Does the truth really set you free?

After reading this author’s “The Necklace” in August of last year, I was keen to read more of his work. Once again I was rewarded with an enjoyable, fast-paced, and satisfying read.

Set in Boston, Massachusetts in autumn, the story maintained a good sense of place. Petra lives with her boyfriend Jonah, on the top floor of a purple triple-decker in the North End of the city.

Petra works for the Boston Clarion, a newspaper that is just hanging on due to financial pressures. One of the people she works with is her nemesis, Natalie. The author has written Natalie’s character as one the reader loves to hate. He succeeded in my case. His portrayal of cut-throat office politics and rivalry was compelling.

The overriding theme in my opinion was ethics. In particular journalistic ethics. Just how far would our protagonist, Petra Kovach, go in search of the truth? When is too far? Do several wrongs make a right if the truth is finally revealed?

Petra was so driven – and SO desperate. Partly due to the precarious career she had chosen for herself, she had been fired several times. With newspapers downsizing, and many of them folding altogether, good journalism jobs were scarce. Now with imminent unemployment on the cards, she had one last ditch effort to salvage her career AND find justice by finding the true murderer of a young woman she had been fond of. Did she go too far? You be the judge.

With ‘fake news’ in the media spotlight, this was a very timely novel in many ways. It makes the reader question what they see and hear on mainstream media. And internet media, with its myriad podcasts and YouTube videos might be even more suspect. What should you believe?

If you find you are in the midst of a reading slump, this novel is the one to cure it. I found “Killer Story” hard to put down. It was a skilfully written, thought-provoking, and riveting thriller. Highly recommended!This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Oceanview Publishing via Edelweiss.

Publication date: January 17, 2023
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

ISBN: 9781608095247   ASIN: ‎ ‎ B09X5ZDFBK – 320 pages

Matt Witten, a graduate of Amherst and Brandeis Universities, is a TV writer, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. His television writing includes such shows as House, Pretty Little Liars, and Law & Order. His TV scripts have been nominated for an Emmy and two Edgars, and he has written four mystery novels, winning a Malice Domestic award for best debut novel. He has also written stage plays and for national magazines.

Killer Story is his most recent novel. His previous novel, The Necklace, has been optioned for film by Appian Way and Cartel Pictures, with Leonardo DiCaprio attached as producer.

Connect with Matt Witten via Twitter or Instagram.