I expected this to be a thriller but it was much more of a mystery who-dunnit kind of book. It started off strong in the middle of a super chaotic course of events. I was intrigued to find out the details that our main characters were also trying to find out. Te grand reveal was shocking to me but I was honestly surprised to see how much of the book was left at that point. There were so many plot points that popped up at the very end of the book and just never got a conclusion. I’m not sure if this was intentional so that it could set up for a second book or not. But all the unanswered questions made me dislike the book more than I liked the first half.

This thriller, Killer Potential, takes a detour from the women are victims trope and turns it on its head as Evie, and the terrified young woman she's rescued go on the lam after a triple homicide that Evie finds herself in the middle of. Skillful misdirection and subtle nods to class differentials and what truths lie unsaid render this book a deeper take than normal. Well done!

In *Killer Potential*, the author delivers a razor-sharp debut that combines dark humor, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and a poignant exploration of class and ambition. The story follows Evie Gordon, a gifted SAT tutor whose life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers a gruesome crime scene at the estate of her wealthy clients. Instead of a typical tutoring session, she finds herself thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse, paired with an enigmatic woman she rescues from a closet.

Evie’s character is both relatable and compelling; her aspirations juxtaposed against the harsh realities of her financial burdens create a dynamic portrait of a young woman searching for her identity in a world obsessed with status. The author's keen observations about social mobility and the American Dream provide thoughtful commentary throughout the narrative. One memorable quote encapsulates this theme: “We all believe we’re destined for greatness, but what happens when the world decides otherwise?”

The tension escalates as Evie and her silent companion become fugitives, navigating a landscape filled with danger and media frenzy. The author deftly balances moments of humor with high-stakes action, making for a thrilling reading experience. Evie’s transformation from a struggling tutor to a headline-making suspect is both exhilarating and darkly ironic, as she grapples with her newfound notoriety. A standout line that captures this transformation is: “Suddenly, I wasn’t just a footnote in someone else’s story; I was the headline.”

The chemistry between Evie and her companion adds an intriguing layer to the plot, with their dynamic evolving as they journey across the U.S. in search of the real killer. The tension of unlocking the mysteries surrounding her companion’s silence creates additional suspense, driving the narrative forward with momentum and intrigue.

While the pacing is generally captivating, there are moments where the narrative could have benefitted from tighter editing, particularly during transitions between action scenes. A bit more depth in exploring the backstory of Evie’s companion could have further enriched the emotional stakes of their journey together.

Overall, *Killer Potential* is a bold and disarming debut that masterfully blends humor with thriller elements, inviting readers to consider deeper questions about identity, ambition, and societal expectations. I highly recommend it to fans of literary thrillers that deliver both suspense and sharp social commentary. It’s a captivating reminder that the search for greatness can lead us down the most unexpected—and dangerous—paths.

This is a debut novel, and I’m all about finding new authors! It didn’t kick off with a bang, but I was totally hooked once Evie stumbled upon the dead bodies. And let me tell you, Evie's dark humor and sarcasm? It's absolutely one of my favorite parts of the book! I can’t get enough of characters like her!

Evie is an intelligent young woman who’s had some chances in life, even though she didn’t come from money. Unfortunately, she takes those chances for granted and finds herself as an SAT tutor drowning in student debt. Her clients? Spoiled rich kids in fancy neighborhoods. That’s how she ends up at the Victor's house at the worst possible moment—only to discover their dead bodies. Things get even wilder when she runs off with a girl she finds tied up and hidden in the house. This kicks off a series of bad decisions that send them down a crazy “Thelma-and-Louise” adventure!

"Killer Potential" is dark and fast-paced, showcasing two intricate female characters with wit and street smarts—so entertaining!

This debut author nails the adrenaline of the chase and the heart-pounding fear of the unknown. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Thanks to Willam Morrow, Harper Audio, NetGalley, and Libro.fm for providing this ARC's digital book and audiobook. All opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

The audiobook features fantastic narration, which enhanced my reading experience, allowing me to listen to the audio while reading the ebook!

And let’s not forget all the themes packed into this novel:
Media sensationalism
Morally gray characters
Class divisions
Strong and complex female protagonists
Murder investigations
LGBTQIA representation
Dark humor
It's a wild ride!

#KillerPotential #HannahDeitch #DebutThriller LibroFM #WilliamMorrow #ARC #capcut #lefttoread #reader #read #honestreview #thriller #bookreviewer #thrillerbooklovers #thepulse #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerobsessedbookishclub #lovetoread #lovebooks #booknerd #readaholic #bookstagrammer #booktok #bookish

So. Much. Fun.

Deitch masterfully crafts a fast-paced, suspenseful plot, enriched by Evie's introspective and often darkly humorous inner monologue, which delves into themes of social mobility and the constructs of potential. The evolving relationship between Evie and Jae adds depth to the story, culminating in unexpected twists that challenge perceptions and keep readers engaged until the final page.

I was going back and forth about this book. At first, I had only given it three stars, but as it sat with me, I felt that it was deserving of 4. The story was written in a way that the ending came as a surprise to me, and I felt like I had been played for a fool. I felt the writing was done in a way that allowed me to feel what Evie might have felt there towards the end.

This was such a wild ride of a book! I loved it! Thelma and Louise meets burnt out SAT tutor -- sign me up. I was absolutely hooked from page one and could not have predicted all of the incredible turns this book took.

The premise of this one sounded too good to pass up, and although it wasn’t my favorite read of the year, it still had a lot to offer and I enjoyed the ride. This reads like a queer Thelma & Louise with two women on the run from the law after both end up in circumstances beyond their control at a murder scene. I will say that this book requires the reader to really suspend belief for the amount of time these women evade capture, particularly with some of the decisions they make. But it is overall a really fun ride!

This reads like a more literary thriller where for much of the novel you are really in the head of our protagonist, Evie. She is a really relatable character in her early 20s having graduated college and now trying to figure out her next step. I really related to her in how she describes school being easy and something she could understand but real life being this enigma that she can’t quite figure out. The real world can be a harsh slap in the face after being told how smart and special you are in your school years, and this leads her like many to taking a temporary job. But this job of SAT tutor ends up disrupting her entire life.

Our other main lead, Jae, is very mysterious and kind of an enigma for both the reader and Evie when the journey first starts. With her street savviness and silence, it is hard to figure out her motivations and feelings at first. But as we get to know her, we realize there is so much trauma and hurt in her past that all of her questionable moves begin to make sense. I really loved the chemistry between these two and loved the romance that begins to blossom when they are on the road.

I think the twist in this one is pretty predictable, but that didn’t ruin the story for me because I don’t think the twist was really the point. I think this was almost more of a love story about two women who could have really had a great relationship had they met under different circumstances. So it is kind of a tragic love story. I know this definitely won’t be for everyone, but I had a really good time reading about these two characters and the many close calls they encounter on the run.

I couldn't put this down, it was like watching a car accident. I was just along for the ride on this one, and went in pretty blind. I loved that I wasn't trying to guess the ending or trying to figure out what happened. The author did a great job at pulling your attention to other things, which made the ending so shocking for me. There was definitely some filler subject matter in the middle of the book that I more skimmed than read, it just didn't feel relevant to the story and felt a little too deep.into the backstories of the characters. I usually hate an open ended ending, but with this book, I didn't mind it. It left a lot up to your imagination, which was fun.

Such a twisted novel about lose of innocence and trust.
Evie was an SAT tutor that got caught up in the wrong place, wrong time and believing she was rescuing a person in trouble. A lot of assumptions and beliefs that turn on her at any given time.

Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch is full of twists and surprises. Two SAT tutors are on the run together, but what one doesn't know is that she travels with a killer. Deitch writes well and does a good job of creating an interesting story.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Killer potential was a fun and surprisingly deeper thriller than I was expecting. Evie is an SAT tutor for a wealthy family in LA. She shows up for her shift as usual to find the parents brutally murdered and a strange woman locked up in the closet unable to speak. Afraid that she will be accused of being a murderer, evie flees the scene with the unknown woman. A fugitive with no where to go, evie can only trust this mystery woman as she tries to beat the clock to clear her name.

A fast paced thriller, deitch keeps readers turning the pages as the relationship between evie and her companion grows as they evade detection from law enforcement. What seems to be a thriller on the surface does have deeper themes of trauma, sex trafficking, and abuse that may trigger some readers.

I found this overall to be an enjoyable fast read and I couldn’t stop turning the pages to find out what was going on and who was behind the murders. Deitch is one to watch in the thriller genre.

Thanks to the publisher for providing this arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fun and twisty thriller! The novel certainly kept me on my toes and continually guessing what may come next. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC - it's much appreciated!

Did you watch "Drive Away Dolls"? Then you really don't need to read this.

When a book promises to be 'twisty', 85% of the time, the twist is very obvious. This plot line falls in that 85%.

Evie, the deeply annoying main character, is still bitter about not being the success she thought she deserved to be. She's an SAT tutor to the ultra rich. She acts like she's 22, 23 at most. She is, in fact, staring down the barrel of 30. Throughout this entire book, she makes the DUMBEST decisions. How someone can think they will be charged with a crime with zero evidence pointing to you, in a highly secure neighborhood full of cameras, and proof that you were not on the scene at the time of the crime...is beyond insane. It's really a REACH to try and push the two women together for an 'unlikely' pair.

I feel like this book doesn't know what it wants to be. Is it a fun gay romance/thriller/adventure story, or is it a commentary on student loans and the economy? There are ways to tie both into a ploy, but this wasn't it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Willian Morrow for the ARC of this novel.

I really enjoyed this book. Honestly a lot more than I was expecting. I loved the author’s writing style and I also really enjoyed how fast-paced this book was. I was just along for the ride and trying to figure out how the two girls were going to get out of them mess they put themselves in. So I was pleasantly surprised when we hit the twist in the book. I didn’t see it coming.

I will say I’m not sure how I felt about the last 15-20% of the book. It definitely took a turn and didn’t go where I was expecting. But I do love an ambitious ending and this one was well done.

Overall, I really enjoyed this debut authors work and I can’t wait to read more from her.

4.25/5 stars rounded down to 4 for this review.

This book definitely hooked me and kept my interest. I’m not sure why, because it was a glorified train wreck of a serial killer crime spree that pointed out how much the media influences our daily thoughts and opinions. There was nothing different or outstanding about it, but I still couldn’t put it down. The characters were well developed and the writing was great, but I think I couldn’t give it five stars because the main character was just so stupid and did not act as smart as her education should allow her.

This book follows Evie a Sat tutor who winds up discovering a murder scene when other discoveries come to light Evie makes a run for it and her life is about to change forever. This one was not for me I figured out the twist pretty early on and the rest of the book felt a little slow to me once you get to around the halfway point. I kept having to force myself to pick this one back up instead of other books I was reading. The writing was unique and good I just was not a fan of this story but would give this author another chance. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I thought that this book was good! It definitely had some plot twists. Although a little slow at some points, I still enjoyed the plot.

Evie Gordon was always a smart kid and she grew up being told she would achieve great things. After success in both high school and college, however, Evie found herself struggling to find a job and mostly drifting along. She now works as an SAT tutor for the children of the wealthy elite; if there was one thing her private school education taught her, it was how to interact with the rich, even if she is from a humble background herself. So Evie is mostly floating along in L.A., barely making ends meet and not sure just where her potential fizzled out.

Then, one day, Evie’s life changes when she walks into the home of Dinah and Peter Victor to tutor their daughter, Serena. There, she finds Dinah and Peter brutally murdered in their back garden. When Evie hears a cry for help, she finds a woman tied up in the closet under the stairs. Evie fully intends to help the woman and call the police, but when Serena shows up, things go off the rails. Suddenly, Evie and the woman become suspects, rather than innocent bystanders and potential victims. And before Evie can blink, she and the woman are on the run, nationally wanted fugitives.

Evie is stunned by this sudden turn of events, scarcely able to believe she went from an SAT tutor with a dull life to the number one most wanted person in the country. The fact that everyone believes that she and Jae are a pair of female murderers, out to get the rich, only adds to the sensationalism. Jae barely talks at first, but she proves to be clever and resourceful. As the pair criss cross the country, trying to stay a step ahead of the nationwide manhunt, they come to rely on one another and ultimately grow to care about each other. But their faces are on the news every night and the entire country is on the lookout. There is only so long they can evade capture and it is getting increasingly difficult to know where to turn. The country is riveted by what they believe is a duo of female killers and everyone knows Evie’s name. As the manhunt closes in, Evie and Jae must figure out their next steps before they run out of options.

I found Killer Potential to be a really fascinating thriller, with some interesting themes, and a writing style that occasionally veers into too much internal musing and narration. Where this story worked the best for me is in the thriller part of the plot. We meet Evie as she walks into the Victor house and stumbles upon the murder. How she and Jae end up on the run rather than merely innocent bystanders is a bit wild and you have to just go with it, but I think Deitch makes it plausible how panic, fear, and a perfect storm of things going wrong could get them to that point. The women then end up on a road trip of sorts, endlessly driving and not always knowing to where, trying to stay ahead of the police. There is nice balance here between the mundane, the long hours behind the wheel as the miles pass, eating gas station food and trying to avoid notice, and then the thrilling, exciting parts as they run into trouble and must fight with all they have.

Evie is our primary POV character and this is really her journey. In fact, we don’t even find out Jae’s name until quite a ways into the book, as she doesn’t speak for a long time. Dietch does such a nice job of showing how almost surreal it all feels to Evie, the shock of going about her normal life and suddenly finding herself a presumed killer, face on every newspaper and television. Everyone is speculating about who she is and how she could have committed such a crime. Everyone is particularly fascinated by the fact that these are two women; the idea of women being murderers somehow adds to the mystique. And the fact that Evie was a super high achieving scholarship kid who apparently has fallen into a life of crime makes it all the more interesting. The story gives a nice perspective on all of this, how Evie becomes almost a symbol more than a person, and I think this part is well done.

There is also the theme of potential that carries throughout the story, and what it means to have potential, particularly if that potential is seemingly unrealized. In Evie’s case, she was labeled early on as “talented and gifted” and spent her life excelling at school. She was in all the right classes to get her into an elite private school and then an even more elite college — after which she was saddled with debt and with no job to be found. Evie learned to mingle with the rich and powerful at her schools, but she never quite fit in herself, coming from a lower income family in a small North Carolina town. And now she teaches the kids of the rich and powerful, but is stagnant herself. In Jae’s case, her parents were immigrants and her father fully embraced the idea that hard work would bring success. He pushed Jae hard, but she struggled as well, for different reasons. So these are two women with high expectations put upon them that were never quite realized, but that shaped them both.

Where I struggled somewhat here is that Evie has a very strong character voice and there is a lot of internal narrative. Sometimes, it leads to some interesting musings or themes that I think work well for the story. But other times, it just derails the action and can feel like too much. This is particularly the case as the story starts and we spend a lot of time setting things up and with Evie sharing random thoughts. From an editorial standpoint, I think the story would have worked better if we started with the action rather than so much narration, as it just weighs things down and I think some readers are going to struggle getting their footing with the story. This lessens as the book goes on and the action takes more center stage, but the narrative does continue throughout the book off and on. Just as an example for style, here is Evie thinking about some kids she used to help with essay writing:

Maybe they’d earned their cynicism. From a young age, kids today learn that their suffering — no matter how deeply felt, how inexpressible — must be externalized, made coherent and accessible to others. They are taught early that every gatekeeper to their success would demand them to unearth their private miseries and narrate them, over and over, until their value became realized. One they figured out how to make their suffering legible — even cosmetic, alluring, and profitable — it could become currency. Students rehearse this process before the have the tools or experience to develop any real working theory of self-value. We are all seventeen once. Hopefully. If we get there. Our identities patchworked together by meager tools in front of us and defend with our lives. Information pouring in from textbooks and teachers and Instagram, refracted through so many lenses it loses all structural integrity.

I just found it a strange juxtaposition to the thriller plot to then have these long passages of musings and analysis, often complex and drawn out. I do see how it fits Evie as a character in many ways, but it did often derail the main story a little for me. We also get a lot of exposition at the end to explain what is happening to both characters, rather than seeing the action itself. I think it helps explain to readers just what exactly transpired (though I did figure it out fairly early on, I didn’t have all the details), but it is, again, a lot of narrative.

I do want to be clear that this is not a traditional romance. Evie and Jae do fall for one another, but there is not a happy ending for them romantically. There isn’t really even a happy ending individually. I think the ending works (though some of the details take some suspension of disbelief), but be aware that this isn’t going to be a story about two women riding off into the sunset in love. I also think that these women are going to be polarizing, and they aren’t always that likable. Deitch does a really nice job grounding their actions in their characters, and even when I didn’t agree with their decisions, I could understand why these particular women would make them. But I didn’t always like them.

That said, I found this book works best as both a thriller, and as a fascinating character study of Evie in particular. I was really caught up in the story and eager to see how these women found their way out of their harrowing situation, if they even could. This is a story that may not work for everyone, but I found it engaging and I enjoyed it quite a lot.

I hate to say it but I think this book was simply not for me.

When the course of someone's entire life is thrown down the drain over one.. i don't know what that was.. "look"?

The decisions the main character made made ZERO sense to me. I don't want to get into spoiler territory, but from chapter three onward I was forcing myself to finish this book. Sometimes that happens to me and then the ending redeems it, but not in this case. I felt it was wholly unsatisfying. I often finish a book in 24-48 hours, and this one took me nearly a month because I would finish a different book, open killer potential, and ten pages later exit the app to go find something that kept my attention.

Due to the critical nature of this review I will not be sharing it online to "promote" the book. It would do the opposite i fear.