Robbie McNeil's Hit List

by Brianna Heath, Mara Wilson (Narrator)

For fans of This Girl's a Killer and Joanna Wallace comes a quirky, queer, crime-filled mystery following a contract killer who breaks all her rules when she is hired to kill someone who doesn’t exist...
For this hitwoman, curiosity may be killer.
Contract killer Robbie McNeil never asks questions. Her mission is simple. Do the job. Get paid. Get back to running the karaoke bar she co-owns with her queerplatonic partner and fellow contract killer, Dee. And it works... Until their ambitious new theatrical venture breaks the bank.
When a mysterious new client hires Robbie for a hit, she takes the job, even though it’s sketchy as hell he won’t tell her anything but the target’s name. But hey, she didn’t build her reputation by being curious, and she desperately needs the cash.
Except something about this new target doesn’t add up. When he disappears with no record he ever existed, she chucks her no-questions-asked policy out the window, determined to figure out who this target really is. But the price for asking questions is high and might just cost Robbie everything she holds dear.

Genres: Mystery, Queer, Mystery Thriller, LGBT, Thriller, Fiction, Adult

Audible Audio

First published March 24, 2026

About the author

Brianna Heath is queer, neurodivergent author who writes books that can be broadly described as “Be Gay, Do Crime.” She aims to put stories out in the world that reflect the lives and experiences of people who often do not see themselves represented in media.

Brianna lives in Northern California with Beau, her rescued border collie/gremlin, who, like her, has absolutely no chill. She can be found on IG as @briannahwrites.

Reviews

[Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take a bit of karaoke, musical theater, and two ride-or-die contract-killing besties, and you’ve got the genre-bending mashup that is Robbie McNeil’s Hit List. An eyebrow-raising mix of TJ Klune and Assassins Anonymous, it was a hard book to pin down. That being said, I’ll give it a try. A quirky tale about an enviable queerplatonic relationship, it also had quite the side helping of murder and intrigue. Yup. You read that right. Despite how this book was billed, it focused more on the found-family vibe than the contract killing plot line. Darkly comedic and yet also heartwarming at the same time, it was a brand-new take on the mystery/thriller genre. After all, in addition to the unforgettable antiheroine, this fun, wild ride was the embodiment of “be gay, do crimes!”

As much as everything above delivered in spades, though, thanks to the high-octane promises made in the synopsis, I ultimately felt somewhat let down by the time I reached the last page. On top of that, with uneven pacing, a lack of true thriller-level tension, and twists that I easily predicted, it just didn’t deliver what I was hoping it would in terms of thrills, murder, and action. That being said, the sweet friendships, authentic characters, and laugh-out-loud banter was an absolute win. I mean, who wouldn’t love a lighthearted story focusing on thought-provoking themes such as love, friendship, and gender fluidity? So if you’re looking for a cozy mystery with heart, you can go ahead and stop looking. This original debut had all of that and more. Rating of 3.5 stars (upgraded).

SYNOPSIS:

Contract killer Robbie McNeil never asks questions. Her mission is simple. Do the job. Get paid. Get back to running the karaoke bar she co-owns with her queerplatonic partner and fellow contract killer, Dee. And it works... Until their ambitious new theatrical venture breaks the bank.

When a mysterious new client hires Robbie for a hit, she takes the job, even though it's sketchy as hell he won't tell her anything but the target's name. But hey, she didn't build her reputation by being curious, and she desperately needs the cash.

Except something about this new target doesn't add up. When he disappears with no record he ever existed, she chucks her no-questions-asked policy out the window, determined to figure out who this target really is. But the price for asking questions is high and might just cost Robbie everything she holds dear.

Thank you Brianna Heath and Poisoned Pen Press for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: March 24, 2026

Content warning: death, stalking, kidnapping, murder, death of a parent, deadnaming

[Maddy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an eARC of this book!

Unfortunately, this was really just not for me. The pacing was all over the place, and the story felt like it was just doing… way too much, with every plot and every character. Unnecessary details were expanded on to the point of tedium and… I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it felt like… too much representation? In the way that the book felt sort of straight out of 2015 Tumblr posts - a spiritual successor to the mythic “All or Nothing” TV sit-com.

And also to the point where the characters sort of seemed to be built upon their sexuality and gender, rather than being whole unique individuals where their identities are only part of who they are.

And, I dunno, some parts of it just felt sort of tone-deaf in the current climate. Where the multi-millionaire politician who got his start with insider trading and turned to politics later in life is actually a kind gentle ally who loves the arts! No, no, he’s one of the GOOD absurdly rich men! He likes gay people and theatre!!!!!!

I dunno. This one took me a long time to push my way through. I don’t believe this was advertised as being a YA novel; but in a lot of ways I think it’s better suited to being that. I think some adjustments and editing would need to be made to suit that, but it might help make a more suited novel.

[✧*⁠.⁠✧ Jiya ✧*.⁠✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley and the author for giving me this ARC!!

Be gay and do crime is the best genre of books, and add in some singing and musicals, amazing read.

This book wasn't quite what I expected in the best way possible! The differences in the way Robbie and Dee go about their hits and their own specific reason to do it that way was so nice. I just wished that we got to know a bit more about Dee and his backstory. Also Robbie's was only really mentioned in passing which meant we got to know about some reasons but a lot of it is definitely unknown.

I loved the dynamic between Robbie and Dee because it's just such a perfect description of friendship. And they both complement each other however are not perfect characters, making them so easy to relate to. The best part is definitely both of them singing together and just that cozyness of them sharing a house together.
Can we also please talk about all the aro rep in this??!!! LOVE LOVE LOVEEE!!

Overall, an amazing book which perfectly blended comedy and just the hit person genre.

[Sam]

Let’s start with the things I liked. I like the characters, they are diverse and have some interesting jobs. I like the queer platonic relationship, great representation. I like how dyslexia is discussed.

Now what I didn’t like so much.
The story is flat and takes too long to get going. For something to say mystery on the cover, I need to feel that more. I was just waiting and waiting for things to happen in this story. The resolution was rather anticlimactic if you’d ask me.

While I see the potential it all just fell a bit too flat for me. It’s a nice change from the fairly standard love stories in the LGBTQ+ books, so I’ll give it extra points on that. (For those looking for a traditional love story, this isn’t your book)

[Lianne Hare · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw that this release was dubbed a queer, crime-filled mystery following a contract killer for fans of This Girls a Killer, I just knew it was going to be a top tier read for me, and I’m pleased to say I wasn’t wrong.

It’s giving be gay, do crimes energy packed with humour, love and friendship. Which isn’t the first thing you think of when faced with a book about contract killers, but you’ll be surprised just how much this grabs you right in the feels. You know what else you’re going to get? Musical theatre and if that isn’t super duper gay, I don’t know what to tell you. Robbie and Dees friendship is an absolute joy to feel a part of in this book and do I want to run a lesbian karaoke bar with my friends now? Yep!

But the killings I hear you ask, we’re served with the vaguest case and Robbie then has to take a deep dive to find out as much as she can about her latest hit whilst running her karaoke bar, getting their theatre production ready and roping in her bestie for it all. Because after all when gathering information about your contract kill, two heads are better than one!

The representation in this book deserves a nod. These characters feel wholly authentic & I loved their depth.

[AmesChicReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contract killers, bar owners,side musical shows, oh my. Admittedly, this started off super slow for me and I had a hard time getting into it. However, I am glad I stuck with it because it ended up being a good story. I liked the characters, Robbie and Dee and the other side characters. Even though they were morally gray, this author wrote the MC’s in a way you couldn’t help but understand and like them. They had an ideal platonic relationship as partners in crime and business. I also enjoyed the suspense and the mystery, glad when it all worked out for Dee and Robbie in the end.

Thank you sourcebooks the author and NetGalley for the #gifted e-arc and for the opportunity to read this story!

[Geonn Cannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent premise and a good character, but I feel the plot got overly complex and twisty. One character had identities on top of identities and I lost the thread a few times. Also I feel like 'queer hitwoman who owns a karaoke club' was enough color for Robbie. We didn't also need the "writing/staging a musical" thing on top of that. It was too much in my opinion. But I DID like it, and if it turns into a series I'll definitely check out the next one.

[Michaela | bumblebeeslibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robbie McNeil's Hit list was not a bad story, it just wasn't what I felt was "advertised" thus why I gave it 3 stars.

There were things I did enjoy about the story: I loved the main characters, as well as the mysterious side character that is Robbie's "hit gone wrong."

What I didn't enjoy so much, is the lack of "hit list" or hit woman aspects of the story. While this book is advertised as Robbie investigating a target, to me it felt a little more like Robbie and her room mate Dee who are working on opening a play, who also are investigating a hit target on the side. This was my biggest issue with the story, the blurb gives a very short sentence mentioning Dee and Robbie's "theatrical adventures" so I didn't anticipate that the majority of the story would be about that. And yes, there is an aspect of Robbie and Dee doing contract hits, and investigating the particular target that makes the story, but that felt more side story to the play itself. I think if the blurb had touched more on how large of a part the play, plays in the story, readers would have had different expectations.

I did enjoy both Robbie and Dee's characters. I loved that they own a lesbian karaoke bar, Coda it sounds like such a fun place! I love their relationship, while not romantic, one that works perfectly for them. Robbie and Dee perfectly balance each other.

When Robbie takes out a contract from a mysterious man one evening, she is on alert from the get go, but really needs the cash. When she asks for some details about the hit, the client is extremely vague, more so than Robbie is used to. So she goes with the little bit of information she has, and tracks down the hit. With the uneasy feeling never fully going away, Robbie goes down quite the rabbit hole of figuring out who this person is. Dee also gets involved later on, and they both investigate while also running Coda, and working on their play.

I enjoyed the character that Robbie is trying to actually kill. The more we learn about them, the more intriguing the backstory gets. The ending has quite the bombshell, and leaves you still wondering about the true identity of this person. Robbie and Dee also work diligently on their theatrical play throughout this story, the reason Robbie needs the money from this hit to begin with. The story leans pretty heavily into the rehearsing for and seemingly unending issues that go on with the play itself, while Robbie is doing her investigating on the mystery contract.

Thank you so much to the author, Poisoned Pen Press, and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

Some fav quotes:
"Code was home: neon lights and drunk lesbians, enthusiastic bad singing and Dee."

"The one talent they shared equally was what had brought them together in the first place: They were both quite proficient at killing people."

"The two of them made their actual living killing people. They did it exceedingly well, but it most certainly was not about joy."

"Her core process for hits was essentially the same for everyone. Observe, plan, act."

"God bless the internet. How did hit people function before it?"

"How anyone ran a successful small business without also killing people on the side was beyond Robbie."

"Robbie cranked up the playlist she maintained for when she was on the job, which she hadn't been able to resist calling her Hit list."

[Corinne’s Chapter Chatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this one… but it just didn’t quite come together for me.

The overarching concept? Genuinely strong—especially within the current contract killer/serial killer trend that’s everywhere right now. It had the bones of something I should have absolutely devoured. But unfortunately, the execution in the finer details is where things started to unravel.

I read the eARC, and the pacing really struggled. The story didn’t flow as smoothly as I’d hoped, largely due to a lot of extraneous information that didn’t feel essential to the plot. Instead of adding depth, it pulled me out of the story and had me checking out more often than I wanted to.

Another big sticking point for me was the representation. I’m usually thrilled to see marginalized rep included, but here it came across as more performative than organic. Rather than feeling naturally woven into the story, it leaned into heavy-handed info dumping that felt more like being told than shown. And when that happens, it can come off as inauthentic instead of impactful. I saw another reviewer describe it as “too much representation,” and I have to agree—it ends up diluting the authenticity rather than strengthening it.

It also tries to blend in musical theatre elements—something I should have loved—but combined with everything else, it just felt like too many ideas competing in the same space instead of working together cohesively.

All of this made it hard for me to fully reconnect with the parts I did enjoy. That said, I do want to highlight Robbie—our titular character—who is messy, quirky, and genuinely endearing. She’s easy to root for, and I can absolutely see her being the reason this works for other readers.

Overall, while this didn’t fully land for me, the concept itself is one of the more interesting takes in this subgenre—and with a tighter execution, it could have been a standout.

I am thankful to have received a complimentary eARC from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley, which gave me the opportunity to share my voluntary thoughts.

[Manon (mysterymanon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little homage to “be gay, do crime”: a contract killer moonlighting as a karaoke bar owner (or is it the other way around?) fails to kill a target. Chaos ensues.

Fans of witty writing, lovable characters, and musicals will love Robbie and her circle. The mystery dragged a little in the middle but picked up toward the end. But I really loved Robbie’s voice and the blend of hitperson + cozy. This would be a fun pick for pride :0)

[Montes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a few things that I really enjoy reading about: queer people, musicals, karaoke and unwavering friendship. It was refreshing not to read about romance, yo just be gay and do crime.

I hadn’t ever thought about contract killers having specialties more than just their weapons of choice but having Robbie be specialized in making murders look like accidents was so interesting to me. The way Robbie’s mind worked reminded a lot of my own, in the sense of having so many distractions, questions and curiosities that can deviate from the main purpose.

Robbie and Dee’s relationship was beautiful and I loved that they were an unconditional support for each other without making it romantic at all.

I also had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook and the narrator, Mara Wilson was wonderful.

Thank you to Brianna Heath, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC.

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected, but I liked it quite a lot. Robbie McNeal’s hit list follows Robbie, who is a professional killer. She and her QPR partner Dee not only take out hits (separately), but also run a lesbian karaoke bar and are attempting to set up a musical. Strangely enough, all these storylines converge in a delicious manner.

This book has a lot of representation: queer rep, disability rep, POC rep, the cast is just very diverse. This is something that I generally really appreciate in a book, but with the descriptions, it did sometimes come across as performative. Still, I am not going to be mad about it. I rarely see QPRs or aromanticism accurately represented, so I will take what I can get, performative or not.

The mystery itself is intruiging enough, and the characters overall pretty likeable. I did see the “solution”/“twist” coming from miles away, but I liked how in the end, some of that still was left out in the open. Usually, I am not too fond of loose ends, but here they kind of added to the story.

As far as thriller-realism goes, this book is not very realistic, so there is some suspension of belief necessary before you dive in. Other than that, you will probably have a good time reading this book!

[alex]

DNF @ 22%

This book was not for me for a variety of reasons, namely that the side ventures the characters had going on were things I really don’t like personally (karaoke and especially musical theatre) so it felt tedious to read about them managing those aspects, but that’s obviously just my preference.
Another main issue I had was that the way their jobs as contact killers were handled (or moreso, not addressed in any depth at all, just declaring that Robbie was so good at her job because she “doesn’t ask questions”) was disappointing to me. I expected more moral examination and dialogue around the idea of killing someone simply because a person with enough money has requested it, regardless of if the target did anything to warrant it. Instead, what I got was somehow this book trying to just look past this or ignore it completely, if not play it down, and that was not what I personally wanted from the story.

[Lisa Hurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robbie, along with her queer-platonic partner Dee, are contract killers. It's really simple; do the job, don't ask questions, and don't get messy.
Robbie and Dee were originally hired by James as contract killers who decided to go solo. They are now co-owners of a queer karaoke bar and working on their first musical.
Robbie is hired to kill Xavier, and for the first time, she gets curious about the subject.
For contract killers, Robbie and Dee keep that separate from their everyday lives. They are both clever. Throw some twists and keep you guessing what's coming next.
This book is great for anyone who likes cozy crime and mystery novels.
Thank you, NetGalley Poisoned Pen Press and Breanna Heath, for providing this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review

Robbie McNeil’s Hit List ended up being such a delight. Robbie is an army veteran, killer for hire, lesbian karaoke bar owner, aspiring musical writer and aromantic lesbian working with business partner and queerplatonic soul mate Dee in small town Indiana. They’ve been shuffling money from the karaoke bar to pay for the musical they’re writing and producing and taking contract hits to help balance the budget. But everything goes sideways when Robbie accepts a local job and… the mark disappears before the can complete the job.

This was a little slow to start for me, but once I hit the 30% mark, I flew through it. The plotting is reminiscent of a hard boiled PI mystery, but it’s told from the POV of a snarky assassin. I love a smart, sarcastic, strategic and sometimes self-deprecating main character. Robbie has it all in spades. She’s sharp and witty and her observations about the people in her world are tinged with her humor. Her relationship with platonic life partner Dee is absolutely beautiful. And the way she navigates the world of contract killers and uses her smarts to triumph made me gleeful.

The queer rep in this book is outstanding. It’s not performative or a source of tension. I’d call it a queer normative world, but it’s set in the real world and we’re still not there. It’s a queer normative version of the real world?

I got a huge kick out of the musical subplot. I’d love to know more about the production!

Thanks so much to Poisoned Pen Press for the free book.

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since leaving the military, Robbie McNeil has spent her days as a contract killer. By night, however, she’s the co-owner of a queer karaoke bar. A mysterious new client seeks her out at the bar one night, arranging for a hit with minimal information. Robbie is used to the secretive nature of these assignments, but something isn’t adding up. As she gets further into planning her execution, the more curious she becomes. Instead of following her normal pattern, she’s taken almost an entire month to carry off this hit. Her life, her night-job, and reputation are all on the line. Not to mention she’s currently in the middle of planning the debut of her musical. Robbie McNeil may be next on the hit list if her curiosity continues.

This was a super fun read! I did figure out some of the twists, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. I thought the premise was unique; who doesn’t want to read about a karaoke bar owning contract killer? I also loved how the reader saw an insight into Robbie’s life and how her own vulnerabilities shape her work (both areas). It’s a very fast-paced read and perfect for your upcoming beach days! I will definitely be on the lookout for future releases from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Brianna Heath, and Poisoned Pen Press for a copy of this book. I received this ARC for free and am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Ryan Gordon-Gonzales · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I Liked:
- I like Robbie as a character for being kind of messy and her struggles with reading were a good way to flesh her out.
- I like Dee, he reminded me of one of my close friends who is also a very gifted singer.
- I also like that Robbie and Dee are internally consistent regarding their feelings on killing. Dee not holding a grudge against the person contracted to kill his love interest because it's part of the job was a good character beat.

What I Didn't Like:
- Introducing Robbie to us as a fundamentally uncurious person only to reveal that she is extremely curious all the time felt really strange. She gets recruited into the world of contract killing because she knows not to ask questions so her failing 50% of the jobs we see her take due to curiosity makes her competence feel more tell than show.
- Cassie/Xavier/Alexandria is eternally confusing. Was she a cis woman exploring her gender? Or is she a trans woman? It's rather unclear to me at any rate but if it's the latter it makes the end of her story even fuzzier than it already is.
- I'm not fond of stories that present themselves as mysteries without actually solving the mysteries.
- We never learned what Robbie's play was even about and considering how important it was supposed to be for the story, that felt like an odd choice.

[Samantha (rain.books.and.tea) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

There was a lot going on in this book. I loved the premise of hit person by day, lesbian karaoke bar owner by night. But I think there was a bit too much going on with the addition of the theatre production, and the mystery of who put the hit out on Xavier and why.

The pacing was also all over the place. It felt like it took entirely too long to set up the mystery and then once Robbie broke routine and started being curious about the hit on Xavier, I wasn’t curious at all. After a couple little tidbits were revealed it seemed obvious what was going on but Robbie and Dee remained unaware, only for the mystery to end with ambiguity.

I loved that Robbie and Dee were queerplatonic soulmates. The community and family the built made me so happy. I wish there has been more time focusing on this instead of everything else that was going on.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.75 stars

Robbie McNeil’s Hit List is an entertaining read. Although the story misses the mark for me, the elements of the karaoke bar, musical production woes, a mysterious disappearing target, and an assassin with (supposedly) an eye for detail are blended well. It’s better to expect that the book is more a comedy of errors where a botched job interferes with two assassins producing a musical than a high-stakes mystery.

Though Robbie McNeil’s Hit List frustrated me at times, it’s still fun.

Read Jovan’s review in its entirety here.

[Makayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a fun and unique concept, a contract killer who co-owns a karaoke bar with her queerplatonic partner? Immediately yes. I loved how different this felt from a typical mystery.

Robbie is sharp, morally complicated, and easy to root for in a chaotic way. The dynamic between her and Dee was honestly one of my favorite parts of the book. Their bond added warmth and heart to a story that could have easily leaned too cold or gritty. The representation and character dynamics really shine here.

That said, the pacing felt uneven at times. There were moments where I wanted the tension to build more, especially around the actual hit and the mystery behind it. Some parts felt slower than they needed to be, while others wrapped up a bit too quickly. I also found myself wanting more depth in the moral stakes with a premise like this, I expected a little more emotional punch.

Overall, this was an entertaining and creative read that didn’t fully hit thriller-level intensity for me, but it absolutely delivered on charm and originality. A solid 3-star read if you’re looking for queer-driven crime with humor and heart.

[Jessica Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started this book it was hard to get my attention and captivate me. But by chapter 7 I was fully committed. The biggest downside of this book was I had the story figured out by chapter 13. I kinda knew where it was headed before that but I had it totally figured out and was dead set on my prediction. I ended up right which I didn’t love. There’s 29 chapters 30 of you count CODA at the end. So that was a bit of a let down to know the ending before I actually made it there. It was a good story though with a good happy ending. A good pro LGBTQ mystery. I just wish the cliffhangers were a bit more exciting with some deeper twists and turns.

[Nicole Alycia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robbie, a hit woman who owns a lesbian karaoke bar with her queer platonic partner, gets a bit in over her head when a hit is taken out on the mysterious Xavier Landerman.

This one was a ride! I had a lot of fun reading this, Robbie and Dee were fantastic characters. I loved their dynamic and I loved that they owned a karaoke bar and were so into music. I did think the added plot line of the play was a little much at times, it made the story drag at parts. But it did all get tied in at the end which definitely helped!
I was surprised by the ending! I didn’t see it coming at all!

If you enjoy quirky mysteries I’d highly recommend this one!

[Pattyh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Robbie Mcneils Hit List. Two women who are partners in several ventures including being Hit “women”. They also run a bar and are close friends.
Taking on hits is no big deal. It’s a job. But things go south when a hit does t go as planned and to get to the bottom of this they get more than they bargained for and more!
There is a mix of humor but not much suspense. Good novel but not one I expected to read. 3 stars.

[Maddie Weeks · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Read for a book tour, below is my honest review**

I knew I had to read this book when I saw the tag line ‘be gay, do crime’ I mean HELLO!?

This was an enjoyable read but I struggled with the pacing, it felt a lot slow than I think it should be. I also feel like the ‘hitwoman’ element was lacking and could have been focused on more.

I think the representation in it is great. It explores different sexuality’s and gender identities which I think is really important and I love to see it. I also really like the relationship between Robbie and Dee, very well written.

For a debut novel, I think this is a good book with a solid premise and I would read more from this author.

If you have any content triggers, I advise you to read any trigger warnings beforehand.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a mystery read with LGBTQ elements.

Thank you Novel Tours for letting me be a part of this tour!

I give this 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 on Goodreads and Amazon)

[Emmaline Savidge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lesbian contract killers that run a gay bar falling into a mystery when the hit they’re completing to fund a production of their musical goes wrong, is a bonkers premise. I personally had a great time with it. The mystery was tons of fun to try and solve along with Robbie. I also adored getting to read about Robbie’s relationship with Dee. Something just hits different about sapphic friendships. This is a very solid standalone, but I would love to see Robbie and Dee get sucked into more chaos. If you enjoyed The Verifiers or Evander Mills I think you’ll enjoy this book since Robbie is often acting like a PI during her contracts.

[Barbara Waloven · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have musical theatre, a gay karaoke bar, a couple of hitmen (er women), illegal gambling, murders, and mystery. What more could you want in a fast paced story? You’ll think you figured out the mystery and maybe you will but there’s more mystery on top of it and more on top of that and I bet you won’t see them coming. Very good read.

[Elisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Amelia Tisk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an eARC of this book!!

I absolutely loved this book! All aspects of the story were so intriguing and fit so well together in unexpected ways. I would’ve never thought queer contract killers running a queer karaoke bar while also staging a full-blown musical would uncover such a mystery through their work. And the ways everything tied together in the end was just brilliant in my opinion. I was kept guessing throughout the story and felt satisfied in the ending even though I wasn’t sure how things were going to end up. I also really enjoyed how the author wrote their queer characters by not making their core personality trait their sexuality, and writing full fledged well rounded characters. I also feel the author wrote about addition, mental illness, and disabilities in a respectful and realistic way that further helped develop these characters.

As a fun side note, I feel like this book was written for me. My parents run their own karaoke business, I am a queer person who loves musicals, and although I’m not a contract killer, I do have an interest in true crime and I’m studying forensic psychology, so I just thought it was really cool to see all these aspects come together in one story!

[Marissa Pekurny · Rating 5 out of 5]

i absolutely enjoyed every single minute of this book. it was so good and held my attention the entire time. i loved robbie and dee and thought they were so perfect! i loved the whole hitperson aspect and thought it flowed in the story so well. i really enjoyed xavier as well and thought the character fit perfectly into the story. the twists were twisting and i was pleasantly surprised with how they played out. that ending was a wild one and honestly i thought it was perfect! thank you to the author and publisher for the early copy! i definitely recommend reading!

[Vish · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Robbie McNeil’s Hitlist* by Brianna Heath was a ride that definitely had me hooked at points. As the mystery unraveled, I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat, eager to see where it was all headed. The tension and reveals were strong enough to keep me invested, and as a thriller/mystery fan, I appreciated the dark tone and the twists scattered throughout.

That said, the pacing didn’t always land for me. Certain sections dragged on longer than needed, while other moments that could’ve used more detail felt rushed past too quickly. Because of this, some of the suspense lost its punch, and I wasn’t as gripped in the middle as I hoped to be.

Still, despite those flaws, I did enjoy my time with the book. It’s not a perfect thriller, but it delivered enough intrigue to keep me reading through to the end. Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy fast, twisty mysteries and don’t mind some uneven pacing along the way.

overall a fun read to pass time.