired from failing newspapers in a time when newspapers are having trouble just staying afloat. Recently hired by yet another newspaper, she’s still going to struggle until she finds her own big story, which will, in time, be her safety net…if she’s not killed in the process. Author, Matt Witten, weaves a complicated, stay up too late, story of how the murder of Petra’s long ago friend will challenge everything she believes, what she will do to beat out her competition and how people with different motivations can eventually come together for the greater good. This was a very good book. I look forward to Matt’s next book.
Thank you to both Matt Witten and Net Galley for copies of this book in exchange for honest review.
I loved this author's previous book, The Necklace and I was so looking forward to reading his next book.
I was intrigued by synopsis. I love true crime podcasts and the idea of a journalist trying to find justice for a friend sounded right up my alley.
Unfortunately, this book just did not do it for me. I really disliked Petra's character and her disregard for anyone else but herself. I found it hard to get past her ruining people's lives without a second thought. They way she jumps from suspect to suspect felt unrealistic.
I did find that the supporting characters were well developed and I liked that there was twist to to ending. It was just not enough to make up for Petra's character.
I would defintely be open to reading another book from this author as The Necklace was a favourite of mine.
Killer Story by Matt Witten
#seventysecondbookof2022 #arc
CW: Murder, rape, incest, unethical journalists, homophobia and forced outing, suicide and attempted suicide, gun violence, gaslighting, victim blaming, mischaracterizing PTSD
This book follows a journalist who’s trying to solve the murder of a former friend after the main suspect is acquitted. She’s also trying to make a name for herself and keep from being fired again. In the process, she turns into the worst person I’ve read about in quite some time.
I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts, and a lot about cold cases that were unsolved or wrongly solved, like Bone Valley. They take months and years of dedicated reporting. Cultivating relationships, follow up, wrong turns and dead ends, all lengthy processes. This book makes it seem as though you can do detective work along the way to the recording studio. It’s unrealistic and doesn’t show the long process that real journalists follow. The main character kept changing her angle through the entire book, and was always ready to ruin someone’s life. In the author’s note, Witten references Serial and Accused, so I know he knows the work that goes into these podcasts, and that the steps taken by his main character were not representative of real life.
That said, the story was propulsive and I kept reading, often to find out just how loathsome the main character (and many secondary characters) could get. I enjoyed it while rooting for the main character to finally get her comeuppance. It was an interesting mystery and I was not at all sure how it would end and who the killer would turn out to be. It is pretty of the moment and this was a definite page turner. I enjoyed the author’s previous book as well, so I’ll definitely keep his books on my list.
(One con of this e-arc is that bad formatting caused my copy to omit the first few words of each chapter, as well as text messages sent between the characters, but I was able to put together the gist based on context.)
Thank you to @netgalley and @oceanviewpub for the advance copy. (Pub date 1/17/23)
#killerstory
Will launching a true-crime podcast save a young journalist’s career….or will it cost her life?
Petra has already had and lost two jobs in print journalism due to shrinking revenues and increased cost cutting. When her latest editor calls her into the office to let her go, she counters with the offer to create a new podcast based on the recent murder of Olivia, a young far-right social media sensation. The hook? Petra was the victim’s camp counselor years ago, and had been a big sister figure to the girl for several years. Differing political views had strained their relationship towards the end, but Petra feels compelled to find justice for her friend. She tells her editor that she has new information, a slight exaggeration of her recent encounter with the victim’s inebriated brother, and promises that the podcast will be a huge hit for the paper. With her career in the balance, Petra is compelled to trade on her relationship to the victim and push the boundaries of journalistic ethics to secure the content she needs to fuel the podcast. When the first episode is indeed a breakaway hit, the pressure on Petra increases. Intraoffice rivalries further complicate the situation, and an attempted assault makes it clear that the killer is still at large, and is not happy about Petra’s ongoing investigation.
This latest book from author Matt Whitten, who has also written for television shows including Law & Order and Pretty Little Liars, delves into the worlds of print journalism and true crime podcasts, where ethics and ambition collide, and where achieving success is a never-ending quest. It is an entertaining read, with one possible perpetrator after another is produced and it is unclear till the very end just what happened to Olivia. I recommend Killer Story to those who enjoy a well-plotted thriller, are fans of true-crime podcasts, or understand the passion of print journalists to persist in a shrinking profession. Thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy.
This book took everything I had for me to finish. I found it very repetitive. Maybe this person is the killer! I figured it out! The main character was absolutely insufferable. The story was choppy and just…not enjoyable for me.
I loved this book as it deals with so many relevant issues: podcasts, social media, the #MeToo movement, and college life that is almost always complicated! Petra is a journalist about to be fired due to cutbacks and she is determined to keep her job; this prompts her to follow up on a friend's murder years ago (that was apparently solved) but she's not so sure. The novel deals with her personal life, her work life, her friendships, and the complications of modern journalism. It kept me flying through the pages!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Killer Story by Matt Witten is both a fast-paced thriller and a commentary on modern-day media. And it was a heck of a wild ride!
Petra Kovach is a young journalist trying to make it in the modern media landscape, where newspapers struggle to survive, and she's been let go from media jobs three times. She's also still dealing with the highly publicized death of an alt-right media star and young woman for whom she had been a camp counselor and befriended long-term, despite their political differences. When faced with losing another reporting job, Petra comes up with the idea to start a true-crime podcast for this unsolved murder of her friend but becomes entirely obsessed and loses herself in the process.
Petra is a morally gray character with an extreme sense of self-preservation who crosses multiple ethical lines in pursuit of justice for her friend and to make a name for herself. Witten takes his interesting premise, packs the story with dramatic tension and several twists, and uses these events to raise questions about ethics in reporting and the modern media. Do the ends justify even ruthless means if justice is served? Is it ok to burn sources, withhold information or release private details about people if it leads to catching a killer? How much of what we see in the media/social media has been distorted, and how far will someone go to get clicks, particularly when they become more well-known? Will Petra actually uncover the killer, or will her actions in pursuit of all her goals disastrously affect her life? She's not an easy character, but she had me turning the pages and dropping my jaw to see what she would do next!
Thank you to NetGalley, Oceanview Publishing, and author Matt Witten for the opportunity to review this ARC.
Author and screenwriter, Matt Witten’s Killer Story is a standalone thriller mystery. A young reporter, Petra Kovach finds herself yet again facing termination, so she offers to make a true crime podcast of an unsolved murder. The sensational killing of an alt-right blogger in her Harvard dorm room years ago, was also a former camp counsellor of Petra’s. As Petra investigates and searches for justice, her behaviour is often unethical, ignoring moral boundaries and treating friends and sources despicably. The effort to place the theme of modern journalism in a crime mystery context means that neither one is credibly portrayed. So overall, whilst a promising premise, it makes for a three stars read rating. With thanks to Oceanview Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.
Killer story - Matt Witten
Read a couple of Matt’s books now and his writing is praiseworthy. Thank you for another great read and I hope to read many more.
I'm kind of torn on how to review this. While I think it relied too heavily on shock value and things you hear about only on Twitter, it is interesting how someone so likable in person can get online and sound like a straight up lunatic. We live in strange times. So it was clever but the main character was annoying and made all the things about herself, as if she alone could have changed anything.
I think this might be for a more politically charged person or perhaps a younger audience.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review. It is an interesting concept.
The case is closed. Two years ago, Olivia, a young college YouTube star was murdered by professor. Everyone was certain that he did kill her.
Petra Kovach, a journalist who almost got fired from work, decided to investigate on this case just to save her job. Petra not just lies about having leads to the case but promised a podcast to solve the mystery.
Little did Petra know that her investigation will land her in dangerous places. From the get go, Petra is one of the not so likeable characters but will surely keep you on the edge.
Petra confidently starts recording the podcasts
Episode 1: Starts with a new suspect, a new story and a totally legit motive.
Episode 2: Another suspect, an untold story and an even bigger motive.
Another podcast episode, another suspect. This case starts getting off the limits. Death threats, changing suspects, unusual evidence, unknown alibis. One minute the case seems solved, but then something changes the entire story.
With all most everything backfiring at Petra, there’s only one way to safe both her life and job - get the damn murder mystery solved. But can she come out of the hole she dug for herself or will it be too late ?
Surely a mystery that would keep you believing you know the murderer but can you solve this case before Petra does?
I really struggled to get into this story. The main character, Petra came across as beyond desperate and a bit annoying. The story was starting to drag for me, so I didn't finish the book. I did enjoy the premise, so I will try to pick it up again another time to see if I feel differently.
How far will one reporter go to solve a crime?
Petra Kovach is a struggling journalist with a sad past. When her opinionated activist friend is murdered she becomes obsessed with the man accused and finding the true killer.
When Petra is about to be fired again she comes up with the idea to create true crime podcast in an effort to solve the crime and save her job at the same time.
Many questionable journalist actions and multiple suspects follow with a spiraling effect making me question the media and need for social fame.
Petra was a very unlikable main character who frustrated me.
I would definitely read more from author as I think he has story telling talent.
I didn’t love this read as much as authors book The Necklace. I wanted to love to love this one but sadly it fell flat for me.
Thank you for the opportunity to preview Killer Story.
A young woman desperately needs a story. She’s lost too many jobs and she’s about to lose another one unless she gets a killer of a story.
And she does. A friend of hers was killed and the killer is more than likely out there
Can she find the person who killed her friend or will she be in danger and be the headliner of a killer story
3 stars. Fair and the lead character is very annoying.
What happens when a reporter, who’s walking a fine line of losing her job, loses herself for a story? That’s what we explore in Killer Story with Petra Kovich. After losing four reporting jobs, she’s learned she’s about to lose her 5th. So when she pitches a podcast at the last minute to save her job and finally solve her friend’s murder, it seems perfect. But Petra might lose herself in the process.
This was a near-perfect, 5-star read for me. But those that know me, know I’m not a fan of using PTSD in a storyline when it’s thrown in for shock. Listen Petra, you don’t have PTSD from getting fired a lot. Those of us with PTSD are living with flashbacks, night terrors, hypervigilance, anxiety, and so much more. So it hurts when people use it as a buzzword, saying things like, “This is just my PTSD from getting fired.” No, no, it’s not. I get it, it sucks, but it’s not PTSD.
I read a few reviews before writing this, and I totally get people not liking Petra because she’s so desperate that she’s going to unimaginable lengths to get this story out there. She can’t handle getting fired again, so she wants this to be the best. Plus, she has to deal with her coworker Natalie, who’s shady and conniving. But people are getting burned in Petra’s wake. The dumpster fire she’s become is what keeps the reader engaged, flipping pages to get more of the drama. It’s so dramatic you can’t help but keep reading. You don’t have to love her to appreciate the dramatic storyline.
My dislike of misusing PTSD is minor in the grand scheme of the book and doesn’t deter my enjoyment of it overall. I absolutely loved this one. Once I started reading, I didn’t want to put the book down. It was dramatic and intense and everything you want in a thriller.