Welcome to Murder-World: Book 1

by A.J. West

What if murder was legal? Scratch that. What if murder was a part of everyday life, sanctioned by the government, and encouraged by the culture of society? The world is an efficient, bloody machine, and one girl is about to throw a wrench into that machine. Welcome to Murder-World.

316 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 13, 2023

Reviews

[B Wills · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I was sucked in by the first chapter, and the hits just kept coming. There is so much goodness to unpack here. This centers around a misfit crew, that somehow mesh perfectly together, as they navigate Murder World. The story itself is compelling, the characters are witty and funny, and it has a female villain that is probably one of the best villains I’ve ever seen. She is crazy, manipulative, and has alllll the secrets. I don’t wanna spoil it for those who read it, but the ending left me ready to dive into book two!

Thank you so much A.J. West for such a great book, I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

[Sam VanSantvoord]

I'm sorry but DNF at 4%. Using italics instead of quotation marks?

I won't star it because that doesn't seem fair. Author maybe if you considered the editorial change in the future I may reconsider.

[Rocky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book started off with a bang and did not give up! The world building was incredible and so were the characters. I found myself fully immersed and pleasantly surprised. For anyone interested make sure to check this one out! You’ll be in for a great time of suspense and drama.

[Michael Kraetz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this book on reccomendation from a friend and it didn't disappoint. I felt for the characters and the gore was about as much as you'd expect from a book with "Murder-world" in the title.
Only thing keeping me from a higher score was the apparent distain for quotation marks, at some points it was difficult to tell who was talking.

[Emilye Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this on a whim, and boy am I glad I did because this quickly became my favorite book I read this year!!!

The characters were so well written, the level of detail, personality traits etc. There's such a wide variety of characters that there's someone for everyone. For me there were so many characters I fell in love with and couldn't wait to see what was in store for them! I especially love how author A.J. West handles strong female lead characters, which can be a tricky thing to master. I love how well done the ladies are in this book. The driven, dangerous, smart ladies who don't have to be an unfeeling jerk just to command respect. It's rare for me to read books with a female lead who can check all of those boxes. I'm a mom and in my opinion there are several fantastically written female characters that would make great role models.

The main reason I picked this book up was the cover and the premise. As soon as I read the tag line I was hooked. I felt like there were so many different ways the question the author posed could have been answered, and I absolutely love the direction this story went. I laughed, I got teary, I had so many moments of muttering "yesss!" under my breath during intense fight scenes that I was completely absorbed in.

Anyone who loves a good dystopian novel NEEDS to check out this book. You're in for a fantastic ride.

[Robin Ginther-Venneri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Murder-World: Book 1
By A.J. West
Publication date: December 13, 2023
316 Pages
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
💀💀
Trigger Warnings: Murder (duh), state-approved brutality, emotional whiplash, and scenes that’ll make you say “excuse me WHAT now?”

What Did I Just Walk Into?
Imagine The Purge got promoted to full-time with benefits—and no one’s safe after their 18th birthday. In this charming little dystopia, if you forget to pay rent, your landlord sends a Mosquito to collect (and no, not gently). Welcome to Ultra-City life, where survival is an Olympic sport and murder is just… Tuesday.

Here’s What Slapped:
💥 Day, a corpse-janitor just trying to not get legally stabbed post-barcode appointment.
💥 Fyora, a Tower princess with trauma, mommy issues, and a roundhouse kick strong enough to send her creepy arranged fiancé flying.
💥 Government-assigned murder-passes, assassin rankings like it’s a twisted RPG, and body cleanup jobs that pay in trauma.
💥 Soft spots amidst the carnage: friendships, chosen family, and yes, even maybe love—because apparently, it’s possible to care deeply while society is falling apart.

Murder-World Vibes:
Think The Hunger Games lost its PR team, The Purge never clocked out, and Blade Runner said, “Let’s crank up the dysfunction.” But despite all the chaos, A.J. West sneaks in emotional gut-punches and relatable humanity—like a bouquet of daisies duct-taped to a chainsaw.

Perfect for Readers Who Love:
📖 Ultra-gritty survival plots
📖 Morally complex chaos
📖 Semi-soft characters in a hard world
📖 Female lead who doesn’t need saving—but will absolutely save you

Welcome to Murder-World. Hope you brought snacks. And a knife.

Book Series Order:
Welcome to Murder-World: Book 1
Welcome to Murder-World: Hinterlands: Book 2
Welcome to Murder-World: The Sister War: Book 3

Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review

[Deborah Hillier · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a surprise.

In a future world where murder is legal every day, the author deftly combines all the horror and gore into every day life of family, love, and strong relationships. I really loved the women the most because not only were they very strong but they were not your typical smart ass. These were good. solid women who loved their families and their group and they felt like real women not something a man would make up. Bravo to the author for that!

Also, if you like really gripping action scenes, this author will check every box. The visuals of these scenes are so well executed (pun intended ) you feel like you’re there.

And then there’s the artwork not only on the cover but inside the book. What a treat it is to see this amazing art that intertwines with the story in a stunning way.

I don’t want to add any spoilers but there’s so much in this book from politics to human relationships that it’s very much worth the read. Highly recommend!

[Amari Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay in my honest opinion, this set up and concept is so very interesting. for me the chapters were just too long and the fight scenes were extremely long. it just wasnt my cup of tea. however this was a pretty good book. those were just the things that didn't work out for me

[Maria Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt like I was in a graphic novel with its epic fight scenes, witty banter, and rich characters.