A Killing Affair received generally positive reviews, with particular praise for O. J. Simpson. People called it Simpson's "best dramatic performance to date."[4]John J. O'Connor of the New York Times wrote,
"A Killing Affair" is an odd mixture of cliché and quietly powerful statements and perceptions. With David Gerber as executive producer, it has the invaluable asset of a first-rate production. Mr. Simpson tends to settle into an acting monotone, but his personality is so basically attractive that he is able to get maximum results with minimum effort.
Miss Montgomery accomplishes the difficult task of transforming a somewhat hardened and cynical professional into a vulnerable but unsentimental human being. And Rosalind Cash is superb as Mrs. York, uncompromising in her portrait of a loving woman being forced into the role of a shrew. Everything works out for the best in the end, of course, but even the resolution is acceptable and quite moving.[5]
A Killing Affair received a 29% Nielsen rating, finishing second to Charlie's Angels in its time slot.[2]
There was relatively little controversy generated by the interracial romance between the protagonists. Montgomery and Simpson did not receive any significant hate mail, though one Southern CBS affiliate did receive a bomb threat after the film aired.[2]