This one was a chilling and a thought provoking read!

The story begins with a woman found dead in a house entirely controlled by artificial intelligence. Everything—from the doors and appliances to the water and entertainment systems—operated through simple voice commands. With no signs of forced entry or anyone else in the house, FBI Agent Jude Mackenzie initially suspects it was a freak accident or even a suicide.

However, when Special Agent Victoria Tennant arrives, she reveals that she’s investigating other similar cases that might involve cybercrime. Her observations at the scene make her question whether this woman, too, was the victim of something far more sinister. As they dig deeper, more cases come to light, and the urgency grows.

Are these incidents mere accidents, or could they be connected? Is someone orchestrating these murders from behind a screen, turning machines into deadly weapons? Together, Jude and Victoria race against time to uncover the truth and find whoever—or whatever—is pulling the strings.

I’ve read many of this author’s books and usually enjoy her work, but this one felt like a departure from her usual style and was less engaging than I’d hoped. The premise—AI, smart homes, and a murder mystery—was intriguing and had so much potential, but the execution fell short for me.

The story started strong with a compelling setup, but I quickly struggled to stay engaged. The dialogue often felt unnatural, making it hard to connect with the characters. Some subplots and details felt unnecessary, leaving the narrative scattered and unfocused.

While I appreciated the concept of an AI-driven murder and found the premise promising, the characters didn’t leave a lasting impression. Ultimately, this book didn’t deliver the gripping, tech-savvy thriller I was expecting, and I came away disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book early and provide an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Heather Graham and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This starts off with quite the bang and I throughly enjoyed the premise of this novel since it was so unique. I did find a few of the middle chapters were too long and because they were so long - it felt like it dragged. I did enjoy the twists and the bit of the love story.

PHENOMENAL!!! I don’t have the words to describe all my feelings but I will recommend to everyone. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This book was pretty good, I would definitely recommend

~This was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I couldn't finish the book. I very rarely DNF anything but the action was just so contrived. It was painful to read.

I’ve always enjoyed this authors books but this one felt like it was written by a ghost writer. The story concept was interesting and could have made a great story but it got bogged down in repetitive writing and too many errors. The excessive use of exclamation points was annoying and incorrect character names were used too many times. The ending felt rushed and it was very obvious who the killer was. I’m so disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first novel by Heather Graham and I’m not sure what to make of her writing. What initially drew me to this book was the plot, specifically the “smart home” aspect of it all… I thought maybe it would give slight Disney Channel movie “Smart House” vibes, but with a more sinister intent. That is not what I got. It was strictly the FBI Agent Mackenzie and Special Agent Tennant show. It didn’t flow like I had initially thought, so it threw me off. Typically what I look for in a thriller/mystery is a dual timeline because I think that really sets the stage for that page-turning, heart-pounding, cannot put this down feeling. While I still thought the plot was unique, the writing and case itself was very basic with bland dialogue.

I did really enjoy the prologue and first 5 chapters or so, and then it picked up again around 14, but I wanted more from the “smart house” aspect itself, considering this is where our world is headed, the Artificial Intelligence Era. Maybe this would have been better as an audiobook… unsure. Either way, the ending was a great twist, predictable, but still shocking if you did not pick up on the breadcrumbs along the way.

Maybe I will give this one another shot in the future, but for the time being, I could not truly get into this one the way I wanted to. If you like murder, are interested in the dark side of artificial intelligence, then I'd give it an honest shot if I were you.

2.5/5 (rounded up)

I really wanted to love this book because the premise is so intriguing—AI, smart homes, and a murder mystery all rolled into ones sounded really interesting. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

The story started off strong with an intriguing setup, but I quickly found myself struggling to stay engaged. The dialogue often felt unnatural, like it didn’t match how people actually talk, which kept pulling me out of the story. There were also several subplots or details that didn’t seem relevant or add much value, making the narrative feel a bit scattered.

The mystery itself was a disappointment. I figured out who was behind it halfway through, and when the reveal finally came at the very end, it felt anticlimactic. It wasn’t because the characters solved the case in a clever way—they more or less stumbled on the answer, which made the ending feel unsatisfying.

I did like the concept of an AI-driven murder and thought the premise had so much promise. The main characters were likable enough, but they didn’t really stick with me after I finished. Overall, this book just didn’t deliver the gripping, tech-savvy thriller I was hoping for, and I couldn’t help but feel let down.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5!?

The idea of this book was super intriguing!
It is something that we might start fearing soon with AI and how it can be used for evil.. and no its NOT science fiction

PROS:
1- The plot idea was new, and adds a new fear or let's say, allows you to think about things you might not have thought about before

2- the several suspects introduced were interesting, and the way we had no idea where any of this was leading at first was good

3- the final plot twist was a good one - can be guessed if you are really attentive honestly, there have been a few hints thrown in here and there, personality, ideas, methods, suspicions,, etc! (( i could see it the minute the character was introduces))

CONS:
1- the writing is bland and has an amateur kick to it. i did not care for the characters, I did not care for the suspects, i did not care for the case... nothing!

2- the dialogue was something out of a children's book at times. they preach a lot, and there are so many "understanding', "good manners", and unnecessary comments I think the author was going for "banter" but it was missed entirely!

3- also the case itself follows suit... bland, and amateurish in a way!

I wish the idea were executed better, and I wish it were revised better!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Net Galley for the free ARC in return for an honest review.

This was very thought provoking! AI is such a different concept for me- as a millennial. I know AI is taking over but its so crazy! This book revealed how we truly can never have anything that doesn't get turned around and used for evil! Crazyyyy and riveting book!

THE TWIST!!! DID NOT GUESS!!! WOW!

This is the first Heather Graham novel that I’ve read. I really like the concept relating to AI (as let’s face it, that’s the direction our world is headed), but it was very hard for me to get through the story. Personally this was not a favorite. At times it felt like so much information was given at once. This made it confusing and I found myself re-reading the same pages. The Murder Machine almost landed in my DNF list, but I really wanted to give it a chance. I’m glad I saw it through to the end, but it’s just not my kind of book.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade publishing for the opportunity to read The Murder machine in exchange for my honest review.

I’m sorry but the lack of editing done on this so far really took me out of the story. Character names were misspelled frequently, and every other sentence ended with an exclamation point, so it felt like they were yelling all the time. As for the story, it felt like a bad police procedural. Too much of this was unbelievable, and the main characters were thrown into mortal danger at the end of every chapter and they always escaped it. Everything always works in their favour. I guessed the culprit halfway through the book, which was finally revealed in the last 10 pages. And the main characters just kind of happen to figure it out by accident, even though it was predicable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC!!!

I don’t believe I have read any of this author’s books before. Personally, it was not a favorite of mine. I think the premise was very intriguing with the intricacies of A. I. The main thing that I could not get over was the dialogue. The characters were constantly cutting each other off, or speaking in a way that is just not very realistic. The scene would change from like house to car with no real transition either.

I considered DNF’ing the book, but just couldn’t bring myself to do that. It might be someone else’s cup of tea, but not mine at all.

A interesting and scary concept. AI is one of those things that is creepy. This story just goes to show you why technology is not always a good thing.

I didn't finish this, which really surprised me as I usually enjoy the author. I gave up at about 40% because I just didn't care for it. I didn't care for our characters or the way they spoke or their relationships or just how bland everything seemed.

Maybe it's because the concept isn't a new one and it lacked some of the edge and science and horror that usually comes with it.

Just not for me.

A few years back I remember watching an episode of Almost Human where the smart home killed the owner. I enjoyed that episode and when combined with Heather Graham, I knew this would be a good book. It exceeded my expectations and honestly made me think. Most people, myself included, invite I into our lives everyday and in doing so we could be inviting in danger as well. It is a humbling idea that things we have come to rely on could be using against us. Without getting on my soap box, let's talk about what made this book awesome.
We start with a look into the minds behind the hack and learn that even they are not sure if there plans will work. Then we meet victim one or victim one to us and you just know that something bad is going to happen. Heather did a nice job of setting the stage and building the anticipation before things get very dark and very deadly. While the murder was gruesome and enticed readers to keep going, it may have been a touch overdone.
From that murder, our lead team takes us a roller coaster ride where tech can kill and anything can be a weapon in the wrong hacker hands. We see suspects fall and the techs on the side of right getting clues but with every clue comes another puzzle to solve. Speaking of the techs, it was great to see Aidan back after helping solve the horseman killings. The imagination in selecting hacked weapons provided a lot of variety.
Of course, a fight with a tech baddy alone would have been interesting but Heather's books always contain the human element that we connect with and love or hate or simply feel empathy for. A few "perps" turned out to be the more sympathetic characters. The book was a page turner where you come for the murderous tech and stay for the people fighting it. Vicky and Jude worked well in this book with their skills complimenting each other.
It has been a long time since I look forward with great anticipation to a book as much as this one. There is a lot of material to explore with murderous machine so I can't help but wonder if we will get more stories.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Four stars! A gripping read with engaging characters and a twisty plot. While the AI element didn’t quite hit the mark for me in terms of realism, it didn’t overshadow my enjoyment of the story overall. A solid mix of mystery and suspense.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Published on goodreads.
Will publish on Amazon and other retail and indie sites on day of publication.

The description of this book really piqued my interest. The idea of AI being used for nefarious purposes really intrigued me. Particularly as my 14 year old granddaughter has said several times that AI is going to kill us all.

When a smart home goes berserk and kills its owner, FBI agents Jude Mackenzie and Victoria Tennant are charged with finding out what happened. They are soon embroiled into an investigation that involves a boat whose computer system is taken over and a judge's car that is hacked resulting in additional deaths.

While I enjoyed the twists and the overall story line, I found the dialogue to be almost forced and unrealistic. I'm not sure if this is the author's normal writing style or if it is because AI is a relatively new concept and the author felt it necessary to explain a lot to the reader.

Thank you to author Heather Graham, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC of The Murder Machine.

The Murder Machine by Heather Graham is an engaging read from start to finish with a well developed plot and characters. A recommended read!