Can an AI driven house commit murder? When a woman is found dead in her home, there are no finger prints, no clues, all the evidence points to the AI ultra smart kitchen. FBI agent Jude Mackenzie and Victoria Tennant work the clues to solve this extremely entertaining thriller. From Florida to Tennessee, no clue is left uninvestigated. Very fast paced. The chemistry between Mackenzie and Tennant is off the charts.

2.5 stars

The Murder Machine by Heather Graham is a crime novel about Artificial Intelligence.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing, and the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


 
First, I'm not a fan of authors that put crime fighters together that  end up falling in love and having sex within days of meeting each other.  What trope.  So predictable, so ridiculous.  Much of the book had the pair thinking each other so attractive, so irresistible, so perfect, that I'm amazed they had time to find the perpetrator.

So due to the above, I didn't really like the two main characters.  I just couldn't get behind them. I also had guessed the perpetrator and their motive early on, so that was a bit annoying. There were just too many lawyers involved -- could there not have been other suspects?  I also found the dialogue a little stilted - not a natural flow.

That being said, the overall premise was quite good.  The idea of AI becoming a murder machine is why I chose the book.  The idea of AI being manipulated/hacked by someone is actually a viable possibility, but personally, I'm not very worried (or maybe I'm naive).  There was a lot of action in the book, and that was entertaining, but something was still missing.  I think I was expecting more of a tech thriller, and just got a mystery.

Anyway, I know this author has written a lot of books, so maybe I'll be in the minority on this one.  It was okay, but it's not one that will "stick with me".

This is my first Heather Graham book and I liked it. The concept of the book really drew me in but some of the events that happened didn’t seem realistic. I had a feeling about who the killer was but I wasn’t certain until the killer was revealed. I was lucky enough to get the ebook copy and the audiobook. I really enjoyed the narrators voice. Overall, I thought it was ok. Not great but not bad.

2/5 stars! The premise of this was super interesting. Sadly, the pacing made this extremely difficult to get through. There was nothing to keep me captivated. I was surprised Vikki is written by a woman, since she has no defining characteristics except being a hottie.

Unfortunately this was not my cup of tea. It did start off really well and I was super interested, but it fell flat for me.

2.25
Things I liked:

A killer concept (literally)—a smart home that might be the suspect

A creepy setup that had real potential

The first few chapters were promising...

And then it unraveled. Fast.

I wanted a sharp, fast-paced tech thriller and instead got a clunky, over-explained procedural with dialogue that felt like it came from a crime show rejected by CBS. The AI element, which could’ve been chilling and clever, never really delivered—it leaned more textbook than terrifying. Instead of uncovering clues through solid detective work, most major plot points just dropped in out of nowhere.

The characters didn’t help. Vikki is described as hot. Repeatedly. That’s basically her whole personality. Jude is 33 but somehow treated like a grizzled old vet, and the dynamic between the two is full of comments about her appearance. Also, if I had a dollar for every unnecessary exclamation point (!!), I’d buy my own smart house and let it do the reading.

This one started strong but lost all momentum, weighed down by unrealistic pacing, awkward exposition, and a total lack of chemistry or urgency. I’m open to trying something else from this author—but this was not it.

SHE DID THE JOKE!!!! One of my favorite jokes EVER, one that I literally laugh out loud every time I see it, goes like this: "My wife asked me why I carry a gun in the house. I said 'Decepticons'. She laughed. I laughed. The toaster laughed. I shot the toaster. It was a good day."

Ladies and gentlemen, a minor spoiler: Deep in the heart of this book about AI tools controlling our machines and how these tools could be used for murder, there is a line:

"If I'm going to need to shoot anything, he thought dryly, it would need to be the appliances."

YEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SHE DID THE JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That alone MADE this book for me. That one line guaranteed a 5* review. Because it referenced my favorite joke ever. :)

Now, the rest of the story, taking place largely in the area I currently live (Jacksonville/ St Augustine, FL) with a few trips to some areas I've visited over the years (Tennessee), was a fun one just because of the personal connections... and the well told story. This is one that could have gone a T2: The Future War (an excellent book from earlier this Millenium, the conclusion of a trilogy that picks up immediately after T2: Judgement Day and tells a better conclusion to the Terminator story than anything put on screen since T2) route, given its basic premise... and yet chooses to make everything more more human focused.

Which makes it absolutely more terrifying.

Overall a well told story that could seemingly work as a series starter - and it would be very interesting to see where such a series goes.

Very much recommended.

The idea behind this book is intriguing. AI is becoming more and more prevalent in our day to day life, so a murder mystery based on AI interference is well timed. I am typically on board for any type of crime thriller. There was nothing wrong with this book, I just didn't have anything overly excited or gripping.

There is plenty of action, several characters to get connected to and the crime aspect wasn't horribly done. For me, everything was just kind of bland. Even the romance sub plot felt monotone and odd....we get both characters POV and it felt more like "oh hey, you are attractive and understand my career enough for me to jump in bed" then BAM, we get some internal dialogue with love thoughts? I didn't really feel true chemistry between them. The mystery component was decent but a little predictable and the climax was again, decent.

This is my first experience with this author and I do think I will give her another try. Overall, it wasn't bad at all, just not anything exciting I am going to remember within a few months.

Would you want your own smart house? I think we have all dreamed about having a house that can take care of us and know exactly what we need. Well we might change our mind after reading this book...The murder Machine is a blend of technology and suspense that explores the dark side of artificial intelligence. FBI agent Jude MacKenzie teams up with Special Agent Victoria Tennant to solve the mystery of how a women was killed by her state of the art smart house. The story explores the complexities of a world where machines can be manipulated to commit horrible acts. The tension increases as the duo uncovers a series of grisly accidents, each more stranger than the last, Make them confront the complicated reality that danger may lurk within the devices they rely on. The Murder Machine is a wonderful story that combines technology, mystery and psychological thriller. If you ever wondered what artificial intelligence might bring to our lives this is the book to read.

I may be wrong but the author also writes romance, I think? And that always seems to inflitrate thrillers with some stuft that feels weirdly out of place.

A great idea to place this book in the world on Artificial Intelligence. It was a unique and interesting concept brought to life in the capable hands of author Heather Graham. The FBi played a central role, but not the Krewe. This was solved without the help of ghosts or other phenomena. I was invested and involved throughout this book.

I'm going to start out by saying I read and reread the back cover blurb about the book and I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it. I kept coming back to it , I'm not into sci fi at all but I finally decided that I would try it. For anyone that is deliberating I say definitely get the book its a great read!! I love Heather Grahams books!! This one is definitely different from her norm but I enjoyed it. The premise of the story was very interesting and had me turning pages very quickly! The fact that AI is definitely a new technology in the world today made this story for me a very fascinating and intriguing read! Her main characters Jude and Victoria were very complex and well developed. It is scary to think about houses and machinery, actually all technology being manipulated to kill!! Not only did it make you think but the story itself was interesting and kept my attention throughout the book. I liked how Jude Mackenzie and Victoria Tenant both had individual strengths that helped solve this case and they worked together to bring the killer to justice all the while the danger to them being as close as the phones in there pockets or the car they drove!! I definitely recommend this book and give it 4 stars!!
I want to thank Harlequin Trade Publishing/Mira and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

It was really fun and an interesting premise but somewhat predictable at times! I really loved the futurist leaning / thinking of this book though and it was a fun read!

The premise of the story was interesting and current as AI takes over in different situations. When AI takes over a car, home appliances and a various electronic devices people begin to die. A team of special agents are on the case. The story focuses on Jude and Victoria, FBI agents, who pool their knowledge and resources. They also start a romance that was lackluster and seemed just thrown it without much forethought. The ending was okay but predicable.
I have read and enjoyed Heather Graham novels in the past but this one was lacking somehow. I was often distracted by grammatic mistakes, over use of the same word and sometimes sentences that didn't make sense. I appreciate getting an advanced copy and thought maybe it was just a really rough copy but most the time advanced copies are not that rough. Good premise for a plot but not my favorite of hers by a long shot. If this is your first read of her books, try another, she does have a number of really good books.
All thoughts are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Man, the beginning of this book was great but it quickly went downhill for me. I just couldn't get into the story especially after 50%. I didn't care about the characters. And the mystery was boring after the 50% mark. Definitely disappointed overall with this read.

A topical and intriguing plot hamstrung by, among other things, the dialogue between the two main characters. FBI Special Agents Jude Mackenzie and Victoria Tennant have a mystery on their hands when various people are killed by the machines in their smart homes. How is it happening, who is going it? More importantly, why? And does the reader care? This last is critical. You like me might figure things out before the SAs do. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Graham has written many many novels- this is not one of her best.

Couldn’t finish this one, the premise was fun, who wouldn’t love the idea of a murdering AI. But this one was just SO repetitive and slow. Not my favorite of hers.

I was both intrigued and apprehensive to read The Murder Machine after reading the description given today's society -- namely the obsession with AI and "smart" homes. Once I snagged an ARC, I dove right in and did not come up for air until I was done. Graham somehow created a fantastical yet plausible plot (a la 1984) that kept me hooked until the very end. A great summer read for 2025, preferably outdoors!

I only made it about half way through and just couldn’t finish it. It started off pretty well and sounded intriguing. But pretty quickly, it got a little monotonous and slow and just lost my attention.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book pretty early on. I found the plot really hard to follow, and like many other reviewers noted, the dialogue clunky and repetitive. I was excited about this book and it sounded like a unique concept - a technology thriller with a murderous AI house, but just didn't hit the mark for me.