Title: KILLER STORY
Author: MATT WITTEN
ISBN: 9781608096046
Publisher: Oceanview
Pages: 354
Source: Private Copy
How far will she go to catch the killer—and make her podcast a hit?
Talented and idealistic young reporter Petra Kovach is on the brink of being laid off from her third failing newspaper in a row. To save her job, she pitches the launch of a true crime podcast about a sensational, unsolved murder.
Years earlier, an alt-right YouTuber was killed in her Harvard dorm room, and the case went cold. Petra knew the victim—she was once her camp counselor and loved her like a little sister, despite their political differences.
Petra’s investigation gets off to a rocky start, as her promising leads quickly shrivel up. In her passionate quest for justice—and clicks—Petra burns sources and breaks laws, ultimately putting her own life on the line. Even as her star rises, she worries it could all come crashing down at any moment if her actions are exposed.
When her machinations start to backfire, there’s only one way to fix everything and solve the murder—even though it may cost her everything she loves.
Official Summary
13 August 2026
I may be a little late to the party with this one. After ordering a copy, I had to wait more than six weeks for it to finally arrive, but it was well worth the wait. Once again, Matt Witten did not disappoint, and this easily earned another five-star rating from me.
One thing Witten does exceptionally well is create characters who make terrible decisions without ever making the story feel unrealistic. He never shies away from exploring the darker side of human nature, and that is on full display in Killer Story.
Petra dreams of becoming a respected newspaper journalist, but repeated budget cuts have left her unemployed time and again. This time, however, she refuses to accept defeat. Desperate to keep her job, she pitches a true crime podcast that she believes will save her career.
Instead, it destroys lives.
As Petra chases the next big story, she publicly exposes people’s secrets and makes damaging accusations based on little more than speculation. She has little regard for the consequences of her actions, caring only about getting the story before anyone else. I honestly cannot remember the last time I disliked a protagonist this much. Not once did I agree with Petra’s decisions, and yet I could not tear myself away from the story. I simply had to know how it would all end.
That, to me, is the mark of a talented writer. Matt Witten somehow manages to create a protagonist who is deeply unlikeable while keeping the reader completely invested in her journey. I spent the entire novel frustrated by Petra, but I was equally fascinated by the chaos she left in her wake.
This was another fantastic read and sits right up there with The Necklace, which regular visitors to my blog will know I absolutely loved. Matt Witten deserves far more recognition than he receives. He is an incredibly talented storyteller, and I cannot wait to see what he writes next.
Also By Matt Witten
51%
Twenty years from now, the United States is completely privatized. The Big Six syndicates own schools, roads, police departments… even human beings.
When a young immigrant woman—51% owned by the syndicates—is brutally murdered, NYPD, Inc. detective Juke O’Keefe and his partner, crime marketing consultant Haylee Navarro, catch the case. Pregnant and broke, Haylee knows they can’t crowdfund enough from a dead immigrant to pay for basic forensics, let alone their paychecks. But Juke, with his old-school sense of justice, is determined to find the killer.
Their search for the truth leads them to Juke’s ex, a Resistance leader on the syndicates’ most wanted list. As the three join forces, they stumble onto a conspiracy designed to destroy the last shreds of American freedom. To rescue fifty-one percenters—and everyone else—from syndicate control, they’ll have to defeat the Red Queen, the most ruthless, powerful AI in the world.
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Matt Witten is a TV writer, novelist, playwright and screenwriter who has been writing for television for the past twenty years, including such shows as House, Pretty Little Liars, Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Medium, JAG, The Glades, Homicide, Judging Amy, and Women’s Murder Club. He has written four mystery novels that were published by Signet: Breakfast at Madeline’s, Grand Delusion, Strange Bedfellows, and The Killing Bee.
His novel The Necklace will be published in September 2021 by Oceanview Publishing. The novel has been optioned for film by Appian Way and Cartel Pictures, with Leonardo DiCaprio attached as producer.
My apologies that it has taken me so long to read and review this book. If you haven’t yet, you need to add this one to your TBR, it’s another brilliant read from Matt Witten. Thank you for stopping by, until next time…. Happy Reading!
