What do you think?
Rate this book
Troy and Eva Winters Deadly Motives #1
Killing Rebecca
An Ordinary Life…
Marni Rome lives a happy life with her husband and two beautiful children. Her heart is filled with love for them. It’s a life that excites her every morning when she gets out of bed. She is lucky to be living in a beautiful home overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and she loves her career as a crime fiction novelist.
Until Her Life is Shattered…
A late-night knock at the door destroys her world when news of her family’s fate is too devastating to bear. Her life turns into one of the stories she only writes about.
When She Finds Out Who is to Blame…
Marni must act on the shocking truth. Like in her books, the perpetrator needs to be caught and held prisoner until she decides their fate. Nothing too quick—they need to suffer slowly before they’re sentenced to death.
Marni Rome lives a happy life with her husband and two beautiful children. Her heart is filled with love for them. It’s a life that excites her every morning when she gets out of bed. She is lucky to be living in a beautiful home overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and she loves her career as a crime fiction novelist.
Until Her Life is Shattered…
A late-night knock at the door destroys her world when news of her family’s fate is too devastating to bear. Her life turns into one of the stories she only writes about.
When She Finds Out Who is to Blame…
Marni must act on the shocking truth. Like in her books, the perpetrator needs to be caught and held prisoner until she decides their fate. Nothing too quick—they need to suffer slowly before they’re sentenced to death.
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 11, 2022
674 people are currently reading
644 people want to read
About the author
K.J. North
19 books16 followersK. J. North lives with her husband in a small town on the beautiful Oregon coast. She has been an avid reader most of her life and her idea of a perfect evening would be to curl up in front of the fireplace with a suspense thriller and a glass of cabernet. Her education includes a degree in Green Technology and Business. An entrepreneur most of her life, K. J. North has been a professional photographer and has owned and managed her own photography studio. Today she, along with her husband, own and manage a vacation rental near the beach in the small coastal town they live in. She is thrilled to welcome guests from all over the world. K. J. North is well traveled, and has been to countries throughout Europe, South America, Canada and Mexico, and has vacationed on the islands of Hawaii, Roatan, and Aruba. When not engulfed in writing her latest suspense thriller, you may find her with sand between her toes walking the wind-swept beaches on the coast of the state she loves.
Victim of a Delusional Mind, her debut psychological thriller, in the Private Investigators Troy and Eva Winters Thriller Series, is followed by Dead’s Man’s Money, Every Last Drop, Her Kill List, and No One Heard Me Scream.
The five titles in her series, Private Investigators Troy and Eva Winters Deadly Motives, are Killing Rebecca, Quiet Kill, Kill Me Twice, Killing Trail, and Sleeping with a Serial Killer. She is currently working on a new series and is excited to release the first two books in the spring of 2023.
K. J. North loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit https://kjnorth.com/ where you can find out more about her latest books, upcoming promotions, and giveaways.
Victim of a Delusional Mind, her debut psychological thriller, in the Private Investigators Troy and Eva Winters Thriller Series, is followed by Dead’s Man’s Money, Every Last Drop, Her Kill List, and No One Heard Me Scream.
The five titles in her series, Private Investigators Troy and Eva Winters Deadly Motives, are Killing Rebecca, Quiet Kill, Kill Me Twice, Killing Trail, and Sleeping with a Serial Killer. She is currently working on a new series and is excited to release the first two books in the spring of 2023.
K. J. North loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit https://kjnorth.com/ where you can find out more about her latest books, upcoming promotions, and giveaways.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
January 27, 2022
Don't Waste Your Time
One of the worst books I have read in a long time. The story line is very amateurish. I pride myself on completing every book I start but just couldn't finish this one.
One of the worst books I have read in a long time. The story line is very amateurish. I pride myself on completing every book I start but just couldn't finish this one.
April 5, 2023
This was a short book, 5 hour’s audio, I wouldn’t have bothered finishing had it been any longer. The first chapter grabbed my attention, it was downhill from there, the next four chapters were an information dump. I finished it by skipping chapters. Wouldn’t recommend.
January 23, 2022
Good Plot, Short on Reality
From the beginning, the action is fast and readers can't turn pages fast enough! However, what spoiled it for this reader was the author's make-up descriptions and details about airplane pilots' requirements and aircraft controls and their affect which were all totally wring; writers should have any aviation mention edited by and discussed with a licensed pilot!
From the beginning, the action is fast and readers can't turn pages fast enough! However, what spoiled it for this reader was the author's make-up descriptions and details about airplane pilots' requirements and aircraft controls and their affect which were all totally wring; writers should have any aviation mention edited by and discussed with a licensed pilot!
February 26, 2023
Boring junk. There is no time spent developing the characters allowing the reader to connect with the story. I couldn’t have cared less about what happened to anyone in the book. The writing felt extremely basic, as if an outline was written and filler sentences written to go through the outline. There was no suspense or build up. Everything felt flat. Very disappointing.
February 2, 2023
After just one chapter I was hooked on this story. Our MC, Marni is an author who suffers a life changing event and instead of letting the proper authorities deal with it, she decides to handle the situation herself. I found this book to be a very fast read for me and had finished it by the end of the day. I really enjoyed the author's writing style. If you enjoy thrillers and looking for a fast read, this is the book for you. Highly recommend it.
March 1, 2023
I was thankful to get a free copy from the author . Due to being a mood reader it took me awhile . There wasn’t that stuck out for me in this book, I was hoping for more. Once the Troy snd eva parts started I was more interested in those parts than the other parts of the story line. It was a nice short read and would be a nice palette cleanser if you need a breaker from heavier topics
August 15, 2024
Starts off strong but gets weaker as it goes along. Too many details are vague and not realistic. While you can guess what is meant by the ending, it’s abrupt and could have been a bit better . Also, I dislike any book that includes the first chapter of another story. If the book is good enough, you will check out other books by the author.
May 10, 2023
I honestly felt like I was reading a book for children except for the violence portrayed in this story. Personally I believe the author needs to hone her skills. I’ve read dozens of books on kindle and I’m wondering how this book was selected. If I could give it a zero I would. I hope K.J.North will take this as constructive criticism and go back to the drawing board 😫
October 27, 2023
Horrible
I could not find one redeeming thing about this book. Can’t believe I finished it. Very poorly written, nothing about it was believable and there were holes in it everywhere. First and last time I will read a book by this author.
I could not find one redeeming thing about this book. Can’t believe I finished it. Very poorly written, nothing about it was believable and there were holes in it everywhere. First and last time I will read a book by this author.
August 24, 2023
free ebook
her husband and 2 young children went for pizza. she called and asked they bring her some home. her husband told her her drunk sister and no good boyfriend were there and would be stopping by the house. her family never came home, they were in a hit and run and all died. she is a writer.
she went to tell her sister and found the car damaged, the same make and model of paint that was on the car of her family. she knew her sister had run into her family and killed them and left. she kidnapped her sister and her boyfriend and locked them in 2 rooms in her basement
she plans to take them up in a small airplane she flies and dump them in the ocean.
a pi and her husband live nearby. they read the story in the paper about the lady and saw her and her dog on the beach. the husband went to find a womans daughter who went into a cult about 5 hrs away while she stayed home. he called before he went in and never called back. she called the police there and they will go in in the morning. he was tied up and about to be tortured by 2 goons after he found the girl but she was too scared to leave.
the wife was concerned he didnt answer his phone and called the police. the next morning she went up there and found his car while the police went in the compound. she found her husbands car and the girl and another man had rescued him and they came to his car so they all got away
she went home first and found a dog she knew belonged to the lady whos family was killed. she went to return the dog and hear the captive sister yelling for help. the widow then had her go in the room that used to have the sisters boyfriend in it, until she pushed him out of the plane.
the husband pi got home and couldnt find his wife. he looked at his house camera and saw the dog so he went to the widows house and got his wife out of the room in the basement. the widow put a timed padlock on it to let her out. she had taken the sister to kill them both in the plane but her sister was having such a good time she came back and turned herself in to the police
her husband and 2 young children went for pizza. she called and asked they bring her some home. her husband told her her drunk sister and no good boyfriend were there and would be stopping by the house. her family never came home, they were in a hit and run and all died. she is a writer.
she went to tell her sister and found the car damaged, the same make and model of paint that was on the car of her family. she knew her sister had run into her family and killed them and left. she kidnapped her sister and her boyfriend and locked them in 2 rooms in her basement
she plans to take them up in a small airplane she flies and dump them in the ocean.
a pi and her husband live nearby. they read the story in the paper about the lady and saw her and her dog on the beach. the husband went to find a womans daughter who went into a cult about 5 hrs away while she stayed home. he called before he went in and never called back. she called the police there and they will go in in the morning. he was tied up and about to be tortured by 2 goons after he found the girl but she was too scared to leave.
the wife was concerned he didnt answer his phone and called the police. the next morning she went up there and found his car while the police went in the compound. she found her husbands car and the girl and another man had rescued him and they came to his car so they all got away
she went home first and found a dog she knew belonged to the lady whos family was killed. she went to return the dog and hear the captive sister yelling for help. the widow then had her go in the room that used to have the sisters boyfriend in it, until she pushed him out of the plane.
the husband pi got home and couldnt find his wife. he looked at his house camera and saw the dog so he went to the widows house and got his wife out of the room in the basement. the widow put a timed padlock on it to let her out. she had taken the sister to kill them both in the plane but her sister was having such a good time she came back and turned herself in to the police
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2023
Rivetting reading
When her husband and two young children are killed, in a hit and run accident, Marni, a prolific author, is devastated. when she discovers that the vehicle involved in the hit and run is owned by her alcoholic induced sister, Rebecca, she goes out of her mind. She is well aware that Rebecca and her drunken boyfriend were to blame for the accident and, with the thought that her drunken sister was the driver sets about to redress the situation by kidnapping the pair and incarcerating them in the basement of her home, without even informing the police of her knowledge. Her immediate thoughts are to punish the pair but then she has a notion to use her Cessna to fly out over the nearby coastline and jettison the offenders out at sea. How this all works out is quite a different story and one not to be missed.
When her husband and two young children are killed, in a hit and run accident, Marni, a prolific author, is devastated. when she discovers that the vehicle involved in the hit and run is owned by her alcoholic induced sister, Rebecca, she goes out of her mind. She is well aware that Rebecca and her drunken boyfriend were to blame for the accident and, with the thought that her drunken sister was the driver sets about to redress the situation by kidnapping the pair and incarcerating them in the basement of her home, without even informing the police of her knowledge. Her immediate thoughts are to punish the pair but then she has a notion to use her Cessna to fly out over the nearby coastline and jettison the offenders out at sea. How this all works out is quite a different story and one not to be missed.
August 28, 2023
It started well.
For me, it became predictable, except for one good twist, and I skipped a few pages here and there as I knew where it was going. I did like several things.
What I liked:
-There was a good twist I did not see coming: kudos.
-The premise of locking up the two people who killed her family made sense is an out-of-your-mind crazy way.
-Creative way to kill one of the people she thought killed her family. I will remember it.
-The dogs were good.
-The settling along the beach/coast of Portland was described well. I liked it.
What I didn't like:
-The side story for the PIs was not too exciting.
-The ending to me was a cliffhanger. The main storyline was mostly wrapped up, maybe not completely.
I liked it but wanted more.
For me, it became predictable, except for one good twist, and I skipped a few pages here and there as I knew where it was going. I did like several things.
What I liked:
-There was a good twist I did not see coming: kudos.
-The premise of locking up the two people who killed her family made sense is an out-of-your-mind crazy way.
-Creative way to kill one of the people she thought killed her family. I will remember it.
-The dogs were good.
-The settling along the beach/coast of Portland was described well. I liked it.
What I didn't like:
-The side story for the PIs was not too exciting.
-The ending to me was a cliffhanger. The main storyline was mostly wrapped up, maybe not completely.
I liked it but wanted more.
January 1, 2024
This is a harrowing and gut wrenching poignant story as Marni Rome's world is shockingly destroyed the moment a horrible car accident takes the lives of her husband and children. Consumed by unrelenting grief, Marni wants those ruined her life to pay; when she discovers that her own sister and boyfriend are responsible... the desire to get revenge becomes Marni's absolute focus until her goal is achieved. Calculated and careful, a plan forms in Marni's mind of how to murder Rebecca and Carter; and everything seems to be going as planned... When a new secret reveals the haunting truth of Marni's family deaths, everything changes, forcing Marni to make difficult choices to protect what she has done but also her sister who is much of being of this crime as Marni is.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
March 2, 2022
Suspense-filled
This story tells of a crime writer's mind going crazy with grief when her joyous life with her husband and two small children is brutally stopped when a drunk driver (her own sister, she believes), kills her family in a crash.
She realises it when she finds her alcoholic sister's damaged car.
She seeks revenge by taking the law into her own hands. Firstly, she locks both of them in her basement for a month while she plots their demise.
She disposes of her sister's boyfriend, fully intending to kill Rebecca too, when she makes a discovery which saves her.
There is still one loose end ..
A very good story!
This story tells of a crime writer's mind going crazy with grief when her joyous life with her husband and two small children is brutally stopped when a drunk driver (her own sister, she believes), kills her family in a crash.
She realises it when she finds her alcoholic sister's damaged car.
She seeks revenge by taking the law into her own hands. Firstly, she locks both of them in her basement for a month while she plots their demise.
She disposes of her sister's boyfriend, fully intending to kill Rebecca too, when she makes a discovery which saves her.
There is still one loose end ..
A very good story!
May 9, 2022
I found this story very different from many that I have previously read and had to get into the story more to make up my mind as to how I felt about this. I doubt that in real life this type of action would be taken but you never know, and the way that it was written seemed to stretch reality quite a bit. As it continued I got behind the main character and was kind of rooting for her. In the last few pages I felt that the author was going beyond reasoning but I was also happy that the end gave me a good feeling . I would recommend this book to all that feel that getting even so to speak is OK, and I guess beating the system is also in this case a good thing.
June 9, 2023
I'm glad this was a free book from Amazon. I would have been extremely disappointed if I'd paid for it. Although it was a short story it crawled along at such a slow pace, I felt like I'd been reading it forever. I liked Troy & Eva's characters but that ws about it. It doesn't belong in the Mystery & Thriller genre as it didn't keep you on the edge of your seat, it didn't make you want to keep reading, it didn't have much mystery to it either, it plodded along giving you little snippets to whet your appetite, but I'd rather have had a sandwich. Sorry! Not for me, I like something much more gritty that I can get my teeth stuck into.
July 23, 2023
Ugh...another series book that I won’t continue. Marni is an author and has an adorable family and a drunk sister, Rebecca. When her family is killed and she thinks that Rebecca did it, she kidnaps Rebecca and her boyfriend until she can figure out how to killer. On another note, Eva and Troy are a perfect couple who also happen to be private eyes. There story is about a girl who is in a cult. In the most boring way, they got her out. Then Eva stumbles upon Marni’s situation with Rebecca and, in the most boring way, she kidnaps Eva. In the end nobody presses charges for all of the bad stuff that Marni did. The end and I suppose the series is what is Marni going to do with Henry Boxer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2022
Murder She Wrote
When a wealthy and successful crime writer's family is killed she is determined to make those responsible pay. She soon discovers the involvement of her addict sister and the sister's scummy boyfriend.
This is a pretty good read. Not all that believable but entertaining.Marni's fury is triggered by both her tragic loss and sibling rivalry. The P.I.s add some tension but not much else.
When a wealthy and successful crime writer's family is killed she is determined to make those responsible pay. She soon discovers the involvement of her addict sister and the sister's scummy boyfriend.
This is a pretty good read. Not all that believable but entertaining.Marni's fury is triggered by both her tragic loss and sibling rivalry. The P.I.s add some tension but not much else.
March 9, 2022
The Madness of Grief
The emotional suspense in this tale of revenge is unrelenting. What is justice for someone whose loving family was killed in a horrific accident? And the person responsible is someone close? This deep dive into the mind of someone suffering unimaginable grief is as heart wrenching as it is fascinating. You just can’t let go until the very end of the book. And it will stay with you for a while after you close the cover. Powerful.
The emotional suspense in this tale of revenge is unrelenting. What is justice for someone whose loving family was killed in a horrific accident? And the person responsible is someone close? This deep dive into the mind of someone suffering unimaginable grief is as heart wrenching as it is fascinating. You just can’t let go until the very end of the book. And it will stay with you for a while after you close the cover. Powerful.
July 8, 2022
Killing Rebecca review
Marni Rome is a crime fiction Novelist with a husband and two children. Until one day her life is shattered after a car accident that kills her husband and two children. The suspect was her sister Rebecca who was driving drunk. Marni intends to get revenge on her sister and locks her and her boyfriend in her basement for a month until she tries to figure out her next move. I really enjoyed reading this suspenseful fiction novel.
Marni Rome is a crime fiction Novelist with a husband and two children. Until one day her life is shattered after a car accident that kills her husband and two children. The suspect was her sister Rebecca who was driving drunk. Marni intends to get revenge on her sister and locks her and her boyfriend in her basement for a month until she tries to figure out her next move. I really enjoyed reading this suspenseful fiction novel.
November 20, 2022
"Killing Rebecca" was a fascinating read. The pulsating page-turning plot was filled with angst, revenge, and redemption (somewhat). Marni (Rebecca's sister) went through a roller-coaster ride of emotions after a late-night visitor called on her. From there, things took a downward spiral until Marni happened upon a piece of overlooked evidence. Moreover, a couple of people got their comeuppance along the way. It was a compelling narrative.
October 25, 2023
It started well. I liked the idea of the book. The writing was off to me. It was a fast read, but I think the PIs story was not needed. Overall, the book was just okay for me.
What I liked:
-There was a good twist.
-The premise of locking up the two people who killed her family is what got my attention.
What I didn't like:
-The side story for the PIs was not too exciting.
-The ending to me was a cliffhanger, and I guess I didn't expect that.
What I liked:
-There was a good twist.
-The premise of locking up the two people who killed her family is what got my attention.
What I didn't like:
-The side story for the PIs was not too exciting.
-The ending to me was a cliffhanger, and I guess I didn't expect that.
March 14, 2025
meh
The book has a potential for a 5 star if there are more actions with both of the private investigators.
This might contain spoilers but it would be better if the "cult" scene was elaborated and more action-packed. But just like that? PI Troy just went in, found victim A, the cult saw and reprimanded him, but they escaped, the cult was done for. And this scene is not even connected to Rebecca.
Gripping revenge kidnap thriller? Where's the gripping part? 😔
The book has a potential for a 5 star if there are more actions with both of the private investigators.
This might contain spoilers but it would be better if the "cult" scene was elaborated and more action-packed. But just like that? PI Troy just went in, found victim A, the cult saw and reprimanded him, but they escaped, the cult was done for. And this scene is not even connected to Rebecca.
Gripping revenge kidnap thriller? Where's the gripping part? 😔
September 10, 2022
A different type of story and not the usual crime solving mystery. I did find the story a bit frustrating in the beginning but yet somehow it grew into something that turned out to be exciting and made me wanting more. Easy read and the plot is easy to follow and it is more about how to stop it than who did it.
January 28, 2022
Awesome read
I enjoyed this book very much. It has a lot going on at several different times, but you don't get lost. A very well written book. If you like great mystery books then this is one to read.
I enjoyed this book very much. It has a lot going on at several different times, but you don't get lost. A very well written book. If you like great mystery books then this is one to read.
July 10, 2022
Marni Rome is a crime fiction novelist with a husband and two children. Until one day her life is shattered after a car accident that kills her husband and two children. The suspect is her sister Rebecca who was driving drunk. Marni intends to get revenge on her sister and locks her and her boyfriend in her basement for a month until she tries to figure out her next move. I really enjoyed reading this suspenseful fiction novel.
November 21, 2022
Killing Jennifer
At first, I didn't think I would enjoy the book, then as I read further it became more interesting and I really enjoyed it. The ending was surprising! Very good read. The author did a great job! I will read more.
At first, I didn't think I would enjoy the book, then as I read further it became more interesting and I really enjoyed it. The ending was surprising! Very good read. The author did a great job! I will read more.
December 14, 2022
Although I reviewed "Killing Rebecca" with a 3, I really enjoyed reading this story. At first I found it a bit hard to think that anyone could act as Marni did after losing her family, but as I got into the story, I was rooting for her! The story was gripping and well written, with a "good" ending. Glad the storage guy did not get his extortion money!
February 22, 2023
Not sure about this one, seems the moral compass is pointing somewhat south. Interesting how to do it kind of investigation. Read Kindle book using Alexa audio asset. Purchased this kindle book for free from Amazon on February 16, 2023.
February 24, 2023
This book was suspenseful and kept me guess as to what was coming next. It had an unusual plat so it did not follow the cookie cutter formula of many mysteries. I will look forward to reading more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews