She Treads Softly: The Murder Machine

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

The Murder Machine

The Murder Machine by Heather Graham
4/29/25; 304 pages
MIRA Books/Harlequin

The Murder Machine by Heather Graham is a recommended investigative procedural which explores artificial intelligence being used to kill.

A Florida receptionist at a law firm, Marci Warden, is found dead in her home, apparently killed by her smart house turning against her. With two other reported cases of AI being used to kill via boat and car, FBI Special Agents Victoria Tennant and Jude Mackenzie team up to investigate what is happening. They know that a machine can only do what it's been programmed to do so they need to find out who is behind the attacks.

The plot starts out strong with a real sense of trepidation and fear that AI could be used to attack. Then this build up is wasted as the narrative continues, losing steam, and relaxes into a basic procedural while the two agents become enamored with each other. There are other AI "attacks" but no true deep dive focus on the sci-fi, technical aspects of AI and malware which left me gravely disappointed.

Once the plot settles comfortably into a basic procedural the pace slowed down and it quickly began to lose my interest. It did help, however, when Clover, a large dog, was added to the cast of characters. It was expected, naturally, that the two agents would become targets. The dialogue between Mackenzie and Tennant seemed stilted along with their increasing interest in each other.

The Murder Machine is recommended for those who enjoy procedurals. Thanks to MIRA for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.