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Killer Vibes: A Peter Key Novel
Not yet published
Expected 14 Jul 26Meet Peter Key: self-proclaimed “laziest private investigator in Texas” (it’s harder than it looks), full-time bisexual, dedicated stoner, and the surprised recipient of a windfall inheritance from an uncle he barely knew. Peter’s life was a mess before he became the owner of a dilapidated house in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Austin, but now he has a mountain of debt to deal with—and pushy realtors popping up on every corner to convince him to sell the land while the market is hot.
But Peter doesn’t like to be pushed around. And when he discovers a bag full of cash and a suggestion that his uncle's death might not have been an accident, he starts asking questions. When they said “Keep Austin Weird,” they weren’t joking. Just about everyone Peter meets seems to have a hidden agenda, and he soon finds himself pulled into a lethal game where not everybody plays by the rules. Fortunately for Peter, he’s never been a rule follower anyway.
Sexy, suspenseful, and packed with Austin’s quirks, Killer Vibes is the start of an iconic new series with a singular, unforgettable cast of characters.
But Peter doesn’t like to be pushed around. And when he discovers a bag full of cash and a suggestion that his uncle's death might not have been an accident, he starts asking questions. When they said “Keep Austin Weird,” they weren’t joking. Just about everyone Peter meets seems to have a hidden agenda, and he soon finds himself pulled into a lethal game where not everybody plays by the rules. Fortunately for Peter, he’s never been a rule follower anyway.
Sexy, suspenseful, and packed with Austin’s quirks, Killer Vibes is the start of an iconic new series with a singular, unforgettable cast of characters.
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 14, 2026
6735 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 22, 2026
I was looking for a bingeable read and, after giving up on several other books, I finally found what I wanted with Killer Vibes! Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the eARC.
The main character, Peter, is not at all like me, and yet he was somehow really relatable. And ballsy, so ballsy! He takes his weed and his manbun into a dilapidated house that is the eyesore of the neighborhood (and inconveniently the target of angry high rollers and hitmen) and makes a silk purse out of that sow's ear of a situation.
To be honest, it takes a really special mystery/thriller to lure me into the genre. It has often felt like a straight white man's genre glutted with cookie cutter books by a few big names. Despite having a male lead for the private investigator, this book felt like a breath of fresh air. It was funny without being silly, it had plot twists that snuck up on the reader without being convoluted or contrived, and it was genuinely well written. I was hooked by the premise (mysterious inheritances are always a delight) but then could not put the book down once the plot got rolling.
But, Jack Friday, please give us more of Aunt Sylvie next time. That woman has secrets upon secrets and the most delightful snobbery to boot. Anyone who can be described as "a bayonet of a woman" is someone I want to hear more about.
I will definitely be continuing with this series.
The main character, Peter, is not at all like me, and yet he was somehow really relatable. And ballsy, so ballsy! He takes his weed and his manbun into a dilapidated house that is the eyesore of the neighborhood (and inconveniently the target of angry high rollers and hitmen) and makes a silk purse out of that sow's ear of a situation.
To be honest, it takes a really special mystery/thriller to lure me into the genre. It has often felt like a straight white man's genre glutted with cookie cutter books by a few big names. Despite having a male lead for the private investigator, this book felt like a breath of fresh air. It was funny without being silly, it had plot twists that snuck up on the reader without being convoluted or contrived, and it was genuinely well written. I was hooked by the premise (mysterious inheritances are always a delight) but then could not put the book down once the plot got rolling.
But, Jack Friday, please give us more of Aunt Sylvie next time. That woman has secrets upon secrets and the most delightful snobbery to boot. Anyone who can be described as "a bayonet of a woman" is someone I want to hear more about.
I will definitely be continuing with this series.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
(4.5*) [Netgalley ARC] There's a always excitement mixed with a little bit of trepidation when you pick up a mystery novel centered around a P.I. It is well trodden ground for a reason - it is hard to beat the enoyment of reading a well-crafted mystery - yet, it is such a well mined vein of storytelling, there's always a nagging concern that any fresh ideas for the genre have been depleted. So, what a delight it is that Friday is able to create a compelling stroy that invokes the well-drawn character work of Elmore Leonard, the cynacsim of someone like Ross Thomas, and dashes of the surreality and humor of someone like Pynchon or a Shane Black script.
Peter Key is a bisexual stoner who has nothing going for him, until he very suddenly has everything going for him. However, the stings attached to his newfound fortune are more likely to kill him than see him enjoy them for long. His charm and his run of good luck nets him some valuable friends, lovers, allies and a German Sheppard that give him a fighting chance of surviving, and also discovering some truths about himself along the way.
I look forward to reading more Peter Key stories in the future!
Peter Key is a bisexual stoner who has nothing going for him, until he very suddenly has everything going for him. However, the stings attached to his newfound fortune are more likely to kill him than see him enjoy them for long. His charm and his run of good luck nets him some valuable friends, lovers, allies and a German Sheppard that give him a fighting chance of surviving, and also discovering some truths about himself along the way.
I look forward to reading more Peter Key stories in the future!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
8/10
Jack Friday has balls.
One day it seems he sat down and decided that he’s going to take a homeless, jobless, pot smoking, bisexual slacker who has a lot more sass than ambition, and somehow turn him into a hero.
That’s not an easy sell. That story can go sideways pretty quickly.
It turns out Mr. Friday pulled it off.
Peter Key is the most unlikely hero from the beginning and he remains the most unlikely hero through until the end. There’s more than a little bit of luck that goes his way, but somehow he’s living his best life.
When Peter is just a few minutes from being broke and kicked out of the garage he’s living in, he finds out his estranged uncle died and left him his house - which is worth $1m or more.
It all sounds good until Peter gets down to the house and the weird shenanigans start happening.
Car chases, murder, suspense, sex… it’s got it all.
And I can’t wait until the next book in the series.
#netgalley #killervibes
Jack Friday has balls.
One day it seems he sat down and decided that he’s going to take a homeless, jobless, pot smoking, bisexual slacker who has a lot more sass than ambition, and somehow turn him into a hero.
That’s not an easy sell. That story can go sideways pretty quickly.
It turns out Mr. Friday pulled it off.
Peter Key is the most unlikely hero from the beginning and he remains the most unlikely hero through until the end. There’s more than a little bit of luck that goes his way, but somehow he’s living his best life.
When Peter is just a few minutes from being broke and kicked out of the garage he’s living in, he finds out his estranged uncle died and left him his house - which is worth $1m or more.
It all sounds good until Peter gets down to the house and the weird shenanigans start happening.
Car chases, murder, suspense, sex… it’s got it all.
And I can’t wait until the next book in the series.
#netgalley #killervibes
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I saw this book listed on a Jordy’s Book Club post, and I was excited by the idea of a funny mystery. This was definitely that with a few twists along the way. There were some stereotypes and comments made that I didn’t love, but I do think that they were all part of developing character. I just wish this could be done in a different way. I was taken in by the main characters though and I’m excited about the possibility of a second book in this series. The book is released in mid-July 2026. Read the overview and check it out if you think it might be for you.
January 19, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This mystery follows Peter Key, a down on his luck burnout, who in turn of events inherits his uncles home in Austin, TX right as he is kicked out of his current place. Once in the home he finds himself tangled in a mystery of his uncles death and subsequent debts that are now his, and a nagging felling that he needs to get the bottom of what’s going on.
This was great kickoff to what I assume will be a series, the characters are entertaining and the mystery was full of fun twists. I was hooked from beginning to end.
This mystery follows Peter Key, a down on his luck burnout, who in turn of events inherits his uncles home in Austin, TX right as he is kicked out of his current place. Once in the home he finds himself tangled in a mystery of his uncles death and subsequent debts that are now his, and a nagging felling that he needs to get the bottom of what’s going on.
This was great kickoff to what I assume will be a series, the characters are entertaining and the mystery was full of fun twists. I was hooked from beginning to end.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A hilarious and twisty private investigator noir that I couldn’t put down! Totally adored Peter, a bisexual stoner who really needs a place to stay and ends up inheriting his uncle’s home in Austin, TX at just the right, or actually, just the wrong time. Think Fletch meets Chinatown, such a wild and touching ride.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an early eARC! Thoughts and reviews are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an early eARC! Thoughts and reviews are my own.
December 28, 2025
This was a fast-paced, accidental PI novel. It’s set up to be a series and I’ll definitely be reading the next one! The protagonist is a mess and stumbles upon some money and a mystery and somehow makes an impact. It was fun to read!
I received an early copy through Netgalley but all opinions are my own.
I received an early copy through Netgalley but all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5
over all great mystery with an amateur sleuth smack in the middle of it.
there is just parts that just was not for me. but I have peeps I know will love it and will recommend to them
over all great mystery with an amateur sleuth smack in the middle of it.
there is just parts that just was not for me. but I have peeps I know will love it and will recommend to them
January 4, 2026
Excellent! Fantastic start to a promising new series. Looking forward to the next one!
Want to read
January 9, 2026MMD Bridget’s 2025 Best Book
October 20, 2025
A fun, wild, hilarious ride - Peter Key is not your grandma’s amateur sleuth, in the best way. This is a fresh take on some classic themes, and it tackles them with a bite. An out of the blue inheritance that’s more than it seems, a fancy neighbourhood with a dark underbelly, and a snarky world-weary bisexual disaster child who is, underneath it all, endearingly tenacious. Trust me, it’s the murder mystery mash-up you didn’t know you needed.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews