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Writers Anonymous
Fighting off the boredom of lockdown, acclaimed author Jim Winter decides to share his skills by setting up an anonymous online writing workshop – but his generosity will cost him more than he knows.
Right away, the work of a talented student known only as Deirdre stands out. Her novel concerns the death of Mattie Lantry, a lonely seventeen-year-old found murdered in the now-distant summer of 1980, in the local cemetery of his quiet fishing town. The writing is brilliant, but there's one Jim grew up with Mattie, and Deirdre knows things that only he and his schoolfriends should know. Chapter by chapter, she's revealing a story that he's worked all his life to repress.
Who is Deirdre, and what will her novel uncover? To find out, Jim must return to the town he fled all those years ago. As his buried past and perfect present collide, the stories he's told about his own nature – to his reading public, to his loved ones and to himself – begin to fall apart.
Right away, the work of a talented student known only as Deirdre stands out. Her novel concerns the death of Mattie Lantry, a lonely seventeen-year-old found murdered in the now-distant summer of 1980, in the local cemetery of his quiet fishing town. The writing is brilliant, but there's one Jim grew up with Mattie, and Deirdre knows things that only he and his schoolfriends should know. Chapter by chapter, she's revealing a story that he's worked all his life to repress.
Who is Deirdre, and what will her novel uncover? To find out, Jim must return to the town he fled all those years ago. As his buried past and perfect present collide, the stories he's told about his own nature – to his reading public, to his loved ones and to himself – begin to fall apart.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2025
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 2, 2025
This book has a lot going on. It’s a story within a story, but also features a couple other stories excerpted throughout.
There’s much to really like here. The narrative was super engaging, particularly in the second half. The excerpts from the students’ novels were all expertly written and well-crafted. The setting in particular was excellent; sharp, realized, ominous, and dark. I haven’t read anything set during peak COVID yet, and this was a bit triggering, but also perfect at setting the scene. This novel is clearly written by someone with a mastery of the English language, and it felt a bit like Wall was showing off what he is capable of (not necessarily in a bad way).
I did think the students’ novels (other than Deirdre’s) started to really drag the narrative down, especially once the main plot got going. I also thought the ending was abrupt and too short. I get that we’re supposed to feel unsettled, but I felt like its abruptness took some of the wind out of an effective twist. Also, some of the characters’ motivations remain unclear to me, which again think could have been remedied by just slightly more expansion at the end.
Not my favorite book of the year, but I liked it, and it was very impressively written.
There’s much to really like here. The narrative was super engaging, particularly in the second half. The excerpts from the students’ novels were all expertly written and well-crafted. The setting in particular was excellent; sharp, realized, ominous, and dark. I haven’t read anything set during peak COVID yet, and this was a bit triggering, but also perfect at setting the scene. This novel is clearly written by someone with a mastery of the English language, and it felt a bit like Wall was showing off what he is capable of (not necessarily in a bad way).
I did think the students’ novels (other than Deirdre’s) started to really drag the narrative down, especially once the main plot got going. I also thought the ending was abrupt and too short. I get that we’re supposed to feel unsettled, but I felt like its abruptness took some of the wind out of an effective twist. Also, some of the characters’ motivations remain unclear to me, which again think could have been remedied by just slightly more expansion at the end.
Not my favorite book of the year, but I liked it, and it was very impressively written.
Displaying 1 of 1 review