Murder Your Darlings: A Novel

by Jenna Blum

“Authors and book tours, stalkers and deadlines, horrid men and ice cold revenge . . . Murder Your Darlings will have you cracking up while you’re checking under your bed.”—Karin Slaughter, New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author

For every woman who’s ever fallen for a bad man comes a hilarious and eviscerating tale of love, loss, and deadlines from New York Times bestselling author Jenna Blum.

Known for such brilliant historical novels as Those Who Save Us and The Lost Family, A Mighty Blaze co-founder and New York Times bestselling author Jenna Blum now offers a contemporary, suspenseful novel about love, loss, and revenge in the world of books.

Simone “Sam” Vetiver is a mid-career novelist finishing a lukewarm publicity tour while facing a deadline for a new book on which she’s totally blocked. Recently divorced, Sam is worrying where her life is going when she receives glowing fan mail from stratospherically successful author William Corwyn, renowned for his female-centric novels. When William and Sam meet and his literary sympathy is as intense as their chemistry, both writers think they’ve found The One.

But as in their own novels, things between Sam and William are not what they seem. William has multiple stalkers, including a scarily persistent one named The Rabbit. He lives on a remote Maine island, where his writer life resembles The Shining. And when writers turn up dead, including from The Darlings support group William runs, Sam has to Is it The Rabbit—William’s #1 Stalker? Another woman scorned? Can William be everything he seems?

Narrated by Sam, William, and The Rabbit, Murder Your Darlings is a wickedly witty look at today’s literary landscape and down-the-rabbit-hole tale of how far people will go for love.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Romance, Audiobook

Audible Audio

First published January 13, 2026

About the author

JENNA BLUM is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of novels THOSE WHO SAVE US (Harcourt, 2004), THE STORMCHASERS (Dutton, 2010), and THE LOST FAMILY (Harper Collins, 2018); the novella "The Lucky One" in GRAND CENTRAL (Berkeley/Penguin, July 2014); the audio course “The Author At Work: The Art of Writing Fiction” (Recorded Books, 2015); memoir WOODROW ON THE BENCH, about her last seven months with her beloved 15-year-old black Lab and what they taught her (Harper Collins, 2021); and WWII audiodrama THE KEY OF LOVE (Emerald Audio Network, 2023), available on any major podcast streaming platform.

Jenna's latest novel and first psychological thriller, MURDER YOUR DARLINGS, will be published by Harper Collins 01/13/26.

Jenna is the CoFounder/ CEO of online author platform A Mighty Blaze, and she's one of Oprah's Top 30 Women Writers. Jenna’s first novel, Those Who Save Us, was awarded the Ribalow Prize by Hadassah Magazine, adjudged by Elie Wiesel; it was a Borders pick and the #1 bestselling book in Holland. The Stormchasers, Jenna’s bestselling second novel, was a Target Emerging Authors pick, a Borders pick, and featured in French Elle. Her third bestseller, The Lost Family, was an Indiebound pick and garnered starred reviews from all four trades: Publishers’ Weekly, Kirkus, Booklist, LIbrary Journal. The bestselling memoir Woodrow on the Bench was a Midwestern Booksellers’ pick and is now available in paperback.

Jenna is based in Boston, where she taught at Boston University and at Grub Street Writers for over 20 years. Jenna currently teaches fiction, novel, and social media marketing for writers via Blaze Writers Project, based in Boston and online. She speaks nationally, internationally, and online about her work and writing life. Please visit Jenna on her website, www.jennablum.com, and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Substack, BookBub, and TikTok.

Reviews

[Edwin Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenna Blum took a huge swing with this meta delight about a well-known historical novelist who finds love and decides to switch genres, all while being stalked by a jealous bookseller. I dare not say much more for fear of spoilers, but fans of Jean Hanff Korelitz’s THE PLOT will not be disappointed!

[Tini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes you should murder the book instead.

With a glowing endorsement from Karin Slaughter - one of my longtime favorites - I went into Murder Your Darlings by Jenna Blum with high hopes. Unfortunately, this one turned out to be a true miss for me.

The premise is certainly promising: a mid-career novelist on a faltering book tour falls for a wildly successful literary darling whose life appears to be besieged by stalkers and admirers alike. It's a setup ripe for satire of the publishing world, psychological intrigue, and perhaps even a little romance. Instead, what unfolds is a story that's about as far from a romance as a Netflix true-crime documentary - and a thriller that telegraphs its ending from miles away.

The central relationship between Sam Vetiver (whose full name is, for some irritating reason, mentioned constantly) and bestselling author William Corwyn is meant to carry much of the novel’s emotional weight. Unfortunately, the two characters have absolutely zero chemistry. Their supposed whirlwind connection feels more like narrative insistence than anything organic, making the "love story" at the center of the book difficult to buy into from the start. Add to that William’s increasingly unpleasant behavior - paired with a steady stream of gaslighting, natch - and the romantic dynamics are more exhausting than compelling. The unnecessary and very drawn-out sex scenes don't help matters either. Rather than adding tension or intimacy, they mostly feel crude and uncomfortable, especially given how thoroughly unlikeable William is from the start.

Even more frustrating is what happens to Sam along the way. Introduced as a smart, accomplished writer navigating a difficult moment in her career and personal life, she gradually morphs into a needy, love-struck version of herself that's difficult to reconcile with the character we initially meet.

And then there's the mystery itself. Despite the novel's attempts at twists and suspense, the final reveal is about as predictable as they come, which makes the whole endeavor even less satisfying.

The audiobook, narrated by Ann Marie Gideon, is the one clear bright spot. Gideon is an excellent narrator who throws herself fully into the material and gives the characters far more energy and personality than they perhaps deserve. Unfortunately, even a strong narration can't quite rescue a story that just doesn't work.

In the end, Murder Your Darlings aims for darkly funny literary suspense but lands somewhere closer to a frustrating plot for a bad telenovela.

[R L HERSKOWITZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has to do with a romantic relationship, published novelists as well as unpublished writers, MFA programs, one or two stalkers and more.
It’s basically a story within a story.

Unfortunately, it had too much romance (sex) and the “f” word was used too frequently for my comfort level.

Still, I’m happy I read Murder Your Darlings.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rated up.

[Karen Casale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a clever novel. I love an unreliable narrator and this multi-POV novel had a few. I'm also into books that peek inside the mind of authors and those who work in publishing and this did just that.
I thought the main character William was a conceited ass and I'm not sure if there are men out there like him, but I sure hope not. An entertaining read with a surprise ending that was satisfying. This murder-mystery focuses on obsession and sex in a creepy way, meaning there is a huge creep who uses sex with vulnerable to women to get what he wants: their undying love and loyalty. His fortune and fame help to reel in his innocent victims. He's a PIG! I felt sorry for the women who fell for his trickery.
Thank you Edelweiss for the review copy.

[Merve Özcan Özkan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tıkanmış ve üretemeyen bir yazarın orta yaşlarda yeni bir aşka yelken açmasıyla başlıyor. Bu kadın yazar yeni öyküsünü bulmaya çalışırken yolu ünlü bir erkek yazarla kesişiyor ve hayatı raydan çıkıyor.

Aşk kitabı gibi başlayıp gerilime dönecek bir roman arıyorsanız kesinlikle sizin için.
Okuması/tüketmesi öyle kolay olmayan, öfke krizlerine sokan bir roman ama bitirdikten sonra pişman olmadım. İnsanın içinde ben de kitap yazmak istiyorum hissini uyandırıyor.

Benim bu kitaptan aldığım ders fazla yargılamamak oldu. Herkes her şeyi biliyor ve fark ediyor, evet ama dışarıdan gelen sesler bazen kendi seslerimi susturabiliyor. Kendimize güvenmemiz gerekiyor.

[Aggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this! I thought it’s just another novel about an author suffering from writer’s block..Yada yada. It was actually a clever reveal. This is my first read by the author and won’t be the last. Following this author now.

William Corwyn reminds me of Joe from the series You by Caroline Kepnes.

[Diane OLeary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novelist Simone (Sam) has writers block when she receives a fan letter from a successful fellow author, William. They agree to meet and quickly begin an affair. William tells Sam about a female stalker he has nicknamed Rabbit and talks about writers support group he founded called The Darlings. The pov's of Sam, William and Rabbit alternate as the body count begins and we are not sure if any of the narrators can be trusted as this wild ride takes off. I especially enjoyed the humor in the story as the puzzle came together nicely. This was a very entertaining and fun thriller and I would read Jenna Blum's works again. 3.5 stars.

[Mary Nolan-Fesmire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love a book where women look out for each other. I figured the plot out about 1/2 through, but enjoyed how it unfolded and how the women supported each other in the end. The MC-woman author was a bit ditzy, but that added to the story line.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satire of the publishing industry and MFA programs, masquerading as a thriller. Sam Vetiver is a novelist struggling with her next book when best-selling legend William Corwyn reaches out with a fan email. As Sam and William become involved in a relationship, Sam is threatened by his stalker, known as The Rabbit. As their relationship progresses and the tension heightens, it becomes clear that William is not what he seems. Fun, funny, and a page-turner.

[readwithmichele · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK: Murder Your Darlings
AUTHOR: Jenna Blum
PUB DATE: January 13. 2026, by @harpercollins
PAGES: 368 pages
RATING: 4.25 ⭐️
GENRE: Psychological Thriller/Suspense

THANK YOU to @harperbooks & NetGalley for gifting me an advanced copy of this! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

QUICK SYNOPSIS: Simone “Sam” Vetiver is a mid-career novelist struggling with writer’s block & the pressures of her latest book deadline. After a lackluster book tour & a recent divorce leave her questioning her future, Sam receives an unexpectedly flattering fan letter from bestselling author William Corwyn, a celebrated writer known for his deep insights into female characters. When Sam & William meet, their intellectual & romantic chemistry feels like a fresh beginning. But William’s life is far from simple. He has several obsessive admirers, including a particularly unsettling stalker nicknamed The Rabbit, and lives in isolation on a remote Maine island where creative life & psychological suspense blur. As Sam becomes entangled in William’s world and as unexplained deaths begin to surface among members of a writers’ support group William runs, she’s forced to question whether danger lurks in William’s past or in the very people drawn to him. Told through the shifting perspectives of Sam, William, & The Rabbit, the novel blends literary satire, psychological intrigue, & a darkly witty exploration of love, ambition, and the hidden dangers of the writing life.

QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: This was my first experience reading Jenna Blum, and it absolutely won me over. I was immediately drawn in by the dual POVs. The alternating perspectives allowed the psychological suspense to build steadily while keeping me constantly questioning motivations & truth. I loved the darker psychological elements. It felt fresh, clever, & unsettling in the best way! What really made this book work for me was the atmosphere. There’s a slow-burn unease woven throughout that kept me engaged without relying on shock value. The characters are complex & flawed. This isn’t just a standard thriller, in my opinion. As a first read by this author, it left a strong impression & made me genuinely excited to explore more of her work. If you’re looking for a smart, moody psychological thriller, this one comes out January 13th!

[Randi Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder Your Darlings was such a fun and addicting read! Sam, an author best known for her historical fiction, finds herself completely entranced by William, an effortlessly talented, dreamy writer who hops between genres and nails a female POV a little too well. As their relationship heats up, Sam starts receiving unsettling messages from a stalker determined to drive a wedge between them… but the real question is: why?

When Sam excitedly shares her plan to write a thriller, William’s reaction is explosive, he’s furious, then disappears. His character is very clearly crafted to be a narcissistic a$$hole, and honestly, it made the story even more entertaining. Sam misses every red flag waving in her face, but that only deepens the tension and keeps you glued to the pages.

One of my favorite parts was the “book within a book” structure and the intimate peek inside a writer’s creative process. From inspiration to deadlines to publishing pressures, this novel offers a surprisingly immersive look at the behind-the-scenes world of authorship.

Smart, meta, twisty, and totally absorbing, this was a fantastic read from start to finish.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This bookish thriller featuring a struggling author and a killer intent on murdering members of his fan group just didn't hit for me like I wanted it to. The narrator did a great job with the multi-pov perspectives but even their talents weren't able to help me get invested. Overall just an okay read and not a fav for me by the author. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the MOST fun twisty mystery set among the world of books and writing. If you liked The Plot, you’ll probably like this as well.

[Stacy40pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder Your Darlings by Jenna Blum. Thanks to @harperbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sam Vetiver is working on her next novel and has writer’s block. Renowned author William Corwyn offers to mentor her and they have instant chemistry. On top of her writer’s block though, she’s now dealing with a stalker of his called The Rabbit and a few writers that have turned up dead.

Two big twists at the end; one that was led up to and one that was a total surprise. It was all set up so cleverly. One of those twists that makes you want to reread the whole story because it’ll have a new perspective. I really loved this one. Anyone who enjoys books about writing, and the perils of literary obsessive ambition will love this as well.

“There are so many lonely women, so many ways in which they’ve been hurt. It could break your heart.”

Read this if you like:
-Books about books or writing
-Stalker trope
-Clever twists

Murder Your Darlings comes out 1/13.

[Laura • lauralovestoread · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight this was for me! It’s been awhile since a book grabbed me like this both for the building tension, but also all the humor. I absolutely love a revenge story, and this definitely kept me guessing. I also loved being immersed into the world or being an author and all the tea spilled about the literary world. Is there anything better than a book with books?

Rabbit was a fun addition to the story, and I adored the audio as much as the print. I knew it was going to be a five star read for me when I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters, and needed to know more, and couldn’t wait until I could pick it back up to read again.

*many thanks to Harper Books, Harper audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audio. This was an OK way to pass the time…but it was so blaringly obvious what was going on, from VERY early in the book, that I struggled to maintain interest. Was it supposed to be THAT obvious? I thought maybe there would be another twist I didn’t see coming (nope), and at about the halfway point we start to get narration from William that makes it even more obvious, if it wasn’t already, that the guy is a Grade A asshole who isn’t who he sells himself to be. Absolutely baffled by how Sam sticks with this guy despite the abusive, egomaniac behavior and attempts to exert control over her writing. I just can’t quite figure out what the author intended the reading experience to be with the choices she made around POV particularly. (Like, “the rabbit” is clearly made out to be a nut through the whole book but AGAIN, it is so obvious who the murderer is here that I was just annoyed by the constant blatant attempts at misdirection.)

[Leomie Schweitzer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish the book with how odd the beginning was

[Elizabeth Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️. A thriller centered around the literary world- I’m in! The story is told by multiple point of views with unreliable narrators, I think this worked really well in advancing the story and I don’t mind unreliable narrators to a point. But then it got on my nerves halfway through the book because I saw where it was going and there were characters that I hated. This is about obsession, manipulation, gaslighting and murder. I’m stuck halfway in whether I liked this story or not. I definitely wanted to see how the story played out but I wanted to shake some of the characters silly. And I’m no prude but how the author described all the sex in the book was abundant and unnecessary- all it did was just make me hate William all the more.

[Laurie Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Murder Your Darlings" explores the fine line between creativity and chaos. Blum's sharp prose and captivating characters drew me into the tumultuous world of a writer facing her own demons. The novel’s blend of dark humor and poignant moments keeps me engaged from start to finish. As the protagonist navigates relationships and personal struggles, Blum illustrates the sacrifices made in the pursuit of artistic passion. If you love literature and the creative process, this book is for you.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saw the author speak last week at my library and bought the book then. I wish I had read it before the event as I have questions that I would have asked her. What a delight Jenna was at the event. New genre for her and she hit it out of the park! Warning…lots of mention of sex and the F word is prominent.

[Shazzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy to lose interest in the second quarter. Pacing is wild.

I received a review copy from the publisher.

[Priyanka Champaneri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart, swift, razor sharp, and on-the-nose funny. The writing insider asides are so spot-on (the dread! The imposter syndrome!), the characters both real and ridiculous, every sentence a pleasure to read as things barrel along. Great fun!

[Jennifer]

DNF

[Tracy Pollan]

This was a bit of standard fare mystery for me, I enjoyed it but it did'nt go above and beyond, I say 3.8

[Candace]

DNF @ 10% on audio 4/4/26. I’m not enjoying anything about this.

[Lacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
The way stalking was framed at the end of the book is not it. I cannot say more without getting into spoilers.

[Sheila · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first review on Goodreads compares this book to The Plot. And that tracks, because I hated that book too.

Then why did I finish it? One, because I didn’t see the comparison until I was halfway through. But two, and primarily, I thought surely, SURELY, the twist wouldn’t be so obvious. Surely there was more going on. But nope. 319 pages in it is revealed what should have been obvious the entire time.

William Corwyn is a bestselling author who famously writes very well from a woman’s POV and never writes in the same genre twice but is always so successful! (This is something that we are told many times.) His fiancé committed suicide. He has a program in her honor where he travels the country helping aspiring authors. Because he’s just so giving. He pursues another author and is really angry when he doesn’t write the book he wants her to. He also has a stalker who is very vague in her narrations. Other writers also turn up dead.

Shockingly, he was a serial killer targeting vulnerable women to steal their ideas. His stalker was trying to save the women he killed. This is the major reveal that we got with 30 pages left to the book. I genuinely believe the author thinks her readers are stupid.

But I’ll tell you what I think is stupid: a character who runs away from him in the middle of a blizzard and hides in an (allegedly) lukewarm hot tub (no way since they used it the night before and did I mention blizzard?!) and is wondering when it’ll be safe to come out. Safe to come out to freeze to death?! Wtf lady. In a turn of events no one could have seen coming he found her. Maybe he followed the footprints or noticed the snow was brushed away from the cover since it was all of feet away from the house. Good thing though she had a fountain pen in her braid (that was mentioned minimum of ten times) and stabbed him in the neck.

I also think it’s stupid that The Rabbit didn’t just install security cameras to catch William in the act. Actually, it’s pretty stupid that she immediately was able to get into his computer where, what do you know, there was a ton of evidence proving what he had done!! But for some reason she didn’t do that until there was a blizzard and no power or access to the internet.

Reveals that would have been better:

* The rabbit was really his sister or fiancé who didn’t really die and were now set on revenge.
* Sam was really someone trying to steal ideas from people and it was her all along.
* Some of what we were reading wasn’t real and was written by one of the authors. (Which I kind of was expecting there to be a play with perspectives because for some reason The Rabbit in her perspectives swore like f*ck or @$$. What was the point of that?!)

Besides being predictable, I found this book to be an off putting read. William was so over the top terrible that I couldn’t believe that Sam (who while I know had codependency issues was supposed to be so *different* from the other women - except she wasn’t (and even that being said the entire time is so negative towards women!!!)) would fall for this dude. Sometimes subtlety is your friend. He was so clearly being manipulative that how could it have been a reveal that he was a narcissist??

On top of just William’s general unpleasantness, this book was insensitive to mental illness. It used suicide as a plot line repeatedly. This book put down women for their appearance.

I wish we saw more of the 19 cats hating William. That was the best part honestly. I also wish this had been a book about women empowering women and Sam and Emily teamed up to take him down. He shouldn’t have been so prominent and I’m still confused why the book randomly switched to his perspective in the middle for a bit.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy, atmospheric, and ominous!

Murder Your Darlings is an unpredictable, fast-paced thriller that follows Sam, a young writer paralyzed by writer’s block, whose life is upended when she becomes entangled with the charming and highly successful author William Corwyn who, although seemingly generous and supportive, soon reveals a darker aura that includes an unsettling number of stalkers and an alarming trail of dead acquaintances.

The prose is sharp and relentless. The characters are devious, obsessive, unscrupulous, and vulnerable. And the plot, told through alternating perspectives, builds nicely to create tension and suspense as it exposes layers of manipulation, questionable motives, duplicitous personalities, and parasitic relationships.

Overall, Murder Your Darlings is a cleverly plotted, eerie, compelling page turner by Blum that chillingly illustrates just how easily people can be psychologically and emotionally exploited.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Harper Audio & NetGalley for providing an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book rather more than I'd expected. My low expectations stemmed from the fact that this author is a historical novelist, meta books are not usually very good, and ... maybe I've just read too many novels like this recently? It is definitely well-trodden ground.

We have 3 major components in this book: Simone "Sam" Vetiver, a historical novelist with a side braid (huh?) and writer's block; William Corwyn, a highly-regarded, but very paternalistic and creepy literary powerhouse; and The Rabbit, Williams' stalker. We also have a few supporting characters who give the reader their POV.

This was an enjoyable read, with some niggling details that irked me. The name Simone Vetiver is patently ridiculous, and Blum should be struck off just for using it, but points for admitting as much in the text. As is often the case in books like this, the smart, interesting female characters are STUPID when it comes to romance (this one has a friend who tells her that maybe she's so used to seeing red flags in men that she's looking too hard for them. She should ditch that friend IMO). The premise here is that (some) women are so desperate for love and validation (and help getting their book published, or finessed, or whatever) that they will overlook being called "Milady," or "Dear" incessantly, and will somehow not realize when an old coot is using Viagra. William Corwyn's shtick is purely Old Lech 101, but apparently his literary titanhood is enough to make everyone ignore all the alarm bells he's setting off.

Simone isn't a bad character, exactly, but she is a bit annoying (why a side braid?) and I'm assuming, since she is a historical fiction writer, that she is the stand-in for Blum herself. Other characters are rendered a bit cartoonishly, such as the aforementioned friend, a mainstay of Sam's co-dependency support group (the '90s called, time to go to the church basement!); The Rabbit, in her initial description, is a central casting special: fat, buck-toothed, etc. and her POV doesn't improve things much, although it's by design. The self=declared witch/writer is someone we've all seen before, right down to the voice acting (and cat obsession).

Not to say the book wasn't entertaining - it definitely held my interest, if there were times I wished it would hurry up. We know from what feels like miles away that Sam going to live on an island in Maine is a bad idea, and were I an editor, I'd've cut a lot of that out, but ultimately, it was fine (even with a blizzard in the denouement).

One last quibble: if The Rabbit was *really* there to help/warn all these previous unsuspecting women, WHY was she planning on killing Sam? It wasn't a fleeting thought, either, it was several botched attempts. This made it feel like Blum needed to wrap it up and DO something with The Rabbit, but she wasn't arsed to go back and tailor the action to The Rabbit's new role.

All in all, enjoyable enough, if not groundbreaking material. The voice acting was pretty great, and Braden Wright, in particular, brings just the right amount of smarm to Corwyn's character.

3.5 stars rounded up