What do you think?
Kill Story
Twenty-three-year-old American expat Skye Sullivan is Influence Manager for Amsterdam's hottest startup. CoHab is a co-living community founded by charismatic Silas Hayes, and earmarked as the Next Big Thing. Everyone wants to work there.
But Skye has a front-row view of the chaos inside. Booze- and pill-fuelled parties after hours, a hotbed of sexual encounters and gossip; it's no wonder the threat of bankruptcy looms even as the doors are just opening. As Skye becomes indispensable to Yelena, the director of marketing and Silas' right-hand woman, Skye finds her job becomes less about influencing and more about covering up the messes threatening to burst open CoHab at the seams.
Overstressed, underpaid, but somehow still desperate to keep her job, Skye gets closer and closer to the dark heart of CoHab. How much will she sacrifice to the gods of good PR before her own neck is on the line?
A razor-sharp, insightful and wildly entertaining debut, KILL STORY will be the most talked about book of the year. Perfect for fans of R.F. Kuang, Bella Mackie and Ellery Lloyd.
But Skye has a front-row view of the chaos inside. Booze- and pill-fuelled parties after hours, a hotbed of sexual encounters and gossip; it's no wonder the threat of bankruptcy looms even as the doors are just opening. As Skye becomes indispensable to Yelena, the director of marketing and Silas' right-hand woman, Skye finds her job becomes less about influencing and more about covering up the messes threatening to burst open CoHab at the seams.
Overstressed, underpaid, but somehow still desperate to keep her job, Skye gets closer and closer to the dark heart of CoHab. How much will she sacrifice to the gods of good PR before her own neck is on the line?
A razor-sharp, insightful and wildly entertaining debut, KILL STORY will be the most talked about book of the year. Perfect for fans of R.F. Kuang, Bella Mackie and Ellery Lloyd.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 7, 2026
4 ⭐️
Wild, sexy, and way too much too soon! 🔥
This novel had me hooked from the very beginning and was such a quick, addictive read! It follows a company just getting its start, with plenty of debauchery, fraud, scheming, secrets, and lust between staff members.
The story was thrilling, mysterious, tense, and completely gripping. There was always something happening, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see what would happen next.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced read packed with scandal, intrigue, and messy relationships, this one definitely delivers!
Thank you NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Wild, sexy, and way too much too soon! 🔥
This novel had me hooked from the very beginning and was such a quick, addictive read! It follows a company just getting its start, with plenty of debauchery, fraud, scheming, secrets, and lust between staff members.
The story was thrilling, mysterious, tense, and completely gripping. There was always something happening, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see what would happen next.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced read packed with scandal, intrigue, and messy relationships, this one definitely delivers!
Thank you NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
September 3, 2026
Kill Story centres on an American woman in her early twenties, living in Amsterdam and working for a 'cohabitation' startup. We get straight into the action, when news breaks of a resident's death at the company's HQ.
Some readers may be mildly frustrated by the winding plot, but I believe Skye is simply going with the flow - she feels a little directionless in life - and doesn't discover what's really going on until later. We follow her as she uncovers more and more of the company's dark dealings, building to a dramatic culmination.
Skye puts a lot of value on her friendship with Yelena, an older and more senior colleague, but I was pleased she seemed to have a genuine friendship with Ophélie, however brief it may have been, and then a genuine romantic connection (at least we can credit Yelena with that!)
Overall I found this book very engaging and believe it came to a satisfying conclusion. If I am right that this is a debut novel, I think it's great. There are some moments when I feel Skye didn't react as strongly as I expected, or seemed to gloss over things, but this could also be compartmentalisation and/or trauma.
Trigger warnings required for some non-consensual sexual scenes, and related themes I really shouldn't spoil.
Thank you Canelo for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Some readers may be mildly frustrated by the winding plot, but I believe Skye is simply going with the flow - she feels a little directionless in life - and doesn't discover what's really going on until later. We follow her as she uncovers more and more of the company's dark dealings, building to a dramatic culmination.
Skye puts a lot of value on her friendship with Yelena, an older and more senior colleague, but I was pleased she seemed to have a genuine friendship with Ophélie, however brief it may have been, and then a genuine romantic connection (at least we can credit Yelena with that!)
Overall I found this book very engaging and believe it came to a satisfying conclusion. If I am right that this is a debut novel, I think it's great. There are some moments when I feel Skye didn't react as strongly as I expected, or seemed to gloss over things, but this could also be compartmentalisation and/or trauma.
Trigger warnings required for some non-consensual sexual scenes, and related themes I really shouldn't spoil.
Thank you Canelo for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book!
For the majority of this book I dreaded actually picking it up to read it. Most of the characters were horrible human beings and even those I feel I was supposed to like were not likable. When people keep putting themselves in horrible positions I stop feeling sorry for them. However, the ending of the book redeemed Skye and had me liking the book more than I thought possible. The writing does feel repetitive and like the book could have been a lot shorter. But I think Skye needed the entire book in order to save herself and others. I was surprised by the theme of trafficking and do think this is a very important topic. A lot of people see trafficking as people being hidden across a border. This book highlights how glamor and wealth and wanting to belong to that world also create victims.
For the majority of this book I dreaded actually picking it up to read it. Most of the characters were horrible human beings and even those I feel I was supposed to like were not likable. When people keep putting themselves in horrible positions I stop feeling sorry for them. However, the ending of the book redeemed Skye and had me liking the book more than I thought possible. The writing does feel repetitive and like the book could have been a lot shorter. But I think Skye needed the entire book in order to save herself and others. I was surprised by the theme of trafficking and do think this is a very important topic. A lot of people see trafficking as people being hidden across a border. This book highlights how glamor and wealth and wanting to belong to that world also create victims.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5/5
I really did not realize how short this book was. I finished it in one day! (And I think many other readers could too.)
This was also easy to read and speed through. But I did feel like this is one of those books that is more about what is happening than who it's happening to, and I really think it would've been a lot more impactful if the characters had a little more to them. A little more personality and oomph. More characterization overall. I found them to be a little lacking given the rest of the story.
I still had a good time reading this book. I still found it really interesting and would recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
I really did not realize how short this book was. I finished it in one day! (And I think many other readers could too.)
This was also easy to read and speed through. But I did feel like this is one of those books that is more about what is happening than who it's happening to, and I really think it would've been a lot more impactful if the characters had a little more to them. A little more personality and oomph. More characterization overall. I found them to be a little lacking given the rest of the story.
I still had a good time reading this book. I still found it really interesting and would recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
September 27, 2026
In Kill Story by J.D. Maduro, ordinary workplace anxiety gradually mutates into full-blown, warranted hysteria. Skye Sullivan, a socially inept American woman in her twenties, takes a position as an Influence Manager at CoHab, a popular co-living startup in Amsterdam. Misled by Marketing Director Yelena, Skye becomes increasingly entangled in unethical behavior, organizational pressure, occupational debauchery, and a series of untimely deaths. Maduro creates a culture so saturated with manipulation and moral compromise that it becomes difficult to distinguish workplace dysfunction from something much darker.
Read the rest on the Book Void blog: https://refeinersvoid.wordpress.com/2...
Read the rest on the Book Void blog: https://refeinersvoid.wordpress.com/2...
August 7, 2026
This is a surprisingly short book (I was lucky enough to get an e-reader ARC copy from Net Galley, so didn’t realise how short until the time left to read was popping up)
A great thriller, the author keeps you reading. A relatable read for most women; this book addresses the dark side of corporate and capitalism from the eyes of naive Skye Sullivan.
The author explores female friendships, while highlighting misogynist tendencies in the workplace. Which I’m sure are all too common.
I would offer that this book has some trigger warnings around sexual harassment & sexual assault.
A great thriller, the author keeps you reading. A relatable read for most women; this book addresses the dark side of corporate and capitalism from the eyes of naive Skye Sullivan.
The author explores female friendships, while highlighting misogynist tendencies in the workplace. Which I’m sure are all too common.
I would offer that this book has some trigger warnings around sexual harassment & sexual assault.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
While I don't want to give too much away, this slow burn novel kept me as disoriented and confused as it did Skye, the main character. Until I figured out what was happening, which was sooner than Skye, I realized the importance of a story and how this type of thing could happen. Again, I don't want to give away too much but I would recommend a read.
Thank you to NetGalley and DK for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and DK for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
July 31, 2026This book is so weird. It feels like it's going nowhere most of the time while ocasionally pointing you at scraps of what I think the main plot is? Idk, it was a really all over the place read, but maybe it's just not my cup of tea. Found it really hard to get into it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews