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The Writer
Her body was found close to the university. She was on her way home after a night out. Just like in the story I wrote…
Every Monday, I meet my writing group in a warm, lively bar to drink a glass of wine or two. It’s the highlight of my week. But now something terrible is happening.
At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal. My tires were slashed. A woman was hit by a car outside my apartment. Then, yesterday, someone was murdered. And all the details are copied from the stories we shared.
Am I going mad, or is someone in my group a killer?
I thought they were the only people I could trust, since what happened ten years ago. But now I’m terrified one of them knows the truth that lies buried in all my work—the secret I’ve tried so hard to hide. And they want to make me pay for it.
I have to know who’s bringing my stories to life… but will the answer cost me everything?
A completely unputdownable psychological thriller that will have you glued to the pages! If you like Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware and The Wife Between Us, then you’ll love The Writer.
Every Monday, I meet my writing group in a warm, lively bar to drink a glass of wine or two. It’s the highlight of my week. But now something terrible is happening.
At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal. My tires were slashed. A woman was hit by a car outside my apartment. Then, yesterday, someone was murdered. And all the details are copied from the stories we shared.
Am I going mad, or is someone in my group a killer?
I thought they were the only people I could trust, since what happened ten years ago. But now I’m terrified one of them knows the truth that lies buried in all my work—the secret I’ve tried so hard to hide. And they want to make me pay for it.
I have to know who’s bringing my stories to life… but will the answer cost me everything?
A completely unputdownable psychological thriller that will have you glued to the pages! If you like Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware and The Wife Between Us, then you’ll love The Writer.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 15, 2024
206 people are currently reading
430 people want to read
About the author
Miranda Smith
14 books319 followersMiranda Smith writes domestic and psychological suspense. She is drawn to stories about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Her debut novel, SOME DAYS ARE DARK, will be released in March 2020.
Miranda has been a staff writer at a local newspaper and a secondary English teacher. When it comes to fiction, Miranda writes about complicated women, dark impulses and Southern settings.
She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and three children.
Miranda has been a staff writer at a local newspaper and a secondary English teacher. When it comes to fiction, Miranda writes about complicated women, dark impulses and Southern settings.
She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
March 19, 2024
⭐️ 2.5 stars ⭐️
When the past comes back to haunt her, no one seems to believe her. She’ll just have to help herself.
The Writer was well written. That’s it, that’s all the praise i can muster up for this book.
Since we’re being told it’s “a totally unputdownable psychological thriller with edge-of-your-seat suspense”, I was expecting… well, suspense.
As we followed along Becca’s search for her mysterious stalker, I felt more in a detective novel than in a thriller. It was sort of fun, trying to follow the clues to find the killer, but suspenseful? Thrilling? Not quite.
The main character, Becca, was unlikeable and a little annoying (sorry, girl). She didn’t feel like a heroine, and she didn’t sway me into rooting for her. I actually kind of wish this didn’t have an HEA, just to have some actual thrills and chills.
For the finale, seems like the author chose the least talked about person, the least suspected, so as to up the shock factor. Unfortunately, it just ended up being too unbelievable and improbable. It didn’t feel like the right fit at all.
And let’s not mention the epilogue, which was just stupid and unnecessary, totally out of the blue.
Overall, this story had its moments, but it lacked some suspense, some depth, some actual thrilling moments to make it a good thriller.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
“We both know how ridiculous it sounds, that someone in the writing group is a cold-blooded murderer, but isn’t truth stranger than fiction?”
When the past comes back to haunt her, no one seems to believe her. She’ll just have to help herself.
The Writer was well written. That’s it, that’s all the praise i can muster up for this book.
Since we’re being told it’s “a totally unputdownable psychological thriller with edge-of-your-seat suspense”, I was expecting… well, suspense.
As we followed along Becca’s search for her mysterious stalker, I felt more in a detective novel than in a thriller. It was sort of fun, trying to follow the clues to find the killer, but suspenseful? Thrilling? Not quite.
The main character, Becca, was unlikeable and a little annoying (sorry, girl). She didn’t feel like a heroine, and she didn’t sway me into rooting for her. I actually kind of wish this didn’t have an HEA, just to have some actual thrills and chills.
For the finale, seems like the author chose the least talked about person, the least suspected, so as to up the shock factor. Unfortunately, it just ended up being too unbelievable and improbable. It didn’t feel like the right fit at all.
And let’s not mention the epilogue, which was just stupid and unnecessary, totally out of the blue.
Overall, this story had its moments, but it lacked some suspense, some depth, some actual thrilling moments to make it a good thriller.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
April 27, 2024
Throughout history, authors have often revealed that they’ve practiced ‘authorial intrusion’ and inserted themselves into their works. For the main character in Miranda Smith’s domestic suspense novel, The Writer, it’s been a dangerous, albeit necessary, literary device.
You need to place yourself in Becca Walsh’s world to feel the tension and panic of realizing that the domestic suspense story you’ve shared with your writing group is being mimicked in real life. When she runs into difficulty figuring out who is leaving her the notes with a black heart on them and copying her literary crimes, she uses her craft to smoke out the perpetrator.
This glimpse into “life imitating art”, a mystery centered around a group of writers, the Mystery Maidens, is fresh and compelling. I felt the fear, the hopelessness, the lack of control, and the frustration of someone trying to get on with their life and wondering when the next mail would arrive and wondering which of my friends was behind the recent copycat events and why. I loved trying to figure out how these ‘normal’ people could be at the center of such an obscure crime and will admit to enjoying moments I’ve pretended to be someone I’m not!
I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
You need to place yourself in Becca Walsh’s world to feel the tension and panic of realizing that the domestic suspense story you’ve shared with your writing group is being mimicked in real life. When she runs into difficulty figuring out who is leaving her the notes with a black heart on them and copying her literary crimes, she uses her craft to smoke out the perpetrator.
This glimpse into “life imitating art”, a mystery centered around a group of writers, the Mystery Maidens, is fresh and compelling. I felt the fear, the hopelessness, the lack of control, and the frustration of someone trying to get on with their life and wondering when the next mail would arrive and wondering which of my friends was behind the recent copycat events and why. I loved trying to figure out how these ‘normal’ people could be at the center of such an obscure crime and will admit to enjoying moments I’ve pretended to be someone I’m not!
I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
March 26, 2024
This is a spoiler free review! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
“When I’m writing, I can take back some of the control I lack in my real life, invent a different ending.”
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･･:*.ೃ࿔⋆❀°
☆ Synopsis
Becca is a struggling writer trying to make ends meet. Every Monday she attends a writing group for thriller and crime authors, and it is the highlight of her week. But Becca is harbouring a secret, she has been stalked for ten years for her involvement in a tragic event, something that still haunts her to this day. Black hearts follow her everywhere and soon the manuscripts being shared in the writing group start to manifest into real life tragedies. Is Becca going mad, or is someone in the group a killer?
☆ My thoughts
This was a massive disappointment for me, after reading positive reviews and loving the premise I was excited to read this. Unfortunately, it just massively missed the mark for me. The writing style was good and easy to follow but my biggest gripe with this book is just how mindnumbingly boring it was at times. The story didn’t pick up until about 65-70% through the book and while I don’t have an issue with slow and suspenseful starts to books, this was just plain boring to read. Honestly, if I wasn't planning to review this book I would have marked as DNF.
The twists were predictable and the ones that weren’t felt like they were just thrown in there seemingly for the sake of it as some of the motives of the characters made no sense. Speaking of characters, there were no redeemable characters, everyone felt either annoying or unrealistic, and it felt the villains were almost cartoonishly evil. It would’ve been a two star if the epilogue didn’t ruin it for me. Without going into it too much to avoid spoilers, the ending takes perhaps the only redeemable, interesting character in the book and ruins her story line. Overall, just a really disappointing read.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･･:*.ೃ࿔⋆❀°
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“When I’m writing, I can take back some of the control I lack in my real life, invent a different ending.”
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･･:*.ೃ࿔⋆❀°
☆ Synopsis
Becca is a struggling writer trying to make ends meet. Every Monday she attends a writing group for thriller and crime authors, and it is the highlight of her week. But Becca is harbouring a secret, she has been stalked for ten years for her involvement in a tragic event, something that still haunts her to this day. Black hearts follow her everywhere and soon the manuscripts being shared in the writing group start to manifest into real life tragedies. Is Becca going mad, or is someone in the group a killer?
☆ My thoughts
This was a massive disappointment for me, after reading positive reviews and loving the premise I was excited to read this. Unfortunately, it just massively missed the mark for me. The writing style was good and easy to follow but my biggest gripe with this book is just how mindnumbingly boring it was at times. The story didn’t pick up until about 65-70% through the book and while I don’t have an issue with slow and suspenseful starts to books, this was just plain boring to read. Honestly, if I wasn't planning to review this book I would have marked as DNF.
The twists were predictable and the ones that weren’t felt like they were just thrown in there seemingly for the sake of it as some of the motives of the characters made no sense. Speaking of characters, there were no redeemable characters, everyone felt either annoying or unrealistic, and it felt the villains were almost cartoonishly evil. It would’ve been a two star if the epilogue didn’t ruin it for me. Without going into it too much to avoid spoilers, the ending takes perhaps the only redeemable, interesting character in the book and ruins her story line. Overall, just a really disappointing read.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･･:*.ೃ࿔⋆❀°
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2025
Miranda Smith books always hit!! The plot twists totally blew my mind. And I loved how authentically she wrote about the experience of writers — so relatable!
March 7, 2024
I loved the premise of this book and I guess it must be every author's nightmare when this would happen to them.
It's not uncommon for people to lose themselves in a world of fiction in order to escape something devastating they went through, but what if that fictional world suddenly becomes very, very real? One nasty figure using your work for inspiration to go on a killing spree...
I loved Becca's determination to go and find out who this despicable person could be. She know where to put her feelers out, because she is certain one of them has to be the one to blame.
And then she comes up with a plan. Will this be how she will lure the killer to reveal themselves or was this a very stupid thing to do?
I am so glad I am not interested in gambling, because I would no have any euro left in the bank anymore. I, once again, had put my money on the wrong person. Not once, but even twice... I will not surprise you I was totally surprised when the real baddie was unmasked.
A very entertaining story and when you think you know it all, you can think again. :) 5 stars
Thank you
It's not uncommon for people to lose themselves in a world of fiction in order to escape something devastating they went through, but what if that fictional world suddenly becomes very, very real? One nasty figure using your work for inspiration to go on a killing spree...
I loved Becca's determination to go and find out who this despicable person could be. She know where to put her feelers out, because she is certain one of them has to be the one to blame.
And then she comes up with a plan. Will this be how she will lure the killer to reveal themselves or was this a very stupid thing to do?
I am so glad I am not interested in gambling, because I would no have any euro left in the bank anymore. I, once again, had put my money on the wrong person. Not once, but even twice... I will not surprise you I was totally surprised when the real baddie was unmasked.
A very entertaining story and when you think you know it all, you can think again. :) 5 stars
Thank you
March 28, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Writer is a thriller that follows a women's mystery book writer's club. Four women meet once per week to discuss the books they're currently working on writing, but each of them appear to be hiding something. We have a stay at home mother of two, a college professor, an attorney, and our FMC who is pulling shifts at a local restaurant because her life has been in shambles for the past ten years. She's been receiving cards with one word on them as well as a black heart pretty much everywhere she goes. She has no idea who her ten year stalker is, but the black heart cards have cost her relationships, jobs, etc. She lives in a constant state of anxiety, and her writer's group is her one escape. When a young college student is invited to join their group, more mysterious things start to happen, and they seem to be based on the writings within the group. The police have been no help for years, so now it's up to our FMC to see if she can figure out who her stalker is and who is committing these new crimes using her pieces of writing.
This did keep me guessing until the very end. I couldn't pinpoint enough clues to really zero in on a suspect the entire time. So if you enjoy thrillers that will literally leave you guessing until the last page, this would definitely fit the bill.
The Writer is a thriller that follows a women's mystery book writer's club. Four women meet once per week to discuss the books they're currently working on writing, but each of them appear to be hiding something. We have a stay at home mother of two, a college professor, an attorney, and our FMC who is pulling shifts at a local restaurant because her life has been in shambles for the past ten years. She's been receiving cards with one word on them as well as a black heart pretty much everywhere she goes. She has no idea who her ten year stalker is, but the black heart cards have cost her relationships, jobs, etc. She lives in a constant state of anxiety, and her writer's group is her one escape. When a young college student is invited to join their group, more mysterious things start to happen, and they seem to be based on the writings within the group. The police have been no help for years, so now it's up to our FMC to see if she can figure out who her stalker is and who is committing these new crimes using her pieces of writing.
This did keep me guessing until the very end. I couldn't pinpoint enough clues to really zero in on a suspect the entire time. So if you enjoy thrillers that will literally leave you guessing until the last page, this would definitely fit the bill.
April 22, 2024
I loved this book! I did not see the ending coming, very fun and I had to take a few minutes to process what I had just read. I respect that the author followed the "no coincidences" rule - it isn't always easy to do so it was nice that she made sure to cover all her bases.
Book Summary and Comments:
Background: Becca is in her 30s, a struggling author, and is constantly reminded of her friend's, Layla's, death in college, which she feels responsible for. The reminders don't just come in the form of guilt but by a symbol, a black heart, someone has been sending her for the past decade. Every time she thinks they've stopped coming, another shows back up.
The book starts with her wishing she could make it as a writer and her deep feelings of failure surrounding it. [I think every aspiring author has these feelings and I really connected to this part. I think this is very much a "reader's read' type of novel.] Her oldest friend from college, Crystal, recently has broken off her engagement and moved in with Becca until she can get back on her feet. Crystal and Becca were both there for Layla's death and both have guilt surrounding it. Becca thinks this shared trauma has bonded them for life, even though they almost never talk about it and Crystal seems to have moved on from it.
However, she is apart of a writing group, called the Mystery Maidens. The group was started by a local college professor, Victoria, with all aspiring female mystery writers. You have April who is a stay at home mom who write grizzly murders, Victoria, a lawyer who uses real life crimes to inspire her stories, and the newest member, Marley, who is a student of Victoria's. [the difference in personalities here makes for the classic 'unlikely bunch' with all one common interest.] Becca shares her new story with the group and it is actually the story of how her friend, Layla, was killed. Shortly after, a woman at the local college is killed in the exact same way as Becca's story of Layla's murder and there is even a black heart to go along with it. The similarities are insane and Becca cannot ignore it. She tries to go to the police about this but is dismissed. [CLASSIC]
Becca is suspicious of Marley and even suspects she is behind the black heart murders, or is working with someone who is. Becca investigates Marley, finds out the story that got her into the group is actually written by someone else and she worked her way into the group somehow. To try and trick the culprit, she writes a story about a man being pushed off the local bridge at midnight. When she arrives to try and catch the murderer, no one shows. Instead, she finds an envelope with a black heart on it, with one note saying 'nice try' and the article of Layla's death. Becca just about loses it and confronts Marley immediately. They agree to meet at the diner up the road to talk. Becca records the entire conversation on her phone. [I love that she did this because I always think to myself, why the F did they not record that?] Marley does not admit to murder, but instead shows Becca that she believes one of the Mystery Maidens is also behind the crimes. She says there were other stories that Victoria shared in her creative writing class that were almost the same as real life murders that happened. Marley, and the other group members, do not know Victoria shares their writings with her class, but this comes out later. Becca does not share anything about the black hearts with Marley but she does share her suspicions. The women decide to work together to find out who the killer is, even if the police won't believe them.
Spoilers:
Becca, at one point, confronts Crystal, thinking it could've been her who was messing with her, but Crystal has been receiving the black heart notes as well throughout the years and just never thought twice about it.
We find out after Becca and Marley meet at the diner that a man is pushed off the bridge, with a copy of her story in his pocket. However, no black heart is with him.
The cops start to get involved and absolutely suspect Becca, and are investigating the rest of the Mystery Maidens.
Becca and Marley decide to keep tracking the other 3 women of the group after their last meeting when they all yelled at Becca for bringing up their names to the police. Becca follows April to the suburbs and discovers that she is not the one. Marley is following Victoria and Danielle on foot since they live on the same road. Danielle says goodbye to Victoria and heads into her law office. Victoria continues on. Marley calls Becca to ask who she should follow. Becca says Victoria, as she's following her, Becca starts to head back that way to help her, when Marley screams on the phone and the call is disconnected. Becca tracks Marley's phone to the construction site of where Becca, Crystal, and Layla used to live together when it was still an apartment. She finds Marley knocked out on the floor, some blood coming from her head.
Danielle steps out with a hammer in her hand and admits to the killings. and the black heart messages. She was Layla's friend before she went to college, She was a possessive and controlling friend and is actually the one who murdered Layla. Marley begins to stir awake and then the cops show up. Danielle immediately says that Becca is the murderer and hit Marley but Becca was audio recording the entire conversation. Danielle is charged with all of the murders but cannot speak to the murder on the bridge. [I really thought it was Victoria up until Danielle stepped out. Got me there.]
One year later, Marley and Becca are at a press release for their new book. There is a list of questions that they were allowed to prep for. One question is why didn't the man at the bridge have a black heart on him when his body was found. We find out Marley killed that man after meeting Becca at the diner because she needed to make more connections so the police would believe her. [I literally gasped at this part]
Criticism:
I feel like I wish I knew more about the black hearts that Crystal receives, it feels glossed over and like she didn't even realize they were threats to a degree. This part felt like it could've been better explained but it feels like a confusing loose thread to me. minus 1 star for this.
4 stars overall and I would absolutely recommend this book!!
Book Summary and Comments:
Background: Becca is in her 30s, a struggling author, and is constantly reminded of her friend's, Layla's, death in college, which she feels responsible for. The reminders don't just come in the form of guilt but by a symbol, a black heart, someone has been sending her for the past decade. Every time she thinks they've stopped coming, another shows back up.
The book starts with her wishing she could make it as a writer and her deep feelings of failure surrounding it. [I think every aspiring author has these feelings and I really connected to this part. I think this is very much a "reader's read' type of novel.] Her oldest friend from college, Crystal, recently has broken off her engagement and moved in with Becca until she can get back on her feet. Crystal and Becca were both there for Layla's death and both have guilt surrounding it. Becca thinks this shared trauma has bonded them for life, even though they almost never talk about it and Crystal seems to have moved on from it.
However, she is apart of a writing group, called the Mystery Maidens. The group was started by a local college professor, Victoria, with all aspiring female mystery writers. You have April who is a stay at home mom who write grizzly murders, Victoria, a lawyer who uses real life crimes to inspire her stories, and the newest member, Marley, who is a student of Victoria's. [the difference in personalities here makes for the classic 'unlikely bunch' with all one common interest.] Becca shares her new story with the group and it is actually the story of how her friend, Layla, was killed. Shortly after, a woman at the local college is killed in the exact same way as Becca's story of Layla's murder and there is even a black heart to go along with it. The similarities are insane and Becca cannot ignore it. She tries to go to the police about this but is dismissed. [CLASSIC]
Becca is suspicious of Marley and even suspects she is behind the black heart murders, or is working with someone who is. Becca investigates Marley, finds out the story that got her into the group is actually written by someone else and she worked her way into the group somehow. To try and trick the culprit, she writes a story about a man being pushed off the local bridge at midnight. When she arrives to try and catch the murderer, no one shows. Instead, she finds an envelope with a black heart on it, with one note saying 'nice try' and the article of Layla's death. Becca just about loses it and confronts Marley immediately. They agree to meet at the diner up the road to talk. Becca records the entire conversation on her phone. [I love that she did this because I always think to myself, why the F did they not record that?] Marley does not admit to murder, but instead shows Becca that she believes one of the Mystery Maidens is also behind the crimes. She says there were other stories that Victoria shared in her creative writing class that were almost the same as real life murders that happened. Marley, and the other group members, do not know Victoria shares their writings with her class, but this comes out later. Becca does not share anything about the black hearts with Marley but she does share her suspicions. The women decide to work together to find out who the killer is, even if the police won't believe them.
Spoilers:
Becca, at one point, confronts Crystal, thinking it could've been her who was messing with her, but Crystal has been receiving the black heart notes as well throughout the years and just never thought twice about it.
We find out after Becca and Marley meet at the diner that a man is pushed off the bridge, with a copy of her story in his pocket. However, no black heart is with him.
The cops start to get involved and absolutely suspect Becca, and are investigating the rest of the Mystery Maidens.
Becca and Marley decide to keep tracking the other 3 women of the group after their last meeting when they all yelled at Becca for bringing up their names to the police. Becca follows April to the suburbs and discovers that she is not the one. Marley is following Victoria and Danielle on foot since they live on the same road. Danielle says goodbye to Victoria and heads into her law office. Victoria continues on. Marley calls Becca to ask who she should follow. Becca says Victoria, as she's following her, Becca starts to head back that way to help her, when Marley screams on the phone and the call is disconnected. Becca tracks Marley's phone to the construction site of where Becca, Crystal, and Layla used to live together when it was still an apartment. She finds Marley knocked out on the floor, some blood coming from her head.
Danielle steps out with a hammer in her hand and admits to the killings. and the black heart messages. She was Layla's friend before she went to college, She was a possessive and controlling friend and is actually the one who murdered Layla. Marley begins to stir awake and then the cops show up. Danielle immediately says that Becca is the murderer and hit Marley but Becca was audio recording the entire conversation. Danielle is charged with all of the murders but cannot speak to the murder on the bridge. [I really thought it was Victoria up until Danielle stepped out. Got me there.]
One year later, Marley and Becca are at a press release for their new book. There is a list of questions that they were allowed to prep for. One question is why didn't the man at the bridge have a black heart on him when his body was found. We find out Marley killed that man after meeting Becca at the diner because she needed to make more connections so the police would believe her. [I literally gasped at this part]
Criticism:
I feel like I wish I knew more about the black hearts that Crystal receives, it feels glossed over and like she didn't even realize they were threats to a degree. This part felt like it could've been better explained but it feels like a confusing loose thread to me. minus 1 star for this.
4 stars overall and I would absolutely recommend this book!!
April 18, 2024
The Writer by Miranda Smith has an unusual premise for a thriller, a book club and the members thereof. This is unique, original and unexpected for the genre and as such, I was intrigued.
Becca wants to be a writer, but things are not going well. Her manuscripts keep getting rejected, she is unhappy in her day job and her mother is perpetually disappointed in her. Luckily, for a year now, she has her book club, the "Mystery Maidens" to escape to once a week. This is central to the storyline and works well in the character building
Becca is also haunted by nightmares, and decides to start using the content to write her stories, however, there begins to be terrifying parallels in daily life.
I enjoyed the build of this book, I really did not know where it was going at the beginning (which piquued my interest even further), but the author was directing the reader to invest in the characters and dynamics, to become familiarised and comfortable in preparation for the rollercoaster of the second half of the book.
A highly compelling, tumultuous tale that belies the stereotypical nature of a book club into something much darker, deeper and ultimately, deadly. An awesome read
Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author Miranda Smith for this gripping ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
Becca wants to be a writer, but things are not going well. Her manuscripts keep getting rejected, she is unhappy in her day job and her mother is perpetually disappointed in her. Luckily, for a year now, she has her book club, the "Mystery Maidens" to escape to once a week. This is central to the storyline and works well in the character building
Becca is also haunted by nightmares, and decides to start using the content to write her stories, however, there begins to be terrifying parallels in daily life.
I enjoyed the build of this book, I really did not know where it was going at the beginning (which piquued my interest even further), but the author was directing the reader to invest in the characters and dynamics, to become familiarised and comfortable in preparation for the rollercoaster of the second half of the book.
A highly compelling, tumultuous tale that belies the stereotypical nature of a book club into something much darker, deeper and ultimately, deadly. An awesome read
Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author Miranda Smith for this gripping ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
April 16, 2024
What an absolutely brilliant psychological thriller. The Writer by Miranda Smith was an absolute wild ride. I could not put it down, literally! From the moment I came home from work I’ve done nothing but read this book until I finished. The Writer is the type of book where you can loose yourself and leave your reality behind. I felt a gamut of emotions; exhilaration, anxiety, trepidation and suspicion. I must confess, half the time my heart was beating out of my chest as The Writer was an extremely intense book.
Meet Becca, a struggling, aspiring writer who pays the bills working in a pizza joint. When not at work, Becca writes stories and meets with her Women’s Writing Group. The group meet at a local bar sipping wine while discussing their latest writing endeavours. This group is a sounding board of 4 women encouraging one another in their writing journey. But what the women do not know is that they each harbour a secret.
Becca’s secret is her troubled past, which she thought she’d left behind when she dropped out of University 10 years ago. But it seems that Becca’s past is coming back to haunt her.
If you want to get your heart pumping and your brain spiralling then I highly recommend you read The Writer. A book about mysterious notes, murders, slashed tires and shocking secrets.
Thank you so much Bookouture and Miranda Smith for having me on your book tour and for my arc of The Writer. A definite 5 ⭐️ read for me.
Pub Date: April 15, 202
Meet Becca, a struggling, aspiring writer who pays the bills working in a pizza joint. When not at work, Becca writes stories and meets with her Women’s Writing Group. The group meet at a local bar sipping wine while discussing their latest writing endeavours. This group is a sounding board of 4 women encouraging one another in their writing journey. But what the women do not know is that they each harbour a secret.
Becca’s secret is her troubled past, which she thought she’d left behind when she dropped out of University 10 years ago. But it seems that Becca’s past is coming back to haunt her.
If you want to get your heart pumping and your brain spiralling then I highly recommend you read The Writer. A book about mysterious notes, murders, slashed tires and shocking secrets.
Thank you so much Bookouture and Miranda Smith for having me on your book tour and for my arc of The Writer. A definite 5 ⭐️ read for me.
Pub Date: April 15, 202
March 23, 2024
This is a great thriller about the Mystery Maidens, a group of women who get together to share their own writing and critique each other. Becca is invested as she's just written a novel and works at a pizza place since she has no "real" job, as her mother laments often on the phone.But odd things begin happening: first her tires are slashed and then there's a hit-and-run right in front of her apartment building. In addition, she's been getting black hearts on paper frequently for 10 years and those mirror events she'd rather forget from her past. But when she goes to the police, they are reluctant to do anything as she can't prove any malice and she hasn't been physically harmed in any way. But as time goes on, things spiral and Becca begins to suspect one of the women in the group must know more than she pretends to. It's a fast-paced novel that kept me speed reading to find the killer!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
April 13, 2024
Wow!! I'm in awe at how well each twist was thought out!! I didn't want to put this down. The ending was amazing and felt satisfying. I was truly wondering the whole time how each of the characters could have been "the one" and the author did such a good job concealing what actually happened and who it could have been. This one really had my mind racing and trying to be a detective. I would love for this to be a movie! I was truly surprised by each reveal. Highly recommend reading this one.
March 30, 2024
3.5 stars
The Writer definitely was a gripping, twisty thriller that kept guessing up until the very end.
Becca is in her 30s, stuck in a job she doesn't like, desperately trying to get her novel published and still haunted by a decade old murder. For the past ten years, someone has been messing with her, leaving behind notes with a black heart on the back, but now they are being left on crime scenes reminiscing of her own stories, and the only people who have access to those are the women in her writing group, the Mystery Maidens.
Even though I didn't necessarily connect to Becca on any deeper level, I liked the way she openly acknowledged all the mistakes main characters in these kind of situations usually make and acted to do the opposite. All the things you would usually be screaming at someone to do, she had already thought of and done. I enjoy a smart main character, and it made it so fun to just go along with the story and watch it unfold.
While it might have seemed pretty random as first, there was so much connecting these women that got revealed at a perfect pace to keep you interested, constantly making you question your theories. I did guess who it was, but I didn't see any of the big twists coming up until they were basically right in front of my face, but they made sense and were not too far-fetched, which I appreciated.
I genuinely had so much fun with this and am looking forward to reading more by this author in the future!
Many thanks to Bookouture & Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!
The Writer definitely was a gripping, twisty thriller that kept guessing up until the very end.
Becca is in her 30s, stuck in a job she doesn't like, desperately trying to get her novel published and still haunted by a decade old murder. For the past ten years, someone has been messing with her, leaving behind notes with a black heart on the back, but now they are being left on crime scenes reminiscing of her own stories, and the only people who have access to those are the women in her writing group, the Mystery Maidens.
Even though I didn't necessarily connect to Becca on any deeper level, I liked the way she openly acknowledged all the mistakes main characters in these kind of situations usually make and acted to do the opposite. All the things you would usually be screaming at someone to do, she had already thought of and done. I enjoy a smart main character, and it made it so fun to just go along with the story and watch it unfold.
While it might have seemed pretty random as first, there was so much connecting these women that got revealed at a perfect pace to keep you interested, constantly making you question your theories. I did guess who it was, but I didn't see any of the big twists coming up until they were basically right in front of my face, but they made sense and were not too far-fetched, which I appreciated.
I genuinely had so much fun with this and am looking forward to reading more by this author in the future!
Many thanks to Bookouture & Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!
June 23, 2024
The Writer is a fun, sharp read with a good premise and an unexpected ending.
Becca is a writer and is struggling to make ends meet.
She attends a writing group with four other thriller writers.
The Mystery Maidens met once a week to discuss their current works in progress.
Becca also has a secret and she believes one of them is stalking her.
When her newest story plays out in real life, Becca thinks she could be in danger if she doesn’t uncover the truth…..
A hooking read and definitely one to check out.
It caught my attention pretty much straight away and I was invested in the plot, characters and setting.
Fast paced, short chapters, inviting writing and I’m pleased to say I’m keen to read more by this author.
I thought one thing but it went completely the other way.
Full of suspense, lots of suspects and a twist here and there.
With a clever mystery to stimulate the mind, The Writer is a great satisfying book.
Becca is a writer and is struggling to make ends meet.
She attends a writing group with four other thriller writers.
The Mystery Maidens met once a week to discuss their current works in progress.
Becca also has a secret and she believes one of them is stalking her.
When her newest story plays out in real life, Becca thinks she could be in danger if she doesn’t uncover the truth…..
A hooking read and definitely one to check out.
It caught my attention pretty much straight away and I was invested in the plot, characters and setting.
Fast paced, short chapters, inviting writing and I’m pleased to say I’m keen to read more by this author.
I thought one thing but it went completely the other way.
Full of suspense, lots of suspects and a twist here and there.
With a clever mystery to stimulate the mind, The Writer is a great satisfying book.
April 13, 2024
3.75 stars rounded up for Goodreads.
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.
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Becca Walsh is a struggling writer hoping to be published and having a successful career as an author.
However, so far all she has is her writing group which meets once a week to share each other's stories. What separates Becca from these women though, is her tormenter, someone who knows about Becca's past and refuses to let her forget it. Things then take a drastic turn when someone is murdered in exactly the way Becca's latest story victim is murdered.
Who is responsible? Could it be one of the women in her writing group or someone even closer to her?
This book started really strong; fast paced and straight to the point. In the first 25% we get a good sense of who our MC is and her complex and tormented character. I love when characters have a layer of complexity to them. The suspense begins almost immediately raising many questions with little answers, capturing my attention and keeping me cemented into the pages of this story. There were so many times I thought I had it figured out but I boy was I wrong.
They were many revelations along the way and so many people to suspect as our antagonist, that I found myself even more engrossed and was so pumped for the big reveal at the end.
This is sadly where things fell down for me. The ending felt way too rushed and a little unbelievable. Though, I truly didn't suspect the antagonist's identity, it still didn't blow me away as much as I wanted it to.
After such a suspenseful build-up, I expect the plot twist to be more thrilling and jaw dropping. However, it was very mediocre and unfortunately lackluster. The last little twist felt like an unnecessary almost forgotten detail that the author forgot to include, deciding to just throw it in there at the last minute.
I felt like they were way too many loose ends that needed to be tied up at the end, resulting in my rating of 3.75 stars. Had the ending been better crafted, this would've easily been a 5-star read, easily!
Having said all that, it was still a very enjoyable, bingeable and unputdownable read with a solid plot, if not mediocre ending. I will definitely be exploring more of this author's work.
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.
.
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Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Miranda Smith for my eARC of this book. All opinions are 100% my own and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
.
.
.
Becca Walsh is a struggling writer hoping to be published and having a successful career as an author.
However, so far all she has is her writing group which meets once a week to share each other's stories. What separates Becca from these women though, is her tormenter, someone who knows about Becca's past and refuses to let her forget it. Things then take a drastic turn when someone is murdered in exactly the way Becca's latest story victim is murdered.
Who is responsible? Could it be one of the women in her writing group or someone even closer to her?
This book started really strong; fast paced and straight to the point. In the first 25% we get a good sense of who our MC is and her complex and tormented character. I love when characters have a layer of complexity to them. The suspense begins almost immediately raising many questions with little answers, capturing my attention and keeping me cemented into the pages of this story. There were so many times I thought I had it figured out but I boy was I wrong.
They were many revelations along the way and so many people to suspect as our antagonist, that I found myself even more engrossed and was so pumped for the big reveal at the end.
This is sadly where things fell down for me. The ending felt way too rushed and a little unbelievable. Though, I truly didn't suspect the antagonist's identity, it still didn't blow me away as much as I wanted it to.
After such a suspenseful build-up, I expect the plot twist to be more thrilling and jaw dropping. However, it was very mediocre and unfortunately lackluster. The last little twist felt like an unnecessary almost forgotten detail that the author forgot to include, deciding to just throw it in there at the last minute.
I felt like they were way too many loose ends that needed to be tied up at the end, resulting in my rating of 3.75 stars. Had the ending been better crafted, this would've easily been a 5-star read, easily!
Having said all that, it was still a very enjoyable, bingeable and unputdownable read with a solid plot, if not mediocre ending. I will definitely be exploring more of this author's work.
.
.
.
.
Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Miranda Smith for my eARC of this book. All opinions are 100% my own and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
March 12, 2024
Becca wants to be a writer. She decides to join a writing group. But things get weird when the events happening in the story, start happening in real life. I would say it started to get interesting at about 70%. It just didn’t grab my attention. Although there were some twists, I just kept waiting for it to get better. The ending was definitely interesting. I’m glad I finished the book. I don’t think I’d read it again. Thank you NetGalley, Miranda and Bookouture for the ARC!
May 20, 2024
★ 3 stars.
Reading Miranda Smith's "The Writer" was a bit of a mixed experience for me. The premise is compelling: Becca, an author whose life eerily starts to mirror her dark, fictional stories, is caught in a web of paranoia and suspense. Her writing group, initially a source of camaraderie, becomes a breeding ground for suspicion as the line between fiction and reality blurs.
One of the novel's strengths is the atmosphere. Smith does a great job of setting up a tense, almost claustrophobic environment where Becca's paranoia feels palpable. The writing group meetings, which should have been safe havens, gradually become fraught with tension. I appreciated the way the author unfolded the characters’ backstories piece by piece, maintaining a constant sense of mystery.
However, I struggled with Becca as a protagonist. She felt flat and somewhat unlikable, which made it hard for me to fully invest in her journey. Her decision-making often left me frustrated, and there were moments when her inability to connect obvious dots felt more like a plot device than authentic character behavior. While I understand that flawed characters can be compelling, Becca's flaws seemed to overshadow her strengths, making it difficult to root for her.
The pacing of the book was another issue. While the beginning and end were engaging, the middle sections dragged. I found myself waiting for the plot to pick up, and when it did, the twists—though surprising—didn't quite pack the punch I was hoping for. The resolution felt rushed, and the final twist, while unexpected, seemed a bit tacked on.
Despite these criticisms, there were elements I enjoyed. The dynamics within the writing group, "The Mystery Maidens," were well-crafted. Smith skillfully keeps readers guessing about each member's potential involvement in the unfolding real-life horrors. Marley, the new member, added an interesting layer of suspicion and intrigue.
In the end, "The Writer" had moments of suspense and a few clever twists, but it fell short of being a gripping thriller. The interpersonal relationships were the highlight, providing depth and keeping me somewhat engaged. While it didn't fully deliver on its thrilling premise, it was an enjoyable read, and I'd be interested in seeing how Miranda Smith's storytelling evolves in her future works.
Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
#TheWriter #NetGalley
Reading Miranda Smith's "The Writer" was a bit of a mixed experience for me. The premise is compelling: Becca, an author whose life eerily starts to mirror her dark, fictional stories, is caught in a web of paranoia and suspense. Her writing group, initially a source of camaraderie, becomes a breeding ground for suspicion as the line between fiction and reality blurs.
One of the novel's strengths is the atmosphere. Smith does a great job of setting up a tense, almost claustrophobic environment where Becca's paranoia feels palpable. The writing group meetings, which should have been safe havens, gradually become fraught with tension. I appreciated the way the author unfolded the characters’ backstories piece by piece, maintaining a constant sense of mystery.
However, I struggled with Becca as a protagonist. She felt flat and somewhat unlikable, which made it hard for me to fully invest in her journey. Her decision-making often left me frustrated, and there were moments when her inability to connect obvious dots felt more like a plot device than authentic character behavior. While I understand that flawed characters can be compelling, Becca's flaws seemed to overshadow her strengths, making it difficult to root for her.
The pacing of the book was another issue. While the beginning and end were engaging, the middle sections dragged. I found myself waiting for the plot to pick up, and when it did, the twists—though surprising—didn't quite pack the punch I was hoping for. The resolution felt rushed, and the final twist, while unexpected, seemed a bit tacked on.
Despite these criticisms, there were elements I enjoyed. The dynamics within the writing group, "The Mystery Maidens," were well-crafted. Smith skillfully keeps readers guessing about each member's potential involvement in the unfolding real-life horrors. Marley, the new member, added an interesting layer of suspicion and intrigue.
In the end, "The Writer" had moments of suspense and a few clever twists, but it fell short of being a gripping thriller. The interpersonal relationships were the highlight, providing depth and keeping me somewhat engaged. While it didn't fully deliver on its thrilling premise, it was an enjoyable read, and I'd be interested in seeing how Miranda Smith's storytelling evolves in her future works.
Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
#TheWriter #NetGalley
April 2, 2024
ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀
ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝐈 𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐖 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤! 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐈’𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧! 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞. 𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨, 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 (𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐡) 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥? 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲. 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫!
𝕊𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤: 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚–𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟑𝟎-𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞–𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 “𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬.” 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐒𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬’ 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫.
𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲, 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝!
𝐻𝓊𝑔𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝑀𝒾𝓇𝒶𝓃𝒹𝒶 𝒮𝓂𝒾𝓉𝒽, 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀𝑜𝓊𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑒-𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.
ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝐈 𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐖 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤! 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐈’𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧! 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞. 𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨, 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 (𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐡) 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥? 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲. 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫!
𝕊𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤: 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚–𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟑𝟎-𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞–𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 “𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬.” 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐒𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬’ 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫.
𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲, 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝!
𝐻𝓊𝑔𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝑀𝒾𝓇𝒶𝓃𝒹𝒶 𝒮𝓂𝒾𝓉𝒽, 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀𝑜𝓊𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑒-𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.
April 9, 2024
I really wanted this to be a five star read. The premise sounded truly great, but in the end I felt like the execution could have been so much more. It did not help that I did not connect with the main character and felt like she lacked personality. Also, the pace was a little off: very slow in the beginning and almost too rushed towards the end.
What I appreciated the most was the 'Mystery Maidens' group dynamic: I loved learning more about each character and finding out that they were all somehow connected to each other, some more directly than others, through their past, their friendships or acquaintances.
The plot-twist came out of nowhere and the big reveal was underwhelming for me, unfortunately.
What I like the most about thrillers is to get all the clues, build the pictures and connect the dots to find out who is the person/people responsible of it all...but here there was none of that, it truly came out of left field. Also, for as much as Becca talked about the 'black hearts' and how much stress and paranoia they cause her through the years, I felt like they should have been more at the core of the big revelation.
All in all, the premise was good, the write style was easy and interesting even if the pacing was a little off at times and the last 30% will have you hooked. If you like being completely shocked, then this is the thriller for you.
***Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the e-ARC of The Writer in exchange for my honest opinion***
What I appreciated the most was the 'Mystery Maidens' group dynamic: I loved learning more about each character and finding out that they were all somehow connected to each other, some more directly than others, through their past, their friendships or acquaintances.
The plot-twist came out of nowhere and the big reveal was underwhelming for me, unfortunately.
What I like the most about thrillers is to get all the clues, build the pictures and connect the dots to find out who is the person/people responsible of it all...but here there was none of that, it truly came out of left field. Also, for as much as Becca talked about the 'black hearts' and how much stress and paranoia they cause her through the years, I felt like they should have been more at the core of the big revelation.
All in all, the premise was good, the write style was easy and interesting even if the pacing was a little off at times and the last 30% will have you hooked. If you like being completely shocked, then this is the thriller for you.
***Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the e-ARC of The Writer in exchange for my honest opinion***
July 28, 2024
This was a good one!! Becca wants to be an author. She has joined a writing group to get feedback on her writing, as well as sending her newest manuscript to literary agents in hopes of being picked up. Each of the members of the writing group writes mysteries, thrillers etc.. As Becca is trying to find her footing in the world as an author, she is haunted by her past via black hearts. Soon, events that occur within the stories are happening in real life. Becca needs to find out who is behind it all, and it may just be someone in the writing group.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While stories coming to life is not a new concept, this book felt fresh because it seemed to be done in a new way. There were two mysteries happening in this book, and they were nicely intertwined. The writing is easy to read and it flows nicely.
I was kept guessing until the very end as to who was behind the stories coming to life. But there was a twist thrown in there that I didn’t see coming from a mile away. If there were any breadcrumbs left for the reader to try to figure this out, I didn’t catch them at all. That is something that I love about thriller books – my inability to guess and a true twist that leaves me surprised.
This is the third book that I have read by this author, and I will be reading her others. I hope that you check her out!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While stories coming to life is not a new concept, this book felt fresh because it seemed to be done in a new way. There were two mysteries happening in this book, and they were nicely intertwined. The writing is easy to read and it flows nicely.
I was kept guessing until the very end as to who was behind the stories coming to life. But there was a twist thrown in there that I didn’t see coming from a mile away. If there were any breadcrumbs left for the reader to try to figure this out, I didn’t catch them at all. That is something that I love about thriller books – my inability to guess and a true twist that leaves me surprised.
This is the third book that I have read by this author, and I will be reading her others. I hope that you check her out!
January 28, 2025
As a psychological thriller writer, of course I'm going to want to read a thriller about a writer.
However, this isn't a psychological thriller. It's a slow-burning mystery you're trying to unravel. While very well written, the slow pace doesn't make it the most compelling of books to pick back up when you take a break. That said, I still really enjoyed it!
It's about a writing group called The Mystery Maidens, who get together and critique each others writing. But parts of their stories are being used in crimes on the news... down to the fine details. It's writer Becca's job to figure out who is behind these terrible crimes and why they seem to be targeting her writing.
It's an entertaining read.. and as a writer I found it really relatable especially the parts about the form rejections while querying manuscripts etc. That for me, as an author, was fun and enjoyable and I wish there'd been more of it.
However, this isn't a psychological thriller. It's a slow-burning mystery you're trying to unravel. While very well written, the slow pace doesn't make it the most compelling of books to pick back up when you take a break. That said, I still really enjoyed it!
It's about a writing group called The Mystery Maidens, who get together and critique each others writing. But parts of their stories are being used in crimes on the news... down to the fine details. It's writer Becca's job to figure out who is behind these terrible crimes and why they seem to be targeting her writing.
It's an entertaining read.. and as a writer I found it really relatable especially the parts about the form rejections while querying manuscripts etc. That for me, as an author, was fun and enjoyable and I wish there'd been more of it.
March 10, 2024
WOWZERS….
This book follows Becca, a presumable wannabe nothing, drop out; a disappointment to her mother.
It follows her life from her evening shifts at the local pizzeria, to her writer club once a week. She is living with some secrets, but she isn’t the only one.
Ten years ago her best friend was murdered, since then threatening and antagonizing notes are left for her laced with a little black heart. Throughout the book you find out what really happened, and when I tell you it took me for a dooooozzzzzyyyy 😱😵💫.
I absolutely loved the way this was written, it was like an episode of SVU all while reading a book inside of a book. While Becca’s questions of whodunnit float around in the book, I had my own suspicions, but none were correct. This truly had me guessing until the very end! I COULD NOT, repeat COULD NOT put this down. Trust me you need this book
LOVE LOVE LOVE
This book follows Becca, a presumable wannabe nothing, drop out; a disappointment to her mother.
It follows her life from her evening shifts at the local pizzeria, to her writer club once a week. She is living with some secrets, but she isn’t the only one.
Ten years ago her best friend was murdered, since then threatening and antagonizing notes are left for her laced with a little black heart. Throughout the book you find out what really happened, and when I tell you it took me for a dooooozzzzzyyyy 😱😵💫.
I absolutely loved the way this was written, it was like an episode of SVU all while reading a book inside of a book. While Becca’s questions of whodunnit float around in the book, I had my own suspicions, but none were correct. This truly had me guessing until the very end! I COULD NOT, repeat COULD NOT put this down. Trust me you need this book
LOVE LOVE LOVE
March 13, 2024
Holy shit that was a great book!
It kept me on my toes throughout the entire novel.
I loved the characters with all their flaws. I loved how they all had different personalities and were from different walks of life. I came up with all sorts of theories and you think it's very predictable but it's not. The twists thrown in definitely keep you guessing.
It's a complete mystery novel with a great plot and scenes, in-depth backstories, amazing characters, and an overall nice read.
The start was a bit slow and dragged until 30%-40% but it picked up pace soon enough.
I have no complaints with this book.
Would recommend it to anyone looking for a short and fun mystery-murder-crime thriller and book clubs. What an exciting experience!
Thank-you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
☆
It kept me on my toes throughout the entire novel.
I loved the characters with all their flaws. I loved how they all had different personalities and were from different walks of life. I came up with all sorts of theories and you think it's very predictable but it's not. The twists thrown in definitely keep you guessing.
It's a complete mystery novel with a great plot and scenes, in-depth backstories, amazing characters, and an overall nice read.
The start was a bit slow and dragged until 30%-40% but it picked up pace soon enough.
I have no complaints with this book.
Would recommend it to anyone looking for a short and fun mystery-murder-crime thriller and book clubs. What an exciting experience!
Thank-you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
☆
March 29, 2024
I think this book would be a good for someone wanting to segue into thrillers. The story surrounds an aspiring author,
she is a server by day and a writer by night.
As the story progresses we’re able to read the story she’s working on which is not written that well. However it was interesting to see how it unfolded and intertwined with her past. I resonated with Becca on her journey in her career and feeling overwhelmed by her reality and bearing the weight of people’s expectations of her. But I also found her annoying majority of the book I didn’t understand her resistance in involving the police.
The black hearts in the story could’ve been a lot more impactful than they were. The suffering Becca experienced seeing the black hearts wasn’t executed in a way whereas a reader I understood the impact of them.
I thought the person responsible could’ve been a better twist it’s more of a light hearted mystery book than a psychological thriller. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
she is a server by day and a writer by night.
As the story progresses we’re able to read the story she’s working on which is not written that well. However it was interesting to see how it unfolded and intertwined with her past. I resonated with Becca on her journey in her career and feeling overwhelmed by her reality and bearing the weight of people’s expectations of her. But I also found her annoying majority of the book I didn’t understand her resistance in involving the police.
The black hearts in the story could’ve been a lot more impactful than they were. The suffering Becca experienced seeing the black hearts wasn’t executed in a way whereas a reader I understood the impact of them.
I thought the person responsible could’ve been a better twist it’s more of a light hearted mystery book than a psychological thriller. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 10, 2024
WOW!!! This was the easiest five stars I have given all year!!!
Following Becca, the main character who to be honest at first I didn’t really like so much, she seemed like a bitter budding writer, jealous and had no other life prospects going for her at all… paranoid because of something happened in the past.
Now, although most of that is in fact true, as the story progresses I started to warm up to her. Her secret, her past and the secretiveness of it helped to keep the suspense building as the pages turned.
The Writer holds one of the biggest mystery stories I have read in a long time, as always the amateur detective when reading, I didn’t even try to figure out who was behind it all… because I knew i just wouldn’t have been able to do it!!
This was an incredible book filled with plenty of twists and turns and is definitely not a book that should be missed off your TBR!!
Following Becca, the main character who to be honest at first I didn’t really like so much, she seemed like a bitter budding writer, jealous and had no other life prospects going for her at all… paranoid because of something happened in the past.
Now, although most of that is in fact true, as the story progresses I started to warm up to her. Her secret, her past and the secretiveness of it helped to keep the suspense building as the pages turned.
The Writer holds one of the biggest mystery stories I have read in a long time, as always the amateur detective when reading, I didn’t even try to figure out who was behind it all… because I knew i just wouldn’t have been able to do it!!
This was an incredible book filled with plenty of twists and turns and is definitely not a book that should be missed off your TBR!!
April 19, 2024
My first book by Miranda Smith and definitely not my last, it kept me guessing all the way through until the very end!
Becca is an aspiring writer, while she waits for her first book “Night Beat” to be picked up by a publisher she works as a waitress at a local pizzeria. To keep ideas flowing she is part of a small local writers group called “The Mystery Maidens” who meet once a week to share support and critic each other’s work. When Becca has a bad dream about a traumatic event in her past, she finds it cathartic to write about it, however shortly after sharing the story with the Mystery Maidens a local university student is murdered in exactly the same way as Becca’s nightmare and Becca starts to worry that someone knows about her past and is out to get her. Can she figure out who it is before it is too late and who out of the Mystery Maidens can she really trust when everyone seems to be suspicious and are hiding secrets from each other?!
This was a really great read! I loved the style of writing, and I was drawn into the story very fast. When I discovered what Becca had been through and was hiding my heart went out to her as she was blaming herself for something that was, essentially, not her fault. The pace was a little slow at the start, but I understand that as the scene needed to be set for the second half of the book which I whizzed through! Miranda Smith did a good job of constantly putting out red herrings and I fell for all of them (which I loved). I had no idea who the perpetrator was, I was completely in the dark without even a tiny inkling until they were unveiled which was just brilliant, and I also really loved the twist right at the end of the story.
Ultimately a really great psychological thriller that I definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys this genre. I can’t wait to see what Miranda Smith comes up with next and I will be going through her back catalogue and buying a few more of her books. Totally deserved 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley, Miranda Smith and Bookouture for my advanced reading copy. Out now.
Becca is an aspiring writer, while she waits for her first book “Night Beat” to be picked up by a publisher she works as a waitress at a local pizzeria. To keep ideas flowing she is part of a small local writers group called “The Mystery Maidens” who meet once a week to share support and critic each other’s work. When Becca has a bad dream about a traumatic event in her past, she finds it cathartic to write about it, however shortly after sharing the story with the Mystery Maidens a local university student is murdered in exactly the same way as Becca’s nightmare and Becca starts to worry that someone knows about her past and is out to get her. Can she figure out who it is before it is too late and who out of the Mystery Maidens can she really trust when everyone seems to be suspicious and are hiding secrets from each other?!
This was a really great read! I loved the style of writing, and I was drawn into the story very fast. When I discovered what Becca had been through and was hiding my heart went out to her as she was blaming herself for something that was, essentially, not her fault. The pace was a little slow at the start, but I understand that as the scene needed to be set for the second half of the book which I whizzed through! Miranda Smith did a good job of constantly putting out red herrings and I fell for all of them (which I loved). I had no idea who the perpetrator was, I was completely in the dark without even a tiny inkling until they were unveiled which was just brilliant, and I also really loved the twist right at the end of the story.
Ultimately a really great psychological thriller that I definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys this genre. I can’t wait to see what Miranda Smith comes up with next and I will be going through her back catalogue and buying a few more of her books. Totally deserved 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley, Miranda Smith and Bookouture for my advanced reading copy. Out now.
May 14, 2024
The Writer by Miranda Smith has such an intriguing premise.
When a body is found near the university, the details feel eerily similar to a story Becca wrote and shared with there writing group, Becca begins to panic. Then every week as the Mystery Maidens meet to share their work, more incidents creep up in her life that feel like copycats of her literary ideas. Becca then wonders if someone in her writing group is acting out her stories and setting her up to take the fall.
The tension and mystery propelled the story, from an initial who-dunnit to a why-dunnit. What is the killers motive? Why are they targeting Becca and her writing? What is their end goal? When will it stop?
For fans of domestic suspense and books about writers, The Writer, might just be story you need.
When a body is found near the university, the details feel eerily similar to a story Becca wrote and shared with there writing group, Becca begins to panic. Then every week as the Mystery Maidens meet to share their work, more incidents creep up in her life that feel like copycats of her literary ideas. Becca then wonders if someone in her writing group is acting out her stories and setting her up to take the fall.
The tension and mystery propelled the story, from an initial who-dunnit to a why-dunnit. What is the killers motive? Why are they targeting Becca and her writing? What is their end goal? When will it stop?
For fans of domestic suspense and books about writers, The Writer, might just be story you need.
March 31, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Writer by Miranda Smith is a totally unputdownable psychological thriller with an unbelievable twist!
I must say I was confused probably the first 30% and could not catch where this story is going but once it pice up, oh well! It was mad! And that ending left me with an open mouth! Whatever I expected, definitely not what actually happened!
Becca dreams of being an author. She attends a writing group for thriller and crime authors and piece by piece develops her stories... but then she notices that her stories become a real-time event... Becca knows this is related to the tragic events in her past but she doesn't have any idea who is behind all this now...
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for this copy! I absolutely loved it!
The Writer by Miranda Smith is a totally unputdownable psychological thriller with an unbelievable twist!
I must say I was confused probably the first 30% and could not catch where this story is going but once it pice up, oh well! It was mad! And that ending left me with an open mouth! Whatever I expected, definitely not what actually happened!
Becca dreams of being an author. She attends a writing group for thriller and crime authors and piece by piece develops her stories... but then she notices that her stories become a real-time event... Becca knows this is related to the tragic events in her past but she doesn't have any idea who is behind all this now...
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for this copy! I absolutely loved it!
March 12, 2024
The Writer was such an entertaining read full of twists and turns! I was taken by surprise by the reveal of the killer!! This was my first Miranda Smith book and I’m excited to read more of her work.
Aspiring writer Becca has been struggling to get her big break. She meets with the Mystery Maidens, her writing group, to keep her failing dream alive. Suddenly their dark murderous stories are coming true. Someone is taking their stories and bringing them to life. Could this be connected to Becca’s secret from her past 10 years ago?
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC! 🖤
Aspiring writer Becca has been struggling to get her big break. She meets with the Mystery Maidens, her writing group, to keep her failing dream alive. Suddenly their dark murderous stories are coming true. Someone is taking their stories and bringing them to life. Could this be connected to Becca’s secret from her past 10 years ago?
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC! 🖤
April 11, 2024
Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the book#TheWriter by #MirandaSmith. Becca is hiding from the past and the guilt of her best friends death. It’s been a decade and she still can’t move on, but has joined a writers group. Accidents start happening like the stories the group is writing and she is suspicious of them all. Does someone know her secret and are they trying to frame her for these murders? I could not put this book down, and I highly recommend it.
April 2, 2024
It was a good thriller. The plot was super original and I liked the way the author constructed it. The characters were a little less memorable than the plot, which is why I wasn’t completely invested in it. I still enjoyed the reveals and the last couple of lines were quite delightful.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
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